cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Markov Decision Process Approach for Cost-Benefit Analysis of Infrastructure Resilience Upgrades.

As climate change threatens to cause increasingly frequent and severe natural disasters, decisionmakers must consider costly investments to enhance the resilience of critical infrastructures. Evaluating these potential resilience improvements using traditional cost-benefit analysis (CBA) approaches is often problematic because disasters are stochastic and can destroy even hardened infrastructure, meaning that the lifetimes of investments are themselves uncertain. In this article, we develop a novel Markov decision process (MDP) model for CBA of infrastructure resilience upgrades that offer prevention (reduce the probability of a disaster) and/or protection (mitigate the cost of a disaster) benefits. Stochastic features of the model include disaster occurrences and whether or not a disaster terminates the effective life of an earlier resilience upgrade. From our MDP model, we derive analytical expressions for the decisionmaker's willingness to pay (WTP) to enhance infrastructure resilience, and conduct a comparative static analysis to investigate how the WTP varies with the fundamental parameters of the problem. Following this theoretical portion of the article, we demonstrate the applicability of our MDP framework to real-world decision making by applying it to two case studies of electric utility infrastructure hardening. The first case study considers elevating a flood-prone substation and the second assesses upgrading transmission structures to withstand high winds. Results from these two case studies show that assumptions about the value of lost load during power outages and the distribution of customer types significantly influence the WTP for the resilience upgrades and are material to the decisions of whether or not to implement them.
Optimal Bayesian smoothing of functional observations over a large graph

Abstract In modern contexts, some types of data are observed in high-resolution, essentially continuously in time. Such data units are best described as taking values in a space of functions. Subject units carrying the observations may have intrinsic relations among themselves, and are best described by the nodes of a large graph. It is often sensible to think that the underlying signals in these functional observations vary smoothly over the graph, in that neighboring nodes have similar underlying signals. This qualitative information allows borrowing of strength over neighboring nodes and consequently leads to more accurate inference. In this paper, we consider a model with Gaussian functional observations and adopt a Bayesian approach to smoothing over the nodes of the graph. We characterize the minimax rate of estimation in terms of the regularity of the signals and their variation across nodes quantified in terms of the graph Laplacian. We show that an appropriate prior constructed from the graph Laplacian can attain the minimax bound, while using a mixture prior, the minimax rate up to a logarithmic factor can be attained simultaneously for all possible values of functional and graphical smoothness. We also show that in the fixed smoothness setting, an optimal sized credible region has arbitrarily high frequentist coverage. A simulation experiment demonstrates that the method performs better than potential competing methods like the random forest. The method is also applied to a dataset on daily temperatures measured at several weather stations in the US state of North Carolina.
Learning-to-Dispatch: Reinforcement Learning Based Flight Planning under Emergency

The effectiveness of resource allocation under emergencies especially hurricane disasters is crucial. However, most researchers focus on emergency resource allocation in a ground transportation system. In this paper, we propose Learning-to-Dispatch (L2D), a reinforcement learning (RL) based air route dispatching system, that aims to add additional flights for hurricane evacuation while minimizing the airspace's complexity and air traffic controller's workload. Given a bipartite graph with weights that are learned from the historical flight data using RL in consideration of short- and long-term gains, we formulate the flight dispatch as an online maximum weight matching problem. Different from the conventional order dispatch problem, there is no actual or estimated index that can evaluate how the additional evacuation flights influence the air traffic complexity. Then we propose a multivariate reward function in the learning phase and compare it with other univariate reward designs to show its superior performance. The experiments using the real-world dataset for Hurricane Irma demonstrate the efficacy and efficiency of our proposed schema.
Microtubule-based transport is essential to distribute RNA and nascent protein in skeletal muscle

While the importance of RNA localization in highly differentiated cells is well appreciated, basic principles of RNA localization in skeletal muscle remain poorly characterized. Here, we develop a method to detect and quantify single molecule RNA localization patterns in skeletal myofibers, and uncover a critical role for directed transport of RNPs in muscle. We find that RNAs localize and are translated along sarcomere Z-disks, dispersing tens of microns from progenitor nuclei, regardless of encoded protein function. We find that directed transport along the lattice-like microtubule network of myofibers becomes essential to achieve this localization pattern as muscle development progresses; disruption of this network leads to extreme accumulation of RNPs and nascent protein around myonuclei. Our observations suggest that global active RNP transport may be required to distribute RNAs in highly differentiated cells and reveal fundamental mechanisms of gene regulation, with consequences for myopathies caused by perturbations to RNPs or microtubules. It is increasingly recognised that the spatial localisation of RNA is important for proper cellular function. Here, the authors investigate RNA localisation in skeletal muscle and develop methods to show that global active transport of RNA is required to maintain dispersion of gene products in the large muscle syncytium.
Theory of Hofstadter superconductors

