cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Manufacturing Large Stable Multi Spectral Coated Lightweight Freeform Optics

Freeform optical components are gaining wider acceptance in the optical industry. They offer a significant advantage in the design process, providing many additional variables to optimize the performance of an optical system. The cost to manufacture and adequately test these components has limited their implementation. Recent advances in computer generated holograms, that incorporate features to assure correct alignment, have resolved most testing concerns. Similarly, the latest generations of diamond turning machines and programming techniques now provide a cost effective manufacturing path for certain reflective and refractive components. This paper will discuss the mechanical design considerations for a typical reflective component, provide an overview of the various diamond machining techniques available, the use of post processing for improved figure and finish, testing issues and processes, coating considerations, and actual results derived with these.
A grievance system without a labor union.

(1987). A Grievance System without a Labor Union. Hospital Topics: Vol. 65, No. 3, pp. 17-21.
Activity of some vitamin derivatives and related compounds for oral lactobacilli.

Basal medium.?The basal medium used was similar to that previously employed1 and consisted of 0.59k acid-hydrolyzed purified casein, 1^0 glucose, 1^0 sodium acetate ^J^O, and inorganic salts, including 0.2% phosphate; this was supplemented with 100 mg each of L-cystine, ltryptophane, L-hydroxyproline, DL-threonine and DL-serine, 10 mg each of adenine sulfate, guanine hydrochloride, thymine, hypoxanthine, and uracil per liter of medium. The purines and pyrimidines were added because their presence, along with the needed vitamins, results in speedier growth of many lactobacilli. The vitamins used for 1000 ml of medium were
A streamlined tethered chromosome conformation capture protocol

Identification of locus-locus contacts at the chromatin level provides a valuable foundation for understanding of nuclear architecture and function and a valuable tool for inferring long-range linkage relationships. As one approach to this, chromatin conformation capture-based techniques allow creation of genome spatial organization maps. While such approaches have been available for some time, methodological advances will be of considerable use in minimizing both time and input material required for successful application. Here we report a modified tethered conformation capture protocol that utilizes a series of rapid and efficient molecular manipulations. We applied the method to Caenorhabditis elegans, obtaining chromatin interaction maps that provide a sequence-anchored delineation of salient aspects of Caenorhabditis elegans chromosome structure, demonstrating a high level of consistency in overall chromosome organization between biological samples collected under different conditions. In addition to the application of the method to defining nuclear architecture, we found the resulting chromatin interaction maps to be of sufficient resolution and sensitivity to enable detection of large-scale structural variants such as inversions or translocations. Our streamlined protocol provides an accelerated, robust, and broadly applicable means of generating chromatin spatial organization maps and detecting genome rearrangements without a need for cellular or chromatin fractionation.
Identification and characterization of genes upregulated in cells transformed by v-Jun

The transcription factor Jun (c-Jun) functions as a recipient of extracellular growth signals and converts them into patterns of gene expression. An oncogenic variant of c-Jun was isolated from the acutely transforming retrovirus ASV17. Overexpression of this viral Jun (v-Jun) induces transformation of chicken embryo fibroblasts (CEF) in culture and fibrosarcomas in chickens. v-Jun is a constitutively active form of c-Jun and transforms cells presumably by deregulating the expression of specific target genes. In this report, we describe six genes whose transcripts are upregulated in v-Jun-transformed CEF. Three of these genes show homology to known mammalian genes, to MAP kinase phosphatase 2 (MKP-2), to reversion-induced LIM protein (RIL) and to cytokine-inducible SH2-containing protein (CIS). Northern blot analysis, using CEF infected with various Jun mutants or an estrogen-regulatable Jun chimera, revealed distinct induction patterns of individual targets by v-Jun. The chicken RIL homolog showed an expression pattern tightly correlated with the activity of v-Jun. Its expression is also transformation-dependent, suggesting a role for this gene in v-Jun transformation. The newly identified v-Jun targets can serve as molecular markers in the v-Jun transformation process.
Metrics and Analysis Methods for Evaluation of a Real-Time Automated Separation Assurance System

*A system of metrics and analysis plots has been developed in order to evaluate the effectiveness and accuracy of trajectory prediction and automated conflict prediction and resolution algorithms. This research is conducted using a real-time air traffic management system to perform experimental runs using both live and simulated air traffic scenarios. The resulting data from these runs needs to be analyzed both to evaluate the performance of the software and to create objective metrics and plots for use in research studies. Specific analysis methods have been developed to assess data runs based on losses of legal separation between aircraft, conflict detections, trajectory prediction error, flight amendments, leveloffs, and fuel burn. I. Introduction ASA is developing tools and concepts to assist air traffic controllers in ensuring safe and efficient operations under increasing traffic demand. This work is divided into specialized tasks to focus on addressing specific air traffic management (ATM) needs. One such task is Separation Assurance (SA) research whose primary goals are to study automated algorithms for ensuring adequate separation between aircraft and to improve traffic flow through Air Route Traffic Control Center (ARTCC), or Center, airspace by using efficient, conflict-free flight paths. 1 In this research, the Center TRACON Automation System (CTAS) 2-4 is an important ATM tool with capabilities for automated conflict detection and resolution used as an experimental environment for comparing actual and simulated air traffic scenarios. The evaluation of the performance of this system under real-time traffic conditions is critical for proving the effectiveness of automated separation assurance algorithms
The Changing Age Distribution and Theological Attitudes of Catholic Priests Revisited

