cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CrocodileDB in action: resource-efficient query execution by exploiting time slackness

Existing stream processing and continuous query processing systems eagerly maintain standing queries by consuming all available resources to finish the jobs at hand, which can be a major source of wasting CPU cycles and memory resources. However, users sometimes do not need to see the up-to-date query result right after the data is ready, and thus allow a slackness of time before the result is returned, which provides new opportunities to avoid wasting resources. We proposed CrocodileDB, a resource-efficient database, where users specify a performance goal representing the maximally allowed slackness of time and the system generates a query plan to minimize resource consumption (e.g. memory consumption or CPU cycles) while meeting this performance goal at the same time. In this paper, we demonstrate how users interact with CrocodileDB and show how the time slackness enables our optimization of reducing CPU consumption: Incrementability-aware Query Processing (InQP). With the slackness specified by users, InQP can reduce computing resource waste by selectively deferring the execution of parts of a query that are not amenable to incremental executions (i.e. outputting tuples that can be deleted by later executions in a high probability). In this demonstration, users can set the performance goal as a trade-off between CPU consumption and query latency, and observe the CPU usages and other statistics to understand how InQP reduces computing resources.
Biopsies of hepatocellular carcinoma with no reticulin loss: an important diagnostic pitfall

Summary The reticulin stain is a critical diagnostic aide used to differentiate benign hepatocellular proliferations from well differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Rarely, however, hepatocellular carcinomas do not show definitive loss of reticulin in liver biopsy specimens. To study this group of tumors, 11 HCC with no reticulin loss in 10 patients were collected and studied. Analysis of demographics showed a typical enrichment for men with a typical age for HCC presentation of 69 ± 7 years for adults. The background livers showed advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis in 6 of 6 cases with available information. The tumors were all well differentiated. Cytological atypia was mild and consisted of very mild nuclear atypia (8 cases), mild increase in N:C ratio (3 cases), and pseudorosette formation (4 cases). The cytological/architectural atypia was insufficient in isolation to diagnose HCC. Additional studies, however, showed an increased Ki-67 proliferative rate (N = 10/10 stained cases). The Ki-67 proliferative rate was estimated to be between 5 and 10% in all tested cases and was clearly increased from adjacent liver at low power. Glypican 3 positivity (4 tumors) and alpha fetoprotein (AFP) (1/8 stained cases) positivity also helped make the diagnosis of HCC. Morphologically, the HCC had conventional morphology with five showing steatosis/steatohepatitic features and one showing intratumoral fibrosis. A control group of macroregenerative/dysplastic nodules showed no increase in Ki-67 proliferation and no staining for glypican 3. These findings highlight an important diagnostic pitfall: rare HCC show no reticulin loss on biopsy. In these challenging cases, additional findings are useful to make a diagnosis of HCC: increased Ki-67 and positive staining for aberrant expression of proteins such as glypican 3 or AFP.
Food System Transformation Through Cloud Platforms: Application to the Food Waste Management in India

Sustainably feeding the people continues to be a challenge in the present times. Enormous amount of food wastage aggravate this problem. In most medium- and high-income countries, food wastage mainly occurs at the consumer end. However, in lower-income countries, food wastage primarily occurs within the supply chain. Lack of infrastructure for transportation, warehousing, and refrigeration in developing countries cause significant post-harvest losses. While research shows that developments in food supply chains can reduce food wastage, no systematic research has been done so far to show the possible relationship between the use of technology in food supply chains and food losses. This paper attempts to address this gap by studying the supply chains of different organizations and their food wastage.
Does athletic spending improve the academic mission of the university? A quantitative study of the relationship between athletic spending and institutional enrollment in FCS athletic institutions

As university budgets face fiscal challenges, it is important that university leaders make smart fiduciary choices. Critics of athletic spending, on the other hand, argue that money spent on colleg...
Hidden Histories of Pakistan: Censorship, Literature, and Secular Nationalism in Late Colonial India

Censorship, Urdu literature, Islam, and progressive secular nationalisms in colonial India and Pakistan have a complex, intertwined history. Sarah Waheed offers a timely examination of the role of progressive Muslim intellectuals in the Pakistan movement. She delves into how these left-leaning intellectuals drew from long-standing literary traditions of Islam in a period of great duress and upheaval, complicating our understanding of the relationship between religion and secularism. Rather than seeing 'religion' and 'the secular' as distinct and oppositional phenomena, this book demonstrates how these concepts themselves were historically produced in South Asia and were deeply interconnected in the cultural politics of the left. Through a detailed analysis of trials for blasphemy, obscenity and sedition, and feminist writers, Waheed argues that Muslim intellectuals engaged with socialism and communism through their distinctive ethical and cultural past. In so doing, she provides a fresh perspective on the creation of Pakistan and South Asian modernity.
How Many Robots Do You Want? A Cross-Cultural Exploration on User Preference and Perception of an Assistive Multi-Robot System

