cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Source identification of encrypted video traffic in the presence of heterogeneous network traffic

Abstract This paper uses Traffic Analysis (TA) for identifying sources of tunneled video streaming traffic. The key idea is to examine encrypted and tunneled video streaming traffic at a Soft-Margin Firewall (SMFW) that is located near the streaming client in order to identify undesirable traffic sources and to block or throttle traffic from such sources. The key contribution of the paper is the design and experimental evaluation of a novel two-stage classifier for identifying specific video sources from heterogeneous background traffic within an encrypted tunnel. Being able to classify video sources in the presence of such traffic mixture can help the SMFW to successfully obfuscate or block undesired video browsing while allowing a user to receive traffic from legitimate applications running over the same encrypted tunnel. Using OpenVPN servers for creating encryption tunnels, experiments were conducted on a large number of popular video streaming sources with various combinations of feature extraction and data processing techniques to verify the effectiveness of the two-stage classifier. It was experimentally demonstrated that by using the proposed two-stage classifier, it is indeed possible to identify video streaming sources with high accuracy and low false-positive rates in the presence of non-video background traffic within an encrypted tunnel.
1H, 13C, and 15N resonance assignments of the C-terminal lobe of the human HECT E3 ubiquitin ligase ITCH.

ITCH (aka Atrophin-1-interacting protein 4) is a prominent member of the NEDD4 HECT (Homologous to E6AP C-Terminus) E3 ubiquitin ligase family that regulates numerous cellular functions including inflammatory responses through T-cell activation, cell differentiation, and apoptosis. Known intracellular targets of ITCH-dependent ubiquitylation include receptor proteins, signaling molecules, and transcription factors. The HECT C-terminal lobe of ITCH contains the conserved catalytic cysteine required for the covalent attachment of ubiquitin onto a substrate and polyubiquitin chain assembly. We report here the complete experimentally determined 1H, 13C, and 15N backbone and sidechain resonance assignments for the HECT C-terminal lobe of ITCH (residues 784–903) using heteronuclear, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy. These resonance assignments will be used in future NMR-based studies to examine the role of dynamics and conformational flexibility in HECT-dependent ubiquitylation as well as deciphering the structural and biochemical basis for polyubiquitin chain synthesis and specificity by ITCH.
PTEN and ERG detection in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging/ultrasound fusion targeted prostate biopsy compared to systematic biopsy.

Summary Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)/ultrasound fusion targeted prostate biopsy has been shown to outperform systematic biopsy in the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer. Aside from tumor grade, tumor biomarkers such as phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and ETS-related gene (ERG) have prognostic significance in prostate cancer and may help direct management of patients with low-grade tumors. Our objective was to compare the detection of PTEN and ERG expression in MRI-targeted versus systematic prostate biopsies. We compared immunohistochemical expression for PTEN and ERG on prostate biopsy cores from patients with Grade Group (GG) 1 or GG2 prostate cancer who had undergone systematic biopsy with concurrent targeted biopsy. Fifty-three cases had both systematic and MRI-targeted prostate tissue available for staining for PTEN; and 52 cases, for ERG. ERG positivity was seen in 37/52 (71.2%) cases, and PTEN loss was seen in 15/53 (28.3%) cases. The detection of ERG expression was not significantly different between MRI-targeted and systematic biopsy (P = .4). Targeted biopsy was superior to systematic biopsy in the detection of PTEN loss (P = .02). MRI-targeted cores detected 14/15 (93.3%) cases of PTEN loss compared to 7/15 (46.7%) cases detected by systematic cores. Most cases with PTEN loss showed heterogeneous expression in both systematic and targeted cores. In 14/15 (93.3%) cases with PTEN loss, GG was the same between targeted and systematic biopsy. Targeted biopsy is superior to systematic biopsy in the detection of PTEN loss in GG1 and GG2 tumors. Inclusion of targeted cores may be helpful for evaluation of certain prognostic biomarkers.
Profiling and Its Facets

The term profiling from voice refers to the deduction of personal characteristics, and information about the circumstances and environment of a speaker from their voice. At the outset, we note the distinction between the terms voice and speech. “Voice” refers to sound produced in the human vocal tract. “Speech” is the signal produced by modulating voice into meaningful patterns.
The speed of perception: the effects of over-speed video training on pitch recognition in collegiate softball players

