cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Toward an integrated classification of ecosystems: Defining opportunities for managing fish and forest health

Many of the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest United States have been simplified and degraded in part through past land-management activities. Recent listings of fishes under the Endangered Species Act and major new initiatives for the restoration of forest health have precipitated contentious debate among managers and conservation interests in the region. Because aggressive management activities proposed for forest restoration may directly affect watershed processes and functions, the goals of aquatic and terrestrial conservation and restoration are generally viewed as in conflict. The inextricable links in ecological processes and functions, however, suggest the two perspectives should really represent elements of the same problem; that of conserving and restoring more functional landscapes. The authors used recent information on the status and distribution of forest and fish communities to classify river sub basins across the region and explore the potential conflict and opportunity for a more integrated view of management. The authors classification indicated that there are often common trends in terrestrial and aquatic communities that highlight areas of potential convergence in management goals. Regions where patterns diverge may emphasize the need to particular care and investment in detailed risk analyses. Their spatially explicit classification of sub basin conditionsmore » provides a mechanism for progress in three areas that the authors think is necessary for a more integrated approach to management: (1) communication among disciplines; (2) effective prioritization of limited conservation and restoration resources; and (3) a framework for experimentation and demonstration of commitment and untested restoration techniques.« less
Ultrasonic evaluation of the superior mesenteric artery

With the use of gray scale B scan ultrasound, it is now feasible in many cases to detect portions of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arising from the aorta. Thus, it is possible to measure the aortomesenteric angle and distance. We evaluated a series of patients by ultrasound to determine the normal values for the SMA angle, distance, and lumen diameter. Patients were also examined who had pathological conditions that might produce an alteration in the angle and distance. Abnormal widening was observed in patients with aortic aneurysms and para-aortic lymphosarcomatous nodes. In patients suspected of having duodenal ileus, there was evidence of narrowing of the superior mesenteric artery angle and distance. However, a comparable group of asymptomatic patients of the same age showed a similarly narrowed angle and distance. It was thus concluded that the narrowing of the aortomesenteric angle and distance is not a cause of duodenal ileus. Knowledge of the SMA and aortic lumen diameter has been helpful in selecting the proper catheter and approach for selective arteriography.
Turbulence measurements in a submarine canyon

Abstract Profiles of velocity turbulence in Monterey Canyon, made with a recently developed expendable probe, show the existence of a very turbulent bottom boundary layer. The turbulent flow is up to 170 m thick and has peak microscale shears of 1 m s −1 per meter. The rate of dissipation of kinetic energy, based on the observed shear variance, averaged over the depth of the turbulent boundary layer ranged from 70 to 500 × 10 −6 W m −3 . Temperature measurements indicate that the flow was up canyon at a time of low tide. The upper bound for the vertical eddy viscosity is estimated to be17 × 10 −4 m 2 s −1 and for the vertical eddy diffusivity is estimated to be 15 × 10 −4 m 2 s −1 . The large vertical scale and the intensity of the observed boundary layer suggest that the flow in Monterey Canyon may be important for the renewal and circulation of water over the continental shelf in the bay area.
Dynamic multistatic synthetic aperture radar (DMSAR) with image reconstruction algorithms and analysis

The imaging of ground objects by circular synthetic aperture radar (CSAR) is a well-known technique that can benefit from the use of multiple receivers in a multistatic configuration. Although static receivers have been employed to determine the location of one or more airborne objects, the use of multiple dynamically positioned airborne receivers with an airborne transmitter represents a novel application of SAR technology for the detection of ground objects. This paper presents theory, algorithms, and experimental results for dynamic multistatic synthetic aperture radar (DMSAR) for airborne sensing of ground-based objects. We emphasize the proper placement of receivers in relationship to the transmitter and object area, in order to achieve a specific quality of image reconstruction. Additionally, we discuss performance issues pertaining to the computation of DMSAR on high-performance platforms such as clusters of graphics processing units or hybrid processors. Example results and analysis are taken from synthetic or public-domain data.
Signal-to-noise ratio development for quality engineering

Dr. Taguchi developed the concept of signal-to-noise (SN) ratio in quality engineering to evaluate the performance of a system. The objective is to develop systems which are robust against noise factors. The SN ratio indicates the degree of the predictable performance of a product or process in the presence of noise factors. Parameter design of the Taguchi method optimizes the SN ratio in the domain of control factors, so that performance could be made insensitive to the noise factors in order to improve product quality. If the domain of the control factors is a continuous space, the problem is a non-linear programming problem. Usually, in practice, there are only a few available levels for the control factors. Thus, experimental design methods can be useful for such problems. The SN ratio for four cases of dynamic characteristic problems is developed in this paper. This paper also gives the method to compute SN ratios for both equispaced and non-equispaced intervals for levels of signal factors. Two examples are presented to illustrate the method.
Mode shapes and frequencies by finite element method using consistent and lumped masses