There has been increased development of assistive robots for the home, along with empirical studies assessing cultural differences on user perception. However, little attention has been paid to cultural differences with respect to non- humanoid, multi-robot interactions in homes or otherwise. In this exploratory paper, we investigate how cultural differences may impact users’ preferences and perceived usefulness of a multi-robot system by creating an interactive online survey and considering variables often absent in HRI studies. We introduce our multi-robot design and survey construction, and report results evaluated across 191 young adult participants from China, India, and the USA. We find significant effects of culture on both participants’ preferences and perceived usefulness of the system between India and China or the USA, but not between China and the USA. We also find effects of culture on perceived usefulness to be partially mediated by participant preferences. Our findings reinforce the importance of considering cultural differences in designing domestic multi-robotic assistants.
Local phase control for a planar array of fiber laser amplifiers

Arrays of phase-locked lasers have been developed for numerous directed-energy applications. Phased-array designs are capable of producing higher beam intensity than similar sized multi-beam emitters, and also allow beam steering and beam profile manipulation. In phased-array designs, individual emitter phases must be controllable, based on suitable feedback. Most current control schemes sample individual emitter phases, such as with an array-wide beam splitter, and compare to a master phase reference. Reliance on a global beam splitter limits scalability to larger array sizes due to lack of design modularity. This paper describes a conceptual design and control scheme that relies only on feedback from the array structure itself. A modular and scalable geometry is based on individual hexagonal frames for each emitter; each frame cell consists of a conventional lens mounted in front of the fiber tip. A rigid phase tap structure physically connects two adjacent emitter frame cells. A target sensor is mounted on top of the phase tap, representing the local alignment datum. Optical sensors measure the relative position of the phase tap and target sensor. The tap senses the exit phase of both emitters relative to the target normal plane, providing information to the phase controller for each emitter. As elements are added to the array, relative local position data between adjacent phase taps allows accurate prediction of the relative global position of emitters across the array, providing additional constraints to the phase controllers. The approach is scalable for target distance and number of emitters without loss of control.
Relating function and community structure of complex microbial systems using neural networks

Publisher Summary This chapter presents data on the application of artificial neural networks (ANN) to link the function and community structure of the two quadruplicate sets of laboratory-scale methanogenic microbial communities under shock load conditions. It presents ANN as a potential tool for the modeling of microbial communities, when community structure data is obtained through molecular techniques and the application of mechanistic models is not feasible. The techniques for the characterization of microbial community structure are terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism, amplified ribosomal DNA restriction analysis, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis, microscopy/image analysis, reverse sample genome probing, fatty acid methyl ester analysis, flow cytometry with probes, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and 16S rRNA microarrays and protein spectrum analysis. The ANN analysis was performed with three hidden layers, full connections, and back propagation algorithm using NeuroSolutions. The chapter concludes that artificial neural networks are more suitable modeling tools for molecular data than mechanistic approaches. They do not require the underlying rules and therefore, utilize the data more efficiently.
Bird behaviour on and entanglement in invasive burdock ( Arctium spp.) plants in Winnipeg, Manitoba

Burdocks ( Arctium spp.) are invasive plants native to Eurasia. They produce their seeds within large burrs that adhere to vertebrates for seed dispersal, i.e., epizoochory. Small animals may become entangled in these burrs and die. Through active searches of natural areas in Winnipeg, Manitoba, from 2000 to 2005, we documented 29 songbirds entangled in burdock burrs and recorded observations of bird behaviour on burdock plants. We analyzed trends among birds found entangled by taxon, sex, age, migratory status, and season, and we compared them to observations of bird activity on burdock. Thirteen species of birds were found entangled. Most birds found entangled (62%) were warblers (Parulidae), but there were also species from five other families (<15% per family). There was no significant difference in the distribution of birds found entangled by sex or age. A significant proportion of birds found entangled were migrants, and the average number of birds found entangled per search visit differed significantly by season, with most birds found entangled in fall. By comparison, we recorded 34 species of birds (n = 178 observations) active on burdock plants. Warblers (38%) and sparrows (Emberizidae) (24%) were the most active, followed by small numbers of birds from eight other families (<9% per family). Species that were observed actively foraging on burdocks more often became entangled than those species observed only perching on burdocks. Species found entangled had a significantly lower body mass than species that were not found entangled but were active on burdocks. Overall, we suggest that small-bodied fall migrants that forage on burdock plants are most at risk of becoming entangled.
A comparative approach to temporal bone laboratory dissections for teaching middle and inner ear anatomy (721.2)

The goal of this study was to identify an improved approach for visualization and identification of the components of the middle/inner ear. Traditional dissection on fixed cadavers by students tend...
Electron collision data for plasma-processing gases

