cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analytical Simulation of an Improved Cvi Process for Forming Highly Densified Ceramic Composites

A model for chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) under pressure and temperature gradients is applied to the study of deposition of SiC from the pyrolysis of CH 3 SiCl 3 within a 3-D woven fibrous preform. The model considers the infiltration of reactants into a preform with temperature gradients by applying a pressure gradient between the vapor inlet and outlet; it also takes into account the variation in concentration of the vapor precursor. A quasi-steady state approach has been adopted to simulate the matrix deposition in a 3-D unit cell. The density distribution, consolidation profile, and total fabrication period have been theoretically predicted.
Microstructural Development and Properties of (1-x) wt% Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3-x wt% MgO Bulk Ferroelectrics

A study was made of the relationship between the microstructure and electrical properties of the bulk ferroelectric composite materials: (100-x) wt% Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3-x wt% MgO. The ferroelectric composites (x= 40, 60) were fabricated by dry pressing from two powder precursors: 1) Ba0.55Sr0.45TiO3 (BST) calcined in the solid state with sol-gel MgO (Sg-MgO), and 2) hydrothermal BST and MgO calcined in the solid state. The pellets were sintered at 1250, 1350 and 1450°C. The sintered microstructure, chemistry, and phase with crystallinity was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and x-ray diffraction (XRD), respectively. The density and porosity were determined by the Archimedes technique. Dielectric properties of permittivity and loss tangent were characterized by the parallel plate capacitor method.
Freshwater ascomycetes: Phomatospora spp. from lakes in Wisconsin

Phomatospora berkeleyi and Phomatospora muskellungensis, a new species described herein, were found on submerged partially decomposed stems of Typha latifolia collected from two north temperate lakes in Wisconsin. Both species are characterized by immersed ascomata, unitunicate asci with an apical ring and striate ascospores with bipolar appendages. Phomatospora muskellungensis is distinctive in having filiform apical appendages that enlarge in water. The holotype of Phomatospora striatigera, a species morphologically similar to P. muskellungensis, is redescribed and illustrated.
Xanthine Oxidase Activity and Iron Storage in the Liver.

SummarySodium tungstate was added to the diet to decrease liver xanthine oxidase activity. There were no concomitant changes in liver iron or iron absorption associated with the decrease in xanthine oxidase activity.
The phenomenon of Gram-positivity; its definition and some negative evidence on the causative role of sulfhydryl groups.

It has been accepted for many decades that a Gram-positive organism is one which retains the primary dye when stained by accepted Gram stain procedures. It has also been known that the iodine step is essential if Gram differentiation is to be obtained. If bacterial cells are treated in such a way that they will retain the primary dye following a Gram staining procedure, regardless of whether or not the iodine step is included, then the mechanism of this dye retention must differ from that which normally is responsible for a Gram-positive state. Similarly, when both the iodine and decolorization steps are omitted, the counter-stain should always replace the primary stain. If it does not, then the mechanism of dye retention would not be normal, and any such dye retention would not be related to the Gram phenomenon. In such cases one is not studying the Gram reaction, but is studying chemical affinities or physical states which produce visually similar but actually unrelated phenomena. Failure to appreciate ...
“A Blank Spot on the Map”: Aldo Leopold, Wilderness, and U. S. Forest Service Recreational Policy, 1909–1924

Though it was built upon a long tradition of wilderness thought, Aldo Leopold's wilderness idea was highly contingent, rooted in the Forest Service milieu, and tied to contemporary technological cultural developments. This paper proposes that Leopold advocated wilderness preservation to counter environmental changes wrought by these developments.
Effect of Graded Mechanical Ischemia on Oxygen Tension and Electrical Potential in the Canine Gastric Mucosa: A new experimental model

Oxygen tension and potential difference were measured in the gastric mucosa of anesthetized dogs with an ultramicroelectrode technique while total blood flow and arteriovenous oxygen content difference were measured. In the control period, measurements were: gastric blood flow, 102.4 ± 3.0 ml per min per 100 g of tissue; calculated oxygen consumption, 2.4 ± 0.1 ml per min per 100 g of tissue; intracellular oxygen tension, 15.0 ± 0.6 mm Hg; and intracellular potential difference, − 50.8 ± 1.5 mv. When gastric blood flow was reduced 50% by tourniquet ischemia, oxygen tension decreased 20% (P
Phase II cisplatin, irinotecan, cetuximab and concurrent radiation therapy followed by surgery for locally advanced esophageal cancer

