cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical evaluation of the overweight patient

Evaluation of an overweight patient is the first step in any therapeutic program. The syndromes of obesity can be classified in several ways. The first is an anatomic classification based on the size, number, and distribution of fat cells and fat tissue. The second is an etiologic classification based on identification of specific diseases and settings that produce obesity. Hypothalamic injury and endocrine disease such as Cushing's disease and the polycystic ovary syndrome are three identifiable causes of obesity. In this medicated society drugs are always candidates to produce weight gain. The most common causes, however, are stopping smoking, overconsumption of high-fat foods, a decrease in the level of activity, and aging. The natural history of obesity provides a useful framework in which to view both preventive and therapeutic strategies. Some individuals will never become overweight, but of those who do, about one-third will do so during the first two decades, and the remaining two-thirds will become overweight after age 20. A number of epidemiological and metabolic factors can serve as a guide to those individuals who are at high risk. Having overweight parents tops the list, but multiple births, cessation of smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle are additional factors. Therapeutic decisions should be based on risk-benefit decisions. The risk can be assessed from the body mass index, the distribution of fat in upper or lower body obesity, the rate of weight gain, and the degree of physical inactivity. After assessing risk, the therapeutic choices can be selected from the age category of the patient. With any therapeutic activity, involvement of the patient in a realistic approach to the treatment process is essential.
Polyaffine parametrization of image registration based on geodesic flows

Image registration based on geodesic flows has gained much popularity in recent years. We describe a novel parametrization of the velocity field in a stationary flow equation. We show that the method offers both precision, flexibility, and simplicity of evaluation. With our representation, which is very similar to existing methods, we show that we can find an analytical solution. This solution converges exponentially to the true solution, and the gradients may be determined similarly. We compare to existing prominent methods; the log-euclidean polyaffine framework, and the DARTEL implementation of geodesic shooting for computational anatomy. We avoid to do warp field convolution by interpolation in a dense field, we can easily calculate warp derivatives in a reference frame of choice, and we can consequently avoid interpolation in the image space altogether.
Calcium entry via ORAI1 regulates glioblastoma cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Abstract Introduction Calcium entry plays a critical role in the proliferation and survival of certain tumors. Ca 2+ release activated Ca 2+ (CRAC) channels constitute one of the most important pathways for calcium entry especially that of store-operated calcium entry (SOCE). ORAI1 and stromal interaction molecule1 (STIM1) are essential protein components of CRAC channels. In this study we tested the effect of inhibiting CRAC through ORAI1 and STIM1 on glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tumor cell proliferation and survival. Methods Two glioblastoma cell lines, C6 (rat) and U251 (human), were used in the study. ORAI1 and STIM1 expressions were examined using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. CRAC channel activity and its components were inhibited with ion channel blockers and using siRNA knockdown. Changes in intracellular calcium concentration were recorded using Fura-2 fluorescent calcium imaging. Cell proliferation and apoptosis were examined using MTS and TUNEL assays, respectively. Results CRAC blockers, such as SKF-96365 (1-[2-(4-methoxyphenyl)-2-[3-(4-methoxyphenyl) propoxy]ethyl-1H-imidazole), 2-aminoethoxydiphenyl borate (2-APB) and Diethylstilbestrol (DES), inhibited cell proliferations and SOCE in GBM cells. Knockdown of ORAI1 and STIM1 proteins using siRNA significantly inhibited C6 cell proliferation and SOCE compared with those in control cells, and a more significant effect was observed in cells with ORAI1 siRNA knockdown than that of STIM1-treated cells. Both CRAC blockers and siRNA treatments increased apoptosis in C-6 cells compared with control. Conclusion Calcium entry via ORAI1 and CRAC channels are important for GBM proliferation and survival.
Materials science: Radicals promote magnetic gel assembly.

Engineering complex tissues requires high-throughput, three-dimensional patterning of materials and cells. A method to assemble small gel components using magnetic forces from encapsulated free radicals could be just the ticket.
FDTD modeling of scatterers in stratified media

The FDTD technique is well suited for calculating the fields scattered by buried objects when the sources are close enough to the air/ground interface so that they can be incorporated into the solution space. Difficulties arise, however, when the sources are far from the interface since the total fields in the solution space are not all outgoing waves. Using well-known formulas for the fields transmitted and reflected by stratified media, this paper discusses a method whereby the fields scattered by a buried object can be easily calculated by the FDTD technique when the incident field is a plane wave. >
Loss of Representativeness of the Fixed Incore Instrumentation of the EPR™ Reactor