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses fundamental data necessary for targets of importance in the plasma etching of silicon. The focus is on the fundamental primary interactions of electrons with the neutral, unexcited feed-gas molecules. Many models have been designed to emulate various aspects of reactive plasmas. The fundamental parameters required for the accurate modeling of reactor plasmas are electron-energy distributions, electron densities, positive ion fluxes and energies, negative ion densities, and reactive radical densities. Knowledge of these parameters is the precursor to the calculation of other more industrially significant parameters, such as etch and deposition rates, etch profiles, and plasma uniformity. The calculation of the fundamental quantities relies heavily on knowledge of the magnitude of electron-collision cross sections, as virtually all physical processes in the discharge are determined or initiated by electron motion through the gas. For example, the electron-energy distributions are determined by the elastic and inelastic electron-scattering processes. The electron density in plasma is primarily determined by electron impact ionization processes, electron attachment processes, and by secondary electron emission from surfaces. The first two processes are described by the ionization and the electron attachment cross sections, respectively, and the third process is a surface process.
Feature extraction and clustering of tactile impressions with connectionist models

Abstract We study the feasibility of adaptive pattern recognition of robotic tactile impressions using connectionist models. This paper presents interim simulation results of coupled back-error propagation (BEP) networks that (i) extract relative gradient features via data compression, (ii) clusters families of grey-scale patterns constrained by geometry, size, and activation levels, and (iii) classifies these surface profiles to pre-specified categories. The constraints imposed on the training data are designed to capture the essence of tactile patterns and force the artificial neural systems (ANS) to extract useful features. Receptive field (rather than fully connected) processing units are used to encode subtle features among their activation patterns. This work initiates ANS applications in the tactile domain and reveals basic characteristics of BEP networks to highly constrained training data.
Characterizations of pulsed laser deposited boron nitride films

Characterization measurements performed on cubic boron nitride films, deposited on (001) silicon by pulsed excimer laser deposition, are presented. Structural characterization by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction indicates that the boron nitride films are cubic and epitaxial with the silicon substrate. The films are nitrogen deficient, and infrared absorption measurements reveal the presence of sp2 bonding in the films, typically associated with either amorphous or hexagonal boron nitride. Based on the collective results of these characterizations, we propose that the sp2-bonding signature arises from nitrogen vacancies in the cubic zinc blende structure of the films.
Redox‐controlled preservation of organic matter during “OAE 3” within the Western Interior Seaway

During the Cretaceous, widespread black shale deposition occurred during a series of Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs). Multiple processes are known to control the deposition of marine black shales, including changes in primary productivity, organic matter preservation, and dilution. OAEs offer an opportunity to evaluate the relative roles of these forcing factors. The youngest of these events—the Coniacian to Santonian OAE 3—resulted in a prolonged organic carbon burial event in shallow and restricted marine environments including the Western Interior Seaway. New high-resolution isotope, organic, and trace metal records from the latest Turonian to early Santonian Niobrara Formation are used to characterize the amount and composition of organic matter preserved, as well as the geochemical conditions under which it accumulated. Redox sensitive metals (Mo, Mn, and Re) indicate a gradual drawdown of oxygen leading into the abrupt onset of organic carbon-rich (up to 8%) deposition. High Hydrogen Indices (HI) and organic carbon to total nitrogen ratios (C:N) demonstrate that the elemental composition of preserved marine organic matter is distinct under different redox conditions. Local changes in δ13C indicate that redox-controlled early diagenesis can also significantly alter δ13Corg records. These results demonstrate that the development of anoxia is of primary importance in triggering the prolonged carbon burial in the Niobrara Formation. Sea level reconstructions, δ18O results, and Mo/total organic carbon ratios suggest that stratification and enhanced bottom water restriction caused the drawdown of bottom water oxygen. Increased nutrients from benthic regeneration and/or continental runoff may have sustained primary productivity.
Ensemble: Community-Based Anomaly Detection for Popular Applications

A major challenge in securing end-user systems is the risk of popular applications being hijacked at run-time. Traditional measures do not prevent such threats because the code itself is unmodified and local anomaly detectors are difficult to tune for correct thresholds due to insufficient training data.
Interactions and motions in human-robot coordination

In human-robot cooperative tasks, the robot is required to memorize different trajectories for different assignments, and retrieve a proper one from them in real-time for the robot to follow when an assignment is repeated. A three-point representation of the space curves is translation/rotation/scaling invariant. Schemes of matching positions by vectors, and orientations by matrices are efficient in that computing time is short enough for real-time implementations. Physical experiments are performed to illustrate and verify the analytical results.
How a customer participates matters: “I am producing” versus “I am designing”

