cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric Urolithiasis—Does Body Mass Index Influence Stone Presentation and Treatment?

Purpose: Pediatric obesity is a major public health concern in the United States. We investigated the association of body mass index with presentation and outcome in children with urolithiasis.Materials and Methods: We identified all patients 2 to 18 years old at our institution with a radiographically confirmed first renal or ureteral stone between January 2003 and June 2008. Data abstracted included demographics, stone characteristics, treatment and metabolic evaluation. Patients were stratified into 3 body mass index categories, including lower (10th percentile or less for age), normal (10th to 85th percentile) and upper (85th percentile or greater) percentile body weight.Results: Of the children 62 boys (55.4%) and 50 girls (44.6%) were evaluable. Mean age at diagnosis was 11.8 years. Body mass index stratification showed lower percentile body weight in 11 patients (9.8%), normal percentile body weight in 55 (49.1%) and upper percentile body weight in 46 (41.1%). Mean stone diameter was 5.0 mm. Of the...
Virus-induced Pancreatic Disease: Alterations in Concentration of Glucose and Amylase in Blood

Infection of mice with coxsackie B viruses resulted in an acinar pancreatitis. Levels of amylase in serum during the acute phase of the infection were elevated as much as 10-fold, and the amylase content of the pancreas was decreased by over 95 %. Histologic examination revealed marked destruction of the acinar cells with little or no effect on the beta cells. Levels of glucose in blood were significantly reduced during the acute infection, but at no time was there evidence of hyperglycemia. In contrast, mice infected with the M variant of encephalomyocarditis virus became markedly hyperglycemic but had only slight elevations of serum amylase levels. These findings are consistent with the earlier observation that encephalomyocarditis virus destroys beta cells but has little effect on acinar cells. Coxsackie B viruses and encephalomyocarditis virus appear to be valuable models for study of the effect of viral infections on the acinar and beta cells of the
Glutamine parenteral supplementation in stem cell transplant

Pytlik et al1 recently described the results of a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study on alanyl-glutamine dipeptide administered in autologous transplant patients. What is really surprising is not only the lack of any effect of glutamine supplementation but the detrimental effect, which was statistically significant, on several end points of the study (survival, hospitalization, mucositis, opioid requirements, and relapse). If our first goal is 'first do no harm', the results of this study obviously do not go in this direction and this raises the question of a premature withdrawal of the study, considering also the significant increment in the cost of the transplant procedure. Although several adjustments were made by the authors in dissecting the patient population, excluding multiple sclerosis and multiple myeloma, these were not responsible for major differences in their results. Heterogeneity of the patient population as stated by the authors might be responsible for the lack of any effect. We would like to draw attention to the following points with regard to patient characteristics and the design of the above-mentioned study:
Learning lessons from incidents: A paradigm shift is overdue

Abstract Drawing on historical data we show that the international community of process engineers has not been good at learning lessons from their past accidents. We call for a paradigm change in the way we approach this and the creation of a single new, multi-national, multilingual accident database that is free at the point of use and that includes immediate and underlying causes as well as “lessons learned”. It must be user-friendly and provide links to key source documents. The purpose of this paper is to challenge those in authority, and with the power to do so, to make this happen. We give some preliminary views on what may be required. In countries that so choose this could include an element of compulsion to consult the database in specific circumstances and a sign-off procedure to verify that this has been done.
Unique Association of a Rapidly Growing Right Atrial Myxoma in a Child with Double-Outlet Right Ventricle

We describe a patient with double-outlet right ventricle in whom a large right atrial myxoma developed over approximately 6 months. This patient represents the first case described of a right atrial myxoma occurring in an unoperated patient with congenital heart disease other than an isolated atrial septal defect. Because the child was followed with serial echocardiograms, we can document the rapid growth of the tumor.
Looking beyond the International Polar Year: What are the Emerging and Re-emerging Issues in International Law and Policy in the Polar Regions?

AbstractThe International Symposium, ‘Looking beyond the International Polar Year: Emerging and Re-emerging issues in International Law and Policy in the Polar Regions’ (the Symposium) was held on 7–10 September 2008 at the University of Akureyri, Akureryi, Iceland. The Symposium was timed to coincide with the launch of the new postgraduate program in Polar Law offered by the University of Akureyri. The purpose of the Symposium was to examine, in detail, the implications of the challenges faced by the Polar Regions for international law and policy as part of the legacy of the current International Polar Year and to make recommendations on appropriate actions by States, policy makers and other international actors to respond to these emerging and re-emerging challenges. This article summarises the key findings and recommendations of the Symposium. These address the following key issues: climate change; human rights challenges; challenges of new commercial activities in the Polar Regions (such as the exploitation of off shore oil, gas and other minerals, shipping fishing, bioprospecting and tourism); challenges posed by shipping and newly opening sea lanes; threats to specific species and assemblages of species; environmental governance in the Polar Regions; and the inadequate implementation of existing international law and domestic laws. The article also contains a series of recommendations on further legal, scientific and other studies that should be undertaken in the immediate and near term future to better equip governments and policy makers to respond to these emerging issues.
An electrophysiologic and ultrastructural study of the phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride protection against a delayed organophosphorus neuropathy