4064 Background: Weekly irinotecan, cisplatin, and concurrent radiation therapy is a well-tolerated, active regimen in locally advanced esophageal cancer. (Ilson. JCO 2003) Cetuximab, an EGFR inhibitor, is a potent radiation sensitizer in head and neck cancer. (Bonner. Proc ASCO 2004) Methods: In this phase II trial, patients (pts) with T2–4N0–1M0–1A esophageal adenocarcinoma (A) or squamous cell carcinoma (S) receive 5040 cGy/28 fractions of radiation therapy (RT) and concurrent weekly cisplatin 30mg/m2 plus irinotecan 65 mg/m2 on weeks 1, 2, 4, and 5, followed by surgery 4–8 weeks after completion of RT. Additionally, pts receive weekly infusions of cetuximab 250 mg during RT, up to one week before surgery, and for 6 months following surgery. Results: Seventeen pts have been entered: male: female = 14:3, median age 54, ECOG PS 0:1 = 6:11, A:S = 17:0, stage IIA:IIB:III:IVA = 6:1:8:2, tumor location-esophagus-mid:lower:gastroesophageal junction = 1:4:12, >10% weight loss-yes:no = 8:9. Of 17 pts entered, 1...
Multiple Drug Chemotheraphy Regimen for Patient with Hormonnally-Unresponsive carcinoma of the Prostate: A Preliminary Report

Of 25 patients with estrogen-unresponsive prostatic adenocarcinoma submitted to multi-drug chemotherapy 6 had partial objective regression, 12 had objectively stable disease and 7 had progressive disease. The survival rates in the 3 groups were 63, 52 and 40 weeks, respectively.
Concept Description and Thermalhydraulics of Liquid Surface FW/Blankets for High Power Density Reactors

The attractive features and scientific challenges offered by the liquid wall systems render them strong candidates for investigation in the APEX project[1]. In particular, their high power density ...
Tenant-centric Sub-Tenancy Architecture in Software-as-a-Service

Abstract Multi-tenancy architecture (MTA) is often used in Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and the central idea is that multiple tenant applications can be developed using components stored in the SaaS infrastructure. Recently, MTA has been extended to allow a tenant application to have its own sub-tenants, where the tenant application acts like a SaaS infrastructure. In other words, MTA is extended to STA (Sub-Tenancy Architecture). In STA, each tenant application needs not only to develop its own functionalities, but also to prepare an infrastructure to allow its sub-tenants to develop customized applications. This paper applies Crowdsourcing as the core to STA component in the development life cycle. In addition, to discovering adequate fit tenant developers or components to help build and compose new components, dynamic and static ranking models are proposed. Furthermore, rank computation architecture is presented to deal with the case when the number of tenants and components becomes huge. Finally, experiments are performed to demonstrate that the ranking models and the rank computation architecture work as design.
Proximal renal tubular acidosis secondary to FK506 in pediatric liver transplant patients

We hereby report our experience with an index case of a pediatric liver transplant patient in whom FK506 administration was associated with the development of proximal renal tubular acidosis (RTA), as well the prevalence of acidosis and renal dysfunction in all pediatric liver transplant patients in our institution followed long term during a 6-year period. Data were grouped according to immunosuppressant regime: cyclosporine (CsA) only, FK506 only, or CsA with conversion to FK506. A 23-month-old female treated with FK506 after orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) performed 15 months earlier presented with a 1-wk history of fever, watery diarrhea and metabolic acidosis. Although the acidosis did not improve following correction of her hydration status, administration of oral bicarbonate was effective. Discontinuation of this therapy resulted in acidosis. Since other indirect measurements of renal tubular function were normal, the patient was judged to have an isolated proximal RTA. In our group of pediatric liver transplant patients converted from CsA to FK506, FK506 administration was associated with a decline in serum bicarbonate (19 +/- 1 vs. 16 +/- 1 mEq/l, p < 0.02); neither blood urea nitrogen nor serum creatinine differed between the two groups. The number of rejection episodes/patient/month was comparable, allowing clinically relevant comparison of relative drug nephrotoxicities. We conclude that proximal RTA may be a relatively common treatable complication of FK506 administration in children.
How to drop a name: Hybridity, purity, and the K-pop fan

This article explores how fans of K-pop, a mediatized musical genre from South Korea, negotiated the tugs of competing language norms within the transnational context of YouTube. The analysis focuses on interactions that emerged over thirty-three months and across eleven ‘reaction videos’ posted by two English-speaking fans. I analyze the semiotic process by which these two speakers’ utterances of Korean names came to be heard as hybrid by their viewers, how viewers invoked various ideological frames when evaluating these hybridities, and how local language practices and interpretations were shaped as a result. Specifically, I show how a purist ideology of linguistic absolutism, which idealized the ‘correct’ pronunciation of words, was overwhelmingly dominant and how K-pop fans’ contextualizations of forms as hybrid, or their hybridizations, triggered a discursive trajectory: once language was recognized as hybrid, it entered a pathway toward purification, or the contextualization of language as pure. (Hybridity, metalanguage, ideology, new media, mediatization, Korean popular culture)*
Materials for perfusion bioreactors used in tissue engineering

Abstract: The bioreactors used in tissue engineering can be categorized into two main groups: stirred tank bioreactors where cells or cell aggregates can move in an excess of media and perfusion bioreactors in which cells are immobilized in a reactor core and media is flowed past them. Here, emphasis will be placed on the advantages of perfusion over static culture and the use of bioreactors in culturing stem cells, especially hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) and liver cells. In each case the need for large-scale cell culturing will be described and the experience with bioreactors reviewed. Finally, the concept of the stem cell niche will be considered in the context of core materials for larger bioreactors.
Modeling De Novo Granulation of Anaerobic Sludge