Hoge et al. (1988) analyze the changing age distribution and theological attitudes of Catholic priests. They conclude that Schoenherr and Sorensen (1982) overestimated the number of older priests in 1985 and incorrectly projected a shift toward conservative attitudes between 1970 and 1985. Based upon newly available data, we conclude that Schoenherr and Sorensen did not overestimate the number of older priests. We also argue that Hoge et al. did not use the appropriate analysis to test whether shifts in theological attitudes were due to a cohort effect or an aging effect. We reanalyze Hoge's data and conclude that the source of the error in the original Schoenherr-Sorensen projections of theological attitudes is more complex than specified by Hoge et al. Specifically, while Hoge et al. correctly identify a cohort effect that helps explain the inaccuracy of the original Schoenherr-Sorensen projections, Hoge et al. incorrectly reject the influence of an aging effect. Based upon the simultaneous operation of the cohort and aging effects, as well as the growing conservatism of younger priests, we conclude that an increasingly conservative clergy is to be expected.
Biologic effects of 17α-dihydroequilin sulfate

Objective To determine the independent biologic effects of 17 α -dihydroequilin sulfate. Design Prospective randomized study. Setting University of Southern California Medical Center. Patient(s) Twenty-one postmenopausal women, mean age 50±2 (±SEM) years, and mean body mass index 27±2. Intervention(s) Women were randomized to receive daily oral doses of either 1.25mg of estrone sulfate (E 1 S), 0.2mg of 17 α -dihydroequilin sulfate, or a combination. Three blood and urine samples were obtained before and after 30 and 90days of treatment. Result(s) After 30 and 90days of treatment, E 1 S alone increased sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels significantly, 19.7%±6.0% and 61.3%±13.0%, whereas 17 α -dihydroe-quilin sulfate reduced SHBG levels, 20.8%±68% and 12.4%±7.5%, respectively. Nevertheless, the combination of E 1 S and 17 α -dihydroequilin sulfate significantly increased SHBG levels, 103%±27.9% and 98.2%±19.1%, compared with baseline at 30 and 90days. Fewer changes were evident with corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG). After 90days of treatment, CBG levels significantly increased 30.9%±5.5% with E 1 S, decreased by 7.2%±5.0% with 17 α -dihydroequilin sulfate, and, with the combination, significantly increased by 10.5%±2.4% compared with baseline. Changes in lipids and lipoproteins were more variable. However, high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol increased significantly with E 1 S at 30 and 90days compared with baseline, 96.5%±39% and 91.5%±22.6%, and with the combination increased 66.4%±13.3% and 79.2%±24.4%, respectively. Fewer changes were evident with 17 α -dihydroequilin sulfate alone, decreasing 4.4%±22% and 2.6%±21.3%. Urinary ratios of bone collagen equivalents-creatinine and calcium-creatinine decreased in all three groups. However, the combination group resulted in a significantly greater percentage decrease in bone collagen equivalents-creatinine than with E 1 S alone. Conclusion(s) 17 α -Dihydroequilin sulfate could modify some of the first-pass effects of conjugated equine estrogens and act synergistically with other conjugated equine estrogens to reduce bone resorption.
Scanning Force Microscopy Characterization of Biopolymer Films: Gelatin on Mica

Scanning force microscopy of thin gelatin films on mica reveals two distinct film components with characteristic frictional, morphological and stability signatures. A high-friction continuous film 1–4 nm thick strongly adheres to mica, while a low-friction component is adsorbed as porous islands on top of or small domains within, the high-friction layer and is more easily perturbed by the scanning process. A high-force scanning procedure remarkably transforms the molecularly rough high-friction film into the molecularly smooth low-friction component if a sufficient amount of water is present in or on the film. The nanostructure of both the high- and low-friction components is imaged using a nanometer-scale asperity of gelatin attached to the SFM tip. The anticipated network structure of gelatin is observed on the high-friction layer. The low-friction material is interpreted as moieties of intramolecularly folded gelatin, with thickness (1.5±0.2 nm) equal to the diameter of the collagen-fold triple helix, containing substantial structural water.
Gödelmann’s Faustus (1591). Concerning the Fluidity of the Early Transmission of the Adventures of Faustus in Germany

This article is the first to treat systematically the brief, contemporary references to the Fauststoff in the treatise De magis, veneficis et lamiis (1591) by Johann Georg Godelmann, best known as a witchcraft theorist. He treats Johann Faustus as a “praedestigiator”, a black magician and trickster who belongs in the company of Simon Magus. Comparing Godel­mann’s versions of the adventures of Faustus with those in the chapbook, Historia von D. Johann Fausten (1587), published in the same city (Frankfurt am Main), one sees that these adventures were in flux in the late sixteenth century.
Mobility of knowledge work and affordances of digital technologies

