cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of training on fricative identification in toddlers

ABSTRACTResearchers who have attempted to relate phonemic identification in young children to their productive performance have met with little success. The failure to do so may reflect the difficulty of the task and uncontrolled stimulus familiarity. Fricative perception was investigated in toddlers using repeated tests to control for these factors. Each subject was tested on two contrasts, one the child produced distinctly in an imitation task and one the child produced as similar syllables. The final perceptual results were well matched to productive distinctiveness. Performance on the identification task over time is considered in terms of the relation between perception and production, the methodology, and competition at the phonological level in the learning of new words.
Contribution of thin-film evaporation during flow boiling inside microchannels

Flow boiling through microchannels is characterized by nucleation and growth of vapor bubbles that fill the entire channel cross-sectional area. As the bubbles nucleate and grow inside the microchannel, a thin film of liquid or a microlayer gets trapped between the bubbles and the channel walls. The heat transfer mechanism present at the channel walls during flow boiling is studied numerically. It is then compared to the heat transfer mechanisms present during nucleate pool boiling and in a moving evaporating meniscus. Increasing contact angle improved wall heat transfer in case of nucleate boiling and moving evaporating meniscus but not in the case of flow boiling inside a microchannel. It is shown that the thermal and the flow fields present inside the microchannel around a bubble are fundamentally different as compared to nucleate pool boiling or in a moving evaporating meniscus. It is explained why thin-film evaporation is the dominant heat transfer mechanism and is responsible for creating an apparent nucleate boiling effect inside a microchannel.
Continuous Interface Elements Subject to Large Shear Deformations

Abstract: In this paper, an interface or joint subject to large shear deformation is modeled. In the proposed algorithm, continuous interface elements with a finite thickness are reconstructed at every load step based on current interface configuration, by employing the concept of contact band element. Special strain expressions for the continuous interface elements are derived with regard to the characteristics of shear strain concentration along the interface. The elastic cross-anisotropic model with the special Mohr–Coulomb criterion is applied for the continuous interface elements in view of the anisotropy of interface materials. Simulation of a pullout test has shown that large pullout displacement and realistic structure configuration might be effectively modeled and smooth distributions of mobilized shear stresses along the interface and axial forces in the reinforcement can be obtained without any fluctuation for different interface element thicknesses. However, the stress and axial force distribu...
Variation in state education policies and effects on student performance

There have been few systematic studies of the effects that education policies adopted at the state level have on the quality of schooling within the state. This article, building on a framework developed by Eric Hanushek and Lori Taylor, measures the effects of state policies—in particular, the effects of state teacher certification requirements on SAT performance across states. In an examination of SAT data from 1972 to 1990, the results suggest that students in states with a master's degree requirement for teacher certification had lower SAT scores than students in states without a master's requirement. The empirical model accounts for inputs such as family background and other school factors typically used in education production functions.
Export Strategies and Performance of Firms from Emerging Economies: Evidence from Brazil, Chile, and Mexico

This study develops a framework for examining the export strategies of firms from emerging economies and their performance in foreign markets. Hypotheses derived from this framework were tested on ...
Low water contents in pyroxenes from spinel-peridotites of the oxidized, sub-arc mantle wedge

Pyroxene water contents measured by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry for Mexican and Simcoe (WA, USA) spinel-peridotite xenoliths range from 140 to 528 ppm in clinopyroxenes and 39 to 265 ppm in orthopyroxenes. Correlations between these water contents and major-element compositional data for the pyroxenes, associated spinels, and whole-rock xenoliths demonstrate that these water contents record mantle values that have not been perturbed since the xenoliths were brought to the surface by their host magmas. Broad positive correlations of pyroxene water contents with whole-rock Al2O3 are consistent with water behaving as an incompatible element during peridotite melting. The main control on the range of pyroxene water contents, however, appears to be the redox state of the peridotite, because estimates of oxygen fugacity from Mo « ssbauer (Simcoe) and microprobe data (Mexico) on spinels are negatively correlated with water contents. This is consistent with the dominant mechanism of H incorporation into pyroxene, which is dependent on the oxidation-reduction of iron. Metasomatism of sub-arc mantle-wedge peridotites by oxidized fluids or melts rising from the slab raises the oxygen fugacity of the peridotites, and where temperature is high enough, induces them to partially melt. The oxidation, in turn, lowers the solubility of water in the peridotite minerals, causing more than half of the original water to be expelled. That water enters the hydrous partial melts and these ascend through the lithosphere to feed the arc magmatic system in the upper crust. Low water contents in pyroxenes from sub-arc mantle-wedge peridotites, such as those from Simcoe and some western Mexican sites, therefore appear to be complementary to the high water contents that characterize subductionzone magmas and fuel their explosive eruptions. An estimate of water budget in subduction zones, however, indicates that the amount of water coming from the dehydration of mantle-wedge anhydrous minerals probably accounts for less than 5% of the total water present in subduction-related magmas. The high water contents of arc magmas thus are mainly attributed to fluids or melts from the slab proper. The relatively dry sub-arc mantle wedge appears to be an effective medium through which subducted water is transported from slabs toward the surface. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Bonding effects in dilute transition-metal alloys

