cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distributed middleware reliability and fault tolerance support in system S

We describe a fault-tolerance technique for implementing operations in a large-scale distributed system that ensures that all the components will eventually have a consistent view of the system even in the face of component failures. To achieve this, we break the distributed operation into a series of smaller operations, each of which is local to a single component, carefully linked together. Thus, the effect of a component failure and restart in the middle of a multi-component operation is limited to that component and its immediate neighbors. This framework is used in System S, a commercial grade stream processing platform. In that context we will show empirically that our approach is effective and imposes low overhead on distributed inter-component operations.
Vitrification of in vitro-produced bovine embryos by addition of ethylene glycol in one-step.

The objective of this study was to simplify two-step addition of cryoprotectant for vitrification of bovine embryos by developing a one-step procedure. Survival was calculated as a percentage of non-vitrified controls developed from the same batch of oocytes. In experiment 1, bovine blastocysts were vitrified following one- or two-step addition of cryoprotectant. Exposure of embryos to cryoprotectant in one-step resulted in survival rates not significantly lower (p > 0.1) than those obtained by two-step addition (85% vs 98%, respectively). Based on these results, experiments 2-4 were designed to test one-step addition of cryoprotectant more rigorously. Experiment 2 exposed day 7 blastocysts to 6, 7 or 8 M ethylene glycol for 2.5 or 3.5 min. At 24 h post-vitrification, survival of embryos was similar, irrespective of ethylene glycol concentration or exposure time (6 M 38%, 7 M 51%, 8 M 59%; 2.5 min 54%, 3.5 min 45%). In experiment 3, blastocysts were exposed to 7 M ethylene glycol for shorter times (30 or 60 s); 30 s exposure resulted in decreased survival (8% vs 31%, p 0.1). It is unclear why many embryos survive vitrification with one-step addition of cryoprotectant, but others do not. Although, one-step addition of cryoprotectant simplifies the vitrification procedure, survival rates were inadequate for routine cryopreservation of in vitro-produced bovine embryos.
Comparing the effects of Different Osmolytes in the B-To-Z DNA Transition

The transition from righthanded B-DNA to lefthanded Z-DNA can be driven by salt cations or neutral osmolytes. Z-DNA is more sparsely hydrated and has a greater solvent exposure of nonpolar base-pair surfaces compared to B-DNA. Previous studies in our lab and Donald Rau's lab (1) showed that an osmotic stress in solutions of sucrose and other osmolytes decreases the concentration of transition metal complexes required to form Z-DNA. Stanley and Rau (2) compared the interactions of alcohols and polyols with condensed DNA arrays. They found that the more hydrophobic osmolytes (greater excess of alkyl carbons over hydroxyl oxygens) were more excluded from the charged DNA surfaces, allowing more hydrating water molecules to interact. We have now tested, using circular dichroism, the effect of a similar set of hydroxylated osmolytes on the B-Z equilibrium of poly[d(G-C)] in the presence of cobalthexammine. In this system the more hydrophobic solutes favor Z-DNA more strongly, consistent with a more favorable interaction (weaker exclusion) from the somewhat hydrophobic base pair surfaces in Z-DNA and the decrease in hydration from B to Z. We also have investigated effects of several non-hydroxylated osmolytes. Compared to the relatively hydrophobic 2-propanol, the polar neutral solute urea favors B-DNA and the charged glycine betaine has an intermediate effect on the B-Z equilibrium. More polar osmolytes appear to be more strongly excluded from the base pair surfaces and allow formation of the more extensively hydrated B-DNA. Future studies will include more direct measurements of poly[d(G-C)] hydration in the presence of various osmolytes. Supported by Towson University Undergraduate Research Grants (to C. Chaze) and by the Towson University Department of Chemistry.1. Preisler et al (1995) Biochemistry34, 14400-14407.2. Stanley, C. and Rau, D.C. (2006) Biophysical J. 91, 912-920.
Effect of angle regulator on power system stability

RECENTLY there has been considerable discussion of the benefits with respect to electric power system stability to be obtained by the use of a properly designed angle regulator. An angle regulator applied to a synchronous machine is defined here as a regulator that varies the machine excitation voltage in response to changes in the angle between the rotor interpole axis and the effective system voltage so as to tend to restore the initially set angle. The purpose of this article is to present the results of an analytical exploration of the possibilities of the angle regulator as regards stability. In particular, since voltage regulators already are used extensively, and since their use as aids in power-system stability already has been studied, it has seemed appropriate to compare the action of an angle regulator with that of a voltage regulator.
Relaxation effects in an Ising-like antiferromagnet

Abstract Four distinct relaxation processes have been found in a study of the Ising-like antiferromagnet dysprosium aluminium garnet (DAG). We present the field, temperature and sample size dependence of the relaxation times which characterize these processes.
Geomorphic development and Middle Stone Age archaeology of the Lower Cunene River, Namibia-Angola Border

