cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implications of Pb-free microelectronics assembly in aerospace applications

The commercial microelectronics industry is rapidly implementing Pb-free assembly strategies and it should be mostly Pb free within the next decade. This trend is driven by existing and proposed legislation in Europe and in Japan, which has already led a number of firms (including AT&T, IBM, Motorola, Hewlett-Packard, and Intel) to adopt Pb-free implementation programs. This is another sign that the microelectronics industry has become truly global. Following Moore's law, progress in microelectronics is brisk but not uniform: in many cases, commercial industry is ahead of the aerospace sector in technology. Progress by commercial industry, along with cost, drives the use of commercial off-the-shelf parts for military and space applications. We can thus anticipate that the U.S. aerospace industry, which is not subject to foreign legislation, will, at some point, be forced to use Pb-free components and subsystems as part of their standard business practices. In this paper, we provide a snapshot of the commercial industry trends and how they may impact electronics in the aerospace environment. Impacts will be felt in the areas of reliability, assembly methods, cost drivers, supply chain selection, and alternative materials selection. In addition, we look at different strategies for implementation. The questions we address include the following: Should companies immediately embark on a program to convert all of their electronics to Pb free? Should they phase it in instead, and if so, over what time frame? Should companies try to comply with industry Pb-free standards? What requirements should flow down to subcontractors and component suppliers? Legislation is pending in a number of states that may affect these decisions and their timing. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, through some university programs, is examining the implementation of Pb free as well. Finally, we present data from a portion of a recent NASA project that focuses on finding suitable alternatives to eutectic Sn-Pb solders and solder pastes and on determining suitable processing operations in assembling printed wiring boards. The world is moving toward implementation of environmentally friendly manufacturing techniques. The aerospace industry will be forced to deal with issues related to Pb-free assembly, either because of the progressive scarcity of eutectic Sn-Pb solder or because of legislation. This paper provides insights into some of the key tradeoffs that should be considered.
How MOOC instructors view the pedagogy and purposes of massive open online courses

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have proliferated in recent years despite disagreement about the role of MOOCs in higher education and whether student outcomes are satisfactory. Taking a mixed-methods approach, the current study surveys professors who have taught MOOCs (n = 162) in order to better understand how MOOCs are perceived by instructors. Professors’ backgrounds and beliefs about the role of MOOCs in higher education and their perceptions of the experiences of students are discussed. In addition, professors’ satisfaction in teaching MOOCs is reported. The study finds that most MOOC professors are experienced faculty members with relatively little prior experience teaching online, and that they are divided about the purpose of MOOCs in the institutional landscape of higher education.
Scheduling Closed-Nested Transactions in Distributed Transactional Memory

Distributed software transactional memory (D-STM) is an emerging, alternative concurrency control model for distributed systems that promises to alleviate the difficulties of lock-based distributed synchronization -- e.g., distributed deadlocks, live locks, and lock convoying. We consider Herlihy and Sun's dataflow D-STM model, where objects are migrated to invoking transactions, and the \emph{closed nesting} model of managing inner (distributed) transactions. We present a transactional scheduler called, reactive transactional scheduler (or RTS) to boost the throughput of closed-nested transactions. RTS determines whether a conflicting parent transaction must be aborted or enqueued according to the level of contention. If a transaction is enqueued, its nested inner transactions do not have to retrieve objects again, resulting in reduced communication delays. Our implementation of RTS in the HyFlow D-STM framework and experimental evaluations reveal that RTS improves throughput over D-STM without RTS, by as much as 88%.
Negative Control of Flagellum Synthesis in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Is Modulated by the Alternative Sigma Factor AlgT (AlgU)

Many respiratory isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from cystic fibrosis patients are mucoid (alginate producing) yet lack flagella. It was hypothesized that an alginate regulator inhibits flagellar gene expression. Mutations in algB, algR, and algT resulted in nonmucoid derivatives, yet algT mutants expressed flagella. AlgT-dependent control of flagellum synthesis occurred through inhibition of fliC but not rpoN transcription.
Monensin turns on microtubule-associated translocation of secretory granules in cultured rat atrial myocytes.

We have studied the effect of monensin on microtubule-associated translocation of atrial secretory granules in 5-7-day-old cultures of atrial myocytes from adult rats. Atrial granules and microtubules were localized by immunofluorescent microscopy of myocytes double-labeled with primary antibodies against atrial natriuretic polypeptide (ANP) and alpha-tubulin. In control myocytes, fluorescence due to atrial granules was predominantly localized to the perinuclear region containing the Golgi complex. After exposure for 30 minutes to monensin (0.5-5.0 microM), myocytes transiently contained conspicuous linear arrays of atrial granules associated with cytoplasmic microtubules. Thereafter, ANP fluorescence accumulated in subsarcolemmal foci at the cell periphery, while perinuclear ANP fluorescence faded. The monensin-induced redistribution of atrial granules was observable in both serum-containing and serum-free media and was unaffected by reducing external Ca2+ to low values, by inhibition of sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release with ryanodine, or by both. The redistribution was prevented by pretreatment with nocodazole, which fragmented microtubules and scattered Golgi complexes and the associated atrial granules throughout the cytoplasm. Radioimmunoassay showed that monensin seemingly decreased the rate of ANP secretion into the medium from 0.15 to 0.11 fmol/(hr.myocyte). These results suggest that monensin turns on microtubule-associated translocation of atrial granules from the perinuclear areas to the cell periphery by modifying the interaction between microtubules and atrial granules. Monensin also promotes movement of atrial granules along the microtubules but does not accelerate the release of ANP.
Optimization of TNT sensory polymers