The M\"ossbauer isomer-shift data of transition-metal nuclei as impurities in metals were considered in previous papers where it was shown that, once volume effects were suitably accounted for, the data fell on a "universal" curve. In this paper, the deviations from universality are examined in more detail in an attempt to better understand the alloying behavior. It is found that atom $A$ as an impurity in metal $B$ does not sustain a shift of the same magnitude as atom $B$ does when it is an impurity in metal $A$. The results are discussed in terms of $d$-band hybridization and of the asymmetry in the solubility behavior in transition-metal-alloy phase diagrams.
Is prasugrel superior to clopidogrel for patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing PCI

Is prasugrel superior to clopidogrel for patients with acute coronary syndromes undergoing PCI?
Research in Music Education

MUSIC has been taught in public education for well over a hundred years.l A traditional characteristic of teachers of music has been a constant search for improvement. Years before the study of music was "admitted" to higher educationin fact, long before most colleges were founded a large body of literature, manuals, methodologies, festivals, and teachertraining institutes had developed. From the beginning, teaching of music has evolved from a single aimthe education of children in and througk music. Ways and means of attaining it have varied, but the primary objective has been constant. It remains fundamentally the same today although the "search'> has become more complex and challenging. By the middle twenties of this century, broadened concepts of education ewanding music programs, and degree requirements necessitated the esi tablishment of graduate programs. Research, in a contemporary sense, was inItiated. Doctoral programs evolved, and the past twenty years have seen a significant disciplining of inquiry and basic research in the profession. The varied and many-faceted forces currently affecting education are well llnown: growing enrollments, imbalances itl all curriculums, greater irlvolvement of government and private
Fast Bayesian scan statistics for multivariate event detection and visualization

The multivariate Bayesian scan statistic (MBSS) is a recently proposed, general framework for event detection and characterization in multivariate space–time data. MBSS integrates prior information and observations from multiple data streams in a Bayesian framework, computing the posterior probability of each type of event in each space–time region. MBSS has been shown to have many advantages over previous event detection approaches, including improved timeliness and accuracy of detection, easy interpretation and visualization of results, and the ability to model and accurately differentiate between multiple event types. This work extends the MBSS framework to enable detection and visualization of irregularly shaped clusters in multivariate data, by defining a hierarchical prior over all subsets of locations. While a naive search over the exponentially many subsets would be computationally infeasible, we demonstrate that the total posterior probability that each location has been affected can be efficiently computed, enabling rapid detection and visualization of irregular clusters. We compare the run time and detection power of this ‘Fast Subset Sums’ method to our original MBSS approach (assuming a uniform prior over circular regions) on semi-synthetic outbreaks injected into real-world Emergency Department data from Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. We demonstrate substantial improvements in spatial accuracy and timeliness of detection, while maintaining the scalability and fast run time of the original MBSS method. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Binomial sequential classification sampling plans for European red mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) with special reference to performance criteria

Binomial sequential sampling procedures were developed for classifying the density of European red mites, Panonychus ulmi (Koch), with respect to four critical densities. Frequencies of erroneous classifications made using these sampling procedures and average sample sizes required to make classifications were compared with sequential sampling procedures that used complete counts of mites on leaves. The binomial procedures required approximately the same average sample size and had approximately the same frequency of erroneous classification. The sample size efficiency of the binomial sequential classification sampling plan was compared and found superior to the sample size efficiency of an estimation procedure based on binomial sampling. Field testing of one of the binomial sequential Classification sampling plans showed that it rapidly and correctly classified mite densities.
Computer-assisted categorization of brain computerized tomography pixels into cerebrospinal fluid, white matter, and gray matter