During interceptive motor tasks, experts demonstrate distinct visual search behavior (from novices) that is reflective of information extraction from optimal environmental cues, which subsequently aids anticipatory movements. While some forms of visual training have been employed in sport, over-speed video training is rarely applied to perceptual–cognitive sport contexts. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether over-speed video training can enhance visual information processing and augment visual behavior for a pitch-recognition task. Twelve collegiate softball players were recruited for the study. A between-subjects, repeated measures design was implemented to assess changes in participants’ pitch recognition on a video-based occlusion task after one of two training interventions: (A) over-speed video training (n = 6) or (B) regular video training (n = 6). Both training interventions required individuals to view 400 videos of different pitches over the span of 10 days. The over-speed group viewed the videos at gradually increasing video speeds (+ 0.05 × each day). Performance (i.e., identifying pitch type and location), quiet-eye duration (i.e., total QE, QE-early and QE-late) and cortical activation (i.e., alpha wave activity/asymmetry; F3/F4 and P7/P8) were measured during the pitch-recognition tasks. Results showed significant performance improvements across groups, but no differences between groups. Both interventions were associated with a reduction in alpha wave activity for P8, an increase in alpha activity for F3, and a significant increase in QE-late. An increase in QE-late was associated with a decrease in P7/P8 alpha asymmetry and improvements in pitch-type recognition. Consistent with the extant literature, our results support the importance of a later QE offset for successful performance on perceptual tasks, potentially extending to perceputal-motor tasks. Although participants in the over-speed condition did not experience significantly larger improvements in performance than controls, this study highlights the association between QE and brain activity reflective of expertise.
Active outer hair cell motility can suppress vibrations in the organ of Corti

High sensitivity and selectivity of hearing require active cochlea. The cochlear sensory epithelium, the organ of Corti, vibrates due to external and internal excitations. The external stimulation is acoustic pressures mediated by the scala fluids, while the internal excitation is generated by a type of sensory receptor cells (the outer hair cells) in response to the acoustical vibrations. The outer hair cells are cellular actuators that are responsible for cochlear amplification. The organ of Corti is highly structured for transmitting vibrations originating from acoustic pressure and active outer hair cell force to the inner hair cells that synapse on afferent nerves. Understanding how the organ of Corti vibrates due to acoustic pressure and outer hair cell force is critical for explaining cochlear function. In this study, excised cochlear turns were freshly isolated from young gerbils. The organ of Corti in the excised cochlea was subjected to mechanical and electrical stimulation that are analogous to acoustical and cellular stimulation in the natural cochlea. Organ of Corti vibrations including those of individual outer hair cells were measured using optical coherence tomography. Respective vibration patterns due to mechanical and electrical stimulation were characterized. Interactions between the two vibration patterns were investigated by applying the two forms of stimulation simultaneously. Our results show that the interactions could be either constructive or destructive, which implies that the outer hair cells can either amplify or suppress vibrations in the organ of Corti. We discuss a potential consequence of the two interaction modes for cochlear frequency tuning.
Survivorship among the Aged Blind

A follow-up study of 11,732 persons first registered as legally blind in Massachusetts during the twenty-year period, 1940-1959, was conducted in order to determine survivorship patterns and causes...
Glycinergic and GABAergic interneurons shift the location and differentially alter the size of ganglion cell receptive field centers in the mammalian retina

Abstract By using the multi-electrode array (MEA) recording technique in conjunction with white-noise checkerboard stimuli and reverse correlation methods, we studied modulatory actions of glycinergic and GABAergic interneurons on spatiotemporal profiles of ganglion cells (GCs) in dark-adapted mouse retinas. We found that application of 2 µM strychnine decreased receptive field center radii of GCs by a mean value of 11%, and shifted the GC receptive field (RF) centers by a mean distance of 28.3 µm. On the other hand, 200 µM picrotoxin + 100 µM bicuculline + 50 µM TPMPA increased GC receptive field center radii by a mean value of 19%, and shifted the GC RF centers by a mean distance of 53.7 µm. Glycinergic neurons in the mouse retina are narrow-field amacrine cells that have been shown to mediate ON-OFF crossover inhibitory synapses within the RGs’ RF center, therefore they may increase the size and shift the location of GC RF center by synergistic addition to bipolar cell inputs to GCs. GABAergic neurons are wide-field amacrine cells and horizontal cells that are known to mediate antagonistic surround responses of GCs, and thus they decrease the GCs’ RF center size. Our results suggest that a major global function of glycinergic and GABAergic interneurons in the mammalian retina is to provide the flexibility for adjusting the size and location of GCs’ RF centers. The apparent shifts of GC RF centers suggest that the synergistic addition by GlyACs and the surround inhibition by GABAergic interneurons are not spatially symmetrical within GC RFs.
Bridging ears and eyes when learning spoken words: On the effects of bilingual experience at 30 months

