cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
K2C: Cryptographic Cloud Storage with Lazy Revocation and Anonymous Access

Security and privacy concerns hinder the adoption of cloud storage and computing in sensitive environments. We present a user-centric privacy-preserving cryptographic access control protocol called K2C (Key To Cloud) that enables end-users to securely store, share, and manage their sensitive data in an untrusted cloud storage anonymously. K2C is scalable and supports the lazy revocation. It can be easily implemented on top of existing cloud services and APIs – we demonstrate its prototype based on Amazon S3 API.
Introduction to the keynote lecture by Robert W.M. Frater, M.B., CH.B.

Dr. Robert William Mayo Frater was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and obtained his medical degree from the University of Cape Town. You might wonder how Dr. Frater came to be named after Will Mayo: his father was the first South African to train in surgery at the Mayo Clinic, while his mother was the first Englishwoman to train there. They met in Rochester, MN, married in St. Paul, and then moved back to South Africa to practice surgery. Thus, it was natural that when Bob finished basic surgery training in England, he would go to the Mayo Clinic from 1955–1962 to train in the new specialty of cardiothoracic surgery.
The anticommons at 20: Concerns for research continue

Fifty years ago, Garrett Hardin famously predicted that unrestrained use of a common resource could lead to its overuse and depletion—the so-called “tragedy of the commons.” Thirty years later, Heller and Eisenberg introduced the term “anticommons” to the research-policy lexicon ( 1 ), postulating that unfettered exercise of individual property rights could lead to an equally tragic underutilization of resources. By drawing on analogies from land-use planning, they reasoned that if multiple holders of intellectual property (IP) rights, particularly patents, covering a biomedical technology can individually block others from conducting research on that technology, then overall research progress could be stifled. Though many observers now agree 20 years later that empirical evidence of a patent-based anticommons in biomedical research is inconclusive ( 2 ), if not wholly refuted ( 3 , 4 ), there are emerging areas beyond patent law in which the proliferation of exclusionary rights may threaten research in much the way that Heller and Eisenberg predicted.
Interaction Model and Model Selection for Function-on-Function Regression

Regression models with interaction effects have been widely used in multivariate analysis to improve model flexibility and prediction accuracy. In functional data analysis, however, due to the chal...
A sleep medicine medical school curriculum: Time for us to wake up.

In this week's Neurology ®, Salas et al.1 and a team of highly regarded neurology educators and sleep experts propose incorporating an integrated sleep education plan into medical school curricula. In doing so, they make a compelling argument for the urgent need to improve medical school sleep medicine education. Presently, most medical schools in the United States devote only 2–4 hours to sleep education (0.06% of total classroom education).
Revision of pyrophilous taxa of Pholiota described from North America reveals four species—P. brunnescens, P. castanea, P. highlandensis, and P. molesta

A systematic reevaluation of North American pyrophilous or “burn-loving” species of Pholiota is presented based on molecular and morphological examination of type and historical collections. Confus...
Variability in Institutional Board Review for a Multisite Assessment of Resident Professionalism

Residents serve as both trainees and employees and can be considered potentially vulnerable research participants. This can lead to variation in the institutional review board (IRB) review. We studied sites participating in the Assessment of Professional Behaviors Study sponsored by the National Board of Medical Examiners (2009-2011). Of the 19 sites, all but one were university affiliated. IRB review varied; 2/19 did not submit to a local IRB, 4/17 (23%) were exempt, 11/17 (65%) were expedited, and 2/17 (12%) required full Board review; 12/17 (71%) required written informed consent. The interval from submission to approval was 1 to 2 months (8/17); the range was 1 to 7 months. Although most stated there were no major barriers to approval, the most common concern was resident coercion and loss of confidentiality. Local IRB review of this educational research study varied.
Modelling of soil moisture retention curve using machine learning techniques: Artificial and deep neural networks vs support vector regression models

Abstract Soil water retention curve (SWRC) is of fundamental importance in analyzing both flow and contaminant transport in the vadose zone. Field and/or laboratory-based measurements of soil moisture and soil suction – the two main variables that are used to develop SWRC – is often time consuming and sometimes impossible. In this study, plausibility of various machine learning techniques to simulate SWRC of loamy sand are evaluated. Specifically, the machine learning techniques that are investigated include: three support vector regression (SVR) models (i.e. radial basis function (RBF), linear and polynomial kernels), single-layer artificial neural network (ANN), and deep neural network (DNN). The soil moisture and soil suction were measured using time-domain reflectometer (TDR) and tensiometer, respectively. The data were collected under both monotonic wetting and drying of a disturbed sample of loamy sand soil. These datasets were used to train and test the machine learning techniques. Results show that the RBF-based SVR outperforms all the other machine learning techniques in simulating SWRC for loamy sand subjected to either monotonic wetting or drying. The ANN and DNN models simulated soil water content with a RMSE of 0.004–0.009 cm3/cm3 for monotonic wetting in the training phase; and 0.002–0.003 cm3/cm3 for monotonic drying in training phase. In the testing phase, ANN and DNN models simulated soil water content with RMSE of 0.02–0.121 cm3/cm3 and 0.003. The RBF-based SVR model – the best performing machine learning model – simulated soil water content with RMSE of 0.006 and 0.002 cm3/cm3 for soil subjected monotonic wetting and drying, respectively. In the testing phase, the RBF-based SVRmodel simulated soil water content with RMSE of 0.02–0.033 cm3/cm3 and 0.003–0.006 cm3/cm3 for soil under monotonic wetting and drying, respectively. These machine models, therefore, provided plausible SWRC simulations, and the models do not require knowledge of physical soil parameters.
Animal territoriality, property and access: a collaborative exchange between animal behaviour and the social sciences

