cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Power management factors and techniques for IoT design devices

Internet of Things (IoT) is a system that renders the ability to exchange information and actions in an amalgamated environment consisting of machines and humans over a network. Such extraction of information flow through network will optimize the limitations of the physical world. A key player in the realization of IoT system is power management. In this paper, the need for power management in an application based IoT design is motivated. The paper outlines the factors concerning power management in IoT design for example, aging in battery sources, sleep and shutdown mode of operation, etc. Furthermore, the paper reviews some of the techniques like power grating, maximum power point tracking, etc. for currently used power sources that aid to enhance the performance of the system. The technical challenges faced in the IoT field for circuit power up and battery lives have also been discussed. Since power is imperative in variegated engineering disciplines all around the field of science and also is a fundamental prerequisite for the IoT system design. Wireless sensors, servers, Ethernet, and smart appliances, as a part of an IoT based solution are all affected by the scope of power management. With the novel IoT solutions operating under the absence of human intervention at data collection stage, it is crucial for the devices to be powered up smartly to offer accurate results and good performance.
The Effect of Video Modeling and Video Prompting Interventions on Individuals With Intellectual Disability: A Systematic Literature Review:

A popular technology-based intervention is video-based instruction (VBI). VBI is known to be effective in teaching various skills to individuals with intellectual disability. Although many research...
Selective Thumb Carpometacarpal Joint Denervation for Painful Arthritis: Clinical Outcomes and Cadaveric Study.

Purpose To determine the innervation pattern to the thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) joint and assess the safety and efficacy of selective joint denervation for the treatment of pain and impairment associated with thumb CMC arthritis. Methods Cadaveric dissections were performed in 10 fresh upper extremities to better define the innervation patterns to the CMC joint and guide the surgical approach for CMC joint denervation. Histologic confirmation of candidate nerves was performed with hematoxylin and eosin staining. Results from a series of 12 patients with symptomatic thumb CMC arthritis who underwent selective denervation were retrospectively evaluated to determine the safety and efficacy of this treatment approach. Differences in preoperative and postoperative measurements of grip and key-pinch strength as well as subjective reporting of symptoms were compared. Results Nerve branches to the thumb CMC joint were found to arise from the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve (10 of 10 specimens), the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve (7 of 10 specimens), and the radial sensory nerve (4 of 10 specimens). With an average follow-up time of 15 months, 11 of 12 patients (92%) reported complete or near-complete relief of pain. Average improvements in grip and lateral key-pinch strength were 4.1 ± 3.0 kg (18% ± 12% from baseline) and 1.7 ± 0.5 kg (37% ± 11% from baseline), respectively. One patient experienced the onset of new pain consistent with a neuroma that resolved with steroid injection. All patients were released to light activity at 1 week after surgery, and all activity restrictions were lifted by 6 weeks after surgery. Conclusions Selective denervation of the CMC joint is an effective approach to treat pain and alleviate impairment associated with CMC arthritis. The procedure is well tolerated, with faster recovery as compared with trapeziectomy. Branches arising from the lateral antebrachial cutaneous nerve, palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve, and radial sensory nerve can be identified and resected with a single-incision Wagner approach. Type of study/level of evidence Therapeutic V.
The NHLBI nutrition data system

A standardized system for the collection and processing of dietary information in large-scale studies is described. Components of the system include interviewer and coder training, certification and continuing education, automated procedures for identifying and quantitating fat, guides for classifying and quantitating foods, system maintenance and quality control procedures, and a food table containing about 800 food items and 450 recipe items. The system is flexible enough to respond to market changes in formulation. Unique automated features make the system particularly useful in identifying and quantitating different dietary fats. These features could be modified to meet nutritional demands of other studies.
Structure and Activities of the Eukaryotic RNA Exosome.

Abstract The composition of the multisubunit eukaryotic RNA exosome was described more than a decade ago, and structural studies conducted since that time have contributed to our mechanistic understanding of factors that are required for 3′-to-5′ RNA processing and decay. This chapter describes the organization of the eukaryotic RNA exosome with a focus on presenting results related to the noncatalytic nine-subunit exosome core as well as the hydrolytic exo- and endoribonuclease Rrp44 (Dis3) and the exoribonuclease Rrp6. This is achieved in large part by describing crystal structures of Rrp44, Rrp6, and the nine-subunit exosome core with an emphasis on how these molecules interact to endow the RNA exosome with its catalytic activities.
Heat Shock Response, Overview

This article deals with cellular stress caused by heat shock and other stressors that induce the heat shock or stress response. The manifestations of the stress response, mechanisms, modern methods to study them, and recent findings on one type of molecule involved (the chaperones) are surveyed. Also, future developments with practical applications (e.g., in medicine) are summarized.
β3-Agonists for Overactive Bladder