Abstract A computer-assisted method was employed to estimate the amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), white matter, and gray matter in individual computerized tomography (CT) scans of brains. By means of an image processing procedure (DMORPH), the means ± SD CT numbers of “pure” CSF, white matter, and gray matter were determined in each scan and stored. A CATSEG program used these means to define ranges for CT numbers for each of the three tissues on each scan, and to assign each pixel in scan to one of the three categories. Summing over seven serial scans provided volumetric estimates of CSF, white matter, and gray matter in a brain segment. For 10 subjects aged 21 to 43 years, CSF volume equaled 1.4 to 4.7% of the total segment volume, white matter equaled 37.5 to 48.2%, and gray matter equaled 50.2 to 58.9%. Image processing hardware and software which allow standardized sampling from CT images for the evaluation of surface areas and CT numbers are described. These procedures, as applied to CT scans of the human brain, can be used to estimate the volumes of CSF, white matter, and gray matter in a selected intracranial segment.
Bonding of vulcanized rubber to polyester cord using RFL adhesives modified with chlororesorcinolic resin

ABSTRACT: A typical resorcinol/formaldehyde/latex(RFL) adhesive and two modiﬁed versions were used tobond a tire body stock (NR/SBR/BR blend) to polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) cord. Modiﬁcations contained a com-mercial chlorophenol/resorcinol condensate or a lab-pre-pared chlororesorcinol/resorcinol condensate (CRA). Stan-dard H-test specimens were prepared by embedding adhe-sive-coated, heat-treated cords into the rubber and thenvulcanizing. The effect of heat treatment time and overcureon pull-out adhesion was studied. Overcure conditions wereused to simulate long service. Pull-out forces increased withlonger heat treatment and decreased with overcure. TheCRA-modiﬁed adhesive gave the highest pull-out forcesafter overcure. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 91:1993–1996, 2004 INTRODUCTION Resorcinol/formaldehyde/latex (RFL) adhesives 1–9 andmodiﬁed versions have been used to bond nylon andpolyester cord to rubber in composite structures, such astires. A typical RFL adhesive suitable for bonding nyloncord to sulfur-vulcanized
Tripodal imidazole containing ligands for copper catalyzed ATRP

Tripodal imidazole containing ligands, bis((2-pyridyl)methyl)(1-methylimidazole-2-yl)methyl)amine (BPIA) and bis(1-methylimidazole-2-yl)methyl)((2-pyridyl)methyl)amine (BIPA), were synthesized and used for copper catalyzed atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) of n-butyl acrylate (nBA). The molecular weights of poly(n-butyl acrylate) (PnBA) catalyzed by CuBr/BPIA and CuBr/BIPA complexes increased linearly with nBA conversions and they were close to theoretical values with low polydispersities. ATRP equilibrium rate constant (KATRP) measurements showed that bothCuBr/BPIA and CuBr/BIPA complexes had high KATRP values, similar to that of CuBr/tri(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (TPMA), which is one of the ATRP most active ligands. Activators regenerated by electron transfer (ARGET) ATRP of nBA with CuBr2/BPIA and CuBr2/BIPA complexes were also conducted and polymerization reached high nBA conversions, resulting in PnBA with low polydispersities. This suggests that the copper complexes with BPIA and BIPA were sufficiently stable and active to conduct ATRP when catalyst concentration was low. ARGET ATRP to form high molecular weight PnBA with CuBr2/BPIA and CuBr2/BIPA complexes was also successful. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 2015–2024, 2008
The prospects for muddling through

Nathan Glazer's The Limits of Social Policy presents an analysis of recent American social policy that Edmund Burke could applaud. A main cause of the failure of American social programs, Glazer argues, is that government ineluctably supplants and weakens the “fine structure”; of society—the traditional institutions of family, religion, and community. Sometimes the government is merely clumsy and ignorant, but more often the ill effects are the result of “the ruling doctrines of our age,”; equality and human rights, which cannot bear to leave the convoluted and sometimes unlovely ways of custom and local mores to play themselves out unimpeded. But the very persuasiveness of Glazer's analysis of the past casts some doubt on his measured optimism about the future. Are moderate reforms going to be good enough? Perhaps things will work out for the middle class and affluent, the reviewer argues, but the underclass increasingly appears to be a casualty of moderate reforms. The reviewer offers some reasons for t...
Modeling and simulation of breakwater construction

Discusses the application of computer simulation for the analysis of productivity of breakwater construction. Data collected from the first stage of the South Star Project in Taiwan is used in modeling and analysis. The South Star project involves embanking land from the sea, using industrial waste as deposits and expanding the seashore line as well as increasing land for the industrial city of Kaohsiung. The main benefit of this simulation analysis is a detailed look at the techniques for improving breakwater construction.
Output, Input, and Productivity Measurement in U.S. Agriculture 1948–79