Territoriality is central to animal behaviourists' understanding of many facets of animal behaviour, including resource acquisition, space use behaviour, communication and mating systems. However, the term itself, how it is conceptualized and defined, has long been nebulous and contentious. Here, we ask whether juxtaposing debates about territoriality from animal behaviour with parallel discussions of territoriality from the social sciences can offer a historically and sociologically informed path out of the conceptual gridlock in which animal territoriality has been located for decades. We delineate two key problems with territoriality identified in the animal behaviour literature: First, that it focuses on how animals are expected to behave rather than how they actually behave and, second, that it assumes rather than demonstrates the function of, and specific relationships among, individuals. We then link these problems to social scientists' theorizations of the difference between property and access: whereas property is focused on how people are expected to behave under juridical–legal rules governing resource use, access focuses on a wide array of means by which people actually access resources. We thus argue that longstanding problems with animal territoriality have arisen due to implicitly embedded notions of property and ownership. Our juxtaposition raises two further problems with territoriality: first, it unwarrantedly serves to attribute authority to individuals described as territory ‘owners’ and casts others (‘intruders’, ‘sneakers’) as transgressors and, second, conceiving of ownership is unfeasible in animal societies lacking the particular juridical–legal institutions that establish and enforce property rights. Instead, we advocate for an access-based approach that will obviate these problems. Ultimately, we argue that the theory of access, as developed in social science literatures on spatial and relational resource use, will allow for a fuller and more nuanced understanding of variation in animal behaviour than that afforded by current dominant notions of territoriality.
Mismatched Guesswork and One-to-One Codes

We study the problem of mismatched guesswork, where we evaluate the number of symbols $y \in \mathcal{Y}$ which have higher likelihood than $X \sim \mu$ according to a mismatched distribution μ. We discuss the role of the tilted/exponential families of the source distribution μ and of the mismatched distribution ν. We show that the value of guesswork can be characterized using the tilted family of the mismatched distribution v, while the probability of guessing is characterized by an exponential family which passes through μ. Using this characterization, we demonstrate that the mismatched guesswork follows a large deviation principle (LDP), where the rate function is described implicitly using information theoretic quantities. We apply these results to one-to-one source coding (without prefix free constraint) to obtain the cost of mismatch in terms of average codeword length. We show that the cost of mismatch in one-to-one codes is no larger than that of the prefix-free codes, i.e., $D(\mu\Vert\nu)$. Further, the cost of mismatch vanishes if and only if ν lies on the tilted family of the true distribution μ, which is in stark contrast to the prefix-free codes. These results imply that one-to-one codes are inherently more robust to mismatch.
Isn’t it iconic? Brand iconicity and distilled spirits: An exploratory study

This exploratory study uses both qualitative and quantitative data to reveal insights used to proffer a new definition for iconicism as related to distilled spirits: A distilled spirit brand that h...
Infectious Complications of Bite Injuries

Animal and human bite injuries are a public health burden. Dog bites outnumber cat bites, but cat bites pose the greatest risk for infection. Skin and soft tissue infections are the most frequent infectious manifestations resulting from bite injury, although invasive infection may occur through direct inoculation or dissemination through the bloodstream. Although contemporary, well-designed trials are needed to inform clinical practice, preemptive antibiotic therapy after a bite injury is warranted for injuries posing high risk for infection and for patients at risk of developing severe infection; antibiotics should target aerobic and anaerobic microbes that comprise the oral and skin flora.
Stereo Augmentation of Simulation Results on a Projection Wall by Combining Two Basic ARVIKA Systems

The following article describes the potential for cost-reduction by using Augmented Reality (AR) in the automotive industry. AR allows for the evaluation of computer-generated simulations with physically crashed cars. The augmented simulation results are displayed on a projection wall in stereo by simply combining two basic ARVIKA systems.
Multifocal pancreatic PPoma in the setting of MEN1: Case report and review of literature.