Medical management of overactive bladder (OAB) has traditionally been with anticholinergic medications. While this drug class is effective for some patients, efficacy is not seen in all, and the side effect profile may result in decreased use. Mirabegron, a β3-adrenoceptor agonist, has been established as an alternative therapy. This chapter aims to review the history of mirabegron in addition to drug safety, efficacy, and reliability in a diverse group of patients including the elderly, those with cardiac comorbidities, and those with bladder outlet obstruction. Drug cost and comparison to anticholinergics and placebo is also addressed in this review. A growing body of evidence suggests that mirabegron is a safe and efficacious drug with a limited side effect profile rendering it as a potential first-line pharmacological option for the management of OAB.
Intervention to reduce racial treatment disparities in early stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

e17597 Background: Racial differences in the treatment of non-small lung cancer (NSCLC) continue to exist leading to poorer outcomes in African-Americans (AA) compared to Caucasians (C). Our previo...
Characterization of Sex Differences in Ocular HSV-1 Infection and Herpes Stromal Keratitis Pathogenesis of Wild Type and Herpesvirus Entry Mediator Knockout Mice

ABSTRACT Sex differences related to immune response and inflammation play a role in the susceptibility and pathogenesis of a variety of viral infections and disease (S. L. Klein, Bioessays 34:1050-9, 2012). Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) causes chronic inflammatory disease in the cornea, an immune privileged tissue, resulting in irreversible damage and blindness in affected individuals (A. Rowe, A. St Leger, S. Jeon, D. K. Dhaliwal, J. E. Knickelbein, and E. Vilain, Prog Retin Eye Res 32:88-101, 2013). Our research focuses on the role of Herpes Viral Entry Mediator (HVEM) as an immune regulator during ocular HSV-1 infection. Mice lacking HVEM (HVEM KO) exhibit lower immune cell infiltrates and less severe ocular disease in the cornea compared to wild type (WT) mice. As sex differences contribute to pathogenesis in many inflammatory diseases, we tested sex as a biological variable in the immune response to HSV-1 infection and Herpes Stromal Keratitis pathogenesis (HSK). Adult male and female WT and HVEM KO mice were inoculated with HSV-1 via corneal scarification and monitored daily for disease course. Viral titers and immune cell infiltrates were collected and analyzed. Our results indicate no significant difference in viral titers in tear film or affected tissues; immune cell infiltration; or clinical symptoms between males and females of either genotype. These results suggest that sex is not a significant biological variable in this experimental model, and that male and female mice can similarly be used in studies of ocular HSV-1 pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Sex hormones have only recently been considered as an important factor for the development of certain diseases and as such should continue to be considered as a biological variable. Ocular Herpesvirus Type 1 (HSV-1), and the resulting Herpes Stromal Keratitis, is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. We compared ocular HSV-1 infection and pathogenesis between sexes and found no significance difference between male and female wild type mice or herpesvirus entry mediator knockout mice. Therefore, male and female mice can be used interchangeably in studying ocular HSV-1 pathogenesis.
Transcriptome signature of cellular senescence.

Cellular senescence, an integral component of aging and cancer, arises in response to diverse triggers, including telomere attrition, macromolecular damage and signaling from activated oncogenes. At present, senescent cells are identified by the combined presence of multiple traits, such as senescence-associated protein expression and secretion, DNA damage and β-galactosidase activity; unfortunately, these traits are neither exclusively nor universally present in senescent cells. To identify robust shared markers of senescence, we have performed RNA-sequencing analysis across eight diverse models of senescence triggered in human diploid fibroblasts (WI-38, IMR-90) and endothelial cells (HUVEC, HAEC) by replicative exhaustion, exposure to ionizing radiation or doxorubicin, and expression of the oncogene HRASG12V. The intersection of the altered transcriptomes revealed 50 RNAs consistently elevated and 18 RNAs consistently reduced across all senescence models, including many protein-coding mRNAs and some non-coding RNAs. We propose that these shared transcriptome profiles will enable the identification of senescent cells in vivo, the investigation of their roles in aging and malignancy and the development of strategies to target senescent cells therapeutically.
Study on genotyping of Haemophilus influenzae

Objective To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of the Haemophilus influenzae in population bybiotyping, serotyping and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) and the relationship between the biotyping, serotyping andbeta-lactamase. Methods A total of 175 H.influenzae were isolated from 380 health people aged over 1 month old, 141 strains were biotyped according to Kilian's classification.59 strains were selected from different age group and analyzed byPFGE. Results Eight biotypes were identifined among the 141 H.influenzae isolates. 8.51% of all isolates belonged to biotypeⅠ,36.88% were biotype Ⅱ,34.04% were biotype Ⅲ,4.96% were biotype Ⅳ,7.80% were biotype Ⅴ,0.71% were biotype Ⅵ,6.38% were biotype Ⅶ,0.71% were biotype Ⅷ.97.14% of all isolated were nontypeable H.influenzae. There were five isolateswere typeable. Two were serotype b. Three were serotype e. The rate of producing beta- lactamase was 14.18%,52 PFGEgenotypes in 59 H.influenzae strains. Conclusion Most of the H.influenzae isolated from healthy population in Shenzhenwere type Ⅱand Ⅲwithout capsids. Exhibiting apparenty polymorphism by PFGE genotyping.
Apple nucleobase cation symporter 1 transports guanine and the toxic guanine analog 6-thioguanine