The Hofstadter butterfly has long fascinated theorists, but it is only recently that the butterfly has been seen in moir\'e systems. Its rich fractal structure can be understood fromsymmetry analysis of the magnetic translation group. Similar symmetry analysis reveals a new, equally rich, structure when Hofstadter systems become superconducting. The authors use this result to formulate a mean-field theory of Hofstadter superconductivity and analyze some of their topological properties, such as Chern numbers and Bogoliubov Fermi surfaces.
A Spectroscopic Study of Supernova Remnants with the Infrared Space Observatory

We present far-infrared (FIR) spectroscopy of supernova remnants (SNRs) based on the archival data of the Infrared Space Observatory ($ISO$) taken with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer (LWS). Our sample includes previously unpublished profiles of line and continuum spectra for 20 SNRs in the Galaxy and Magellanic Clouds. In several SNRs including G21.5-0.9, G29.7-0.3, the Crab Nebula, and G320.4-1.2, we find evidence for broad [O I], [O III], [N II], and [C II] lines with velocity dispersions up to a few 10$^3$ km s$^{-1}$, indicating that they are associated with high-velocity SN ejecta. Our detection of Doppler-broadened atomic emission lines and a bright FIR continuum hints at the presence of newly formed dust in SN ejecta. For G320.4-1.2, we present the first estimate of an ejecta-dust mass of 0.1 - 0.2 M$_\odot$, which spatially coincides with the broad line emission, by applying a blackbody model fit with components of the SNR and background emission. Our sample includes raster maps of 63, 145 $\mu$m [O I] and 158 $\mu$m [C II] lines toward SNRs Kes 79, CTB 109, and IC 443. Based on these line intensities, we suggest interacting shock types in these SNRs. Finally, we compare our LWS spectra of our sample SNRs with the spectra of several HII regions, and discuss their FIR line intensity ratios and continuum properties. Follow-up observations with modern instruments (e.g. $JWST$ and $SOFIA$) with higher spatial and spectral resolution are encouraged for an extensive study of the SN ejecta and the SN dust.
Set structured global empirical risk minimizers are rate optimal in general dimensions

Entropy integrals are widely used as a powerful empirical process tool to obtain upper bounds for the rates of convergence of global empirical risk minimizers (ERMs), in standard settings such as density estimation and regression. The upper bound for the convergence rates thus obtained typically matches the minimax lower bound when the entropy integral converges, but admits a strict gap compared to the lower bound when it diverges. Birge and Massart (Probab. Theory Related Fields 97 (1993) 113–150) provided a striking example showing that such a gap is real with the entropy structure alone: for a variant of the natural Holder class with low regularity, the global ERM actually converges at the rate predicted by the entropy integral that substantially deviates from the lower bound. The counter-example has spawned a long-standing negative position on the use of global ERMs in the regime where the entropy integral diverges, as they are heuristically believed to converge at a suboptimal rate in a variety of models. The present paper demonstrates that this gap can be closed if the models admit certain degree of “set structures” in addition to the entropy structure. In other words, the global ERMs in such set structured models will indeed be rate-optimal, matching the lower bound even when the entropy integral diverges. The models with set structures we investigate include (i) image and edge estimation, (ii) binary classification, (iii) multiple isotonic regression, (iv) s-concave density estimation, all in general dimensions when the entropy integral diverges. Here, set structures are interpreted broadly in the sense that the complexity of the underlying models can be essentially captured by the size of the empirical process over certain class of measurable sets, for which matching upper and lower bounds are obtained to facilitate the derivation of sharp convergence rates for the associated global ERMs.
Discussion: "Bayesian Optimal Design of Experiments for Inferring the Statistical Expectation of Expensive Black-Box Functions" (Pandita, P., Bilionis, I., and Panchal, J., 2019. ASME. J. Mech. Des. 141(10): 101404)

The authors of the discussed paper simplified the information-based acquisition on estimating statistical expectation and developed analytical computation for each involved quantity under uniform input distribution. In this discussion, we show that (1) the last three terms of the acquisition always add up to zero, leaving a concise form with a much more intuitive interpretation of the acquisition; (2) the analytical computation of the acquisition can be generalized to arbitrary input distribution, greatly broadening the application of the developed framework.
Treatment of Postblepharoplasty Lower Eyelid Retraction with Dermis Fat Spacer Grafting