Author(s): Mosenia, Arman; Ward, Casey; Yee, Alisa; Qorbani, Amir; Corvera, Carlos | Abstract: Introduction and importanceFunctioning pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNETs) that express pancreatic polypeptide-PPomas-do not yet have a pathognomonic clinical syndrome associated with them due to their overall rarity and diverse symptoms. Moreover, in patients with MEN1, the often multifocal nature of pNETs presents a unique clinical issue.Case presentationWe report a case of a 22-year-old man with a known MEN1 gene mutation who was suffering from severe diarrhea (7-8 bowel movements per day) and was found to have only elevated PP levels on biochemical work-up. Ga68-DOTATATE PET/CT showed multifocal tumors in the body and tail of the pancreas that were not evident on contrast-enhanced CT. The patient underwent a successful laparoscopic radical antegrade modular pancreatosplenectomy (RAMP) and recovered well post-operatively with complete resolution of his diarrhea. Immunohistochemistry showed multiple pure PPomas.Clinical discussionThis case highlights the unique propensity for multifocal disease in patients with MEN1 mutations and the utility of functional imaging by somatostatin analogs, i.e., Ga68-DOTATATE PET/CT, in order to perform oncologic laparoscopic pancreatic resections.ConclusionPPomas in the setting of MEN1 mutations are a unique clinical entity due to their diverse associated clinical syndromes and propensity for multifocal disease.
Experimental Demonstration of a WDM-based Integrated Optical Decoder for Compact Optical Computing

We propose and experimentally demonstrate a 3-8 wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) based optical decoder using microring-based add-drop switches and filters. The proposed decoder has a smaller footprint and consumes lower power compared with previous designs.
An Exact Theory for the Transient Behavior of Electron Swarm Parameters

We have developed (Drallos and Wadehra, 1988; 1989) a simple, yet exact numerical technique for obtaining time-dependent electron velocity distribution functions (EVDF) from which the transient behavior of various electron swarm parameters can be obtained. Our calculations predict overshoots in the electron drift velocity when the initial average energy of the electron swarm is near or below the final equilibrium average energy of the swarm. Less dramatic overshoots (and undershoots) of the ionization rate and the average energy have also been observed in the calculations when the above conditions were present. Recent experimentally observed (Duffy and Ingold, 1988; Verdeyen et al., 1988) current overshoots in Ar-Hg and Ne-Hg discharges and ionization rate overshoots in N2discharges are presumably related to the initial conditions of the electron velocity distribution function. Analysis of the swarm data has shown that, for a given E/N, the time dependence of various swarm parameters can be accurately fitted by a sum of two exponential terms. For a given gas (Ar or Ne, in our case), the decay constants in the exponentials appear to depend only on the value of E/N.
Torsion of Noncircular Cylinders

Consider a cylindrical body of length L, the ends of which are subject to distributions of traction that are statically equivalent to equal and opposite torques ±T = ±Te3. The lateral surface of the cylinder is traction-free. It is assumed that there is an axis that passes through the center of twist of each cross section of the cylinder (i.e., an axis on which the displacement perpendicular to the axis is zero) and this is defined to be the X3-axis (see Figure 8.1). Let δ be the cross section of the cylinder and let ∂δ be its boundary. The cross section δ is, in general, noncircular.
Patterns of export production in the eastern equatorial Pacific over the past 130,000 years

[1] Productivity at six core locations in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) was reconstructed with a benthic foraminiferal transfer function. The core records show strong regionality, especially where affected by Peru margin upwelling of deeper Equatorial Undercurrent Water (EUC) (originally coming from the subantarctic). This “Peru margin” record differs from that seen along the equator where divergence leads to shallow upwelling, and it is generally inverse to that seen in cores outside the areas of equatorial upwelling. Principal components analysis shows that the main productivity pattern correlates well to the global oxygen isotope record and has lowest values during isotope stages 2 and 4. In addition to this, equatorial cores show a higher frequency pattern of variation which becomes much more pronounced during MIS 3 and 2. The reconstructions based on benthic foraminifera were tested against those from nonaccumulation rate based inorganic chemical proxies of export production. These were found to correlate well in the region influenced by Peru upwelling, and also to share common features for sites along the equator. All the nonaccumulation rate based paleotracers are consistent with one another and differ from accumulation rate derived proxies. The differences between the two classes of paleotracers may result from uncertainties in calculating actual biogenic fluxes since 230Th-normalized results conform more to those we obtained. Analysis of planktonic carbon isotope values for the EEP, and their comparison to the record of the Pacific subantarctic, indicates that the subantarctic contribution to the EUC was reduced during MIS 3 and 2.
Post-Training Intra-Basolateral Amygdala Infusions of Norepinephrine Enhance Consolidation of Memory for Contextual Fear Conditioning

Post-training infusions of drugs, including noradrenergic agonists and antagonists, into the basolateral amygdala (BLA) influence the consolidation of memory for training in several tasks, including inhibitory avoidance. There is, however, conflicting evidence concerning whether post-training intra-BLA drug infusions modulate the consolidation of contextual fear conditioning (CFC). In the present study, norepinephrine (NE) was infused bilaterally into the BLA of male Sprague Dawley rats immediately after training on two CFC tasks: a Y-maze and a straight alley. Post-training intra-BLA infusions enhanced memory of CFC training in the Y-maze, as assessed by percentage of time spent freezing and shock arm entrance latencies. Post-training intra-BLA infusions of NE enhanced 48 hr retention of CFC training in the straight alley, as assessed by shock compartment entrance latencies and the number of shocks required to learn to avoid entering the shock compartment. These findings indicate that the consolidation of memory for CFC, like that for inhibitory avoidance training, is influenced by post-training neuromodulatory influences within the BLA. Thus, the findings provide additional evidence consistent with the hypothesis that the BLA has a general role in modulating memory consolidation.
Salt enhances flavour by suppressing bitterness

