cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On the importance of optimizing the configuration of stream prefetchers

This paper provides a detailed analysis of how the parameters of hardware prefetchers affect the memory system performance. In particular, we found the configuration of the frequently used stream prefetcher to have a major impact on the runtime, making parameter optimizations imperative when comparing a stream prefetcher with other prefetching techniques. For example, we show that adjusting the prefetch distance to the optimal value can increase the average speedup over the SPECcpu2000 benchmark suite from 40% to 70%. Moreover, our investigation of the performance of runahead prefetching relative to stream prefetching shows that choosing a non-optimal stream prefetcher as a baseline can distort the results by as much as a factor of two.
Response Surfaces As A Tool For Optimizing Proximity Corrections

Proximity correction in electron beam lithography is essential to obtain the best performance in the submicron regime. Several parameters are required to achieve good correction and their interaction is complex. This paper describes the use of response surface analysis to optimize those parameters values. The effect of individual parameters as well as the result of optimized parameters will be shown for the case of e-beam exposed optical positive resist.
Numerical linear algebra aspects of control design computations

The interplay between recent results and methodologies in numerical linear algebra and mathematical software and their application to problems arising in systems, control, and estimation theory is discussed. The impact of finite precision, finite range arithmetic [including the implications of the proposed IEEE floating point standard(s)] on control design computations is illustrated with numerous examples as are pertinent remarks concerning numerical stability and conditioning. Basic tools from numerical linear algebra such as linear equations, linear least squares, eigenproblems, generalized eigenproblems, and singular value decomposition are then outlined. A selected list of applications of the basic tools then follows including algorithms for solution of problems such as matrix exponentials, frequency response, system balancing, and matrix Riccati equations. The implementation of such algorithms as robust mathematical software is then discussed. A number of issues are addressed including characteristics of reliable mathematical software, availability and evaluation, language implications (Fortran, Ada, etc.), and the overall role of mathematical software as a component of computer-aided control system design.
Inversion of refraction data by wave field continuation

The process of wave equation continuation (migration) is adapted for refraction data in order to produce velocity-depth models directly from the recorded data. The procedure consists of two linear transformations: a slant stack of the data produces a wave field in the p - τ plane which is then downward continued using τ = O as the imaging condition. The result is that the data wave field is linearly transformed from the time-distance domain into the slowness-depth domain, where the velocity profile can be picked directly. No travel-time picking is involved, and all the data are present throughout the inversion. The method is iterative because it is necessary to specify a velocity function for the continuation. The solution produced by a given iteration is used as the continuation velocity function for the next step. Convergence is determined when the output wave field images the same velocity-depth function as was input to the continuation. The method obviates the problems associated with determining the envelope of solutions that are consistent with the observations, since the time resolution in the data is transformed into a depth resolution in the slowness-depth domain. The method is illustrated with several synthetic examples, and with a refraction line recorded in the Imperial Valley, California.
Determinants of hanging and use of ITNs in the context of near universal coverage in Zambia

Roll Back Malaria recently recommended a policy of universal coverage with insecticide-treated nets (ITNs) so that all age groups can benefit from protection against malaria. Countries adopting the ‘universal access’ policy include Zambia. Policy implementation in many settings involves mass distribution of free ITNs to achieve a measure of universal coverage. This study examines ITN deployment and use in the context of mass distribution efforts towards achieving universal coverage in a malaria-endemic district in Zambia. We use multiple logistic regression to identify predictors of ITN deployment and use by anyone in the household and by children under five. Among ITN-owning households with a child under five, 69% used at least one ITN the night before the survey. About half of those children (54%) in ITNowning households were covered the previous night. A strong and consistent predictor of use is household deployment of at least one ITN. Just over half of all ITNs were observed hanging, and reported use of nets for purposes other than malaria prevention was only 3%. Net characteristics, including shape, colour and whether or not the ITN was purchased, were not associated with net deployment. However, ITNs in poor condition are more likely to be observed hanging than ITNs in new or good condition. In the context of free mass distribution of ITNs, behaviour change communication and activities are necessary to improve use. Results suggest campaigns and messages that persuade recipients to hang up their ITNs would contribute towards closing the gap between ownership and use.
Using cognitive simulation to develop user interface design principles

The authors develop theory-based user interface design principles. The goal is independent detailed simulations of user command production in the Unix operating system and Framer, a user-interface design tool. The simulations are based on the construction-integration theory and build on the action planning model developed by S.M. Mannes and W. Kintsch (1988). Use of the model provides insight into why certain types of command productions pose problems for Unix users and shows promise for explaining problems for user of Framer. >
Psychotropic Medications and the Skin

