cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On uniform ergodic theorems for quadratic processes on C*-algebras

We investigate questions of the convergence in the uniform topology of Cesearo time averages of stationary quantum quadratic processes defined on C*-algebras.A necessary and sufficient condition is given for the convergence of averages in the uniform topology. In addition, the convergence of weighted averages in the uniform topology is investigated and it is proved that averages weighted by Besicovitch Φ-functions converge.
Thermal conductivity of packed metal powders

Abstract In this paper we present both experimental measurements and a theoretical model for the thermal conductivity of a consolidated mixture of two-metal powders. Measurements were made on samples of different mixture volume fractions at consolidations ranging from loose powder to above 90% theoretical density, using both air and water as saturants. We have applied the technique of volume averaging to produce working equations applicable to the general problem of thermal conduction through mixtures. Predictions made using these equations show good agreement with published two-phase data from a wide variety of sources.
System/370 extended architecture: facilities for virtual machines

This paper describes the evolution of facilities for virtual machines on IBM System/370 computers, and presents the elements of a new architectural facility designed for the virtual-machine environment. Assists that have been added to various System/370 models to support the use of virtual machines are summarized, and a general facility for this purpose which was introduced with the System/370 Extended Architecture (370-XA) is described. A new instruction of the 370-XA architecture places the machine in a specific mode in which several special capabilities are enabled. These allow the machine to provide execution in the virtual-machine environment of most of the instructions (including many privileged instructions) and most of the facilities (such as dynamic address translation) of both the System/370 and the 370-XA architectures. The major features of this new facility are individually discussed and summarized.
Emergency palliation of critical valvular aortic stenosis. A new application of prostaglandin E1.

• Prostaglandin E 1 (PGE 1 ) was administered by continuous infusion to a critically ill 3-day-old infant with severe stenosis of the aortic valve. A beneficial response was evidenced by increases in systemic BP, pulses, perfusion, urinary output, and arterial pH. The infusion of PGE 1 improved and stabilized the infant's condition so that cardiac catheterization and surgery could be performed. Successful aortic valvulotomy was performed with continued PGE 1 infusion. To our knowledge, this report is the first to describe a patient in whom PGE 1 was used successfully for palliation of critical aortic valvular stenosis. ( Am J Dis Child 1983;137:339-340)
Modeling the hydrologic response of groundwater dominated wetlands to transient boundary conditions: Implications for wetland restoration

Summary A variably-saturated groundwater model, based on that of Freeze [Freeze, R.A., 1971. Three-dimensional, transient, saturated–unsaturated flow in a groundwater basin. Water Resources Research 7, 347–366.], was used to analyze the details of surface–groundwater interaction and resulting hydroperiods of a site undergoing wetland restoration (the Lake Station Wetland Restoration Site in Northwest Indiana, USA). The three-dimensional groundwater flow model couples the saturated and unsaturated zones through the use of van Genuchten’s [van Genuchten, M.T., 1980. A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44, 892–898.] characteristic equations. Initial estimates of hydraulic parameters were refined through a calibration exercise aimed at minimizing the discrepancy between simulated and measured water levels in seven wells within the study. Numerical simulations using the calibrated model, and driven by annual time series of rainfall and potential evaporation, were used to generate hydroperiod maps of surface saturation and root-zone saturation over a three-year period of study. This allowed identification of regularly saturated areas that would support hydric plants, as well as more rarely saturated areas that would require more dry tolerant species or additional hydrological remediation. The simulations also revealed the critical roles that topography, rainfall history, and antecedent conditions play in the hydrology of degraded wetlands that have been targeted for restoration.
Genome Sequence of a Novel, Newly Identified Isolate of Guinea Pig Cytomegalovirus, the CIDMTR Strain.

ABSTRACT The sequence of a newly discovered isolate of guinea pig cytomegalovirus (GPCMV), the CIDMTR strain, was determined. The 232,778-nucleotide genome was generally well conserved with that of the 22122 reference strain, although some regions of substantial sequence divergence allowed annotation of strain-specific open reading frames encoding putative immune modulation gene products.
Development of superconducting synchronous machines in the USA

The background of the development of superconducting machines in the USA is given. Recent progress in analysis, design and testing is outlined. The status of generator developments at Westinghouse, General Electric and at MIT is discussed. Testing and modification of the MIT-DOE 10-MVA machine is discussed. The current state of development of super conducting generators is assessed and discussed. The important work that remains to be done is given. The conclusion is that superconducting machines have high potential, but much work remains to be done.
MetaAware: Identifying Metamorphic Malware

Detection of malicious software (malware) by the use of static signatures is often criticized for being overly simplistic. Available methods of obfuscating code (so-called metamorphic malware) will invalidate the use of a fixed signature, without changing the harmful effects of the software. This paper presents a new approach for recognizing metamorphic malware. The method uses fully automated static analysis of executables to summarize and compare program semantics, based primarily on the pattern of library or system functions which are called. The proposed method has been prototyped and evaluated using randomized benchmark programs, instances of known malware program variants, and utility software available in multiple releases. The results demonstrate three important capabilities of the proposed method: (a) it does well at identifying metamorphic variants of common malware; (h) it distinguishes easily between programs that are not related; and, (c) it can identify and detect program variations, or code reuse. Such variations can be due to insertion of malware (such as viruses) into the executable of a host program. We argue that this method of metamorphic code detection will be difficult for malware writers to bypass.
CAPPS II: the foundation of aviation security?