Lower eyelid retraction is a potential complication following transcutaneous lower eyelid blepharoplasty. Several techniques have been described to treat postblepharoplasty eyelid retraction. We describe a new method of lower eyelid retraction using dermis fat as a posterior lamellar graft combined with midfacial lifting.
Evidence-Based Critical Care

Before medicine developed its scientific basis of pathophysiology, clinical practice was learned empirically from the events of daily experience in diagnosing and treating the maladies patients presented. Students learned as apprentices to clinicians, observing the phenomena of disease, the skill of diagnosis and treatment, and the outcomes of different remedies. Sir William Osler’s classic textbook of medicine was based almost entirely on his “personal experience correlated with the general experience of others” [1]. With advances in our understanding of human physiology and the pathophysiologic basis of disease, these remedies fell by the wayside and treatment became based on modalities of treatment that were shown to interrupt or otherwise modify the disease process. Until recently, it was considered sufficient to understand the disease process in order to prescribe a drug or other form of treatment. However, when these treatment modalities were subjected to randomized, controlled clinical trials (RCTs) examining clinical outcomes and not physiological processes, the outcome was not always favorable. The RCT has become the reference in medicine by which to judge the effect of an intervention on patient outcome, because it provides the greatest justification for conclusion of causality, is subject to the least bias, and provides the most valid data on which to base all measures of the benefits and risk of particular therapies [2]. Numerous ineffective and harmful therapies have been abandoned as a consequence of RCTs, while others have become integral to the care of patients and have become regarded as the standard of care.
Boundary Layers and Coronae in Cataclysmic Variables

X-ray observations of novae, nova-like variables, and dwarf novae in outburst show them to be weaker X-ray sources than predicted by boundary layer models. The discrepancy can be resolved if these systems have optically thick boundary layers with temperatures less than 30 eV, provided the neutral hydrogen column densities of circumstellar gas are greater than 1021 cm -2. The absorption of greater than 99 percent of the flux from the boundary layer must occur in a region nearer the white dwarf than the region in which spectral lines are formed. The weak hard X-ray fluxes observed from these systems probably do not come from the boundary layer but may be produced in an accretion disk corona.
Production of real photons at large transverse momentum in pp collisions

The production of photons at large transverse momentum can be used as a direct probe of the short-distance dynamics of hadronic collisions. We calculate the cross section for high-p/sub T/ photons produced in ..pi..p collisions from lowest-order quantum-chromodynamics (QCD) and higher-order constituent-interchange-model (CIM) processes. We investigate characteristic features of the QCD and CIM contributions, respectively, and discuss the experimental indicators of the presence of CIM contributions. We emphasize the frequent production of single-photon jets.
Head and Neck MRA at 3.0T

3.0T MRI scanners are becoming more widely used in clinical practice, particularly for neurological applications. The increased signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) provided by 3.0T compared to 1.5T is particularly useful for applications like magnetic resonance angiography (MRA). A protocol to image the intracranial circulation with 3-D time of flight (3DTOF), and a protocol to image the carotid, vertebral, and basilar arteries with contrast-enhanced MRA are presented. The increased SNR at 3.0T is used to increase the spatial resolution. For the 3DTOF exam, the acquisition time is also reduced with the use of parallel imaging. Keywords: 3T; MRA; head; neck; carotid; Circle of Willis
DVD Review:Down Under Mystery Tour Educational Pack

Producer: Michael Noonan Reviewer: Martha Guinan, MPH Publisher: 2010 Boom-in-Shot Productions, Australia; Distributed by Mental Leap PTY LTD Cost: Educational pack (5 discs) $425 Single disc $29.95 available at http://www.downundermysterytour.com/
Browser Fingerprinting from Coarse Traffic Summaries: Techniques and Implications

We demonstrate that the browser implementation used at a host can be passively identified with significant precision and recall, using only coarse summaries of web traffic to and from that host. Our techniques utilize connection records containing only the source and destination addresses and ports, packet and byte counts, and the start and end times of each connection. We additionally provide two applications of browser identification. First, we show how to extend a network intrusion detection system to detect a broader range of malware. Second, we demonstrate the consequences of web browser identification to the deanonymization of web sites in flow records that have been anonymized.
Network II.5 tutorial: Network II.5 - Without programming

This tutorial will acquaint the reader with a powerful modelling tool which can dramatically reduce amount of time it takes to simulate a computer system. The NETWORK II.5 world view and the class of problems it addresses will be discussed. A summary of NETWORK II.5 capabilities will be presented. To tie the tutorial concepts together, an example of using NETWORK II.5 is included.
Purification, Characterization, and Sequence Analysis of 2-Aminomuconic 6-Semialdehyde Dehydrogenase from Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS45