The relationship between psychotropic medications and the skin is multifaceted and, accordingly, relevant to practitioners who treat either psychiatric and dermatologic disorders. This chapter reviews this complex relationship by focusing on three general areas. The cutaneous side effects of many commonly used psychotropic medications; the expanding use of psychotropic medications for the treatment of dermatologic disorders; and two psychiatric disorders with cutaneous manifestations- trichotillomania and delusion of parasitosis
Evaluation of Discretization Error Estimators using the Method of Nearby Problems

The Method of Nearby Problems (MNP) is employed to evaluate various discretization error estimators. Steady- state Burgers equation is chosen as the example case. Fifth-order Hermite splines are used to generate the analytic curve fit, and the development of these splines in 1D is discussed. Results are presented for Burgers equation corresponding to a viscous shock wave for Reynolds numbers of 8, 64, and 512, as well as for a modified version of Burgers equation with a variable viscosity at a nominal Reynolds number of 64. The results obtained using Hermite splines are compared with the results obtained using cubic splines as well as global Legendre polynomials. Whereas the Legendre polynomial fits exhibited large errors at the boundaries, Hermite splines provide good approximations over the entire domain. Furthermore, in contrast to cubic splines, Hermite splines are shown to provide slope- continuous source terms due to the use of C 3 continuity at spline zone interfaces. The fifth-order Hermite splines are used to generate an exact solution to a problem nearby the original Burgers equation. Various discretization error estimators are evaluated both for the original Burgers equation, the nearby problem, and a version of Burgers equation with a nonlinear viscosity term. The Method of Nearby Problems is also examined as an error estimator.
Detection of HF using infrared degenerate four-wave mixing

Abstract Resonant degenerate four-wave mixing is demonstrated for the detection of HF using both the (1-0) and (3-0) vibrational transitions near 4000 and 11500 cm −1 , respectively. The use of rovibrational transitions in DFWM potentially allows the sensitive detection of molecules with otherwise inaccessible electronic states. In addition, high temporal and spatial resolution is obtained by using a pulsed laser with a crossed-beam geometry. High detection sensitivities of > 10 10 molecule/cm 3 were achieved using the HF (1-0) transition for resonance enhancement. Detection using the HF (3-0) transition was only possible at pressures greater than ≈ 1 Torr, where the DFWM interaction is dominated by a thermal grating mechanism.
Distributed Video Coding With Lossy Side Information

The paper presents a distributed video compression (DVC) system with improved rate-distortion performance that is much closer to the performance of H.263 interframe coding as compared to existing DCT-based DVC schemes. The system performance, in terms of compression rate and video quality, is affected by the difference between the source information and the generated side information at the decoder. To improve the accuracy of the side information, a modified three-dimensional recursive search block matching algorithm is proposed. The performance of the proposed DVC system is also investigated when the side information is estimated from lossy video frames that are compressed at different bit rates. Coding results and comparison with existing DVC schemes and with H.263 are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed system.
LEPTONIC D AND DS DECAYS FROM CLEO-c AND PROSPECTS FOR BESIII

We first review recent measurements of D → μν and Ds → μν, τν from CLEO-c. These decays are used to determine leptonic decay constants fD and fDs which may be compared to modern Lattice QCD (LQCD) calculations. Such cross-checks can provide confidence in Lattice results for B(s) meson decay constants which are needed to fully exploit data used to extract the CKM matrix elements Vub and Vcb. We also comment briefly on the outlook for further progress at BESIII.
The Diary of Julia Colt Butler

IN attempting to piece together the feminine heritage of America, modern scholars quickly discover that the public record is not particularly useful. In the last century, when the majority of women lived in an almost entirely private sphere, no effort was made to preserve their stories for posterity. Consequently, private writings such as letters and, in particular, diaries and journals have become the primary sources for insight into the experiences of women. Were it not for the diaries kept by many nineteenth-century women, such as the one written by Julia Colt Butler, the records of their lives would be entirely obscured. Julia's diary, kept from June 28, 1889 to December 8, 1890, provides a brief but valuable glance into the life of a young upper-class woman.1 The diary reveals its writer as a spirited young woman with little opportunity for excitement within the constraints of her protected environment. Yet, Julia apparently did not protest her lot, but rather accepted the values of bourgeois American society in the passively uncritical manner which characterizes the tone of her journal. She belonged to an entire class of idle women whose social function appears to have been that of the consumer—of goods, of time, and of culture. Julia Colt Butler was born June 29, 1872, in Paterson, New Jersey. At that time Paterson was a booming industrial center, commonly known as "Silk City" for its production of fine textiles.2 On her paternal side Julia was descended from one of the most prominent and wealthy families in Paterson, the Colts. Julia's greatgreat grandfather, Peter Colt, and his sons Roswell and John, were early founders of industry in Paterson and were cousins of Samuel
Including 3-D effects in 2-D ocean acoustic modeling