Abstract The rate of convergence of the mode shapes and frequencies by the finite element method using consistent and lumped mass formulations has been established. Simple examples are given to demonstrate the results. It has been found that for a system of differential equations of second order such as the equations of equilibrium in terms of displacement in the theory of elasticity, membrane etc., a proper lumped mass formulation will not suffer any loss of rate of convergence utilizing simple elements. However, in the case of higher order differential equations or when the use of more complicated elements is required or desired, a consistent mass formulation often will provide a better rate of convergence.
Hereditary angioedema: a current state-of-the-art review, V: attenuated androgens for the treatment of hereditary angioedema

Objective To provide a summary of the literature regarding the use of attenuated androgens during the past 40 to 50 years for the treatment of hereditary angioedema (HAE). Data Sources MEDLINE and PubMed were searched to identify studies involving the treatment of HAE with androgens. Study Selection Studies were selected based on their relevance to the use of androgens for the treatment of HAE. Results Attenuated androgens have proven successful for the short- and long-term treatment of HAE. Adverse effects are still concerning, and their use in children and pregnant women must be undertaken with great caution. Scheduled monitoring of liver function tests and lipid profiles in patients treated with these medications is critical. Conclusions Attenuated androgens have been successful in the short- and long-term treatment of HAE, and they are still the most frequently used medications in the United States for the treatment of this disease. There is a lack of readily available options for the treatment of acute HAE attacks apart from the administration of fresh frozen plasma or safe prophylactic therapies; however, several appropriate agents currently in clinical trials in the United States appear promising.
Paleoecology of the Cottonwood Limestone (Permian), Northern Mid-Continent

The Cottonwood Limestone, a thin (7 feet or less), laterally persistent, fossiliferous, marine limestone and calcareous shale, has been traced in outcrop from southeastern Nebraska to north-central Oklahoma. Detailed field and laboratory analyses reveal 5 distinct facies. From southern Nebraska to central Kansas the lower half of the Cottonwood Limestone is a fine-grained buff limestone composed of finely comminuted fossils, especially the algal-foraminiferal intergrowth Osagia, echinoderms, and bryozoans ( bioclastic facies ). The upper half of the unit in this region is fine-grained buff limestone with abundant small fusulines; fossils typical of the bioclastic facies are also present ( fusuline facies ). In central Kansas the Cottonwood Limestone is a fine-grained, gray, massive limestone having abundant broken thalli of the calcareous alga, Anchicodium, and some Osagia (platy algal facies). The Cottonwood in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma is an interbedded limestone and calcareous shale with a very diverse, abundant, and well-preserved fauna, especially brachiopods, molluscs, and ammodiscid foraminifers (shelly facies). At the southern limit of its outcrop the Cottonwood Limestone is a medium crystalline limestone with thin, shaly layers; molluscs, Osagia, and quartz silt are common (silty Osagia facies). The bioclastic and fusuline facies were deposited in shallow, well-lit, moderately turbulent waters having very small amounts of terrigenous influx; water circulation was variably restricted. The shelly facies was deposited in a less turbulent and deeper-water environment, having good circulation and relatively large amounts of terrigenous material entering from the south; the silty Osagia facies was formed in a shallower, more turbulent, nearer-shore environment marginal to the shelly facies. Separating these two facies provinces was a broad shoal where the platy algal facies was deposited; here waters were moderately turbulent, well-lit, shallow, and somewhat restricted in circulation.
A parallel solution to the cutting stock problem for a cluster of workstations

The paper describes the design and implementation of a solution to the constrained 2D cutting stock problem on a cluster of workstations. The constrained 2D cutting stock problem is an irregular problem with a dynamically modified global data set and irregular amounts and patterns of communication. A replicated data structure is used for the parallel solution since the ratio of reads to writes is known to be large. Mutual exclusion and consistency are maintained using a token based lazy consistency mechanism, and a randomized protocol for dynamically balancing the distributed work queue is employed. Speedups are reported for three benchmark problems executed on a cluster of workstations interconnected by a 10 Mbps Ethernet.
An optimal client buffer model for multiplexing HTTP streams