Tornqvist-Theil indexes of outputs and inputs are constructed. These data are used to construct indexes of productivity growth over the postwar period. The productivity indexes can be derived from a flexible multioutput-multifactor representation of the structure of production constrained to constant returns to scale. Total factor productivity grew at an average annual rate of 1.75%, compared with 1.70% per year estimated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The similar estimates of productivity growth overshadow some important differences in measurement of individual inputs. The major effort in measuring agricultural productivity is undertaken by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). An American Agricultural Economics Association task force on measuring productivity has examined the sources and procedures used in constructing the official statistics (see Loomis and Barton, Lambert, Barton and Durost). The task force recommended that the USDA adopt a series of specific improvements for constructing certain inputs, and use an indexing procedure that does not impose a priori restrictions on the structure of production.1 This paper presents revised indexes of outputs and inputs. The data are used to construct indexes of productivity growth over the postwar period. The productivity indexes can be derived from a flexible multioutput-multifactor representation of the structure of production-the translog transformation function-constrained to constant returns to scale.2 The indexes of outputs and inputs have the same form, and their ratio coincides with the estimate of productivity growth.
Oligodendrocyte pathophysiology: a new view of schizophrenia

A recent focus of schizophrenia research is disruption of white-matter integrity as a key facet of this complex disorder. This was spurred, partly, by new imaging modalities, magnetic transfer imaging and diffusion tensor imaging, which showed differences in white-matter integrity and tract coherence in persons with schizophrenia compared to controls. Oligodendrocytes, in particular, have been the subject of increased study after gene microarray analyses revealed that six myelin-related genes specific to oligodendrocytes have decreased expression levels in schizophrenia. Oligodendrocytes have also been shown to be decreased in number in the superior frontal gyrus of subjects with schizophrenia. The MAG knockout mouse, missing a myelin-related gene linked to schizophrenia, may prove to be a useful animal model for the dysmyelination observed in the human disease. Studies currently ongoing on this model have found changes in dendritic branching patterns of pyramidal cells in layer III of the prefrontal cortex. Further characterization of the pathology in these mice is underway.
Depressive symptoms in patients with heart failure negatively affect family caregiver outcomes and quality of life

Background:Depressive symptoms in people with heart failure (HF) are highly prevalent. Caring for patients with both HF and depression may be more burdensome than caring for patients with HF alone.Aims:The purpose of this study was to examine differences in caregivers’ outcomes (i.e. caregiving burden, difficulty and time spent on caregiving, perceptions of life change as a result of caregiving, and quality of life) between caregivers who take care of HF patients with depressive symptoms and without depressive symptoms.Method:Patient-caregiver dyads at an outpatient clinic completed survey questionnaires. Patients’ depression was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II); primary caregivers completed caregiving outcome questionnaires. Differences in caregiving outcomes between patients with and without depressive symptoms (BDI-II≥14) were examined using t-tests, Chi-square, and Mann-Whitney U-test.Results:Of 102 patients (64% male, mean age 61, 41% NYHA Class III–IV, mean ejection fraction ...
Herd immunity and the HIV epidemic.

Background. Herd immunity describes the collective immunocompetence of a population and its ability to resist disease. The diseases of mycobacteria, salmonella, hepatitis A, cryptosporidia, syphilis, measles, influenza, and numerous others recently have been seen in epidemic proportions in the United States. An association between these superimposed secondary infections and the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemic can be made since the HIV's imposition on individual immunity has ramifications on a population level through a decline in herd immunity. Conclusion. Exploring these epidemic phenomena as consequential to a reduction in herd immunity can provide a unifying hypothesis to explain existing and predict future infectious disease epidemic dynamics. The benefits of acting upon these implications has advantages for both the HIV infected and the uninfected.
Development and validation of a simple risk score to predict the need for permanent pacing after cardiac valve surgery

OBJECTIVES The study objective was to develop and validate a simple risk score to predict postoperative permanent pacing (PPM) after valve surgery. BACKGROUND Our ability to identify patients preoperatively that will require PPM is poor. A simple preoperative risk score to predict PPM after valve surgery could assist both clinical practice and research. METHODS All valve surgery patients at our institution from 1992 to 2002 were included (n = 4,694). Two-thirds of the patients were randomly selected to form a risk score prediction group (PG), and the score was then applied to the remaining patients (validation group [VG]). RESULTS Preoperative right bundle branch block (odds ratio [OR], 3.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.3 to 5.7) and multivalve surgery that included the tricuspid valve (OR, 3.7; 95% CI, 2.3 to 6.1) were the strongest independent predictors of PPM, while multivalve surgery that did not include the tricuspid valve (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.3), preoperative left bundle branch block (OR, 2.0; 95% CI, 1.3 to 2.9), preoperative PR interval >200 ms (OR, 1.9; 95% CI, 1.3 to 3.0), prior valve surgery (OR, 1.8, 95% CI, 1.2 to 2.7), and age >70 years (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.04 to 2.0) also predicted PPM. A risk score from 0 to 6 identified patients in the VG with incidences of PPM of 1.9%, 5.2%, 8.7%, 11.5%, 21%, 36%, and 50%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS A simple risk score incorporating preoperative conduction, age, prior valve surgery, and surgery type predicts PPM after valve surgery. This score may be useful in the perioperative management of valve surgery patients.
Illicit Prescription Drug Use among Pharmacists Evidence of a Paradox of Familiarity