Abstract During geomorphic reconnaissance of the Lower Cunene River near the reach of Serra Cafema, a significant accumulation of Middle Stone Age artifacts was discovered along the Namibia–Angolan border. The archaeological site is downstream of the Marienfluss–Hartmann Valley and lies along the eastern perimeter of the hyperarid Cunene erg (sandsea). Within the study area, the Cunene River is a bedrock anabranching – mixed bedrock-alluvial anabranching system with a morphology that is strongly controlled by lithology and structure and a hydrology dominated by tropical rainfall in the headwaters. A 5 m high alluvial terrace along the left bank of the perennial river is mantled with a surface lag of cobbles and gravels that includes MSA lithics. More than 30 artifacts are preserved in this open-air context. Finds include quartzite flakes, cores, and Levallois–Mousterian points with varying degrees of edge abrasion and varnish; these appear to be the first Levallois–Mousterian points found in this region of Africa. Since the archaeology of this region is poorly known, these cultural assemblages enable initial correlations across southern Africa. A replicate OSL-SAR date ∼220 kyr provides initial age constraints on a sand preserved within the cobble-boulder terrace fill, and constrains a maximum age for the overlying archaeological assemblage. This is the first MSA site in northern Namibia in direct stratigraphic context with a securely dated unit. The artifact assemblage underscores the importance of riparian corridors in reconstructing hominin behaviours during the Middle Pleistocene, the time frame marked by the first appearance and the dispersal of the modern human species Homo sapiens.
A hierarchical load balancing algorithm for efficient job scheduling in a computational grid testbed

Grid Computing is a form of distributed Computing that has emerged as a viable solution to meet the ever increasing needs for computational power and data management capability. The load scenario in a grid environment is dynamic in nature and thus requires appropriate load balancing mechanism to efficiently handle computational load. In this paper we have presented a hierarchical load balancing algorithm which addresses two important aspects, namely Multiple Parameters based Load Balancing (MPLB) and job scheduling at Logical Hierarchical Levels (LHL). First we proposed a dynamic load balancing technique over a tree based grid model and demonstrate the efficacy of Hierarchical Job Scheduling (HJS) approach over Flat Structure Job Scheduling (FJS). Experiments have been carried out using a grid test bed with gridgain 2.0 as middleware and results show that HJS performs better than FJS.
Benchmarking: Preventive Maintenance Practices at Japanese Transplants

Examines the preventive maintenance practice at four Japanese transplant operations in the USA. Illustrates the application of the total productive maintenance concept, kaizen, employee training and employee empowerment. The benchmarking of Japanese practices serves to enhance quality management practices everywhere. The philosophy underpinning the effort at the Japanese transplants is the key to understanding the role of preventive maintenance in quality manufacturing.
More efficient L-Estimates

We propose more efficient L-estimates by using pairwise averages of the observations instead of the observations themselves. For instance, we show that minimum variance quantile estimation of the mean parameter in the exponential distribution improves from 65% to 88%. Simulations show similar improvements in frequently used scale and location estimators like the interquartile range, MAD, and trimmed mean.
A CASE FOR INTEGRATING THE CTAS TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT ADVISOR AND THE SURFACE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Arrival and departure capacities are interdependent at many high-traffic airports. At these airports, total capacity may be dynamically reallocated between arrivals and departures in response to the time-varying demands for both types of operations. Moreover, controllers appear to use a working understanding of the tradeoff between arrival and departure capacities in daily practice. This paper investigates how capacity allocation decisions are currently made, the degree to which and the mechanisms by which arrival and departure capacities are controllable, and whether automation could help controllers better match arrival and departure capacities to time-varying demands. Furthermore, this paper studies how the interdependence of capacities affects decision support tools such as the Traffic Management Advisor (TMA), which schedules arrivals subject to the arrival capacity, and the Surface Management System (SMS), which manages departures on the surface. To this point, TMA and SMS have been developed independently. However, at airports where capacities are interdependent, significant benefit may be achieved by integrating TMA and SMS to coordinate how limited airport resources will be shared. A decision aid to help controllers dynamically reallocate total airport capacity between arrivals and departures may achieve TMASMS interoperability. Two possible decision aids are suggested: one which provides arrival and departure demand information not currently available, and one which advises an efficient sequence of capacity allocations, possibly determined collaboratively by air traffic control and the air carriers.
C-H activation by a mononuclear manganese(III) hydroxide complex: synthesis and characterization of a manganese-lipoxygenase mimic?