Purpose – This paper aims to conceptually and empirically differentiate between two types of customer participation (CP): CP as “producers” (CPP), when customers primarily contribute physical labor to produce a service (e.g. assembling a frame), and CP as “designers” (CPD), when customers primarily share information to design a service (e.g. designing a frame). The study examines whether CPD and CPP influence customers’ perceptions of value creation and choice of participation differently. Furthermore, it investigates the moderating effect of customer expectation on the effect of CPD/CPP on customers’ participation responses. Design/methodology/approach – This study uses two scenario-based experiments. Study 1 examines the main effect of CPP and CPD on perceived value of participation and participation choice, and Study 2 investigates the moderator of customer expectation. Findings – Study 1 indicates that CPD creates greater value and is a more preferred participation choice than CPP. Study 2 further sug...
Host selection behavior of Bagrada hilaris (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) on commercial cruciferous host plants

A series of host-choice tests were conducted under greenhouse conditions to evaluate the host selection behavior of the Bagrada bug, Bagrada hilaris on commercial cruciferous seedlings. In addition, a separate choice test was conducted to investigate the selection behavior of B. hilaris adults for broccoli plants of various growth stages: cotyledon, 1-leaf, 2-leaf, and 4-leaf plant stages. In comparing host selection among the commercial seedlings, observations on host attractiveness, host acceptance and host susceptibility of the cruciferous cultivars to B. hilaris adults were measured by recording numbers of adults per plant, the time at which feeding damage was first observed, and the time plant mortality occurred for each cultivar, respectively. Results showed that significantly more adult B. hilaris were attracted to a commercial radish cultivar than all other hosts, followed by red and green cabbage. Measurements of host acceptance varied among the cruciferous cultivars, however in terms of feeding damage, alyssum, arugula and broccoli appeared to be relatively less acceptable hosts for B. hilaris. Similarly, all host plants were susceptible to B. hilaris feeding damage and plant mortality varied among cultivars. In the broccoli growth-stage trials, experiments were designed in a similar fashion except that the experiment was conducted in plastic cages. A greater number of B. hilaris adults were attracted to 4-leaf-stage broccoli than other growth stages, but feeding damage was observed more quickly on cotyledon-stage plants. The implications of these findings for developing alternative pest management approaches for B. hilaris in commercial cruciferous crops are discussed.
A note on the effects of equity and nonequity variables on mortgage default

The option-based approach to mortgage default has established equity as the most important determinant of mortgage default. In addition, this approach suggests that the potential effect of nonequity factors, such as unemployment, interest rates, or borrower characteristics, on mortgage default depends on the level of equity. Previous empirical studies of mortgage default have ignored this implication of the option-based default model and assumed that the effect of nonequity factors on mortgage default was linear. Results presented here, however, indicate that the effect of nonequity factors declines with the seasoning of the mortgage. Also, unemployment and the origination interest rate are shown to be more important determinants of mortgage default than indicated by previous research.
A Neuro-Fuzzy Model for Simulating Outer Hair Cell of Human Cochlea

Understanding the functioning of the human auditory system has been of interest for decades and many mathematical models have been developed based on experimental results. Many of these models address the key components of the human auditory system: outer ear, middle ear, and inner ear, which consists of cochlea and organ of corti. In this paper, a novel approach for human auditory model is developed that is based on the concepts of fuzzy logic for simulating basilar membrane and stereocilia, and a feed-forward neural network for simulating outer hair cell of the inner ear. Frequency, intensity and the direction of stereocilia movement are the three inputs to the fuzzy logic portion of the model. The output of this block is the net force, which becomes the input to the neural network. The implementation and simulated results using MATLAB® are presented.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Differential impact of mammalian target of rapamycin inhibition on CD4 + CD25 + Foxp3 + regulatory T cells compared with conventional CD4 + T cells

Based on their ability to control T-cell homeostasis, Foxp3+CD4+CD25+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) are being considered for treatment of autoimmune disorders and acute graft-versus-host disease (aGVHD). When combining Tregs with the immunosuppressant rapamycin (RAPA), we observed reduced alloreactive conventional T-cell (Tconv) expansion and aGVHD lethality compared with each treatment alone. This synergistic in vivo protection was paralleled by intact expansion of polyclonal Tregs with conserved high FoxP3 expression. In contrast to Tconv, activation of Tregs with alloantigen and interleukin-2 preferentially led to signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (STAT5) phosphorylation and not phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway activity. Expression of phosphatase and tensin homolog deleted on chromosome 10 (PTEN), a negative regulator of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway, remained high in Tregs but not Tconv during stimulation. Conversely, targeted deletion of PTEN increased susceptibility of Tregs to mTOR inhibition by RAPA. Differential impact of RAPA as a result of reduced usage of the mTOR pathway in Tregs compared with conventional T cells explains the synergistic effect of RAPA and Tregs in aGVHD protection, which has important implications for clinical trials using Tregs.
Molecular Mechanics for Chemical Reactions: A Standard Strategy for Using Multiconfiguration Molecular Mechanics for Variational Transition State Theory with Optimized Multidimensional Tunneling