The EPR™ reactor features a fixed incore instrumentation, composed of 72 Self Powered Neutron Detectors (SPND), that provides the online reconstruction of the core maximum Linear Power Density (LPD) and minimum Departure from Nucleate Boiling Ratio (DNBR). The Instrumentation and Control (I&C) systems of the EPR™ reactor use this online reconstruction in surveillance and protection functions. The onsite thresholds of those I&C functions have to take into account all the uncertainties affecting the online reconstruction of core power distribution measured by SPNDs. One of these uncertainties is the so-called Loss Of Representativeness (LOR). This uncertainty is defined as the difference between the LPD (respectively DNBR) physical value and the LPD (respectively DNBR) computed value using SPND signals. The LOR parameter is mostly linked to the difference between the core power distribution at the time where SPNDs are calibrated and the core power distribution at the time where their signals are used. For the DNBR, LOR also takes into account the use of a simplified on-line DNBR calculation algorithm. A statistical approach is used in order to define this uncertainty. The analysis is based on the evaluation of different sets of core power distributions generated thanks to random drawings of the plant state parameters (including power level, core inlet temperature, pressure, control rod insertion and xenon distribution). The sets of core configurations representative of normal plant operation are used to define the surveillance thresholds. The sets representative of accidental transients (for which the LPD and DNBR protections are claimed) are used to define the protection thresholds. The analysis of LOR values provides an envelop probability law covering a minimum of 95% of LOR values. In order to derive the on-site threshold for LPD and DNBR, a Monte Carlo method is used to propagate the LOR probability law and the other uncertainties. Sensitivity calculations have been performed in order to cover a large spectrum of fuel loading patterns and to take into account SPND failures. In conclusion, this approach allows defining an optimized and robust set of thresholds for the on-line surveillance and protection system of EPR™ reactor.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
A Dichotomy in Cortical Actin and Chemotactic Actin Activity between Human Memory and Naive T Cells Contributes to Their Differential Susceptibility to HIV-1 Infection

Human memory and naive CD4 T cells can mainly be identified by the reciprocal expression of the CD45RO or CD45RA isoforms. In HIV-1 infection, blood CD45RO memory CD4 T cells are preferentially infected and serve as a major viral reservoir. The molecular mechanism dictating this differential susceptibility to HIV-1 remains largely obscure. Here, we report that the different susceptibility of memory and naive T cells to HIV is not determined by restriction factors such as Apobec3G or BST2. However, we observed a phenotypic distinction between human CD45RO and CD45RA resting CD4 T cells in their cortical actin density and actin dynamics. CD45RO CD4 T cells possess a higher cortical actin density and can be distinguished as CD45RO+Actinhigh. In contrast, CD45RA T cells are phenotypically CD45RA+Actinlow. In addition, the cortical actin in CD45RO memory CD4 T cells is more dynamic and can respond to low dosages of chemotactic induction by SDF-1, whereas that of naive cells cannot, despite a similar level of the chemokine receptor CXCR4 present on both cells. We further demonstrate that this difference in the cortical actin contributes to their differential susceptibility to HIV-1; resting memory but not naive T cells are highly responsive to HIV-mediated actin dynamics that promote higher levels of viral entry and early DNA synthesis in resting memory CD4 T cells. Furthermore, transient induction of actin dynamics in resting naive T cells rescues HIV latent infection following CD3/CD28 stimulation. These results suggest a key role of chemotactic actin activity in facilitating HIV-1 latent infection of these T cell subsets.
Structure & Mechanisms Underlying Heteromeric Glutamate Receptor Assembly

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are widely distributed in the CNS and play important roles in regulating synaptic transmission and neuronal excitability. The large extracellular Amino Terminal Domain (ATD) regulates the subtype specific assembly of heteromeric iGluRs but the molecular mechanisms controlling assembly are not well understood. Kainate receptor GluK1-GluK3 subunits form functional homomeric ion channels while GluK4 and GluK5, previously named KA1 and KA2, are obligate heterotetramers encoded by a different gene family with only 40% identity to GluK1-GluK3. Using analytical ultracentrifugation we have determined that ATDs of GluK2 and GluK5 form high affinity heterodimers, with a Kd of 77 nM, 5500-fold lower than the Kd for GluK5 homodimer formation. Further, we solved crystal structures for GluK2/GluK5 heterodimer assemblies. Our structures reveal that the two protomers in GluK2/GluK5 heterodimers assemble in a similar arrangement to that observed in the GluK2 ATD homodimer with a pseudo two-fold axis of molecular symmetry. We also solved the structure of a GluK2/GluK5 ATD heterotetramer which reveals that GluK2 mediates the dimer of dimers interactions. The results of chemical crosslinking experiments in full-length heteromeric GluK2/GluK5 match that observed in the ATD crystal structure. The GluK2/GluK5 ATD heteromeric structures along with the GluK2 & GluK5 homodimer structures identify for the first time the elements of heteromeric iGluR recognition & suggest a mechanism for heteromeric assembly in the intact KARs.
Translation elongation factor 1A is a component of the tombusvirus replicase complex and affects the stability of the p33 replication co-factor.