Lipoxygenases are mononuclear non-heme metalloenzymes that regio- and stereospecifically convert 1,4-pentadiene subunit-containing fatty acids into alkyl peroxides. The rate-determining step is generally accepted to be hydrogen atom abstraction from the pentadiene subunit of the substrate by an active metal(III)-hydroxide species to give a metal(II)-water species and an organic radical. All known plant and animal lipoxygenases contain iron as the active metal; recently, however, manganese was found to be the active metal in a fungal lipoxygenase. Reported here are the synthesis and characterization of a mononuclear Mn(III) complex, [MnIII(PY5)(OH)](CF3SO3)2 (PY5 = 2,6-bis(bis(2-pyridyl)methoxymethane)pyridine), that reacts with hydrocarbon substrates in a manner most consistent with hydrogen atom abstraction and provides chemical precedence for the proposed reaction mechanism. The neutral penta-pyridyl ligation of PY5 endows a strong Lewis acidic character to the metal center allowing the Mn(III) compound...
SYNCHROTRON RADIATION FROM RADIATIVELY INEFFICIENT ACCRETION FLOW SIMULATIONS: APPLICATIONS TO SAGITTARIUS A^*

We calculate synchrotron radiation in three-dimensional pseudo-Newtonian magnetohydrodynamic simulations of radiatively inefficient accretion flows. We show that the emission is highly variable at optically thin frequencies, with order-of-magnitude variability on timescales as short as the orbital period near the last stable orbit; this emission is linearly polarized at the ~20%-50% level because of the coherent toroidal magnetic field in the flow. At optically thick frequencies, both the variability amplitude and polarization fraction decrease significantly with decreasing photon frequency. We argue that these results are broadly consistent with the observed properties of Sgr A* at the Galactic center, including the rapid infrared flaring.
Silicon atomic plane doping in MBE grown InAs/GaAs

We examine the electronic transport properties of a sheet of silicon donors introduced during the molecular beam epitaxial growth of InAs/GaAs, using the suspended growth doping technique. Layers are characterised by magnetotransport measurements in magnetic fields applied parallel and perpendicular to the sample surface.
Sri Lanka's Post-Tsunami Recovery: Cultural Traditions, Social Structures and Power Struggles

Keywords: commentary, disaster, tsunami, Indian Ocean, Sri Lanka, ethnicity, development, ecology and environment, Southern Asia
Parental Perspectives on Integrated Preschool Opportunities for Children with Handicaps and Children without Handicaps

Parental perspectives on and attitudes toward integration and mainstreaming are critical to success for young children with and without handicaps. Despite the growing body of literature on positive...
Dynamics and Equilibrium Behavior of Cytonuclear Disequilibria under Genetic Drift, Mutation, and Migration

A simple two-locus drift model for cytonuclear systems is developed, in which the stochastic dynamics of cytonuclear genotypic frequencies are specified. Random union of zygotes is assumed. Trajectories for the first two moments of both genotypic and allelic disequilibria are given under three scenarios: (i) random drift alone; (ii) random drift with mutation; and (iii) random drift with migration. Steady state solutions for the cytonuclear disequilibria are reported. The utility of this simple two-locus drift model in testing the neutrality of mitochondrial DNA markers in artificial hybrid zones is briefly illustrated
Thermodynamics of intermetallic phases with the triple-defect B2 structure

Abstract A theoretical model is developed which predicts the compositional dependence of the thermodynamic properties of intermetallic phases exhibiting the triple-defect B2 structure. This type of structure is typically formed between elements of Group VIIIB (A metal) and elements of Group IIIA (B metal). For the thermodynamic activity of the components A and B, the following simple expressions are obtained: ( a A a A,0 ) = ( α z ) and ( a B a{B,0} ) = ( z α ) , where z is the vacancy concentration at any composition and α, the disorder parameter, is the vacancy concentration at the stoichiometric composition. For the partial enthalpy, the model predicts a step function, with essentially constant values of the partial enthalpy, below and above the stoichiometric composition. The defect concentration as a function of composition is given by the equation: z2(z − 2χ) = α3, where z is the vacancy concentration and (z − 2χ) 2 is the concentration of anti-structure atoms. The parameter, χ = xB − 0.5, expresses the deviation from stoichiometry. The model is applied to the following systems for which thermodynamic data are available: FeAl, CoAl, CoGa, NiAl, NiGa, RuAl, RuGa, RhAl, PdAl, PdIn, IrAl. It is found in general that the theoretical expressions for activity, partial enthalpy and vacancy concentration agree well with the experimental data. The values of the disorder parameter, α, range from 1.3 × 10−4 for CoAl to 4 × 10−2 for CoGa. An equation for the temperature dependence of the disorder parameter is given and a relationship between the enthalpy of formation and the disorder parameter is derived.
In older patients with hypertension, newly prescribed thiazides were linked to metabolic adverse events.

Source Citation Makam AN, Boscardin WJ, Miao Y, Steinman MA. Risk of thiazide-induced metabolic adverse events in older adults. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2014;62:1039-45. 24823661
Simulation of supported iridium catalyst sintering and redispersion

Abstract During periodic coke-burnoff as well as during normal use, naphtha reforming catalysts may lose activity due to metal sintering. Such deactivation can be offset by in situ redispersion treatments. This paper describes a Monte Carlo method-based computer simulation of both phenomena for iridium (or Pt Ir ) supported on chlorinated alumina. The model incorporates both molecular and crystallite migration mechanisms, plus possible vapor phase transport and the concept of “chemical trap” sites. Both sintering and redispersion have been simulated in numerous runs aimed at determining the effect of atmosphere, metal loading, temperature, time, etc., on dispersion. The predictions of the model qualitatively describe experimentally observed behavior.
A 0.38 THz Fully Integrated Transceiver Utilizing a Quadrature Push-Push Harmonic Circuitry in SiGe BiCMOS

