cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anomalous behavior in bin packing algorithms

Abstract In the classical bin packing problem one is given a list of items and asked to pack them into the fewest possible unit-sized bins. Given two lists, L1 and L2, where L2 is derived from L1 by deleting some elements of L1 and/or reducing the size of some elements of L1, one might hope that an approximation algorithm would use no more bins to pack L2 than it uses to pack L1. Johnson and Graham have given examples showing that First-Fit and First-Fit Decreasing can actually use more bins to pack L2 than L1. Graham has also studied this type of behavior among multiprocessor scheduling algorithms. In the present paper we extend this study of anomalous behavior to a broad class of approximation algorithms for bin packing. To do this we introduce a technique which allows one to characterize the monotonic/anomalous behavior of any algorithm in a large, natural class. We then derive upper and lower bounds on the anomalous behavior of the algorithms which are anomalous and provide conditions under which a normally nonmonotonic algorithm becomes monotonic.
TESTS OF RANDOM WALK AND MARKET EFFICIENCY FOR LATIN AMERICAN EMERGING EQUITY MARKETS

Variance-ratio methodology is used to test the hypothesis that Latin American emerging equity market prices follow a random walk. The data are monthly index prices in local currency from December 1975 to March 1991 for Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. The variance-ratio tests reject the random walk hypothesis. However, runs tests indicate that Latin American equity markets are weak-form efficient. These empirical findings suggest that domestic investors might not be able to develop trading strategies that would allow them to earn excess returns.
Complications of pediatric cholecystectomy: impact from hospital experience and use of cholangiography.

Background Complications after cholecystectomy in children are poorly characterized. The aim of this study was to assess risk factors for major surgical complications for children undergoing cholecystectomy. Study Design All children 4 to 18 years old with gallbladder disease who underwent cholecystectomy from 1999 to 2006 were identified from the California Patient Discharge Database. Patient, hospital, and surgical factors were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression analysis to identify factors predictive of bile duct injury (BDI) and postoperative ERCP. Results A cohort of 6,931 children treated at 360 hospitals was evaluated. Most children underwent cholecystectomy at a non-children's hospital (84%). Intraoperative cholangiogram (IOC) was performed in 2,053 (30%) children. Of 5,101 children tracked through the year after cholecystectomy, 153 (3%) required readmission for surgical complications. Bile duct injury occurred in 25 (0.36%) children, and postoperative ERCP was performed in 711 (10%) children. Older age (odds ratio = 0.80; 99% CI, 0.67−0.95) was associated with decreased risk of BDI. Increased hospital tendency for routine IOC use was associated with increased likelihood of BDI (odds ratio = 12.92; 99% CI, 1.31−127.15). Receiving surgical care at a children's hospital was associated with a decreased likelihood of postoperative ERCP (odds ratio = 0.39; 99% CI, 0.23−0.66). As anticipated, choledocholithiasis, cholecystitis, IOC, and laparoscopic cholecystectomy were associated with increased risk of postoperative ERCP (p Conclusions Serious complications and readmissions from pediatric cholecystectomy are uncommon. Surgeons performing cholecystectomy in young children must have an elevated concern about BDI. Routine IOC or surgical volume might not be helpful in lowering BDI rates.
Design Implementation of Buckling Restrained Braces for Seismic Retrofitting of Reinforced Concrete Multi-Column Bridge Bents

The bridge seismic retrofit measure presented in this paper aims to concentrate all the inelastic demand and energy dissipation, during a moderate to large earthquake, in disposable elements while the main structure remains essentially elastic and its integrity is preserved. Buckling restrained brace (BRB) systems have been successfully implemented in buildings; however, their implementation in bridges has been limited. The design implementation of BRBs that is presented includes the analysis of the overall behavior of the bridge under two seismic performance levels and outlines design options for the brace-to-concrete connection. A case study of a representative reinforced concrete bridge bent constructed in the 1950s to mid-1970s in the Pacific Northwest is presented in an effort to demonstrate the retrofit procedure for the transverse direction. This retrofit option provides an additional tool for bridge design professionals looking to comply with performance-based criteria used to assess typical retrofit options.
Cytoplasmic vacuolization responses to cytopathic bovine viral diarrhoea virus