Abstract Host RNA-binding proteins are likely to play multiple, integral roles during replication of plus-strand RNA viruses. To identify host proteins that bind to viral RNAs, we took a global approach based on the yeast proteome microarray, which contains 4080 purified yeast proteins. The biotin-labeled RNA probes included two distantly related RNA viruses, namely Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV) and Brome mosaic virus (BMV). Altogether, we have identified 57 yeast proteins that bound to TBSV RNA and/or BMV RNA. Among the identified host proteins, eleven bound to TBSV RNA and seven bound to BMV RNA with high selectivity, whereas the remaining 39 host proteins bound to both viral RNAs. The interaction between the TBSV replicon RNA and five of the identified host proteins was confirmed via gel-mobility shift and co-purification experiments from yeast. Over-expression of the host proteins in yeast, a model host for TBSV, revealed 4 host proteins that enhanced TBSV replication as well as 14 proteins that inhibited replication. Detailed analysis of one of the identified yeast proteins binding to TBSV RNA, namely translation elongation factor eEF1A, revealed that it is present in the highly purified tombusvirus replicase complex. We also demonstrate binding of eEF1A to the p33 replication protein and a known cis-acting element at the 3′ end of TBSV RNA. Using a functional mutant of eEF1A, we provide evidence on the involvement of eEF1A in TBSV replication.
Dislocation density and flow stress of copper

Abstract Measurements of the dislocation density by a chemical etching technique in high-purity copper single crystals were related to the applied flow stress and yield stress during easy glide deformation at room temperature. The results were interpreted by the model of Seeger for pure metals in which the flow stress consists of a temperature, strain rate dependent component arising from the thermally activated motion of glide dislocations through a forest, and a dislocation density dependent component arising from the elastic stress interactions of glide dislocations. The activation energy calculated from the forest mechanism was 0.9 eV, consistent with the formation energy of jogs due to screw dislocation intersection. The flow stress was found to increase parabolically with dislocation density in accord with the Seeger model. Observations of mechanical polygonization after plastic stress were also made.
Life Saving Embedded Systems

Many of the largest information technology industry leaders today have turned their attention to Wireless Health with wireless services, new personal hardware products, search technologies that focus on health and wellness with data and guidance. The impact on individuals is also unprecedented with individualized, lifetime, health promotion, services that join consumer fitness and entertainment, disease management, and a major advance in geriatric care with individualized guidance and monitoring for individuals in their homes and institutions. Research in wireless health is radically different from research in other areas of Computer Science and Engineering. In this talk we will review key ingredients of a successful research paradigm in Wireless Health. We use Remote Health Monitoring Systems as a case study. Requirements and Objectives of the underling embedded system, along with the corresponding clinical process, will be discussed.
Pituitary Carcinoma Mimics the Ectopic Adrenocorticotropin Syndrome

A middle-aged man presented with weight loss, hypokalemic alkalosis, diabetes, hypertension, and generalized melanosis. Marked elevation of urinary free cortisol (655 µg/24 h) and plasma ACTH (2445 pg/ml) suggested the diagnosis of ectopic ACTH syndrome. The plasma concentrations of cortisol and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids increased paradoxically during the administration of dexamethasone without a corresponding change in the plasma ACTH level. Metyrapone administered over 24 h also markedly increased both urinary free cortisol and 17-hydroxycorticosteroids. Selective venous sampling of plasma ACTH did not reveal a gradient between jugular vein and peripheral venous blood. The laboratory findings supported the diagnosis of ectopic ACTH syndrome. However, belated occurrence of visual changes necessitated surgical exploration, resulting in the diagnosis of pituitary carcinoma. A fluorescent antibody to ACTH reacted strongly withthe atypical pituitary cells. This rare case documents that severe melanos...
BSIM3V3 MOSFET MODEL

The BSIM3v3 compact MOSFET model is reviewed. It is a physics-based model that is accurate, smooth, continuous, scalable, predictive and computationally robust over different regions of operation and a wide geometry range. BSIM3v3 considers all major physical effects in deep submicron MOSFETs, making it a good base for future sub-0.1m device models and for statistical circuit designs. A key feature of the model lies in its thorough, accurate and functional mathematical representation of MOS device physics, which has made BSIM3v3 selected by an international consortium of semiconductor companies as the first industry standard MOSFET model.
Sequence instability in the long terminal repeats of avian spleen necrosis virus and reticuloendotheliosis virus.