On average, pharmacists spend six years in college studying the intricacies of prescription medicines and their effects on the human body. Upon graduation, they embark on a career where their expertise and familiarity with the proper use and dangers of prescription drugs continuously grows. Despite this wealth of experience, some pharmacists become prescription drug abusers. The present analysis uses interview data obtained from 50 recovering drug dependent pharmacists to understand the process by which these professionals come to abuse the tools of their trade. Ironically, the data show several ways in which the individuals' knowledge and expertise may actually contribute to progressive prescription drug abuse. The authors argue that being and becoming a pharmacist presents a paradox of familiarity wherein technical knowledge and opportunity, in the absence of proper appreciation of the risks of substance abuse, can delude pharmacists into believing that they are immune to prescription drug abuse.
Effects of Intermittent and Incremental Cyclic Stretch on ERK Signaling and Collagen Production in Engineered Tissue

Intermittent cyclic stretching and incrementally increasing strain amplitude cyclic stretching were explored to overcome the reported adaptation of fibroblasts in response to constant amplitude cyclic stretching, with the goals of accelerating collagen production and understanding the underlying cell signaling. The effects of constant amplitude, intermittent, and incremental cyclic stretching regimens were investigated for dermal fibroblasts entrapped in a fibrin gel by monitoring the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2) and p38 pathways, collagen transcription, and finally the deposited collagen protein. Activation of ERK1/2, which has been shown to be necessary for stretch-induced collagen transcription, was maximal at 15 min and decayed by 1 h. ERK1/2 was reactivated by an additional onset of stretching or by an increment in the strain amplitude 6 h after the initial stimulus, which was approximately the lifetime of activated p38, a known ERK1/2 inhibitor. While both intermittent and incremental regimens reactivated ERK1/2, only incremental stretching increased collagen production compared to samples stretched with constant amplitude, resulting in a 37% increase in collagen per cell after 2 weeks. This suggests that a regimen with small, frequent increments in strain amplitude is optimal for this system and should be used in bioreactors for engineered tissues requiring high collagen content.
Facilitation of bilateral selective antegrade cerebral perfusion with axillary cannulation and retrograde coronary sinus catheter

Over the past several decades, techniques for surgery of the aortic arch have undergone significant evolution. In addition, there have been refinements in the mechanism of cerebral protection utilized intraoperatively. However, significant practice variations in the strategy of antegrade selective cerebral perfusion continue to persist. Here, we describe a simple and easily reproducible technique for selective antegrade cerebral perfusion, utilizing axillary cannulation and retrograde coronary sinus balloon catheters.
Identification of an MRAP-Independent Melanocortin-2 Receptor: Functional Expression of the Cartilaginous Fish, Callorhinchus milii, Melanocortin-2 Receptor in CHO Cells

Phylogenetic analyses indicate that the genome of the cartilaginous fish, Callorhynchus milii (elephant shark), encodes a melanocortin-2 receptor (MC2R) ortholog. Expression of the elephant shark mc2r cDNA in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells revealed that trafficking to the plasma membrane and functional activation of the receptor do not require coexpression with an exogenous melanocortin receptor-2 accessory protein (mrap) cDNA. Ligand selectivity studies indicated that elephant shark MC2R-transfected CHO cells produced cAMP in a dose-dependent manner when stimulated with either human ACTH (1-24) or [Nle(4), d-Phe(7)]-MSH. Furthermore, the order of ligand selectivity when elephant shark MC2R-transfected CHO cells were stimulated with cartilaginous fish melanocortins was as follows: ACTH (1-25) = γ-MSH = δ-MSH > αMSH = β-MSH. Elephant shark MC2R is the first vertebrate MC2R ortholog to be analyzed that does not require melanocortin receptor-2 accessory protein 1 for functional activation. In addition, elephant MC2R is currently the only MC2R ortholog that can be activated by either ACTH- or MSH-sized ligands. Hence, it would appear that MC2R dependence on melanocortin receptor-2 accessory protein 1 for functional activation and the exclusive selectivity of this melanocortin receptor for ACTH are features that emerged after the divergence of the ancestral cartilaginous fishes and the ancestral bony fishes more than 400 million years ago.
Methemoglobinemia Secondary to Topical Benzocaine Use in a Lung Transplant Patient