Abstract Erwinia amylovora causes fire blight, a devastating disease of apples and pears. The antimetabolite 6-thioguanine (6 TG) is synthesized and excreted by this bacterium and is involved in pathogenesis. Plants contain numerous nucleobase transporters that readily transport guanine. Studies of the Malus domestica nucleobase cation symporter 1 (MdNCS1) by heterologous expression in nucleobase transport deficient Escherichia coli, reveals transport of adenine, guanine and 6 TG. This is the first report of a plant transporter moving 6-thioguanine, a toxic nucleobase derivative produced by the apple pathogen Erwinia amylovora. MdNCS1 is expressed in both uninfected and E. amylovora infected apple flowers (a common route for pathogen entry) and in E. amylovora infected immature pear fruitlets.
Route selection in barrier avoidance.

Abstract Background Fajen and Warren’s steering dynamics model can reproduce human paths around an extended barrier by adding ‘waypoints’ at each end – if one waypoint is selected to minimize the global path curvature (Gerin-Lajoie and Warren, 2008). We propose that waypoint selection behaves like a choice between two competing goals, in which the smaller distance (d) and deviation angle (β) is preferred (Ulrich and Borenstein, 1998). Here we manipulate these two variables to test the determinants of route selection. Research question How does route selection in barrier avoidance depend on the local distance (d) and deviation angle (β) of each end, and on global path length (P) and curvature (C)? Methods: Participants (Exp1 N = 19; Exp2 N = 15) walked around a barrier to a visible goal in a virtual environment. Barrier orientation and lateral position were manipulated to vary the difference in distance (Δd) and in deviation angle (Δβ) between the left and right ends of the barrier. Left/Right route data were analyzed using a mixed-effects logistic regression model, with Δβ, Δd, and observed ΔP and ΔC as predictors. Results The main effects of Δβ and Δd significantly predicted Rightward responses (p Significance During barrier avoidance, participants select a route that minimizes the local distance (d) and deviation angle (β) of the waypoint, rather than the global path length (P) or path curvature (C). These findings support the hypothesis that route selection is governed by competing waypoints, instead of comparing planned paths to the final goal.
Diagnostic Stewardship Effectively Reduces Healthcare-Onset Clostridioides difficile Infections and Concurrent Laxative Use

Background: Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) accounts for >500,000 community-, nursing-, and hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), as well as 15,000–30,000 deaths, and =$4.8 billion in the United States annually. C. difficile toxin B gene nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) cannot distinguish between active CDI and colonization, particularly in the setting of laxative use or enteral feeding. Lack of judicious testing can result in the incorrect diagnosis of CDI, unnecessary CDI treatment, increased costs, and falsely augmented HAI rates. Like many healthcare facilities, the VA San Diego Healthcare System (VASDHS) solely utilizes C. difficile NAAT for CDI diagnosis. The aim of this study was to implement and evaluate a facility-wide initiative at the VASDHS to reduce healthcare onset, healthcare facility associated CDI (HO-HCFA CDI), including the use of a test ordering algorithm. Methods: From fiscal year (FY) 2015–2018, various measures were implemented including a hand hygiene initiative, reduction in fluoroquinolone usage, prompt isolation of patients with CDI, thorough terminal cleaning of rooms, and, lastly, a test-ordering algorithm starting FY2018. A retrospective study was performed to assess VASDHS HO-HCFA CDI case incidence, risk factors for infection, laxative or enteral feeding use at the time of testing, and CDI treatment. Results: Patient demographic data, medical history, CDI history, laxative use, treatment, and cost of CDI treatment were reviewed. From 2015 to 2018, 127 cases of HO-HCFA CDI were identified. The total number of HO-HCFA CDI cases and medication cost for CDI treatment were dramatically reduced from 2017 to 2018 following implementation of the test-ordering algorithm (Table 1, Fig. 1). This trend corresponded to a significant reduction in median HO-HCFA CDI cases per month (P = .02), medication cost of CDI treatment (P = .02), and proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use at the time of testing (P = .01). The number of positive HO-HCFA CDI cases associated with laxative use or escalation at the time of CDI testing (accounting for those on chronic laxatives) also decreased across the study period—most dramatically from 2015 vs 2016 (20 vs 14) and 2017 vs 2018 (11 vs 4) (Table 1). Conclusions: At the VASDHS, diagnostic stewardship of C. difficile NAAT with the use of a test-ordering algorithm significantly reduced HO-HCFA CDI incidence and treatment cost. This trend also corresponded with significantly less PPI use at the time of testing and reduced detection of colonization among patients with laxative-induced diarrhea. Diagnostic stewardship may serve as an effective tool to correctly diagnose and treat HO-HCFA CDI, while significantly reducing treatment costs. Funding: None Disclosures: None
Racialized Surrogates in Bernarr Macfadden’s Physical Culture

