cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A sophomore capstone course in measurement and automated data acquisition

A novel multidisciplinary course (Engineering Applications III) was developed that integrates knowledge gained and tools acquired from the introductory freshman circuits, mechanics, and C/C++ courses. It is built around the concepts associated with automated data acquisition systems. This three-quarter-hour, laboratory-intensive course uses a suite of data acquisition equipment located in the computer aided teaching laboratory at the University of Denver, Denver, CO. The presentation format is two lectures and one three-hour laboratory per week. The lectures are designed to cover material that directly supports the laboratories. Early in the course, laboratories explore the subsystems of an automated data acquisition system. The students then learn the operation of a PCMCIA (personal computer memory card international association) data acquisition card, write C/C++ programs to control the data acquisition, learn the operation of analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters, and learn the use of the C/C++ commands provided for controlling these subsystems. These concepts are introduced while doing typical experiments dealing with the measurement of temperature and strain and the evaluation of a temperature controller.
Coordination Mechanisms for Supply Chains Under Price and Service Competition

In a decentralized supply chain, with long-term competition between independent retailers facing random demands and buying from a common supplier, how should wholesale and retail prices be specified in an attempt to maximize supply-chain-wide profits? We show what types of coordination mechanisms allow the decentralized supply chain to generate aggregate expected profits equal to the optimal profits in a centralized system, and how the parameters of these (perfect) coordination schemes can be determined. We assume that the retailers face stochastic demand functions that may depend on all of the firms' prices as well as a measure of their service levels, e.g., the steady-state availability of the products. We systematically compare the coordination mechanisms when retailers compete only in terms of their prices, and when they engage in simultaneous price and service competition.
On Regressive Isols and Comparability of Summands and a Theorem of R. Downey

In this paper we present a collection of results related to the comparability of summands property of regressive isols. We show that if an infinite regressive isol has comparability of summands, then every predecessor of the isol has a weak comparability of summands property. Recently R. Downey proved that there exist regressive isols that are both hyper-torre and cosimple. There is a surprisingly close connection between non-recursive recursively enumerable sets and particular retraceable sets and regressive isols. We apply the theorem of Downey to show that among the regressive isols that are related to recursively enumerable sets there are some with a new property.
The impact of residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions

In light of the increasing reliance on compact growth as a fundamental strategy for reducing vehicle emissions, it is important to better understand how land use-transportation interactions influence the production of mobile source emissions. To date, research findings have produced mixed conclusions as to whether compact development as a strategy for accommodating urban growth significantly reduces vehicle travel and, by extension, mitigates environmental impacts, particularly in the area of air quality. Using an integrated simulation approach coupled with long-term land development scenarios, we conducted an assessment of the impacts of different long-term primarily residential growth patterns on vehicle travel and pollutant emissions in the eight counties of the San~Joaquin Valley region in central California. The results suggest that higher residential densities result in slightly decreased regional vehicle travel and emissions. Our comparative analysis also suggests that the effects of future land use growth patterns may vary among different spatial areas. That is, compact growth strategies can result in significantly more travel and emissions changes in already fairly urbanized counties. This work indicates a minimum density threshold of approximately \num{1500} households per square mile is necessary to achieve commensurate emissions reductions relative to existing densities.
Fluctuations of eigenvalues and second order Poincaré inequalities

Linear statistics of eigenvalues in many familiar classes of random matrices are known to obey gaussian central limit theorems. The proofs of such results are usually rather difficult, involving hard computations specific to the model in question. In this article we attempt to formulate a unified technique for deriving such results via relatively soft arguments. In the process, we introduce a notion of ‘second order Poincare inequalities’: just as ordinary Poincare inequalities give variance bounds, second order Poincare inequalities give central limit theorems. The proof of the main result employs Stein’s method of normal approximation. A number of examples are worked out, some of which are new. One of the new results is a CLT for the spectrum of gaussian Toeplitz matrices.
Intracellular Sorting Signals for Sequential Trafficking of Human Cytomegalovirus UL37 Proteins to the Endoplasmic Reticulum and Mitochondria