Abstract The delayed organophosphorus neuropathy caused by diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP) can be prevented by pretreatment with phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). A single injection of DFP (2 mg/kg) into a cat femoral artery produced a delayed neuropathy in the injected leg. Clinical neurotoxic signs in the DFP treated leg were most prominent at 21 to 28 days after DFP administration: a high-step gait with some tip-toe walking. During that time the capacity of the cat soleus α-motor nerve terminals to generate a stimulus-evoked repetitive discharge, known as SBR, was greatly attenuated. At that time, the ultrastructure of the motor nerve terminals demnostrated prominent alterations that correlated well with the motor nerve terminal SBR deficit. These alterations included the presence of extensive whorls in nerve terminals and axoplasms, the retraction and disruption of nerve terminals from the synaptic cleft, and a widening of secondary junctional folds. From the sampled population, the incidence of normal terminals in soleus muscles of the DFP-treated leg was only 2%. Cats which received PMSF (30 mg/kg ip) 24 hr before DFP administration did not develop any neurotoxic signs. Motor movements were normal. The SBR function of the soleus α-motor nerve terminals was not lost and its incidence approached normal values. Moreover, the ultrastructure was normal in 86% of examined neuromuscular junctions in the PMSF pretreated DFP cats. Thus, in this model, pretreatment with PMSF protected cats against the delayed neurotoxic effects of organophosphorus poisoning.
The effect of loading path on the yield surface at elevated temperatures

Abstract The results of an experimental study of yield surfaces of pure aluminum at elevated temperatures from 70 to 305°F are presented. Several prestressing paths in σ-τ space are used. On the basis of these results a new law of hardening is formulated. In addition it is shown that the yield surfaces do not pass through the prestress points and that even at a relatively small prestress the yield surfaces do not enclose the origin.
The Meaning of Insulin to Hispanic Immigrants With Type 2 Diabetes and Their Families

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore the meaning of insulin among a sample of Hispanic immigrants with type 2 diabetes and their family members/significant others. Method Forty-three Hispanics with type 2 diabetes and their family members/significant others were recruited in the southeastern United States for a family-based intervention study on diabetes self-management. Focus groups were conducted in which participants with diabetes and family members were asked to describe their perceptions of insulin. The sessions were audiotaped and transcribed, translated from Spanish into English, and analyzed using standard content analysis. This article reports the findings as well as demographic information and hemoglobin A1C levels of participants. Results The meaning of insulin was described by both Hispanic immigrants with type 2 diabetes and their family members/significant others. Participants’ perceptions were categorized into three major themes: (1) negative perceptions of insulin therapy, (2) perceived barriers to insulin therapy, and (3) positive experiences with insulin emerged from qualitative data. Conclusions The Hispanic immigrants with diabetes and their family members/significant others in this study described perceptions and fears of insulin indicating a lack of understanding of the diabetes disease process and the progressive nature of diabetes. Strategies and further research are necessary to dispel negative perceptions and facilitate positive experiences with insulin for patients and family members/significant others.
TOXICOLOGY AND HISTOPATHOLOGY OF THE HEAT‐STABLE ENTEROTOXIN OF YERSINIA ENTEROCOLITICA IN INFANT AND ADULT MICE

Yersinia enterocolitica heat-stable enterotoxin (YST) was partially purified by ion exchange, gel filtration and Fast Protein Liquid chromatography. Infant mice given YST orally (p.o.) exhibited diarrhea 4 h after administration; a few infants died by 6.5 h. Pups dosed intraperitoneally (i.p.) and adults dosed p.o., i.p. and intravenously showed no symptoms during the 7 days of observations. Tissues of adult mice orally challenged with YST showed no pathological changes by light microscopy. Livers of infant mice orally dosed with YST showed evidence of severe glycogen depletion. The intestinal tracts of YST-dosed (p.o.) infant mice exhibited severe pathological changes including: epithelial cell and villous tip necrosis, villous edema, and capillary and lacteal engorgement. Kidneys of YST-dosed (p.o.) infant mice exhibited devacuolization of the proximal convoluted tubule cells which indicates metabolic inactivity and a probable decrease in the resorption of glomerular filtrate (protein, carbohydrate, electrolytes and water).
Districtwide System for Providing Individual Student Support