A unique combination of mechanical, physiochemical and biological forces influences granulation during processes of anaerobic digestion. Understanding this process requires a systems biology approach due to the need to consider not just single-cell metabolic processes, but also the multicellular organization and development of the granule. In this computational experiment, we address the role that physiochemical and biological processes play in granulation and provide a literature-validated working model of anaerobic granule de novo formation. The agent-based model developed in a cDynoMiCs simulation environment successfully demonstrated a de novo granulation in a glucose fed system, with the average specific methanogenic activity of 1.11 ml C H 4/g biomass and formation of a 0.5 mm mature granule in 33 days. The simulated granules exhibit experimental observations of radial stratification: a central dead core surrounded by methanogens then encased in acidogens. Practical application of the granulation model was assessed on the anaerobic digestion of low-strength wastewater by measuring the changes in methane yield as experimental configuration parameters were systematically searched. In the model, the emergence of multicellular organization of anaerobic granules from randomly mixed population of methanogens and acidogens was observed and validated. The model of anaerobic de novo granulation can be used to predict the morphology of the anaerobic granules in a alternative substrates of interest and to estimate methane potential of the resulting microbial consortia. The study demonstrates a successful integration of a systems biology approach to model multicellular systems with the engineering of an efficient anaerobic digestion system.
Treatment for Depression and Health-Related Quality of Life among Adults with Arthritis

Depression treatment has been proven to relieve depressive symptoms and pain and may therefore improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among adults with arthritis. The objective of the current study was to examine the HRQoL associated with depression treatment among adults with arthritis and depression. A retrospective longitudinal cohort study design using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (2009–2012) was adopted. The study sample consisted of adults (≥ 21 years) with co-existing arthritis and depression (N = 1692). Depression treatment was categorized into: antidepressants only, psychotherapy with or without antidepressants, and neither antidepressants nor psychotherapy. Multivariable Ordinary Least Square (OLS) regressions, which controlled for observed selection bias with inverse probability treatment weights (IPTW) were built to examine the association between depression treatment categories and the HRQoL scores. The OLS regression controlled for factors in the biological, psychological and social domains that may affect HRQoL. A majority of individuals reported taking antidepressants only (52%), 24.4% reported receiving psychotherapy with or without antidepressants and 23% did not receive either antidepressants or psychotherapy. In multivariable OLS regression with IPTWs, adults using only antidepressants had marginally higher physical component summary scores (beta = 0.96, p value = 0.096) compared to no depression treatment. There were no significant associations between depression categories and mental component summary scores. HRQoL was not affected by depression treatment in adults with coexisting arthritis and depression. Improvement in HRQoL may require a collaborative care approach and such intense care may not be replicated in real-world practice settings.
ADX Florence Facility

The United States Penitentiary Administrative Maximum (ADX) Facility located in Florence, Colorado, was built in 1994. It is the highest security prison in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, receiving the designation as a super maximum prison. Inmates housed in ADX are classified as too high a security risk to be housed in a conventional maximum security prison. The ADX employs the highest security measures allowed by the United States' criminal justice system. Inmates are placed in solitary confinement in meticulously designed individual cells. Exhaustive effort is placed on attention to detail in regards to security measures, with a nearly 1.5:1 staff to inmate ratio. While an inmate escape or escape attempt has never occurred at the ADX, many inmate-based federal lawsuits and allegations have been lodged against the prison in regards to the physical, mental, and social effects of solitary confinement. Keywords: criminal justice; criminology; institutions; prison; security
The Effects of Holistic Thinking Style on Attitude Toward Innovative Design: Role of Value Presentation: An Abstract

Innovative product design generates higher consumer interests than generic design, which increases a chance to make a better financial performance in the marketplace by adding value and improving consumers’ perception on a product (Bloch, 2011; Rubera, 2015). Thus, it is critical to understand what influences the way that consumers evaluate innovativeness of product design. As one of the important factors in design evaluation, this study investigates how a personal thinking style, either holistic or analytic, can influence consumers’ evaluation of innovative product design as well as their attitudes toward design innovativeness. The effects are examined through three studies when various design values (e.g., visual, semantic, or symbolic) are present.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of salvage therapies in locoregional previously irradiated head and neck cancer.