I shift sites once more to address the types of physical culture promoted by Bernarr Macfadden through his Physical Culture and Women’s Physical Development magazines, and his self-published handbooks. I begin with an analysis of Macfadden’s writings and visual imagery from his magazines, material that contested his own tireless promotion of domestic maternity by layering in connotations of excessive sexuality, white supremacy, and commercial capital. To entice his readers to adopt his methods, Macfadden often relied on what I call racial surrogates—imagery of physically vigorous women from non-white, usually indigenous races, quickly, efficiently, and easily giving birth—to persuade his white working and professional class women, and stay-at-home-mom readers to utilize his methods to attain a superior maternal body. This surrogative move suggested to his women readers that if they engaged in the exercises, diet, and daily habits, they too could have painless, easy labors. In a maneuver similar to Sargent’s mimetic invocation of rural and manual labor, Macfadden’s conjuring of indigenous women also positioned them in an imagined and idyllic past, rapidly fading in the myth of the dying race trope. Here, manifest destiny played out by casting white women as the physically vigorous, sexually sound, and morally temperate front line of the battle for white supremacy.
On universality in fractional dynamics

In this paper the author presents the results of the preliminary investigation of fractional dynamical systems based on the results of numerical simulations of fractional maps. Fractional maps are equivalent to fractional differential equations describing systems experiencing periodic kicks. Their properties depend on the value of two parameters: the non-linearity parameter, which arises from the corresponding regular dynamical systems; and the memory parameter which is the order of the fractional derivative in the corresponding non-linear fractional differential equations. The examples of the fractional Standard and Logistic maps demonstrate that phase space of non-linear fractional dynamical systems may contain periodic sinks, attracting slow diverging trajectories, attracting accelerator mode trajectories, chaotic attractors, and cascade of bifurcations type trajectories whose properties are different from properties of attractors in regular dynamical systems. The author argues that discovered properties should be evident in the natural (biological, psychological, physical, etc.) and engineering systems with power-law memory.
Predictors of Limited Access to Dental Health Care Among NYC Taxi/FHV Drivers.

Taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers are a largely immigrant, low-income occupational group at increased cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Poor dental health is a CVD risk factor, and dental care access is an unexamined taxi/FHV driver CVD risk factor. A cross-sectional survey was administered to 422 taxi/FHV drivers (2016–2017) to identify predictors of access to dental health care among drivers. One-third (n = 128, 30.3%) reported needing dental care/tests/treatment within the past six months, and nearly one-half (n = 61, 48%) were delayed/unable to obtain care. Only 57.6% (n = 241) had past-year dental cleanings. Not having enough money to cover household expenses was a significant predictor of being delayed/unable to obtain needed dental care/tests/treatment in the prior six months (0.5 OR; 95% CI, 0.28–0.89; p < .05). Lack of dental insurance coverage (2.72 OR; 95% CI, 1.60–4.63; p < .001) or lack of primary care provider (2.72 OR; 95% CI, 1.60–4.63; p < .001) were associated with lack of past-year dental cleaning. Seventeen percent of drivers with Medicaid were unaware of their dental coverage, which was associated with both inability to access needed dental care/tests/treatment in the past 6 months (p = .026) and no past-year dental cleaning (p < .001). Limited understanding of dental coverage was associated with both an inability to access needed dental care/tests/treatment in the past 6 months (p = .028) and lack of past-year dental cleaning (p = .014). Our findings can inform targeted intervention development to increase taxi/FHV driver dental care access/uptake, potentially improving their CVD risk.
Provider Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Postpartum Care for Low-Income Individuals.

Background: Recent paradigm shifts in postpartum care have conceptualized the “fourth trimester” as a critical transitional period requiring tailored, ongoing health care. However, this concept pre...
Housing arrangement and vegetation factors associated with single-family home survival in the 2018 Camp Fire, California

The 2018 Camp Fire, which destroyed 18,804 structures in northern California, including most of the town of Paradise, provided an opportunity to investigate housing arrangement and vegetation-related factors associated with home loss and determine whether California’s 2008 adoption of exterior building codes for homes located in the wildland-urban-interface (WUI) improved survival. We randomly sampled single-family homes constructed: before 1997, 1997 to 2007, and 2008 to 2018, the latter two time periods being before and after changes to the building code. We then quantified the nearby pre-fire overstory canopy cover and the distance to the nearest destroyed home and structure from aerial imagery. Using post-fire photographs, we also assessed fire damage and assigned a cause for damaged but not destroyed homes. Homes built prior to 1997 fared poorly, with only 11.5% surviving, compared with 38.5% survival for homes built in 1997 and after. The difference in survival percentage for homes built immediately before and after the adoption of Chapter 7A in the California Building Code (37% and 44%, respectively) was not statistically significant. Distance to nearest destroyed structure, number of structures destroyed within 100 m, and pre-fire overstory canopy cover within 100 m of the home were the strongest predictors of survival, but significant interactions with the construction time period suggested that factors contributing to survival differed for homes of different ages. Homes >18 m from a destroyed structure and in areas with pre-fire overstory canopy cover within 30–100 m of the home of <53% survived at a substantially higher rate than homes in closer proximity to a destroyed structure or in areas with higher pre-fire overstory canopy cover. Most fire damage to surviving homes appeared to result from radiant heat from nearby burning structures or flame impingement from the ignition of near-home combustible materials. Strong associations between both distance to nearest destroyed structure and vegetation within 100 m and home survival in the Camp Fire indicate building and vegetation modifications are possible that would substantially improve outcomes. Among those include improvements to windows and siding in closest proximity to neighboring structures, treatment of wildland fuels, and eliminating near-home combustibles, especially in areas closest to the home (0–1.5 m).
OP89 – 3062: Escherichia coli 055 associated D+haemolytic uraemic syndrome with severe neurological phenotype in southern England