Although schools generally provide safe environments, teachers, staff, parents, and students are concerned with the rising level of disruptive, antisocial behavior (Horner, Sugai, Lewis-Palmer, & Todd, 2001). Only a relatively small number of students in a school building engage in the most serious and/or chronic problem behaviors. However, these students account for about 50% of the incidents handled by office staff and dominate a majority of staff time (Lewis & Sugai, 1999; Sugai & Horner, 1994). Recent research recommends addressing individual student needs within a schoolwide discipline system. The purpose of this article was to provide an overview of individual student systems, identify guidelines for implementing a function-based model, and describe a case study of a district's attempts to build a comprehensive district-based individual student support systems cadre.
Flight Performance and Drift Minimization of Magsat in the Lower Atmosphere

This paper addresses the dynamic characteristics of a momentum biased spacecraft (Magsat) which was placed in an elliptic, sun synchronous, low Earth orbit. It discusses various dynamic phenomena observed, develops models for their plausible explanation, and suggests techniques for preventing or minimizing adverse phenomena. An aerodynamic coefficient model which accounts for atmospheric super-rotation is proposed. This model is used to conduct analysis and simulations, the results of which are shown to be compatible with data taken by Magsat. A control philosophy is developed, and analytic expressions for the long-term motion of the momentum biased axis for special cases are derived.
Changes in Cognitive Structure as a Function of Attributed Motive

(1963). Changes in Cognitive Structure as a Function of Attributed Motive. The Journal of Social Psychology: Vol. 59, No. 1, pp. 53-64.
Accurate location of nuclear explosions at Azgir, Kazakhstan, from satellite images and seismic data: Implications for monitoring decoupled explosions

The 10 largest tamped nuclear explosions detonated by the Former Soviet Union in and near two salt domes near Azgir were relocated using seismic data and the locations of shot points on a SPOT satellite image taken in 1988. Many of the shot points are clearly recognized on the satellite image and can be located with an accuracy of 60 m even though testing was carried out at those points many years earlier, i. e. between 1966 and 1979. Onsite inspections and a local seismic monitoring network combined with our accurate locations of previous explosions would insure that any cavities that remain standing from those events could not be used for undetected decoupled nuclear testing down to a very small yield. Since the Azgir area, like much of the Pre-Caspian depression, is arid, it would not be a suitable place for constructing large cavities in salt by solution mining and then using them for clandestine nuclear testing.
In Vitro Activity of Rifampin Alone and in Combination with Nafcillin and Vancomycin Against Pathogenic Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Twenty strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from patients with endocarditis were examined in vitro for susceptibility to rifampin, nafcillin, and vancomycin and to combinations of rifampin with nafcillin or vancomycin. Minimum bactericidal concentrations of rifampin ranged from 0.0031 to 0.0125 mug/ml, of nafcillin ranged from 0.078 to 0.312 mug/ml, and of vancomycin ranged from 0.312 to 1.25 mug/ml. The combination of rifampin with nafcillin was synergistic for 12 strains; the combination of rifampin plus vancomycin was synergistic for 5 of the isolates.
The Clearance of Intravitreal Triamcinolone Acetonide

Since high corticosteroid levels are important in achieving inhibition of intraocular cellular proliferation, we studied the clearance of an intravitreally injected slowly dissolving corticosteroid in the rabbit eye. Triamcinolone acetonide (0.5 mg) disappeared rapidly in eyes that underwent a combined vitrectomy and lensectomy (average, 6.5 days) and more slowly in eyes that underwent vitrectomy only (average, 16.8 days) compared with unoperated normal rabbit eyes (average, 41 days). The ophthalmoscopic disappearance of the white crystals correlated well with a sensitive colorimetric test for clearance of the corticosteroid. Direct observation is therefore an accurate method of assessing the absorption of the corticosteroid. If used therapeutically, this study suggests that more frequent injections of triamcinolone acetonide would be necessary in eyes that underwent vitrectomy, compared with normal eyes.
Impact of scanner illumination mode on CD control process margin

Conventional and annular illumination modes for a 248 nm DUV scanner will be discussed in this paper for their advantage and drawbacks in critical dimension (CD) control. This includes proximity of line width through pitch size, marginality of resist profile measured as sidewall angle, depth of focus (DOF) in line width variation across field/wafer, and isolated space resolution, supported by SEM and scatterometer metrology. Both illumination modes have been applied in the current technology node with sub-wavelength CD, variable pitch sizes, optical proximity correction (OPC) for resolution enhancement and process control optimization. Each illumination defines process margin in exposure, focus and CD uniformity, to gain capability with improved CD control.
Application of129Xe 2D-EXSY NMR to intra- and interparticle exchange in zeolites

2D-EXSY NMR methods were used to explore diffusion between different domains in zeolites on two very different length scales. Measurements were made on xenon-containing samples consisting of a mixture of NaX and NaY zeolite particles which give distinct resonance lines. The cross peaks observed were interpreted in terms of interparticle exchange, and exchange rates were measured as a function of particle size. This kind of experiment with a length scale of microns to mm should be useful in model studies of diffusion in packed catalyst beds. Measurements also were made to study exchange on a much smaller length scale between the main-channel and side-pocket sites in samples of microcrystalline Na-mordenite. Exchange rates and site occupancies were measured as a function of temperature, yielding activation energies for xenon desorption and intersite diffusion. Also, information was obtained on the distribution of inequivalent side-pocket sites which leads to the large xenon NMR linewidths for this type of site.
Incidence and predictors of late total occlusion following coronary stenting.