Our group has been involved in the design and synthesis of ultra-sensitive fluorescence sensory materials for the detection of 2,4,6 trinitrotoluene (TNT) and 2,4 dinitrotoluene (DNT). These schemes make use of a novel energy migration mechanisms to amplify the fluorescence response and have led to systems capable of rapid detection of these analytes at sub part-per-billion levels. In an effort to optimize the amplification and specificity, we have examined the nature of energy migration in our polymers systems because it is inherent in achieving amplification. polarization measurements and energy transfer studies between polymers were conducted in order to evaluate and maximize energy migration and hence TNT sensory response. The correlation of photo physical properties with molecular structure guided the synthesis of novel polymers with more discriminant optical responses. These synthetic efforts have yielded a library of sensory polymers with varying sensitivities to different analytes.
Nest shape explains variation in sexual dichromatism in New World blackbirds

Following Charles Darwin, research on sexual dichromatism has long focused on sexual selection driving ornamentation in males. However, Alfred Russel Wallace proposed another explanation – that dichromatism evolves as a result of selection favoring crypsis in incubating females. Many recent studies suggest that evolutionary changes in sexual dichromatism often result from changes in female, in addition to male, plumage, yet the evolutionary mechanisms driving changes in female plumage remain largely unexplained. To test Wallace's hypothesis, we examined variation in sexual dichromatism and nest shape, a proxy for predation risk, among New World blackbirds (Aves: Icteridae). Phylogenetic models reveal an evolutionary correlation between sexual dichromatism and nest exposure. Specifically, we found that transitions in monochromatic lineages with exposed nests toward either concealed nests or dichromatism were common. Although this evidence supports Wallace's hypothesis that female incubation leads to selection for crypsis or concealment, we also found that transitions to monomorphism were common, even in lineages with exposed nests – a result suggestive of a role for positive selection on female ornamentation. These patterns of plumage evolution support a growing body of work emphasizing the importance of developing and testing hypotheses to explain evolutionary changes in female, as well as male, ornamentation.
Evaluation of illustration-inspired techniques for time-varying data visualization

Illustration-inspired techniques have provided alternative ways to visualize time-varying data. Techniques such as speedlines, flow ribbons, strobe silhouettes and opacity-based techniques provide temporal context to the current timestep being visualized. We evaluated the effectiveness of these illustrative techniques by conducting a user study. We compared the ability of subjects to visually track features using snapshots, snapshots augmented by illustration techniques, animations, and animations augmented by illustration techniques. User accuracy, time required to perform a task, and user confidence were used as measures to evaluate the techniques. The results indicate that the use of illustration-inspired techniques provides a significant improvement in user accuracy and the time required to complete the task. Subjects performed significantly better on each metric when using augmented animations as compared to augmented snapshots.
Cache coherence in a multiport memory environment

The effects of various cache coherence strategies are analyzed for a multiported shared memory multiprocessor. Analytical models for concurrent read exclusive write access (CREW) and concurrent read concurrent write access (CRCW) are developed including shared-not-cacheable, snooping bus, snooping bus with cache-to-cache transfers, and directory protocols. The performance of each protocol is shown as the hit rate, main memory-to-cache memory cycle time ratio, fraction of shared data, read percentage, and number of partitions are varied. Overall, results indicate that a snooping bus with cache-to-cache transfer scheme provides consistently fast access times over a wide range of execution parameters. However, nearly equivalent performance can be obtained with simpler directory based schemes. The implications of these results on increasing port complexity and memory usage are discussed. >
MOLECULAR SYSTEMATICS OF THE XANTHOPHYCEAE

Species belonging to the Xanthophyceae have traditionally been classified in six (or seven) orders corresponding to amoeboid, coccoid, filamentous, monadoid, palmelloid and siphonous lines of descent. We have determined plastid rbcL and nuclear 18S rRNA gene sequences for selected coccoid, filamentous and siphonous species. Phylogenetic trees inferred from these data indicate that the orders Mischococcales (coccoid) and Tribonematales (filamentous) are not monophyletic. Instead, our results indicate that coccoid and filamentous life forms have arisen independently in different xanthophyte lineages. Some coccoid and filamentous species are resolved as close allies. For example, in our analyses coccoid and filamentous species possessing bipartite cell walls (e.g., Bumilleria, Ophiocytium, Tribonema, Xanthonema) form a distinct and previously unrecognized lineage within the class. The phylogenetic positions of Asterosiphon, Botrydium and Vaucheria are not robustly resolved, but our data suggest that these siphonous xanthophytes probably do not form a monophyletic group. Our results imply that Vaucheria is only distantly related to other xanthophytes we have examined. Nucleotide sequence divergence values among Vaucheria species were found to be equal to, or greater than, those observed between other xanthophyte species that are classified in different families or orders. Furthermore, our trees do not always support the infrageneric system of classification for Vaucheria species, which is based primarily upon antheridial features.
Continuity of primary care: to whom does it matter and when?