From the very first moments of their lives, infants selectively attend to the visible orofacial movements of their social partners and apply their exquisite speech perception skills to the service of lexical learning. Here we explore how early bilingual experience modulates children's ability to use visible speech as they form new lexical representations. Using a cross-modal word-learning task, bilingual children aged 30 months were tested on their ability to learn new lexical mappings in either the auditory or the visual modality. Lexical recognition was assessed either in the same modality as the one used at learning ('same modality' condition: auditory test after auditory learning, visual test after visual learning) or in the other modality ('cross-modality' condition: visual test after auditory learning, auditory test after visual learning). The results revealed that like their monolingual peers, bilingual children successfully learn new words in either the auditory or the visual modality and show cross-modal recognition of words following auditory learning. Interestingly, as opposed to monolinguals, they also demonstrate cross-modal recognition of words upon visual learning. Collectively, these findings indicate a bilingual edge in visual word learning, expressed in the capacity to form a recoverable cross-modal representation of visually learned words.
Mars Sample Return Mission Concept Status

This paper will provide an overview of current concepts and options for the architecture and design of a Mars Sample Return Mission, including the Sample Retrieval Lander (SRL) (developed by NASA) and the Earth Return Orbiter (ERO) (developed by ESA). Key mission objectives and the overall campaign will be described, including the mission's concept of operations and a notional timeline from launch to entry, through surface operations, to delivery of the samples to Mars orbit and return to Earth. The overall SRL lander vehicle concept will be described, including current options being evaluated. Key lander element options that have been studied will be discussed, including the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV), Sample Fetch Rover (provided by ESA), Orbiting Sample container (OS), and sample tube transfer robotics systems. For the ERO the vehicle concept will be described including key interfaces with the Capture/Containment and Return System (CCRS). Specific challenges and approaches for addressing those challenges will be discussed, including key technical margins and backward planetary protection. The information provided about possible Mars sample return architectures is for planning and discussion purposes only. NASA has made no official decision to implement Mars sample return.
Creation of an optic nerve sheath diameter ultrasound model for NeuroICU education

Using ultrasound to measure optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) is an emerging bedside technique to noninvasively assess intracranial pressure (ICP) in patients with brain injury. This technique is unique among bedside ultrasonography and is often performed by providers who have no formal ultrasound training. We sought to create a low-cost, 3D, reusable ONSD model to train neurology, neurosurgery, and critical care providers in measuring ICP. We identified 253 articles, of which 15 were associated with models and 2 with simulation. One gelatin model was reported, upon which we based our initial design. We could not validate the visual findings of this model; however, after constructing multiple beta models, the design most representative of human eye anatomy was a globe made of ballistics gel and either a 3 mm, 5 mm, or 7 mm × 50 mm 3D-printed optic nerve inserted into a platform composed of ballistics gel, all of which sat inside a 3D-printed skull. This model was used to teach ONSD measurements with ultrasound at a continuing medical education event prior to training on a live human model. A simple 3D ballistic ONSD model allows learners to practice proper hand placement and pressure, basic landmarks, and ONSD measurement prior to operating on a human eye. This model is replicable and sustainable given that the globe and platform are composed of ballistics gel.
Reversing the effects of androgen-deprivation therapy in men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Objective To investigate whether bipolar androgen therapy (BAT), involving rapid cyclic administration of high-dose testosterone, as a novel treatment for metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) promotes improvements in body composition and associated improvements in lipid profiles and quality of life. Patients and methods Men from two completed trials with computed tomography imaging at baseline and after three cycles of BAT were included. Cross-sectional areas of psoas muscle, visceral and subcutaneous fat were measured at the L3 vertebral level. Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy - Fatigue questionnaire and 36-item short-form health survey were used to assess quality of life. Results The 60 included patients lost a mean (sd) of 7.8 (8.2)% of subcutaneous fat, 9.8 (18.2)% of visceral fat, and gained 12.2 (6.7)% muscle mass. Changes in subcutaneous and visceral fat were positively correlated with each other (Spearman's correlation coefficient 0.58, 95% confidence interval 0.35-0.71) independent of the effects of age, body mass index, and duration of androgen-deprivation therapy. Energy, physical function, and measures of limitations due to physical health were all significantly improved at 3 months. The improvements in body composition were not correlated with decreases in lipid levels or observed improvements in quality of life. Conclusions In the present study, BAT was associated with significant improvements in body composition, lipid parameters, and quality of life. This has promising implications for the long-term health of men with mCRPC.
Analysis of decision making and information sharing strategies in a two-echelon supply chain

The objective of this research is to study the interactions of deterministic and stochastic optimisation models in presence of information sharing in a supply chain with a varying level of error in demand forecast. In a two-echelon supply chain there are two different strategies, deterministic or stochastic, for supplier and manufacturer. All the four combinations (stochastic vs. deterministic for supplier and manufacturer) of the decision-making strategies in a two-echelon supply chain have been considered and the performance is evaluated. The results show that stochastic optimisation is efficient in lowering the operational costs and bull-whip effect in most cases. However, in cases where the trend in demand variation is smooth, using deterministic strategy by both stakeholders is beneficial if the demand forecast accuracy is more than 50%. If both stakeholders use stochastic strategy when the information accuracy is less than 50% coupled with more variation in demand, information sharing is not beneficial.
Molecular dynamic simulation of the molecular characteristic and mechanical property of methane hydrate/ water/ ice mixture