Detailed computer modeling has conclusively shown that out-of-plane scattering and small-scale bathymetric roughness influence the backscattered acoustic intensity in nontrivial ways for acoustically hard surfaces such as sand, gravel, shells and rock. We show that forward scattering of the acoustic signal has similar effects, at least for out-of-plane scattering. Also demonstrated are the results of statistically including the backscatter effects in sonar performance modeling by adjusting the sea floor material parameter presently used in sonar models to account for them.
Handling Safety-Related Feature Interaction in Safety-Critical Product Lines

The variation management of software product lines is currently handled without adequately taking safety or other system-level properties into account. This is largely due to (1) the fact that the available product-line variation-management techniques lack sufficient support for representing the combined effect of different features, and (2) the existing feature interaction techniques do not suffice for handling one-to- many feature interactions typical of many safety-critical product lines. The challenge is that we need to track the safety-related feature interactions while still promoting reuse. The expected contribution of this work is to demonstrate how safety-related feature interactions can be better investigated and managed by the safety-analysis guided, model-based approach described in this paper.
Virtual Organization Clusters

Sharing traditional clusters based on multiprogramming systems among different Virtual Organizations (VOs) can lead to complex situations resulting from the differing software requirements of each VO. This complexity could be eliminated if each cluster computing system supported only a single VO, thereby permitting the VO to customize the operating system and software selection available on its private cluster. While dedicating entire physical clusters on the Grid to single VOs is not practical in terms of cost and scale, an equivalent separation of VOs may be accomplished by deploying clusters of Virtual Machines (VMs) in a manner that gives each VO its own virtual cluster. Such Virtual Organization Clusters (VOCs) can have numerous bene?ts, including isolation of VOs from one another, independence of each VOC from the underlying hardware, allocation of physical resources on a per-VO basis, and clear separation of administrative responsibilities between the physical fabric provider and the VO itself.Initial results of implementing a complete system utilizing the proposed Virtual Organization Cluster Model con?rm the administrative simplicity of isolating VO software from the physical system. End-user computational jobs submitted through the Grid are executed only on the virtual cluster supporting the respective VO, and each VO has substantial administrative ?exibility in terms of software choice and system con?guration. Performance tests using the Kernel-based Virtual Machine (KVM) hypervisor indicated a virtualization overhead of under 10% for latency-tolerant scienti?c applications, such as those that would be submitted to a standard or vanilla Condor universe. Latency-sensitive applications, such as MPI, experience substantial performance degradation with virtualization overheads on the order of 60%. These results suggest that VOCs are suitable for High-Throughput Computing (HTC) applications, where real-time network performance is not critical. VOCs might also be useful for High-Performance Computing (HPC) applications if virtual network performance can be sufficiently improved.
Clinical heterogeneity and tumor control probability.

AbstractHeterogeneity in tumor sensitivity to therapy within patient populations is a major factor affecting tumor control probability (TCP) models, typically flattening dose-response curves. Knowledge of the major clinical factors affecting TCP would allow incorporation of these factors into TCP models, or stratification of patients and tumors, yielding steeper and more specific and predictive TCP curves. Methods. Literature review of the results of therapy for oropharyngeal cancer. Results. In recent years an improvement in control rates of cancers such as oropharyngeal cancer has been reported as potentially gained due to the dosimetric superiority of intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). However, the emergence of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)-related oropharyngeal cancer in recent years is an example of a major clinical factor which likely supersedes the dosimetric gains of IMRT. Conclusions. Clinical factors such as the example discussed in this paper: HPV-related oropharyngeal cancer, must be taken...
Longitudinal Decline of Neuromuscular Activation and Power in Healthy Older Adults

Minimizing the decline of physical function in older adults is an important public health priority in our rapidly aging society. Weakness is a major determinant of functional decline (1). Given that loss of muscle size contributes to weakness, much effort has been dedicated to preventing age-related loss of muscle tissue (2,3). Yet, longitudinal studies indicate that weakness and muscle size are less tightly coupled than previously thought, with progression of weakness considerably outpacing the loss of muscle (4,5). Accordingly, other mechanisms such as impaired voluntary neuromuscular activation may also need to be addressed to prevent weakness and functional decline (6,7). Numerous studies have examined the relationship between weakness and voluntary activation with aging. These studies primarily include cross-sectional comparisons of older and younger adults and the use of resistance training interventions to enhance activation and force production capability. A number of recent review articles provide an excellent summary on this topic, but reveal a lack of consensus on whether impaired voluntary neuromuscular activation occurs with aging and accounts for weakness (6,8,9). Various factors likely contribute to the discrepancies among previous studies, such as the age range of elderly participants (10,11), the functional status of the participants (12,13), the muscle group assessed (6,9), the measurement technique used (6), and the contraction mode and speed assessed (6,9,12,13). Longitudinal studies are needed to better understand whether voluntary neuromuscular activation capability declines with aging and contributes to weakness and loss of physical function in older adults. Accordingly, the objective of the present study is to determine the extent to which potential changes in voluntary neuromuscular activation (quantified as the rate of electromyogram [EMG] rise) (13,14) and muscle size account for potential changes in leg press strength, leg press power, and mobility function during an approximately 2.5 year longitudinal assessment of healthy older adults. We hypothesize that reductions in both voluntary neuromuscular activation and muscle size will be found, and that these reductions will be associated with loss of strength, power, and mobility function.
Discrete wavelet transforms in VLSI