BACKGROUND Inconsistent findings on the value of continuity of care can stem from variability in its importance to different subsets of patients. We therefore examined the association among patient and visit characteristics and extent to which the patient valued continuity of care (PVC). We hypothesized that continu- ity would be more important to patients who are older, sicker, and female, who have established a relationship with their physician, and whose visit addresses more complex problems. METHODS A study of 4,454 consecutive outpatient visits to 138 community- based family physicians used a 3-item measure (� = 0.67) of PVC. The patient's report of (1) the adequacy of primary care for the visit and (2) satisfaction with the physician on that visit was assessed with multiple measures. Analyses exam- ined the associations among PVC and patient-reported satisfaction with the physi- cian and adequacy of the visit. RESULTS Extremes of age, female sex, less education, Medicare and Medicaid insurance, number of chronic conditions and medications, number of visits to the practice, and worse self-reported health status were associated with higher value placed on continuity (P <.001 for all except sex, where P = .015). Patients who value continuity and did not see a regular physician rated adequacy of the visit lower (for 7 attributes of the visit) than those seeing their own physician. Satisfac- tion with the physician for the visit was greatest among patients who value conti- nuity and saw their regular physician. CONCLUSIONS Continuity of physician care is associated with more positive assess- ments of the visit and appears to be particularly important for more vulnerable patients. Health care systems and primary care practices should devote additional effort to maintaining a continuity relationship with these vulnerable patients.
Pension plans and retirement incentives

This paper aims to examine the impact of type of pension scheme on retirement behavior. Section 1 describes a simple, theoretical model of optimal retirement. Section 2 introduces an empirical model of a simple retirement savings plan, or defined contribution pension scheme. Section 3 compares this with a defined benefit scheme. Sections4 and 5 examine the effect of these pension plans on work incentives. The following three sections extend the basic model to introduce 'real world' features of pension plans. Section 9 examines the policy implications of the results and sets out an agenda for future research in this area. The results show a powerful incentive to leave work at the earliest possible age in defined benefit plans. Defined contribution plans, in contrast, encourage people to remain in work longer.
An Exploration of the Optimization of Excutive Scheduling in the Cloud Computing

The cloud computing is roughly in Iaas, PaaS, SaaS these 3 categories, but they all have a common principles which are to use pays principle of how much is how many. It is not the same way as traditional building to purchase the largest estimates of the number of usersi¦ hardware resources. Therefore, the cloud computing also has environmental protection significance. However, how effective and full use of maximum resources in the cloud computing is a desirable subject for discussion. The study suggests use of the working scheduling models to improve the resource allocation in the cloud computing, however, the cloud computing and distribution of resources is more responsive application needs to be time and resources optimal applications. We analog users in accordance with demand category of work parameters, and the scheduling parameters to be access to Internet usage or take the single time to do the parameter, by means of queuing theory for scheduling models such as the demand, scheduling the parameters into model, generate reference data, through the analysis of data to compare the various scheduling characteristics. The future of the cloud computing systems to be a frame of reference, and build their own cloud computing.
Photochemical reactions and on-line UV detection in microfabricated reactors

This work presents an application of microfabricated reactors and detectors for photochemical reactions. Two fabrication schemes were demonstrated for the integration of the reaction and the detection modules: coupling individually packaged chips, and monolithic integration of the two functions. In the latter fabrication scheme, we have succeeded in bonding quartz wafers to patterned silicon wafers at low temperature using a Teflon-like polymer—CYTOP™. Using quartz substrates allows reaction and detection with UV light of lower wavelengths than Pyrex substrates permit. The pinacol formation reaction of benzophenone in isopropanol was the model reaction to demonstrate the performance of the microreactors. The extent of reaction was controlled by varying the flow rate and therefore the on-chip residence time. Crystallization of the product inside the microreactors was avoided by the continuous-flow design. Instead, crystallization was observed in the effluent storage device. Off-chip analysis using HPLC confirms the results obtained from the on-line UV spectroscopy. The quantum yield estimated suggests that the reactor design is effective in improving the overall efficiency of the reactor unit.
Some Possible Limits on the Minimum Electrical Signals of Biological Significance