The microscopic molecular characteristic will impact on the mechanical property of hydrate. Thus, molecular dynamics simulation is employed to investigate the molecular characteristic and mechanical property of methane hydrate/ water/ ice mixture system. The brittle fracture occurred during the tensile deformation of the system. Besides, the maximum stress of the hydrate/ water/ ice mixture system is lower than that of intact hydrate system. The fracture strain of studied system is smaller than that of pure hydrate system. The order parameters F3 and F4 can be used for determining the fracture position of mixture system and the changing of micro configuration on the mixture interface.
A Survey of On-Device Machine Learning: An Algorithms and Learning Theory Perspective

The predominant paradigm for using machine learning models on a device is to train a model in the cloud and perform inference using the trained model on the device. However, with increasing numbers of smart devices and improved hardware, there is interest in performing model training on the device. Given this surge in interest, a comprehensive survey of the field from a device-agnostic perspective sets the stage for both understanding the state of the art and for identifying open challenges and future avenues of research. However, on-device learning is an expansive field with connections to a large number of related topics in AI and machine learning (including online learning, model adaptation, one/few-shot learning, etc.). Hence, covering such a large number of topics in a single survey is impractical. This survey finds a middle ground by reformulating the problem of on-device learning as resource constrained learning where the resources are compute and memory. This reformulation allows tools, techniques, and algorithms from a wide variety of research areas to be compared equitably. In addition to summarizing the state of the art, the survey also identifies a number of challenges and next steps for both the algorithmic and theoretical aspects of on-device learning.
Unifying themes and distinct features of carbon and nitrogen assimilation by polysaccharide-degrading bacteria: a summary of four model systems.

Our current understanding of enzymatic polysaccharide degradation has come from a huge number of in vitro studies with purified enzymes. While this vast body of work has been invaluable in identifying and characterizing novel mechanisms of action and engineering desirable traits into these enzymes, a comprehensive picture of how these enzymes work as part of a native in vivo system is less clear. Recently, several model bacteria have emerged with genetic systems that allow for a more nuanced study of carbohydrate active enzymes (CAZymes) and how their activity affects bacterial carbon metabolism. With these bacterial model systems, it is now possible to not only study a single nutrient system in isolation (i.e., carbohydrate degradation and carbon metabolism), but also how multiple systems are integrated. Given that most environmental polysaccharides are carbon rich but nitrogen poor (e.g., lignocellulose), the interplay between carbon and nitrogen metabolism in polysaccharide-degrading bacteria can now be studied in a physiologically relevant manner. Therefore, in this review, we have summarized what has been experimentally determined for CAZyme regulation, production, and export in relation to nitrogen metabolism for two Gram-positive (Caldicellulosiruptor bescii and Clostridium thermocellum) and two Gram-negative (Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron and Cellvibrio japonicus) polysaccharide-degrading bacteria. By comparing and contrasting these four bacteria, we have highlighted the shared and unique features of each, with a focus on in vivo studies, in regard to carbon and nitrogen assimilation. We conclude with what we believe are two important questions that can act as guideposts for future work to better understand the integration of carbon and nitrogen metabolism in polysaccharide-degrading bacteria. • Regardless of CAZyme deployment system, the generation of a local pool of oligosaccharides is a common strategy among Gram-negative and Gram-positive polysaccharide degraders as a means to maximally recoup the energy expenditure of CAZyme production and export. • Due to the nitrogen deficiency of insoluble polysaccharide-containing substrates, Gram-negative and Gram-positive polysaccharide degraders have a diverse set of strategies for supplementation and assimilation. • Future work needs to precisely characterize the energetic expenditures of CAZyme deployment and bolster our understanding of how carbon and nitrogen metabolism are integrated in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive polysaccharide-degrading bacteria, as both of these will significantly influence a given bacterium’s suitability for biotechnology applications.
NMDAR EPSC kinetics do not regulate the critical period for LTP at thalamocortical synapses

Because LTP and LTD may contribute to experience-dependent plasticity, a prominent hypothesis is that developmental changes in the biophysical and molecular properties of NMDA receptors (NMDARs) may regulate the duration of critical periods1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Here we report that susceptibility to LTP at thalamocortical synapses in early postnatal mouse slices is lost at a time point when the duration of NMDAR-mediated excitatory post-synaptic currents (NMDAR EPSCs) is not significantly altered. However, changes in the subunit composition of NMDARs, as defined pharmacologically, correlate strongly with the loss of the ability to generate LTP.
Metal complexes of cyanocarbons : XIV. Dicyanomethyl and monocyanoketeniminato complexes of some noble metals