Information communication technologies (ICTs) enable mobile knowledge workers to conduct information practices.These practices ensure access, keep social cohesion, maintain acuity, uphold work rhythm, and enact work-life balance.Mobile knowledge workers mobilize their work practices across space, time, social situations, and contexts.Mobile knowledge workers employ personalized assemblages of ICTs to best achieve mobilization across different boundaries. The focus of this work arises from two needs within information science literature: (1) to understand more, from an empirically driven perspective, about the increasingly visible yet understudied mobile work population, and (2) to address more clearly, from a theoretical standpoint, the ways in which information and communication technologies (ICTs) mediate the work practices of these mobile workers. Drawing on the affordance perspective, this research goes beyond simplistic conceptualizations of technological effects to explore the roles of multiple ICTs in enabling mobile knowledge work. In this paper, the use of ICTs in mobilizing information practices and the ways in which ICTs generate affordances along different mobility dimensions (spatial, temporal, contextual, and social) are examined. The empirical base of this research is a field of study of 33 mobile knowledge workers (MKWs); broadly, it focuses on the ways they employ ICTs to accomplish work in dynamic and unpredictable work conditions.
Customized Regression Testing Using Telemetry Usage Patterns

Pervasive telemetry in modern applications is providing new possibilities in the application of regression testing techniques. Similar to how research in bioinformatics is leading to personalized medicine, tailored to individuals, usage telemetry in modern software allows for custom regression testing, tailored to the usage patterns of an installation. By customizing regression testing based on software usage, the effectiveness of regression testing techniques can be greatly improved, leading to reduced testing costs and enhanced detection of defects that are most important to that customer. In this research, we introduce the concept of fingerprinting software usage patterns through telemetry. Weprovide various algorithms tocompute fingerprints and conduct an empirical study that shows that fingerprints are effective in identifying distinct usage patterns. Further, we discuss how usage fingerprints can be used to improve regression test prioritization run time by over 30 percent compared to traditional prioritization techniques.
A tale of the nearly tail‐less: the effects of Plio‐Pleistocene climate change on the diversification of the African avian genus Sylvietta

Sylvietta is a broadly distributed group of African species inhabiting a wide range of habitats and presents an interesting opportunity to investigate the historic mechanisms that have impacted the biogeography of African avian species. We collected sequence data from 50 individuals and used model-based phylogenetic methods, molecular divergence estimates and ancestral area estimates to construct a time-calibrated phylogeny and estimation of biogeographic history. We estimate a southern African origin for Sylvietta, with an initial divergence splitting the genus into two clades. The first consists of arid-adapted species, with a southern African origin and subsequent diversification north into Ethiopia–Somalia. The second clade is estimated as having a Congolian forest origin with an eastward pattern of colonization and diversification as a result of Plio-Pleistocene forest dynamics. Additionally, two members of the genus Sylvietta display interesting patterns of intraspecific diversification. Sylvietta rufescens is an arid-adapted species inhabiting southern Africa, and we recover two subclades with a divergence dating to the Pleistocene, a unique pattern for avian species which may be explained via isolation in arid habitat fragments in the early Pleistocene. Second, Sylvietta virens, a species endemic to Afro-tropical forests, is recovered with geographically structured genetic diversification across its broad range, an interesting result given that recent investigations of several avian forest species have found similar and substantial geographically structured genetic diversity relating to Plio-Pleistocene forest fragmentation. Overall, Plio-Pleistocene habitat cycling played a significant role in driving diversification in Sylvietta, and this investigation highlights the substantial impact of climate-driven habitat dynamics on the history of sub-Saharan species.
Turbulent horizontal convection at high Schmidt numbers

This paper is associated with a poster winner of a 2016 APS/DFD Milton van Dyke Award for work presented at the DFD Gallery of Fluid Motion. The original poster is available from the Gallery of Fluid Motion, https://doi.org/10.1103/APS.DFD.2016.GFM.P0028
Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) inhibitors

Dysregulation of the histone methyltransferase EZH2 plays a critical role in the development of a variety of malignancies including B-cell lymphomas. As a result, a series of small molecule inhibitors of EZH2 have been developed and studied in the pre-clinical setting. Three EZH2 inhibitors: tazemetostat (EPZ-6438), GSK2816126 and CPI-1205 have moved into phase I/phase II clinical trials in patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and genetically defined solid tumors. Early data from the tazemetostat trials indicate an acceptable safety profile and early signs of activity in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and follicular lymphoma, including patients with EZH2 wild-type and mutant tumors. In this review, we present the rationale, key pre-clinical and early clinical findings of small molecule EZH2 inhibitors for use in lymphoma as well as future challenges and potential opportunities for combination therapies.
FDG PET/CT and N0 mediastinal nodal status in early stage non-small cell lung cancer: A single institution retrospective experience.