It is of interest to consider what might be the lowest-level electric and magnetic signals that are biologically important. This is important in helping to decide what experiments are worth performing, as well as in setting safety standards. Deciding what the lowest-level fields or currents are is not a simple issue, because the biological effects of an externally applied electric field or current may be dependent on the particular cell or organ to which they are applied as well as on the time of their application. The amplitude of the current, the field direction, the pulse length, the frequency and the shape of the signal may all be important when the system is nonlinear or time-dependent. Thus two current pulses of the same size and shape may have quite different effects on the firing rate of a pace-maker cell, depending on the point of the firing cycle at which they are injected or on the closeness of the repetition rate to the natural firing rate. In addition, we can reasonably expect that the minimum signal for which we can detect a biological change will decrease as our measuring techniques improve, and as our biological understanding improves.
Intended and Unintended Consequences of Youth Bicycle Helmet Laws

AbstractMore than 20 states have adopted laws requiring youths to wear a helmet when riding a bicycle. We confirm previous research indicating that these laws reduced fatalities and increased helmet use, but we also show that the laws significantly reduced youth bicycling. We find this result in standard two-way fixed-effects models of parental reports of youth bicycling and in triple-difference models of self-reported bicycling among high school youths that explicitly account for bicycling by youths just above the age threshold of the helmet law. Our results highlight important intended and unintended consequences of a well-intentioned public policy.
Majorization and Matrix Inequalities

Majorization is an important tool in deriving matrix inequalities of eigenvalues, singular values, and matrix norms. In this chapter we introduce the concept of majorization, present its basic properties, and show a variety of matrix inequalities in majorization.
Oath Betrayed: America's Torture Doctors

STEVEN H. MILES, MD Berkeley: University of California Press, 2009, 2nd ed., 312 pages, US$16.95, ISBN 978-0-5202-5968-3. Steven Miles has written an important book about the actualities of the sys...
Risks, Benefits, and Competitive Interference: Consumer Perceptions of Prescription Drug Versus Dietary Supplement Advertising

ABSTRACTDirect-to-consumer advertising (DTCA) of prescription drugs has been a controversial topic ever since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) modified the advertising regulations for such products. The controversy generally surrounds the risk/benefit ratio and whether or not the practice helps or hurts consumers. Consumers often have nonpharmaceutical options that purportedly solve similar problems as prescription drugs. These may include a class of products labeled “dietary supplements.” Supplements are a distinct product category, and advertisements for these products are not held to the same regulatory standards as prescription drugs. The current research begins by outlining the regulatory standards for both prescription drugs and dietary supplements. We then focus on one particular category (erectile dysfunction) of drugs to determine how consumers perceive the risks and benefits provided in the advertising. This research also investigates the potential influence of competitive interferenc...
The Occurrence of Digits

Let a, x, and b be integers such that x > 1, b > 1, and 0 ? a O, each of the b digits occurs equally often. Hence
Slow light pulse delays in Rb vapor cells

We present an experimental study of slow and stored light in Rb vapor cells under conditions of electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT). We study the fundamental limitations for pulse delay in such a system.
Effect of reserpine on serum prolactin, growth hormone, and glucocorticoids in dairy cows.

SummaryNonlactating, nonpregnant Holstein cows were used to examine the effects of an im injection of reserpine. A 5-mg reserpine injection resulted in a rapid (within 0.5 hr) and sustained (at least 24 hr) elevation of serum prolactin. Peak prolactin levels (283 ng/ml) occurred 3 hr postinjection. Serum glucocorticoid and growth hormone concentrations were unaffected by reserpine injection. Two sequential injections of 5 mg of reserpine given at 48-hr intervals gave nearly identical prolactin responses. The prolactin response to reserpine was dose dependent with 1 mg giving approximately 39.5% of the response obtained with 5 mg of reserpine.The authors appreciate the assistance of C. J. Wil-cox, Dairy Science Department, University of Florida, with analysis of the mixed-model factorial design.
Experimental Investigation of Concrete Columns Wrapped with Shape Memory Alloy Spirals

This experimental work focuses on enhancing the seismic performance of reinforced concrete (RC) columns by using innovative active confinement technique. Spirals made of Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) are utilized to provide the active confining pressure. The proposed technique is investigated experimentally through the testing of two reduced-scale columns under quasi-static cyclic loading. One of the columns is confined passively using glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP) sheets while the other is confined using a reduced number of GFRP sheets in addition to prestressed SMA spirals. The confining pressure on both columns is designed to be the same. The results show significant increase in the energy dissipation and ductility of the column wrapped with SMA spirals compared to that with GFRP sheets.
HCP-12IMPROVING THE EFFICIENCY OF MOLECULAR TESTING FOR EXPEDITED BRAIN TUMOR PATIENT MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL TRIAL ENROLLMENT