To determine the incidence and predictors of total occlusion in-stent restenosis, we reviewed three randomized stent vs. stent trials and one stent registry, which provided 955 coronary artery lesions with 6-month angiographic follow-up. Fifteen (1.6%) of the 955 stented lesions were totally occluded at 6-month follow-up. Most patients with total occlusion presented with recurrent angina at the time of repeat angiography (60.0%) while no patient presented with an acute ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. The univariate predictors of total occlusion following elective coronary stenting included stenting for restenosis after a previous percutaneous intervention (P = 0.001), longer stent length (P < 0.001), longer lesion length (P < 0.001), smaller reference vessel diameter (P = 0.022), smaller preprocedure minimum lumen diameter (MLD; P = 0.004), and smaller postprocedure MLD (P = 0.036). Stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis demonstrated that stenting for restenotic lesions (P = 0.004), longer stent length (P < 0.001), and smaller preprocedure MLD (P = 0.012) were independent predictors of total occlusion following coronary stenting.
Dissociation of catch-up growth control and neural control of growth hormone secretion in the stunted head-irradiated rat.

ABSTRACT: Male Long-Evans rats were irradiated to the head only at 2 days of age; littermates of the same sex were sham-irradiated. At 40 days of age the irradiated rats were divided into two groups, one of which was fasted 48 h and the other fed a normal diet. The irradiated rats, fasted and nonfasted, were cannulated in the superior vena cava at 48 to 50 days of age. Between 54 and 58 days of age the cannulated undisturbed rats had blood samples withdrawn at 15-min intervals over an 18-h period (9 h light and 9 h dark). Body weight and tail length data showed characteristic stunting following irradiation. The superimposed fast caused transient growth retardation; on refeeding, the fasted rats showed a pattern of catch-up growth limited to the irradiated non-fasted body size. Plasma growth hormone (GH) concentration in the fastedrefed rats as compared with the nonfasted irradiated rats showed no change in the average period of the bursts of GH secretion, the numbers of values in ranges of GH concentration, or the area under the curve of the plasma GH concentration versus time. No difference in these parameters was present in light or dark, considered separately. We conclude 1) that the link between the catch-up growth control and neural mechanisms controlling GH secretion is impaired as a consequence of the neonatal head-irradiation and 2) that catch-up growth acceleration is not dependent on increased GH secretion.
Correlation of Opsonophagocytosis and Passive Protection Assays Using Human Anticapsular Antibodies in an Infant Mouse Model of Bacteremia for Streptococcus pneumoniae

An infant mouse assay system for assessment of protective concentrations of human serum pneumococcal anticapsular antibodies is described. Passive immunization of anticapsular antibodies was evaluated for protection of infant mice challenged with Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 1, 4, 5, 6B, 18C, and 23A, with bacteremia as an end point. Protection was defined as no detectable bacteremia in 70% of mice 48 h after challenge. Type-specific anticapsular concentrations required for protection varied with serotype ( 0.4 microg/mL). Across serotypes, there was no significant correlation between human IgG concentration in mouse serum and protection from bacteremia or between IgG concentration and opsonophagocytic titer. Significant correlation (r=.84, P<.001) was observed between opsonophagocytic titer of human IgG antibody in mouse sera and protection from bacteremia. Thus, protective concentrations of anticapsular antibodies against bacteremia are serotype dependent. Opsonophagocytosis is a better predictor of in vivo protective capacity of pneumococcal anticapsular antibodies than are ELISA IgG antibody concentrations.
A triple in CAT

A triple (or monad) in a category K is a triple = (T, μ, η) where, T: K → K is a functor and μ: TT →, T, η: 1k → T are natural transformations for which (1.1) and (1.2) commute:In these diagrams the component of a natural transformation α at an object x is denoted xα. Thus for example (kη)T is the value of the functor T applied to the component of η at k, whereas (kT)η is the component of η at the object kT. I write functions and functors on the right and composition from left to right.
FINFET technology a substrate perspective