The basic tenet of HTTP streaming is to deliver fragments of video and audio that are individually addressable chunks of content over HTTP. Some media players consume incoming video and audio data only in a time ordered multiplexed format. If alternate tracks need to be added post packaging of the media, it has to be repackaged that involves duplication resulting in multiple multiplexed files. Additionally for adaptive streaming, a set of all those files need to be added for each bitrate. Alternatively, it is more efficient to store component tracks separately, fetching only the required tracks and multiplexing audio and video in the client before sending the data to the decoder. To deliver an optimal viewing experience, the client has to take care of the seemingly conflicting constraints viz., handling the network jitter, minimizing the time to switch to an alternate track and minimizing the live latency. For instance, to absorb more network jitter more data should be available in the buffers but this would increase the switching latency. We introduce a formal buffer model for a client that gathers video and audio fragments and multiplexes them on the fly. This model uses separate video and audio buffers, a multiplexed buffer in the application, and decoding buffer associated with the decoder. We model the buffer sizes, their thresholds to request data from the network, and the rate of transfer of data between buffers. We show that these buffers can be designed varying these parameters to optimize for the above constraints. This buffer model can also be leveraged for deciding when to switch in adaptive bitrate streaming. We further validate these by experimental results from our implementation.
Interactive Image Processing and Manipulation

Electronic imaging informatics spans a diverse range of applications. These applications would benefit from an interpretive imaging platform, which allows dynamic manipulation and processing of electronic images. Ch is an embeddable C/C++ interpreter that provides an interpretive platform for C/C++ based scripts and programs. Combining Ch with ImageMagick provides the functionality for rapid development of user defined image manipulation and processing applications and scripts. The presented Ch ImageMagick package provides users with the ability to interpretively execute C code based on the ImageMagick C library. This article describes the integration of ImageMagick and Ch. The use of ImageMagick utilities in Ch scripts for rapid prototyping is illustrated. A Web-based example demonstrates the use of Ch and ImageMagick in C based CGI scripting to facilitate the development of Web-based applications involving image manipulation and processing.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Endoscopic restoration of esophageal continuity

Severe stricture formation after repair of esophageal atresia with tracheoesophageal fistula resulted in obliteration of the esophageal lumen. Patency of the esophagus was restored using endoscopic removal of the scar tissue. The stricture recurrence was subsequently controlled by Collis-Belsey reconstruction of the esophagogastric junction.
Coexistence of lichen sclerosus, morphea, and lichen planus: Report of four cases and review of the literature

A 39-year-old woman with coexistent lichen planus, lichen sclerosus, and generalized morphea with ulcerations is described. Three additional cases were found in the files of the Mayo Clinic from 1950 to 1983, and these are summarized. Eight cases reviewed in the literature are also summarized. Coexistent lichenoid and sclerodermatous eruptions in graft-versus-host disease after bone marrow transplantation are noted as a model for this combined inflammatory and sclerotic dermatosis.
Permeation of calcium ions through non-NMDA glutamate channels in retinal bipolar cells

The conduction of calcium ions through glutamate-gated channels is important in the induction of long-term potentiation and may trigger other cellular changes. In retinal bipolar cells, which lack the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) type of glutamate-gated channel, calcium permeability through non-NMDA channels was examined. Changes in extracellular calcium concentration unexpectedly affected the reversal potential for glutamate-induced currents in a manner consistent with these channels being highly permeable to calcium. External magnesium ions promote desensitization of these non-NMDA channels in a voltage-independent way. Thus, in addition to non-NMDA channels that conduct only sodium and potassium, there is a class that is also permeable to calcium.
Acute tachyphylaxis to propofol sedation during ethanol withdrawal

We treated a patient with a 30-year history of ethanol and benzodiazepine abuse who, on emerging from general anesthesia, was combative and confused. Our working diagnosis was acute ethanol withdrawal, and the patient received intravenous (i.v.) propofol, and midazolam. Initially small doses (10 to 20 mg) of propofol, combined with a midazolam infusion (50 mg/hr), produced sedation. Later, however, the patient became increasingly combative, confused, hypertensive, and tachycardic despite an i.v. propofol infusion at doses up to 1,000 micrograms/kg/min (total propofol dose: 1,755 mg). Immediate sedation was produced by thiopental bolus (500 mg) and i.v. infusion (200 mg/hr). The implication of the patient's initial appropriate response to propofol, followed by the lack of effect when much higher doses were employed, is discussed. While tachyphylaxis has been reported after long-term propofol use, we believe this to be the first case of acute tachyphylaxis.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement with video-laparoscopic guidance.