Background The purpose of this study was to present our evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of salvage therapies for patients with recurrent head and neck cancer. Methods A Markov model was developed with 5 salvage treatment strategies: (1) platinum-based chemotherapy alone; (2) chemotherapy plus cetuximab; (3) stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) alone; (4) SBRT plus cetuximab; and (5) intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plus chemotherapy. Clinical parameters were obtained from comprehensive literature review and 2016 Medicare reimbursement. Strategies were compared using the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), with effectiveness in quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and evaluated with a willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $100 000 per QALY gained. Results In the base case analysis, no treatment strategy was cost-effective at a WTP threshold. The most cost-effective therapy was SBRT alone with $150 866 per QALY gained. If median survival of SBRT alone was ≥11 months, SBRT was considered to be cost-effective. Conclusion None of the treatment strategies were cost-effective. However, SBRT-based reirradiation has potential to be cost-effective.
An Alternate Method to the Alternating Time-Frequency Method

A variational approach is developed which permits the calculation of thesteady-state time domain response of nonlinear ordinary differentialequations (ODE). Unlike numerical integration, transient calculationsare avoided and unlike harmonic balance, all calculations are performedin a single domain, namely the time domain. The relationships areestablished between the developed method and existing techniques such asfinite element in time (FET), standard finite differences (FD) and theharmonic balance method (HBM). The proposed technique also includes anarclength continuation algorithm allowing efficient parametric studiesto be performed. Local stability of the solutions is also assessed.
Role of the Plasminogen Activator-Plasmin System in Angiogenesis

It is firmly established that angiogenesis is an absolute requirement for the growth of normal and neoplastic tissues (Pepper, 1997). Many biological processes, including angiogenesis, depend on tightly controlled interactions between cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). These interactions are mediated (a) by integral membrane proteins including integrins, which provide a link between the ECM and the cytoskeleton; and (b) by extracellular proteinases and their inhibitors, which mediate focal degradation of components of the ECM, some of which (e.g., the fibrillar collagens) are highly resistant to broad spectrum proteases. Most of the relevant extracellular proteolytic enzymes belong to one of two families: the serine proteases, in particular the plasminogen activator (PA)/plasmin system, and the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) (Mignatti and Rifkin, 1996; Pepper, 2001a; Vu and Werb, 2000).
Mining generalized term associations: count propagation algorithm

We present here an approach and algorithm for mining generalized term associations. The problem is to find co-occurrence frequencies of terms, given a collection of documents each with relevant terms, and a taxonomy of terms. We have developed an efficient Count Propagation Algorithm (CPA) targeted for library applications such as Medline. The basis of our approach is that sets of terms (termsets) can be put into a taxonomy. By exploring this taxonomy, CPA propagates the count of termsets to their ancestors in the taxonomy, instead of separately counting individual termset. We found that CPA is more efficient than other algorithms, particularly for counting large termsets. A benchmark on data sets extracted from a Medline database showed that CPA outperforms other known algorithms by up to around 200% (half the computing time) at the cost of less than 20% of additional memory to keep the taxonomy of termsets. We have used discovered knowledge of term associations for the purpose of improving search capability of Medline.
Accuracy of non-invasive stress testing in women and men with angina in the absence of obstructive coronary artery disease.

Abstract Objective While >20% of patients presenting to the cardiac catheterization laboratory with angina have no obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD), a majority (77%) have an occult coronary abnormality (endothelial dysfunction, microvascular dysfunction (MVD), and/or a myocardial bridge (MB)). There are little data regarding the ability of noninvasive stress testing to identify these occult abnormalities in patients with angina in the absence of obstructive CAD. Methods We retrospectively evaluated 155 patients (76.7% women) with angina and no obstructive CAD who underwent stress echocardiography and/or electrocardiography before angiography. We evaluated Duke treadmill score, heart rate recovery (HRR), metabolic equivalents, and blood pressure response. During angiography, patients underwent invasive testing for endothelial dysfunction (decrease in epicardial coronary artery diameter >20% after intracoronary acetylcholine), MVD (index of microcirculatory resistance ≥25), and intravascular ultrasound for the presence of an MB. Results Stress echocardiography and electrocardiography were positive in 58 (43.6%) and 57 (36.7%) patients, respectively. Endothelial dysfunction was present in 96 (64%), MVD in 32 (20.6%), and an MB in 83 (53.9%). On multivariable logistic regression, stress echo was not associated with any abnormality, while stress ECG was associated with endothelial dysfunction. An abnormal HRR was associated with endothelial dysfunction and MVD, but not an MB. Conclusion Conventional stress testing is insufficient for identifying occult coronary abnormalities that are frequently present in patients with angina in the absence of obstructive CAD. A normal stress test does not rule out a non-obstructive coronary etiology of angina, nor does it negate the need for comprehensive invasive testing.
Securing Mobile Data Collectors by Integrating Software Attestation and Encrypted Data Repositories