Sequence divergence between the 3′ long terminal repeats (LTR) of avian reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV), deletion variant proviral clone 2-20-4, and spleen necrosis virus (SNV)—proviral clones 14-44, 60, and 70—was found to involve two classes of base substitutions: low-frequency interspersed and high-frequency clustered substitutions. Clones 2-20-4 and 14-44 have diverged 4.4% owing to low-frequency substitutions. In contrast, two high-frequency substitution segments have diverged by 30% and 29%, respectively. Clustered substitutions appear to be located either within or next to tandem repeats, suggesting their introduction concomitant with sequence deletions and duplications commonly associated with such repeats. A new 19-bp tandem repeat is found in clone 2-20-4. Its sequence could have evolved from the 26-bp repeats found in the SNV clones.
Leaf age and season influence the relationships between leaf nitrogen, leaf mass per area and photosynthesis in maple and oak trees

Abstract. Seasonal changes in photosynthesis, leaf nitrogen (N) contents and leaf mass per area (LMA) were observed over three growing seasons in open-grown sun-lit leaves of red maple (Acer rubrum), sugar maple (A. sacchamm) and northern pin oak (Quereus ellipsoidalis) trees in southern Wisconsin. Net photosynthesis and leaf N were highly linearly correlated on both mass and area bases within all species from late spring until leaf senescence in fall. Very early in the growing season leaves had high N concentrations, but low photosynthetic rates per unit leaf N, suggesting that leaves were not fully functionally developed at that time. Leaf N per unit area and LMA had nonparallel seasonal patterns, resulting in differing relationships between leaf N/area and LMA in the “early versus late growing season. As a result of differences in seasonal patterns between leaf N/area and LMA, net photosynthesis/area was higher for a given LMA in the spring than fall, and the overall relationships between these two parameters were poor.
How enrichment affects exploration trade-offs in rats: implications for welfare and well-being.

We propose that a comparative approach to well-being could be the key to understanding ‘the good life.’ Inspired by current theories of human well-being and animal welfare, we designed a novel test of exploration behavior. Environmentally and socially enriched Long-Evans female rats (N=60) were trained in four simultaneously presented arms of an eight-arm radial-maze. They learned to expect successes in two arms and failures in the other two. After training, 20 animals remained in enriched housing (enrichment-maintenance) while 40 animals were re-housed in standard, isolated conditions (enrichment-removal). Two weeks later, all animals were re-tested in the maze, initially with access to the four familiar arms only. In the final minute, they also had access to the unfamiliar ambiguous-arms. Though both groups showed significant interest in the ambiguous-arms (P,.0001), the enrichment-maintenance group showed a significantly greater exploratory tendency (P,.01) despite having equivalent levels of activity (P..3). Thus, we show not only that rats will abandon known rewards and incur risk in order to explore, indicating that exploration is valuable in its own right, but also that individuals with (vs. without) enriched housing conditions are more likely to engage in such exploratory behavior. This novel test contributes to the body of knowledge examining the importance of exploration in humans and other animals; implications for animal welfare and human well-being are discussed.
An adaptive neural network identifier for effective control of a static compensator connected to a power system

A novel method for nonlinear identification of a static compensator connected to a power system using continually online trained (COT) artificial neural networks (ANNs) is presented in this paper. The identifier is successfully trained online to track the dynamics of the power network without any need for offline data and can be used in designing an adaptive neurocontroller for a static compensator connected to such system.
Safety awareness educational topics for the construction of power transmission systems with smart grid technologies

Power transmission facilities in the U.S. are undergoing a transformation due to the increased use of distributed generation sources such as wind and solar power. The current power grid system is also antiquated and in need of substantial retrofits to make it more efficient and reliable. The new energy transmission system being designed and built to optimize power delivery is known as “Smart Grid”. The increased activity in the construction of power transmission facilities and installation of new technologies into the current power system raises potential safety concerns. Existing construction management curriculum may include general information about safety training, but does not typically include information about this specialized sector. The objective of this study was to work with industry to identify key safety topics appropriate for inclusion in an introductory industrial construction course. Results of interviews with industry identified numerous hazards that are not typically covered in typical construction curricula. A joint undergraduate and graduate course in industrial construction was created to address these and additional concepts. A survey of the students was performed to determine the effectiveness of the course and also to determine their thoughts about the smart grid technologies and safety training. Information on electrical system hazards is presented along with results of the student surveys.
Efficient nonparametric estimation of causal effects in randomized trials with noncompliance

Causal approaches based on the potential outcome framework provide a useful tool for addressing noncompliance problems in randomized trials. We propose a new estimator of causal treatment effects in randomized clinical trials with noncompliance. We use the empirical likelihood approach to construct a profile random sieve likelihood and take into account the mixture structure in outcome distributions, so that our estimator is robust to parametric distribution assumptions and provides substantial finite-sample efficiency gains over the standard instrumental variable estimator. Our estimator is asymptotically equivalent to the standard instrumental variable estimator, and it can be applied to outcome variables with a continuous, ordinal or binary scale. We apply our method to data from a randomized trial of an intervention to improve the treatment of depression among depressed elderly patients in primary care practices.
Handling data quality in entity resolution