Multiconfiguration molecular mechanics (MCMM) is an extension of molecular mechanics to chemically reactive systems. This dual-level method combines molecular mechanics potentials for the reactant and product configurations with electronic structure Hessians at the saddle point and a small number of nonstationary points to model the potential energy surface in the reaction swath region between reactants and products where neither molecular mechanics potential is valid. The resulting semiglobal potential energy surface is used as input for dynamics calculations of tunneling probabilities and variational transition state theory rate constants. In this paper, we present a standard strategy for applying MCMM to calculate rate constants for atom transfer reactions. In particular, we propose a general procedure for determining where to calculate the electronic structure Hessians. We tested this strategy for a diverse test suite of six reactions involving hydrogen-atom transfer. It yields reasonably accurate rat...
Tb doping of YBa2Cu3O7-δ

Abstract An explanation is provided of the Tb doping anomaly: the superconducting transition temperature of Y 1-y Tb y Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ remains constant at 92.5 K with increasing Tb content y (up to y≈0.5), and shows no evidence of degradation by Cooper pair-breaking. This behavior is considered anomalous because Tb has been determined to be in the Tb +4 charge state, which is supposed to be deleterious to superconductivity: comparable doping by Ce and Pr (also thought to be +4 ions), unlike Tb-doping, leads to pair-breaking and the quenching of superconductivity. This Tb anomaly is explained as normal behavior, within the context of the strained-layer superlattice and confined metallic oxygen model of high-temperature superconductivity: it is due to Tb occupying rare-earth sites almost exclusively , and the low solubility of Tb on Ba sites . The superconductivity is rooted in the chain layers , and rare-earth-site magnetic Tb, Pr, and Ce, whatever their charge states, do not break pairs, because they are remote from the superconducting chain layers. In contrast, Ba-site Tb (or another magnetic rare-earth ion) would break pairs and quench superconductivity, being adjacent to chain-oxygen. Therefore, Tb's so-called anomalous behavior of not degrading the transition temperature is actually normal and characteristic of rare-earth ions on the rare-earth sites, while the pair-breaking of Ce and Pr is attributable to rare-earths on (anomalous) Ba sites. This normal behavior appears to be anomalous only in the context of cuprate-plane models of superconductivity, and so casts doubt on the validity of those models, which are also in conflict with pair-breaking data for La 2-β Sr β CuO 4-δ , Nd 2-z Ce z CuO 4-δ , and Nd 2-u-z Ce z Gd u CuO 4-δ , as well as for compounds of the YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ class.
Sexual performance and production traits in white-faced yearling rams

Abstract Poor mating behavior results in increased ram costs, an extended lambing season, and decreased genetic progress from sires with desired production traits. Producers have recognized the importance of ram libido, but constraints regarding time, labor, and facilities generally limit the routine evaluation of ram breeding behavior. Easily measurable production traits would be an usable selection tool if correlated to reproductive performance. To determine the discriminating value of production traits as indicators of reproductive performance, white-faced rams (n = 82; 10–12 months of age) consigned to the University of Wyoming ram test were fed using the Grow-Safe® feeding system. Rams were categorized based on sexual behavior as low, intermediate or mounting. Body weight gain performance, feed intake and feeding behavior were analyzed. Overall production performance was determined using a calculated index ratio based on body weight gain adjusted for wool characteristics. Sexual behavior classification did not influence the index ratio or feed consumed per day. However, numbers of no-intake feeding episodes (P
Chronicling the development of myozyme: The Cure and Chasing Miracles

Geeta Anand The Cure, HarperCollins Publishers Inc, New York, 2009, paperback, 368pp., ISBN: 978-0060734404 John F Crowley Chasing Miracles, Newmarket Press, New York, 2010, hardback, 224pp., ISBN: 978-1557049100
The Pareto optimality of an n-Company reinsurance treaty

Abstract Let n insurance companies each have differentiable utilities of money ui (·) (i = 1, …, n), where ui (m) is the value to Company i of m units of money, and let u′ i (·) be non-negative and non-increasing. Company i possesses an amount of capital Ci (including its policy-holders' premiums) as well as a portfolio of policies which subjects it to payment of the random variable Xi . A mutual reinsurance treaty among the n companies is an n-tuple of functions z = (z 1, …, zn ), where zi = zi (X 1, …, Xn ) represents the amount Company i shall pay upon occurrence of the claims X 1, …, Xn . Write X = (X 1, …, Xn ). Of course for all values of the Xi 's.
Management of traumatic haemorrhage – the US perspective

Summary As compared with European practice, the American approach to resuscitation from traumatic haemorrhage de-emphasises pre-hospital interventions in favour of rapid transport to definitive care; limits initial surgical interventions under the damage control model; uses crystalloid as the initial fluid of choice; and follows an empiric 1:1:1 approach to transfusion with red cells, plasma and platelets in hemodynamically unstable and actively bleeding patients. The use of bedside visco-elastic testing to guide coagulation support is not as widespread as in Europe, while the early administration of tranexamic acid is more selective.
Extracellular Body Water of Growing Calves as Measured by Thiocyanate Space