Human cytomegalovirus UL37 antiapoptotic proteins, including the predominant UL37 exon 1 protein (pUL37x1), traffic sequentially from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) through the mitochondrion-associated membrane compartment to the mitochondrial outer membrane (OMM), where they inactivate the proapoptotic activity of Bax. We found that widespread mitochondrial distribution occurs within 1 h of pUL37x1 synthesis. The pUL37x1 mitochondrial targeting signal (MTS) spans its first antiapoptotic domain (residues 5 to 34) and consists of a weak hydrophobicity leader (MTSalpha) and proximal downstream residues (MTSbeta). This MTS arrangement of a hydrophobic leader and downstream proximal basic residues is similar to that of the translocase of the OMM 20, Tom20. We examined whether the UL37 MTS functions analogously to Tom20 leader. Surprisingly, lowered hydropathy of the UL37x1 MTSalpha, predicted to block ER translocation, still allowed dual targeting of mutant to the ER and OMM. However, increased hydropathy of the MTS leader caused exclusion of the UL37x1 high-hydropathy mutant from mitochondrial import. Conversely, UL37 MTSalpha replacement with the Tom20 leader did not retarget pUL37x1 exclusively to the OMM; rather, the UL37x1-Tom20 chimera retained dual trafficking. Moreover, replacement of the UL37 MTSbeta basic residues did not reduce OMM import. Ablation of the MTSalpha posttranslational modification site or of the downstream MTS proline-rich domain (PRD) increased mitochondrial import. Our results suggest that pUL37x1 sequential ER to mitochondrial trafficking requires a weakly hydrophobic leader and is regulated by MTSbeta sequences. Thus, HCMV pUL37x1 uses a mitochondrial importation pathway that is genetically distinguishable from that of known OMM proteins.
An explicit equation for particle settling velocities in solid‐liquid systems

Zanker has recently presented nomographs for determining particle settling velocities in solid-liquid systems. These nomographs were based on the general correlations developed by Barnea and Mizrahi and Barnea and Mednick. This work presents an equation directly computing particle settling velocities, eliminating the uncertainty associated with nomographs.
Next-Generation Sequencing of Duplication CNVs Reveals that Most Are Tandem and Some Create Fusion Genes at Breakpoints

Interpreting the genomic and phenotypic consequences of copy-number variation (CNV) is essential to understanding the etiology of genetic disorders. Whereas deletion CNVs lead obviously to haploinsufficiency, duplications might cause disease through triplosensitivity, gene disruption, or gene fusion at breakpoints. The mutational spectrum of duplications has been studied at certain loci, and in some cases these copy-number gains are complex chromosome rearrangements involving triplications and/or inversions. However, the organization of clinically relevant duplications throughout the genome has yet to be investigated on a large scale. Here we fine-mapped 184 germline duplications (14.7 kb–25.3 Mb; median 532 kb) ascertained from individuals referred for diagnostic cytogenetics testing. We performed next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) to sequence 130 breakpoints from 112 subjects with 119 CNVs and found that most (83%) were tandem duplications in direct orientation. The remainder were triplications embedded within duplications (8.4%), adjacent duplications (4.2%), insertional translocations (2.5%), or other complex rearrangements (1.7%). Moreover, we predicted six in-frame fusion genes at sequenced duplication breakpoints; four gene fusions were formed by tandem duplications, one by two interconnected duplications, and one by duplication inserted at another locus. These unique fusion genes could be related to clinical phenotypes and warrant further study. Although most duplications are positioned head-to-tail adjacent to the original locus, those that are inverted, triplicated, or inserted can disrupt or fuse genes in a manner that might not be predicted by conventional copy-number assays. Therefore, interpreting the genetic consequences of duplication CNVs requires breakpoint-level analysis.
119Sn‐NMR evidence for 2,1‐initiation in the anionic polymerization of butadiene with trialkyltin lithium

Low molecular weight polybutadienes and styrene butadiene copolymers were anionically prepared with trialkyltin lithium initiator and end-capped with either hydrogen or a trialkyltin group. These polymers were prepared with a variety of microstructures. Analysis by 119Sn-NMR and comparison to model compounds showed no cis-1,4-initiation of the butadiene. The initiation sites found were trans-1,4- and both 2,1- and 1,2-additions of the tin-lithium bound to a 1,3-butadiene. At low levels of added polar modifier, the 2,1-addition predominated. The 119Sn-NMR spectra allowed the assignment of the sequence distribution associated with the nearest eight main chain carbon atoms (2-4 monomer units) adjacent to the tin end groups. No initiation could be detected involving the styrene comonomer, but incorporation of styrene was detected as the first or second unit after initiation. The reaction of the allyl-tin end groups of these polymers with 1,2-napthoquinone was followed by NMR and was used to assign the peaks associated with 1,2-addition of the trialkyltin lithium to 1,3-butadiene. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A systematic evaluation of technological innovation: a case study of ship navigation

The increasing technological sophistication of ship navigation systems may significantly alter the skills, knowledge, and strategies involved in navigating large ships. Currently, no method has been developed to evaluate the consequences of introducing this technology. Without a systematic method to detect design flaws and training requirements, technology driven designs may degrade, rather than enhance, maritime safety. Many examples in other domains illustrate the dangers of technology driven innovations. To avoid these dangers the authors propose a systematic method, based on the operator function model (OFM) technique. This technique helps catalog differences between traditional systems and those augmented with devices such as electronic charts and collision avoidance systems. Using the OFM technique highlights the need for special training and design improvements. Specifically, this paper examines the cognitive demands of the collision avoidance task with and without advanced technological aids. In addition, the paper illustrates how such an analysis can help identify training and qualification requirements for CAS radars. >
Fracture intensity attribute for the Tensleep reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA

The Tensleep oil reservoir at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA, is a naturally fractured tight sandstone reservoir that has been considered for carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (![Formula][1] -EOR) and sequestration. Interpretation of open fractures identified in wireline image logs from the field suggests that the reservoir fracture network is dominated by early formed structural hinge-oblique fractures with interconnectivity enhanced by hinge-parallel and hinge-perpendicular fracture sets. Previous studies show that 3D seismic scale discontinuity attributes are dominated by more recent hinge-parallel and strike slip trends. The most negative curvature attribute that we used highlights concave features attributed to subtle traveltime delay through fracture zones and small faults or flexures associated with the fracture swarms. The poststack discontinuity extraction workflow incorporated seismic spectral blueing (SSB) to enhance the resolution of the seismic data. The SSB process is followed by computation of the short-wavelength most negative curvature. Subsequently, the minimum similarity attribute is applied to accentuate regions with minimum similarity of curvature. An edge-illumination process is then applied to the minimum similarity of the most negative curvature output. Discontinuities extracted through edge illumination locate regions of minimal similarity in curvature along fracture zones or small fault boundaries. This workflow enhances hinge-oblique discontinuities without azimuthal filtering and provides a fracture intensity attribute, which is used as an input to distribute the fracture intensity through the model discrete fracture network. Qualitative correlation of production data to extracted discontinuities suggests that wells located on hinge-oblique discontinuities are more productive than other wells in the field. [1]: /embed/mml-math-1.gif
THE APPLICATION OF HUMAN COMPLEMENT FACTOR H-RELATED PROTEIN (BTA TRAK) IN MONITORING PATIENTS WITH BLADDER CANCER

The BTA TRAK assay is a quantitative sandwich format enzyme immunoassay performed in a reference laboratory. It measures levels of human complement factor H-related protein (hCFHrp) which is similar to human complement factor H. Test characteristics reveal an overall sensitivity of 68% to 77.5% and a specificity of 50%-75%. Retrospective analysis of urine specimens employing hazard analysis suggests that BTA TRAK may have a role as a quantitative diagnostic marker in monitoring bladder cancer patients. Prospective studies are required to validate this application and other uses of the BTA TRAK assay in the management of bladder cancer patients.
A comparison of Gd/Tc versus Tc/Tl simultaneous transmission and emission imaging using both single and triple detector fan-beam SPECT systems

In this study, the authors compare the accuracy of the transmission and emission maps, produced using both a Gd/Tc and a Tc/Tl transmission-emission source combination. In both cases, the transmission and emission data are acquired simultaneously. This results in contamination of the data acquired in the lower energy window by events from the higher energy isotope. The authors use standard methods to correct for this contamination when using a Gd/Tc combination and propose a new method for use with the Tc/Tl combination. The Tc/Tl combination yields more accurate transmission images than the Gd/Tc combination. However, when a single factor is used to scale the attenuation coefficients measured using the transmission source to those appropriate for the emission isotope/energy, the resulting error in the attenuation map used for attenuation correction is larger for the Tc/Tl combination than for the Gd/Tc combination. For this study, neither combination yielded emission maps which were significantly superior (in terms of reconstructed emission ratios) to the other. >
Large-Scale PDE-Constrained Optimization: An Introduction

Optimal design, optimal control, and parameter estimation of systems governed by partial differential equations (PDE) give rise to a class of problems known as PDE-constrained optimization. The size and complexity of the discretized PDEs often pose significant challenges for contemporary optimization methods. Recent advances in algorithms, software, and high performance computing systems have resulted in PDE simulations that can often scale to millions of variables, thousands of processors, and multiple physics interactions. As PDE solvers mature, there is increasing interest in industry and the national labs in solving optimization problems governed by such large-scale simulations. This article provides a brief introduction and overview to the Lecture Notes in Computational Science and Engineering volume entitled Large-Scale PDE-Constrained Optimization.
Formation of a ring-opened product from benzene in a hydroxyl radical generating system.