Entity resolution (ER) is a problem that arises in many information integration scenarios: We have two or more sources containing records on the same set of real-world entities (e.g., customers).However, there are no unique identifiers that tell us what records from one source correspond to those in the other sources.Furthermore, the records representing the same entity may have differing information, e.g., one record may have the address misspelled, another record may be missing some fields.An ER algorithm attempts to identify the matching records from multiple sources (i.e., those corresponding to the same real-world entity), and merges the matching records as best it can.In many ER applications the input data has data quality or uncertainty values associated with it. Furthermore, the ER process itself introduces additional uncertainties, e.g., we may only be 90% confident that two given records actually correspond to the same real-world entity.In this talk Hector Garcia-Molina will discuss the challenges in representing quality/uncertainty/confidences in a way that is useful for the ER process.He will also present some preliminary ideas on how to perform ER with uncertain data. (This work is joint with Omar Benjelloun, David Menestrina, Qi Su, and Jennifer Widom).
Numerical Solution of the Four-Dimensional Nonstationary Fokker-Planck Equation

The response of mechanical and structural systems subjected to environmental loads is often determined through the use of random vibration methods. Many of these loads can be effectively modeled as random processes, and more specifically as Gaussian white noise or filtered Gaussian white noise excitations. This choice of excitation model infers that the response of the system will be Markovian and, thus, expressible in terms of its transition probability density function, which satisfies both the forward (Fokker-Planck) and backward Kolmogorov equations.
Effective Denoising of 2D Gel Proteomics Images using Contourlets

2D gel electrophoresis (2DGE) is the most commonly used method for protein separation. After gel scanning, images with a plethora of spot features are generated. In this paper we propose the use of the contourlet transform (CT) for 2D gels image denoising and compare it to the wavelet transform (WT). We show that contourlets not only achieve better average PSNR performance, but also preserve better, relatively to wavelets, the spot boundaries and alter less the intensities of significant spot features. Proper denoising of 2DGE images is essential in order to extract reliable spot features in proteomics workflows for biomarkers discovery.
Income Inequality: Does Inflation Matter?

This paper contributes to the income inequality literature that is based on the traditional Kuznets model. Level of development, state employment, fiscal redistribution, and price stability are found to improve income inequality in a given country. The positive impact of price stability on income distribution is nonlinear. The reduction in inflation from hyperinflationary levels significantly lowers income inequality, while further reduction toward a very low level of inflation seems to bring about negligible additional gains in the Gini coefficient.
Effects of middle-ear disease and cleft palate on high-frequency hearing in children.

High-frequency hearing loss in children with cleft palate has been documented recently. The present study was designed to investigate whether hearing loss can result solely as a consequence of middle-ear disease in early life or as a result of cleft palate and its sequelae which include middle-ear disease. Our results demonstrate that auditory functions for test frequencies 250-6 000 Hz were not significantly different among the two investigational groups of children with high incidence of middle-ear disease, and a control group of children with virtually no middle-ear disease. However, for high-frequency thresholds (8 000-20 000 Hz), both groups of children with high incidence of middle-ear disease were statistically different from the control group. Moreover, the children with cleft palate had high-frequency hearing that was statistically similar to that of children with normal orofacial structures and high incidence of middle-ear disease. Middle-ear disease alone, then, is a sufficient condition for lo...
Understanding searchers' perception of task difficulty: Relationships with task type

We report findings that help us better understand the difficulty of tasks which involve information seeking, retrieving, gathering, and use. We examined the data gathered from two interactive information retrieval user studies on how users' perception of task difficulty changes before and after searching for information to solve tasks, and how the difficulty of tasks relates with users' background, previous experience with the tasks, and knowledge of the task topics, etc. The two studies employed carefully designed tasks with different types along several dimensions: task structure (subtasks being dependent upon or parallel with each other), task goal in quality (being specific or amorphous), and naming (being named or unnamed). It was found that while in some types of tasks, users' perceptions of task difficulty did not change before and after working on the tasks, in others, this did, either increasing or decreasing. Specifically, in the dependent-structured task, this did not change. In the parallel-structured or specific/named task, it decreased. In the amorphous/unnamed task, it increased. We also found that users' background factors do not normally correlate with their perceived task difficulty, or perceived difficulty change. In addition to helping understand the dynamic and complex nature of task difficulty, our findings have implications for system design that can provide assistance to users with their search and task solving strategies.
A multicenter study of Clostridium difficile infection-related colectomy, 2000-2006.