11570Background: The increasing use of CT and now low-dose screening CT scans for at-risk patients have led to increasing detection of lung cancer at early stages. FDG PET/CT is used as an adjunct to conventional imaging to assess loco-regional lymph node spread. However, there is a potential for false-negative results, especially in smaller lesions or early nodal involvement. The main objective of this study was to study the value of PET/CT scan to evaluate for true negative mediastinal nodes in patients with early stage NSCLC. Accurate determination of N0 status can have a significant impact on the cost-effectiveness and timely management of early stage NSCLC. Methods: Of a total of 404 patients with NSCLC managed at our facility between 2008 to 2015, 29 adult patients whose PET scan showed no or equivocal mediastinal nodal involvement and subsequently underwent surgical exploration of mediastinal lymph nodes were included in the study. Data variables that were collected included the cancer site, date o...
Proximal tibiofibular osteoarthritis presenting as pain after total knee arthroplasty treated successfully with fusion of the proximal tibial-fibular joint

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a common treatment option for end-stage osteoarthritis of the tibiofemoral and patellafemoral joints. Diagnosis and treatment of the painful TKA can pose a significant challenge. In this report, we present the unusual case of a patient 12 years after total knee replacement presenting with isolated proximal tibial-fibular osteoarthritis as a cause of lateral knee pain. Proximal tibiofibular osteoarthritis is not typically on the differential diagnosis for a painful TKA but can be a rare cause of lateral knee pain. Proximal tibiofibular fusion may provide relief of pain and restoration of function.
National Trends for Reoperation in Older Patients with Glioblastoma.

Background Despite multimodal therapies extending patient survival, glioblastoma (GBM) recurrence is all but a certainty. To date, there are few single-center studies of reoperations. Our study aimed to assess GBM reoperation trends nationally in older patients, with emphasis on outcomes. Methods The linked Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER)–Medicare database was searched to identify patients 66 years and older with GBM from 1997 to 2010. The primary outcome was survival after diagnosis. Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate analysis with proportional hazard ratios were used. Results Three thousand nine hundred sixty-three patients with recurrent GBM who initially received a surgical resection were identified (mean age = 74.7 years). Four hundred ninety-six (12%) of the patients with recurrent GBM underwent at least one reoperation at an average of 7.2 months after the initial diagnosis. Reoperation increased survival in patients compared with those who did not have surgical resection (12 vs. 5 months; P Conclusions Although definitive conclusions cannot be made given the lack of granularity, our national database study supports gross total resection as the initial treatment of choice, followed by reoperation at the time of recurrence, if tolerated, even in older patients.
GASNet-EX Performance Improvements Due to Specialization for the Cray Aries Network

GASNet-EX is a portable, open-source, high-performance communication library designed to efficiently support the networking requirements of PGAS runtime systems and other alternative models on future exascale machines. This paper reports on the improvements in performance observed on Cray XC-series systems due to enhancements made to the GASNet-EX software. These enhancements, known as "specializations", primarily consist of replacing network-independent implementations of several recently added features with implementations tailored to the Cray Aries network. Performance gains from specialization include (1) Negotiated-Payload Active Messages improve bandwidth of a ping-pong test by up to 14%, (2) Immediate Operations reduce running time of a synthetic benchmark by up to 93%, (3) non-bulk RMA Put bandwidth is increased by up to 32%, (4) Remote Atomic performance is 70% faster than the reference on a point-to-point test and allows a hot-spot test to scale robustly, and (5) non-contiguous RMA interfaces see up to 8.6x speedups for an intra-node benchmark and 26% for inter-node. These improvements are all available in GASNet-EX version 2018.3.0 and later.
Management options of acute left main coronary thrombus.

Abstract The management of coronary thrombus is not well defined. Current therapies include medical management with anticoagulation , antiplatelet , and thrombolytic therapies or revascularization with percutaneous coronary interventions including mechanical thrombectomy , and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery. In this report, we present a patient with significant left main coronary artery thrombus burden with advanced cirrhosis and recent esophageal variceal bleeding who was successfully treated with conservative medical management.
Simulation techniques for the design and characterization of structural and transport properties of mesoporous materials

Our computer models of diffusion in mesoporous ceramic materials combine two types of Monte Carlo simulations: one for the creation of the porous structure and another for the description of molecular motion within it. Sintered sol-gel solids, commonly used as catalyst supports, are described by partially overlapped random aggregates of spheres. The resulting pore structures consist of interconnected voids of varying size, shape, and orientation; they accurately capture geometrical and topological details of the pore space within mesoporous materials. Their associated diffusion rates are calculated by monitoring the displacement of tracer molecules within representative regions of the solid.
Assessing an assessment: The review and redesign of a competency-based mid-degree evaluation.