Objective Diarrhoea associated HUS with neurological involvement in the context of E. Coli 0157 is well described. Spreading microvascular thrombosis caused by combined effects of lipopolysaccharide, cytokine, enhanced shear stress, and verotoxin is purported to play a major role in the development of central nervous dysfunction. Methods We report part of a retrospective case series of 42 patients with D+ HUS. 6 had E Coli055 associated HUS and presented over 7 months in 2014 from a circumscribed geographical area of Southern England. Results 4 boys and 2 girls with median age 40.5 months (range 19m to 60m). Of these 5 had neurological involvement within 2–5 days of start of illness in the form of: generalised seizures – 2, encephalopathy – 2 and focal seizure+hemiplegia – 1. Only the child with hemiplegia had residual neurology at discharge and 6 months follow up. Of the 5, 2 were too unwell to have an MRI scan and the other three had high signal in the basal ganglia or deep white matter or both. EEG in all patients was encephalopathic. All 5 with neurological disease required peritoneal dialysis or haemodialysis or both. 2 required inotropic support. In total 42 patients were admitted with HUS between July 2004 and Jan 2015. 9/42 (21.4%) developed cerebral involvement. 3 children were positive for E. Coli 0157 and 1 was Rotavirus positive. 9 children had atypical HUS and were treated with Ecluzimab, which is a monoclonal antibody directed against complement protein, C5. Conclusion To our knowledge, this is the first case series of D+HUS with E. Coli 055; causing a severe phenotype with neurological involvement in most children in our cohort. Encouragingly only one child has sustained medium term neurological deficit. Epidemiogical and public health investigations are ongoing to try and explain this cohort from a small geographical area.
A Cross-Cultural Lesson Comparison on Teaching the Connection Between Multiplication and Division

This study compared one lesson across four U.S. “traditional” textbook series, two U.S. reform-based textbook series, and one Chinese mathematics textbook series in teaching the connection between multiplication and division. The results showed the differences across U.S. and Chinese lessons in both the teaching and the practice parts of the lesson across three dimensions (i.e., problem schemata, response requirement, and algebra readiness). In particular, the Chinese lesson's penetrating analysis or explanation of the topic is reflected in its deliberately constructed examples and wide range of problems (pertaining to problem types and difficulty levels) present in the teaching and practice sections of the lesson. None of analyzed U.S. lessons are comparable with the Chinese lesson with respect to the breadth and depth in teaching the topic. A deliberate emphasis, both arithmetically and algebraically, on problem schema acquisition as found in the Chinese lesson represents a promotion of symbolic or higher order of conceptual understanding. The findings are discussed within the context of teaching big ideas through problem schemata acquisition and the importance of symbolic level of conceptual understanding.
A somitic contribution to the pectoral girdle in the axolotl revealed by long‐term fate mapping

The pectoral girdle is a unique skeletal element that underwent drastic morphological changes during its evolution, especially in association with the fin-to-limb transition. Comparative studies of its development are needed to gain a deeper understanding of its evolution. Transplantation experiments using the quail-chick chimeric system have revealed that not only lateral plate mesoderm but also somites contribute to the pectoral girdle in birds. Studies in mice and turtles also document somitic contributions to the pectoral girdle, but extirpation experiments in a salamander did not affect shoulder girdle development. Somitic contributions to the pectoral girdle therefore have been interpreted as a feature unique to amniotes. Here, we present a long-term fate map of single somites in the Mexican axolotl, based on transplantations of somites two to six from GFP-transgenic donors into wild-type hosts, as well as injections of fluorescein dextran into single somites. The results show a somitic derivation of the dorsal region of the suprascapula, demonstrating that somitic contributions to the pectoral girdle are not restricted to amniotes. Comparison with the few other species studied so far leads us to suggest a position-dependent origin of the pectoral girdle. We propose that embryonic origin is determined by the proximity of the developing pectoral girdle to the somites or to the lateral plate mesoderm, respectively. This position-dependent origin and the diversity of the anatomy of the pectoral girdle among vertebrates implies that the embryonic origin of the pectoral girdle is too variable to be useful for defining homologies or for phylogenetic analysis.
A Global Optimization Approach to a Water Distribution Network DesignProblem