Abstract Reactions of sodium dicyanomethanide with chloro-substituted noble metal substrates give complexes containing the C 3 HN 2 moiety. Spectroscopic data suggest that some of the new complexes contain a dicyanomethyl ligand, MCH(CN) 2 , whereas others are monocyanoketeniminato complexes, MNCCH(CN).
Electrostatic control over polarized currents through the spin-orbital Kondo effect

Numerical calculations indicate that by suitably controlling the individual gate voltages of a capacitively coupled parallel double quantum dot, with each quantum dot coupled to one of two independent nonmagnetic channels, this system can be set into a spin-orbital Kondo state by applying a magnetic field. This Kondo regime, closely related to the SU(4) Kondo, flips spin from 1 to 0 through cotunneling processes that generate almost totally spin-polarized currents with opposite spin orientation along the two channels. Moreover, by appropriately changing the gate voltages of both quantum dots, one can simultaneously flip the spin polarization of the currents in each channel. As a similar zero magnetic field Kondo effect has been recently observed by Okazaki et al. [Phys. Rev. B 84, 161305(R) (2011)], we analyze a range of magnetic field values where this polarization effect seems robust, suggesting that the setup may be used as an efficient bipolar spin filter, which can generate electrostatically reversible spatially separated spin currents with opposite polarizations.
Deterministic Consensus Algorithm with Linear Per-Bit Complexity

Abstract : In this report, building on the deterministic multi-valued one-to-many Byzantine agreement (broadcast) algorithm in our recent technical report [2], we introduce a deterministic multivalued all-to-all Byzantine agreement algorithm (consensus), with linear complexity per bit agreed upon. The discussion in this note is not self-contained, and relies heavily on the material in [2] please refer to [2] for the necessary background.
Morphologic dating of fault scarps using airborne laser swath mapping (ALSM) data

[1] Models of fault scarp morphology have been previously used to infer the relative age of different fault scarps in a fault zone using labor-intensive ground surveying. We present a method for automatically extracting scarp morphologic ages within high-resolution digital topography. Scarp degradation is modeled as a diffusive mass transport process in the across-scarp direction. The second derivative of the modeled degraded fault scarp was normalized to yield the best-fitting (in a least-squared sense) scarp height at each point, and the signal-to-noise ratio identified those areas containing scarp-like topography. We applied this method to three areas along the San Andreas Fault and found correspondence between the mapped geometry of the fault and that extracted by our analysis. This suggests that the spatial distribution of scarp ages may be revealed by such an analysis, allowing the recent temporal development of a fault zone to be imaged along its length.
Incentive Pay and the Market for CEOs: An Analysis of Pay-For-Performance Sensitivity

Significant increases in CEO compensation in recent years have coincided with an unprecedented bull market for stocks. They have also coincided with increasingly frequent arguments from academics and practitioners that CEO pay is excessive. Academics in particular point to departures from relative performance evaluation as a major puzzle. Observing that the sensitivity of CEO compensation to market returns is inconsistent with the predictions of principal-agent theory; they have increasingly been tempted to resort to political explanations to explain the compensation of CEOs. The sensitivity of CEO compensation to market returns is not so puzzling, however, when one recognizes the special feature of the labor market for CEOs. The combination talent sorting of CEOs among firms and aggregate shocks that affect the marginal value of CEO services to the firm predicts a positive relationship between CEO pay and aggregate stock market returns. We argue that the supply of highly skilled CEOs capable of running large, complex corporations is relatively inelastic, so shocks to aggregate demand for CEOs simultaneously raise firm value and raise the marginal value of CEO services to the firm. In equilibrium, such shocks bid up the value of their compensation packages. This phenomenon makes it appear as if (some) firms are violating relative performance evaluation. Using Standard and Poor's Execucomp data for a large panel of U.S. firms, we show that the empirical "failure" of RPE is systematically restricted to the CEOs of certain types of firms. In our data, there is less of a puzzle for the firms in the bottom quartile of the size distribution. The behavior of these firms is in closer accordance with the predictions of agency theory. We interpret this as evidence that the supply of CEOs sufficiently skilled to manage such firms is relatively elastic. The compensation packages for the CEOs of larger, more complex firms, however, require highly skilled CEOs. Empirically, the compensation packages for the CEOs of these firms are more sensitive to aggregate shocks, which we interpret as evidence that the supply of highly skilled CEOs is relatively inelastic. These results are robust to robustness checks against alternative hypothesis such as "skimming" and strategic considerations. Finally, the paper's findings suggest three extensions to i) analysis rent sharing between CEOs and firms, ii) comparisons of pay-performance sensitivities of CEOs and divisional managers, and iii) studies of cyclical patterns in earnings inequality.
Anosognosia in schizophrenia: Hidden in plain sight.