BACKGROUND: O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) methylation status is prognostic in glioblastoma. It is a critical datum in optimizing care in elderly glioblastoma patients. Further, MGMT methylation status is increasingly required for clinical trial enrollment (e.g. NCT02336165, NCT02287428). As such, maximizing efficiency of molecular tumor testing is critical in order to provide the best care for glioblastoma patients. METHODS: Using the longitudinal electronic medical record and pathology sample tracking systems, we determined the turn around time (TAT) from tumor resection to MGMT methylation status reporting, along with various intermediate steps along the way. We performed interdepartmental process mapping to identify opportunities for process change, followed by 2 process interventions with follow-up tracking of TAT with statistical process control testing. RESULTS: The baseline average interval from craniotomy to MGMT methylation result was 25.1 days for the 30 weeks prior to intervention, which included ∼5 days from craniotomy to pathological diagnosis, and ∼18 days from pathological diagnosis to MGMT result. Two tests of change were implemented, including a switch from batched to daily DNA extraction and MGMT methylation testing, and implementation of a new procedure for pathology sample inventory within the molecular pathology laboratory. The median time from craniotomy to MGMT methylation status reporting was reduced to from 25.1 days to 17 days after the first intervention, and to 15 days after the second intervention, with significant TAT reduction. CONCLUSIONS: Through clinical process improvement strategies and interdepartmental collaboration, we significantly reduced the TAT from craniotomy to MGMT methylation status reporting by an average of 10 days (40%). This allows for improved patient care by accelerating the delivery of potentially treatment-altering information as well as supplying earlier eligibility information for clinical trial enrollment. We continue to study additional opportunities for intervention, as this work highlights the possibility for neuro-oncology care improvement through process improvement strategies.
Pitfalls of urodynamic testing.

SUMMARY Urodynamic studies are one of the most useful clinical techniques available for the evaluation of lower urinary tract dysfunctions. Urodynamic data are of immense value in the diagnosis and treatment of many disorders of bladder and urethral function. However, there are problems of measurement that can limit the clinical applications of information obtained. First, the urologist should have a special interest in the neurophysiology of lower urinary tract disorders. Second, the standardized ICS concepts and terminology should be used in the descriptions of the findings. Third, the clinical value and limitations of each segment of the studies should be appreciated by the urologist. Fourth, careful attention should be given to the testing methodology and the calibration of the instruments. Finally, an investigative scientific approach should be taken to the interpretation of the data obtained.
The Emergence of Dorsal Stops after High Vowels in Huishu

0. Introduction Huishu, a Tibeto-Burman language of Manipur belonging to the Tangkhul group, features an unusual sound change in which dorsal stop codas are inserted after high vowels in open syllables. Thus PTB *s@y > PTk > *k@.thi > Huishu k@.tik ‘to die’. This development seems both formally and functionally aberrant: epenthesis usually inserts vowels, and consonant epenthesis, when it does occur, usually inserts glides (Blevins to appear).1 I propose that this change and others like it were not motivated by either formal or functional factors. Rather, they result from the conjunction of aerodynamic, acoustic, and perceptual facts, which lead to a systematic misperception (and thus, misinterpretation) of the forms involved in these innovations. This model, I argue, is able to account not only for the general facts surrounding the emergence of consonants after high vowels, but is also able to account for speci c facts of this phenomenon in Huishu.
The Innocent Murmur

The term “Innocent murmur” is used when conditions that lead to the production of the murmur are entirely benign and free of significant organic abnormalities. The murmurs are generally caused by turbulence as a result of normal or rapid flow. The murmur may be entirely systolic and occasionally continuous; very rarely it may be mid-diastolic. In this chapter, we will review when to suspect innocent murmurs along with the appropriate history and physical, differential diagnosis, and work-up.
Life-Span Changes in Visual Perception

ABSTRACT Empirical evidence, graphically illustrated and discussed, is presented to demonstrate life-span changes in perceptual achievements. The studies cited show perceptual performance between children and the aged to be more similar than between young adults over the course of the life-span. A plea is made for developmental theory to be more cognizant of such progressive-regressive changes in order to have a truly life-span developmental psychology.
Abstract B142: Long non-coding RNA expression during CD8+ T cell differentiation and exhaustion

Exhaustion of CD8 + T lymphocytes is a major barrier to effective clearance of chronic viral infection and cancer by the immune system. Transcriptional changes underlie the expansion and differentiation of a naive CD8 + T cell into various effector subsets, including the exhausted state. Experiments from other cell types have shown that the majority of the mammalian genome is transcribed, generating a large number of long, non-protein-coding RNAs (lncRNAs). These lncRNAs have been shown to play important roles in many cellular processes including histone modification, transcriptional regulation, and mRNA metabolism. To identify the role of lncRNAs in CD8 + T cell differentiation and exhaustion, we performed RNA-sequencing on functional and exhausted CD8 + T cells in both humans and mice. We identified over 1,000 expressed, previously un-annotated lncRNAs; of these, hundreds are differentially expressed over the course of CD8+ T cell differentiation. Exhausted CD8 + T cells express a unique set of lncRNAs, and this profile is altered with IL-2 treatment. These results suggest that lncRNAs play important roles in T cell differentiation and exhaustion, and further study is underway to determine their functional roles in anti-viral and anti-tumor immune responses. Citation Format: William Hudson, Haydn Kissick, Masao Hashimoto, Rafi Ahmed. Long non-coding RNA expression during CD8 + T cell differentiation and exhaustion [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Second CRI-CIMT-EATI-AACR International Cancer Immunotherapy Conference: Translating Science into Survival; 2016 Sept 25-28; New York, NY. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Immunol Res 2016;4(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B142.
The dynamics of large-scale arrays of coupled resonators