Three architectures, based on linear systolic arrays, for computing the discrete wavelet transform, are described. The AT/sup 2/ lower bound for computing the DWT in a systolic model is derived and shown to be AT/sup 2/= Omega (N/sup 2/N/sub w/k). Two of the architectures are within a factor of log N from optimal, but they are of practical importance due to their regular structure, scalability and limited I/O needs. The third architecture is optimal, but it requires complex control. >
A C/T single nucleotide polymorphism at the tyrosine kinase domain of the insulin receptor gene is associated with polycystic ovary syndrome

Abstract Objective To examine whether the insulin receptor ( INSR ) gene contributes to genetic susceptibility to the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Design Case–control study. Setting Academic endocrinology clinic. Patient(s) Ninety-nine women with PCOS as defined by the National Institutes of Health consensus and polycystic ovaries on ultrasonography, and 136 healthy controls. Main outcome measure(s) Frequency of genotypes of a single nucleotide polymorphism of the INSR gene in patients and controls. Result(s) After stratification of participants by body mass index, the frequency of the uncommon T allele of the INSR single nucleotide polymorphism was significantly increased in lean patients with PCOS (body mass index ≤27 kg/m 2 ) compared with lean controls (relative risk, 2.1). Conclusion(s) The INSR gene is a susceptibility gene for PCOS among lean patients with PCOS. It remains to be determined whether the exon 17 C/T single nucleotide polymorphism is the susceptibility single nucleotide polymorphism for PCOS or whether it is in linkage disequilibrium with another INSR gene polymorphism.
Swadelina new genus (Pennsylvanian Conodonta), a taxon with potential chronostratigraphic significance

Swadelina n. gen. is erected to comprise a short-ranging clade of late Desmoinesian (middle Pennsylvanian) idiognathodontid conodonts characterized by Pa elements with a deep medial trough, extensive anterior ornamentation, and an extremely short carina. The Pb elements have a small, relatively indistinct cusp, and dissimilar development of the anterior and posterior processes. Swadelina (Sw.) probably evolved through paedomorphosis from an untroughed Idiognathodus ancestor well before the appearance of similarly troughed Streptognathodus Pa elements in the Missourian (late Pennsylvanian). We currently recognize Sw. nodocarinata (Jones 1941) and Sw. neoshoensis n. sp. as component species. Swadelina occurs in both North America and Eurasia with a limited range, in strata that are otherwise characterized by pronounced provincialism. With further study of international occurrences, a species of Swadelina may provide for the definition and correlation of an appropriate GSSP stage/series boundary between the middle and upper parts of the Pennsylvanian Subsystem.
COLLEGE STUDENTS' CONCEPT OF ADULTHOOD

60 second-year college students wrote essays describing their concept of adulthood. Classification of the essays indicated that the students possessed relatively well-differentiated concepts of adu...
Forced expression of the leukemia-associated gene EVI1 in ES cells: a model for myeloid leukemia with 3q26 rearrangements.

Chromosome band 3q26 is the locus of two genes, MDS1/EVI1 and EVI1. The proteins encoded by these genes are nuclear factors each containing two separate DNA-binding zinc finger domains. The proteins are identical, aside from the N-terminal extension of MDS1/EVI1, which is missing in EVI1. However, they have opposite functions as transcription factors. In contrast to MDS1/EVI1, EVI1 is often activated inappropriately by chromosomal rearrangements at 3q26 leading to inappropriate expression of the protein in hematopoietic cells and to myeloid leukemias, which are often characterized by abnormal megakaryopoiesis. We previously showed that the two proteins affect replication and differentiation of progenitor hematopoietic cell lines in opposite ways: whereas EVI1 inhibits the response of 32Dc13 cells to G-CSF and TGFβ1, MDS1/EVI1 has no effect on the G-CSF-induced differentiation of the 32Dc13 cells, and it enhances the growth-inhibitory effect of TGFβ1. In the present study, we analyzed the endogenous expression of the two genes during in vitro hematopoietic differentiation of murine embryonic stem (ES) cells and evaluated the effects of their forced expression on the ability of ES cells to produce differentiated hematopoietic colonies. We found that the expression of the two genes is independently and tightly controlled during differentiation. In addition, the forced expression of EVI1 led to a much higher rate of cell growth before and during differentiation, whereas the expression of MDS1/EVI1 repressed cell growth and strongly reduced the number of differentiated hematopoietic colonies. Finally, our study also found that the forced expression of EVI1 resulted in the differentiation of abnormally high numbers of megakaryocytic colonies, thus providing one of the first experimental models showing a clear correlation between inappropriate expression of EVI1 and abnormalities in megakaryopoiesis.
Restoration of Prostacyclin/Thromboxane A2 Balance in the Diabetic Rat: Influence of Dietary Vitamin E