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Virus (BVDV) is a positive sense, single-stranded RNA virus which exhibits two biotypes in standard cell culture systems. The cytopathic strains of this virus (cpBVDV) induce dramatic cytoplasmic vacuolization in cell cultures, while infection with the non-cytopathic (NCP-BVDV) strains produces no overt changes in the host cells. Our results show that extensive cytoplasmic vacuolization is the earliest morphological change in response to cpBVDV infection in MDBK cells. Cells with extensive vacuolization showed no co-existing chromatin condensation, caspase activation, or loss of membrane integrity. In addition, the caspase inhibitor (zVAD-fmk), although improving cell viability of infected cells from 6.7 ± 2.2% to 18.8 ± 2.2%, did not prevent vacuolization. On the ultrastructural level, the virus-induced cytoplasmic vacuoles are single membrane structures containing organelles and cellular debris, which appear capable of fusing with other vacuoles and engulfing surrounding cytoplasmic materials. LysoTracker Red which marks lysosomes did not stain the virus-induced cytoplasmic vacuoles. In addition, this lysosomal dye could be observed in the cytoplasm of vacuolized cells, suggesting a lysosomal abnormality. Our data demonstrate that cpBVDV induced a novel cell death pathway in MDBK cells that is primarily associated with lysosomal dysfunction and the formation of phagocytic cytoplasmic vacuoles, and this mode of cell death is different from apoptosis and necrosis.
A model-based approximate λ-policy iteration approach to online evasive path planning and the video game Ms. Pac-Man

This paper presents a model-based approximate λ-policy iteration approach using temporal differences for optimizing paths online for a pursuit-evasion problem, where an agent must visit several target positions within a region of interest while simultaneously avoiding one or more actively pursuing adversaries. This method is relevant to applications, such as robotic path planning, mobile-sensor applications, and path exposure. The methodology described utilizes cell decomposition to construct a decision tree and implements a temporal difference-based approximate λ-policy iteration to combine online learning with prior knowledge through modeling to achieve the objectives of minimizing the risk of being caught by an adversary and maximizing a reward associated with visiting target locations. Online learning and frequent decision tree updates allow the algorithm to quickly adapt to unexpected movements by the adversaries or dynamic environments. The approach is illustrated through a modified version of the video game Ms. Pac-Man, which is shown to be a benchmark example of the pursuit-evasion problem. The results show that the approach presented in this paper outperforms several other methods as well as most human players.
An Exploratory Study of How Technology Supports Communication in Multilingual Groups

In this paper, the authors study how new technology can support multilingual groups. Their results show that no significant difference was found between group members' comprehension of contributed comments and their stated minimum acceptable understanding. However, comprehension of relevant comments was higher than that for off-topic text, indicating that the sharing of important information was achieved. Further, reading comprehension tests of translations from Chinese, German, Hindi, Korean, Malay, and Spanish to English show that, except for Hindi, the automatic translations achieve accuracies that are acceptable for graduate studies at a university in the United States.
“I Write to Know What I Think”: a Four-Year Writing Curriculum:

The four-year writing curriculum of the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research has as its main objective to teach candidates to learn about analysis through writing. Learning to write about analyses ultimately entails learning to clarify and then express how one thinks and functions as an analyst. Since its inception ten years ago, the program has evolved into its current structure, a stepwise approach through the years of candidate training based on a didactic method called "layering." For each level of the course, candidates' typical writing difficulties are examined, and examples given of write-ups and how they were used in teaching. The essential role of the faculty experience is also described.
Disclosure of Genetic Information Obtained Through Research

The rapid expansion of information and knowledge of genetics has implications for the question of whether, and under what circumstances, information discovered in the course of genetic research should be conveyed to research participants and/or their relatives. The aim of this paper is to propose an ethically defensible solution to a specific case example illustrating this problem. To do this we reviewed the literature to find answers to the following three questions: (1) What do current regulations, guidelines, and commentary say about the disclosure of genetic risk information obtained through research to research participants? (2) What do current regulations, guidelines, and commentary say about the disclosure of genetic risk information obtained through research to the relatives of research subjects? and (3) What do current regulations, guidelines, and commentary say about the disclosure of genetic risk information obtained through research about former research participants who are now deceased? Our conclusion is that current U.S. federal guidelines governing the use of human subjects in research, as well as much of the current literature, do not adequately address the familial dimension inherent in genetic research, are virtually silent on the issue of sharing information of relevance to family members, and do not protect the deceased. It is our belief that this omission needs to be corrected and that explicit guidance on this issue needs to be provided to institutional review boards and researchers alike.
Centroid-moment tensor solutions for October-December 1994

Abstract Centroid-moment tensor solutions are presented for 231 earthquakes that occurred during the fourth quarter of 1994. The solutions are obtained using corrections for aspherical earth structure represented by a whole mantle shear velocity model SH8/U4L8 of Dziewonski and Woodward (Acoustical Imaging, 1992, Vol. A, pp. 785–797). A new model of anelastic attenuation of Durek and Ekstrom (EOS, 1994, 75:83) is used to predict the decay of the waveforms.
Mild hypothermia improves survival after prolonged, traumatic hemorrhagic shock in pigs.