A new computer system is being developed to classify U.S. air travelers by the degree of terrorist threat they might pose. Reports indicate that the system—called CAPPS II—would use large amounts of information about each passenger, perhaps including such personal details as his or her magazine-subscription behavior. We argue that what is publicly known about CAPPS II raises questions about how substantially the system would improve aviation security. We discuss conditions under which CAPPS II could yield safety benefits, but suggest that it might be more prudent to view the system as one component of future security arrangements rather than the centerpiece of these arrangements.
Proton pump inhibitor resistance in the treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the occurrence of relative proton pump inhibitor (PPI) drug resistance in the treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR).STUDY DESIGN AND SETTING: A retrospective review was...
Effect of thermal processing on the microstructure and composition of Cu–Sb–Se compounds

We report on the effects of thermal processing on the microstructure and composition of a system with overall stoichiometry of 3Cu:1Sb:3Se with the aim of producing single-phase Cu3SbSe3. It was found that slow cooling from the melt produced a multiphase material consisting of Cu2Se and CuSbSe2, but devoid of Cu3SbSe3. Cooling rapidly from the melt resulted in three-phase microstructures consisting of Cu2Se, CuSbSe2, and Cu3SbSe3. Subsequent annealing of the three-phase material between 325 and 400 °C shifted the composition toward nearly pure Cu3SbSe3—the target compound of this work. The kinetics of the transformation into Cu3SbSe3 was successfully described using a modified Avrami model which suggests that diffusion is the rate-controlling step. Values of Young’s modulus and hardness, obtained by nanoindentation, are reported for Cu2Se, CuSbSe2, and Cu3SbSe3.
Shadow enhancers: Frequently asked questions about distributed cis-regulatory information and enhancer redundancy

This paper, in the form of a frequently asked questions page (FAQ), addresses outstanding questions about ‘‘shadow enhancers’’, quasi-redundant cis-regulatory elements, and their proposed roles in transcriptional control. Questions include: What exactly are shadow enhancers? How many genes have shadow/redundant/ distributed enhancers? How redundant are these elements? What is the function of distributed enhancers? How modular are enhancers? Is it useful to study a single enhancer in isolation? In addition, a revised definition of ‘‘shadow enhancers’’ is proposed, and possible mechanisms of shadow enhancer function and evolution are discussed.
Resection-plication-release for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: clinical and echocardiographic follow-up.

Background Abnormal positioning and size of the mitral valve contribute to the systolic anterior motion and mitral-septal contact that are important components of obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). The RPR repair (resection of the septum, plication of the anterior leaflet, and release of papillary muscle attachments) addresses all aspects of this complex pathology. This study reports outcomes regarding effectiveness of the RPR repair. Methods Fifty consecutive unselected patients (average age, 55.8 years) undergoing RPR repair for obstructive HCM from 1997 to 2007 were studied. Each patient underwent preoperative and postoperative transthoracic echocardiograms to document gradient, ejection fraction, degree of mitral regurgitation, and systolic anterior motion. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiogram was used to guide all surgical repairs. Clinical follow-up included patient interviews to determine New York Heart Association (NYHA) status. Results Concomitant operations were performed in 25 patients (50%). Postoperative mortality was 0%. Average mean left ventricular outflow tract gradients decreased from 134 ± 40 to 2.8 ± 8.0. Mitral regurgitation improved from a mean of 2.5 to 0.1 ( p Conclusions The RPR repair is safe and effective for symptomatic obstructive HCM. Our data support repair of the mitral valve that results in good intermediate outcomes with respect to gradient, mitral regurgitation, and clinical status.
Targeting Proteasome Worsens Atherosclerosis