Objective. To assess Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)–related colectomy rates by CDI surveillance definitions and over time at multiple healthcare facilities.Setting. Five university-affiliated acute care hospitals in the United States.Design and methods. Cases of CDI and patients who underwent colectomy from July 2000 through June 2006 were identified from 5 US tertiary care centers. Monthly CDI-related colectomy rates were calculated as the number of CDI-related colectomies per 1,000 CDI cases, and cases were categorized according to recommended surveillance definitions. Logistic regression was performed to evaluate risk factors for CDI-related colectomy.Results. In total, 8,569 cases of CDI were identified, and 75 patients underwent CDI-related colectomy. The overall colectomy rate was 8.7 per 1,000 CDI cases. The CDI-related colectomy rate ranged from 0 to 23 per 1,000 CDI episodes across hospitals. The colectomy rate for healthcare-facility-onset CDI was 4.3 per 1,000 CDI cases, and that for com...
Sparse-Representation-Based Classification with Structure-Preserving Dimension Reduction

Sparse-representation-based classification (SRC), which classifies data based on the sparse reconstruction error, has been a new technique in pattern recognition. However, the computation cost for sparse coding is heavy in real applications. In this paper, various dimension reduction methods are studied in the context of SRC to improve classification accuracy as well as reduce computational cost. A feature extraction method, i.e., principal component analysis, and feature selection methods, i.e., Laplacian score and Pearson correlation coefficient, are applied to the data preparation step to preserve the structure of data in the lower-dimensional space. Classification performance of SRC with structure-preserving dimension reduction (SRC–SPDR) is compared to classical classifiers such as k-nearest neighbors and support vector machines. Experimental tests with the UCI and face data sets demonstrate that SRC–SPDR is effective with relatively low computation cost
Identity, childhood culture, and literacy learning: A case study

Recent conceptions of identity view people’s identities as multiple and situated. The ways we see ourselves are filtered through the relationships we share with others, the knowledges and experiences we bring, and the contexts within which we live and learn. McCarthey and Moje (2002) explain that the identities we construct shape our literacy practices while literacy practices become a means for acting out the identities we assume. This case study demonstrates how children’s identities and cultural resources intersect and converge during literacy learning. Fieldnotes, running records, and audiotaped interviews are used to construct a case study of a reluctant African American student that illustrates the ways students’ identities are constructed and revised in conjunction with literacy learning. This case study demonstrates how teachers can access children’s cultural resources to support literacy learning.
Alpha Coverage: Bounding the Interconnection Gap for Vehicular Internet Access

Vehicular Internet access via open WLAN access points (APs) has been demonstrated to be a feasible solution to provide opportunistic data service to moving vehicles. Using an in situ deployment, however, such a solution does not provide worst-case performance guarantees due to unpredictable intermittent connectivity. On the other hand, a solution that tries to cover every point in an entire road network with APs (full coverage) is not very practical due to the prohibitive deployment and operational cost. In this paper, we introduce a new notion of intermittent coverage for mobile users, called a-coverage, which provides worst-case guarantees on the interconnection gap while using significantly fewer APs than needed for full coverage. We propose efficient algorithms to verify whether a given deployment provides alpha-coverage and approximation algorithms for determining a deployment of APs that will provide alpha-coverage. We compare alpha-coverage with opportunistic access of open WLAN APs (modeled as a random deployment) via simulations over a real-world road network and show that using the same number of APs as random deployment, alpha-coverage bounds the interconnection gap to a much smaller distance than that in a random deployment.
Data Quality and Query Cost in Pervasive Sensing Systems

This research is motivated by large-scale pervasive sensing applications. We examine the benefits and costs of caching data for such applications. We propose and evaluate several approaches to querying for, and then caching data in a sensor field data server. We show that for some application requirements (i.e., when delay drives data quality), policies that emulate cache hits by computing and returning approximate values for sensor data yield a simultaneous quality improvement and cost savings. This win-win is because when system delay is sufficiently important, the benefit to both query cost and data quality achieved by using approximate values outweighs the negative impact on quality due to the approximation. In contrast, when data accuracy drives quality, a linear trade-off between query cost and data quality emerges. We also identify caching and lookup policies for which the sensor field query rate is bounded when servicing an arbitrary workload of user queries. This upper bound is achieved by having multiple user queries share the cost of a single sensor field query. Finally, we demonstrate that our results are robust to the manner in which the environment being monitored changes using models for two different sensing systems.
Green web services: Models for energy-aware web services and applications

As the Web has evolved, web-based capabilities or web services have become a significant aspect of day-to-day routines for businesses and individuals, alike. Interactions with the Web and its services represent a significant portion of overall global power consumption. With the current national emphasis on sustainable resources and energy-efficiency, it is paramount that web processes be efficient in their use of energy. While many studies aim to reduce power consumption in network and computing hardware, our work focuses on models and frameworks to support energy-aware usage of web services (i.e. at the software and information technology (IT) process level). It will not be feasible to rely on measured power consumption when making web services usage decisions; instead predictive energy consumption models are more adequate for real-time decision support. In this paper, we introduce a model that isolates the power consumption of a particular web service within a regular server environment. The model assimilates key factors influencing the power consumption during web services executions such as server hardware characteristic, average CPU load, memory utilization, and hard drive access. Evaluative experiments demonstrate that our model can predict power consumption under varied domain-specific operations and conditions.
Cardiomyopathy in Children With Down Syndrome Treated for Acute Myeloid Leukemia: A Report From the Children's Oncology Group Study POG 9421