Introduction: Clinical studies have demonstrated improved survival after cardiac arrest with induction of mild hypothermia (34°C). Infusion of ice-cold saline seems beneficial. The American Heart Association recommends therapeutic hypothermia for comatose survivors of cardiac arrest For hemorrhagic shock (HS), laboratory studies suggest that mild hypothermia prolongs the golden hour for resuscitation. Yet, the effects of hypothermia during HS are unclear since retrospective clinical studies suggest that hypothermia is associated with increased mortality. Using a clinically relevant, large animal model with trauma and intensive care, we tested the hypothesis that mild hypothermia, induced with intravenous cold saline (ice cold or room temperature) and surface cooling, would improve survival after HS in pigs. Methods: Pigs were prepared under isoflurane anesthesia. After laparotomy, venous blood (75 mL/kg) was continuously withdrawn over 3 hours (no systemic heparin). At HS 35 minutes, the spleen was transected. At HS 40 minutes, pigs were divided into three groups (n = 8, each): 1) Normothermia (Norm)(38°C), induced with warmed saline; 2) Mild hypothermia (34°C) induced with i.v. infusion of 2°C saline (Hypo-Ice) and surface cooling; and 3) Mild hypothermia (34°C), induced with room temperature (24°C) i.v. saline (Hypo-Rm) and surface cooling. Fluids were given when mean arterial pressure (MAP) was <30 mmHg. At HS 3 hours, shed blood was returned and splenectomy was performed. Intensive care was continued to 24 hours. Results: At 24 hours, there were two survivors in the Norm group, four in the Hypo-Ice group and seven in the Hypo-Rm group (p < 0.05 versus the Norm group, Log Rank). Time required to achieve 34°C was 17 ± 9 minutes in the Hypo-Ice group and 15 ± 4 minutes in the Hypo-Rm group (NS). Compared with the Hypo-Rm group, the Hypo-Ice group required less saline during early HS (321 ± 122 versus 571 ± 184 mL,p < 0.05). The Hypo-Ice group also had higher lactate levels than the Hypo-Rm group (p < 0.05). Hypothermia did not cause any increase in bleeding compared with normothermia. Conclusion: Mild hypothermia during HS, induced by infusion of room temperature saline and surface cooling, improves survival in a clinically relevant model of HS and trauma. However, the use of iced saline in this model had detrimental effects and did not cool the animal more quickly than room temperature fluids. These findings suggest that optimal methods for induction of hypothermia need to be addressed for each potential indication, e.g. cardiac arrest versus HS.
Children With Asthma Miss More School : Fact or Fiction?

Background It is widely believed that children with asthma miss considerably more school than children without asthma. Previous surveys have indicated that 49% of children with asthma miss school (Asthma in America, 1998), but only a few studies have attempted to quantify the amount of school missed. Understanding the role of asthma in school attendance will help direct limited health-care resources to the children who need them most. Methods We investigated school absence rates in fourth- through sixth-grade students in 19 inner-city schools in the Dallas Independent School District (DISD). The sample consisted of 353 students who were identified as possibly having asthma based on responses to a modified Brief Pediatric Screen instrument and who underwent spirometry and/or exercise challenge (EC) testing to confirm the diagnosis of asthma: 25 students were excluded for FEV 1 Results Absence rates were as follows: 2.54% (EC positive), 2.12% (EC negative), 2.59% (abnormal FEV 1 ), 2.86% (RN identified), 2.85% (all fourth- through sixth-grade students in study schools), and 2.95% (all fourth- through sixth-grade students in the DISD). Conclusion Students with asthma in the DISD miss no more school their classmates without asthma.
A thermochemical investigation of the binding of 12-phosphotungstic acid and chloride ion to bovine serum albumin

Abstract The reaction of bovine serum albumin (BSA) and several other proteins with 12-phosphotungstic acid (12-PTA) has been investigated by the method of thermometric enthalpy titration. For all proteins tested the enthalpograms indicate that the reaction proceeds in two stages. The reaction of BSA with 12-PTA has been studied as a function of pH From 1 to 5, of ionic strength from 0.10 to 1.0 M in sodium chloride—hydrochloric acid mixtures and as a function of BSA concentration from 0.50 to 20 g I −1 . The studies indicate that some chloride (or other anion) binds to or condenses on the surface of the positively charged protein. Other chloride ions are present near the protein only as counter ions in order to satisfy electroneutrality considerations. When I 2-PTA is added slowly and continuously to a protein it first reacts with the available positive sites to which no anion is strongly bound thus: In the second reaction stage the chloride ion is displaced from the protein precipitate by additional 12-PTA.
Effect of enzymes on strawberry volatiles during storage, at different ripeness level, in different cultivars, and during eating.