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of methemoglobinemia secondary to the administration of topical benzocaine spray in an anemic patient who had previously undergone a lung transplant.CASE SUMMARY:A 40-year-old white man with a past medical history significant for lung transplant acutely decompensated following oropharyngeal administration of topical benzocaine spray. Subsequent blood analysis revealed a methemoglobin concentration of 51.2%. Following the administration of a single dose of methylene blue 2 mg/kg intravenously, the patient's respiratory status dramatically improved and stabilized.DISCUSSION:Methemoglobinemia is a rare but potentially fatal condition that may be either acquired or congenital; however, the disorder is most commonly acquired secondary to exposure to oxidizing chemicals, which are often routinely prescribed medications, including benzocaine. Benzocaine can react with hemoglobin to form methemoglobin at a rate that exceeds reduction capabilities, which may result in oxygenation difficu...
A performance evaluation of memory hierarchy in embedded systems

The increasing speed gap between processors and memory makes the design of memory hierarchy one of the critical issues in general purpose embedded systems. As memory requirements for embedded applications grow, especially in emerging area of handheld multimedia devices, cache memories become crucial for providing high performance and reducing power. This paper describes a performance evaluation of typical cache design issues such as cache size and organization, block size, and replacement policy. The evaluation is done using simulation tools for architectural exploration based on ARM instruction set and MiBench benchmark suite. Our performance evaluation includes monitoring of dynamic cache behavior, since embedded systems designers are interested not only in the total number of cache misses, but also in the number of cache misses throughout application execution.
Press the Cancel Button! A Performance Evaluation of Scalable In-Network Data Aggregation

We perform real-world tests of the performance of medium access control protocol schemes for scalable data aggregation in sensor networks. Specifically, we evaluate the performance of a Listen-and-Suppress Carrier Sense Multiple Access (LAS-CSMA) scheme on the duplicate-insensitive exemplary monotonic aggregates MAX and MIN. These schemes reduce power consumption, network bandwidth usage and delays by suppressing node packet transmissions that are proven to be unnecessary in the query response. This is possible when nodes listen to the transmissions of other nodes as they respond. Scalability tests were performed for 8 networks of various sizes, the largest having 24 Crossbow IRIS wireless mote modules as data nodes. We found that for the largest networks, packet transmissions, receptions, and response delays were reduced 44%, 65%, and 38% respectively. Packet transmissions and response delays were found to scale nearly logarithmically with respect to the size of the network, which resembles predictions by recent theoretical results. However, the consumption of energy and network resources is further reduced in platforms with better software implementations and hardware support for the TinyOS Active Messages interface. It is found that the scalability and performance of LAS-CSMA depends strongly on how quickly nodes can cancel a pending packet transmission based on a calculation with data from an incoming packet.
Conflicts of Interest in the International Drug Control System

The drug problem in the United States and elsewhere has historically received intermittent attention, most often when the problem has reached crisis proportions in a certain locale. In such times, one of the natural focal points of discussion has been the role that other nations play in supplying drugs. It has not been unusual for foreign states to be accused of being the source of the problem, while others have been identified, in varying degrees of culpability, as accessories. This often has created conflict, especially when an accused nation has viewed the issue differently. Under these circumstances, states have frequently attempted negotiations in hopes of reaching some sort of agreement that will accommodate all the affected parties.
Source Characteristics of Earthquakes, Explosions and Afterevents

Summary Broad-band seismic data available on the magnetic tape library at Berkeley have been used in a study comparing P, and Rayleigh waves from earthquakes, explosions and explosion afterevents, both collapse and earthquake types. Eighty-one events equidistant from Berkeley at 500-550 km provided the data for wave amplitude and spectra comparisons. Explosions exhibit characteristic low Rayleigh wave (12-s period) generation, for given P,, amplitude, relative to earthquakes as well as explosion afterevents. This discriminant, for events recorded at Berkeley, is well developed down to local magnitude M,, 4.0 or less (m; R 3.6) and shows no indication of convergence, although scatter increases, for smaller events. Rayleigh wave spectra for explosions and collapses are quite similar, the similarity continuing up to frequencies of 0.5 Hz for proximate events. However, they differ significantly from spectra of shallow earthquakes in the same source region. This implies the explosions, including those large ones with appreciable surface faulting, Love wave generation, and aftershock sequences, are sources with small time and space dimensions, relative to shallow earthquakes at the same site. Extensive fault displacements near large explosions is proposed as passive medium response to strong shaking and Love wave generation with Rayleigh wave asymmetry is suggested to occur through processes acting in the relatively small high stress explosive source region.
High NaCl increases TonEBP/OREBP mRNA and protein by stabilizing its mRNA.