Laparoscopy is the endoscopic visualization of the contents of the peritoneal cavity. It has been used by gynecologic surgeons and gastroenterologists since the middle of the 20th century. Laparoscopy has recently become a more widely used tool in other surgical specialties, mainly general and urologic surgery. In the neurosurgical literature, the use of laparoscopy has been described only in the retrieval of disconnected peritoneal shunts in the pediatric population. We now report our experience with placement of the peritoneal end of ventriculoperitoneal shunts under direct laparoscopic vision.
Moderate alcohol intake in humans attenuates monocyte inflammatory responses: inhibition of nuclear regulatory factor kappa B and induction of interleukin 10.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the deleterious effects of chronic excessive alcohol consumption on the liver and cardiovascular system, modest alcohol intake, such as 1 to 2 drinks per day, has benefits on cardiovascular mortality. Little is known about the length of time or the amounts of alcohol consumed that may cause alterations in inflammatory cells such as monocytes that are crucial to atherosclerotic vascular disease. Here, we determine in vivo effects of acute alcohol consumption on inflammatory cytokine production and nuclear regulatory factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) binding in human monocytes. METHODS: Human blood monocytes were isolated by plastic adherence before and after acute alcohol consumption (2 ml vodka/kg body weight). Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and superantigen-induced tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin (IL)-1beta, and IL-10 production were then determined in monocytes by ELISA. Nuclear regulatory factor-kappaB activity of monocytes before and after alcohol consumption was estimated by electromobility shift assay and promoter-driven reporter activity. IkappaBalpha was determined by Western blotting in the cytoplasmic extracts. RESULTS: Eighteen hours after moderate alcohol consumption, we found a significant reduction in monocyte production of inflammatory mediators, TNF-alpha and IL-1beta, in response to LPS or staphylococcal enterotoxin B stimulation. Acute alcohol consumption inhibited LPS-induced DNA binding of the p65/p50 NF-kappaB in monocytes that regulates the expression of both the TNF-alpha and the IL-1beta genes. Consistent with this, acute alcohol treatment (25 mM) significantly reduced LPS-induced activation of an NF-kappaB-driven reporter gene suggesting inhibition of this proinflammatory signaling pathway. Further, LPS-induced IkappaBalpha degradation was not affected by acute alcohol consumption indicating an IkappaBalpha-independent mechanism, as observed earlier in the in vitro acute alcohol studies. In contrast, monocyte production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, was augmented by acute alcohol intake. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that acute alcohol consumption has dual anti-inflammatory effects that involve augmentation of IL-10 and attenuation of monocyte inflammatory responses involving inhibition of NF-kappaB. These mechanisms may contribute to the beneficial effects of moderate alcohol use on atherosclerosis.
Symbolic integration of logic in MILP branch and bound methods for the synthesis of process networks

This paper deals with the branch and bound solution of process synthesis problems that are modelled as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problems. The symbolic integration of logic relations between potential units in a process network is proposed in the LP based branch and bound method to expedite the search for the optimal solution. The objective of this integration is to reduce the number of nodes that must be enumerated by using the logic to decide on the branching of variables and to determine by symbolic inference whether additional variables can be fixed at each node. The important feature of this approach is that it does not require additional constraints in the MILP and the logic can be systematically generated for process networks. Strategies for performing the integration are proposed that use the disjunctive and conjunctive normal form representations of the logic, respectively. Computational results will be presented to illustrate that substantial savings can be achieved.
Perceptual grouping produced by line figures

Two experiments, one with 2 and one with 3-line figures, studied the relative effectiveness of differences in orientation and shape in producing grouping by Similarity. The results showed that changes in shape or orientation which leave the component lines of the figures vertical and horizontal do not facilitate grouping as readily as changes which alter the direction of the component lines to 45° and 135°. These results corroborate and extend the findings of Beck (l966a, 1966b) and are discussed in relation to the problem of specifying the properties of line figures that produce grouping by similarity.
Constructions of Femininity and Experiences of Menstrual Distress

The purpose of this article is to explore the relationship between constructions of feminine gender identity and experiences of menstrual distress. Both quantitative and qualitative methods were used to assess the relationship between femininity and PMS. Statistically significant correlations were found between T-scores for femininity on the Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1978) and total distress scores on the Menstrual Distress Questionnaire (Moos, 1991). Analysis of the qualitative data suggests that women engage in intense premenstrual bodily surveillance, and the data support Ussher, Hunter, and Browne's (2000) findings that the 'PMS self' becomes lived as an identity position in contrast to a 'real' or 'non-PMS sell.' The authors conclude that our biopsychiatric discourse about PMS functions to legitimize traditional constructions of femininity and that future research should conceptualize menstrual distress as both lived experience and social construction.
Defining coverage views to improve functional coverage analysis

Coverage analysis is used to monitor the quality of the verification process. Reports provided by coverage tools help users identify areas in the design that have not been adequately tested. Because of their sheer size, the analysis of large coverage models can be an intimidating and time-consuming task. Practically, it can only be done by focusing on specific parts of the model. This paper presents a method for defining views onto the coverage data of cross-product functional coverage models. The proposed method allows users to focus on certain aspects of the coverage data to extract relevant, useful information, thereby improving the quality of the coverage analysis. A number of examples are provided that show how the proposed method improved the verification of actual designs.
Heart disease risk factors predict erectile dysfunction 25 years later (the Rancho Bernardo Study).