■ FINFET is a superior device structure for technology nodes beyond 22/20nm due to its excellent electrostatic. ■ Junction isolation in Bulk FINFET is a significant challenge at 14nm node and beyond from lkg and variability perspective - Gating factors are (a) lkg control and HVt offering for LP (b) Variability and hence questionable Vdd scalability (c) Performance tradeoff to overcome variability - Dielectric isolation offers better scalability → essentially becomes a SOI FINFET type structure ■ For conventional source/drain stressor like eSiGe, eSiC, bulk FINFET offers some limited stress advantage (vs SOI FINFET) due to deeper recess. For gate stress, channel stress (pitch scaling friendly stressor), the benefit of bulk FINFET is unclear.
Accelerated Testing in FAMOS Devices - 8K EPROM

The results of multi-temperature operating life and charge retention bake tests of 8K EPROM FAMOS devices indicate that there is a higher activation energy for the charge loss mechanism during a bake without bias than during a dynamic operating life test. This single outcome is sufficient to prove that charge retention bake data should not be used to predict device reliability at system conditions. In fact, the bake data should not even be used to determine the failure rate contribution due to charge loss at system conditions. The charge retention bake study shows derated failure rates two orders of magnitude lower than the derated failure rate found from the operating life tests. Furthermore, failure modes were observed on operating life tests which were not found on the charge retention bake. Even a non-derated failure rate comparison in a common temperature range shows a significant difference between the operating life and the charge retention bake. For the purpose of measuring device reliability, the operating life test is recommended. The operating life test does model system use conditions, and its derated failure rates are more on the order of what is generally observed for other MOS memories.
Effect of wall conduction on natural convection over a vertical slender hollow circular cylinder

An analysis is made of the laminar natural convection of incompressible fluids over a slender, hollow circular cylinder with the inner surface at a constant temperature ofTb. The temperature of the outer surface must be solved from the coupled conduction of the cylinder and the natural convection of the fluid over the cylinder. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of conduction on the heat transfer characteristics of the natural convection boundary layer of the fluid. A wall conduction parameter,p, is introduced which is a measure of the heat conductivities of the solid and the fluid and the thickness of the cylindrical shell. The governing differential equations, being non-similar, are solved by a finite-difference method. Numerical results are generated for a series of values ofp's and Prandtl numbers.
Severity of osteogenesis imperfecta and structure of a collagen-like peptide modeling a lethal mutation site.

We show that there are correlations between the severities of osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) phenotypes and changes in the residues near the mutation site. Our results show the correlations between t...
A high pressure polymorph of CaSO4

CaSO4 has been investigated at room temperature over the pressure range of 0 to 160 kbar. A reversible, sluggish transition that occurs at about 20 kbar with a volume change of about 4% has been confirmed. The x-ray powder data collected at pressure can be indexed on the monoclinic monazite structure cell (P21/n) which is considered to be the most likely model structure for the new HP CaSO4 phase. The transition is largely distortional and involves rotation and displacement, but essentially preserves the chains of edge shared CaO8(9) and SO4 polyhedra found in the orthorhombic anhydrite (Bbmm) structure.
Local stability of a population with density-dependent fertility.

Abstract The local stability of an equilibrium population configuration is investigated. The population is governed by a density-dependent, age-structured, nonlinear renewal equation. Local stability is shown to depend essentially on the rate of change of the net reproduction rate as a function of the population size. Examples illustrating the results and the characteristics promoting stability are discussed.
Ontogenetic changes in the osmotic pressure and sodium and potassium concentrations of chick embryo serum

Abstract 1. 1. The osmotic pressure and sodium and potassium concentrations were measured in serum samples obtained from 3- to 20-day chick embryos, newly hatched and adult chickens. 2. 2. There are two different levels of serum sodium concentration and osmotic pressure in the life cycle of the chicken. The embryonic levels are 20–30 mequiv./1 lower than that of the adult, and remain relatively constant during the first 2 weeks of development. The transition to adult levels occurs in the first few days after hatching. 3. 3. The serum potassium concentration of the embryo (5·1 mequiv./1) is slightly lower than that of the adult (6·1 mequiv./1) and increases markedly during the perinatal period (8·3 mequiv./1).
Testing the effectiveness of an osteoporosis educational program for nursing students in Thailand

Objective Osteoporosis, a health problem that is on the rise, has received considerable attention among the health care community and the public. The majority of primary prevention programs for osteoporosis have been focused on women in mid-life. A concern is that young women may not be aware of osteoporosis risk factors and therefore may not be engaging in preventive behaviors. The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of an osteoporosis educational program for young women. Methods A sample of 100 female undergraduate students who were enrolled in the first year of a nursing program in Thailand were randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental group. Participants in the experimental group participated in a 3-hour osteoporosis educational program (OEP). At entry to and exit from the study, all participants completed the Osteoporosis Knowledge Test, the Osteoporosis Health Belief Scale, and the Osteoporosis Self-Efficacy Scale. Results The experimental group had higher change scores for knowledge, health belief, and self-efficacy than the control group. The OEP increased knowledge of osteoporosis in these young women. Conclusion These findings indicate the need for further health education concerning the importance of dietary calcium and exercise on osteoporosis prevention in young women.
Training Community-Based Professionals to Implement an Empirically Supported Parenting Program