Hypertonicity increases mRNA and protein abundance of the transcription factor tonicity-responsive enhancer/osmotic response element binding protein (TonEBP/OREBP), contributing to increased transc...
Evaluation of standard durability tests towards the qualification process for the glass-zeolite ceramic waste form

Glass-bonded zeolite is being developed as a potential ceramic waste form for the disposition of radionuclides associated with the Department of Energy`s (DOE`s) spent nuclear fuel conditioning activities. The utility of several standard durability tests was evaluated as a first step in developing methods and criteria that can be applied towards the process of qualifying this material for acceptance into the DOE Civilian Radioactive Waste Management System. The effects of pH, leachant composition, and sample surface-area-to leachant-volume ratios on the durability test results are discussed, in an attempt to investigate the release mechanisms and other physical and chemical parameters that are important for the acceptance criteria, including the establishment of appropriate test methodologies required for product consistency measurements.
Histology of the oviduct of the leopard frog, Rana pipiens.

The first one to three mm of each of the paired female oviducts in Rana pipiensconsists of a folded mucosa lacking tubular glands and enclosed by a serosa. Most of the remainder of the oviduct is lined by a folded mucosa richly endowed with simple tubular, jelly-secreting glands. The final one to two cm of the uterine portion of the oviduct, however, has a smooth mucosal lining which lacks tubular glands. Jelly-secreting glands penetrate to the base of the mucosa and open to the lumen between ridges capped with ciliated or mucous secreting epithelial cells. As cells of the jelly-secreting glands grow and differentiate during the summer, they accumulate a granular secretory product which exhibits basohpilia in hematoxylinstained specimens. This is the essential change in the histological structure of the gland throughout the growing season. The adult male oviduct is a solid cord of cells for about one-third of its length. The inferior two-thirds, however, is like the female oviduct at an intermediate stage of seasonal growth with gland cells containing secretory granules which exhibit basophilia.
Reference-free cell mixture adjustments in analysis of DNA methylation data

Motivation: Recently there has been increasing interest in the effects of cell mixture on the measurement of DNA methylation, specifically the extent to which small perturbations in cell mixture proportions can register as changes in DNA methylation. A recently published set of statistical methods exploits this association to infer changes in cell mixture proportions, and these methods are presently being applied to adjust for cell mixture effect in the context of epigenome-wide association studies. However, these adjustments require the existence of reference datasets, which may be laborious or expensive to collect. For some tissues such as placenta, saliva, adipose or tumor tissue, the relevant underlying cell types may not be known. Results: We propose a method for conducting epigenome-wide association studies analysis when a reference dataset is unavailable, including a bootstrap method for estimating standard errors. We demonstrate via simulation study and several real data analyses that our proposed method can perform as well as or better than methods that make explicit use of reference datasets. In particular, it may adjust for detailed cell type differences that may be unavailable even in existing reference datasets. Availability and implementation: Software is available in the R package RefFreeEWAS. Data for three of four examples were obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), accession numbers GSE37008, GSE42861 and GSE30601, while reference data were obtained from GEO accession number GSE39981. Contact: andres.houseman@oregonstate.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: An Update on Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder

Honeybee Colony Collapse Disorder (HCCD or CCD) is an epidemic in which worker bees mysteriously disappear from hives, despite the presence of a living queen and immature brood—the care and feeding of both being their ordinary preoccupation—and sometimes even despite the presence of ample supplies of stored honey that would sustain them. While it understandably has a great impact on honey production, the greatest significance of HCCD is its effects on tens of billions of dollars’ worth of crops that depend on bees to pollinate their flowers so as to have higher rates of seed or fruit set. A review of the literature done in 2008, covering journal articles up through 2007, disclosed a wide variety of potential causes for HCCD being put forth, largely in articles confined to the literature of entomology and apiology. This update, which covers 2008–2013, suggests that the number of factors still seriously implicated has actually diminished and that the majority of papers today favor multifactorial explanation...
Contrast agents: X-ray contrast agents and molecular imaging--a contradiction?