Introduction Little has been published about competency-based education in academic medicine, in particular how competencies are or should be assessed. This paper re-examines a competency-based assessment for M.S. students in clinical research, and "assesses the assessment" 4 years into its implementation. Methods Data were gathered from student surveys and interviews with program advisors, and common themes were identified. We then made refinements to the assessment, and student surveys were administered to evaluate the impact of the changes. Results Research results suggested the need to improve communication, time the assessment to align with skills development and opportunities for planning, streamline, and clarify expectations with examples and templates. After implementing these changes, data suggest that student satisfaction has improved without any reduction in academic rigor. Conclusion The effective implementation of competency-based training in clinical and translational research requires the development of a scholarly literature on effective methods of assessment. This paper contributes to that nascent body of research.
Is There a Future for Geo-Based Weather Monitoring? the Coverage-Cost Argument

Both ESA/Eumetsat and NASA/NOAA have had a GEO and a polar component of space-based operational weather monitoring for decades. However, constellations of a few dozen small satellites in LEO can now provide sub-hour revisit times similar to those achieved from GEO and better spatial resolution than GEO for the same cost as a large GEO satellite. On the other hand, the large instruments typically used for GEO-based monitoring must be broken down into components in order to be allocated to smaller satellites. This paper describes a methodology to systematically study this large and rich architecture space and discuss under what circumstances and for what purposes a GEO component may still be superior to LEO. The focus is on coverage-cost tradeoffs, whereas other important considerations are left for future work.
Europe in four acts: Mythopoetic cinema. On the ruins of European identity, edited by Kriss Ravetto-Biagioli, New York, Columbia University Press, 2017, 314 pp., $30 (paperback), ISBN 978-0231182195

Kriss Ravetto-Biagioli's new book analyzes four European films and their mythopoetic deconstruction of the paradox of Europe's identity. Two concepts dominate her analysis: the films’ performative ...
The Quantitative Imaging Network: A Decade of Achievement

This issue of Tomography is a collection of articles derived from over 20 research teams which comprise the Quantitative Imaging Network (QIN) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).[...]
Multifaceted HIV integrase functionalities and therapeutic strategies for their inhibition.

Antiretroviral inhibitors that are used to manage HIV infection/AIDS predominantly target three enzymes required for virus replication: reverse transcriptase, protease, and integrase. Although integrase inhibitors were the last among this group to be approved for treating people living with HIV, they have since risen to the forefront of treatment options. Integrase strand transfer inhibitors (INSTIs) are now recommended components of frontline and drug-switch antiretroviral therapy formulations. Integrase catalyzes two successive magnesium-dependent polynucleotidyl transferase reactions, 3′ processing and strand transfer, and INSTIs tightly bind the divalent metal ions and viral DNA end after 3′ processing, displacing from the integrase active site the DNA 3′-hydroxyl group that is required for strand transfer activity. Although second-generation INSTIs present higher barriers to the development of viral drug resistance than first-generation compounds, the mechanisms underlying these superior barrier profiles are incompletely understood. A separate class of HIV-1 integrase inhibitors, the allosteric integrase inhibitors (ALLINIs), engage integrase distal from the enzyme active site, namely at the binding site for the cellular cofactor lens epithelium-derived growth factor (LEDGF)/p75 that helps to guide integration into host genes. ALLINIs inhibit HIV-1 replication by inducing integrase hypermultimerization, which precludes integrase binding to genomic RNA and perturbs the morphogenesis of new viral particles. Although not yet approved for human use, ALLINIs provide important probes that can be used to investigate the link between HIV-1 integrase and viral particle morphogenesis. Herein, I review the mechanisms of retroviral integration as well as the promises and challenges of using integrase inhibitors for HIV/AIDS management.
Non-Invasive Inference of Minute Ventilation Using Wearable ECG and Gaussian Process Regression

Continuous assessment of air pollutant exposure is vital for patients with chronic pulmonary diseases such as asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. The effective dose of such exposure is directly proportional to the minute ventilation, aka respiratory minute volume (V E ). Spirometry – still the clinical standard for measuring V E – is highly invasive and not suitable for continuous use in most applications. This paper presents a novel non-invasive method toward continuous assessment of VE using a chest-mount wearable ECG sensor. Data are collected from 25 healthy subjects while performing ambulatory and sedentary activities and physical exercises. The ECG signal is processed to overcome challenges associated with baseline drifting, noisy skin contact, and motion artifacts, and to extract robust and explanatory ECG features. These features are used to train and evaluate multiple regression models, among which, the Gaussian process regression models achieve the lowest error in both learning and inferring V E from the wearable ECG signal. The impacts of inter- and intrapersonal variations on the model performance are shown to reveal the potential of the proposed method for continuous monitoring of pollutant exposure risk in respiratory health applications.
Quantum Critical Phenomena in an $O(4)$ Fermion Chain