Objective: Poor insight is a cardinal symptom of schizophrenia that, while not universally and uniformly expressed in all patients, is among the most common of its manifestations. Available neurobiological and neurocognitive evidence linking the phenomenon to core pathophysiology of schizophrenia justifies extension of the anosognosia construct to schizophrenia-related insight deficits. Poor insight is a core attribute of schizophrenia, occurring in 57 to 98 percent of patients. Insight is an important outcome predictor, associated with treatment adherence, relapse frequency, symptom remission, psychosocial functioning, vocational attainment, and risk of violence toward self or others. Combined findings lend urgency to the importance of reducing psychotic relapse. This can only be achieved in the majority of patients with consistent medication adherence— something that is often exceedingly difficult in patients lacking belief in the fact of their illness. This article examines whether anosognosia, the unawareness of deficit or illness, should apply to our understanding of insight deficits in patients with schizophrenia. Although research in the field is limited at this time, there is hope that anosognosia as a symptom of schizophrenia will become a focus of further research and a critically important therapeutic target amenable to treatment. Design: This article is a literature review and conceptualization. Conclusion: Limited research in the field gives cause for hope that anosognosia as a symptom of schizophrenia will become a critically important therapeutic target that is amendable to treatment.
Numerical studies of bubble dynamics in laser thrombolysis

The applicability of modern numerical hydrodynamic methods for modeling the bubble dynamics occurring in Laser Thrombolysis is addressed. An idealized test problem is formulated and comparisons are made between numerical and analytical results. We find that approximately 23% of the available energy is radiated acoustically in one cycle with larger fractions likely to be radiated under more realistic conditions. We conclude that this approach shows promise in helping to optimize design parameters.
Interconversions of estrogens and related developmental effects in sand dollar eggs

Abstract Fertilized eggs of the sand dollar, Dendraster excentricus , are blocked from normal development by low concentrations of 17 β-estradiol (3.7 μ m ) and diethylstilbestrol (0.24 μ m ), but not by comparable levels of cortisol, corticosterone, and androstenedione, or higher concentrations (59 μ m ) of estrone, testosterone, and progesterone. The blockage is apparently due to incomplete development of astral and spindle fibers. Protein synthesis is not affected. Radioactive steroids were used to show that fertilized eggs bind estradiol, estrone, testosterone, and progesterone, and that unfertilized eggs bind less estradiol than those that are fertilized. Most of the bound steroid resists extraction with chloroform, but small fractions are recovered by this method. Analyses of recovered steroids indicate that estradiol and estrone and interconverted by the eggs. Although estrogens and other steroids are found in reproductive tissues of various invertebrates, levels used in this study are unphysiological. The results are of interest because they might be related to mechanisms by which development is inhibited by estrogens.
A multi-scale model for texture development in Zr/Nb nanolayered composites processed by accumulative roll bonding

Recently it has been demonstrated that nanolayered hcp/bcc Zr/Nb composites can be fabricated with a severe plastic deformation technique called accumulative roll bonding (ARB) [1]. The final layer thickness averaged to approximately 90 nm for both phases. Interestingly, the texture measurements show that the textures in each phase correspond to those of rolled single-phase rolled Zr and Nb for a wide range of layer thickness from the micron to the nanoscales. This is in remarkable contrast to fcc/bcc Cu/Nb layered composites made by the same ARB technique, which developed textures that strongly deviated from theoretical rolling textures of Cu or Nb alone when the layers were refined to submicron and nanoscale dimensions. To model texture evolution and reveal the underlying deformation mechanisms, we developed a 3D multiscale model that combines crystal plasticity finite element with a thermally activated dislocation density based hardening law [2]. For systematic study, the model is applied to a two-phase Zr/Nb polycrystalline laminate and to the same polycrystalline Zr and polycrystalline Nb as single-phase metals. Consistent with the measurement, the model predicts that texture evolution in the phases in the composite and the relative activities of the hcp slip modes are very similar to those in the phases in monolithic form. In addition, the two-phase model also finds that no through-thickness texture gradient develops. This result suggests that neither the nanoscale grain sizes nor the bimetal Zr/Nb interfaces induce deformation mechanisms different from those at the coarse-grain scale.
Testing the mood-state hypothesis among previously depressed and never-depressed individuals