It is the purpose of this article to discuss whether and how X-ray contrast media may contribute to molecular imaging. X-ray contrast media are small molecules containing heavy elements, preferentially iodine. Modern CT allows precise, fast and reliable quantification of contrast media concentrations in large volumes with excellent spatial resolution throughout the body. The main disadvantage is the low contrast sensitivity requiring iodine concentrations of ≥0.5 mg/ml. Various approaches of the past and the present to specific contrast agents reflecting physiological, cellular or molecular processes are presented and options for the future are discussed.
Performance of non-invasive models of fibrosis in predicting mild to moderate fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background & aims In non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, presence of fibrosis is predictive of long-term liver-related complications. Currently, there are no reliable and non-invasive means of quantifying fibrosis in those with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the performance of a panel of non-invasive models in predicting fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Methods The accuracy of FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, fibrosis 4 and four other non-invasive models in predicting fibrosis in those with biopsy proven non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was compared. These models were constructed post hoc in patients who had necessary clinical information collected within 2 months of a liver biopsy. The areas under receiver operating characteristics curves were compared for each model using Delong analysis. Optimum cut-off for each model and fibrosis stage were calculated using the Youden index. Results The area under receiver operating characteristics curves for F ≥ 1 fibrosis for fibrosis 4 and FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was 0.821 and 0.801 respectively. For F ≥ 3, the area under receiver operating characteristics curves was 0.866 for fibrosis 4 and 0.862 for FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Delong analysis showed the area under receiver operating characteristics curves was statistically different for fibrosis 4 and FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease compared with BARD, BAAT and aspartate aminotransferase:alanine aminotransferase ratio for F ≥ 1 and F ≥ 3. Area under receiver operating characteristics curves were significantly different for fibrosis 4 and FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for F ≥ 3 compared with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease fibrosis score. At a fixed sensitivity of 90%, FibroMeter non-alcoholic fatty liver disease had the highest specificity for F ≥ 1 (52.4%) and F ≥ 3 (63.8%). In contrast, at a fixed specificity of 90%, fibrosis 4 outperformed other models with a sensitivity of 60.2% for F ≥ 1 and 70.6% for F ≥ 3 fibrosis. Conclusion These non-invasive models of fibrosis can predict varying degrees of fibrosis from routinely collected clinical information in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Alcohol-induced stimulation of phospholipase C in human platelets requires G-protein activation.

Abstract In previous studies we have demonstrated that ethanol activates hormone-sensitive phospholipase C in intact human platelets, resulting in the mobilization of intracellular Ca2+ and platelet shape change. The present study aims to localize further this effect of ethanol by examining its interaction with the regulation of phospholipase C in a permeabilized cell system. In platelets permeabilized with a minimal concentration (18 micrograms/ml) of saponin, ethanol by itself did not activate phospholipase C. However, ethanol potentiated the activation of phospholipase C in response to the non-hydrolysable GTP analogue GTP[S] (guanosine 5'-[gamma-thio]triphosphate), an effect similar to that observed with thrombin. Ethanol also potentiated the response to fluoride, which acts directly on G-proteins. Other short-chain alcohols also stimulated phospholipase C in a synergistic manner with GTP[S]. The ability of specific alcohols to stimulate phospholipase C was directly related to their respective lipid-solubilities, as determined by their partition coefficients. Moreover, the potencies of each alcohol correlated with their ability to elicit Ca2+ mobilization and shape change in intact platelets. These effects of ethanol were eliminated by a disruption of receptor-phospholipase C coupling induced by the addition of higher concentrations of saponin. These data indicate that the activation of phospholipase C by ethanol may occur by affecting protein-protein interactions in the signal-transduction complex involving GTP-binding regulatory proteins.
Calculating the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic

Applications of entropy and the second law of thermodynamics in landscape ecology are rare and poorly developed. This is a fundamental limitation given the centrally important role the second law plays in all physical and biological processes. A critical first step to exploring the utility of thermodynamics in landscape ecology is to define the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic. In this paper I attempt to link landscape ecology to the second law of thermodynamics and the entropy concept by showing how the configurational entropy of a landscape mosaic may be calculated. I begin by drawing parallels between the configuration of a categorical landscape mosaic and the mixing of ideal gases. I propose that the idea of the thermodynamic microstate can be expressed as unique configurations of a landscape mosaic, and posit that the landscape metric Total Edge length is an effective measure of configuration for purposes of calculating configurational entropy. I propose that the entropy of a given landscape configuration can be calculated using the Boltzmann equation. Specifically, the configurational entropy can be defined as the logarithm of the number of ways a landscape of a given dimensionality, number of classes and proportionality can be arranged (microstates) that produce the observed amount of total edge (macrostate).