: Strawberry samples with enzyme activity and without enzyme activity (stannous chloride added) were measured for real-time formation of lipoxygenase (LOX) derived aroma compounds after 5 min pureeing using selected ion flow tube-mass spectrometry (SIFT-MS). The concentration of (Z)-3-hexenal and (E)-2-hexenal increased immediately after blending and gradually decreased over time, while hexanal concentration increased for at least 5 min in ground strawberries. The formation of hexanal was slower than the formation of (Z)-3-hexenal and (E)-2-hexenal in the headspace of pureed strawberries. The concentration of LOX aldehydes and esters significantly increased during refrigerated storage. Damaging strawberries increased the concentration of LOX aldehydes but did not significantly affect the concentration of esters. The concentrations of many of the esters were strongly correlated to their corresponded acids and/or aldehydes. The concentration of LOX-generated aldehydes decreased during ripening, while fruity esters increased. Different varieties had different aroma profiles and esters were the greatest percentage of the volatiles. The aroma release of some of the LOX-derived aldehydes in the mouthspace in whole strawberries compared to chopped strawberries showed that these volatiles are formed in the mouth during chewing. The persistence of LOX-derived compounds was higher than esters after swallowing. The mouthspace after and before swallowing persistence ratio of esters decreased as the chain length of the acid part of the ester compounds increased in whole strawberries. Practical Application: The storage studies showed that the concentrations of fruity and fresh volatiles increased during ripening and storage while damaging only increases the fresh volatiles. The nose, mouth, and headspace information can be used in the flavor industry to improve the formula of natural strawberry flavor by considering human perception during eating.
Structural basis for ubiquitin recognition by the Otu1 ovarian tumor domain protein

Ubiquitination of proteins modifies protein function by either altering their activities, promoting their degradation, or altering their subcellular localization. Deubiquitinating enzymes are proteases that reverse this ubiquitination. Previous studies demonstrate that proteins that contain an ovarian tumor (OTU) domain possess deubiquitinating activity. This domain of ∼130 amino acids is weakly similar to the papain family of proteases and is highly conserved from yeast to mammals. Here we report structural and functional studies on the OTU domain-containing protein from yeast, Otu1. We show that Otu1 binds polyubiquitin chain analogs more tightly than monoubiquitin and preferentially hydrolyzes longer polyubiquitin chains with Lys48 linkages, having little or no activity on Lys63- and Lys29-linked chains. We also show that Otu1 interacts with Cdc48, a regulator of the ER-associated degradation pathway. We also report the x-ray crystal structure of the OTU domain of Otu1 covalently complexed with ubiquitin and carry out structure-guided mutagenesis revealing a novel mode of ubiquitin recognition and a variation on the papain protease catalytic site configuration that appears to be conserved within the OTU family of ubiquitin hydrolases. Together, these studies provide new insights into ubiquitin binding and hydrolysis by yeast Otu1 and other OTU domain-containing proteins.
Controlled Perturbation of sets of line segments in R2 with smart processing order

Controlled Perturbation is a framework for perturbing geometric sets to make the processes that use them more robust for fixed-precision manipulation. We present a Controlled Perturbation scheme for sets of line segments in R^2 (CPLS, for short). CPLS iteratively perturbs the endpoints of the line segments to eliminate potential degeneracies that may cause round-off errors when using fixed-precision arithmetic. We implemented CPLS and provide experimental results. In the core of this work, we present a novel method for decreasing the perturbation magnitude. The main idea behind our method is that different endpoint processing orders yield different perturbation quality. We devise several heuristics for deciding smart endpoint processing to decrease the perturbation. We implemented and experimented with them. Our experiments show a significant decrease in the perturbation magnitude.
Selective Leaching Nickel from the Pre-Reduced Limonitic Laterite Ore at Atmospheric Pressure

In this paper a novel method for selective leaching nickel from pre-reduced laterite ore at atmospheric pressure was reported. The reduced calcine was leached in thin acid liquor to liberate the nickel and iron together firstly. By properly controlling the leaching condition, the leached iron ion could hydrolyze as goethite precipitate and regenerate the acid consumed in the leaching procedure. Finally, the nickel is selectively extracted into the leaching solution. The main factors in the leaching process, such as reduction degree of the laterite ore, acidity of the leaching solution were investigated as influence on the nickel extraction. The test results showed that selectively leaching of nickel could be achieved with an extraction degree up to 90% by reducing most of the iron in the lateritic ore to wuestite and controlling the pH value of the leaching solution below 2.5.
The rubro-spinal tract of the opossum (Didelphis virginiana)†