Miranda and Persons' (1988) mood-state hypothesis of cognitive dysfunction was tested in a sample of 30 previously depressed individuals and 33 individuals with no lifetime mood disorder. Participants completed the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS; Weissman & Beck, 1978 ) and a self-report measure of current mood (Visual Analogue Scale; Luria, 1975 ) both before and after a sad mood induction. The mood manipulation was equally successful across both groups, and reports of dysfunctional cognitions increased significantly from pre- to post-induction for the entire sample. Contrary to prediction, the magnitude of DAS change was equivalent for previously depressed and never-depressed participants. Furthermore, the positive relationship between DAS score and sad mood was equally strong in both groups at baseline. Thus, the mood-state hypothesis was not supported.
The applicability of flow pressure and hardness concepts in the estimation of workpiece retention and similar effects

Abstract The majority of workholding operations involve some degree of frictional clamping with or without indentation. Investigations into the mechanism of metallic friction during the last thirty years have established concepts of limited areas of real contact and plastic deformation of contacting asperities with shear and ploughing forces closely related to the measureable physical properties of the metals in contact. The relatively simple analytical approaches which have emerged are in the present case discussed in relation to the workholding processes involved in many metal cutting operations.
Implementing an affine scaling algorithm for linear programming

Abstract This paper describes a modified Karmarkar algorithm for solving linear programming problems. This algorithm overcomes the problem of maintaining feasibility during the projective step and uses a constraint partitioning scheme which greatly improves the efficiency of the projective step. The new algorithm proves to be two to three times as fast as the IMSL FORTRAN subroutine ZX4LP in solving moderate size linear programs.
PRODUCTION AND EXCHANGE OF OBSIDIAN TOOLS IN LATE AZTEC CITY-STATES

Obsidian was an important commodity in the Aztec empire. The obsidian industries from several Late Aztec sites in the northeastern Basin of Mexico are briefly summarized. These sites represent both urban centers and their rural dependencies. Site TA-80, the urban center of the Otumba city-state, contained numerous surface concentrations of obsidian debris, representing refuse from workshops where obsidian tools were produced or consumed. Seven of these concentrations represent debris from specialized production of large quantities of prismatic blades. Others represent workshops where blades were consumed in substantial numbers in the process of producing some other commodity. Households at rural sites in the Otumba city-state did not produce blades but probably obtained them through exchange from the specialized producers at TA-80. However, some rural sites did contain evidence of specialized quarrying, preparation of macrocores, and production of bifacial tools, apparently for export to urban centers. Similar evidence is found in the Tepeapulco city-state, which also had evidence of specialized production of prismatic blades in the urban center and of consumption of blades by both specialized producers of other commodities and in domestic contexts, in the urban center and at rural sites. Some rural sites in the Tepeapulco city-state, as in Otumba, also had evidence of specialized production of bifaces and macrocores. In both city-states, obsidian was extracted from local sources and shaped into macrocores and bifaces, which were then exported to the city-state center and to more distant locations beyond the boundaries of the city-state. Within the urban centers of each city-state, macrocores were reduced to prismatic blades. Large quantities of blades were produced by craft specialists, working at a few restricted locations within the city-state centers. The finished blades were then distributed to consuming households within the urban center of the city-state, as well as to rural dependencies and to more distant consumers beyond the boundaries of the city-state.
The selective functionalization of saturated hydrocarbons. Part 33. Further reactions which take place in the FeII-FeIV manifold

Abstract Utilization of the FeII-H2O2 system in the presence of diphenyl diselenide, phenylselenol, diphenyl disulfide and thiophenol converts saturated hydrocarbons into the corresponding alkyl phenyl selenide or alkyl phenyl sulfide. Starting with FeIII-H2O2 no reaction occurs in presence of diphenyl diselenide but the GifIV system (FeII/O2) is able to produce phenyl seleno derivatives along with the oxidation products. The presence of sodium sulfide with the FeII and FeIII-H2O2 systems affords some dicyclohexyl disulfide. Mechanistic studies suggest than all these reaction are based on the FeII-FeIV manifold with a suitable carboxylic acid as ligand.
Neuroengineering in biological and biosynthetic systems

Recent advances in restoring neural function to biological systems and incorporating neural function into bioartificial devices have been made possible by developments in biology, materials science, engineering, and physics. Further progress is being achieved in relating cellular function to overall system behavior through the application of quantitative experimental and theoretical techniques.
Output-Oriented Refactoring in PHP-Based Dynamic Web Applications