2-Aminonumconic 6-semialdehyde is an unstable intermediate in the biodegradation of nitrobenzene and 2-aminophenol by Pseudomonas pseudoalcaligenes JS45. Previous work has shown that enzymes in cell extracts convert 2-aminophenol to 2-aminomuconate in the presence of NAD+. In the present work, 2-aminomuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was purified and characterized. The purified enzyme migrates as a single band on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with a molecular mass of 57 kDa. The molecular mass of the native enzyme was estimated to be 160 kDa by gel filtration chromatography. The optimal pH for the enzyme activity was 7.3. The enzyme is able to oxidize several aldehyde analogs, including 2-hydroxymuconic semialdehyde, hexaldehyde, and benzaldehyde. The gene encoding 2-aminomuconic semialdehyde dehydrogenase was identified by matching the deduced N-terminal amino acid sequence of the gene with the first 21 amino acids of the purified protein. Multiple sequence alignment of various semialdehyde dehydrogenase protein sequences indicates that 2-aminomuconic 6-semialdehyde dehydrogenase has a high degree of identity with 2-hydroxymuconic 6-semialdehyde dehydrogenases.
An argument for Classic era Maya market exchange

Abstract This paper argues for the importance of complex market exchange in the Maya area prior to the so-called Postclassic “mercantile” period. We suggest that market exchange was foundational to the stability of Classic era polities, and by extension, that it was of key strategic interest to dynasts and their retinues. We reject some of the prevailing dualistic views that the economic activities of royal courts or noble houses were disconnected from the vast majority of production and exchange activities deemed essential for the daily life of supporting populations with the sole exception of tribute payments. Alternatively, we postulate the accessibility and interchangeability of most products through market place commerce, as is well-documented for the Postclassic Period. Correlates of well developed market exchange that are tracked in our analysis include occupational specialization, surplus production, household and community interdependency, and ease of access to valuable goods. We compare these patterns across elite and commoner contexts at Classic Period Tikal to those of Postclassic Period Mayapan. The assemblages at Mayapan provide comparative indices from a city known historically to have had an important regional market exchange system. Similar patterns at Tikal strongly suggest time depth for market exchange, as well as a more complex market system than the solar central place (administered) model that has been most often invoked to characterize Classic Maya market organization.
Comparison of measured total suspended particulate matter concentrations using tapered element oscillating microbalance and a total suspended particulate sampler.

A comparison of the concentration of the total suspended particulate (TSP) matter measured by the tapered element oscillating microbalance (TEOM) monitor and the isokinetic TSP samplers developed a...
Dipeptide Surrogates Containing Asparagine-Derived Tetrahydropyrimidinones: Structure and Amide Rotomer Stereochemistry of a Proline Mimic.

Novel dipeptide surrogates Fmoc-Xaa-(cyclo)Asn-OBut are prepared from asparagine, aromatic aldehydes, and Fmoc-protected amino acid chlorides. Previous studies have focused on basic approaches to key synthetic intermediates containing the (cyclo)Asn fragment for polypeptide preparation. The synthesis of these systems has now been extended to electron-rich aromatic aldehydes, exemplified by p-anisaldehyde. One-dimensional nuclear Overhauser effect experiments confirm the trans configuration around the central secondary amide bond and the boat conformation of the pyrimidinone ring. Variable-temperature NMR at 500 MHz was employed both to obtain thermodynamic data on the cis−trans amide bond interconversion barrier and to probe for the presence of hydrogen bonding. Single-crystal X-ray analysis of Ac-d-Ala-(cyclo)Asn-NHMe shows a high degree of structural similarity to a known proline-containing dipeptide.
Migrating product structure bill of materials Excel files to STEP PDM implementation

Abstract It is important for manufacturing companies to provide a standard for product data exchange between diverse computer systems. Past attempts to develop neutral format standards for data exchange have had limited success, and have led to the development of STEP (Standard for the Exchange of Product) as a data exchange standard. The STEP standard makes it easier to integrate systems that process various product life-cycle functions, such as design, engineering, manufacturing, logistics support, and will help to facilitate concurrent engineering. The goal of this paper is to facilitate the computer-readable exchange of the product bill of materials (BOM) information for product data management (PDM). In this paper, the STEP ISO 10303-21 is implemented to share the product data information in a manufacturing environment. A structural product bill of materials is first transformed into an Excel file format, then a PDM Schema Exporter is utilized to export a BOM Excel file to a STEP Part 21 file. A C# program decodes the STEP file into BOM information to update the PDM databases in SQL server for product data management. Also, SAS code is written to generate the indented bill of materials from the BOM information, to draw a tree diagram to present an accurate structural view of a product, and to export to PDM databases for product data structural view.
A mouse model of embolic focal cerebral ischemia