Benzene, a ubiquitous compound in our petrochemical society, has been shown to cause hematoxicity and leukemia in both animals and humans. Current evidence strongly suggests that a metabolite(s) of benzene mediates its toxicity (Snyder et al., 1981). The closed-ring metabolites on the main path of benzene metabolism, e.g. phenol, catechol and hydroquinone, have been studied by many investigators, and though there have been many promising leads, the origin and identification of the toxic metabolite(s) remain uncertain
Aerosol backscattering profiles at λ = 10.6 μm

A systematic program of observing atmospheric backscatter β profiles from 4 to 16-km above sea level is described. Initial monthly averages indicating a lognormal distribution are presented. Cirrus prevalence, volcanic layers in the stratosphere, diurnal effects, convection, calibration, and absorption effects are discussed as well.
Hemin increases aerobic capacity of cultured regenerating skeletal myotubes

Regeneration of damaged, mature muscle occurs by differentiation of satellite cells. In culture, satellite cell myoblasts proliferate, align, and fuse to form cross-striated, contracting myotubes. The biochemical changes and the factors that regulate differentiation in satellite cells have not been investigated previously. We report here that no significant differences in glucose uptake rate or glucose oxidation rate were observed between regenerating myoblasts and myotubes, whereas the aerobic oxidation of palmitic acid increased 7.3-fold between these differentiation states. Specific activities of enzymes of critical importance in aerobic metabolism or in production of ATP were increased 2- to 3.5-fold during fusion. Addition of 20 microM hemin to regenerating muscle cultures potentiated the aerobic capacity as evidenced by a 23.6% increase in palmitate oxidation rate. Hemin also increased the specific activities of all nonheme enzymes investigated with the exception of phosphofructokinase. This augmentation of aerobic metabolism together with the time frame of active muscle differentiation suggests a complex role for hemin in myogenesis.
A Tale Humans Cannot Tell: On Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade:

This article explores the interrelated questions of form and identity in the Japanese anime feature Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. The film is a reworking of the fairy tale, Little Red Riding Hood, set...
Influence of Cation Type on Ionic Aggregates in Precise Ionomers

We report atomistic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of model ionomers with precise spacing between charged groups (polyethylene-co-acrylic acid). We explore different counterion types, neutralization levels, and spacer lengths between acid groups and provide a thorough analysis of the resulting ionic aggregate morphologies. Structure factors computed from the simulations are in good agreement with previous experimental X-ray scattering data, which provides strong validation of the simulation methods. Aggregate morphologies range from small spherical aggregates to string-like shapes and large percolated networks. The unexpected morphologies of the ionic aggregates suggest the need for a novel interpretation of scattering data for these materials. We quantify cation–anion and oxygen–hydrogen association, the two interactions primarily responsible for aggregate formation, and report detailed information pertaining to local structures around cations. This information is difficult to obtain experimentally ...
Dynamic Changes in the Streptococcus pneumoniae Transcriptome during Transition from Biofilm Formation to Invasive Disease upon Influenza A Virus Infection

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of infectious disease globally. Nasopharyngeal colonization occurs in biofilms and precedes infection. Prior studies have indicated that biofilm-derived pneumococci are avirulent. However, influenza A virus (IAV) infection releases virulent pneumococci from biofilms in vitro and in vivo. Triggers of dispersal include IAV-induced changes in the nasopharynx, such as increased temperature (fever) and extracellular ATP (tissue damage). We used whole-transcriptome shotgun sequencing (RNA-seq) to compare the S. pneumoniae transcriptome in biofilms, bacteria dispersed from biofilms after exposure to IAV, febrile-range temperature, or ATP, and planktonic cells grown at 37°C. Compared with biofilm bacteria, actively dispersed S. pneumoniae, which were more virulent in invasive disease, upregulated genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Enzymatic assays for ATP and lactate production confirmed that dispersed pneumococci exhibited increased metabolism compared to those in biofilms. Dispersed pneumococci also upregulated genes associated with production of bacteriocins and downregulated colonization-associated genes related to competence, fratricide, and the transparent colony phenotype. IAV had the largest impact on the pneumococcal transcriptome. Similar transcriptional differences were also observed when actively dispersed bacteria were compared with avirulent planktonic bacteria. Our data demonstrate complex changes in the pneumococcal transcriptome in response to IAV-induced changes in the environment. Our data suggest that disease is caused by pneumococci that are primed to move to tissue sites with altered nutrient availability and to protect themselves from the nasopharyngeal microflora and host immune response. These data help explain pneumococcal virulence after IAV infection and have important implications for studies of S. pneumoniae pathogenesis.
A kinematic and kinetic analysis of drop landings in military boots.

Objective The purpose of this study was to examine knee valgus in drop landings during three different footwear conditions and to examine the ground reaction forces exhibited during the drop landing in the three different footwear conditions. Methods Sixteen male and female Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) university undergraduate cadets (21±3 yrs, 79±12 kg, and 172±10 cm) volunteered to participate in the study. Kinematic data were collected while participants performed drop landings in three conditions: bare feet, tennis shoes, and issued military boots. Results Significant differences among footwear for ground reaction forces (bare feet: 1646 ±359%, tennis shoe: 1880±379%, boot: 1833±438%; p Conclusions Though footwear conditions did not affect knee valgus, they did affect ground reaction forces. Participants in this study had yet to receive any military training on how to land properly from a specified height. Further research should be completed to analyze the kinematics and kinetics of the lower extremity during different landing strategies implemented by trained military personnel in order to better understand injury mechanisms of drop landings in this population. It is likely that injury prevention landing techniques would be beneficial if these were employed by the military and not just in the sporting community.
LIMITS TO REPRODUCTIVE SUCCESS IN A PARTIALLY SELF-INCOMPATIBLE HERB: FECUNDITY DEPRESSION AT SERIAL LIFE-CYCLE STAGES.