The effect of dietary vitamin E on the synthesis of platelet thromboxane A 2 (TxA 2 ) and vascular prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was investigated. Thrombin-induced platelet TxA 2 synthesis in diabetic rats was significantly elevated, whereas no significant difference was found with collagen-induced synthesis. Arterial PGI 2 production was significantly decreased in diabetic rats. Serum lipid peroxide levels were elevated, and platelet vitamin E levels decreased in diabetic rats. When the diabetic rats were maintained on a high vitamin E diet for 2-3 mo, thrombin-induced platelet TxA 2 , vascular PGI 2 , and lipid peroxides were restored to levels found in nondiabetic rats. Platelets from diabetic rats maintained on a high vitamin E diet synthesized significantly less collagen-induced TxA 2 than platelets from nondietary vitamin E-supplemented diabetic rats or nondiabetic controls.
An Interdepartmental Care Model to Expedite Admission from the Emergency Department to the Medical ICU.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Early evidence suggests that multidisciplinary programs designed to expedite transfer from the emergency department (ED) may decrease boarding times. However, few models exist that provide effective ways to improve the ED-to-ICU transition process. In 2012 Christiana Care Health System (Newark, Delaware) created and implemented an interdepartmental program designed to expedite the transition of care from the ED to the medical ICU (MICU). Methods This quasi-experimental study compared ED length of stay (LOS), MICU LOS, and overall hospital LOS before and after the MICU Alert Team (MAT) intervention program. The MAT consisted of a MICU nurse and physician assistant, with oversight by a MICU attending physician. The ED triggered the MAT after patients were stabilized and determined to require MICU admission. Following bedside face-to-face handoff, the MAT providers then assumed responsibly of a patient's care. If no MICU bed was available, the MAT cared for patients in the ED until they were transferred to the MICU. Results ED LOS was reduced by 30% (2.6hours) from baseline (p Conclusion Early outcomes demonstrate that the MAT intervention can reduce ED LOS for critically ill patients. Additional studies should determine optimal approaches to improve clinical outcomes.
The use of digitalis in children.

Digitalis, properly administered, is the best single therapeutic agent for control of heart failure and many of the supraventricular arrhythmias in infants and children, but adjunctive measures are also necessary. Overdosage is associated with severe toxicity. The purified digitalis preparations have virtually replaced the crude forms of the drug, and their use requires extreme caution because of their potency; this is especially true in both newborn and premature infants. Choice of preparation is not as important as knowledge of therapeutic as well as toxic manifestations. The patient's electrolyte status significantly influences the effect of digitalis.
Optimizing decision quality with contract algorithms

Contract algorithms offer a tradeoff between output quality and computation time provided that the amount of computation time is determined prior to their activation Originally they were introduced as an intermediate step in the composition of interruptible anytime algorithms However for many real-time tasks such as information gathering game playing, and a large class of planning problems contract algorithms offer an ideal mechanism to optimize decision quality This paper extends previous results regarding the meta-level control of contract algorithms by handling a more general type of performance description. The output quality of each contract algorithm is described by a probabilistic (rather than deterministic) conditional performance profile. Such profiles map input quality and computation time to a probability distribution of output quality. The composition problem is solved by an efficient off-line compilation technique that simplifies the run-time monitoring task.
Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection Fraction: Clinical Relevance, Management, and Future Directions

There are currently 6 million Americans with heart failure, and this number is projected to increase to 8.5 million by 2030. One-half of patients with heart failure have preserved ejection fraction...
Movies, Machines, and Human Beings

Many movies—most often science fiction—tell stories about technology. Two famous, blockbuster film series, the Terminator and Matrix, exemplify the on-screen representation of a struggle between machines and human beings. In these movies, machines rule and threaten the continued existence of humanity. They must be conquered to ensure the survival and freedom of the human race. Although these films appear to expose the dangers of an autonomous and hegemonic technology and to champion the human being, they do not. Technology seems to incarnate evil and to endanger humanity, but in a strange reversal it proves to be our salvation. Instead of liberation from technological tyranny, these movies depict as inevitable the total surrender and absorption of humanity to and into technology.
Celibacy, Courage, and Hungry Wives: Debating Military Marriage and Citizenship in Pre-Revolutionary France:

Enlightenment reformers in France had very different visions about whether military men should marry. In one view, acting as a good soldier and citizen drew on new models of masculine virility, and...
THE NUMERICAL EVALUATION OF HOPF BIFURCATION FORMULAE

A FORTRAN subroutine is available which will locate points of Hopf bifurcation and evaluate Hopf bifurcation formulae for arbitrary systems of autonomous ordinary differential equations. The routine provides a cheap adjunct or alternative to direct numerical integration for those systems in which stable or unstable small amplitude oscillations arise by the mechanism of Hopf bifurcation. Program output is a small set of numbers, the coefficients in an approximation to the family of periodic solutions. If μ 2 ≠ 0, where μ 2 is one of the numbers computed, all of the direction of bifurcation (subcritical or supercritical), the orbital stability of the periodic solutions, and the tangent to the graph of the period at the bifurcation point are determined.
The Detection and Disinfection of Pathogens in Storm-Generated Flows

A recreational water9s disease-producing potential is usually assessed by bacterial indicators of human fecal contamination, however many of these indicator bacteria also originate from soils, vegetation, and animal feces. Stormwater runoff can contain high densities of the nonhuman indicator bacteria and epidemiological studies of recreational waters receiving stormwater runoff have found little correlation between indicator densities and swimming related illnesses. In addition a number of non-enteric pathogens found in stormwater runoff have been linked to respiratory illnesses and skin infections, a risk which is not assessed by the present fecal indicators. Therefore, for receiving waters with predominantly stormwater discharges, the current bacterial indicators are not suited to accurately assess the water9s total illness producing capacity. The intermittent and irregular nature of stormwater discharges causes unique disinfection requirements which are discussed in connection with present practices and developments. The need for epidemiological studies to assess the risk from nonhuman and non-enteric pathogens is recommended.
Natural history of Symmetrischema lavernella (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae): a moth with two feeding strategies and the ability to induce fruit formation in the absence of pollination.

The moth Symmetrischema lavernella (Chambers) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) has two feeding strategies on its host plant Physalis Linnaeus (Solanaceae): a fruitworm that feeds on developing ovules in a fruit and a budworm that consumes a floral bud. The fruitworm strategy occurs when a neonate caterpillar enters the ovary of a flower bud above a size threshold (~4 mm in Physalis heterophylla Nees), consumes the developing ovules, and pupates in the fruit. In P. heterophylla, occupancy of the ovary by S. lavernella causes fruit development to occur in the absence of pollination, indicating that the caterpillar initiates developmental pathways associated with pollination. The budworm strategy occurs in buds below ~4 mm, involves consumption of the ovary and immature anthers, and results in pupation inside the uninflated calyx. The two strategies co-occur on plants, determined by the sizes of the available buds at the time of oviposition. The most prominent natural enemy of S. lavernella using the fruitworm strategy was the frugivorous caterpillar Heliothis subflexa (Guenee) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), also a specialist of Physalis. The larger Heliothis subflexa feeds on the fruit externally, consumes S. lavernella, and caused 31.3% of fruitworm mortality in field surveys. Parasitoids included wasps (Hymenoptera) of the families Braconidae, Ichneumonidae, and Chalcididae.
Fatal motor vehicle crashes in Texas: needs for and access to emergency medical services

ABSTRACTAccess to emergency medical services (EMS) was examined for fatal motor vehicle crashes (MVCs) in Texas. Actual needs for EMS were assessed using MVC fatality distribution; revealed EMS accessibility was evaluated using EMS utilization records. Total prehospital time records the time between a MVC occurrence and a victim’s arrival at hospital; it includes activation time, ambulance response time and hospital transport time. The revealed accessibility was compared to potential accessibility, which is based on assumed transportation time to trauma designated hospitals. It was found that although fatal MVCs were more concentrated in urban areas, the fatality rate was higher in rural Texas. The total prehospital time and the component time segments were longer in rural areas, confirming poor EMS access for rural Texas. Significant difference exists for EMS accessibility across the eight state-level health service regions. The study also points to a possible threshold distance or transport time, beyond...
Integrando Peirce e TII: como a teoria da informação integrada e a semiótica peirciana enredam-se com respeito aos sistemas da consciência