The course, caudal extent and termination of the opossum rubro-spinal tract were determined by employing the Nauta-Gygax and Fink-Heimer techniques on the spinal cords of animals with lesions either within the red nucleus or within the descending fibers emanating from that nucleus. Prior to placement of the lesion, the area at the tip of the electrode was stimulated and the concomitant movements of skeletal muscles were palpated. The rubro-spinal tract traversed the entire length of the spinal cord and was located within the dorsolateral portion of the lateral funiculus. The tract was partially separated from the surface throughout cervical and thoracic levels by fibers of the dorsal spino-cerebellar tract. More caudally the rubro-spinal tract coursed immediately beneath the cord surface. At cervical levels, rubro-spinal fibers ended extensively within the lateral portion of laminae V and VI (Rexed, '52) and minimally within the medial portions of the same laminae. Fascicles also ended within lamina VII. At thoracic levels, lamina VI disappeared and rubro-spinal fibers terminated within the lateral and, to a lesser extent, the medial portions of laminae V and VII. Lamina VI was present at lumbar and rostral sacral levels and the majority of rubro-spinal fibers ended within the lateral part of that lamina. However, a few fibers terminated within laminae V and VII at such levels. At caudal sacral and coccygeal levels lamina VI disappeared and rubro-spinal bundles ended within laminae V and VII. Stimulation of the caudal red nucleus initiated contraction of the flexor musculature of the contralateral forelimb, and to a lesser degree, the contralateral hindlimb. Contraction of the contralateral paraxial musculature was also noted at cervical and thoracic levels during such experiments. Stimulation of the rubro-spinal tract and adjacent tegmentum immediately caudal to the red nucleus resulted in similar movements, but they were essentially limited to the side of the stimulation.
Undergraduate research experiences in data mining

The new interdisciplinary field of Data Mining emerged in the early 1990s as a response to the profusion of digital data generated in numerous fields such as biology, chemistry, astronomy, advertising, banking and finance, retail market, stock market, and the WWW. In this paper, I describe an undergraduate course in Data Mining offered at the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University in Spring of 2007 as a CSCI-317-upper-division "Topics in Computer Science"- course, entitled "Data Intelligence." One of the main objectives of the course was to engage students in experimental computing research through a number of carefully planned research activities resulting in better understanding of the course contents and deeper insights into the challenges faced by the data mining community.
Resonant tunneling of variously strained Si/GexSi1−x/Si heterostructures

Abstract Resonant tunneling of holes through variously strained double barrier Si/Ge x Si 1−x /Si structures grown on a relaxed GeSi buffer layer has been observed. The different GeSi buffer layer has a lattice constant determined by the Ge fractional composition and the strained double barrier tunneling structures are then grown by molecular beam epitaxy onto the relaxed buffer layer. Tunneling of light and heavy holes has been demonstrated. The current-voltage relations show negative differential resistance. The positions of the resonant peaks are in agreement with the light and heavy hole bound states in the quantum well calculated from the deformation potential and the strain data. The tunneling current is also measured in the presence of a high magnetic field up to 10 T, both in the perpendicular and parallel to the interfaces.
Inactivation of T-2 bacteriophage by sensitized leucocytes in vitro.

ALTHOUGH in vitro investigations of the primary1 and secondary2,3 phases of the immune response have been reported, few investigators have used blood as a source of immunologically competent cells4–6. The use of blood instead of lymphoid organs as a source of cells enables the investigator to obtain multiple samples of a homogeneous cell population. This communication reports a preliminary approach to an immunological investigative system consisting of sensitized rabbit blood leucocytes and T-2 bacteriophage, a particulate antigen that can be assayed by a procedure which is relatively simple, sensitive and quantitative.
Interfacial Electron Transfer between Fe(II)(CN)64- and TiO2 Nanoparticles: Direct Electron Injection and Nonexponential Recombination

Photoinduced electron-transfer (ET) dynamics in Fe(II)(CN)64- sensitized TiO2 nanoparticles in D2O solution are studied by subpicosecond tunable laser spectroscopy in the mid-infrared and visible region. The dynamics of the injected electrons are monitored by the mid-IR absorption of electrons in the semiconductor, and the corresponding dynamics of the adsorbate are monitored by the vibrational spectra of the CN stretching mode region and electronic absorption in the visible. After 400 nm excitation, the forward electron injection time from Fe(II)(CN)64- to TiO2 occurs in 1 ns (35%). Combining with previous measurements in the nanosecond to microsecond time scale (Lu et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1993, 115, 4927 and Vrachnou et al...
Exact solution of a &#960;-pulse problem

The exact solution describing steady-state resonant pulse propagation in a two-level inverted medium is given. This steady-state pulse is often referred to as a 180° or π-pulse. No approximation of a slowly varying envelope is made, and hence the solution satisfies the second-order wave equation as well as the equations of motion of the density matrix of the system. As a result the theory is able to describe very short pulses, whose width can be of the order of the period of the optical carrier. The model for the system includes a nonresonant loss and a finite value of the transverse relaxation time T 2 , but neglects dispersion in the host medium. The steady-state pulse is found to be frequency modulated and asymmetric in shape.
What Pregnant Women Want to Know: A Comparison of Client and Provider Perceptions