Salts are used as flavouring agents in the cuisines of many cultures1, the most commonly used being NaCl. They impart their own salty taste and enhance other flavours. The apparent ability to increase the intensity of other desirable flavours2,3 is puzzling as virtually all published psychophysical studies show that NaCl either suppresses or has no effect on other flavours3,4. To reconcile this contradiction we have proposed5 that salts selectively filter flavours, such that unpleasant tastes (such as bitterness) are more suppressed than palatable ones (such as sweetness) thereby increasing the salience and/or intensity of the latter. We now present evidence to support this idea.
Calculating the obscuration ratio due to particle surface contamination

A useful method for the calculation of the obscuration ratio due to particle surface contamination is described. Equations are developed for calculating the obscuration ratio for spherical particles (with diameters greater than 1 micron) and fibers for surfaces where the particle size distribution is either known to be or assumed to be of the form of a MIL-STD-1246A distribution. A simple approximation to the obscuration ratio discrete data is then derived, where the contribution from a single size interval only is treated. This derivation obtains tighter bounds on the approximation error than are provided by the usual direct approach.
Laser array concepts for parallel optical interconnects

The transmitter module with the laser array is a key component in parallel optical interconnections based on fiber ribbons. High data capacity, low loss, low crosstalk between the channels, good reliability and small, cost efficient module packages are among the key requirements imposed by the application on the laser array. Lasers having low threshold currents with small temperature sensitivity and high differential quantum efficiency are needed to achieve low overall power consumption and to be compatible with a DC-bias-free modulation scheme. These criteria are best satisfied in GaAs-based quantum well lasers. We focused on Fabry Perot quantum well laser arrays in the wavelength range between 0.8 and 1 /spl mu/m.
The Shape or Distribution of a Batch

The shape of a batch refers to the way in which the numbers are distributed along the number scale, apart from level and spread. The traditional statistical term for shape is distribution. There are two principal aspects to the shape of a batch: number of peaks and symmetry. We have already discussed batches with multiple peaks and some of the reasons why they must be divided before analysis, so we will proceed directly to the second aspect.
Ten Years of Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in a Low-Volume Military Treatment Facility: A Quality Improvement Project

ABSTRACTBackground: The quality assurance of a percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) program is particularly important when the volume of procedures is low in the center. Purpose: Determine predictors of the 30-day and long-term incidence of stent thrombosis, myocardial infarction, and death from any cause for all PCIs performed at Tripler Army Medical Center from January 2002 to June 2012. Methods: 929 PCIs were performed in 795 patients, resulting in an average PCI volume of 88 per year. Follow-up data were obtained for 99.8% of the patients at 30 days and for 83% at 3 years. Results: 18 deaths occurred during the first 30 days after PCI, with an observed morality rate of 2.26%. Multivariate logistic regression identified independent predictors of death at 30 days: stent thrombosis (OR 96), acute myocardial infarction, hemodynamic instability (OR 47), emergent (OR 17) or salvage (OR 28) PCI, and the need for preprocedural balloon pumping (OR 27). The long-term survival Kaplan–Meier estimates were 94%...
Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma in the Elderly

The expansion of older population segments and the continuous increase in the incidence of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) makes this group of neoplasms an important and growing problem. Older NHL patients have increased risk of therapy-related toxicity as a result of age-related physiological changes and frequent co-morbidities. A functional assessment of the elderly patient is necessary to determine the likelihood of tolerating and responding to therapy. The comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) is one multidisciplinary tool that has been applied successfully to older cancer patients and aids in identification of subjects who will or will not benefit from anti-neoplastic treatment. Although indolent lymphomas present more frequently at advanced stage, randomized trials do not show better outcomes with early therapy, supporting close observation until specific therapeutic indications arise. Use of the monoclonal antibody rituximab as a single agent or in combination with chemotherapy improves survival and has become the standard of care in first-line treatment. Radioimmunoconjugates, bendamustine, and other monoclonal antibodies as well as novel targeted agents also are active against indolent lymphomas. Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma is an aggressive but potentially curable disease. Several trials performed exclusively in elderly patients have demonstrated improved response rates and survival with the addition of rituximab to CHOP (cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin [adriamycin], vincristine, prednisone) chemotherapy in the front-line setting. Salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous haematopoietic cell transplant (autoHCT) has been shown to have better failure-free and overall survival in randomized trials involving younger patients. Highly selected individuals up to age 70 years may attain long-term survival benefit from autoHCT, although transplant-related mortality is higher than in younger patients.
Childhood Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome

There have been dramatic increases over the past several decades in the prevalence of childhood obesity and childhood metabolic syndrome in the United States and other industrialized nations. Since...
Overview of Tape Automated Bonding Technology

A review of state‐of‐the‐art technology pertinent to tape automated bonding (for fine pitch, high I/O, high performance, high yield, high volume and high reliability) is presented. Emphasis is placed on a new understanding of the key elements (for example, tapes, bumps, inner lead bonding, testing and burn‐in on tape‐with‐chip, encapsulation, outer lead bonding, thermal management, reliability and rework) of this rapidly moving technology.
Substance Use Changes and Social Role Transitions: Proximal Developmental Effects on Ongoing Trajectories from Late Adolescence through Early Adulthood

Substance use changes rapidly during late adolescence and early adulthood. This time in the life course is also dense with social role changes, as role changes provide dynamic context for individual developmental change. Using nationally representative, multiwave longitudinal data from age 18 to 28, we examine proximal links between changes in social roles and changes in substance use during the transition to adulthood. We find that changes in family roles, such as marriage, divorce, and parenthood, have clear and consistent associations with changes in substance use. With some notable exceptions, changes in school and work roles have weaker effects on changes in substance use compared to family roles. Changes in socializing (i.e., nights out for fun and recreation) and in religiosity were found to mediate the relationship of social role transitions to substance use. Two time-invariant covariates, socioeconomic background and heavy adolescent substance use, predicted social role status, but did not moderate associations, as within-person links between social roles and substance use were largely equivalent across groups. This paper adds to the cascading effects literature by considering how, within individuals, more proximal variations in school, work, and family roles relate to variations in substance use, and which roles appear to be most influential in precipitating changes in substance use during the transition to adulthood.
Effects of Autonomic Neuropathy on Coronary Blood Flow in Patients With Diabetes Mellitus

Background—Cardiac sympathetic signals play an important role in the regulation of myocardial perfusion. We hypothesized that sympathetically mediated myocardial blood flow would be impaired in diabetics with autonomic neuropathy. Methods and Results—We studied 28 diabetics (43±7 years old) and 11 age-matched healthy volunteers. PET was used to delineate cardiac sympathetic innervation with [11C]hydroxyephedrine ([11C]HED) and to measure myocardial blood flow at rest, during hyperemia, and in response to sympathetic stimulation by cold pressor testing. The response to cardiac autonomic reflex tests was also evaluated. Using ultrasonography, we also measured brachial artery reactivity during reactive hyperemia (endothelium-dependent dilation) and after sublingual nitroglycerin (endothelium-independent dilation). Based on [11C]HED PET, 13 of 28 diabetics had sympathetic-nerve dysfunction (SND). Basal flow was regionally homogeneous and similar in the diabetic and normal subjects. During hyperemia, the incre...
A Novel Glucose Sensor Based on Deflection of a Thin Membrane

A novel glucose sensor based on the deflection of a thin membrane is proposed in the article. The sensor consists of a glucose-sensitive hydrogel layer which exhibits swelling when immersed in a glucose-containing solution. A detailed overview of the fabrication procedure and preliminary experimental results for real-time glucose monitoring using our prototype devices will be presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Mutation induction in γ-irradiated primary human bronchial epithelial cells and molecular analysis of the HPRT− mutants

Abstract We have examined various radiobiological parameters using commercially-available primary normal human bronchial epithelial (NHBE) cells, which can be subcultured more than 20 population doublings, and have established the mutation system in order to characterize the molecular changes in γ-irradiated primary cells. The survival curve, obtained after irradiation of cells with 137Cs γ-rays, indicates that the D0, Dq, and n values are 1.34 Gy, 1.12 Gy, and 2.3, respectively. The induction of HPRT− mutation was dose-dependent and the mutant fraction increased in a non-linear fashion. Since the doubling number of NHBE cells is limited, DNA was extracted directly from the single mutant colonies and alteration in the HPRT gene locus was analyzed using multiplex PCR technique. Among spontaneous mutants, the proportion with total and partial deletions of the gene was 10.0% ( 2 20 ) and 60.0% ( 12 20 ), respectively, while 30.0% ( 6 20 ) did not have any detectable changes in the nine exons examined. On the other hand, the fraction of total deletion increased by more than 2-fold among mutants induced by γ-rays in that 26.3% ( 10 38 ) of them showed the total gene deletions. Twenty-five out of 38 γ-induced mutants (65.8%) had partial deletions and 3 mutants (7.9%) had no detectable alteration. The present results showed that γ-irradiation efficiently induced HPRT gene mutation in primary human epithelial cells and that most of the induced mutants suffered larger deletions compared to that observed in spontaneous mutants. This system provides an useful tool for determination of mutagenicity and understanding the molecular mechanisms of environmental carcinogens in primary human bronchial cells.
A decision procedure for conjunctive query disjointness