We developed a mouse model of embolic focal cerebral ischemia, in which a fibrin-rich clot was placed at the origin of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in C57BL/6J mice (n = 31) and B6C3 mice (n = 10). An additional three non-embolized C57BL/6J mice were used as a control. Embolus induction, cerebral vascular perfusion deficit, and consequent ischemic cell damage were confirmed by histopathology, immunohistochemistry, laser confocal microscopy, and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) measurements. Reduction in rCBF and cerebral infarct were not detected in the control animals. An embolus was found in all C57BL/6J and B6C3 mice at 24 hours after injection of a clot. Regional CBF in the ipsilateral parietal cortex decreased to 23% (P < 0.05) and 17% (P < 0.05) of preembolization levels immediately and persisted for at least 1 hour in C57BL/6J mice (n = 6) and in B6C3 mice (n = 3), respectively. A significant decrease of rCBF was accompanied by a corresponding reduction of plasma perfusion in the ipsilateral MCA territory. Neurons exhibited marked reduction in microtubule-associated protein-2 immunostaining coincident with the area of perfusion deficit. The percent infarct volume was 30.3% +/- 13.4% for C57BL/6J mice (n = 17), and 38.3% +/- 15.3% for B6C3 mice (n = 7) at 24 hours after embolization. This model of embolic ischemia is relevant to thromboembolic stroke in humans and may be useful to investigate embolic cerebral ischemia in the genetically altered mouse and for evaluation of antiembolic therapies.
Recursive and explicit rules: How can we build student algebraic understanding?

Abstract Differing perspectives have been offered about student use of recursive and explicit rules. These include: (a) promoting the use of explicit rules over the use of recursive rules, and (b) encouraging student use of both recursive and explicit rules. This study sought to explore students’ use of recursive and explicit rules by examining the reasoning of 25 sixth-grade students, including a focus on four target students, as they approached tasks in which they were required to develop generalizations while using computer spreadsheets as an instructional tool. The results demonstrate the difficulty that students had moving from the successful use of recursive rules toward explicit rules. In particular, two students abandoned general reasoning, instead focusing on particular values in an attempt to construct explicit rules. It is recommended that students be encouraged to connect recursive and explicit rules as a potential means for constructing successful generalizations.
The effect of ultraviolet-B irradiation on the cell shedding rate of the corneal epithelium.

. In this study cell shedding rates of the corneal epithelium were determined in vitro following a single suprathreshold dose of ultraviolet-B irradiation. Rabbit corneas were excised and superfused in pairs. The epithelial and endothelial surfaces were bathed with solutions containing essential ions and adjusted to appropriate pH and osmolality. One cornea in each pair was irradiated, while the other cornea served as a control. Shed cells were periodically collected from the corneal surface and the shedding rate determined by counting the number of cells in a 50 min time period. Following a latent period of about 3 h, the epithelial shedding rate accelerated, and remained elevated for at least 8 h after irradiation. This result suggests that suprathreshold doses of ultraviolet-B irradiation disrupt the normal orderly cell shedding process and homeostatic equilibrium of the corneal epithelium. The elevated cell shedding rate exposes subsurface nerve endings and causes the characteristic pain of photokeratitis.
Photochemical activity and structural studies of photosystems derived from chloroplast grana and stroma lamellae.