Objective: To compare client and health‐care provider perceptions concerning health topics. Design: A survey conducted at the first prenatal visit asked women to indicate levels of interest in 38 topics. Providers answered the same survey, indicating perceptions of clients' interests. Setting: A prenatal clinic and a private office, both in an inner city area. Participants: Two groups of prenatal clients (n = 135 private care and n= 250 public care) and their health‐care providers (n = 32 nurses and physicians ). Results: Significant differences were found (p .01 for four topics , p .05 for six topics) between the clients' interests and the providers' perceptions. Women in private and public care differed significantly (p .01) in their levels of interest. Interest was significantly affected by parity, but not maternal education. Conclusions: Nurses and other health professionals should be aware of the range of topics in which clients express interest. This study suggests that site of care and parity should be considered when developing prenatal health education.
Monodisperse, “highly” positively charged protein polymer drag-tags generated in an intein-mediated purification system used in free-solution electrophoretic separations of DNA

Free-solution conjugate electrophoresis (FSCE) is a method of DNA sequencing that eliminates the need for viscous polymer solutions by tethering a carefully designed, mobility modifying “drag-tag” to each DNA molecule to achieve size-based separations of DNA. The most successful drag-tags to date are genetically engineered, highly repetitive polypeptides (“protein polymers”) that are designed to be large, water-soluble, and completely monodisperse. Positively charged arginines were deliberately introduced at regular intervals into the amino acid sequence to increase the hydrodynamic drag without increasing drag-tag length. Additionally, a one-step purification method that combines affinity chromatography and on-column tag cleavage was devised to achieve the required drag-tag monodispersity. Sequencing with a read length of approximately 180 bases was successfully achieved with a known sequence in free-solution electrophoresis using one of these positively charged drag-tags. This preliminary result is expe...
An Empirical Examination of Ex AnteEstimates of the Market Risk Premium

This research investigates a new method for estimating the price of risk in the market using information on bond yield spreads. An empirical examination of the model indicates the ex-ante risk premium estimates, which vary significantly over time, have an average one-to-one relationship with future market returns. There is strong evidence that the procedure supplies forecasts that can be very useful in predicting future returns on stocks, high-yield bonds, and the overall market. It may therefore also assist in estimating the required return on assets needed to compute the present value of investments.
Compact, high-gain pulsed dye amplifier for weak cw sources.

A compact two-cuvette dye amplifier capable of pulse amplifying weak cw visible sources by factors in excess of 109 has been demonstrated. Seeded with a 300-μW single-frequency He–Ne laser and without the need for a Faraday isolator, the preamplifier yields >40-μJ pulses of 4.5-ns duration and 1.4× transform-limited linewidths around 140 MHz. Subsequent power amplification yields 4-ns FWHM, 2-mJ pulses with excellent pulse-to-pulse stability and linewidths around 170 MHz. Scaling of the operational envelope and extension to pulse amplification of cw single-mode tunable diode lasers is discussed.
Projections of nucleus angularis and nucleus laminaris to the lateral lemniscal nuclear complex of the barn owl

Interaural phase and intensity are cues by which the barn owl determines, respectively, the azimuth and elevation of a sound source. Physiological studies indicate that phase and intensity are processed independently in the auditory brainstem of the barn owl. The phases of spectral components of a sound are encoded in nucleus magnocellularis (NM), one of the two cochlear nuclei. NM projects solely and bilaterally to nucleus laminaris (NL), wherein interaural phase difference is computed. The other cochlear nucleus, nucleus angularis (NA), encodes the amplitudes of spectral components of sounds. We report here the projections of NA and NL to the lateral lemniscal nuclei of the barn owl. The lateral lemniscal complex comprises nucleus olivaris superior (SO); nucleus lemnisci lateralis, pars ventralis (LLv); and nucleus ventralis lemnisci lateralis (VLV). At caudal levels, VLV may be divided into a posterior (VLVp) and an anterior (VLVa) subdivision on cytoarchitectonic grounds. At rostral levels, the cytoarchitectural differences diminish and the boundaries between the two subdivisions become obscured. Likewise, our data from anterograde tracing studies suggest that at caudal levels the terminal fields of NA and NL remain confined to VLVp and VLVa, respectively. They merge, however, at rostral levels. The data also suggest that NL projects to the medial portion of the ipsilateral SO and that NA projects bilaterally to all parts of SO and LLv. Studies with the retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase confirm these projections.
The minimax multistop location problem on a tree

In many services (e.g., delivery, or customer pickup vehicles) the service unit usually visits a number of demand points on a single multistop tour. Typically, at a specific time of the day, the unit receives the list of waiting calls and immediately starts a tour of the network that includes all waiting customers. The multistop location problem is to find the home location for the service unit. We focus on the minimax criterion for the multistop problem defined on a tree network. Each potential list of customers is associated with the length of its respective tour and with some weight. We seek for the home location of the unit that minimizes the maximum weighted tour length over all feasible customer lists. We consider several weight functions and obtain results that reveal additional properties of the classical absolute center of the tree.
Effectiveness factors in a nonisothermal reaction system