Like many angiosperms, Crinum erubescens is partially self-compatible, producing fewer seeds upon selfing than after outcrossing. In this paper we test the relative magnitude of the prefertilization and postfertilization effects of self-incompatibility, inbreeding depression, or both in a natural population of this hermaphroditic tropical herb. We characterize prefertilization effects by examining pollen tube growth, while postfertilization effects are characterized by examination of embryo abortion and seed maturation. Statistical methods are developed to test the magnitude of these effects from one life-cycle stage to the next. We find that although pollen performance in selfed flowers is lower than that in outcrossed flowers, pollen performance is low overall. Postfertilization effects attributable to inbreeding depression account for a larger proportion of the reduction in fecundity in selfed compared to outcrossed flowers. Among naturally pollinated plants, despite ample pollen deposition, the numbers of fruits and seeds set are intermediate to selfed and outcrossed treatments.
Who’s in Charge Here? Direct and Indirect Accusations and Voter Punishment of Corruption

There is a growing consensus that voters withdraw support from a politician when they receive clear information that the politician has engaged in corruption. But will voters punish an elected official for corrupt acts carried out under his or her watch even if the politician is not personally implicated in corruption? To answer this question, we present the results of an embedded experiment from a nationally representative survey in Brazil. Using vignettes that describe a hypothetical mayor, we find that citizens punish all mayors who are linked to corruption but that punishment is attenuated when members of the municipal administration, and not the mayor per se, are charged with corruption. The difference is particularly pronounced when corruption information comes from a credible source and among politically sophisticated respondents. Our findings highlight that both the nature of information and the characteristics of citizens who receive that information have implications for political accountability.
Uncertain Modeling and Simulation for MANET

Ad-hoc network simulation is a basic technique of evaluating new technologies in the development of new network protocols.The modeling problem of network is introduced and a review of the available literature in the field of ad hoc network routing is compared.Then the certain and uncertain modeling are discussed.Several simulation tools such as NS,OPNET and MATLAB are analyzed.Based on uncertain modeling philosophy,a wireless ad hoc networks simulator is designed and implemented with MATLAB and C.
Reading Kindleberger in Washington and Berlin: Ideas and Leadership in a Time of Crisis

Both the 2008-09 global financial crisis (GFC) and the 2010-13 euro crisis were ‘systemic’ crises with worldwide repercussions. Led by the United States, the global economy dealt with the GFC in a relatively swift and decisive manner: the acute phase of the crisis wound down by the spring of 2009, about seven months after Lehman Brothers’ fall. By contrast, it took almost three years before financial markets stopped fearing a disorderly Eurozone breakup. In the absence of a decisive intervention by Germany or the EU, the crisis ‐ though contained by early 2013 after the ECB’s pledge to do ‘whatever it takes’ ‐ was still simmering on four years after its eruption. Why did policymakers respond so differently? This paper will explain the different outcomes as caused by conflicting crisis narratives and distinct ideas about leadership in Washington and Berlin. In the wake of the GFC, the U.S. acted as a responsible hegemon for the world economy, showing ‘benign’ leadership, while Germany failed to play a similar role within Europe’s regional context, instead practicing a form of rule-based ‘coercive’ leadership. By reviving and extending Charles Kindleberger’s original version of hegemonic stability theory (HST), the paper clarifies why the U.S. did and Germany did not define its interest as providing the necessary public goods for the system to recover and sustain itself, including a market for distress goods, countercyclical long-term lending, lending of last resort facilities, and macroeconomic policy coordination. The crucial role of ideas ‐ though constrained by structural factors and domestic institutions ‐ in defining the interests of leading states during crises will be included as a key independent variable in the analysis. The paper will thus breathe new life into the HST literature, expand its explanatory reach into the regional context, and causally infer the consequences of the type of leadership for understanding the effectiveness of crisis responses.
[Fronto-temporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17): clinical criteria].