We construct a fermionic lattice model containing interacting spin-$\frac{1}{2}$ fermions with an $O(4)$ symmetry. In addition the model contains a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ chiral symmetry which prevents a fermion mass term. Our model is motivated by the ability to study its physics using the meron-cluster algorithm. By adding a strong repulsive Hubbard interaction $U$, we can transform it into the regular Heisenberg anti-ferromagnet. While we can study our model in any dimension, as a first project we study it in one spatial dimension. We discover that our model at $U=0$ can be described as a lattice-regularized 2-flavor Gross-Neveu model, where fermions become massive since the $\mathbb{Z}_2$ chiral symmetry of the model is spontaneously broken. We show numerically that the theory remains massive when $U$ is small. At large values of $U$ the model is equivalent to the isotropic spin-half anti-ferromagnetic chain, which is massless for topological reasons. This implies that our model has a quantum phase transition from a $\mathbb{Z}_2$ broken massive phase to a topologically massless phase as we increase $U$. We present results obtained from our quantum Monte Carlo method near this phase transition.
When Idling is Ideal: Optimizing Tail-Latency for Heavy-Tailed Datacenter Workloads with Perséphone

This paper introduces Persephone, a kernel-bypass OS scheduler designed to minimize tail latency for applications executing at microsecond-scale and exhibiting wide service time distributions. Persephone integrates a new scheduling policy, Dynamic Application-aware Reserved Cores (DARC), that reserves cores for requests with short processing times. Unlike existing kernel-bypass schedulers, DARC is not work conserving. DARC profiles application requests and leaves a small number of cores idle when no short requests are in the queue, so when short requests do arrive, they are not blocked by longer-running ones. Counter-intuitively, leaving cores idle lets DARC maintain lower tail latencies at higher utilization, reducing the overall number of cores needed to serve the same workloads and consequently better utilizing the datacenter resources.
Chemiluminescence Analysis in Water Pollution Studies

Certain energetic chemical reactions lead to electronically excited products. If these products either emit photons themselves or transfer their energy to emitting species, the resulting luminescence is known as chemiluminescence (CL). Thus it is the nature of the excitation process that distinguishes CL from normal fluorescence or phosphorescence. The emission step is the same. In fact, showing that a CL spectrum matches the fluorescence spectrum of a known compound is an important method for identifying the emitting species in a CL reaction.
Role of Corticotropin Releasing Factor-Related Peptides in the Neural Regulation of Maternal Defense

The primary interest of this discussion is the central actions of corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-related peptides. CRF is a potent activator of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, a peripheral effect, and recent work suggests Ucn 1 and 3 can also trigger HPA responses. Importantly, the end product of HPA activation, elevated glucocorticoids (corticosterone), though, do not affect maternal aggression output. In fact, during maternal aggression, glucocorticoids are elevated, which is not surprising given that the primary function of corticosterone is glucose mobilization and fighting involves high metabolic output. Although stress reactivity in terms of HPA responses to some stressors are muted during lactation, study is concerned with altered central stress reactivity that underlies the behavioral responses to stressors. Because CRF neurotransmission is decreased during lactation, researchers are interested in testing the hypothesis that CRF levels are inversely linked to levels of maternal aggression. First approach was to use icv injections CRF to test whether this peptide could decrease defense as predicted. It was found CRF dose dependently impair maternal aggression. An effect of a CRF receptor antagonist on aggression was found and this finding was interpreted as reflecting a “floor effect.” In other words, CRF neurotransmission may already be low in key areas during lactation and keeping it low does not affect intensity. This interpretation suggests some other modulators are involved in positively regulating levels of aggression.
Patient Care Issues in HFC Emissions Policy

For approximately forty years, MDIs have used chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) as propellants. Due to environmental concerns regarding CFCs and their subsequent phaseout, some pharmaceutical firms are reformulating and introducing MDIs with hydrofluorocarbons (ICs). HFC 134a and HFC 227 are the only known suitable alternatives to CFC propellants for MDIs. No other compounds are proven to meet the stringent criteria required for a propellant which is inhaled by patients on a daily basis.
The 'Right' Consumers for Better Concepts: Identifying and Using Consumers High in Emergent Nature to Further Develop New Product Concepts

While much research has emphasized improving current new product concept techniques, little work has focused on trait-based approaches that specify which consumers are the "right" ones to use in the new product development process, particularly in the consumer goods industry. We propose that the right consumers to use for new product concept development possess what we call an "emergent nature," defined as the unique capability to imagine or envision how concepts might be developed so that they will be successful in the mainstream marketplace. We draw on research on personality theory and information processing styles to support our conceptualization and develop and validate a highly reliable scale to measure emergent nature (study 1). In subsequent multi-part studies we show in both group (studies 2a-2c) and individual settings (studies 3a and 3b) across the two distinct product categories of home delivery and oral care that consumers high in emergent nature are able to develop product concepts that mainstream consumers will find significantly more appealing and useful compared to concepts developed by typical, lead user or even innovative consumers.
Defining a Forensic Audit

Disclosures about new financial frauds and scandals are continually appearing in the press.Â As a consequence, the accounting profession's traditional methods of monitoring corporate financial activities are under intense scrutiny.Â At the same time, there is recognition that principles-based GAAP from the International Accounting Standards Board will become the recognized standard in the U.S.Â The authors argue that these two factors will change the practices used to fight corporate malfeasance as investigators adapt the techniques of accounting into a forensic audit engagement model.
A 2 per cent distance to z = 0.35 by reconstructing baryon acoustic oscillations – II. Fitting techniques