Professionals representing 14 community‐based organizations were trained at three different sites serving urban and rural families to implement an empirically supported parenting program for families of young children with challenging behaviors. Of the 44 practitioners trained, 23 successfully completed the program, which involved passing a knowledge test and facilitating the entire 10‐session program with a family. A total of 28, primarily low‐income families completed the program. The family outcomes obtained by the facilitators, based on multiple pre‐program and post‐program measures, were comparable with those reported previously in the literature for facilitators trained in university settings. The challenges inherent in efforts to increase the community’s capacity to implement empirically supported programs are addressed.
On the Analysis of Caches with Pending Interest Tables

Collapsed forwarding has been used in cache systems to reduce the load on servers by aggregating requests for the same content. This technique has made its way into design proposals for the future Internet architecture through a data structure called Pending Interest Table (PIT). A PIT keeps track of interest packets that are received at a cache-router until they are responded to. PITs are considered useful for a variety of reasons e.g., communicating without the knowledge of source and destination, reducing bandwidth usage, better security, etc. Due to the high access frequency to the PIT, it is essential to understand its behavior, and the effect it has on cache performance. In this paper, we consider a TTL-based cache with a Pending Interest Table, and analyze the cache hit probability, mean response time perceived by the users, and size of the PIT, among other metrics of interest. In our analysis, we account for the time it takes for the cache to download a file from the server defined as a random variable. We apply our model to analyze traditional caching policies LRU, FIFO, and RANDOM, and verify the accuracy of our model through numerical simulations.
E2f3b plays an essential role in myogenic differentiation through isoform-specific gene regulation

Current models posit that E2F transcription factors can be divided into members that either activate or repress transcription, in part through collaboration with the retinoblastoma (pRb) tumor suppressor family. The E2f3 locus encodes E2f3a and E2f3b proteins, and available data suggest that they regulate cell cycle-dependent gene expression through opposing transcriptional activating and repressing activities in growing and quiescent cells, respectively. However, the role, if any, of E2F proteins, and in particular E2f3, in myogenic differentiation is not well understood. Here, we dissect the contributions of E2f3 isoforms and other activating and repressing E2Fs to cell cycle exit and differentiation by performing genome-wide identification of isoform-specific targets. We show that E2f3a and E2f3b target genes are involved in cell growth, lipid metabolism, and differentiation in an isoform-specific manner. Remarkably, using gene silencing, we show that E2f3b, but not E2f3a or other E2F family members, is required for myogenic differentiation, and that this requirement for E2f3b does not depend on pRb. Our functional studies indicate that E2f3b specifically attenuates expression of genes required to promote differentiation. These data suggest how diverse E2F isoforms encoded by a single locus can play opposing roles in cell cycle exit and differentiation.
Approaching the shannon limit through parallel concatenation of regular LDGM codes

We propose a parallel concatenated coding scheme in which the constituent codes are regular systematic linear codes with low-density generator matrix (LDGM codes). The proposed system provides a simple way to reduce the error floors characteristic of single regular LDGM codes, and leads to a performance similar to that of turbo and irregular LDPC codes with less encoding/decoding complexity. Although the whole concatenated code is in fact a single irregular LDGM code, its interpretation as a parallel scheme facilitates the design, allowing the implementation of good irregular LDGM codes in a very simple manner. The system performance is studied through density evolution and validated by simulation results
Biaxial Mechanical Characterization of Bat Wing Skin and Development of Biomimetic Constructs

The highly flexible and extensible wing skin of bats enables various wing shapes and flight modes, which distinguishes it from all other natural flyers making bats an ideal model for micro-aerial vehicles. We propose that an understanding of the relationship between the structure, properties and function of the wing tissue is essential to replicate and utilize the bat’s natural capabilities. In this work, we present the first biaxial mechanical characterization of bat wing skin, identify key mechanisms in its deformation, and employ these concepts to fabricate biomimetic skins. Ten Glossophaga soricina bat specimens were available for experiment obtained from Prof. Swartz or Brown University. Of the 20 excised wing skin samples, 11 were used for establishing testing protocols, 3 tore during preparation, and 6 were tested for the characterization presented in this work. The tissue was shown to be nonlinear, heterogeneous, anisotropic, and viscoelastic. The wrinkled tissue structure and substantial anisotropy promote great spanwise deployment and deformation increasing wing area and aspect ratio enabling greater lift generation. Comparison of the material structural organization with strain field responses demonstrated that the underlying fiber architecture corresponds to observed local strain variations and that the tissue represents a departure from traditional fiber reinforced materials since the mesoscopic elastin fiber architecture appears to be the soft component while the matrix provides the stiffening role. Fabricated skins capture the inherent mismatch in natural configurations of the spanwise elastin fibers and the matrix and exhibit the characteristic wrinkle pattern observed in the in vivo bat wing skin. Future work will include static mechanical testing of the synthetic skins as well as aerodynamic testing to investigate the link between tissue structure, properties and functional flight capabilities.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
The Stability of Nonverbal Behaviour: An Action-Production Approach to Problems of Cross-Situational Consistency and Discriminativeness