Frontotemporal dementia and Parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17 (FTDP-17) is a congenital degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Molecular genetics studies have indicated the presence of 26 various mutations of the tau protein gene. At present 61 families with this syndrome are known. The clinical criteria proposed in this paper were developed on the grounds of the author's own research as well as detailed review of the literature. The criteria include;--clinical symptoms: personality and behavior disorders, Parkinsonism rather resistant to treatment with Levodopa less frequently also speech disorders and epilepsy,--an early onset and rapid progression of the disease,--positive family history,--heterogeneity of clinical symptoms both among patients within the same family and among families with the same mutation,--heterogeneity of the clinical picture depending on the type of mutation. Although FTDP-17 is and extremely rare clinical syndrome, it is noted all over the world. In Poland nobody has been diagnosed with this condition yet. The aim of this paper is to acquaint the readers of Neurologia i Neurochirurgia Polska with the FTDP-17. The syndrome has considerably contributed to our understanding of pathogenesis of many sporadic degenerative diseases of the brain, including such frequent conditions as Alzheimer's disease, Pick's disease the the Steel-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, corticobasal degeneration, and other ones. Undoubtedly further research into the FTDP-17 will contribute to the development of a successful treatment for these devastating degenerative diseases of the c.n.s.
Markov decision process formulation for managing human weight loss

We present a Markov Decision Process (MDP) approach to compute policies that can aid the management of human weight loss. We show that the problem can be formulated as a Markov Chain under a reasonable set of assumptions. The states represent the quantized weight of a participant. The transitions between the states represent nutrition and exercise actions. A policy computed using this model represents an intervention strategy for a participant. Given the participant's initial weight and target weight, we show that the computed policy is sensitive to the reward functions that are associated with the actions. In the future, such an approach can be used to offer wellness interventions to participants.
Product development performance measurement

A performance measure plays three simultaneous roles (see Fig. 8.1). One role is that of an objective (a goal or a target). This represents the disaggregation or statement of a strategy or a plan. For example, one objective is to ‘complete the development project within 180 days.’ The second role is as a metric (an actual measurement tool or instrument). This represents a defined and agreed upon way to measure the managerial construct of interest. For example, one• • • • • •metric to capture project duration is ‘the number of days elapsed between formal project approval and first customer shipment of completed product.’1
Low-Volume vs High-Volume Centers and Management of Fournier's Gangrene in Washington State

Background Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a life-threatening infection affecting the perineum and genitals. Complex patient management often necessitates transfer to tertiary centers. We aimed to characterize hospital transfer patterns and assess morbidity among patients with FG in Washington State. Study Design The Washington State Comprehensive Hospital Abstract Reporting System includes claims from all hospital discharges in Washington. We identified patients with FG between 2007 and 2013, based on diagnosis and treatment codes. Analyses were stratified by center volume (low-volume centers [LVCs] or high-volume centers [HVCs]), and transfer status. Variables of interest included number of debridements, septic shock, acute renal failure, acute respiratory failure, length of hospitalization, and death. Results We identified 165 FG patients. Only 1 HVC treated more than 2 FG patients per year. Overall mortality was 6.7%. Most patients (57%) were treated entirely at LVCs; 87% of patients treated at the HVC were transferred from an LVC. High-volume center-treated patients had similar baseline comorbidities (p = 0.77) and similar mortality (p = 0.87), despite higher rates of septic shock (p Conclusions Patients treated at the HVC were more acutely ill, yet mortality was similar compared with patients treated solely at LVCs, suggesting a benefit to transfer of high acuity patients. Immediate vs delayed transfer may benefit FG health outcomes; however, this may also reflect greater disease acuity of patients with delayed transfer status.
API Management and API Client

In this chapter we will start with Facade and review API Management requirements/solutions available.
PapyrusKV: a high-performance parallel key-value store for distributed NVM architectures

This paper introduces PapyrusKV, a parallel embedded key-value store (KVS) for distributed high-performance computing (HPC) architectures that offer potentially massive pools of nonvolatile memory (NVM). PapyrusKV stores keys with their values in arbitrary byte arrays across multiple NVMs in a distributed system. PapyrusKV provides standard KVS operations such as put, get, and delete. More importantly, PapyrusKV provides advanced features for HPC such as dynamic consistency control, zero-copy workflow, and asynchronous checkpoint/restart. Beyond filesystems, PapyrusKV provides HPC programmers with a high-level interface to exploit distributed NVM in the system, and it transparently organizes data to achieve high performance. Also, it allows HPC applications to specialize PapyrusKV to meet their specific requirements. We empirically evaluate PapyrusKV on three HPC systems with real NVM devices: OLCF's Summitdev, TACC's Stampede, and NERSC's Cori. Our results show that PapyrusKV can offer high performance, scalability, and portability across these various distributed NVM architectures.
Graphene: A review of applications in the petroleum industry