Summary Estimates of the size of the extracellular body water compartment of growing calves were determined by observing the distribution of sodium thiocyanate. One hundred and forty-six estimates of thiocyanate space were made on 76 calves. Data were collected on heifer and bull calves up to 800 lb of body weight. Extracellular water, estimated by thiocyanate space, decreased rapidly in growing calves from about 48% of body weight at birth to about 30% at 1 yr. This decrease occurred during the first four months in heifers and in the fifth to seventh month for bulls. Thiocyanate space of young bulls tended to be higher than in heifers of the same weight. In bulls, the pronounced decline in this space coincided with the probable time of onset of sexual maturation.
Effect of surgery on granulocyte/macrophage colony‐stimulating factor

Eighteen surgical patients were studied to determine the effect of anesthesia (general or spinal) and surgery on serum and urinary colony-stimulating factor(s) (CSF). CSF is a leukopoietin that stimulates proliferation of macrophages and granulocytes from bone marrow precursor cells. CSF was assayed by adding aliquots of serum or urine to semisolid agar cultures of bone marrow cells and scoring the number of colonies developing after 7 days of incubation. In all but 1 case, a 3- to 30-fold increase in the 24 hour excretion of urinary CSF was seen on the day of surgery and the first postoperative day. CSF urinary excretion began declining toward normal by the second postoperative day. A parallel increase in granulocyte count, a delayed rise in monocytes, and a decline in absolute lymphocyte counts were also observed. The data suggest that immediately postoperatively there may be a strong stimulus to granulocyte/macrophage proliferation. More rapidly proliferating cells would be anticipated to have increased vulnerability to toxicity from cell cycle-active chemotherapeutic agents.
Formulas for $$\bar \beta $$ parameters and their limitations

The operator relationship p=[r, h] between linear momentum, position vector and Hamiltonian is the basis for an investigation of formulas for $$\bar \beta $$ ¦χ′〉 atomic orbitals is discussed. Formulas for $$\bar \beta $$ parameters useful in extended Huckel methods are presented.
Interactions of synaptic and intrinsic electroresponsiveness determine corticothalamic activation dynamics

Abstract The interaction between cortical input frequency and intrinsic thalamic neuron (TN) properties were investigated using intracellular recordings from mice TNs in thalamocortical (TC) slices. Excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) of corticothalamic (CT) origin were recorded at TN membrane potentials ( V m ) held, by current clamp means, between −59 and −55 mV to avoid low-threshold calcium currents ( I T ) activation. EPSPs elicited in ventrobasal neurons ( n =25) by stimulation in the internal capsule showed constant latency, relatively fast rise time (2.9±0.56 ms) and short duration (26.6±9.11 ms). EPSPs evoked by threshold stimulation ( n =10) showed similar characteristics (mean rise time, 2.74±0.42 ms; mean duration, 30±8.00 ms). The time course of CT synaptic facilitation was determined using pairs of stimuli. Paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) of CT EPSPs peaked at 25–30 ms stimulus intervals and decayed exponentially with an average time constant of 130 ms ( n =50). Application of the NMDA receptor blocker APV (25 μM, n =4) did not modify PPF for any interstimulus interval studied but suppressed frequency facilitation evoked by trains of CT stimuli. We compared the number of spikes per stimulus ( F s ) evoked in TNs by repetitive CT stimulation over a range of frequencies at different V m . At hyperpolarized V m (below −65 mV) and frequencies of stimulation ≥10 Hz, F s decreased along the train while at depolarized V m (above −59 mV) F s increased along the train. Decremental patterns resulted from the activation of I T while facilitatory patterns emerged from superposition of synaptic and intrinsic mechanisms. At hyperpolarized V m , steady-state F s was maximal for frequencies ≤2 Hz, intermediate for frequencies between 2 and 10 Hz and zero at ≥10 Hz. At depolarized V m , steady-state F s increased with increasing frequencies (from 1 to 40 Hz). We conclude that the CT–TN junctions are tuned to establish stable thalamocortical resonant dynamics.
Contact angles and interface behavior during rapid evaporation of liquid on a heated surface

Abstract Photographic observations of the boiling phenomena have played an important role in gaining insight into the boiling mechanism. This paper presents a brief historical review of the available literature on the photographic studies in pool and flow boiling. This is followed by the results of the photographic studies conducted in the authors' laboratory on liquid droplets impinging on a heated surface. Liquid–vapor interface and contact line movements are observed through a high speed camera at high resolution. The effect of surface roughness and surface temperature on dynamic advancing and receding contact angles has been studied. In addition, the effects of rapid evaporation on advancing and receding contact angles, liquid–vapor interface motion, and the dryout front propagation have been investigated.
Leveraging the electronic medical record to implement an abdominal aortic aneurysm screening program