Two decades of extensive research and intense debate have served to make clear that human behaviour is characterised by both stability and variation over time and across situations. It remains, however, to articulate a coherent theoretical account detailing the processes of person-situation interaction that give rise to this consistency and discriminativeness. Toward this end, requirements for an adequate interactional theory are reviewed. Central to the approach taken here is the assumption that because consistency and discriminativeness are properties of behaviour, these phenomena are likely to be understood only by recourse to models of behavioural production. The second section of the article then summarises a cognitive model specifying the structures and control processes comprising the behavioural output system. This model permits a reconceptualisation of individual dispositions and situational influences in terms consistent with the properties of the output system. Finally, the model is extended to...
Comparing food safety standards

Abstract Food safety regulations are evolving to performance-based regimes in which firms have greater flexibility and responsibility in adopting effective controls. Within such a context, this paper compares performance and process standards modeling the variability of industry-level compliance and therefore the resultant level of food safety. Monte Carlo simulations are conducted manipulating five factors: the variances of input use of efficient and inefficient firms, the proportion of inefficient firms in the industry, the mean of the error term for inefficient firms, and the policymakers’ risk preferences. Results suggest that process standards may be preferred over performance standards under certain circumstances.
Rise time spectroscopy of protons and alphas in a stilbene scintillator

Abstract Pulse shape analysis is used to investigate the energy dependence of proton and alpha rise times in a stilbene scintillation detector.
Towards seasonal prediction of the distribution and extent of cold bottom waters on the Bering Sea shelf

Abstract A coupled sea ice–ocean model, combined with observational and reanalysis data, is used to explore the seasonal predictability of the distribution and extent of cold bottom waters on the Bering Sea shelf through numerical simulations or statistical analyses. The model captures the spatiotemporal variability of trawl survey observations of bottom water temperature over the period 1970–2009. Of the various winter air–ice–ocean parameters considered, the interannual variability of the winter on-shelf heat transport across the Bering Sea shelf break, dominated by changes in ocean flow, is most highly correlated with the interannual variability of the bottom layer properties (bottom temperature, and the distribution and extent of cold bottom waters) in spring–summer. This suggests that the winter heat transport may be the best seasonal predictor of the bottom layer properties. To varying degrees, the winter mean simulated sea surface temperature (SST), National Centers for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis surface air temperature (SAT), simulated and observed sea ice extent, the Bering Strait outflow, and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation are also significantly correlated with the spring–summer bottom layer properties. This suggests that, with varying skill, they may also be useful for statistical seasonal predictions. Good agreement between observations and results of the coupled ice–ocean model suggests also the possibility of numerical seasonal predictions of the bottom layer properties. The simulated field of bottom layer temperature on the Bering Sea shelf on 31 May is a good predictor of the distribution and extent of cold bottom waters throughout late spring and summer. These variables, both in the model and in reality, do not change significantly from June to October, primarily owing to increased upper ocean stratification in late spring due to ice melt and surface warming, which tends to isolate and preserve the cold bottom waters on the shelf. However, the ocean stratification, and hence the isolation effect, is stronger in cold years than in warm years because more ice is available for melting in spring–summer.
Adjusting Effect Estimates for Unmeasured Confounding with Validation Data using Propensity Score Calibration

Often, data on important confounders are not available in cohort studies. Sensitivity analyses based on the relation of single, but not multiple, unmeasured confounders with an exposure of interest in a separate validation study have been proposed. In this paper, the authors controlled for measured confounding in the main cohort using propensity scores (PS's) and addressed unmeasured confounding by estimating two additional PS's in a validation study. The "error-prone" PS exclusively used information available in the main cohort. The "gold standard" PS additionally included data on covariates available only in the validation study. Based on these two PS's in the validation study, regression calibration was applied to adjust regression coefficients. This propensity score calibration (PSC) adjusts for unmeasured confounding in cohort studies with validation data under certain, usually untestable, assumptions. The authors used PSC to assess the relation between nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and 1-year mortality in a large cohort of elderly persons. "Traditional" adjustment resulted in a hazard ratio for NSAID users of 0.80 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.77, 0.83) as compared with an unadjusted hazard ratio of 0.68 (95% CI: 0.66, 0.71). Application of PSC resulted in a more plausible hazard ratio of 1.06 (95% CI: 1.00, 1.12). Until the validity and limitations of PSC have been assessed in different settings, the method should be seen as a sensitivity analysis.
A Novel 24 GHz One-Shot, Rapid and Portable Microwave Imaging System