Hydrogenation rates of ethylene on a copper-magnesium oxide catalyst were measured for fine catalyst particles and ½ in. spherical pellets from 60° to 160°C. Experimental effectiveness factors for this exothermic reaction system ranged from 0.2 to 25, depending upon the temperature and density of the catalyst pellets. The activation energy for the particles was 11,800 cal./g. mole (above 120°C.), while E for the pellets decreased to zero at high temperatures. Reasons for this behavior are discussed. The effective thermal conductivity of the catalyst pellets was measured as a function of density and the effective diffusivity was estimated from pore size and pore volume measurements. In principle this information and the rate data for the particles are sufficient to predict effectiveness factors for the pellets. However available prediction methods are based upon first or second order rate equations which do not fit the ethylene hydrogenation reaction.
A comparison of numerical methods for computing electromagnetic fields

The task of comparing numerical techniques used to solve electromagnetic-related problems not amenable to exact solution is discussed. A critical comparison of some of the methods is provided. These methods have advantages and disadvantages depending on the application, and, on the whole, the problem of choosing the optimal method for numerical modeling remains open. The methods that are analyzed are the finite-difference method (FDM), the finite-element method (FEM), the method of moments (MOM) the finite-difference time-domain (FD-TD) method, the transmission-line-matrix (TLM) method, and the boundary element method (BEM). Specifically, FDM and FEM are compared, FD-TD and TLM are compared, and FEM and MOM are compared. The numerical methods complement each other rather than compete with each other. Each provides a check and a better understanding of the other. >
Music & Medicine: The Development of an Integrative Approach to the Application of Music and Music Therapy in Medical Settings

Clinical practice, research & training are three critical aspects of program development in the establishment of music and medicine in hospital settings. Since 1994, the Louis Armstrong Center for Music & Medicine has been developing clinical care strategies that have fostered programs internationally in support of integrative medical practices. This article will highlight the development of that growth; from a one unit service to an inner city center for infants, children and adults of varying needs and diagnoses.
Decision making using incomplete data

Decision-making often relies on relevant information extracted from data. To obtain such information, many data analysis techniques can be applied, including statistical analysis, clustering algorithms and modeling techniques using neural nets or machine learning. Unfortunately, in practice, missing data is common and most analysis techniques are not applicable to incomplete data. This paper investigates an approach to handling missing data, using heuristics, in a machine learning system, SORCER. We applied SORCER to decide if certain characteristics of COLIA1 gene mutations are or are not associated with fatal type of, OI (osteogenesis imperfecta), a genetic disease. We compare the accuracies of SORCER's decisions with a high performing machine learning system, See5 with different percentages of missing data. The results show that average accuracies obtained from See5 tend to decline as the degree of incompleteness increases at a greater rate than those obtained from SORCER
Harvey Cushing: Father of American Neurosurgery

(2002). Harvey Cushing: Father of American Neurosurgery. Journal of Investigative Surgery: Vol. 15, No. 3, pp. 115-116.
The use of mobile apps to improve nutrition outcomes: A systematic literature review.

We conducted a systematic review to determine if the use of nutrition apps resulted in improved outcomes, including knowledge and behavior, among healthy adults. Using app(s), cellular phone, iPads, mobile phone, mobile telephone, smart phone, mobile and mHealth as search terms with diet, food and nutrition as qualifiers we searched PubMed, CINAHL (January 2008-October 2013) and Web of Science (January 2008-January 2014). Inclusion criteria were peer-reviewed randomized controlled trials, non-controlled trials, and cohort studies published in English that used apps to increase nutrition knowledge or improve behavior related to nutrition. Studies that were descriptive, did not include apps, focused on app development, app satisfaction app feasibility, text messaging, or digital photography were excluded. We evaluated article quality using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Manual. Data was extracted for knowledge, behavior and weight change. Our initial search identified 12,010 titles from PubMed, 260 from CINAHL and 4762 from Web of Science; of these, only four articles met all search criteria. Positive quality ratings were given to three articles; only one reported knowledge outcomes (non-significant). All four articles evaluated weight loss and suggested an advantage to using nutrition apps. Behavioral changes in reviewed studies included increased adherence to diet monitoring (p < 0.001) and decreased effort to continue diet without app (p = 0.024). Few studies, however, have explored the use of nutrition apps as supportive educational interventions. Most apps focus on weight loss with inconsistent outcomes. We conclude that using apps for education needs additional research which includes behavior theory within the app and improved study design.
Radiometric-microbiologic assay fo vitamin B-6: analysis of plasma samples

A radiometric microbiologic assay for the analysis of vitamin B-6 in plasma was developed. The method is based on the measurement of 14CO2 generated from the metabolism of DL-l-14C-valine (L-l-14C-valine) by Kloeckera brevis. The assay is specific for the biologically active forms of the vitamin, that is, pyridoxine, pyridoxal and pyridoxamine, and their respective phosphorylated forms. The biologically inert vitamin B-6 metabolite (4-pyridoxic acid) did not generate a response at concentrations tested. The radiometric technique was shown to be sensitive to the 1 nanogram level. Reproducibility and recovery studies gave good results. Fifteen plasma samples were assayed using the radiometric and turbidimetric techniques. The correlation coefficient was r . 0.98. Turbid material or precipitated debris did not interfere with the radiometric microbiologic assay, thus allowing for simplification of assay procedure.
The cognitive implications of semi-natural virtual locomotion