Abstract This work describes an analytical framework suitable for the analysis of large-scale arrays of coupled resonators, including those which feature amplitude and phase dynamics, inherent element-level parameter variation, nonlinearity, and/or noise. In particular, this analysis allows for the consideration of coupled systems in which the number of individual resonators is large, extending as far as the continuum limit corresponding to an infinite number of resonators. Moreover, this framework permits analytical predictions for the amplitude and phase dynamics of such systems. The utility of this analytical methodology is explored through the analysis of a system of N non-identical resonators with global coupling, including both reactive and dissipative components, physically motivated by an electromagnetically-transduced microresonator array. In addition to the amplitude and phase dynamics, the behavior of the system as the number of resonators varies is investigated and the convergence of the discrete system to the infinite-N limit is characterized.
Food systems in an unequal world: pesticides, vegetables, and agrarian capitalism in Costa Rica

Whether tomatoes, strawberries, green beans or zucchini, United States consumers expect fresh produce to be available year round. And while places like California, Arizona and Florida supply much o...
Identification of a Novel Epoxyqueuosine Reductase Family by Comparative Genomics.

The reduction of epoxyqueuosine (oQ) is the last step in the synthesis of the tRNA modification queuosine (Q). While the epoxyqueuosine reductase (EC 1.17.99.6) enzymatic activity was first described 30 years ago, the encoding gene queG was only identified in Escherichia coli in 2011. Interestingly, queG is absent from a large number of sequenced genomes that harbor Q synthesis or salvage genes, suggesting the existence of an alternative epoxyqueuosine reductase in these organisms. By analyzing phylogenetic distributions, physical gene clustering, and fusions, members of the Domain of Unknown Function 208 (DUF208) family were predicted to encode for an alternative epoxyqueuosine reductase. This prediction was validated with genetic methods. The Q modification is present in Lactobacillus salivarius, an organism missing queG but harboring the duf208 gene. Acinetobacter baylyi ADP1 is one of the few organisms that harbor both QueG and DUF208, and deletion of both corresponding genes was required to observe t...
Abstract 637: Hydrogen Sulfide Acts on Endothelial Cells to Elicit Dilation.

Hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S), produced by the enzyme cystathionine-γ lyase (CSE), dilates arteries by hyperpolarizing and relaxing vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) and CSE knock-out causes hypertension and endothelial dysfunction showing the importance of this system. However, it is not clear if H 2 S-induced VSMC depolarization and relaxation is mediated by direct effects on VSMC or indirectly through actions on endothelial cells (EC). We reported previously that disrupting EC prevents H 2 S-induced vasodilation suggesting H 2 S might act directly on EC. Because inhibiting large-conductance Ca 2+ -activated K + (BK Ca ) channels also inhibits H 2 S-induced dilation, we hypothesized that H 2 S activates EC BK Ca channels to hyperpolarize EC and increase EC Ca 2+ which stimulates release of a secondary hyperpolarizing factor. Small mesenteric arteries from male Sprague-Dawley rats were used for all experiments. We found that EC disruption prevented H 2 S-induced VSMC membrane potential ( E m ) hyperpolarization. Blocking EC BK Ca channels with luminal application of the BK Ca inhibitor, iberiotoxin (IbTx, 100 nM), also prevented NaHS-induced dilation and VSMC hyperpolarization but did not affect resting VSMC E m showing EC specific actions. Sharp electrode recordings in arteries cut open to expose EC demonstrated H 2 S-induced hyperpolarization of EC while Ca 2+ imaging studies in fluor-4 loaded EC showed that H 2 S increases EC Ca 2+ event frequency. Thus H 2 S can act directly on EC. Inhibiting the EC enzyme cytochrome P 450 2C (Cyp2C) with sulfaphenazole also prevented VSMC depolarization and vasodilation. Finally, inhibiting TRPV4 channels to block the target of the Cyp2C product 11,12-EET inhibited NaHS-induced dilation. Combined with our previous report that CSE inhibition decreases BK Ca currents in EC, these results suggest that H 2 S stimulates EC BK Ca channels and activates Cyp2C upstream of VSMC hyperpolarization and vasodilation.
Which Type of High School Maximizes Students’ College Match? Unequal Pathways to Postsecondary Destinations for Students From Varying High School Settings

Through multilevel analyses of Educational Longitudinal Study and National Center for Education Statistics (NCES)-Barron’s data sets, this study examined unequal chances for college enrollment for ...
ENVIRONMENTAL MINERALOGYEdited by David J.Vaughan and Roy A. Wogelius, 2000. EMU Notes in Mineralogy, Vol. 2, 434 p. Eötvös University Press, Budapest.