A fully integrated transceiver operating at 0.38 terahertz (THz) has been demonstrated in 0.13 μm SiGe BiCMOS with fT = 230 GHz. We present a quadrature push-push harmonic circuitry consisting of the clamping pairs driven by balanced quadrature LO signals coupled through the transformers and the Coplanar Stripline (CPS). Harmonic generation of the clamping circuit is analyzed with a clamped sinusoidal model. Several terahertz circuits such as a quadrupler, a THz subharmonic mixer, and an IQ quadrature generator are implemented with the quadrature push-push circuitry to realize a homodyne FMCW radar. Radar functionality is demonstrated with ranging and detection of a target at 10 cm. The measured Equivalent Isotropically Radiated Power (EIRP) of the transmitter is -11 dBm at 0.38 THz and the receiver noise figure (NF) is between 35-38 dB while dissipating a power of 380 mW.
Experimental Investigation of Bicycle Frame FEA Models

This study experimentally investigated pedal cycle frame loads and verified analytical load cases applied to vehicle design. The experimental results were compared with a Finite Element Analysis (FEA) model. The weight of the rider on the seat, road induced loads and vibrations, and the force the rider exerts on the pedals affect the stress state of the frame. Strain gauges were applied to two different frame models. Four different locations were tested on a monotube long-wheel base (LWB) recumbent frame and six locations on a standard upright Schwinn. The stress state was calculated from the raw strain data. Depending on the gauge being used, the results either indicated the von Mises stress or simply the axial stress. The different loading conditions tested were as follows: static, steady pedaling on smooth, mid-grade, and rough pavement, and hard acceleration on level ground and uphill. The static and hard acceleration cases were directly compared to the FEA model. The experimental results were comparable to the FEA analysis. The complexity of the load case, coupled with unknown actual loads, explains the larger differences between FEA and experimental results. Based on experimental results, the FEA model was refined, improving the agreement between model and experiment. The stress states of a bicycle frame were successfully found experimentally, being confirmed by multiple runs under each loading condition. Based on the agreement between the two methods, the use of FEA load cases to predict stresses in pedal cycle frames was verified.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Genes that fashion the pituitary gland

The pituitary gland with its distinct populations of hormone-producing cells is formed from precursor cells that are created when epithelial cells from the prospective diencephalon about the roof of the oral cavity during early development of the mammalian embryo. Successive steps of assembly during development lead from a rudimentary pouch to a definitive structure called Rathke's pouch, and finally to the pituitary gland with its anterior, intermediate and posterior lobes. The proliferation and differentiation of highly specialized cells from their precursors is directed by signaling cascades and transcriptional events that are being dissected by genetic and molecular approaches. Our current state of knowledge in this regard allows us to use the pituitary as a paradigm to delineate general principles of organogenesis in the mammalian organism.
The Role of Laparoscopy in the Intensive Care Unit

Evaluation of the abdomen in critically ill intensive care unit patients remains problematic. Sedation, neuromuscular blockade, and head injury frequently make physical examination unreliable. As intra-abdominal processes frequently contribute to the development of multiple organ failure, it is imperative to establish a diagnosis and initiate treatment as soon as possible while the organ failures remain reversible. A diagnostic algorithm is presented as well as a summary of recent literature that places diagnostic laparoscopy in context with other diagnostic studies for evaluation of the abdomen in this complex population of patients.
The HSV-1 exonuclease, UL12, stimulates recombination by a single strand annealing mechanism.

Production of concatemeric DNA is an essential step during HSV infection, as the packaging machinery must recognize longer-than-unit-length concatemers; however, the mechanism by which they are formed is poorly understood. Although it has been proposed that the viral genome circularizes and rolling circle replication leads to the formation of concatemers, several lines of evidence suggest that HSV DNA replication involves recombination-dependent replication reminiscent of bacteriophages λ and T4. Similar to λ, HSV-1 encodes a 5′-to-3′ exonuclease (UL12) and a single strand annealing protein [SSAP (ICP8)] that interact with each other and can perform strand exchange in vitro. By analogy with λ phage, HSV may utilize viral and/or cellular recombination proteins during DNA replication. At least four double strand break repair pathways are present in eukaryotic cells, and HSV-1 is known to manipulate several components of these pathways. Chromosomally integrated reporter assays were used to measure the repair of double strand breaks in HSV-infected cells. Single strand annealing (SSA) was increased in HSV-infected cells, while homologous recombination (HR), non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) and alternative non-homologous end joining (A-NHEJ) were decreased. The increase in SSA was abolished when cells were infected with a viral mutant lacking UL12. Moreover, expression of UL12 alone caused an increase in SSA, which was completely eliminated when a UL12 mutant lacking exonuclease activity was expressed. UL12-mediated stimulation of SSA was decreased in cells lacking the cellular SSAP, Rad52, and could be restored by coexpressing the viral SSAP, ICP8, indicating that an SSAP is also required. These results demonstrate that UL12 can specifically stimulate SSA and that either ICP8 or Rad52 can function as an SSAP. We suggest that SSA is the homology-mediated repair pathway utilized during HSV infection.
SU‐FF‐I‐36: Use of Tissue Air Ratios to Obtain Organ Doses in CT