This study incorporated a dual-task paradigm, in which participants were asked to perform basic locomotion tasks with one of three interfaces while remembering a sequence of either spatial or verbal items. Interfaces varied in similarity to natural body movements. Stopping performance was compromised when concurrently remembering a spatial, but not verbal, sequence. Also users exhibited lower performance on spatial memory tasks while using more unnatural locomotion interfaces. These results confirm that semi-natural locomotion interfaces require spatial working memory resources and thus locomotion interfaces compete with ongoing spatial tasks, as opposed to those requiring verbal resources or general attention resources.
Combined state estimation and measurement calibration

A measurement calibration method is described in this paper. The proposed method identifies calibration models for the uncalibrated measurements and estimates the calibration model parameters along with the system states. The permanent nature of calibration errors allows their estimation by using multiple scans of measurements. The parametric models of the measurements can be estimated by reformulating the conventional system state estimation problem and incorporating calibration models. The paper also addresses the issues of network and parameter observability and provides simulation results for cases involving the IEEE 14-bus test system.
Pharmacist and Physician Collaboration in the Patient's Home

OBJECTIVE:To review the historical perspective and current incidence of home visits by physicians and pharmacists, discuss the concept of pharmacists providing care “incident-to” the physician, and introduce a new endeavor of collaborative, incident-to home visits by a pharmacist and physician.DATA SOURCES:A literature search was performed using MEDLINE (1966-May 2003). The search terms used were home visit, house call, incident-to, collaborative care, physician, and pharmacist.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:All pertinent articles were evaluated.DATA SYNTHESIS:Home visits were once considered a hallmark of patient care, but have decreased to an average of 0.4 home visits per week for primary care physicians. Home visits are essential for patients unable to commute to the office due to a disability or illness. However, home visits also allow the physician to determine how conditions affect a patient's everyday life, in addition to assessing the living environment. Minimal documented evidence exists of...
Neural and genetic degeneracy underlies Caenorhabditis elegans feeding behavior

Degenerate networks, in which structurally distinct elements can perform the same function or yield the same output, are ubiquitous in biology. Degeneracy contributes to the robustness and adaptabi...
A Chapter in the Financial Revolution of the Nineteenth Century: The Rise of French Deposit Banking

The terminal dates of this study are the year of the foundation of the CrA©dit Lyonnais and the year of the transfer of the management from Lyons to Paris. Until 1882, the siA¨ge social remained in the south, though from the late 1860's on, the initiative in the larger financial operations lay with the â€œsuccursaleâ€ in the capital. To satisfy the requirements of what Bouvier calls a two-headed direction, an extensive, daily correspondence was indispensable. The result is one of the richest banking archives ever opened to an inquiring researcher. It is not only their abundance that makes these records of the CrA©dit Lyonnais so valuable; it is their quality, the subjects they treat, the insights they give into the problems and minds of the directors of the bank. These papers deal with matters that today would be confined to conversationâ€”directly or over that bane of the future researcher, the telephone; they concern not only decisions, but the reasons for decisions and the debates that lay behind them. Even if such thoughts were consigned to paper today, the records would in all likelihood end by being removed from the premises as the personal property of their authors. Given the catholicity of interests of the Credit Lyonnaisâ€”its activity in the regional and national economy, its innovations in French banking practice, its wide excursions into the field of international financeâ€”its archives are a broad gateway into the economic history of the late nineteenth century.
Remotely Sensed Data Available from the US Geological Survey EROS Data Center

The Center for Earth Resources Observation Systems (EROS) is a field center of the geography discipline within the US geological survey (USGS) of the Department of the Interior. The EROS Data Center (EDC) was established in the early 1970s as the nation’s principal archive of remotely sensed data. Initially the EDC was responsible for the archive, reproduction, and distribution of black-and-white and color-infrared aerial photography acquired under numerous mapping programs conducted by various Federal agencies including the USGS, Department of Agriculture, Environmental Protection Agency, and NASA. The EDC was also designated the central archive for data acquired by the first satellite sensor designed for broad-scale earth observations in support of civilian agency needs for earth resource information. A four-band multispectral scanner (MSS) and a return-beam vidicon (RBV) camera were initially flown on the Earth Resources Technology Satellite-1, subsequently designated Landsat-1. The synoptic coverage, moderate spatial resolution, and multi-spectral view provided by these data stimulated scientists with an unprecedented perspective from which to study the Earth’s surface and to understand the relationships between human activity and natural systems.