See related article, pages 865–874 The ubiquitin–proteasome system is the major pathway (up to 80% to 90%) of nonlysosomal degradation of intracellular and oxidized proteins1–3 (Figure). For a protein to be recognized by the proteasome, a small peptide (ubiquitin) must first be attached to the target protein. The process of ubiquitination which transfers polyubiquitin chains to target proteins requires various enzymes such as ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin carrier protein (E2), and ubiquitin-protein lipase (E3). The ubiquitinated substrate is rapidly hydrolyzed by the 26S proteasome, an ATP-dependent multiprotein complex containing the proteolytically active 20S proteasome that is capped by 1 or 2 19S regulatory complexes.4 The 20S proteasome has 3 distinct proteolytic activities harbored by β subunits which consist of caspase-like (β1 subunit), trypsin-like (β2 subunit), and chymotrypsin-like (β5 subunit) activities.5 The primary inhibitory effect of overall proteasome proteolytic function is mediated through chymotrypsin-like function of the 20S proteasome.5 Indeed, most of synthetic and natural inhibitors of the proteasome such as MLN-273 and PS-341 act predominantly on the chymotrypsin-like activity.1 In particular, PS-341 (bortezomib [Velcade]) was approved for the treatment of therapy-refractory multiple myeloma in 2003.6 Figure. Role of ubiquitin-proteasome system in atherosclerosis. The protein substrates such as cell mediators involved in atherosclerosis and oxidized protein are first conjugated to multiple molecules of ubiquitin in a reaction involving ubiquitin-activating enzyme (E1), ubiquitin carrier protein (E2), and ubiquitin-protein ligase (E3). The ubiquitinated substrate is rapidly hydrolyzed by the 26S proteasome containing the core 20S proteasome (formed by 2 outer α subunits and 2 inner …
Network performance of smart mobile handhelds in a university campus WiFi network

Smart mobile handheld devices (MHDs) such as smartphones have been used for a wide range of applications. Despite the recent flurry of research on various aspects of smart MHDs, little is known about their network performance in WiFi networks. In this paper, we measure the network performance of smart MHDs inside a university campus WiFi network, and identify the dominant factors that affect the network performance. Specifically, we analyze 2.9TB of data collected over three days by a monitor that is located at a gateway router of the network, and make the following findings: (1) Compared to non-handheld devices (NHDs), MHDs use well provisioned Akamai and Google servers more heavily, which boosts the overall network performance of MHDs. Furthermore, MHD flows, particularly short flows, benefit from the large initial congestion window that has been adopted by Akamai and Google servers. (2) MHDs tend to have larger local delays inside the WiFi network and are more adversely affected by the number of concurrent flows. (3) Earlier versions of Android OS (before 4.X) cannot take advantage of the large initial congestion window adopted by many servers. On the other hand, the large receive window adopted by iOS is not fully utilized by most flows, potentially leading to waste of resources. (4) Some application-level protocols cause inefficient use of network and operating system resources of MHDs in WiFi networks. Our observations provide valuable insights on content distribution, server provisioning, MHD system design, and application-level protocol design.
Patient specific cutting guides versus an imageless, computer-assisted surgery system in total knee arthroplasty

Abstract Background Patient specific cutting guides (PSC) in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) have recently been introduced, in which preoperative 3-dimensional imaging is used to manufacture disposable cutting blocks specific to a patient's anatomy. The purpose of this study was to compare the alignment accuracy of PSC to an imageless CAS system in TKA. Methods Thirty-seven patients (41 knees), received a TKA using an imageless CAS system. Subsequently, 38 patients (41 knees), received a TKA using a MRI-based, PSC system. Postoperatively, standing AP hip-to-ankle radiographs were obtained, from which the lower extremity mechanical axis, tibial component varus/valgus, and femoral component varus/valgus mechanical alignment were digitally measured. Each measurement was performed by two blinded, independent observers, and interclass correlations were calculated. A student's two-tailed t test was used to compare the two cohorts (p-value Results In the PSC cohort, 70.7% of patients had an overall alignment within 3° of a neutral mechanical axis (vs. 92.7% with CAS, p=0.02), 87.8% had a tibial component alignment within 2° of perpendicular to the tibial mechanical axis (vs. 100% with CAS, p=0.04), and 90.2% had a femoral component alignment within 2° of perpendicular to the femoral mechanical axis (vs. 100% with CAS, p=0.2). Interclass correlation coefficients were good to excellent for all radiographic measurements. Conclusion While PSC techniques appear sound in principle, this study did not demonstrate patient specific cutting guides to obtain the same degree of overall mechanical and tibial component alignment accuracy as a CAS technique. Level of evidence III: Retrospective cohort study.
Probabilistic Analysis of Partitioning Algorithms for the Traveling-Salesman Problem in the Plane

We consider partitioning algorithms for the approximate solution of large instances of the traveling-salesman problem in the plane. These algorithms subdivide the set of cities into small groups, construct an optimum tour through each group, and then patch the subtours together to form a tour through all the cities. If the number of cities in the problem is n, and the number of cities in each group is t, then the worst-case error is $O\sqrt{n/t}$ . If the cities are randomly distributed, then the relative error is Ot-1/2 with probability one. Hybrid schemes are suggested, in which partitioning is used in conjunction with existing heuristic algorithms. These hybrid schemes may be expected to give near-optimum solutions to problems with thousands of cities.
Fine structure and organization of the infrared receptor relays: Lateral descending nucleus of V in Boidae and nucleus reticularis caloris in the rattlesnake