Purpose. To develop a practical method for obtaining organ doses in CT.Method. We measured tissue air ratios (TAR) as the ratio of the air kerma at a specified location in an anthropomorphic phantom to the corresponding iso‐center free‐in‐air kerma. Measurements were obtained using a pitch ratio of 1, identical radiographic techniques (kV/mAs), and a scan length to ensure the full contribution from scattered radiation. TAR values were measured at selected head and body locations in a Rando phantom on a GE LightSpeed CT scanner operated at 80 and 120 kV. Results. The average iso‐center free‐in‐air kerma for modern CT scanners operating at 120 kV is 0.25 ± 0.05 mGy/mAs for head imaging, and 0.23 ± 0.08 for body imaging. At 120 kV, the average TAR value in the head of a Rando phantom was ∼0.70 and the average body TAR ratios was ∼0.64. Head TAR values showed only minor spatial variations, whereas body TAR ratios were highest on the anterior surface and lowest at the lateral chest surface and the abdomen center. The average ratio of TAR values at 120 kV to those at 80 kV was 1.28. Conclusions. TAR offer a direct method for obtaining organ doses in CT, and can be readily measured for any CT scanner or patient size. Modern CT scanners operated at 120 kV have result in tissue doses in the directly irradiated region of ∼0.19 mGy/mAs for head examinations and ∼0.16 mGy/mAs for body examinations.
The Pauli exclusion principle from a self-consistent field-theory of quantum electrodynamics

The derivation of a property of the nonlinear field equations of a new theory of quantum electrodynamics (7), which indicates all of the physical consequences of the Pauli exclusion principle for a two-particle system, is extended to the case where there are any number of like (spin-one half) particles in the system. The result follows exactly from a nonlinear and purely field-theoretical approach to the description of then-particle system, that is based on the two fundamental postulates thata) require invariance under the transformations of the proper, inhomogeneous, Lorentz group andb) require that the interaction between particles rather than the free-particle fields be taken as the elementary entity. The result obtained is extended to the nonrelativistic limit of noninteracting particles where theinteraction field of the theory is shown to reduce to the antisymmetrized wave function for then-particle system of the Schrodinger theory.
The modified fontan procedure: Physiology and anesthetic implications

The modified Fontan operation has gained wide acceptance as a functional corrective procedure for patients with CHD with single ventricle physiology. Long-term survival and palliation of symptoms are excellent with most patients able to lead normal lives. The absence of a pulmonary contractile ventricle means that the single ventricle is responsible for perfusion of both the pulmonary and systemic circulations. Elevated systemic venous pressure is required to overcome PVR and this state of systemic venous hypertension has a significant impact on the anesthetic and postoperative care of these patients.
Snapshot: Logo Vignettes: Early Teachable Moments

In this snapshot, Wally Feurzeig, one of the originators of Logo, and an innovative designer of mathematics education learning environments, recalls some compelling vignettes from the early history of Logo (including activities with the first Logo-controlled wireless turtle), with children ranging in age from pre-schoolers to fifth-graders. Wally passed away this past year. Wally was a long-time member of the IJCML/TKL board and a highly valued contributor to the field. We at TKL as well as the wider field miss him.
Depth-first search is inherently sequential

Abstract This paper concerns the computational complexity of depth-first search. Suppose we are given a rooted graph G with fixed adjacency lists and vertices u, v. We wish to test if u is first visited before v in depth-first search order of G. We show that this problem, for undirected and directed graphs, is complete in deterministic polynomial time with respect to deterministic log-space reductions. This gives strong evidence that depth-first search ordering can be done neither in deterministic space (log n) c nor in parallel time (log n) c , for any constant c > 0.
Regional hydrogeological screening characteristics used for siting near-surface waste-disposal facilities in Oklahoma, U.S.A.

The Oklahoma Geological Survey has developed several maps and reports for preliminary screening of the state of Oklahoma to identify areas that are generally acceptable or unacceptable for disposal of a wide variety of waste materials. These maps and reports focus on the geologic and hydrogeologic parameters that must be evaluated in the screening process. One map (and report) shows the outcrop distribution of 35 thick shale or clay units that are generally suitable for use as host rocks for surface disposal of wastes. A second map shows the distribution of unconsolidated alluvial and terrace-deposit aquifers, and a third map shows the distribution and hydrologic character of bedrock aquifers and their recharge areas. These latter two maps show the areas in the state where special attention must be exercised in permitting storage or disposal of waste materials that could degrade the quality of groundwater. State regulatory agencies and industry are using these maps and reports in preliminary screening of the state to identify potential disposal sites. These maps in no way replace the need for site-specific investigations to prove (or disprove) the adequacy of a site to safely contain waste materials.
The quantum phase of flux correlations in waveguides