This paper presents an algorithm that decides whether two conjunctive query expressions always describe disjoint sets of tuples. The decision procedure solves an open problem identified by Blakeley, Coburn, and Larson: how to check whether an explicitly stored view relation must be recomputed after an update, taking into account functional dependencies. For nonconjunctive queries, the disjointness problem is NP-hard. For conjunctive queries, the time complexity of the algorithm given cannot be improved unless the reachability problem for directed graphs can be solved in sublinear time. The algorithm is novel in that it combines separate decision procedures for the theory of functional dependencies and for the theory of dense orders. Also, it uses tableaux that are capable of representing all six comparison operators , and ≠.
COMPARATIVE USAGE OF BOND-WARRANT AND CONVERTIBLE BOND ISSUES†

s of Doctoral Dissertations 797 though normative analysis suggests that the bond-warrant package is the superior instrument. If investors' preference for convertible bonds is the result of a general lack of information concerning the advantages of bond-warrant packages, the recent issue of American Telephone & Telegraph Company may initiate a turnabout in investors' preferences. Issuer and investor awareness of the advantages of bond-warrant issues can be expected to contribute toward attaining more nearly perfect capital markets and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of resource allocation. This content downloaded from 207.46.13.167 on Thu, 21 Jul 2016 06:06:46 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms
Characterization of a late transitional B cell population highly sensitive to BAFF-mediated homeostatic proliferation

We have characterized a distinct, late transitional B cell subset, CD21int transitional 2 (T2) B cells. In contrast to early transitional B cells, CD21int T2 B cells exhibit augmented responses to a range of potential microenvironmental stimuli. Adoptive transfer studies demonstrate that this subset is an immediate precursor of both follicular mature and marginal zone (MZ) B cells. In vivo, a large percentage of CD21int T2 B cells has entered the cell cycle, and the cycling subpopulation exhibits further augmentation in mitogenic responses and B cell-activating factor of the TNF family (BAFF) receptor expression. Consistent with these features, CD21int T2 cells exhibit preferential responses to BAFF-facilitated homeostatic signals in vivo. In addition, we demonstrate that M167 B cell receptor (BCR) idiotypic-specific B cells are first selected within the cycling CD21int T2 population, ultimately leading to preferential enrichment of these cells within the MZ B cell compartment. These data, in association with the coordinate role for BAFF and microenvironmental cues in determining the mature BCR repertoire, imply that this subset functions as a unique selection point in peripheral B cell development.
Climate change and human settlement around the late-glacial laguna De Punta Negra, northern Chile: The preliminary results

Major bodies of fresh water are extremely scarce in the dry Atacama region. Unlike the Salar de Atacama, which has no outlet, the Salar de Punta Negra (24$ 35′ S, 3000 m elevation) used to spill north into the Atacama drainage. Archaeological survey of the beaches and spillway above today's salar indicates late-glacial human use of the 800 km2 lake and environs under a contrasting climate regime. The histories and water budgets of the Pleistocene lakes of the south-central Andes are not well understood, but archaeological data can be interpreted to support (1) hypotheses that would bring westerly storm tracks and winter rain further north 14,000 to 10,000 B.P., especially if accompanied by increasing warmth for part of the period, and/or (2) theories of orbital variation, increased summer insolation, and strengthened monsoons that would provide generally increased rainfall at the Tropics 10,000 to 9000 B.P. Archaeological, paleoclimatological, and geomorphological studies come together to show how this large lake could be a focus of human activity from the time of first settlement of the Atacama region.
Principles and methodology of design for excavations in geologic media

One of the greatest design endeavours of present time involves a design project to be constructed not in steel or concrete but in geologic media — deep underground in rock — and it will cost over $40 billion when completed around the year 2010. This will be America's first high-level radioactive waste storage repository, currently planned at the Yucca Mountain site in Nevada. Yet at this stage there is no clear design methodology for this project, in spite of some $2 billion having been spent in the past ten years. This paper attempts to answer why this is so and to propose a solution. The paper presents the principles of engineering design and the main stages of the design process methodology developed for excavations in geologic media. From problem formulation, through analysis and synthesis, to evaluation and optimization, the design process is seen as the use of six specific design principles within a systematic but flexible design methodology, leading to innovative problem-solving.
Micromechanical model of nonlinear relaxor ferroelectric phase transformation

Some relaxor ferroelectric single crystals undergo a diffuse phase transformation while others undergo a step like transformation when driven by either stress or electric field. In this work the distributed transformation is modeled as a sequence of distributed transformations associated with compositional fluctuations typical or relaxor ferroelectrics. The distribution function is taken to be Gaussian. The results are in good agreement with observations of the response of cut PMN-0.32PT single crystals.
Hydrates at high pressures: Part III. Methane‐argon‐water, argon‐nitrogen‐water system

Initial hydrate formation conditions for selected mixtures of argon-methane and argon-nitrogen determined through measurements of equilibrium pressures and temperature
Silicon Self-Interstitial Cluster Formation and Dissolution in SOI

Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) is a promising alternative to bulk silicon as ultra shallow junction depths have begun to shrink below 50 nm. This study examined the effect of the SOI surface silicon/buried oxide interface on {311} defect evolution after Si+ ion implantation. SOI wafers were produced such that the surface silicon thickness varied from 300A to 1600A. Non-amorphizing Si+ implants at 5 and 20 keV with a dose of 2×1014 cm-2 were performed into SOITEC SOI wafers. Furnace anneals were done at 750°C from 5 minutes to 4 hours and quantitative transmission electron microscopy (QTEM) was used to study the implant damage evolution. At 5 keV, the dissolution behavior of the SOI was very similar to that of the bulk. However, the extended defects in the 300 A SOI did not nucleate the same as those observed in the bulk or thicker SOI. Similar results were seen at 20 keV for the 700 A SOI, but a slight decrease in the concentration of trapped interstitials was observed due to interface recombination as a result of the increased projected range of the implant. It is concluded that the surface Si/BOX interface does not significantly affect recombination of interstitials trapped in extended defects unless the interstitial profile is close to or truncates the interface. However, the interface does appear to affect the stability of zig-zag {311} defects and dislocation loops in thin SOI at lower implant energies.
Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 silences peanut-induced anaphylaxis for a prolonged posttreatment period via IFN-γ-producing CD8+ T cells.

Background Food allergy is a serious and sometimes fatal condition for which there is no cure. We previously reported that Food Allergy Herbal Formula (FAHF)–2) protected peanut-allergic mice against anaphylactic reactions as long as 4 weeks posttherapy. This formula is now in clinical trials in the United States. Objective We sought to determine whether FAHF-2–mediated protection could be extended long-term and explored the mechanisms underlying its persistent immunomodulatory effects. Methods Peanut-allergic mice received FAHF-2 daily orally by gavage for 7 weeks, and then received 7 oral peanut challenges at intervals of 4 to 10 weeks over a period of 36 weeks. For mechanistic studies, some mice received CD4 + or CD8 + T-cell–depleting antibodies or IFN-γ–neutralizing antibodies. Anaphylactic symptoms, body temperatures, and plasma histamine levels were recorded after each challenge, and peanut-specific immunoglobulin levels and cytokine profiles of splenocytes, mesenteric lymph node cells, and purified CD4 + and CD8 + T cells were determined. Results Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 treatment protected mice from anaphylaxis for more than 36 weeks after discontinuing treatment. Peanut-specific IgE levels were reduced as much as 50%, whereas IgG 2a levels were increased as much as 60%, and these effects persisted over time. T H 2 cytokine production by CD4 + T cells from FAHF-2–treated mice was reduced as much as 75%, whereas CD8 + T-cell IFN-γ production was markedly increased by as much as 85% at the final challenge. Neutralization of INF-γ and depletion of CD8 + T cells markedly attenuated FAHF-2 efficacy. Conclusions Food Allergy Herbal Formula-2 provides long-term protection from anaphylaxis by inducing a beneficial shift in allergen-specific immune responses mediated largely by elevated CD8 + T-cell IFN-γ production.
Abstract A56: Bone morphogenetic protein antagonist DMH1 inhibits metastasis in a mouse model of breast cancer

Bone Morphogenetic Proteins (BMPs) are secreted cytokines/growth factors belonging to the Transforming Growth Factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. BMPs have recently been shown to be overexpressed in human breast cancers; however, loss of BMP signaling in mammary carcinomas has also been shown to accelerate metastases. Human breast cancers display active BMP signaling by phosphorylated Smads 1, 5 and 8 in both the tumor and the stromal microenvironment. We hypothesized that inhibiting BMP signaling in both the tumor epithelium as well as the surrounding microenvironment would prevent tumor progression. To test this hypothesis we used DMH1, which is a selective and specific antagonist of the type I BMP receptor. Mice that express the MMTV.PyVmT oncogene were either treated with DMSO vehicle or DMH1 for six weeks following initial mammary tumor palpation. Following six weeks, animals were euthanatized and evaluated for lung metastases. Whole mount staining of lungs revealed a statically significant reduction in lung metastasis in DMH1 treated animals compared to vehicle treated (p-value = 0.03). Primary tumors demonstrated reduced proliferation (BrdU incorporation) and increased apoptosis (cleaved-caspase-3) when treated with DMH1. RNA isolated from peripheral blood at the time of sacrifice indicated decreased circulating tumor cells measured by real-time PCR. Overall, the BMP pathway represents an understudied pathway that may be suitable for targeted therapy in breast cancer. Citation Format: Philip Owens, Michael W. Pickup, Agnieszka E. Gorska, Sergey V. Novitskiy, Charles C. Hong, Harold L. Moses. Bone morphogenetic protein antagonist DMH1 inhibits metastasis in a mouse model of breast cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Tumor Invasion and Metastasis; Jan 20-23, 2013; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(3 Suppl):Abstract nr A56.
Axial diffusion of retinol in isolated frog rod outer segments following substantial bleaches of visual pigment