The morphology of the lateral descending nucleus of V (LTTD) in three species of Boidae and nucleus reticularis caloris (RC) of the rattlesnake have been studied with the light and electron microscope. First- and second-order relays in the infrared receptor pathway to the tectum are contained within LTTD in the Boidae, whereas in the rattlesnakes the secondary relay to tec-tipetal neurons is in nucleus RC. The lateral descending nucleus in the boids contains small and large neurons. The larger cells project to the optic tectum and morphologically are quite similar to those of nucleus RC. It has been determined at the ultrastructural level that LTTD of the three species of boids studied have very similar morphology and organization. A marginal neuropil, located near the lateral descending tract, consists of terminals of thin unmyelinated axons in synaptic contact with thin den-drites. Deeper within the nucleus primary afferent terminals containing clear spherical vesicles form synaptic clusters with dendrites and are post-synaptic to other axon terminals containing pleomorphic vesicles. The large, tectipetal neurons are postsynaptic to two morphological types of synapses, one with clear spherical vesicles, asymmetric membranes, and subsynaptic web and the other with flattened vesicles and symmetrical membranes. Similar synapses are also present on the cells of nucleus RC in the rattlesnake. There is a close similarity in function, structure, and synaptic organization between the LTTD of boids and the LTTD plus nucleus RC of pit vipers, suggesting similar or identical evolutionary origin.
Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanotube Arrays Co-doped with Phosphorus and Nitrogen as Efficient Metal-Free Electrocatalysts for Oxygen Reduction

Using a mixture of ferrocene, pyridine, and triphenylphosphine as precursors for injection-assisted chemical vapor deposition (CVD), we prepared the first vertically aligned multiwalled carbon nanotube array co-doped with phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) with a relatively high P-doping level (designated as PN-ACNT). We have also demonstrated the potential applications of the resultant PN-ACNTs as high-performance electrocatalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). PN-ACNT arrays were shown to exhibit a high ORR electrocatalytic activity, superb long-term durability, and good tolerance to methanol and carbon monoxide, significantly outperforming their counterparts doped with P (P-ACNT) or N (N-ACNT) only and even comparable to the commercially available Pt-C catalyst (45 wt % Pt on Vulcan XC-72R; E-TEK) due to a demonstrated synergetic effect arising from the co-doping of CNTs with both P and N.
Bound on mutual information for DS-CDMA spreading over independent fading channels

We consider using DS-CDMA over channels which decorrelate in frequency. We allow the bandwidth to increase while maintaining a fixed total average power. The bandwidth over which we transmit is divided into several slices, each of which has its own spreading sequence. We show that for a large bandwidth DS-CDMA spreading is not advantageous when the channel truly decorrelates in frequency or when the channel bandwidth slices are correlated but not jointly estimated.
Rhodopsin Expression Level Affects Rod Outer Segment Morphology and Photoresponse Kinetics

Background The retinal rod outer segment is a sensory cilium that is specialized for the conversion of light into an electrical signal. Within the cilium, up to several thousand membranous disks contain as many as a billion copies of rhodopsin for efficient photon capture. Disks are continually turned over, requiring the daily synthesis of a prodigious amount of rhodopsin. To promote axial diffusion in the aqueous cytoplasm, the disks have one or more incisures. Across vertebrates, the range of disk diameters spans an order of magnitude, and the number and length of the incisures vary considerably, but the mechanisms controlling disk architecture are not well understood. The finding that transgenic mice overexpressing rhodopsin have enlarged disks lacking an incisure prompted us to test whether lowered rhodopsin levels constrain disk assembly.
A National Analysis Of Computer And Information Sciences Faculty Workloads: Examining Teaching, Research, Service, And Administration

The professoriate is a foundational component of higher education and impacts program success. This study describes computer and information sciences (CIS) faculty workloads empirically. The role of faculty in higher education is characterized in terms of research, teaching, service, and administration. Specifically, this study examines the relationships of faculty individual characteristics, occupational characteristics, and organizational context across the percent of effort allocations in regards to workload. The data used for this study was the National Center for Education Statistics most recent examination of the faculty, the 1999 National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty (NSOFP-99) data. Specifically, this study describes CIS faculty on selected individual characteristics, occupational characteristics, and institutional context; describe the actually and preferred effort allocations of CIS faculty; determines if significant differences exists between the actually and preferred effort allocations in workload of CIS faculty; determines if a relationship exists between the actual allocation of workload of CIS faculty and individual characteristics, occupational characteristics, and instructional context. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS. To answer the research questions means, standard deviations, frequencies, percents, correlations, and t-tests were implemented. This study found the majority of faculty workload is spent on teaching and the majority of program and faculty evaluation is based on research. The study suggests that more research is needed to develop a better picture of CIS faculty in terms of workloads.
A probabilistic model for camera zoom detection