We prospectively examined common coronary artery disease (CAD) risk factors (age, smoking, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and obesity) in 570 community-dwelling men, aged 30 to 69 years (mean age, 46 years) at baseline. After an average follow-up period of 25 years, incident erectile dysfunction (ED) was evaluated by the 5-item International Index of Erectile Function. Age, body mass index, and hypercholesterolemia were each significantly associated with an increased risk of ED. In all, 1 in 5 men had ≥3 risk factors and were at a 2.2-fold increased risk of ED. Improving CAD risk factors in midlife may decrease ED risk as well as CAD risk.
Lyman-band fluorescence intensity vs H2 pressure

The fluorescence intensity of the H2 Lyman bands excited by the argon 1066 A line is found to be a linear function of the H2 pressure. The fluorescence from naturally occurring HD is linearly dependent on the HD partial pressure. The experiments described show that these fluorescence intensities can be used to measure the H2 and HD densities below 10 trillion molecules per cu cm.
The role of transmembrane proteins on force transmission in skeletal muscle

Lateral transmission of force from myofibers laterally to the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM) via the transmembrane proteins between them is impaired in old muscles. Changes in geometrical and mechanical properties of ECM of skeletal muscle do not fully explain the impaired lateral transmission with aging. The objective of this study was to determine the role of transmembrane proteins on force transmission in skeletal muscle. In this study, a 2D finite element model of single muscle fiber composed of myofiber, ECM, and the transmembrane proteins between them was developed to determine how changes in spatial density and mechanical properties of transmembrane proteins affect the force transmission in skeletal muscle. We found that force transmission and stress distribution are not affected by mechanical stiffness of the transmembrane proteins due to its non-linear stress-strain relationship. Results also showed that the muscle fiber with insufficient transmembrane proteins near the end of muscle fiber transmitted less force than that with more proteins does. Higher stress was observed in myofiber, ECM, and proteins in the muscle fiber with fewer proteins.
Monitoring Delamination of Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings by Reflectance-Enhanced Luminescence

Plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) present a challenge for optical diagnostic methods to monitor TBC delamination, because the strong scattering exhibited by plasma-sprayed TBCs severely attenuates light transmitted through the TBC. This paper presents a new approach that indicates delamination in plasma-sprayed TBCs by utilizing a luminescent sublayer that produces significantly greater luminescence intensity from delaminated regions of the TBC. Freestanding coatings were produced with either a Eu-doped or Er-doped yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) luminescent layer below a plasma-sprayed undoped YSZ layer. A NiCr backing layer was added to represent an attached substrate in some sections. For specimens with a Eu-doped YSZ luminescent sublayer, luminescence intensity maps showed excellent contrast between unbacked and NiCr-backed sections. Discernable contrast between unbacked and NiCr-backed sections was not observed for specimens with a Er-doped YSZ luminescent sublayer, because luminescence from Er impurities in the undoped YSZ layer overwhelmed luminescence originating from the Er-doped YSZ sublayer.
Lysosomal and non-lysosomal factors in chemically induced chromosome breakage☆

Abstract The possibility that chemically-induced chromosomal damage is mediated through the mechanism of lysosomal labilization was investigated. The known chromosome breaking agents, mitomycin C and streptonigrin, showed no effect on lysosomal membranes as evidenced by both enzymatic and previous electron microscopic studies [7]. The combination of these drugs with known lysosomal stabilizing agents reduced the frequency of chromosome damage somewhat. However, chromosome damage was also reduced by exposure of cells to heat or cold. The known lysosomal labilizers, vitamin A alcohol and acid, did not increase the frequency of chromosome breakage in peripheral lymphocytes. Therefore, these studies fail to support the hypothesis that the destruction of lysosomal membranes and the subsequent release of hydrolytic enzymes are instrumental in the induction of chromosomal damage by mitomycin C and streptonigrin.
U.S. Males and Pornography, 1973–2010: Consumption, Predictors, Correlates

Although both storied and extensive, social scientific research on the effects of pornography consumption on males has primarily focused on testing the feminist contention that pornography contributes to sexual aggression against females. Other parties have expressed concern about males’ use of pornography, however. “Moralists” (Linz & Malamuth, 1993) have argued that pornography promotes a permissive approach to sexual relations. Public health researchers have hypothesized that pornography encourages epidemiologically risky sexual behavior. This study used cross-sectional General Social Survey data gathered between 1973 and 2010 to assess these claims for empirical support. In line with moralists’ contentions, pornography consumption was associated with having more positive attitudes toward teenage sex, adult premarital sex, and extramarital sex. Pornography consumption was also positively related to actually engaging in extramarital sex. In line with public health researchers’ concerns, pornography cons...
Generating Huffman sequences

An easy algorithm is described a special case of which will generate a list of all n-ary Huffman sequences of length m, for any given integers m ≥ 1, n ≥ 2.
“Discordant Consensus”: Old and New Rhetoric at Trinity College, Dublin