Drones are increasingly being used as mobile data collectors for various monitoring services. However, since they may move around in unattended hostile areas with valuable data, they can be the targets of malicious physical/cyber attacks. These attacks may aim at stealing privacy-sensitive data, including secret keys, and eavesdropping on communications between the drones and the ground station. To detect tampered drones, a code attestation technique is required. However, since attestation itself does not guarantee that the data in the drones' memory are not leaked, data collected by the drones must be protected and secret keys for secure communications must not be leaked. In this paper, we present a solution integrating techniques for software-based attestation, data encryption and secret key protection. We propose an attestation technique that fills up free memory spaces with data repositories. Data repositories consist of pseudo-random numbers that are also used to encrypt collected data. We also propose a group attestation scheme to efficiently verify the software integrity of multiple drones. Finally, to prevent secret keys from being leaked, we utilize a technique that converts short secret keys into large look-up tables. This technique prevents attackers from abusing free space in the data memory by filling up the space with the look-up tables. To evaluate the integrated solution, we implemented it on AR.Drone and Raspberry Pi.
Harnessing the Power of Social Media in the Classroom: Challenging Students to Create Content to Share on Social Media Sites to Improve Learning Outcomes

AbstractMany young adults consume news, political, and historical information through social media sites, and yet students do not always connect this information to the academic knowledge they lear...
Margin Regulation and Informed Trading: Evidence from China

Using the introduction of margin trading in China, this study examines the effects of margin trading on the informativeness of trades and stock market liquidity. Using the methodology of Hasbrouck (1991 and 1993), I find that allowing investors to trade on margin leads to more informed trading. This increase in informed trading is mirrored by an increase in the adverse selection component of the bid-ask spread and a decrease in the relative weight placed on public information in trading decision. The discussed findings are more pronounced for stocks with relatively high levels of margin trading. Overall, the findings in the paper suggest that margin trading may lead to more information-based trading and lower levels of stock market liquidity.
Scaling of Mode Degeneracy and Image Fidelity in a Self-Imaging Optical Resonator

Nonlinear optical processing of images in a miniature self-imaging cavity holds enormous potential for optical information processing and artificial neural networks. We analyze the inherent trade-off between the cavity size, image amplification, and image fidelity. © 2019 The Author(s)
Chemical and Physical Controls on Mercury Source Signatures in Stream Fish from the Northeastern United States

Streams in the northeastern U.S. receive mercury (Hg) in varying proportions from atmospheric deposition and legacy point sources, making it difficult to attribute shifts in fish concentrations directly back to changes in Hg source management. Mercury stable isotope tracers were utilized to relate sources of Hg to co-located fish and bed sediments from 23 streams across a forested to urban-industrial land-use gradient within this region. Mass-dependent isotopes (δ202Hg) in prey and game fish at forested sites were depleted (medians -0.95 and -0.83 ‰, respectively) in comparison to fish from urban-industrial settings (medians -0.26 and -0.38 ‰, respectively); the forested site group also had higher prey fish Hg concentrations. The separation of Hg isotope signatures in fish was strongly related to in-stream and watershed land-use indicator variables. Fish isotopes were strongly correlated with bed sediment isotopes, but the isotopic offset between the two matrices was variable due to differing ecosystem-specific drivers controlling the extent of MeHg formation. The multivariable approach of analyzing watershed characteristics and stream chemistry reveals that the Hg isotope composition in fish is linked to current and historic Hg sources in the northeastern U.S. and can be used to trace bioaccumulated Hg.
Double-crested cormorant colony effects on soil chemistry, vegetation structure and avian diversity

Abstract Effects of Double-crested Cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) on vegetation, soil chemistry and tree health have been documented from their breeding colonies in the northern breeding grounds of Canada and the United States (U.S.) but not for areas within the southeastern United States where breeding activity is relatively novel. We compared vegetation and tree metrics such as structure diversity, and soil chemistry among colony islands, uninhabited islands, and abandoned colony islands within Guntersville Reservoir, a temperate forest ecosystem. Avian diversity and community structure were also quantified on these islands. Concentrations of potassium (K), phosphorus (P) and nitrate (NO3−) in soil were negatively related to cormorant use, while tree diversity was lower on historic (tree mean = 4.35 ± 2.46 species) and colony (tree mean = 3.91 ± 3.12 species) islands relative to reference islands (tree mean = 9.11 ± 3.88 species). Canopy cover was less (min:
Wind–Wave Misalignment Effects on Langmuir Turbulence in Tropical Cyclone Conditions

AbstractThis study utilizes a large-eddy simulation (LES) approach to systematically assess the directional variability of wave-driven Langmuir turbulence (LT) in the ocean surface boundary layer (...
Versatile stochastic dot product circuits based on nonvolatile memories for high performance neurocomputing and neurooptimization.

The key operation in stochastic neural networks, which have become the state-of-the-art approach for solving problems in machine learning, information theory, and statistics, is a stochastic dot-product. While there have been many demonstrations of dot-product circuits and, separately, of stochastic neurons, the efficient hardware implementation combining both functionalities is still missing. Here we report compact, fast, energy-efficient, and scalable stochastic dot-product circuits based on either passively integrated metal-oxide memristors or embedded floating-gate memories. The circuit’s high performance is due to mixed-signal implementation, while the efficient stochastic operation is achieved by utilizing circuit’s noise, intrinsic and/or extrinsic to the memory cell array. The dynamic scaling of weights, enabled by analog memory devices, allows for efficient realization of different annealing approaches to improve functionality. The proposed approach is experimentally verified for two representative applications, namely by implementing neural network for solving a four-node graph-partitioning problem, and a Boltzmann machine with 10-input and 8-hidden neurons. Providing efficient and scalable specialized hardware for stochastic neural networks remains a challenge. Here, the authors propose a fast, energy-efficient and scalable stochastic dot-product circuit that may use either of two types of memory devices – metal-oxide memristors and floating-gate memories.
Comparison of computed tomography angiography versus cardiac catheterization for preoperative evaluation of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect

Introduction: Pulmonary atresia with the ventricular septal defect is a rare congenital heart defect with high anatomic variability. The most important management question relates to the sources of pulmonary blood flow. The ability to differentiate between ductal dependence and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries is critical to achieving good outcomes and avoiding life-threatening hypoxia in the postneonatal period. Having accurate information about pulmonary arteries, major aortopulmonary collateral arteries, and sources of blood supply to each pulmonary segment is crucial for choosing the optimal surgical strategy. The purpose of this study is to compare computed tomography angiography (CTA) with cardiac catheterization for anatomic delineation of surgically relevant anatomy in pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries. Materials and Methods: Retrospective review of all children with pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect with major aortopulmonary collateral arteries cared for at a large tertiary children's hospital who underwent cardiac catheterization with angiography and CTA close to each other without interval therapy. All studies were performed between 2007 and 2011. Results: There were 9 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Pulmonary artery anatomy (confluent vs. nonconfluent) was correctly identified in 9 patients by CTA and 8 patients by catheterization. There were no significant differences between CTA and catheterization in the identification of major aortopulmonary collateral arteries (mean = 3.4 collaterals/study via catheterization; mean = 3.1 collaterals/study via CTA; P = 0.67). CTA was superior to catheterization in the delineation of segmental pulmonary blood flow (P = 0.006). Conclusion: CTA and catheterization are equivalent in their ability to delineate pulmonary artery anatomy and major aortopulmonary collateral arteries.
Investigation on mixed infection of pandemic H1N1 and seasonal H3N2 Viruses

Objective To understand the epidemiological characteristics in an outbreak of mixed infection of H1N1 and H3N2 viruses through analysing the clinical features,antibody changes,pathogenic detections and to provide basis for the disease prevention and control measures.Methods Epidemiological and clinical data were collected by in-terviewing patients and retrieving medical records.Viruses were identified by RT-PCR assays followed by sequence analy-sis.Hemagglutination inhibition(HI)test was used to detect antibodies for both viruses.Results In 45 people with influenza-like illness,40 were laboratory-confirmed influenza cases,among which 22 were infected by pandemic H1N1virus,12 by seasonal H3N2 virus,and 6 by both viruses.The clinical manifestations of patients with different virus infection were essentially similar.There was no substantial difference in genomic sequences of either pandemic H1N1 or seasonal H3N2 virus between patients with the mixed and single infection.Sequence analyses revealed that all the detected viruses were oseltamivir-sensitive but adamantane-resistant.HI tests of paired sera confirmed the mixed infection within the outbreak.Conclusions Co-circulation of both viruses lead to a mixed infection influenza pandemic.However,pandemic H1N1 virus is priority in prevalence in the course of transmission. Key words: Influenza A virus,H1N1 subtype; Influenza A virus,H3N2 subtype; Outbreak; Infection; Epidemiology
Deterministic Subspace Identification

This chapter focuses on the foundation of the system identification problem for state‐space systems that leads to subspace identification techniques. The original basis has evolved from systems theory and the work of Kalman for control system design. The fundamental problem is called the “realization problem". The basic paper by Ho and Kalman has been cited as the seminal publication showing how to extract the state‐space model. The chapter discusses this problem for two distinct data sets: impulse sequences of an infinite length (number of samples) data leading to the realization problem and input/output data leading to the subspace identification problem. Subspace identification techniques enable the capability to extract a large number of parameters compared to the prediction error methods that are quite time‐consuming and not practical for large parametric problems coupled with the need for potential real‐time applications.
Quantifying the dose-dependent impact of intracellular amyloid beta in a mathematical model of calcium regulation in xenopus oocyte

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a devastating illness affecting over 40 million people worldwide. Intraneuronal rise of amyloid beta in its oligomeric forms (iAβOs), has been linked to the pathogenesis of AD by disrupting cytosolic Ca2+ homeostasis. However, the specific mechanisms of action are still under debate and intense effort is ongoing to improve our understanding of the crucial steps involved in the mechanisms of AβOs toxicity. We report the development of a mathematical model describing a proposed mechanism by which stimulation of Phospholipase C (PLC) by iAβO, triggers production of IP3 with consequent abnormal release of Ca2+ from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through activation of IP3 receptor (IP3R) Ca2+ channels. After validating the model using experimental data, we quantify the effects of intracellular rise in iAβOs on model solutions. Our model validates a dose-dependent influence of iAβOs on IP3-mediated Ca2+ signaling. We investigate Ca2+ signaling patterns for small and large iAβOs doses and study the role of various parameters on Ca2+ signals. Uncertainty quantification and partial rank correlation coefficients are used to better understand how the model behaves under various parameter regimes. Our model predicts that iAβO alter IP3R sensitivity to IP3 for large doses. Our analysis also shows that the upstream production of IP3 can influence Aβ-driven solution patterns in a dose-dependent manner. Model results illustrate and confirm the detrimental impact of iAβOs on IP3 signaling.
Hospice care for end stage liver disease in the United States

Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) have impaired physical, psychological, and social functions, which can diminish patient quality of life, burden family caregivers, and increase health-c...
Antecedents of Trust in the Jamaican Police: Findings from a Cross-Sectional Study

This study contributes to the extant literature by being the first to examine the relative impacts of instrumental factors of policing (police performance, risk of sanctioning, and distributive justice) and experiences with police (personal and vicarious) on trust in the police in Jamaica. This study’s importance is enhanced by the fact that it was carried out in a region that has been understudied by policing scholars. Using cross-sectional data from a sample of Jamaicans, homeownership predicted trust in the police. In addition, distributive justice, effectiveness, and personal experiences, but not risk of sanctioning and vicarious experiences, predicted Jamaicans’ trust in their country’s police. The implications for policing, policy, and future research are addressed.
Glutathione depletion in lung cells by low-molecular-weight aldehydes

Use of oxygenates in gasoline in the United States may increase atmospheric levels of aldehydes. To assist in health assessments of inhalation exposure to aldehydes, we studied glutathione (GSH) depletion by low-molecular-weight n-alkanals and 2-alkenals, ubiquitous air pollutants, in adult rat lung (ARL) cells by laser cytometry. For each homologous series, the effective aldehyde concentration that depleted GSH by 50% (EC50) in ARL cells correlates with published values for the median lethal dose of the chemicals and with Hammett/Taft electronic parameters, sigma* for n-alkanals and sigma(+)p for 2-alkenals. n-Alkanals (EC50, 110-400 mmol/L) were 1000 times less effective in depleting GSH than were 2-alkenals (EC50, 2-180 micromol/L), of which acrolein was the most potent. Ability of the 2-alkenals to deplete GSH follows the second-order rate constant for adduct formation. Ability of n-alkanals to deplete GSH follows chain length. Within a homologous series of low-molecular-weight aldehydes, structure-activity relationships are useful for predicting the toxicity of the aldehydes in vitro and in vivo.
An efficient SQL-based RDF querying scheme

Devising a scheme for efficient and scalable querying of Resource Description Framework (RDF) data has been an active area of current research. However, most approaches define new languages for querying RDF data, which has the following shortcomings: 1) They are difficult to integrate with SQL queries used in database applications, and 2) They incur inefficiency as data has to be transformed from SQL to the corresponding language data format. This paper proposes a SQL based scheme that avoids these problems. Specifically, it introduces a SQL table function RDF_MATCH to query RDF data. The results of RDF_MATCH table function can be further processed by SQL's rich querying capabilities and seamlessly combined with queries on traditional relational data. Furthermore, the RDF_MATCH table function invocation is rewritten as a SQL query, thereby avoiding run-time table function procedural overheads. It also enables optimization of rewritten query in conjunction with the rest of the query. The resulting query is executed efficiently by making use of B-tree indexes as well as specialized subject-property materialized views. This paper describes the functionality of the RDF_MATCH table function for querying RDF data, which can optionally include user-defined rulebases, and discusses its implementation in Oracle RDBMS. It also presents an experimental study characterizing the overhead eliminated by avoiding procedural code at runtime, characterizing performance under various input conditions, and demonstrating scalability using 80 million RDF triples from UniProt protein and annotation data.
O uso de lubrificante na citologia cervico-vaginal - Revisão baseada na evidência

CERVICAL CYTOLOGY AND THE USE OF LUBRICANTS: AN EVIDENCE BASED REVIEW Objectives: To review recent evidence on the effect of lubricant on the cytological result obtained from cervical smears. Data sources: Evidence-based medicine websites and Index de Revistas Medicas Portuguesas. Methods: A search for articles using the MeSH terms vaginal smears and lubricants published between January 2000 and January 2011 was conducted. Citations were also searched. The Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine - Levels of Evidence was used to assess the quality of studies, the levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Results: Of the 41 articles identified, eight were selected for this review. These included seven randomized controlled trials (RCT) and one retrospective study. Six of them (three with evidence level 1b and three with level 2b) conclude that lubricant does not affect the quality of the cytological samples obtained. The remaining two articles (level 2b) found interference with the cytological result by lubricant. Discussion: The use of lubricant in obtaining cervical smears is controversial and is usually not advised. Current knowledge in this area is limited. Clinical trials are heterogeneous with regard to design and techniques used. Trials with protocols that most resemble current clinical practice demonstrate no interference by lubricant with the quality of cytological samples. There is evidence that a small amount of water-based lubricant does not compromise the quality of cervical cytology results (Strength of recommendation A).
Regulation of transport of the dopamine D1 receptor by a new membrane-associated ER protein