Camera motion detection is essential for automated video analysis. We propose a new probabilistic model for detecting zoom-in/zoom-out operations. The model uses EM to estimate the probability of a zoom versus a non-zoom operation from standard MPEG motion vectors. Traditional methods usually set an empirical threshold after deriving parameters proportional to zoom, pan, rotate and tilt. In contrast, our probabilistic model has a solid probabilistic foundation and a clear, simple probability threshold. Experiments show that this probabilistic model significantly out-performs a baseline parametric method for zoom detection in both precision and recall.
Na+, K+ ATPase α-subunit isoform distribution and abundance in guinea-pig longitudinal muscle/myenteric plexus after exposure to morphine

Abstract Previous work in the myenteric plexus has shown that the resting membrane potential of morphine-tolerant guinea-pig myenteric S neurons is significantly depolarized relative to placebo-implanted controls, and that this depolarization is associated with reduced electrogenic Na+, K+ pumping. Identification of the subunits of the sodium pump which are in the myenteric plexus was undertaken in order to facilitate direct qualitative and quantitative measurements of the abundance of sodium pump isoforms after morphine exposure, thereby confirming and extending the electrophysiological data to the molecular level. Seven days prior to the experiments, tolerance was induced by subcutaneous implantation of morphine pellets (one pellet, 75 mg/100 g body weight) while control guinea pigs received placebo pellets. Using immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy, the distribution of the α subunit isoforms of the Na+/K+-ATPase in placebo and morphine-tolerant guinea-pig ileum was determined. Only the α1 and α3 subunit isoforms were in sufficient abundance to be observed. The α1 subunit isoform was most highly concentrated in the mucosa and in neurons. In contrast, the α3 subunit isoform was uniquely localized to neurons. Western and slot blot analyses of longitudinal muscle/myenteric plexus homogenates identified a significant reduction of the α3 but not the α1 subunit isoform in tolerant preparations. It is concluded that the reduced electrogenic pumping in the S neurons after morphine exposure is associated with a reduction in the α3 subunit isoform.
Closed form expressions for extending step delay and slew metrics to ramp inputs

Recent years have seen significant research in finding closed form expressions for the delay of an RC circuit that improves upon the Elmore delay model. However, several of these formulae assume a step excitation, leaving it to the reader to find a suitable extension to ramp inputs (we always assume a saturated ramp in this paper). The few works that do consider ramp inputs do not present a closed-form formula that works for a wide range of possible input slews. We propose the PERI (Probability distribution function Extension for Ramp Inputs) technique, that extends delay metrics for step inputs to the more general and realistic non-step inputs. Although there has been little work done in finding good slew - which is also referred as signal transition time - metrics, we also show how one can extend a slew metric for step inputs to the non-step case. We validate the efficacy of our approach through experimental results from several hundred RC dominated nets extracted from an industry ASIC design.
EXPRESSION OF MATERNALLY AND EMBRYONICALLY DERIVED HYPOXANTHINE PHOSPHORIBOSYL TRANSFERASE (HPRT) ACTIVITY IN MOUSE EGGS AND EARLY EMBRYOS

X-chromosome activity in early mouse development has been studied by a gene dosage method that involves measuring the activity level of the X-linked enzyme hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) in single eggs and embryos from XO females and from females heterozygous for In(X)1H, a paracentric inversion of the X chromosome. The HPRT activity in oocytes increased threefold over a 24-hr period beginning after ovulation. Afterward, the activity plateaued in unfertilized eggs but continued to increase for at least 66 hr in presumed OY embryos. Both before and after ovulation, the level of activity in unfertilized eggs from In(X)/X females was twice that from XO females, and the distributions of activity in eggs for both sets of females remained unimodal. Beginning with the two-cell stage, distributions of activity for embryos from In(X)/X females were trimodal, which is evidence for embryonic activity. It is proposed that activation of a maternal mRNA or proenzyme is responsible for the HPRT activity increase in oocytes and early embryos and is supplemented by dosage-dependent activity of the embryonic Hprt gene as early as the two-cell stage.
Chromatin Immunoprecipitation for Studying Transcriptional Regulation in Xenopus Oocytes and Tadpoles

Understanding the accurate temporal and spatial regulation of gene expression during development requires knowledge of the spectrum of transcription factors and cofactors involved and their functional interplay with chromatin. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) has become a powerful technique that allows us to do so. A typical ChIP assay involves (1) treating cells or tissues with formaldehyde to rapidly crosslink chromatin-associated proteins to DNA, (2) shearing chromatin by sonication into small fragments, (3) immunoprecipitation of the proteins of interest, (4) reversal of crosslinking, and (5) quantitating the specific associated DNA sequences by PCR. Here we present and discuss the protocols we have developed over the years for ChIP assays using Xenopus oocytes and tadpole tissues as experimental materials.
Toyota: Not So Fast, Guys [Ethical Dilemmas]