Abstract : The teaching and practice of rhetoric at Trinity College, Dublin, in the eighteenth century have been little discussed in the literature. This article describes the curriculum and pedagogy related to the old and “new rhetoric” of the Scottish enlightenment as disclosed by documents in the archives of Trinity College Library; the published lectures of two Erasmus Smith Professors of Oratory and History, John Lawson and Thomas Leland; and the lectures of Thomas Sheridan on elocution. Minutes of the student historical clubs in which debates and harangues are preserved illustrate the interests of the students, their techniques of debate, and the demonstrative exhortations of their officers. The student orations chronicle the gradual absorption of the principles of the new rhetoric at the College.
Preparedness Clusters: A Research Note on the Disaster Readiness of Community-Based Organizations:

Previous research has found that disaster preparedness practices can be theoretically grouped into eight dimensions of preparedness. In this research note, the author utilizes factor analysis to ex...
VSI standards: using them today, planning for tomorrow

The VSI Alliance has made significant progress in standardizing the data to be created by a virtual component (VC) provider and passed to a system chip integrator. The VC provider is the author of a block, who completes the design of the VC as a stand-alone block, prepares a number of data files describing the block, then passes those data files to a system chip integrator. The system chip integrator is responsible for the design of a chip which may use a number of different VCs, each of which is described by the VSI deliverables. This paper describes the standards which are available today for the VSI deliverables and how they can be used. It also provides an update on the work currently going on in VSI.
Mass profiling-directed isolation and identification of a stage-specific serologic protein biomarker of advanced prostate cancer

Carcinoma of the prostate (CaP) is the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality among American men. While high cure rates are associated with localized CaP, no cure exists for advanced recurrent disease. At present there are no known serologic biomarkers specific to this stage of the disease. Several groups have used mass spectrometry (MS) based mass profiling (MP) combined with multivariate analysis to identify diagnostically predictive protein peaks for CaP in serum and tissues. Nevertheless, an appreciable level of skepticism exists for MP attributed primarily to a lack of definitive protein characterization. To address this problem, we have applied an approach that combines MP with a whole-protein based top-down separation strategy for the identification of a stage-specific marker in a group comprising 16 patients with CaP (metastatic and localized disease) and 15 healthy individuals. MP, combined with multivariate analysis, yielded 17 serum proteins specific to metastatic disease. A single protein detected at m/z 7771 was found to be significantly decreased in the sera of all the metastatic CaP patients but not in localized CaP or healthy individuals. This protein was therefore chosen as the primary candidate for further analysis. The complex nature of the serologic proteome necessitated an isolation strategy that included a C18 prefractionation, followed by multidimensional liquid chromatography and, finally, two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The separation process was monitored by UV-Vis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight MS analysis. This strategy was found to greatly facilitate subsequent MS characterization of the unknown protein, which was identified as platelet factor 4, a chemokine with prothrombolytic and antiangiogenic activities. Confirmation was achieved using both Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. With the growing interest in using MP for patient classification and diagnosis, our approach and its variations should be powerful in the separation and characterization of proteins following MP.
Identifying Functional miRNA Targets Using Overexpression and Knockdown Methods

MicroRNAs are important regulators of gene expression that can posttranscriptionally regulate transcript abundance. Misregulation of miRNA expression has been associated with cell cycle abnormalities and disease states, thus reinforcing the importance of understanding the functional role of miRNAs. Genomic approaches are particularly valuable for studying miRNA function because they can address the ability of a single miRNA to direct the regulation of multiple mRNA targets. This chapter details methods for monitoring differentially expressed miRNAs using expression profiling, monitoring miRNA-related cell cycle phenotypes using flow cytometry, identifying miRNA targets using overexpression and knockdown methods, and validating target sites in 3′UTRs using luciferase reporters.
Automatic Thematic Extractor

We have created a system that identifies musical "keywords" or themes. The system searches for all patterns composed of melodic (intervallic for our purposes) repetition in a piece. This process generally uncovers a large number of patterns, many of which are either uninteresting or only superficially important. Filters reduce the number or prevalence, or both, of such patterns. Patterns are then rated according to perceptually significant characteristics. The top-ranked patterns correspond to important thematic or motivic musical content, as has been verified by comparisons with published musical thematic catalogs. The system operates robustly across a broad range of styles, and relies on no meta-data on its input, allowing it to independently and efficiently catalog multimedia data.
Next Accreditation System: The Need for Separate Evaluators