Objective Screening for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) reduces aneurysm-related mortality and has been recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Heart Association since 2005. Medicare has covered a one-time screening ultrasound for new male enrollees with a familial or smoking history since 2007. Nevertheless, in the U.S., screening has remained underutilized. Review of patients with ruptured AAA in our system in 2007 showed the majority were undiagnosed, yet met U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and American Heart Association screening guidelines. To reduce the number of preventable AAA ruptures and deaths in our patients, we implemented an AAA screening program using our electronic medical record (EMR). This study describes the design, implementation, and early results of that screening program. Methods Between March 2012 and June 2013, men aged 65 to 75 years with any history of smoking were targeted for screening. Medical records were reviewed electronically to exclude patients with abdominal imaging studies within 10 years that would have diagnosed an AAA. Best practice alerts (BPA) were created in the EMR so when an appropriate patient is seen, office staff and providers are prompted to order an aortic ultrasound. AAA was defined as aortic diameter ≥3.0 cm or greater, and ultrasound reports contained a standard template providing guidance for patient management when an aneurysm was identified. Newly identified AAAs were triaged for vascular surgery consultation or follow-up with their primary physician. The number of eligible patients, unscreened patients, and AAAs identified were tabulated by our Regional Outpatient Safety Net Program. Results In a population of 3.6 million, 55,610 patients initially met screening criteria, and 26,837 (48.26%) were excluded from the BPA because of prior abdominal imaging studies. After 15 months, there were 68,164 patients who met screening criteria, 54,356 (79.74%) of whom had undergone an abdominal imaging study. Thus, 27,519 patients underwent an imaging study after the BPA was activated. During the study period, 731 new AAAs were diagnosed, 165 over 4.0 cm in diameter. Screening rates have increased at all medical centers where the BPA was activated, and the percentage of unscreened patients has been reduced from 51.74% to 20.26% system-wide. Conclusions In an integrated health care system using an EMR, AAA screening can be implemented with a dramatic reduction in unscreened patients. Further analysis is required to assess the impact of the screening program on AAA rupture rate and cost-effectiveness in our system.
The goat blood binder of triamcinolone acetonide does not interfere with glucocorticoid receptor purification from mammary tissue.

AbstractThe high affinity triamcinolone acetonide (TA) binder in goat blood was characterized in the context of our objective to purify glucocorticoid receptor from mammary tissue of the goat. A single class of binding sites was detected exhibiting an apparent equilibrium dissociation constant (Kd) of 1.3 × 10−7 M, and the binding capacity was found to be 2200 fmol/mg serum protein. Steroid binding specificity studies revealed a unique preference for TA in steroid binding. Unlike the glucocorticoid receptor, the blood TA-binder is thermostable. DEAE-cellulose chromatography resolved the blood binder into two radioactivity peaks. On sucrose gradients, the [3H]TA binder sedimented at 8S. Gel filtration analysis demonstrated a single radioactivity peak exhibiting a Stokes radius of 47 A. From the hydrodynamic parameters an apparent Mr = 163,500 can be calculated for the blood binder. The blood TA binder displays negligible binding affinity for the steroid ligand of the deoxycorticosterone-deriva-tized affini...
The response-shock-shock-shock interval and unsignalled avoidance in goldfish.

Goldfish were trained to swim back and forth in a shuttle tank to avoid unsignalled shocks. The response-shock interval and the shock-shock interval were always of equal duration; both were either 15, 30, 45, or 60 sec. Response rates varied inversely with response-shock–shock-shock interval duration, as has been found with rats. Percentage of shocks avoided was somewhat lower at the 15 sec response-shock–shock-shock interval, but otherwise did not vary systematically with changes in the interval. As the response-shock–shock-shock interval increased, the fish made increasingly more responses than necessary to avoid all shocks. Interresponse-time distributions showed that response probability rose to a maximum at about 15 to 25 sec after a response, regardless of the response-shock–shock-shock interval. Thus, at the longer intervals the fish were responding too early in the response-shock–shock-shock interval to minimize response rates.
Numerical Investigation of Choked Flow in Padded Finger Seals

The aim of the present work is to continue to improve the modeling of the high-pressure seal pads by two means. First, by using a set of governing equations that, unlike previous models, incorporates the inertial effects, including choking. This way, the additional approximations at the interface between two separate models are avoided. Second, since the flow may be choked, the equations are solved using a shock capturing numerical scheme. The method used in this case is the space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE) scheme, which can accurately predict flows in thin films with discontinuities. Special attention is given to the choked flow cases, for which the flow becomes discontinuous near the exit boundary. The analysis should prove useful in the design process, and also in the general level of understanding the phenomena that occur in more severe cases.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Memory Access Scheduling on the Convey HC-1

In this paper we describe a technique for scheduling memory accesses to improve effective memory bandwidth on the Convey HC-1 platform.
Isolation and analysis of vaccinia virus previrions