Many structural determinants for G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) functions have been defined, but little is known concerning the regulation of their transport from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) to the cell surface. Here we show that a carboxy-terminal hydrophobic motif, FxxxFxxxF, which is highly conserved among GPCRs, functions independently as an ER-export signal for the dopamine D1 receptor. A newly identified ER-membrane-associated protein, DRiP78, binds to this motif. Overexpression or sequestration of DRiP78 leads to retention of D1 receptors in the ER, reduced ligand binding, and a slowdown in the kinetics of receptor glycosylation. Our results indicate that DRiP78 may regulate the transport of a GPCR by binding to a specific ER-export signal.
Hyporheic exchange due to channel-spanning logs

[1] The flow of river water around large woody debris (LWD) creates pressure gradients along the riverbed that drive a large zone of river-groundwater mixing, or hyporheic exchange. Flume experiments and numerical simulations show that river water downwells into the riverbed upstream of a channel-spanning log and upwells downstream. Exchange rates are greatest near the log and decay exponentially with distance upstream and downstream. We developed equations for bed pressure profiles and hyporheic exchange rates in the vicinity of a channel-spanning log that can be used to evaluate the impact of LWD removal or reintroduction on hyporheic mixing. The magnitude of pressure disturbance along the bed (and thus hyporheic exchange) increases with the fraction of channel depth blocked by the log and channel Froude number. Exchange rates are relatively insensitive to relative depth of the log (gap ratio). At natural densities, LWD in lowland streams drives reach-averaged hyporheic exchange rates similar to a ripple-covered bed. However, the length scales and residence times of hyporheic exchange due to LWD are greater. By removing LWD from streams, humans have altered patterns and rates of hyporheic exchange, which influence habitat distribution and quality for invertebrates and fish.
Estimation of Density of Mongooses with Capture-Recapture and Distance Sampling

We captured mongooses ( Herpestes javanicus ) in live traps arranged in trapping webs in Antigua, West Indies, and used capture-recapture and distance sampling to estimate density. Distance estimation and program DISTANCE were used to provide estimates of density from the trapping-web data. Mean density based on trapping webs was 9.5 mongooses/ha (range, 5.9–10.2/ha); estimates had coefficients of variation ranging from 29.82–31.58% ( X = 30.46%). Mark-recapture models were used to estimate abundance, which was converted to density using estimates of effective trap area. Tests of model assumptions provided by CAPTURE indicated pronounced heterogeneity in capture probabilities and some indication of behavioral response and variation over time. Mean estimated density was 1.80 mongooses/ha (range, 1.37–2.15/ha) with estimated coefficients of variation of 4.68-11.92% ( X#x0304; = 7.46%). Estimates of density based on mark-recapture data depended heavily on assumptions about animal home ranges; variances of densities also may be underestimated, leading to unrealistically narrow confidence intervals. Estimates based on trap webs require fewer assumptions, and estimated variances may be a more realistic representation of sampling variation. Because trap webs are established easily and provide adequate data for estimation in a few sample occasions, the method should be efficient and reliable for estimating densities of mongooses.
Predicate calculus with free quantifier variables

In the literature of symbolic logic there are many examples of systems having free variables ranging over truth-values, individuals, or predicates. But, though many such systems are equipped with universal and existential quantifiers (and though many other quantifiers, e.g., for exactly one , are thereby definable), the problem of free variables corresponding to such constants has been neglected.
Improving cluster availability using workstation validation

We demonstrate a framework for improving the availability of cluster based Internet services. Our approach models Internet services as a collection of interconnected components, each possessing well defined interfaces and failure semantics. Such a decomposition allows designers to engineer high availability based on an understanding of the interconnections and isolated fault behavior of each component, as opposed to ad-hoc methods. In this work, we focus on using the entire commodity workstation as a component because it possesses natural, fault-isolated interfaces. We define a failure event as a reboot because not only is a workstation unavailable during a reboot, but also because reboots are symptomatic of a larger class of failures, such as configuration and operator errors. Our observations of 3 distinct clusters show that the time between reboots is best modeled by a Weibull distribution with shape parameters of less than 1, implying that a workstation becomes more reliable the longer it has been operating. Leveraging this observed property, we design an allocation strategy which withholds recently rebooted workstations from active service, validating their stability before allowing them to return to service. We show via simulation that this policy leads to a 70-30 rule-of-thumb: For a constant utilization, approximately 70% of the workstation failures can be masked from end clients with 30% extra capacity added to the cluster, provided reboots are not strongly correlated. We also found our technique is most sensitive to the burstiness of reboots as opposed to absolute lengths of workstation uptimes.
Interpreting the Leiter IQ: Performance Profiles of Young Normal and Language-Disordered Children

Language-disordered children with normal range performance IQ may nevertheless evidence cognitive deficits. This suggests the need for content validity studies of performance tests of intelligence....