Environmental mineralogy is touted in the opening chapter of this book, one of a series to be produced from Short Courses sponsored by the European Mineralogical Union, as the science of minerals found in systems within the “critical zone” near the surface of the Earth. This is the zone that figures so importantly in the sustainability of human life: systems such as soils, modern sediments, aerosols, and even the biota. This large piece of terra firma thus claimed by the editors as lying within the purview of the …
Development of a Method to Implement Whole-Genome Bisulfite Sequencing of cfDNA from Cancer Patients and a Mouse Tumor Model

The goal of this study was to develop a method for whole genome cell-free DNA (cfDNA) methylation analysis in humans and mice with the ultimate goal to facilitate the identification of tumor derived DNA methylation changes in the blood. Plasma or serum from patients with pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors or lung cancer, and plasma from a murine model of pancreatic adenocarcinoma was used to develop a protocol for cfDNA isolation, library preparation and whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of ultra low quantities of cfDNA, including tumor-specific DNA. The protocol developed produced high quality libraries consistently generating a conversion rate >98% that will be applicable for the analysis of human and mouse plasma or serum to detect tumor-derived changes in DNA methylation.
Hard X-Ray Photon Correlation Spectroscopy Methods for Materials Studies

Understanding and designing sophisticated new materials require measurements of not only their average structural properties but also their dynamic behavior. X-ray photon correlation spectroscopy (XPCS) provides this information by characterizing fluctuations in condensed matter across a broad range of length scales and timescales. Over the past two decades, XPCS has provided a wide variety of results in the study of materials properties. In this review, we provide an overview of coherence, photon correlation spectroscopy, and the dynamic structure factor as well as information on the mechanics of XPCS experiments. We highlight the impact that this infrastructure has had on materials research and the bright future that is forthcoming with the anticipated upgrade of many third-generation synchrotron sources to fourth-generation multibend achromat sources. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Materials Research Volume 48 is July 1, 2018. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/pag...
A programming remediation plan

Many of the difficulties in junior and senior level computing courses stem from deficiencies in programming skills. This paper describes a remediation tool (PREP) designed for computing students who have completed the introductory programming sequence but have an atrophy of programming skills and knowledge. The strength of this self-paced system is based on a compilation of programming problems with solution hints, a set of similar problems for cognitive recognition, and simulations that encourage students to explore complex problem sets. PREP has been successful in improving student learning, especially those students in need of programming remediation.
New YARN Non-Exclusive Resource Management Scheme through Opportunistic Idle Resource Assignment

Efficiently managing resources and improving throughput in a large-scale cluster has become a crucial problem with the explosion of data processing applications in recent years. Hadoop YARN and Mesos, as two universal resource management platforms, have been widely adopted in the commodity cluster for co-deploying multiple data processing frameworks, such as Hadoop MapReduce and Apache Spark. However, in the existing resource management, a certain amount of resources are exclusively allocated to a running task and can only be re-assigned after that task is completed. This exclusive mode unfortunately leads to a potential problem that may under-utilize the cluster resources and degrade system performance. To address this issue, we propose a novel opportunistic and efficient resource allocation scheme, named OpERA , which breaks the barriers among the encapsulated resource containers by leveraging the knowledge of actual runtime resource utilizations to re-assign opportunistic available resources to the pending tasks. OpERA avoids incurring severe performance interference to active tasks by further using two approaches to efficiently balances the starvations of reserved tasks and normal queued tasks. We implement and evaluate OpERA in Hadoop YARN v2.5. Our experimental results show that OpERA significantly reduces the average job execution time and increases the resource (CPU and memory) utilizations.
High-Throughput Miniaturized 16S rRNA Amplicon Library Preparation Reduces Costs while Preserving Microbiome Integrity.

ABSTRACT Next-generation sequencing technologies have enabled many advances across biology, with microbial ecology benefiting primarily through expanded sample sizes. Although the cost of running sequencing instruments has decreased substantially over time, the price of library preparation methods has largely remained unchanged. In this study, we developed a low-cost miniaturized (5-µl volume) high-throughput (384-sample) amplicon library preparation method with the Echo 550 acoustic liquid handler. Our method reduces costs of library preparation to $1.42 per sample, a 58% reduction compared to existing automated methods and a 21-fold reduction from commercial kits, without compromising sequencing success or distorting the microbial community composition analysis. We further validated the optimized method by sampling five body sites from 46 Pacific chub mackerel fish caught across 16 sampling events over seven months from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography pier in La Jolla, CA. Fish microbiome samples were processed with the miniaturized 5-µl reaction volume with 0.2 µl of genomic DNA (gDNA) and the standard 25-µl reaction volume with 1 µl of gDNA. Between the two methods, alpha diversity was highly correlated (R2 > 0.95), while distances of technical replicates were much lower than within-body-site variation (P IMPORTANCE Reduced costs of sequencing have tremendously impacted the field of microbial ecology, allowing scientists to design more studies with larger sample sizes that often exceed 10,000 samples. Library preparation costs have not kept pace with sequencing prices, although automated liquid handling robots provide a unique opportunity to bridge this gap while also decreasing human error. Here, we take advantage of an acoustic liquid handling robot to develop a high-throughput miniaturized library preparation method of a highly cited and broadly used 16S rRNA gene amplicon reaction. We evaluate the potential negative effects of reducing the PCR volume along with varying the amount of gDNA going into the reaction. Our optimized method reduces sample-processing costs while continuing to generate a high-quality microbiome readout that is indistinguishable from the original method.
Intestinal metaplasia of the gastric cardia: findings in patients with versus without Barrett's esophagus.