The automotive industry has furnished the field of engineering ethics with more than one “paradigm” case that generations of budding engineers have studied. In the way Toyota tried to deal with the now-infamous problem of unintended acceleration in many of its models, they have given us an example of how not to deal with a safety problem. Technical issues are only one aspect of the way an initially small-scale issue snowballed into a major financial disaster that shut down sales and may have permanently blotted Toyota’s reputation. While the whole story has yet to emerge, it looks now as though a circle-the-wagons mentality was at least as much to blame as poor engineering.
Seizure Disorders in the Elderly

SUMMARY Transient neurologic disturbances in patients in the geriatric age group should always raise the diagnostic possibility of a seizure discharge. Attention to detail in history gathering and early use of electroencephalography are the two most sensitive techniques for evaluation. Emphasis on the search for a treatable lesion will be rewarded with decreased morbidity and an improved quality of life for the older patient.
Causes of Sciatica

Sciatic pain is due to lumbar disk herniation in most cases. Other possible causes must be considered, however; among them are intraspinal or retroperitoneal tumor, pressure neuropathy, and nerve entrapment.
Socioeconomic Factors Are Associated With Readmission After Lobectomy for Early Stage Lung Cancer.

Background Data regarding risk factors for readmissions after surgical resection for lung cancer are limited and largely focus on postoperative outcomes, including complications and hospital length of stay. The current study aims to identify preoperative risk factors for postoperative readmission in early stage lung cancer patients. Methods The National Cancer Data Base was queried for all early stage lung cancer patients with clinical stage T2N0M0 or less who underwent lobectomy in 2010 and 2011. Patients with unplanned readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge were identified. Univariate analysis was utilized to identify preoperative differences between readmitted and not readmitted cohorts; multivariable logistic regression was used to identify risk factors resulting in readmission. Results In all, 840 of 19,711 patients (4.3%) were readmitted postoperatively. Male patients were more likely to be readmitted than female patients (4.9% versus 3.8%, p p = 0.001) and had underlying medical comorbidities (Charlson/Deyo score 1+ versus 0; 4.8% versus 3.7%; p p p Conclusions The socioeconomic factors identified significantly influence hospital readmission and should be considered during preoperative and postoperative discharge planning for patients with early stage lung cancer.
Machine learning techniques predict and characterize toxicity between different multi-walled carbon nanotubes

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) are a diverse class of engineered nanomaterials known to induce pulmonary toxicity. It is unclear if the mechanisms contributing to the adverse effects are similar or unique when comparing different MWCNT. We hypothesize that machine learning techniques applied to toxicity outcomes will distinguish between convergent and divergent molecular responses. Towards this goal, a panel of proteins measured by multi-plex technology in bronchoalveolar lavage collected 1, 28, and 84 d post-exposure from mice exposed to two different as-produced MWCNT, their polymer coated counterparts, or a well-studied reference material, MWCNT-7, were analyzed using association rule mining (ARM) and support vector machine (SVM) techniques. The main objective was to take advantage of both knowledge represented by class association rules and the power of SVM to identify a small number of highly predictive markers (4 to 7 protein panels out of a total 63 proteins) that can distinguish between exposed and unexposed animals. Using these approaches, we were able to reliably (78% -- 97%) identify a small subset of proteins for each exposure that clearly distinguishes effect of exposure. One mediator in particular, MDC/CCL22, was associated with all exposures. MDC protein levels have been shown to be very sensitive in determining MWCNT exposure and predict declining lung function in humans following particulate exposure. Additional mediators (e.g., VEGF-A, MIP1b) exhibited similarity while others (e.g., LIF, MMP-9, VCAM1, PAI-1) distinguished one exposure from another. In vivo toxicity studies indicate that polymer coating the MWCNT for downstream applications can affect pulmonary toxicity. The machine learning techniques clearly distinguished the polymer coated MWCNT from the as-produced counterpart with up to 96% reliability, depending on particle type and exposure duration. The identified patterns in altered lavage proteins may serve as valuable markers to guide detection of exposure to MWCNT and offer hypothesis for future study design. The approaches presented in this study could enable comparison not only within a class of engineered nanomaterials but between various classes of nanomaterials.
Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora: An Ecofriendly Biological Control Agent

The entomopathogenic nematode, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, is an environmentally safe alternative to chemical pesticides. It is half of a symbiotic relationship with the bacteria, Photorhabdus luminescens which lives in the nematode gut. Heterorhabditis bacteriophora has a wide range of susceptible insects making it a very effective alternative to current biological control practices. The nematode has been proven to be safe to humans, nontarget insects, wildlife, fauna, and water. For this reason, as well as consumers’ increasing consciousness of health issues, Heterorhabditis bacteriophora should be considered as a viable alternative and researched more thoroughly.
Prenatal Smoke Exposure and ADHD: Advancing the Field