A teoria da informacao integrada (TII), proposta inicialmente por Giulio Tononi em 2004 e atualizada (v.3) em 2014, pretende explicar a experiencia consciente por meio do entendimento das acoes de elementos dentro de um sistema experimental tal como o cerebro, e o estabelecimento de principios e operacoes de mensuracao que podem ser utilizados para decidir niveis de consciencia. Alguns dos postulados da TII tem muito em comum com a semiotica peirciana. Entre esses estao a presenca de operacoes hierarquizadas recursivamente, a importância de estruturas relacionais na formacao da experiencia consciente, a dicotomia sujeito/objeto, e uma instância objetivista que requer um sistema que seja verdadeiramente afetado para que a consciencia ou a semiose avance. Entretanto, problemas desafiadores confrontam alguem que espera encontrar uma traducao entre os dois programas, em especial, com respeito aos conceitos fundacionais de tempo (duracao) e continuidade (isto e, o sinequismo de Peirce). Argumento que e possivel transpor os problemas de tempo e continuidade atraves de dois movimentos. Primeiro, apresento a nocao de dwell, um periodo do real, se indeterminado, duracao na semiose, durante a qual um juizo ou tentativa de conclusao e atingido. Em segundo, com respeito a continuidade, argumento que uma analise de um sistema de interpretacao nao possui a pureza ontologica do sistema que ela tenta entender. Em vez disso, qualquer avaliacao analitica de um sistema de interpretacao deve ser considerado corte sintetico e expediente dentro do continuum. Assim, o continuum da experiencia permanece nao afetado mesmo que a (tentativa) de entendimento do continuum aconteca atraves de tais estruturas analiticas artificiais. O valor de TII de “emaranhamento” e a semiotica peirciana e que a semiotica pode ser vista como um esquema estrutural que mapeia o territorio conceitual da experiencia consciente para a qual os principios e mensuracoes de TII, por sua vez, fornecem ferramentas uteis de compilacao de dados empiricos.
Ultra-protective mechanical ventilation without extra-corporeal carbon dioxide removal for acute respiratory distress syndrome.

BackgroundTidal hyperinflation can still occur with mechanical ventilation using low tidal volume (LVT) (6 mL/kg predicted body weight (PBW)) in acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), despite ...
Photonic switching in high performance datacenters [Invited]

Photonic switches are increasingly considered for insertion in high performance datacenter architectures to meet the growing performance demands of interconnection networks. We provide an overview of photonic switching technologies and develop an evaluation methodology for assessing their potential impact on datacenter performance. We begin with a review of three categories of optical switches, namely, free-space switches, III-V integrated switches and silicon integrated switches. The state-of-the-art of MEMS, LCOS, SOA, MZI and MRR switching technologies are covered, together with insights on their performance limitations and scalability considerations. The performance metrics that are required for optical switches to truly emerge in datacenters are discussed and summarized, with special focus on the switching time, cost, power consumption, scalability and optical power penalty. Furthermore, the Pareto front of the switch metric space is analyzed. Finally, we propose a hybrid integrated switch fabric design using the III-V/Si wafer bonding technique and investigate its potential impact on realizing reduced cost and power penalty.
Estimating the Impact of Drought on Agriculture Using the U.S. Drought Monitor

We estimate the impacts of drought, as defined by the U.S. Drought Monitor (USDM), on crop yields and farm income in the United States during the 2001–2013 time period. Our empirical strategy relies on panel data models with fixed effects that exploit spatial and temporal variability in drought conditions and agricultural outcomes at the county level. We find negative and statistically significant effects of drought on crop yields equal to reductions in the range of 0.1% to 1.2% for corn and soybean yields for each additional week of drought in dryland counties, and 0.1% to 0.5% in irrigated counties. Region‐specific results vary, with some regions experiencing no yield impacts from drought, while yield reductions as high as 8.0% are observed in dryland counties in the Midwest for every additional week of drought in the highest USDM severity category. Despite this impact on crop yields, we find that additional weeks of drought have little to no effect on measures of farm income. While precipitation and temperature explain most of the variability in crop yields, we find that the USDM captures additional negative impacts of drought on yields.
A Normative Approach to White-Collar Crime

The study of white-collar crime has been primarily the province of two fairly distinct academic disciplines. In the 1940s, sociologists and criminologists began to focus on the causes and effects of white-collar crime and the social status and circumstances of the offenders who commit such offenses1. A generation or so later, academic lawyers began directing their attention to the complexities of white-collar crime doctrine, the policies and procedures that underlie such offenses, and the sentencing of white-collar offenders2.
Classes as Abstract Entities and the Russell Paradox

The implications of the theory of abstract entities which was developed in the paper with that title1 for some classical problems pertaining to classes are interesting and, I believe, important. To show this I shall take my point of departure from the thesis, advanced in an earlier paper,2 that the form $$x\varepsilon k$$ construed as the logistical counterpart of x is a k (e.g., x is a man) must not be confused with the same form construed as the logistical counterpart of x is a member of k-kind where “k-kind” is given a technical use as a referring expression which refers to a class, and in which it is equivalent to “the class of ks.”
Reproductive Tourism: Equality Concerns in the Global Market for Fertility Services