Abstract The low frequency fluctuations of the flux at the ports of a wave guide structure connected to electron reservoirs or black body sources are investigated. At equilibrium the cross-correlation of the flux fluctuations are negative independent of whether the flux is subject to Fermi or Bose statistics. In the presence of transport the cross-correlations for a Fermi system remain negative whereas for a Bose system at certain ports the correlation function can become positive. We emphasize that waves emanating from different mutually incoherent electron reservoirs or black body radiators can nevertheless give rise to interference phenomena in the cross-correlation function. Specific examples are discussed which illustrate the appearance of phase sensitive cross-correlations generated by waves emanating from mutually incoherent reservoirs.
Emotional content considered dangerous

I had hoped that Moorer's rebuttal to my short communication in the November 1972 Communications would close the debate on a topic which, like the computer itself, has provoked an inordinately large quantity of unqualified argument. Unfortunately, the short communications by McMorrow and Wexelblat in the May 1973 Communications lead me to believe that my position is still grossly misunderstood. Therefore, allow me to clarify these matters.
The Hidden Beauty of the Quadratic Market Scoring Rule: A Uniform Liquidity Market Maker, with Variations

The logarithmic market scoring rule has emerged as a standard automated market maker. The approach is particularly useful for combinatorial markets, but this article argues that for a variety of prediction market applications, the quadratic market scoring rule may be more sensible. With that rule, liquidity is uniform across the probability or prediction spectrum. Moreover, the rule can easily be adapted for contexts in which greater liquidity is desired for some portion of the probability or prediction spectrum. For each binary or linear outcome being predicted, two separate markets are used, so that a forecaster can always buy shares in either the low market or the high market to change the group prediction. The approach can be used as the basis for both conditional and deliberative prediction markets.
Almost disjunct codes in large scale multihop wireless network media access control

We discuss the application of coding constructs to the problem of radio transmission scheduling in ad hoc wireless networks. We are particularly interested in the ability to scale such ad hoc wireless networks to thousands of nodes. Current media access protocols do not scale well to larger networks than a few dozen nodes. We examine the possible ways to apply superimposed codes and almost disjunct codes to these networks media access layer. We analyzed how well one can build codes that are not as powerful as superimposed codes but have better parameters for the case of ad hoc networks. We look at the local network performance that a particular node can expect using these codes. We also examine the system wide performance using an approximate simulation of thousands of ad hoc wireless nodes.
Deep Seismic Imaging Workshop probes future of the science

In October 1993, the Geophysics Division of the Geological Society of America sponsored a symposium and theme session in Boston titled “Deep Seismic Imaging Across Continental Margins: From the Ocean-Continent Boundary to the Beach and Beyond.” Talks and posters presented results of recent seismic experiments over convergent, divergent, and transform margins from Greenland to Patagonia to an audience of 150. Perhaps most important for the deep seismic community was the chance to present recent results to the broader geologic community and to continue to build a wide consensus on the importance of crustal-scale seismic imaging for a variety of multidisciplinary objectives. Invited presentations illustrated the type of structural and velocity images available from modern deep-crustal imaging. It was clear that the integration of multiple seismic techniques is needed to understand the architecture of continental margins. Examples include the use of velocities obtained from wide-angle data to migrate correctly dipping suture-zone reflections on the Mid-Atlantic East Coast EDGE survey (S. Holbrook, R. Sheridan, L. Glover); and the combination of shallow high-resolution reflection, deep-crustal reflection, and wide-angle reflection surveys to trace near-vertical strike-slip faults through the crust in the San Francisco Bay BASIX surveys (J. McCarthy, T. Brocher, J. Hole, P. Hart).
Taxol Induces Apoptosis in Cortical Neurons by a Mechanism Independent of Bcl-2 Phosphorylation

Bcl-2, an antiapoptotic protein, protects cells against many but not all forms of apoptosis. For example, Bcl-2 does not protect non-neuronal cells against taxol, a microtubule-stabilizing agent. The underlying mechanism for the ineffectiveness of Bcl-2 against taxol has been the subject of intense interest. Data from non-neuronal cells indicate that taxol-induced apoptosis requires activation of N-terminal c-Jun protein kinase (JNK) that phosphorylates and inactivates Bcl-2. This suggests the interesting possibility that the apoptotic activity of JNK may be caused by phosphorylation of Bcl-2 and inhibition of the antiapoptotic activity of Bcl-2. Here we report that taxol induces apoptosis in cortical neurons but by a mechanism significantly different from that in non-neuronal cells. In contrast to human embryonic kidney 293 cells, expression of wild-type Bcl-2 in cortical neurons protected against taxol-induced apoptosis, and taxol did not induce Bcl-2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, cortical neurons express high basal JNK activity, and taxol did not stimulate total JNK activity. However, taxol activated a subpool of JNK in the nucleus and stimulated c-Jun phosphorylation. JNK inhibition or expression of a dominant-negative c-Jun abrogated taxol-induced apoptosis in cortical neurons, suggesting a role for JNK and JNK-mediated transcription in taxol-stimulated apoptosis. Furthermore, taxol-induced apoptosis in cortical neurons required inhibition of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase signaling. These data suggest that taxol induces apoptosis in neurons by a mechanism quite distinct from that of non-neuronal cell lines and emphasize the importance of elucidating apoptotic mechanisms specific for neurons in the CNS.
Orientations to Video Games Among Gender and Age Groups