Purpose To determine the outcomes, with particular attention to toxicity, of children with Down syndrome (DS) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treated on Pediatric Oncology Group (POG) protocol 9421. Patients and Methods Children with DS and newly diagnosed AML (n = 57) were prospectively enrolled onto the standard-therapy arm of POG 9421 and were administered five cycles of chemotherapy, which included daunorubicin 135 mg/m2 and mitoxantrone 80 mg/m2. Outcomes and toxicity were evaluated prospectively and were compared with the non-DS–AML cohort (n = 565). A retrospective chart review was performed to identify adverse cardiac events. Results In the DS-AML group, 54 patients (94.7%) entered remission. One experienced induction failure and two died. Of the 54 who entered remission, three relapsed and six died as a result of other causes. The remission induction rate was similar in the non-DS–French-American-British (FAB) M7 (91.7%) and non-DS–non-M7 (89.3%) groups. The 5-year overall survival was significa...
The effects of temperature and plasma cortisol on distribution of aldosterone between plasma and red blood cells: influence on metabolic clearance rate and on hepatic and renal extraction of aldosterone

Aldosterone enters red blood cells (RBC) to a greater extent at 37 C than at lower temperatures. The ratio of 3H-aldosterone concentration in RBC to that in plasma increases from 0.2 at 4 C to 0.7 at 37 C when cortisol concentration is low. Increasing plasma cortisol increases the RBC/plasma aldosterone ratio. When plasma transcortin (CBG) is saturated with cortisol, the RBC/plasma ratio of 3H-aldosterone approaches 0.93, the ratio observed in RBC incubated in 4% albumin solution. The effects of plasma cortisol and temperature on the RBC/plasma ratio reflect an affinity of aldosterone for plasma CBG greater than the affinity for plasma albumin or RBC. Hepatic extraction averages 92% of plasma and RBC aldosterone. Neither hepatic extraction nor renal extraction (less than or equal to 20%) is significantly altered by changing plasma cortisol concentration. Whole blood MCR of aldosterone is unaffected by redistribution of aldosterone from plasma to RBC when plasma cortisol increases, but both plasma cortisol and the temperature at which blood is separated affect the RBC/plasma ratio of 3H-aldosterone and thus change the calculated plasma MCR. The RBC transport of aldosterone, and its dependence on temperature and plasma cortisol, must be taken into account in the evaluation of plasma aldosterone concentration.
Brain Chemicals: Global Projections of Ancient Aromatic Neurotransmitters

Brain chemicals are not unique to the brain. This article provides an evolutionary perspective on the function of aromatic neurotransmitters. Serotonin and catecholamines, such as noradrenaline and dopamine, are ancient chemicals known to have existed in unicellular organisms before flourishing in plants. Their function in primitive systems was intimately associated with photon capture and photosynthesis initiation. Many alkaloid drugs, including some of the most powerful hallucinogens known to man are derived from these aromatic chemicals and served as important antioxidants in plants. The loss of the ability in animals to synthesize both indoles and catechols when the plant plastids were lost created a crisis situation for survival. As a result, these two neurotransmitter chemicals participated in global systems in the humans with connections to every cell in the brain and spinal cord. The strategy of having global axonal projections coupled with the evolution of multiple receptors enabled human behavior to express its complex functions while maintaining a stable homeostatic environment over a human lifetime.
Radioactive Decay of Sn 111

Sources of 35-min ${\mathrm{Sn}}^{111}$ were made by the reactions ${\mathrm{Sn}}^{112}(\ensuremath{\gamma},n){\mathrm{Sn}}^{111}$, ${\mathrm{Sn}}^{112}(n,2n){\mathrm{Sn}}^{111}$ and ${\mathrm{Cd}}^{110}({\mathrm{He}}^{3},2n){\mathrm{Sn}}^{111}$. The ratio $\frac{\mathrm{ec}}{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}}$ was determined to be 2.7\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.2. The following gamma rays were observed by scintillation techniques: 750, 970, 1140, 1540, 1590, 1890, 2110, and 2320 keV. The following levels in ${\mathrm{In}}^{111}$ are proposed, based on coincidence studies and transition probabilities: 970, 1140, 1540, 1890, 2110, and 2320 keV.
Primer registro de Vazquezitocoris putrenus Brailovsky & Barrera, 2012 (Heteroptera: Coreidae) para la Región de Tarapacá (Chile)

espanolSe entrega el primer registro para la Region de Tarapaca del chinche coreido Vazquezitocoris putrenus Brailovsky & Barrera, 2012, correspondiente a un ejemplar macho de la localidad de Chusmiza. Se entregan figuras del ejemplar, genitalia, y un mapa de distribucion de la especie, se discuten los datos que aporta el nuevo ejemplar a la variabilidad de la especie. EnglishThefirst record of the coreid bug Vazquezitocoris putrenus Brailovsky & Barrera, 2012 for the Tarapaca Region in Chile is provided. The record is based on a male specimen of the locality of Chusmiza. Figures of the specimen, genitalia and a map are given. The new data added to de variability of the species are provided.
Evaluation of Candidate Metals for Dual-Metal Gate CMOS with HfO2 Gate Dielectric