Background and Aims There is controversy about finding intestinal metaplasia (IM) of the gastric cardia on biopsy. The most recent American College of Gastroenterology guideline comments that IM cardia is not more common in patients with Barrett’s esophagus (BE). It provides limited guidance on whether the cardia should be treated when patients with BE undergo endoscopic eradication therapy (EET) and whether the cardia should undergo biopsy after ablation. The aims of our study were to determine the frequency in the proximal stomach of (1) histologic gastric cardia mucosa and (2) IM cardia. A third aim was to explore the frequency of advanced pathology (dysplasia and adenocarcinoma) in the cardia after patients with BE have undergone EET. Methods Consecutive patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy between January 2008 and December 2014 who had proximal stomach biopsies were included. Patients who had histologically confirmed BE were compared with those without BE. Results Four hundred sixty-two patients, 289 with BE and 173 without BE, were included. Histologically confirmed cardiac mucosa was found in 81.6% of all patients. This was more frequent in those with versus without BE (86% vs 75%; odds ratio [OR], 2.06; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-3.32; P = .003). IM cardia was more common in the BE group (17% vs 7%; OR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.38-5.19; P = .004). Advanced pathology was more likely in the patients with BE who had undergone EET. Conclusions Cardiac mucosa is present in most patients who undergo endoscopy for upper GI symptoms. IM cardia is more common in patients with BE than those without. Advanced histologic changes in the cardia were seen only in the subgroup of patients with BE who had undergone EET.
Disempowerment and Migrant Populations

People who migrate usually do it for economic, family, or safety concerns. The United Nations Population Bureau estimated that there were 244 million international migrants, including refugees from areas of political turmoil and war in 2015. Migration has a profound impact both on the countries that send as well as receive populations. While migrants may perceive their move as beneficial and empowering, the receiving countries’ response depends on their local sociocultural and political contexts. These factors determine immigration policies, access to benefits, social services and healthcare, employment opportunities, and attitudes toward unauthorized migrants. The migrant experience affects their health over time as their health deteriorates as time in the host country increases. This chapter explores the migrant experience within a historical, sociopolitical context with a focus on social determinants of health and the role of healthcare professionals in providing care that is culturally appropriate.
In My Opinion: Michael E. Hurst: July 8, 1931 - March 22, 2001

My reflections of Michael E. Hurst are a much more modest enterprise than a memoir or biography. My portrait of him will only portray the images I observed and remember: As he was an adult when I met him, it is far from a complete picture of him. I was his academic dean, fellow professor, and friend. While fame has eluded most people I know. Hurst was the exception: everyone in the food service industry knew him.
Integrating Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression and the Hopelessness Model in an Adolescent Sample

Adolescence is a critical period in the development of depression. Hence, researching the applicability of cognitive theories in adolescents is crucial. Currently, much remains unknown about how cognitive variables proposed in different theories interplay with one another and whether gender differences in these associations exist. Attempting to integrate Beck’s cognitive model and the hopelessness model in adolescents, we conducted a 4-wave study using self-report instruments with 499 adolescents (mean ageTime1 = 15.33 years; SD = 0.75; 63.3% female; 73.7% White, 13.8% Black, 5.4% Latina/o, 4.4% mixed race/ethnicity, and 2.6% other) from a high school where almost one third of the students were eligible for free or reduced lunch. Using AMOS and PROCESS to calculate and compare four different theory-driven models, we found support for an integrated model in which the inferential styles proposed in the hopelessness model are located between cognitive errors and the cognitive triad from Beck’s cognitive theory. Further, the individual inferential styles and elements of the cognitive triad are associated differently with each other and other variables in the integrated cognitive model. The gender differences we found were limited and did not form a meaningful pattern. If replicated, the integrated model could be the basis to understand how therapeutic techniques developed to modify cognitive variables proposed in one model can impact cognitive constructs from a different theory. This might make cognitive psychotherapies for depression more effective, as it will allow clinicians to integrate therapeutic techniques based on either of the original theories in one theory-driven treatment approach.