Abstract Graphene, in its pure or derivative form has been a topic of increasing importance in the scientific community for many years. However, its application in the oil and gas industry has only been popularized in the last few years, with the bulk of research taking place within the last ten years or less. Due to graphene's unique chemical, structural, electrical, and mechanical properties, it shows applicability for many areas within the oil and gas industry. Areas of application include drilling, lubrication, desalination, anti-corrosion coatings, cementing, oil-water separation, oil spill cleanup, and emulsion stabilization to name a few. This paper reviews graphene and its derivatives as they apply to the oil and gas industry and describes how this revolutionary substance will have impacts on the technology of the industry for years to come. The main factor preventing immediate implementation into the industry is not scientific, but rather economic and industrial. Scaling up laboratory results to a size that is applicable to the oil and gas industry in a cost efficient manner will prove to be the largest obstacle moving forward.
Society and Education in Mid-Twentieth Century Ontario and Victoria

This chapter introduces the education systems of Ontario and Victoria, examining the important social and political changes in Canada and Australia from the 1930s until the 1970s, changes that had a direct impact on educational policy and planning regarding the concept of Britishness. Specifically, it highlights the crucial importance of the demographic increase in both countries that happened as a result of natural population growth, and, more importantly, the large-scale immigration policies adopted shortly after the conclusion of the Second World War. All of these were signs of heady economic boom times that accelerated the pace of urbanization and precipitated a large increase in white-collar work, prompting a higher value to be placed on education. Ontarian and Victorian educators responded by increasing the structural capacity of their education systems, but they also lavished great importance on the modernization of facilities.
Mass spectrometry and neonatal screening

Tandem mass spectrometry allows to screen many inherited metabolic diseases within a single blood spot. It is possible to screen newborns for amino and organic acid, fatty acid oxidation disorders and lysosomal diseases. Tandem mass spectrometry neonatal screening is not yet realized in France in 2014.
Relationship Between Flow Pattern, Constitutive Equation and Molecular Structure

In developing the constitutive equation for an arbitrary fluid on a purely phenomenological basis, it has been shown that the stress tensor can be represented as a generalized functional depending on a Finger rate of strain tensor. If only the first derivative with respect to time and only a single quadratic term are retained in the general equation, then the second-order fluid results.
Convective Effects on Secondary Nucleation and Growth

ABSTRACT A submerged jet technique has been used to examine the effects of convection on secondary nucleation and growth of magnesium sulfate, potassium alum, and ammonium dihydrogen phosphate. For sufficiently high jet intensity and supersaturation, a momentary jet of solution impinging on the face of a growing crystal induces secondary nucleation. The formation of nuclei appears to be related to the perturbation in supersaturation resulting from the jet, which also affects subsequent growth of the seed face. Growth of crystal faces under the influence of a continuous laminar jet produced features remarkably similar to those obtained in the secondary nucleation experiments.
Rhythms of dialogue in infancy: comments on Jaffe, Beebe, Feldstein, Crown, and Jasnow (2001).

Analysis of coordinated interpersonal timing has become an important tool for the study of infant-adult, peer, and marital interactions. Past research suggests that social coordination is informative about the quality of the caregiver-child social relationship. Does infant experience of certain types of coordination and pattern in early social interactions with caregivers predict better cognitive and social developmental outcomes? The recent monograph “Rhythms of dialogue in infancy” (Jaffe, Beebe, Feldstein, Crown, & Jasnow, 2001) provides the strongest evidence to date that it does. Moderately coordinated social interactions in early infancy predicted the most favorable developmental outcomes, and degree of coordination was influenced by contextual factors such as setting and nature of the relationship between the infant and its social interaction partner. This study provides a model for future research in this area and points toward important questions for future research on infant-caregiver social interactions.
Immunodominance and Antigenic Variation of Influenza Virus Hemagglutinin: Implications for Design of Universal Vaccine Immunogens

Influenza viruses routinely acquire mutations in their hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) glycoproteins that abrogate binding of pre-existing antibodies in a process known as antigenic drift. Most human antibodies against HA and NA are directed against epitopes that are hypervariable and not against epitopes that are conserved among different influenza virus strains. Universal influenza vaccines are currently being developed to elicit protective responses against functionally conserved sites on influenza proteins where viral escape mutations can result in large fitness costs [1]. Universal vaccine targets include the highly conserved HA stem domain [2-12], the less conserved HA receptor-binding site (RBS) [13-16], as well as conserved sites on NA [17-19]. One central challenge of universal vaccine efforts is to steer human antibody responses away from immunodominant, variable epitopes and towards subdominant, functionally conserved sites. Overcoming this challenge will require further understanding of the structural basis of broadly neutralizing HA and NA antibody binding epitopes and factors that influence immunodominance hierarchies of human antibody responses.
CHAPTER 6 – Biochemistry of Myotonic Dystrophy Protein Kinase