In this paper, we address a global optimization approach to a water distribution network design problem. Traditionally, a variety of local optimization schemes have been developed for such problems, each new method discovering improved solutions for some standard test problems, with no known lower bound to test the quality of the solutions obtained. A notable exception is a recent paper by Eiger et al. (1994) who present a first global optimization approach for a loop and path-based formulation of this problem, using a semi-infinite linear program to derive lower bounds. In contrast, we employ an arc-based formulation that is linear except for certain complicating head-loss constraints and develop a first global optimization scheme for this model. Our lower bounds are derived through the design of a suitable Reformulation-Linearization Technique (RLT) that constructs a tight linear programming relaxation for the given problem, and this is embedded within a branch-and-bound algorithm. Convergence to an optimal solution is induced by coordinating this process with an appropriate partitioning scheme. Some preliminary computational experience is provided on two versions of a particular standard test problem for the literature for which an even further improved solution is discovered, but one that is verified for the first time to be an optimum, without any assumed bounds on the flows. Two other variants of this problem are also solved exactly for illustrative purposes and to provide researchers with additional test cases having known optimal solutions. Suggestions on a more elaborate study involving several algorithmic enhancements are presented for future research.
Multichannel rational system identification

A new technique to obtain the model order and matrix system parameters of multichannel stable rational minimum phase systems from a finite set of output autocorrelation matrices is presented. In this context, the class of all spectral extensions that interpolate the given autocorrelation matrices is utilized to obtain rational and stable approximation of nonrational multichannel systems. >
Manheim Interactive: Selling Cars Online

Manheim Interactive is a subsidiary of Manheim Auctions, a 55-year old brickand-mortar firm that is the number one player in offline vehicle remarketing. Since 1996, Manheim has been remarketing used automobiles over the Internet. Manheim Interactive has found that the strength of the Manheim Auctions brand and the confidence and trust that independent car dealers have in Manheim Auctions has been pivotal in increasing the number of cars sold online from 62 to in 1996 to 100,000 cars with a value of $1.5 billion in 2000. The case study describes the online services offered, the approach to managing the online bus iness, the relationship with the physical auctions business, the IT Infrastructure & applications that deliver the online services, and the metrics used to measure the success of Manheim Interactive.
Flexible intrusion tolerant group membership protocol

Intrusion-tolerant group membership protocols constitute an important part of intrusion-tolerant group communication systems. This protocol maintains a consistent system-wide view of correct group members in the presence of malicious failures. This paper presents a new intrusion-tolerant group membership protocol, which provides two unique features. First, it introduces a new membership state called a suspended membership state. This new state provides a good balance between the amount of time a malicious/compromised group member gets to launch attacks before being removed from the group and the increased vulnerability to denial-of-service attacks if a suspected member is removed too early from the group. Second, it introduces a clean, logical separation between the functionality of detecting malicious processes and removing malicious group members from the group. This logical separation aids in simplifying the group membership protocol design and efficiently detecting suspicious process behaviors.
Emerging LAN structures

This technical paper examines 100VG-AnyLAN, a new IEEE 802.12 technology for transmitting Ethernet and Token Ring frame information at 100 Mbits/s. 100VG-AnyLAN was designed to not only embrace the past with its easy expansion of Ethernet and Token Ring networks but to open the door to the future by enabling new classes of applications. 100VG-AnyLAN uses intelligence in the hub to better manage network usage and improve network control. This central intelligence implements frame switching technique called Demand Priority. Demand Priority hubs arbitrate requests from connected nodes for access to the network, building in a natural flow control that allows 100VG-AnyLAN to minimize network latency, maximize network throughput, and enable support for time-sensitive applications such as multimedia. >
Interactive 3D facial expression posing through 2D portrait manipulation

Sculpting various 3D facial expressions from a static 3D face model is a process with intensive manual tuning efforts. In this paper, we present an interactive 3D facial expression posing system through 2D portrait manipulation, where a manipulated 2D portrait serves a metaphor for automatically inferring its corresponding 3D facial expression with fine details. Users either rapidly assemble a face portrait through a pre-designed portrait component library or intuitively modify an initial portrait. During the editing procedure, when the users move one or a group of 2D control points on the portrait, other portrait control points are adjusted in order to automatically maintain the faceness of the edited portrait if the automated propagation function (switch) is optionally turned on. Finally, the 2D portrait is used as a query input to search for and reconstruct its corresponding 3D facial expression from a pre-recorded facial motion capture database. We showed that this system is effective for rapid 3D facial expression sculpting through a comparative user study.
Cytogenetic evidence concerning possible transplacental transfer of leukocytes in pregnant women

Abstract Chromosome analyses were performed on 5,490 leukocytes in metaphase which were obtained from the cord blood of 183 live newborn male infants. Of these, 5,474 cells contained XY chromosomes, 14 were XX, and 2 had XO sex patterns. The 16 cells with XX and XO chromosomes were derived from 2 infants who had developmental defects and died within 34 days of delivery. It is suggested that mitotically capable leukocytes do not cross the placentas of normal fetuses, and that transfer may occur if the fetus and placenta are developmentally defective.
Analysis of illicit drug exhibits by hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