Refactoring is crucial in the development process of traditional programs as well as advanced Web applications. In a dynamic Web application, multiple versions of client code in HTML and JavaScript are dynamically generated from server-side code at run time for different usage scenarios. Toward understanding refactoring for dynamic Web code, we conducted an empirical study on several PHP-based Web applications. We found that Web developers perform a new type of refactoring that is specific to PHP-based dynamic Web code and pertain to output client-side code. After such a refactoring, the server-side code is more compact and modular with less amount of embedded and inline client-side HTML/JS code, or produces more standard-conforming client-side code. However, the corresponding output client-side code of the server code before and after the refactoring provides the same external behavior. We call it output-oriented refactoring. Our finding in the study motivates us to build WebDyn, an automatic tool for dynamicalizing refactorings. When performing on a portion of server-side code (which might contain both PHP and embedded/inline HTML/JS code), WebDyn detects the repeated and varied parts in that code portion and produces dynamic PHP code that creates the same client-side code. Our empirical evaluation on several projects showed WebDyn's accuracy in such automated refactorings.
Quality and quantity: Another view of analytic induction as a research technique

This discussion has tried to illustrate that analytic induction as a technique used by qualitative researchers may be extended in several ways. This is not to suggest that numerical analogs should be used to supplant the purpose of analytic induction. The present analysis has merely tried to show, following Robinson's suggestions, the broad similarities between analytic induction and what Robinson calls enumerative induction. The transition from one to the other mode of analysis requires a trade-off, however; that is, numerical estimates of the analytic inductive model can be made only if the logical structure is modified. Thus, placing even a minimal value in cell 3 automatically precludes the possibility of stating the logically necessary condition for the phenomenon—which is the focal point of analytic induction.
Maximization of Labor Productivity Through Optimal Rest-Break Schedules

This paper focuses upon the maximization of labor productivity through selection of the optimal number, duration, and placement of rest breaks. It is demonstrated that resolution of the limited validity associated with previous models leads to a mixed-integer quadratic programming formulation of this problem. Efficient analytic procedures are developed which allow solutions to be obtained in minutes using a hand-held calculator. Then, the characteristics, properties, and potential effectiveness of optimal solutions are examined through an illustration from an existing work environment. Issues relevant to the implementation of the models are presented in a summary of an initial experiment in which one of the models in this paper was used to select rest break policy. The results of this experiment indicated that the output achieved using the model's policy was 13% higher than the output achieved when the subjects used their own rest break policies. Several future research topics are also identified.
Inhibition of bacterial DNA replication by 6-(p-Hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil: Differential effect on repair and semi-conservative synthesis in Bacillus subtilis

Abstract 6-( p -Hydroxyphenylazo)-uracil is a reversible, selective inhibitor of semi-conservative replication of DNA in Bacillus subtilis and other Gram-positive bacteria. The effects of HPUra † were examined on the replication of DNA following ultraviolet irradiation of B. subtilis 168 thy − ind − . Ultraviolet irradiation stimulated a form of DNA synthesis which was resistant to HPUra. Drug-resistant synthesis increased in rate with increasing doses of ultraviolet irradiation and was inhibited by acriflavin and actinomycin D, inhibitors of excision-repair of bacterial DNA. Evidence is presented which suggests that the HPUra-resistant synthesis was not a phage-specific process resulting from ultraviolet induction of defective prophage. The product of ultraviolet-stimulated DNA synthesis was labelled with radioactive bromodeoxyuridine and analysed by equilibrium centrifugation in cesium chloride. The product was typical of repair-replicated DNA; it was detected only in DNA of irradiated cells and was synthesized in approximately the same amounts in the presence and absence of HPUra. The bromodeoxyuridine-labelled product of ultraviolet-stimulated synthesis banded close to the density of native B. subtilis DNA; sonic shear of this product increased its buoyant density slightly, suggesting that the bulk of bromodeoxyuridine was in short chains. Centrifugation of the DNA after alkaline denaturation indicated that these chains were linked covalently to parental DNA. These results suggested (1), that B. subtilis 168 thy − ind − was capable of repair replication of ultraviolet-damaged DNA and (2), that this process, unlike semi-conservative replication, was refractory to HPUra treatment.
Birefringence characterization of biological tissue by use of optical coherence tomography

An improved polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (OCT) system is developed and used to measure birefringence in porcine myocardium tissue and produce two-dimensional birefringence mapping of the tissue. Signal-to-noise issues that cause systematic measurement errors are analyzed to determine the regime in which such measurements are accurate. The advantage of polarization-sensitive OCT systems over standard OCT systems in avoiding image artifacts caused by birefringence is also demonstrated.
Incorporating Time-Dependent Source Profiles Using the Dirichlet Distribution in Multivariate Receptor Models

Multivariate receptor modeling is used to estimate profiles and contributions of pollution sources from concentrations of pollutants such as particulate matter in the air. The majority of previous approaches to multivariate receptor modeling assume pollution source profiles are constant through time. In an effort to relax this assumption, this article uses the Dirichlet distribution in a dynamic linear receptor model for pollution source profiles. The receptor model developed herein is evaluated using simulated datasets and then applied to a physical dataset of chemical species concentrations measured at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s St. Louis–Midwest supersite. Supplemental materials to this articles are available online.