Abstract Stroma lamellae isolated by French press treatment, and Photosystem I and II fractions isolated by digitonin treatment of the grana fraction (free of stroma lamellae), were compared with respect to electron transport activities and ultrastructural characteristics. The results show: 1. About 15 % of the chlorophyll in mature spinach leaf chloroplasts occurred in the stroma lamellae. The separated grana membranes, when fractionated with digitonin, were comprised of 60 % Photosystem II and 40 % Photosystem I (on a chlorophyll basis), with essentially complete recovery of the starting material. 2. Action spectra and electron transport data for characteristic Photosystem I and II activities supported the concept that NADP+ reduction activity was closely correlated with the content of P700 in the fractions. In no instance were there significant rates of NADP+ reduction from water or an alternative Photosystem II donor (diphenylcarbazide) in the Photosystem II enriched fraction, beyond that which could be entirely accounted for by the residual P700 content. 3. The grana Photosystem II fraction, low in P700 and water or diphenyl carbazide→ NADP+ electron transport activity, could be recombined with the grana Photosystem I fraction and the reconstituted preparations were then capable of increased rates of diphenyl carbazide→ NADP+ reduction which were sensitive to a Photosystem II inhibitor, dichlorophenylmethylurea (DCMU). Stroma lamellae Photosystem I fraction, prepared by digitonin treatment was not capable of recombining with the grana Photosystem II fraction. For the grana, the results are most simply explained by the series electron transport scheme which assumes that NADP+ reduction from water normally proceeds via a series interaction between Photosystem II and a P700-containing Photosystem I. However, it cannot be unequivocally stated that the electrons from Photosystem II pass through P700 since none of our measurements followed P700 turnover directly. 4. Photosystem I obtained from stroma and grana membranes were quite similar with regard to electron transport activity, P700 content, ultrastructure appearance and ultrafiltration characteristics, and differing in that stroma Photosystem I fragments did not recombine with the grana Photosystem II fraction and reconstitute electrons transport activity from diphenyl carbazide→ NADP+. Plastocyanin was present in both grana and stroma membranes as shown by a sensitive bioassay. 5. The data are consistent with the chloroplast membrane model proposed earlier by Arntzen, Dilley and Crane [J. Cell. Biol., 43 (1969) 16] as regards the binary nature of the grana membranes, with Photosystem I localized on the outer “half” and Photosystem II on the inner “half” of a 90-A grana thylakoid membrane.
Prevalence of sexual dysfunction in women: Results of a survey study of 329 women in an outpatient gynecological clinic

Few studies have investigated the prevalence of sexual dysfunction in nonclinical samples. In the present study, a standardized sexual function questionnaire was administered to 329 healthy women, aged 18-73 years, all of whom were enrolled in a Women's Wellness Center. About two-thirds of the sample were married or living with a partner, and most women were employed outside of the home. A broad range of sexual behavior frequencies were observed, with 48.5% reporting at least weekly intercourse, compared to 28.4% who were not sexually active at the time of study. Among the most common sexual problems reported were anxiety or inhibition during sexual activity (38.1%), lack of sexual pleasure (16.3%), and difficulty in achieving orgasm (15.4%). Other common problems were lack of lubrication (13.6%) and painful intercourse (11.3%), each of which was significantly more prevalent in the postmenopausal group. Despite these difficulties, 68.6% of the sample rated their overall sexual relationship as satisfactory. Age and relationship status were significant predictors of sexual satisfaction, with older women and singles reporting a higher incidence of sexual problems. Educational level, religious affiliation, and employment status were not predictive of sexual dysfunction in the present study.
Attempts toward biosynthesis of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone and studies on its breakdown in hypothalamic tissue preparations.

Attempts were made to study the reported biosynthesis of the thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH = pyroGlu-His-Pro-amide) by incubating extracts of freeze-dried hypothalamic tissue with radioactively labeled precursor amino acids. Chromatographic analysis indicated a fast incorporation of radioactivity into many metabolites, including one that initially co-migrated with TRH. However, on two-dimensional chromatography, such coincidence disappeared and thus a biosynthesis of TRH could not be confirmed. A very fast degradation of TRH by serum, as well as by brain tissue preparations, was observed and was studied in detail because it could be a cause of difficulties encountered in detecting an in vitro synthesis. In hypothalamic and cortical tissue preparations, on incubation with TRH labeled with [3H]proline, fast formation of radioactively labeled deamido-TRH and liberation of prolineamide and free proline were found. On incubation of serum with labeled TRH there was a similar rapid breakdown, but different ...
Abdominal aortitis due to Streptococcus pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes: a case report and review.

Endovascular infections are 1 cause of fever of unknown origin. We describe a diagnostically challenging case of cryptogenic abdominal aortitis from Sterptococcus pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes. A 72-year-old male presented with epigastric pain, fevers, and chills. A computed tomography scan demonstrated enlargement and ulceration of the distal abdominal aorta, prompting urgent vascular surgery. Intraoperative tissue cultures grew S. pneumoniae and E. aerogenes and gatifloxacin was administered for 6 weeks. Spontaneous abdominal aortitis is uncommon and usually due to a single pathogen. This is the second reported case of polymicrobial infectious aortitis and to date, Enterobacter has only been reported in infected aortic grafts. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for infectious aortitis as the mortality, if only treated medically, approaches 100%.
Multigigahertz sources and photoreceivers for lightwave networks