Positive identification of most illicit laboratory exhibits routed to the Special Testing and Research Laboratory of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) for the identification of unknown constituents has been rapidly achieved with the aid of a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer. This technique often provides valuable quantitative data as well. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of the hydrogen atom provides information on the chemical nature of a single hydrogen atom (or group of atoms) within a molecule, the number of hydrogen atoms in a particular group, and the number and relative position of hydrogen atoms in neighboring groups.
Predicting Outcomes of Children Referred for Autism Using the MacArthur–Bates Communicative Development Inventory

Purpose Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by early impairments in language and related social communication skills. This investigation explored whether scores on the MacArthur–Bates...
DMRT1 promotes oogenesis by transcriptional activation of Stra8 in the mammalian fetal ovary

Dmrt1 belongs to the DM domain gene family of conserved sexual regulators. In the mouse Dmrt1 is expressed in the genital ridge (the gonadal primordium) in both sexes and then becomes testis-specific shortly after sex determination. The essential role of DMRT1 in testicular differentiation is well established, and includes transcriptional repression of the meiotic inducer Stra8. However Dmrt1 mutant females are fertile and the role of Dmrt1 in the ovary has not been studied. Here we show in the mouse that most Dmrt1 mutant germ cells in the fetal ovary have greatly reduced expression of STRA8, and fail to properly localize SYCP3 and γH2AX during meiotic prophase. Lack of DMRT1 in the fetal ovary results in the formation of many fewer primordial follicles in the juvenile ovary, although these are sufficient for fertility. Genome-wide chromatin immunoprecipitiation (ChIP-chip) and quantitative ChIP (qChIP) combined with mRNA expression profiling suggests that transcriptional activation of Stra8 in fetal germ cells is the main function of DMRT1 in females, and that this regulation likely is direct. Thus DMRT1 controls Stra8 sex-specifically, activating it in the fetal ovary and repressing it in the adult testis.
A little bit of leak goes a long way.

I would like to comment on the study by Eberlein and colleagues, who examined size mismatching in lung transplant recipients with pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH). The authors postulated that outcome differences relate to pulmonary vascular resistance. I propose a different mechanism to explain the increased risk of primary graft dysfunction (PGD) in PAH lung transplant recipients, and propose a solution. A consequence of PAH, either primary or secondary to lung disease, is right ventricular (RV) hypertrophy. This involves all walls of the ventricle, including the septum, which is shared with the left ventricle (LV). When a lung transplant is performed, pulmonary vascular resistance is suddenly normalized. What is the impact on the RV? The RV has little work to do, so it does not need to move as forcefully to empty. Ditto for the septum—oops, that’s part of the LV. Thus, an unintended consequence of sudden RV off-loading is a small amount of LV dysfunction. Why does this matter? It matters because a small amount of LV dysfunction means a small increase in left atrial (LA) pressure. No big deal, right? Wrong! Ischemia– reperfusion injury (IRI) due to hypothermic storage causes PGD. A consequence of IRI is endothelial cell leak. Fortunately, this is transient, likely due to inter-endothelial gap formation during ischemia. Edema is most apparent in the first 15 minutes of reperfusion. A small endothelial leak can go a long way with slightly elevated LA pressure. In unpublished murine lung IRI experiments, we showed that lungs rendered ischemic for 1 hour and then reperfused had a significant increase in wet:dry weight ratio within 5 minutes
Structure, local environment, and ionic conduction in scandia stabilized zirconia

Abstract Long-range crystal structures, local cation/anion environments, and ionic conduction characteristics of scandia stabilized zirconia (SSZ) with different Sc compositions were investigated with the help of X-ray diffraction (XRD), solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). Both 45 Sc and 17 O NMR analyses were performed. Low ionic conductivities and high activation energies observed in high-Sc samples at low temperatures were attributed to defect association and cation ordering.
Normal incidence InAs/InGaAs dots-in-well detectors with current blocking AlGaAs layer

Normal incidence InAs/In 0.15 Ga 0.85 As dots-in-a-well detectors operating at T = 78 K with and a broad spectral width of 35% are reported. Effect of a current blocking AlGaAs layer on the device performance is studied. Temperature-dependent dark current, spectral response and calibrated blackbody measurements were undertaken to determine the responsivity and detectivity of the detectors at 78 K. A correction factor was introduced to include the effect of scattering and reflections in the undoped substrate.
The role of radium distribution and porosity in radon emanation from solids.

Essential features of the grain emanation and aggregation models are presented. The presence of thin layers containing Ra is shown to enhance the Rn emanation from the grains. A multiple {alpha}-recoil mechanism is suggested to create a nonuniform Ra distribution. It is also shown that the mesoporosity may increase Rn emanation and the macroporosity may contribute to Rn transport.
Double-resonance spectroscopy of a complex resonance in molecular nitrogen.