* Abbreviation: ADHD — : attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder A robust literature indicates a link between maternal smoking during pregnancy and subsequent diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children. However, questions have been raised regarding whether this association is causal and attributable to intrauterine effects or due to other unmeasured factors. Gustavson and colleagues1 tested this question using a large prospective birth cohort; the findings from their thorough analyses are presented in their paper, “Smoking in pregnancy and child ADHD” published in the current issue of Pediatrics . The results showed that maternal smoking during pregnancy was not more strongly associated with childhood ADHD than maternal smoking during previous pregnancies, paternal smoking, or grandmothers’ smoking while pregnant with the mother. In addition, the analyses looking at sibling controls also did not suggest that children were more likely to exhibit ADHD symptoms when mothers smoked during pregnancy compared with siblings who did not experience prenatal smoke exposure. This well-designed study replicated other findings2 that indicate maternal smoking may not be a causal risk … Address correspondence to Scott H. Kollins, PhD, Duke University Medical Center, 2608 Erwin Rd, Durham, NC 27705. E-mail: scott.kollins{at}duke.edu
Organization Principles in Genetic Interaction Networks

Understanding how genetic modifications, individual or in combinations, affect phenotypes is a challenge common to several areas of biology, including human genetics, metabolic engineering, and evolutionary biology. Much of the complexity of how genetic modifications produce phenotypic outcomes has to do with the lack of independence, or epistasis, between different perturbations: the phenotypic effect of one perturbation depends, in general, on the genetic background of previously accumulated modifications, i.e., on the network of interactions with other perturbations. In recent years, an increasing number of high-throughput efforts, both experimental and computational, have focused on trying to unravel these genetic interaction networks. Here we provide an overview of how systems biology approaches have contributed to, and benefited from, the study of genetic interaction networks. We focus, in particular, on results pertaining to the global multilevel properties of these networks, and the connection between their modular architecture and their functional and evolutionary significance.
Factors associated with neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist use among commercially insured cancer patients receiving highly emetogenic chemotherapy.

24Background: Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonists (NK1RA) reduce chemotherapy-induced nausea/vomiting (CINV) among patients undergoing highly emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC). We evaluated factors associated with the use of NK1RA in patients treated with HEC. Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort study using Truven Health Marketscan to identify subjects who initiated HEC (doxorubicin or cisplatin) between 2009 and 2013, and concurrently received a NK1RA. Multivariable logistic regression was used, to determine the association of clinical and demographic factors and NK1RA use. Results: Of 32,004 subjects with cancer who were treated with either doxorubicin or cisplatin-containing regimens, 11,325 (33.3%) did not receive an NK1RA. From 2009 to 2013, NK1RA use increased from 53.2% to 73.5% (p < 0.0001). Compared to non-users, NK1RA users were more frequently treated with cisplatin-based regimens (67.9% vs. 32.1%, p < 0.0001), had in-network claims (66.7% vs. 33.3%, p < 0.0001), were younger, and without ot...
STUDIES ON THE ETIOLOGY OF RABBIT POX : V. STUDIES ON SPECIES SUSCEPTIBILITY TO RABBIT POX VIRUS.

The white mouse, the guinea pig, the calf, and probably the rat, were found to be susceptible to infection with the virus of rabbit pox. Serial transmission of the virus in mice by brain to brain passage was characterized by a fatal outcome usually on the 5th or 6th day after inoculation. Infection of the guinea pig was accomplished by intratesticular injection and the virus was continued to the 2nd passage in this species. Guinea pigs developed a well marked cutaneous reaction from the intradermal injection of both rabbit and guinea pig tissue virus. Active virus was demonstrated in the testicles of rats 8 days after intratesticular injection by rabbit subinoculation. In the calf inoculation of the scarified skin was followed by the development of large papular lesions with marked hemorrhage and necrosis. The results of the investigations on the etiology of rabbit pox and of the experimentally induced infection reported in this and the four preceding papers (1-4) are discussed with special reference to the relation of pox virus to other viruses and of rabbit pox to other pock diseases.
Safety and Operational I&C: Interface Management

A short overview will be given about the return of experience from past and current projects around the world for the interfaces between the safety and the operational instrumentation and control platforms (e.g., interactions, data flow and data diodes, separation, etc). Under the consideration of the applicable international standards which concern the mentioned interface, a general introduction will be provided about the implemented solutions for the modernization projects as well as for new build projects in the field of the instrumentation and control. Finally a conclusion about possible scenarios for future industrial projects will be provided too.Copyright © 2017 by ASME
An Instrument to Classify End-Users Based On the User Cube

End-user computing (EUC) has led to increased end-user productivity and satisfaction. In order to reduce the risks inherent to EUC, organizations should better manage EUC. As a first step different groups of end-users must be identified. Existing classification schemes have weaknesses and fail to capture the different roles contemporary end users play. Cotterman and Kumar (1989) proposed a user cube based on the three main dimensions of EUC – development, operation, and control. Even though this is rational approach to end user classification, it has been largely ignored by researchers. This may be due to the lack of an instrument to implement the cube. Hence, in this paper, a 10-item instrument is presented and data collected from 292 end users show that the instrument has strong construct validity. Practitioners can find this instrument very useful in determining the characteristics of EUC in their firms which in turn would be beneficial to devise strategies for EUC management.
Nonlinear modes of large-amplitude ship motion with roll-pitch coupling