Multimedia services, cable and antenna television (CATV), high definition television (HDTV), and computer linkshave permeated into every aspect ofour lives and have become virtually indispensable. Large amounts of data transmissionvia lightwave networks have and will undoubtedly continue to benefit us by improving the way of life. The demands on anetwork which can accommodate the entire communication traffic in a cost effective manner have drawn considerable attention
Whither RFID? [AP-S Turnstile]

As the IEEE RFID 2009 approaches, this column examines the critical issues facing radio-frequency identification and how big the RFID market might be.
PATTERN RECOGNITION AS INFORMATION COMPRESSION

Abstract Pattern recognition is considered as a case of information compression. This aspect of pattern recognition is characterized by the following facts: (1) The larger the information compression in one stroke, the better it is, but the larger the information compression, the more difficult the task is. (2) If the information compression is to be made in steps, it is desirable that the burden of information compression be distributed more or less evenly over different steps. Both the vectorial approach and the grammatical approach are examined.
Evaluation of oral administration of bacteriophages to neonatal calves: Phage survival and impact on fecal Escherichia coli

Diarrhea is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in neonatal calves. Several enteropathogens are associated with diarrhea in young calves, with Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC) infection being the most common type of colibacillosis. The rise of antibiotic resistance in a number of medically important bacterial pathogens has revived interest in the use of bacteriophages as anti-bacterial therapeutic agents. Here we describe the results of a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study designed to evaluate the effect of an oral bacteriophage cocktail on fecal E. coli colony-forming units (CFU). Ten calves were enrolled in the study to either the bacteriophage group or the placebo group for 22 feedings. Calves in the bacteriophage treatment group (n = 6) received a total of 106 plaque-forming units (PFU) (volume = 5 ml) of each of four bacteriophages while the placebo group (n = 4) received only phosphate-buffered saline (5 ml). Fresh fecal samples and blood samples were collected daily from each calf and analyzed for bacterial count and presence of bacteriophage. E. coli-infecting phages were recovered from all phage-treated calves at concentrations of 10² to 10³ PFU per gram of rectal contents, but none was detected in serum. Phage treatment caused a reduction in fecal E. coli when compared to the control group: the mean log CFU for the placebo-treated group was 9.25 (SE = 0.42) versus 9.11 (SE = 0.34) for the phage-treated group, but the difference was not statistically significant.
Steady state likelihood ratio sensitivity analysis for stiff kinetic Monte Carlo simulations

Kinetic Monte Carlo simulation is an integral tool in the study of complex physical phenomena present in applications ranging from heterogeneous catalysis to biological systems to crystal growth and atmospheric sciences. Sensitivity analysis is useful for identifying important parameters and rate-determining steps, but the finite-difference application of sensitivity analysis is computationally demanding. Techniques based on the likelihood ratio method reduce the computational cost of sensitivity analysis by obtaining all gradient information in a single run. However, we show that disparity in time scales of microscopic events, which is ubiquitous in real systems, introduces drastic statistical noise into derivative estimates for parameters affecting the fast events. In this work, the steady-state likelihood ratio sensitivity analysis is extended to singularly perturbed systems by invoking partial equilibration for fast reactions, that is, by working on the fast and slow manifolds of the chemistry. Derivatives on each time scale are computed independently and combined to the desired sensitivity coefficients to considerably reduce the noise in derivative estimates for stiff systems. The approach is demonstrated in an analytically solvable linear system.
Thermally-actuated cantilever beam for achieving large in-plane mechanical deflections

Abstract The design, finite-element analysis, and experimental performance evaluation of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) device known as a thermally-actuated beam is presented. A MEMS polysilicon thermally-actuated beam is a device that uses resistive (Joule) heating to generate thermal expansion and movement. To be a useful MEMS device, a thermally-actuated beam needs to produce incremental in-plane mechanical beam tip deflections that span 0–10 μm, while generating force magnitudes on the order of 10 μN. The thermally-actuated beam design was accomplished with the L-Edit software program, and the devices were fabricated using the Multi-User Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Process (MUMPs) foundry at the Microelectronics Center of North Carolina (MCNC). Finite-element modeling analysis was accomplished with the IntelliCAD computer program. This CAD software incorporates an MCNC fabrication process description file that generates a 3-D solid model of the thermal beam. The resulting thermo- and electro-mechanical finite-element analyses predicted beam tip deflections and forces consistent with experimental observations. For example, when the drive voltage was varied between 0 and 6.5 V DC (corresponding to currents spanning 0–4.5 mA), tip deflections on the order of 0–13 μm were observed and calculated. When the ‘hot’ arm's temperature was modeled to be 200°C (Joule heating), the resulting beam tip deflection was calculated to be 4.55 μm. The resonant frequency associated with in-plane motion, without damping, was calculated to be 75.16 kHz. The average resonant frequency measured in ambient air was 69.73 kHz. The average tip force generated by the thermal beam was measured to be 8.5 μN. A relative measure of the reliability of the thermal beam was established to be greater than 3 million cycles when continuously operated with a 30 Hz, 3-volt amplitude square wave with a 1.5-V DC offset.
Ganglioside GM2-Tetraspanin CD82 Complex Inhibits Met and Its Cross-talk with Integrins, Providing a Basis for Control of Cell Motility through Glycosynapse