We present results from fitting the baryon acoustic oscillation (BAO) signal in the correlation function obtained from the first application of density-field reconstruction to a galaxy redshift survey, namely the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 7 (DR7) luminous red galaxy (LRG) catalogue. Reconstruction works to partially remove the effects of non-linear structure growth on the BAO by reconstructing the linear matter density field from the observed galaxy density field using the continuity equation. We also introduce more careful approaches for deriving a suitable covariance matrix and fitting model for galaxy correlation functions. Our covariance matrix technique guarantees smooth diagonal and off-diagonal terms by fitting a modified Gaussian covariance matrix to that calculated from mock catalogues. Our proposed fitting model is effective at removing broad-band effects such as redshift-space distortions, scale-dependent bias and any artefacts introduced by assuming the wrong model cosmology. These all aid in obtaining a more accurate measurement of the acoustic scale and its error. We validate these techniques on 160 mock catalogues derived from the LasDamas simulations in real and redshift space. We then apply these techniques to the DR7 LRG sample and find that the error on the acoustic scale decreases from ∼3.5 per cent before reconstruction to ∼1.9 per cent after reconstruction. We also see an increase in our BAO detection confidence from ∼3σ to ∼4σ after reconstruction with our confidence level in measuring the correct acoustic scale increasing from ∼3σ to ∼5σ. Using the mean of the acoustic scale probability distributions produced from our fits, we find Dv/rs = 8.89 ± 0.31 before reconstruction and 8.88 ± 0.17 after reconstruction.
Percutaneous mitral valve therapy: when? Which patients?

Purpose of review Transcatheter management of valvular heart disease is an emerging area of intense interest. Patients with mitral regurgitation present a large clinical unmet need for therapeutic advances. Recent findings A large randomized, pivotal trial of one device, which performs an edge-to-edge repair, has recently completed enrolment and is awaiting all patients to reach the primary clinical endpoint. A host of other devices are still in preclinical or early clinical feasibility trials after having undergone device iteration. Clinical trials with two devices have been stopped because of disappointing early results. Summary Although the field of transcatheter treatment of aortic stenosis is proceeding at a brisk pace with commercial approval of two devices in Europe, percutaneous treatment of mitral regurgitation has progressed at a much more measured pace because of varying cause of the disease, complexity of valvular anatomy, imaging, and delivery issues.
Sowing the Seeds of Modernity on the Ottoman Frontier: Agricultural Investment and the Formation of Large Farms in Nineteenth-Century Transjordan

In the nineteenth century, the Ottoman Empire initiated a series of modernization reforms. In an effort to address the economic viability of the state, it turned its attentions to its frontiers, in an attempt to bring these regions back into the fold of the empire. In Transjordan, the state targeted Bedouin subjects; as part of the Ottoman project of modernity, efforts were made to settle nomadic pastoralists and transform pastureland into agricultural spaces. The rural countryside was opened to capitalist investment in agriculture. However, agricultural intensification, and the establishment of large farms created a crisis of modernity for many Bedouin. The intensification of agriculture brought increased taxation, diminished control over production, indebtedness, and ultimately the appropriation of land. But some Bedouin used the built environment and natural landscape to confront the Ottoman project of modernity as it unfolded on the frontier.
Toxicity of Compound 1080 livestock protection collars to sheep

The toxicity of Compound 1080 (sodium fluoroacetate) livestock protection collars (LPCs) to sheep was investigated. Lambs wearing punctured LPCs were observed to determine dermal toxicity, sheep were fed hay treated with LPC solution to find a lethal concentration, hay treated with a lethal concentration was subjected to sun and simulated rain to assess weathering influences, and sheep were held on pasture treated with LPC solution to evaluate grazing effects. Five lambs that wore punctured LPCs for up to seven days showed no dermal erythema or edema, but three died after ingesting 1080 from LPCs. All sheep died after eating 1.0 kg of hay treated with 3.75 ml, or more, of 1.0% LPC solution. Weathering 1.0 kg of hay treated with 3.75 ml of LPC solution in the sun for up to 12 weeks, reduced, but did not eliminate, toxicity; one inch or more of simulated rain eliminated toxicity. Survival of sheep in 250 m2 pens containing 1.1 m2 of forage treated with different amounts of LPC solution depended on the treatment and amount of treated forage consumed. LPC solution poses no dermal toxicity or irritation to sheep, and toxic effects on sheep from LPC solution on hay and forage was variable and situation dependent. Under conditions of exaggerated hazard, sheep can be poisoned by ingesting LPC solution, but adverse effects from normal LPC use are rare.
The structure of ribosomal protein S7 at 1.9 Å resolution reveals a β-hairpin motif that binds double-stranded nucleic acids