Assisted reproductive technology (ART) lures people across borders. The willingness to travel for ART access and the practices that facilitate fertility travel are known as “reproductive tourism.” The supply side of reproductive tourism has formed into a sprawling commercial enterprise that is sophisticated in some respects and crude in others. The first task of this Article is to set out a snapshot account of reproductive tourism. ART commerce across jurisdictional lines is fluid. The participants on both the demand and the supply side of the global fertility market change based on legal, medical, and normative innovations (or regressions). Participants include prospective patients, States, countries, providers, health care facilities, sperm banks, egg donors, surrogates, agencies, and brokers. When legal rules, technology, or social norms change, the destination spots and departure points of reproductive tourism change as well. The geographic shifts echo in the identities of the human participants.The dominant narrative of reproductive tourism speaks of the private sphere desire for family formation. This narrative characterizes reproductive tourism as the fortuitous means of achieving the dream of parentage. This Article challenges the way in which the narrative separates family and market. It examines how the human need of family formation interacts with commerce, and how geopolitical differences shape that interaction.This Article also examines the material and normative equality concerns embedded in reproductive tourism. Some of the concerns arise from geopolitical differences between the destination spots and points of departure. Others arise from the use of women as third party sources of gestation and eggs. This Article examines the effects of reproductive tourism on health care priorities and resources in destination spots, the unequal allocation of health risks to women in reproductive tourism, reproductive tourism’s perpetuation of reproductive entitlement, and racial alignment/racial distancing effected by reproductive tourism’s practices.
Complement and the Rheumatic Diseases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the workings of the complement system in the rheumatic diseases. In these conditions, complement plays an important role in mediating tissue damage. Complement determinations are helpful in establishing the diagnosis and following the course, especially as it relates to treatment, of some rheumatic diseases. Interestingly, inborn errors of the complement system as well as more subtle defects of the regulation of complement activation are associated with rheumatic diseases. In rheumatic diseases, there are patients with autoantibodies in which one would like transiently to inhibit complement activation and others with defective complement activation or deficiency states in which one would like to enhance the capabilities of the complement system. It is clearly a double-edged sword as, depending on the circumstances, complement can either cause or prevent tissue damage. In rheumatic diseases, the complement system operates in the same way as it does to defend the host against microbes. The pathophysiologic history of many rheumatic diseases includes the synthesis of autoantibodies and/or the presence of excessive quantities of immune complexes.
Effects of a Variably Occluded Face Mask on the Aerodynamic and Acoustic Characteristics of Connected Speech in Patients With and Without Voice Disorders

Summary Objective This study reports on experiments designed to examine the effects of a variably occluded face mask (VOFM) on (a) estimated subglottal pressure (Psub) in normophonic participants and (b) aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of voice in dysphonic participants. Design A prospective design was used for experiment 1, and a prospective, randomized cohort design was used for experiment 2. Methods The outlet ports of disposable anesthesia face masks were fitted with plastic caps with variable diameter drilled openings (9.6, 6.4, 3.2, and 1.6 mm) to create a series of mask openings. In experiment 1, Psub was measured in normophonic participants using the face mask during syllable repetitions in unoccluded and variable diameter opening conditions. In experiment 2, aerodynamic and acoustic measures were obtained in a group of dysphonic speakers before and after syllable and speech repetition tasks using the VOFM. Results In experiment 1, mean PSub was observed to decrease while using the VOFM in all occlusion conditions versus nonocclusion, with a significant reduction in Psub observed between the baseline and the 6.4 mm condition. In experiment 2, standardized mean differences showed that many dysphonic participants produced reduced Psub, increased airflow, and improved acoustic measures after the use of the VOFM in at least one occlusion condition. Conclusions Beneficial changes in both aerodynamic and acoustic characteristics of voice may be obtained in dysphonic speakers using a VOFM. By moving the place of occlusion outside of the oral cavity, therapeutic stimuli options may be extended beyond vowel and humming elicitations to syllable and speech contexts and assist with generalization of voice therapy targets to conversational speech.
Mechanical properties of β-Si3N4 whisker reinforced α′-SiAlON ceramics

The effects of β-Si3N4 whisker additions on the mechanical properties of α′-SiAlON ceramics were studied. The room temperature fracture toughness and fracture strength of the composites increased with increasing whisker content, and were 6.5 MPa m1/2 and 900 MPa, respectively, for the addition of 30 vol% whiskers. Although creep resistance of the composites was not enhanced at 1200°C, the whisker additions were observed to be beneficial in reducing the oxidation induced slow crack growth of α′-SiAlON that occurred at 1300 °C, and thereby, improved the creep resistance of the composites at 1300°C.