Questionnaires were completed by 5th-, 8th-, and 11th-grade public schools students in rural and suburban school districts and by undergraduates at two universities in the United States (n = 1,242). They were asked about their orientation to video gamesâthe amount of time they played, their motives for doing so, and the game types they preferredâto better understand the context in which effects research might be organized. The conceptual schema for this research was the uses-and-gratifications perspective. The males in the sample played video games at twice the weekly average of the females, were consistently stronger in all measured motives than the females, and preferred physically oriented video games over the femalesâ preference for more traditional, thoughtful games. Younger players opted for the fantasy motive in their playing and older players more so for competition. Preference for physical games declined among the older males, and generally motives were stronger in the middle years of playing for both males and females than in the youngest and oldest age groups. Regression analyses explained considerably more variance in game playing for males than for females.
Social experience modifies behavioural responsiveness to a preferred vocal signal in red crossbills, Loxia curvirostra

Although plasticity in signal production is well recognized as a means for animals to modify their communication systems, modifying responsiveness to signals could be equally important. We examined plasticity of responsiveness to social signals that mediate group formation and cohesion in red crossbills. The red crossbill is composed of several ecologically diverged forms, defined by variation in morphology, ecological specialization and vocal behaviour; each form is associated with a distinct variant of the species ‘contact call.’ To understand how plasticity in response to signal variants may influence social dynamics, we examined the response of red crossbills to distinct call variants before and after experimental pairing with a companion of a different form. In a playback study conducted soon after birds were captured we found that adult crossbills responded more to calls that were similar to their own calls. However, social experience with a companion that produced a different contact call variant eroded this response selectivity; at the end of the study birds experimentally housed with a companion that produced a different call variant responded equally to all species-typical calls, but control birds continued to respond selectively to calls that were similar to their own. The observed form of response plasticity may permit birds to gain information from a wider range of conspecifics but is unlikely to facilitate the social intermixing of crossbills of different forms; birds that respond to all crossbill call variants probably would not gain acceptance into flocks of other forms.
Signalosomes as Therapeutic Targets.

Cardiac hypertrophy is the predominant compensatory response of the heart to a wide variety of biomechanical stressors, including exercise, hypertension, myocardial infarction, intrinsic cardiomyopathy or congenital heart disease. Although cardiac hypertrophy can maintain cardiac output in response to elevated wall stress, sustained cardiac hypertrophy is often accompanied by maladaptive remodeling which can ultimately lead to heart failure. Cultured cardiac myocytes, transgenic and knock-out animal models, and pharmacological studies have not only revealed key molecules involved in hypertrophic signaling, but have also highlighted the redundancy in the hypertrophic signaling cascade. Currently, the majority of existing therapies for inhibition of pathologic cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure target molecules on the surface of cardiac myocytes, such as G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ion channels. Because these molecules are upstream of multiple intracellular signaling pathways, however, current therapy is often accompanied by significant off-target effects and toxicity. More recently, research has focused on identifying the intracellular effectors of these signaling cascades in the hope that more selective drugs may be rationally designed for therapeutic intervention. Within the cardiac myocyte, the formation of discrete multimolecular complexes, or ‘signalosomes’, is an important mechanism for increasing the specificity and efficiency of hypertrophic signal transduction. In response to extracellular stimuli, these signalosomes can alter gene and protein expression, cell size, and chamber remodeling, such as in the case of the signalosomes formed by the mAKAPβ and AKAP-lbc scaffold proteins. A better understanding of the basic molecular mechanisms regulating the compartmentation and scaffolding of signaling molecules could lead to the development of new clinical tools that may prevent the development of heart failure and minimize negative impacts on physiological processes.
Study of one-carbon metabolism in neonatal vitamin B12-deficient rats.

By feeding diets deficient in vitamin B12 and other lipotropic sub stances, anomalies such as hydrocephalus, umbilical hernia and spina bifida were produced in neonatal rats. The incidence of congenital hydrocephalus was increased when 2.1 or 4.2 mmoles/100 g diet of DL-methionine was added to diets deficient in choline and vitamin Bu. Measurements of DNA, RNA, protein, proteolipid, and total lipid showed no quantitative differences between embryos born to dams maintained on deficient or control rations. Likewise, there were no differences found in brain phospholipids or in the incorporation of L-methionine-methyl-14C into various chemical constituents. It was concluded that alterations in brain phospholipids did not play a significant role in the pathogenesis of the nutritionally induced neural developmental anomalies, and it is suggested that dams furnish one-carbon fragments to the develop ing embryos at the expense of their own tissue requirements.
Brain Glucose Metabolism and Memory Functions: Age Decrease in Factor Scores.