Double-resonance spectroscopy via several rotational levels of the ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ ${\mathit{a}}^{1}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Pi}}}_{\mathit{g}}$, v'=5 state has been used to probe the rotational structure of a complex autoionizing resonance observed just below the ${\mathit{X}}^{2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{\mathit{g}}^{+}$, ${\mathit{v}}^{+}$=1 threshold. A multichannel-quantum-defect-theory (MQDT) analysis confirms that the complex resonance is produced by the interaction of two interloping states with the np and nf Rydberg series converging to the ${\mathit{X}}^{2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{\mathit{g}}^{+}$, ${\mathit{v}}^{+}$=1 limit. The quantum defects of the interlopers and their interaction strengths with the two Rydberg series are determined from fits of the MQDT model to the energies of the peaks observed in the complex resonance. The experimentally determined interaction parameters and those available from ab initio calculations are in fair agreement. The present results complete the interpretation of the photoionization spectrum of ${\mathrm{N}}_{2}$ in the energy region between the ${\mathit{X}}^{2}$${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Sigma}}}_{\mathit{g}}^{+}$, ${\mathit{v}}^{+}$=0 and 1 thresholds.
Simulating naturalistic demands for speeded judgment

Responses to speeded judgment (e.g., “shoot/don’t shoot”) situations in naturalistic environments are influenced by many variables and psychological processes. We describe a custom-built simulator with head- and eye-tracking capabilities for basic and applied research on speeded decision making. The system allows the user to project life-sized, time-coded, videotaped, or computer-animated scenarios on a screen to collect reaction-time, shot-accuracy, and eye-movement data. An initial experiment is also reported to demonstrate the utility of the system for studying factors that affect speeded judgment under naturalistic situations.
Some Effects of Feeding Deoxycorticosterone to Chickens

Abstract Feed containing from 5 to 80 ppm of corticosterone was fed to chickens. The resultant changes were related to dose. Blood lymphocytes were reduced in number, heterophils were increased in number, and antibody response to antigen was reduced. At an optimal dose, which was dependant on the stressfulness of the social environment, there was a marked increase in resistance to Escherichia coli infection. Immunity to Eimeria necatrix was reduced by corticosterone feeding but immunity to Newcastle disease was not. The feeding of corticosterone for 10 days resulted in greatly decreased feed efficiency, increased appetite, great increases in body and liver fat, reduced size of lymphoid organs, testes, adrenals, and breast muscle. Some of the responses to corticosterone feeding were influenced by the stressfulness of the environment.
Biomechanical evaluation of metacarpal fracture fixation: application of a 90° internal fixation model

Purpose Complications in metacarpal fracture treatment increase in proportion to the severity of the initial injury and the invasiveness of the surgical fixation technique. This manuscript evaluates the feasibility of minimizing internal fixation construct size and soft tissue dissection, while preserving the advantages of stable internal fixation in a biomechanical model. We hypothesized that comparable construct stability could be achieved with mini-plates in an orthogonal (90/90) configuration compared with a standard dorsal plating technique.
A Detailed Chemical Kinetics Simulation of Engine Knock

Abstract Abstract–Engine knock was simulated for a stoichiometric ethane-air mixture in which the ethane oxidized according to the detailed chemical kinetics mechanism of Westbrook, Dryer, an co-workers. The simulation, using experimental temperature and pressure histories to drive the reaction kinetics, predicted times of knock occurrence that agreed to within two crank-angle degrees of available experimental engine data. In add ition, general comparisons of the species involved in the preknock reactions with limited experimental data available in the literature for other fuels showed consistent trends between prediction and experiment. The important species, including radicals, and reactions that lead to knock with ethane as the fuel are discussed.
Reaction of unsymmetrical dienophiles with a key dienoid intermediate for aphidicolin synthesis

Abstract The Diels-Alder reactions of diene (6) with α-chloroacrylyl chloride and nitroethylene afford adducts (11) and (12), as proven by X-ray crystallographic analysis of a key transformation product (10), supplemented by appropriate correlation experiments. Formation of these adducts, rather than the less sterically congested isomers (7) and (9), can be rationalized using frontier molecular orbital theory.
Particle production in the eikonal model

We consider the production of particles on heavy nuclei and hadrons in the eikonal model, taking into account the Abramovskii-Kancheli-Gribov cutting rules and momentum conservation. It is shown that a sufficiently large gray disk fragments a projectile into its constituents. Corrections to this result for realistic nuclei are discussed. On the basis of the Regge eikonal model we predict a reduction of dsigma/dx for pp ..-->.. pX at x < or approx. = 1 above CERN ISR energies.
Comparison of the amino acid sequences of the major neutralization protein of four human rotavirus serotypes.

Abstract We sequenced the gene coding for the major neutralizing protein (VP7) from eight human rotavirus strains representing serotype 1, 2, 3, or 4. In addition, the corresponding gene of the rhesus rotavirus vaccine strain MMU18006 (serotype 3) was sequenced. Comparative analyses of their deduced amino acid sequences revealed an overall 15–29% divergence in the VP7 proteins that define four different rotavirus serotypes and confirmed the presence of six discrete regions of clustered sequence divergence (amino acids 39–50, 87–101, 120–130, 143–152, 208–221, and 233–242). When the same regions were compared among rotaviruses belonging to the same serotype, a high degree of homology (91–99%) was detected. These observations indicate that differences in the serotype specificity among rotaviruses are the result of a high degree of sequence divergence in several discrete regions of the VP7 gene and that these regions are highly conserved within a given serotype.