Partial bleaches of rhodopsin were made in either the proximal or distal halves of isolated Rana pipiens rod outer segments. The fluorescence of all-trans retinol was recorded 15, 60 and 120 min following 17% and 63% bleaches. Some of the retinol that formed remained immobilized in the bleached halves of the outer segments, while another portion was slowly mobilized and diffused along the cell axis.
Bibliometric Study of Medical Reference Services Quarterly, 1982–2009

Medical Reference Services Quarterly began publication in 1982, covering topics of current interest and practical value to public services librarians in medical and related specialties. Since then, it has expanded in scope to include more aspects of health sciences librarianship. This article is a systematic study of all 428 peer-reviewed articles published from 1982 through 2009, with a comprehensive description of content and a citation analysis. Content is extensively analyzed for article subject, and cited references are examined for subject, type of cited material, and average age. In addition, author, institutional, and regional productivity is determined and ranked.
Suburban consensus formation and the race issue

The Detroit suburb of Oak Park, Michigan, attained the status of an independent urban school district in 1952 (Oak Park, 1962, p. 3). Between the years of 1952 and 1960 this suburban community was characterized by a high degree of community consensus in support of increased taxes for the local public school system. Ten school bond and millage elections were held and passed during this period. In 1962 and 1963 additional millage elections were held. Both of these failed. The race issue is of interest in the defeats because they followed the introduction of Negro students into the Oak Park School District. This desegregation was the result of state action to attach the adjacent predominantly Negro Carver school district to that of Oak Park in 1961 (Oak Park, 1960, p. 1). The two school proposal defeats, occurring when they did, raised the following questions. How much of an influence was the issue of race in these initial two defeats? And what long-range effects did the reaction to school desegregation have on community support for school proposals? A
The starting lineup: key microbial players in intestinal immunity and homeostasis.

The complexity of microbiota inhabiting the intestine is increasingly apparent. Delicate balance of numerous bacterial species can affect development of the immune system, how susceptible a host is to pathogenic organisms, and the auto-inflammatory state of the host. In the last decade, with the increased use of germ-free mice, gnotobiotic mice, and animal models in which a germ-free animal has been colonized with a foreign microbiota such as humanized mice, it has been possible to delineate relationships that specific bacteria have with the host immune system and to show what role they may play in overall host health. These models have not only allowed us to tease out the role of each individual species, but have also allowed the discovery and characterization of functionally unknown organisms. For example, Segmented Filamentous Bacteria (SFB) have been shown to play a vital role in expansion of IL-17 producing cells. Prior to linking their key role in immune system development, little was known about these organisms. Bacteroides fragilis can rescue some of the immune defects of gnotobiotic mice after mono-colonization and have anti-inflammatory properties that can alleviate colitis and experimental allergic encephalitis in murine models. Additionally, Clostridium species have most recently been shown to expand regulatory T-cell populations leading to anti-inflammatory conditions. This review will highlight and summarize some of the major findings within the last decade concerning the role of select groups of bacteria including SFB, Clostridium, Bacteroides, Bifidobacterium, and Lactobacillis, and their impact on host mucosal immune systems.
Gas-Alloy Interactions at Elevated Temperatures

The understanding of the stability of metals and alloys against oxidation and other detrimental reactions, to the catalysis of important chemical reactions and the minimization of defects associated with processing and synthesis have one thing in common: At the most fundamental level, all these scientific/engineering problems involve interactions between metals and alloys (in the solid or liquid state) and gaseous atmospheres at elevated temperatures. In this special issue, we have collected a series of articles that illustrate the application of different theoretical, computational, and experimental techniques to investigate gas-alloy interactions.
A net-structure learning system for pattern description

Abstract This paper discusses a computer program that recognizes and describes two-dimensional patterns composed of subpatterns. The program also recognizes all patterns in a scene consisting of several patterns. Patterns are stored in a learned hierarchical, net-structure memory. Weighted links between memory nodes represent subpattern/pattern relationships. Both short term and permanent memories are used. Pattern recognition is accomplished with a serial heuristic search algorithm, which attempts to search memory and compute input properties efficiently. Without special processing, the program can be asked to look for all occurrences of a specified pattern in a scene.
Removing an invader: evidence for forces reassembling a Chihuahuan Desert ecosystem

Community reassembly is an important concept in community ecology, but in most circumstances cannot be observed and is hypothetical. Reassembly of communities is an observable process that can be examined effectively following species invasions. Our study system in southeastern Arizona has declined in diversity and abundance of native winter annual plants coincident with a sustained irruption of a nonnative invasive Eurasian species, Erodium cicutarium, and a major reassembly of the winter annual plant community. To understand the role of E. cicutarium in the reassembly process, we initiated a multiyear E. cicutarium removal experiment that varied the timing of removal. Species richness was higher as a result of removal, although this effect was variable over time. Surprisingly, the abundance of native species collectively was decreased by E. cicutarium removal. However, previously rare Astragalus nuttallianus appears to be facilitated by E. cicutarium, as demonstrated by higher density and relative abund...