Myotonic dystrophy protein kinase (DMPK) and its isoforms are the established protein products of the Dm-1 gene. DMPK acts as a serine/threonine kinase and can alter the functions of myosin phosphatase (MYPT1), phospholamban (PLN), and the serum response factor (SRF) by their phosphorylation. These putative substrate proteins play important roles in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton, cardiac excitation-contraction coupling, and muscle development, respectively. DMPK is closely related structurally to other protein kinases that are known to function in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton in multiple cell types. DMPK knockout mice demonstrate cardiac arrhythmias, skeletal muscle weakness, and diminished synaptic plasticity consistent with clinical findings in DM1 patients. It is likely that haploinsufficiency of DMPK together with sequestration of proteins involved in alternative splicing by the expanded CUG RNA tracts and perturbation of chromatin structure leading to decreased transcription of regional genes may all play roles in the pathogenesis of Dm-1.
Regulation of MicroRNA Machinery and Development by Interspecies S-Nitrosylation

Summary Bioactive molecules can pass between microbiota and host to influence host cellular functions. However, general principles of interspecies communication have not been discovered. We show here in C. elegans that nitric oxide derived from resident bacteria promotes widespread S-nitrosylation of the host proteome. We further show that microbiota-dependent S-nitrosylation of C. elegans Argonaute protein (ALG-1)—at a site conserved and S-nitrosylated in mammalian Argonaute 2 (AGO2)—alters its function in controlling gene expression via microRNAs. By selectively eliminating nitric oxide generation by the microbiota or S-nitrosylation in ALG-1, we reveal unforeseen effects on host development. Thus, the microbiota can shape the post-translational landscape of the host proteome to regulate microRNA activity, gene expression, and host development. Our findings suggest a general mechanism by which the microbiota may control host cellular functions, as well as a new role for gasotransmitters.
Involving stakeholders in the design of ecological momentary assessment research: An example from smoking cessation

Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a data collection method that involves repeated sampling of participants’ real-time experience and behavior as they unfold in context. A primary challenge in EMA research is to design surveys that adequately assess constructs of interest while minimizing participant burden. To achieve this balance, researchers must make decisions regarding which constructs should be included and how those constructs should be assessed. To date, a dearth of direction exists for how to best design and carry out EMA studies. The lack of guidelines renders it difficult to systematically compare findings across EMA studies. Study design decisions may be improved by including input from potential research participants (stakeholders). The goal of the present paper is to introduce a general approach for including stakeholders in the development of EMA research design. Rather than suggesting rigid prescriptive guidelines (e.g., the correct number of survey items), we present a systematic and reproducible process through which extant research and stakeholder experience can be leveraged to make design decisions. To that end, we report methods and results for a series of focus group discussions with current tobacco users that were conducted to inform the design of an EMA study aimed at identifying person-specific mechanisms driving tobacco use. We conclude by providing recommendations for item-selection procedures in EMA studies.
Plant essential oils synergize various pyrethroid insecticides and antagonize malathion in Aedes aegypti.

Pyrethroid resistance is a significant threat to agricultural, urban and public health pest control activities. Because economic incentives for the production of novel active ingredients for the control of public health pests are lacking, this field is particularly affected by the potential failure of pyrethroid-based insecticides brought about by increasing pyrethroid resistance. As a result, innovative approaches are desperately needed to overcome insecticide resistance, particularly in mosquitoes that transmit deadly and debilitating pathogens. Numerous studies have demonstrated the potential of plant essential oils to enhance the efficacy of pyrethroids. The toxicity of pyrethroids combined with plant oils is significantly greater than the baseline toxicity of either oils or pyrethroids applied alone, which suggests there are synergistic interactions between components of these mixtures. The present study examined the potential of eight plant essential oils applied in one of two concentrations (1% and 5%) to enhance the toxicity of various pyrethroids (permethrin, natural pyrethrins, deltamethrin and β-cyfluthrin). The various plant essential oils enhanced the pyrethroids to differing degrees. The levels of enhancement provided by combinations of plant essential oils and pyrethroids in comparison with pyrethroids alone were calculated and synergistic outcomes characterized. Numerous plant essential oils significantly synergized a variety of pyrethroids; type I pyrethroids were synergized to a greater degree than type II pyrethroids. Eight plant essential oils significantly enhanced 24-h mortality rates provided by permethrin and six plant essential oils enhanced 24-h mortality rates obtained with natural pyrethrins. By contrast, only three plant essential plants significantly enhanced the toxicity of deltamethrin and β-cyfluthrin. Of the plant essential oils that enhanced the toxicity of these pyrethroids, some produced varying levels of synergism and antagonism. Geranium, patchouli and Texas cedarwood oils produced the highest levels of synergism, displaying co-toxicity factors of > 100 in some combinations. To assess the levels of enhancement and synergism of other classes of insecticide, malathion was also applied in combination with the plant oils. Significant antagonism was provided by a majority of the plant essential oils applied in combination with this insecticide, which suggests that plant essential oils may act to inhibit the oxidative activation processes within exposed adult mosquitoes.