As the MOSFET gate lengths are scaled down to 50 nm or below, the expected increase in gate leakage will be countered by the use of a high dielectric constant (high K) material. The series capacitance from polysilicon gate electrode depletion significantly reduces the gate capacitance as the dielectric thickness is scaled down to 10 A equivalent oxide thickness (EOT) or below. Metal gates promise to solve this problem and address other problems like boron penetration and enhanced gate resistance that will have increased focus as the polysilicon gate thickness is reduced. Extensive simulations have shown that the optimal gate work-functions for the sub-50 nm channel lengths should be 0.2 eV below (above) the conduction (valence) band edge of silicon for n-MOSFETs (p-MOSFETs). This study summarizes the evaluations of TiN, TaSiN, WN, TaN, TaSi, Ir and IrO2 as candidate metals for dual-metal gate CMOS using HfO2 as the gate dielectric. The gate work-function was determined by fabricating MOS capacitors with varying dielectric thicknesses and different post-gate anneals. The metal-dielectric compatibility and thermal stability was studied by annealing the stacks at different temperatures. The gate stacks were characterized using TEM, SIMS and X-ray diffraction. Based on workfunctions and thermal stability, TaSiN and TaN show most promise as metal electrodes for HfO2 n-MOSFETs.
A theoretical assessment of recombinational speciation

Using a computer simulation, we have examined the dynamics of recombinational speciation, a potentially rapid mode of evolution dependent on chromosomal reassortment in populations of partially sterile interspecific hybrids. We describe how various parameters affect the time required for a new recombinant species to become established within the setting of a spatially structured hybrid zone. Our results indicate that recombinational speciation is most likely to occur where (1) the hybrid zone interface is long, (2) the organisms involved are predominantly selfing, (3) the hybrids are relatively fertile, and (4) the number of differences in chromosomal structure between the parental species is small. The speciation dynamics are characterized by long-term stasis followed by an abrupt transition to a new reproductively isolated type. The results are largely the same whether the nascent recombinant species is favoured by a fertility or a viability advantage. Recombinational speciation, like polyploidy, appears to be a feasible mechanism for sympatric speciation in plants.
Additive Manufacturing of Glass for Optical Applications

Glasses including fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Additive manufacturing has several potential benefits including increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research in AM of glasses is limited and has focused on non-optical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz also has a higher working temperature than soda lime glass which poses a challenge for AM. In this work, fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the work piece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed fused quartz. A spectrometer is used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the melt pool. Thin-walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. Finally, a 3D fused quartz cube is printed using the newly acquired layer height and polished on each surface. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the polished cube are both measured. These results show that the filament fed process has the potential to print fused quartz with optical transparency and of index of refraction uniformity approaching bulk processed glass.
Calibration Technology in Operation of Online Chromatograph of Substation

In the operation of the online chromatograph of the substation,the effective onsite calibration technology is generally unavailable.According to the current situation of the calibration technology in the operation of the online chromatograph,Tianjin Electric Power Research Institute designs a calibration device of the online chromatograph on site.This paper presents the test measures and methods of the calibration device,which have conducted the effective supervision on the online chromatograph.The onsite test has proven the effectiveness of this device.
Study on Overvoltage of 500kV Xiangshan Substation Transformer with Neutral Point Grounded through Small Reactance

In order to limit the single-phase ground short circuit current,small reactor earthing device 15Ω is installed at the neutral point of Xiangshan substation main transformer.Through calculation and analysis of power frequency overvoltage and operating overvoltage on the small reactor,the conclusion is drawn that the insulation level of the small reactor connected to the neutral point is enough high,and lightning arrester shunted with small reactor connected to neutral point is chosen to ensure the safe operation of the small reactor.
Aortic valve replacement in the patient with extensive calcification of the ascending aorta (the porcelain aorta)

The best management for patients requiring cardiac procedures with superimposed severe intimal atheromatous disease or medial calcification of the ascending aorta and transverse arch has yet to be established. Clamping such an aorta can produce embolization, dissection, mural laceration, and hemorrhage. Successful surgical treatment of two patients with a porcelain aorta requiring aortic valve replacement is reported. Traditional aortic cross-clamping was avoided with femoral artery cannulation, profound hypothermia, and circulatory arrest.