Development of microwave and millimeter wave imaging systems has received significant attention in the past decade. Signals at these frequencies penetrate inside of dielectric materials and have relatively small wavelengths. Thus, imaging systems at these frequencies can produce images of the dielectric and geometrical distributions of objects. Although there are many different approaches for imaging at these frequencies, they each have their respective advantageous and limiting features (hardware, reconstruction algorithms). One method involves electronically scanning a given spatial domain while recording the coherent scattered field distribution from an object. Consequently, different reconstruction or imaging techniques may be used to produce an image (dielectric distribution and geometrical features) of the object. The ability to perform this accurately and fast can lead to the development of a rapid imaging system that can be used in the same manner as a video camera. This paper describes the design of such a system, operating at 24 GHz, using modulated scatterer technique applied to 30 resonant slots in a prescribed measurement domain.
Quantitative Intact Proteomic Strategies to Detect Changes in Protein Modification and Genomic Variation

Each of the major proteomics technology platforms, notably those that focus on peptides (“bottom-up” or “shotgun” MS strategies) and those that focus on intact proteins (2D gel-based, MALDI-imaging and “top-down” MS strategies) have unique strengths and limitations that in many cases can be complementary. These differences become even more evident in the realm of quantitative proteomics, where technical noise can play a large role in obscuring biological significance. This chapter focuses on the unique strengths that the 2D-gel based Difference Gel Electrophoresis (DIGE) quantitative approach can provide by enabling the interrogation of over 1000 resolved intact species from multiple biological replicates of multiple biological conditions with low technical noise and high statistical power. Examples will be highlighted where vital information on protein modifications or genomic variants were facilely obtained from global-scale analyses on intact protein forms.
Magnetic Dipolar Broadening of Rigid Lattices

A number of physical phenomena may contribute to the width of a resonance line. The most prosaic is the lack of homogeneity of the applied static magnetic field. By dint of hard work and clever techniques, this source can be reduced to a few milligauss out of 104 Gauss, although more typically magnet homogeneities are a few tenths of a Gauss. The homogeneity depends on sample size. Typical samples have a volume between 0.1 cc to several cubic centimeters. Of course fields of ultrahigh homogeneity place severe requirements on the frequency stability of the oscillator used to generate the alternating fields. Although these matters are of great technical importance, we shall not discuss them here. If a nucleus possesses a nonvanishing electric quadrupole moment, the degeneracy of the resonance frequencies between different m-values may be lifted, giving rise to either resolved or unresolved splittings. The latter effectively broaden the resonance. The fact that T 1 processes produce an equilibrium population by balancing rates of transitions puts a limit on the lifetime of the Zeeman states, which effectively broadens the resonance lines by an energy of the order of ħ/T 1.
Characterization of a tissue-specific and developmentally regulated β-1,3-glucanase gene family in Prunus persica

Abstract We report here on the characterization of a peach β-1,3-glucanase (βGlu) gene family including two newly isolated basic βGlu genes, PpGns2 and PpGns3 , linked in a tandem array. The deduced mature proteins PpGNS2 and PpGNS3 share 80% amino acid sequence identity, while PpGNS2 is nearly identical to PpGNS1 (99% identity). The deduced PpGNS3 protein contains a potential N-linked glycosylation site and a tetrapeptide sequence for sorting function, whereas these sites are absent in both PpGNS1 and PpGNS2. βGlu gene expression during flowering and early fruit development is both temporally and spatially regulated. The βGlu transcript reaches a high level in opening flower buds, and then decreases to very low levels at full-bloom. The transcript levels then increase once again at petal-fall (young fruitlets). Gene-specific expression studies in peach revealed that alternate members of βGlu genes were expressed at different stages of development. The PpGns1 transcript was specifically localized in calyx and carpels of opening flower buds. The PpGns3 transcript was mainly expressed at a high level during early fruit set. The PpGns2 transcript was not detected in all tissues analyzed. Transgenic tobacco plants carrying the 5′-promoter region of each of the βGlu genes fused to the uidA reporter gene revealed that PpGns 2 was transcriptionally active, and was exclusively expressed in both cotyledons and first leaves of transgenic seedlings. In spite of their highly conserved 5′-flanking regions, the regulation of PpGns1 and PpGns2 was quite distinct. Upon closer investigation of these 5′-flanking regions, significant variations associated with ACGT core-containing motifs and their flanking sequences were observed.