The F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) scan method with positron emission tomography was used to determine age differences in factors underlying both the performances on 18 multivariate memory tests and the rates of cerebral glucose utilization in nine left and nine right hemispheric regions of 23 healthy adults aged 27 to 78 years. Two of the five derived factors separated persons below age 42 from those above age 48 years, one reflecting secondary memory for material verbally processed together with Broca's metabolic ratio, the other defined by tests requiring sequential or organizational coding of information and metabolic measures of thalamic regions. Education did not override their parallel age decrease. Several regional metabolic measures covaried with distinct memory measures. Persons with high superior frontal and low caudate-thalamic metabolic measures were those who performed well in tests of memory for sentences, story, designs, and complex patterns, suggesting a frontal-subcortical interaction in age-dependent memory processing.
Cost-effectiveness of renin-guided treatment of hypertension.

background A plasma renin activity (PRA)–guided strategy is more effective than standard care in treating hypertension (HTN). However, its clinical implementation has been slow, presumably due in part to economic concerns. We estimated the cost effectiveness of a PRA-guided treat ment strategy compared with standard care in a treated but uncontrolled HTN population. methods We estimated costs, quality-adjusted life years (QALYs), and the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of PRA-guided therapy compared to standard care using a state-transition simulation model with alternate patient characteristic scenarios and sensitivity analyses. Patient-specific inputs for the base case scenario, males average age 63 years, reflected best available data from a recent clinical trial of PRA-guided therapy. Transition probabilities were estimated using Framingham risk equations or derived from the literature; costs and utilities were derived from the literature. results In the base case scenario for males, the lifetime discounted costs and QALYs were $23,648 and 12.727 for PRA-guided therapy and $22,077 and 12.618 for standard care, respectively. The base case ICER was $14,497/QALY gained. In alternative scenario analyses varying patient input parameters, the results were sensitive to age, gender, baseline systolic blood pressure, and the addition of cardiovascular risk factors. Univariate sensitivity analyses demonstrated that results were most sensitive to varying the treatment effect of PRA-guided therapy and the cost of the PRA test. conclusions Our results suggest that PRA-guided therapy compared with standard care increases QALYs and medical costs in most scenarios. PRA-guided therapy appears to be most cost effective in younger persons and those with more cardiovascular risk factors.
Personality Risk Factors and Readiness to Change in Mandated and Voluntary College Students Enrolled in an Alcohol Intervention Program

This study compared personality risk factors and readiness to change drinking behavior among mandated and volunteer college students. The sample (N = 583) completed three measures of motivation to change and personality risk factors at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months between 2011 and 2012. Linear mixed models were used to determine an association of continuous outcome variable(s) with covariates over time. Participants in the action stage had lower impulsivity scores. Gender was significant, with females showing the highest anxiety and lowest sensation seeking. The findings indicate a number of future directions to advance innovative alcohol intervention and treatment programs on college campuses.
The Laws of Economic Rent and Property:.: Application to the Oil Industry

Economic rent in general, and oil rent in particular, is an historically-specific, social category, reflective of unique property relations, which goes beyond the conventional notion of physical scarcity prevailing in economics literature Neither the Ricardian theory nor the neoclassical general equilibrium theory suitably explain the nature of the capital-land relation and convey an understanding of the priority of their mutual interaction within the production process Being an effect of specific property relation, the phenomenon of rent merely assumes the status of a special category applicable to the concrete conditions of some industries Hence, political economy lacks a general theory of rent The concept of oil rent is based on the potentially conflicting interaction of ownership of oil reserves, and that of the oil leases, within the global oil industry The oil rent is the result of the transformation of the existing differential productivities of oil-producing regions within the global oil industry The formation of global oil prices and differential oil rents rest on the global competition which has become a distinguishing feature of this industry since the early 1970s
Value of Doppler ultrasonography in management of patients with follicular thyroid biopsy specimens.

Objective: To perform a statistical evaluation with use of Bayes' theorem, evaluating the prognostic value of Doppler flow analysis, to determine the probability of cancer in thyroid nodules with a prior follicular biopsy specimen. Methods: The medical literature was reviewed to identify studies in which ultrasonographic Doppler flow analysis was performed on thyroid nodules with a prior fine-needle aspiration biopsy sample showing follicular cytologic features. For inclusion in the study, all nodules must have had pathologic confirmation of the final diagnosis. The pretest probability of cancer was considered to be the incidence of carcinoma within the population studied. The posttest or conditional probability was calculated by using Bayes' theorem. Results: Two well-designed prospective studies met the criteria for inclusion. The sensitivity of demonstration of intranodular flow by Doppler analysis for detection of thyroid carcinoma ranged from 80% to 86%. The specificity of intranodular flow indicatin...