The Next Accreditation System will focus graduate medical education on outcomes and competency rather than months and years.1 As we shift to performance-based evaluation of trainees, an equally important change in the faculty structure is needed. Improvement is not always a steady climb to a milestone. Dating back to Bryan and Harter's series in the 1890s on telegraph operators, studies show that new skill acquisition progresses with periods of large increases in performance interrupted by short plateaus or decrements.2,3 How, then, do we view a trainee that has a plateau or decrease in performance? Are these trainees “falling off the growth curve” and in need of remediation, or adjusting to a new skill that will take time to be perfected? Progression in overall performance may not depend on improvement of a single isolated skill. A trainee may be able to improve performance by compensating for a weakness or improving a strength. By refining strong skills while leaving weak skills weak, the trainee may be able to show improvement in the short term, but hinder his or her long-term development. However, improving a weaker skill may lead to a higher ceiling of performance at the cost of short-term plateaus and a much longer time interval before performance gains can be noticed. If performance becomes the focal point of evaluations, a trainee may choose to hide his or her weaknesses as much as possible from all evaluators and concentrate his or her efforts on short-term gains and small improvements in strengths. This may lead to a false perception that the trainee is advancing appropriately and leave little opportunity to improve weak skills during the training period. The potential for hiding weaknesses will be more likely if the same evaluator is responsible for both formative and summative feedback. A system of evaluators with a dual role would encourage the trainee to either purposefully reveal or purposefully hide weaknesses that may influence the summative evaluation negatively. One way to avoid this is to separately define mentors responsible for formative assessments and guidance from supervisors responsible for summative evaluations. While first-hand knowledge of the trainee would be crucial for both mentor and supervisor, mentors would need to keep all conversations with the trainee confidential from supervisors. Confidentiality between mentor and trainee would allow trainees to feel more free to confront their weaknesses in a safe environment without a fear of failure. Only time will tell if these will prove to be valid concerns, but a carefully designed evaluation structure may enhance the learning environment and separate any potential biases in the evaluation processes, allowing for the greatest benefits of the Next Accreditation System.
Color formulation and reproduction of opaque dental ceramic

Summary Objectives The purpose of this study was to determine the validity and accuracy of mixing opaque feldspathic dental ceramic to obtain specific shades using two methods: (1) Concentration Additivity of Optical Parameters (CALAB) and (2) Concentration Additivity of Kubelka-Munk Optical Coefficients (CAK/S). Methods A total of 25 opaque feldspathic dental ceramic specimens were fabricated by mixing six different pure shades in different concentrations. The reflectance spectra were measured and the actual CIELAB L *, a * and b * coordinates were obtained for the 25 specimens. The CALAB and CAK/S methods were used to predict the L *, a * and b * values with reference to the concentrations of the pure shades. Correlation analysis was carried out between the actual and predicted L *, a * and b * values for both methods. The color differences (Δ E *) between actual and predicted L *, a * and b * values were also calculated and analyzed using repeated measures ANOVA. Results Pearson's correlation coefficients between predicted and actual values for both methods were greater than 0.98. The mean Δ E*s were 0.24 (0.11) for CALAB method and 0.21 (0.11) for the CAK/S method. The repeated measures ANOVA revealed a statistically significant difference ( P =0.0213) between the mean Δ E*s from the two methods. Significance Both methods produced mean Δ E*s between the actual and predicted methods that were below the threshold of human perceptibility. The simpler CALAB method can be used to determine the opaque ceramic mixture for specific shades with accuracy.
Dynamics of material modifications following laser-breakdown in bulk fused silica.

We report on the material response during the cooling phase in bulk fused silica following localized energy deposition via laser-induced breakdown. We use a time-resolved microscope system to acquire images of the region of energy deposition at delay times covering the entire timeline of events. In addition, this system is configured to perform pump-and-probe damage testing measurements to investigate the evolution of the transient absorption of the modified material. The main features of a damage site are established at ~30 ns after the pump pulse, i.e. cracks reach their final size within this time frame. The results reveal that the cracks and melted core exhibit a transient absorption up until about 300 ns and 200 μs delay times, respectively, and suggest that the melted region returns to solid phase at ~70 ms delay.
An Agent-Based Services Framework with Adaptive Monitoring in Cloud Environments

Cloud computing environments provide flexible infrastructures for third-party management of organizations' information technology (IT) assets. With web services being a standard for realizing web-based business capabilities, the emergence of cloud computing will bring new challenges to different web service activities. In this paper, the authors propose an agent-based framework that provides effective integration of services within clouds. To tackle the dynamism in service operations, an adaptive monitoring algorithm is proposed. The algorithm is inspired by the congestion control approach from the TCP protocol and provides efficient, up-to-date information about service status without exhaustive monitoring. Experimental results show that the monitoring algorithm provides significant benefits when compared to the more exhaustive methods. This approach also facilitates other service activities, such as cross cloud service discovery.
Rat and Human Natural Killers Exhibit Contrasting Immunoglobulin G Subclass Specificities in Antibody‐Dependent Cellular Cytotoxicity Reflecting Differences in Their Fc Receptors (FcγR)