Abstract Background: Ribosomal protein S7, a crucial RNA-binding component of the ribosome, is one of two proteins that initiates assembly of the 30S ribosomal subunit. It is required for proper folding of a large 3′ domain of 16S ribosomal RNA. S7 regulates its own synthesis by binding to its own mRNA. This ability of S7 to bind both messenger and ribosomal RNAs makes determination of its mode of RNA recognition particularly interesting. Results: The crystal structure of S7 from Thermus thermophilus was determined by a two-wavelength anomalous diffraction experiment using the LIII edge of mercury. The S7 structure consists of a bundle of six helices and an extended β hairpin between helices 3 and 4, with two or more RNA-binding sites on its surface. The hairpin, along with portions of helices 1, 4 and 6, forms a large, positively charged, concave surface that has the appropriate curvature and dimensions to bind double-stranded RNA. A second putative RNA-binding site comprises parts of loop 2 and the helix 4–loop 5 turn. Conclusions: Structural similarity between S7 and the IHF/HU family of proteins strongly suggests that the β hairpin of S7 binds to a groove of double-stranded RNA. The β hairpin of S7 is also similar to those from other nucleic acid binding proteins, such as ribosomal protein L14 and BIV Tat, suggesting that it belongs to an extended family of such motifs, all of which bind to a groove of double-stranded nucleic acid. The residues in S7 loop 2 that belong to the second putative RNA-binding site may have a role analogous to the N-terminal residues of IHF/HU which grip an unbent portion of double helix.
Transport and boundary scattering in confined geometries: Analytical results.

We utilize a geometric argument to determine the effects of boundary scattering on the carrier mean free path in samples of various cross sections. Analytic expressions for samples with rectangular and circular cross sections are obtained. We also outline a method for incorporating these results into calculations of the thermal conductivity.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma With Chronic Osteomyelitis: A Case Report.

Squamous cell carcinoma is one of the most common human malignancies; however, it is uncommon in the lower extremity. These lesions require prompt surgical attention and a delay in diagnosis can be harmful to the patient. We present a case report of squamous cell carcinoma with chronic osteomyelitis in a patient without diabetes. Definitive treatment included a transtibial amputation and metastatic workup was negative for active malignancy. Surgeons who treat chronic wounds should be cognizant of the potential for malignant degeneration.
Using a Phenomenological Computer Model to Investigate Advanced Combustion Trajectories in a CIDI Engine

This paper summarizes results from simulations of conventional, high-dilution, and high-efficiency clean combustion in a diesel engine based on a two-zone phenomenological model. The two-zone combustion model is derived from a previously published multi-zone model, but it has been further simplified to increase computational speed by a factor of over 100. The results demonstrate that this simplified model is still able to track key aspects of the combustion trajectory responsible for NOx and soot production. In particular, the two-zone model in combination with highly simplified global kinetics correctly predicts the importance of including oxygen mass fraction (in addition to equivalence ratio and temperature) in lowering emissions from high-efficiency clean combustion. The methodology also provides a convenient framework for extracting information directly from in-cylinder pressure measurements. This feature is likely to be useful for on-board combustion diagnostics and controls. Because of the possibility for simulating large numbers of engine cycles in a short time, models of this type can provide insight into multi-cycle and transient combustion behavior not readily accessible to more computationally intensive models. Also the representation of the combustion trajectory in 3D space corresponding to equivalence ratio, flame temperature, and oxygen fraction provides new insight into optimal combustion management.
Identification of a Novel Recognition Sequence for Integrin αMβ2 within the γ-chain of Fibrinogen

The interaction of leukocyte integrin alphaMbeta2 (CD11b/CD18, Mac-1) with fibrinogen has been implicated in the inflammatory response by contributing to leukocyte adhesion to the endothelium and subsequent transmigration. Previously, it has been demonstrated that a peptide, P1, corresponding to residues 190-202 in the gamma-chain of fibrinogen, binds to alphaM beta2 and blocks the interaction of fibrinogen with the receptor and that Asp199 within P1 is important to activity. We have demonstrated, however, that a double mutation of Asp199-Gly200 to Gly-Ala in the recombinant gamma-module of fibrinogen, spanning region 148-411, did not abrogate alphaM beta2 recognition and considered that other binding sites in the gamma-module may participate in the receptor recognition. We have found that synthetic peptide P2, duplicating gamma377-395, inhibited adhesion of alphaM beta2-transfected cells to immobilized D100 fragment of fibrinogen in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, immobilized P2 directly supported efficient adhesion of the alphaM beta2-expressing cells, including activated and non-activated monocytoid cells. The I domain of alphaM beta2 was implicated in recognition of P2, as the biotinylated recombinant alphaMI domain specifically bound to both P2 and P1 peptides. Analysis of overlapping peptides spanning P2 demonstrated that it may contain two functional sequences: gamma377-386 (P2-N) and gamma383-395 (P2-C), with the latter sequence being more active. In the three-dimensional structure of the gamma-module, gamma190-202 and gamma377-395 reside in close proximity, forming two antiparallel beta strands. The juxtapositioning of these two sequences may form an unique and complex binding site for alphaM beta2.