This research pertains to the dynamics of a ship taking into account the nonlinear coupling of roll and pitch degrees of freedom. Such nonlinearity has critical implications for large-amplitude ship motion, and can thus be useful in understanding conditions leading to capsize. The nonlinear normal modes of the conservative system are determined numerically and are displayed in a frequency-energy plot, which clarifies the bifurcations that connect the various branches of periodic orbits. Numerical simulations show that, although the solutions on most branches result in capsize if their energy is beyond a common critical value, a few branches contain stable solutions at higher energies that do not lead to capsize, suggesting possible methods of capsize mitigation. We study a class of solutions analytically using a complexification-averaging technique. Finally, we run a simulation in the case of light damping in roll with high-energy initial conditions, illustrating transitions between branches that occur in the direction of decreasing energy on the frequency-energy plot.
Non-B conformations of CAG repeats using 2-aminopurine.

Abstract Repetition of trinucleotide sequences is the molecular basis of ~ 30 hereditary neurological and neurodegenerative diseases, and alternate structures adopted by these sequences are implicated in the etiology of such diseases. Elucidating these structures is important for advancing mechanistic understanding and ultimately treatment. Studies of (CAG) repeats are motivated by their involvement in a number of these diseases, and the structures favored by (CAG) 8 are discussed in this contribution. Utilizing the strong effect of base stacking on fluorescence quantum yield, 2-aminopurine is used in place of adenine to determine the secondary structures adopted by such repeated sequences. Alone, (CAG) 8 folds into a hairpin comprised of a duplex stem and a single-stranded loop. Energetic studies indicate that the hairpin is anchored by the interactions in the stem and has a strained loop environment. As a model for intermediates that form during repeat expansion, (CAG) 8 was also incorporated into a duplex to form a three-way junction. In contrast to the isolated (CAG) 8 , this integrated repeat adopts an open, unfolded loop. Enthalpy and entropy changes associated with denaturation indicate that the stability of the three-way junction is dominated by interactions in the duplex arms and that the repeated sequence tracks global unfolding. Because 2-aminopurine provides both structural and energetic information via fluorescence and also is an innocuous substitution for adenine, significant progress in elucidating the secondary structures of (CAG) repeats will be achieved.
Min-Max Multiway Cut

We propose the Min-max multiway cut problem, a variant of the traditional Multiway cut problem, but with the goal of minimizing the maximum capacity (rather than the sum or average capacity) leaving a part of the partition. The problem is motivated by data partitioning in Peer-to-Peer networks. The min-max objective function forces the solution not to overload any given terminal, and hence may lead to better solution quality.
Children’s Coping with Maltreatment

Millions of children in the United States, and millions more around the world, experience some form of maltreatment. These experiences appear to have little or no effect on some children and they significantly impair the development of others. Although several programs to prevent physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglect have been implemented over the past 20 years, there is no evidence that the incidence of child maltreatment has been reduced meaningfully. A variety of efforts to help children overcome the consequences of their maltreatment have been instituted; as noted later in this chapter, however, the effectiveness of these efforts has not been demonstrated clearly. In this chapter we review some of the literature on child maltreatment. We begin by discussing the research regarding the prevalence of child maltreatment and the consequences of maltreatment on children. We then explore ways in which these consequences might be ameliorated.
1.2 The Scientific Roots of Geomorphology before 1830

This essay outlines the roots of geomorphology from the distant historic past to early modern time, then focuses on the twin foundations of the discipline between 1600 and 1830, and concludes by reviewing how these foundations fared in later decades. One foundation was the historical approach to Earth science that emerged during the later seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, driven by a desire to know more about Earth's rocks and surface features. Initially constrained by limited biblical time (Catastrophism), this approach was challenged in the late eighteenth century by scholars who saw evidence for a ‘succession of worlds’ and invoked the present as the key to the past (Uniformitarianism). This latter belief attributed landforms to observable processes working over limitless time. Despite opposition, the compelling evidence for this foundation was mostly accepted by 1830. Over the next hundred years or more, and despite inherent limitations, this approach was commonly viewed as geomorphology's only foundation, emphatically so in the anglophone world, where it spawned evolutionary concepts such as the cycle of erosion. The other foundation lay in the espousal of classical mechanics by applied scientists and engineers in continental Europe, also during the later seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These roots established the principles of fluid dynamics and soil mechanics so important to understanding streamflows, sediment transport, slope behavior, glacier motion, wave deformation, and other geomorphic processes. They were, however, long ignored by Earth scientists intoxicated by evolutionary concepts, and challenged by cumbrous mathematics, language barriers, and scattered source materials. Thus, with a few noteworthy exceptions, this mechanistic approach did not find its way into mainstream geomorphology until the mid-twentieth century.