Rat and human natural killers (rtNK and huNK, respectively) were compared in quantitative antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays for their capacity to recognize mouse and rat lgG monoclonal antibodies (MAb) of different subclasses. NK from these two species exhibit considerably different patterns of IgG subclass recognition as determined by the relative antibody concentrations required for comparable levels of target cells lysis. ADCC assays with a panel of 16 MAb revealed that the efficiency of rtNK-mediated target lysis diminished according to IgG subclass in the following order: moIgGi > rtlgG2a > molgG2b = molgG2a > rtlgG2b > moIgG3. By comparison, huNk recognized the same antibodies with nearly the opposite order of efficiency: rtlgG2b>> molgG2a> molgG3 > molgG2b >> rtlgG2a moIgGi. Only molgG2a antibodies were equally potent with rtNK and huNK. The contrasting difference in lgG subclass recognition by rat and human Nk reflects the comparatively low protein sequence homology between their respective IgG Fc receptors (Fc-yR).
Drug reimbursement recommendations by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence: have they impacted the National Health Service budget?

Abstract Objective Determine whether reimbursement restrictions recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have impacted the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS) budget. Methods Data were abstracted from NICE guidance documents and costing statements through March 2011. Estimated maximum and adjusted potential budget impact (PBI) on the NHS was derived using estimates of the UK marketing-approved population and the annual cost for the new drug. Descriptive and logistic analyses were used to estimate the correlation between the degree of restrictions on reimbursement recommended by NICE for each new drug indication and the PBI controlling for clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. Results PBI was significantly correlated with the degree of reimbursement restrictions. In descriptive analysis, the adjusted PBI for drugs that were recommended without restrictions was £20.3 million (SD = 22.2) compared with £49.8 million (SD = 90.8) for those recommended with restrictions and £71.1 million (SE = 99.9) for those not recommended. In logistic analysis, the odds ratio for less restrictive reimbursement was 0.848 (95% CI, 0.762–0.945) for each £20 million increase in the adjusted PBI. Results were similar using the maximum PBI. Conclusions After controlling for clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness, the degree of reimbursement restriction recommended by NICE remains significantly correlated with the PBI, despite that fact that the NICE decision process does not consider budget impact. This correlation might be due to NICE consideration of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness for subgroups of the approved population.
Evaluation of vision systems for teleoperated land vehicles

A pilot study that compares vision systems that might be used to control a teleoperated land vehicle is described. The study compares three forward-looking vision systems, both for actual remote driving and for noninteractive video simulation. Remote driving has the advantage of realism but is subject to variability in driving strategies and can be hazardous to equipment. Video simulation provides a more controlled environment in which to compare vision-system parameters, but at the expense of some realism. Results demonstrate that relative differences in performance among the visual systems are generally consistent in the two test modes. A detection-range metric was found to be sensitive enough to demonstrate performance differences viewing large obstacles using black-and-white and color vision systems. Consequently, the author plans experimentation, aimed at optimizing vision-system parameters, that will rely to a greater extent on the more cost-effective, video-simulation approach. >
Adaptive rigidity-based formation control of uncertain multi-robotic vehicles

We formulate a graph rigidity-based, adaptive formation control law for multiple robotic vehicles moving on the plane that explicitly accounts for the vehicle dynamics while allowing for parametric uncertainty. We consider a class of underactuated vehicles modeled by Euler-Lagrange-like equations of motion. The control is designed via backstepping while exploiting the structural properties of the system dynamics. A Lyapunov-like analysis shows that the desired formation is acquired asymptotically.
SPICE model of the resonant-tunnelling diode

A SPICE3 model is developed for the resonant-tunnelling diode that combines a physical formulation of the coherent current component between zero bias and the valley point with an empirical formulation for the incoherent, or excess, current at bias voltages beyond the valley. The model is designed for type-I RTDs, such as GaAs/AlGaAs structures, and a fitting procedure is developed to derive the parameters of the model from the experimental current/voltage curve.
Perceived Control and Power in Marriage A Study of Marital Decision Making and Task Performance

This study investigated the association between marital power and satisfaction. Usually power has been defined by which spouse makes the most final decisions, but these respondents were asked about both who makes decisions and who performs tasks. Because perceived control may be a link between power and satisfaction, it was hypothesized that marital satisfaction is more highly correlated with perceived control over decisions and tasks than is frequency of decision making or task performance. In all, 37 married couples completed questionnaires regarding marital satisfaction, decision making, task performance, perceived control over decisions and tasks, and power. For both sexes, only perceived control over tasks was positively correlated with satisfaction. Women indicated a negative correlation between task performance and perceived control. Thus, perceptions of control over task distribution influenced marital satisfaction rather than perceived decision control, reported decision making, or task performance.