Vaccinia virus (VV) virion morphogenesis is a complex sequence of events that occurs late in viral infection that is essential for the production of mature progeny. Electron microscopy studies have identified multiple morphogenic forms of virus particles, apparently assembled in a sequence from immature to mature particles that correlates with distinct physical changes. This assembly process is, however, rather poorly understood at the molecular level. To better characterize the multiple forms of VV previrions, sucrose log gradient fractionation of VV-infected cells was used to separate radiolabeled immature and mature forms of the virus. Depending on time postinfection that the infected cells were harvested, four distinct peaks of acid-precipitable counts could be detected that displayed different rates of sedimentation. Using pulse-chase analysis procedures, the labeled peaks were shown to have precursor-product relationships as slower sedimenting entities chased to faster sedimenting ones with time. These peaks were referred to as A, B, C, and V particles, with A being the initial precursor form found near the top of the gradient and V being the fastest sedimenting product. As the previrions mature, they migrated faster in the gradient and became infectious and resistant to treatment with DNase I. The core protein composition of the A particles was predominantly uncleaved precursors, with only small amounts of the mature core proteins 4a, 4b, 25K, and 23K evident. However, as the sedimentation rate of the particles increased, proteolytic maturation proceeded such that C particles were composed almost exclusively of mature core proteins. Together these results indicate that several distinct and separable forms of VV previrions exist, that VV core protein precursors are associated with the previrions prior to cleavage, and that maturation of the core proteins is coordinately linked to the conversion from noninfectious previrions to infectious viral particles.
Consideration of Nonparametric Approaches for Assessing Genotype-by-Environment (G × E) Interaction with Disease Severity Data.

Determination of host genotype-by-environment (G × E) interaction is needed to assess the stability of cultivar traits such as plant disease resistance and to reveal differences in aggressiveness or virulence of pathogen strains among locations. Here we explored the use of rank-based methodology to quantify the concordance (or discordance) of disease responses of host genotypes across environments, based on the Kendall coefficient of concordance (W) and ancillary test statistics, in order to determine the extent to which environment affected rankings of genotypes. An analysis of four data sets for disease severity of gray leaf spot of maize (with genotypes planted in as many as 11 locations in a given year) revealed highly significant concordance (P ≤ 0.001) overall, indicating that genotypes varied little in within-environment rankings. This suggests that the G × E interaction was small or nonexistent (in terms of rankings). A novel rank-based method by Piepho was evaluated to further elucidate the interaction (if any) through a test for variance homogeneity. The Piepho test statistic was not significant (P > 0.25) for any of the gray leaf spot data sets, confirming the stability of genotypes across environments for this pathosystem; however, analysis of published data sets for other pathosystems indicated significant results. The relationship shown by Huhn, Lotito, and Piepho between the ratio of genotype and residual variances of the original data and the rank-based W statistic was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulations. A more general functional relationship was developed that is applicable over a wide range of number of genotypes and environments in the analyzed studies. This confirms previously shown linkages between rankings of genotypes within environments and variability in the original (unranked) data, thus permitting ease of interpretation of parametric and nonparametric results.
PoWER: prediction of workload for energy efficient relocation of virtual machines

Virtual Machines (VM) offer data center owners the option to lease computational resources like CPU cycles, Memory, Disk space and Network bandwidth to end-users. An important consideration in this scenario is the optimal usage of the resources (CPU cycles, Memory, Block I/O and Network Bandwidth) of the physical machines that make up the cloud or 'machine-farms'. At any given time, the machines should not be overloaded (to ensure certain QoS requirements are met) and at the same time a minimum number of machines should be running (to conserve energy). The loads on individual VMs residing on these machines is, in fact, not absolutely random. Certain patterns can be found that can help the data center owners arrange the VMs on the physical machines such that both of the above conditions are met (minimum number of machines running without any being overloaded). In this work we propose a framework, PoWER that tries to intelligently predict the behavior of the cluster based on its history and then accordingly distributes VMs in the cluster and turns off unused Physical Machines, thus saving energy. Central to our framework are concepts of Chaos Theory that make our framework indifferent to the type of loads and inherent cycles in them as opposed to other current prediction algorithms. We also test this framework on our testbed cluster and analyze its performance. We demonstrate that PoWER performs better than another FFT-based time series method in predicting VM loads and freeing resources on Physical Machines for our test loads.
Superconducting NbTaAlAlOxAl X-ray detectors with spatial resolution

Abstract Superconducting X-ray detectors based on SIS tunnel junctions offer potential for high spectral resolution and single photon efficiency. When used in a double junction geometry, they also offer spatial resolution needed for focal plane imaging. We are developing NbTaAlAlOxAl detectors for space-based X-ray astronomy applications. The design employs superconductor bandgap engineering for improved charge collection and adaptability for double junction geometries. For irradiation of a single junction device with 6 keV X-rays at a single location, the detectors have an energy resolution of 87 eV at 0.27 K. Initial studies of double junction detectors show a spectral resolution of 178 eV and an inferred spatial resolution of 4 μm over an effective length of 60 μm.