Glycosphingolipids (GSLs) at the cell surface membrane are associated or complexed with signal transducers (Src family kinases and small G-proteins), tetraspanins, growth factor receptors, and integrins. Such organizational framework, defining GSL-modulated or -dependent cell adhesion, motility, and growth, is termed "glycosynapse" (Hakomori, S., and Handa, K. (2002) FEBS Lett. 531, 88-92; Hakomori, S. (2004) Ann. Braz. Acad. Sci. 76, 553-572). We describe here the functional organization of the glycosynaptic microdomain, and the mechanisms for control of cell motility and invasiveness, in normal bladder epithelial HCV29 cells versus highly invasive bladder cancer YTS1 cells, both derived from transitional epithelia. (i) Ganglioside GM2, but not GM3 or globoside, interacted specifically with tetraspanin CD82, and such a complex inhibited hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-induced activation of Met tyrosine kinase in a dose-dependent manner. (ii) Depletion of GM2 in HCV29 cells by treatment with D-threo-1-phenyl-2-palmitoylamino-3-pyrrolidino-1-propanol (P4), or reduction of CD82 expression by RNA interference, significantly enhanced HGF-induced Met tyrosine kinase and cell motility. (iii) In contrast, YTS1 cells, lacking CD82, displayed HGF-independent activation of Met tyrosine kinase and high cell motility. Transfection of the CD82 gene to YTS1 inhibited HGF dose-dependent Met tyrosine kinase activity and cell motility, due to formation of the GM2-CD82 complex. (iv) Adhesion of YTS1 or YTS1/CD82 cells to laminin-5-coated plates, as compared with noncoated plates, strongly enhanced Met activation, and the degree of activation was further increased in association with GSL depletion by P4. Laminin-5-dependent Met activation was minimal in HCV29 cells. These findings indicate that GSL, particularly GM2, forms a complex with CD82, and that such complex interacts with Met and thereby inhibits HGF-induced Met tyrosine kinase activity, as well as integrin to Met cross-talk.
The Legend of the Bush Gang: Imperialism, War, and Propaganda

This article explores the dialectical relationship between the Bush administration’s domestic policies and its deranged “war on terrorism,” which is being waged on a number of different fronts, for example, Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, and the United States. The authors argue that the Bush gang is using the external “international crisis” to override the remnants of U.S. bourgeois democracy in order to reestablish conditions of profitability. Perhaps not surprisingly, at least from a Marxist perspective, the supporting repressive (e.g., the Department of Homeland Security’s secret police) and ideological state apparatuses (e.g., schools and the corporate media) have played a profound role in building support for the Bush gang’s totalizing ambitions.
Noise Source Localization On a Small Wind Turbine Using a Compact Microphone Array with Advanced Beamforming Algorithms: Part I-A Study of Aerodynamic Noise from Blades

Small wind turbines, which are increasingly being used near residential areas, sound louder than their larger counter parts due to their close proximity to dwellings. Previous noise measurements on small scale wind turbines were performed using single microphones which only provide an overall estimate of the total noise emitted from the wind turbine. For wind turbine manufacturers trying to address the issue of noise reduction through design, the knowledge of the dominant noise source location and source mechanisms is important. This information can be obtained using a microphone array and sophisticated beamforming algorithms. In this paper we use a compact microphone array to locate and quantify noise sources on a small (8 kW) Viryd 8000 wind turbine. The results from the microphone array show that we are able to successfully locate and separate both mechanical and aerodynamic noise on the wind turbine using advanced deconvolution algorithms such as TIDY, CLEAN based on Source Coherence (CLEAN-SC), and D...
The effect of androgen deprivation on malignant and benign prostate tissue

The purpose of this research was to describe the changes in marker expression and histologic morphology following androgen deprivation in malignant and benign human prostates. Fourteen patients receiving pre-radical prostatectomy total androgen deprivation had pre- and post-androgen deprivation evaluation of marker expression and histologic morphology (both malignant and benign). Marker expression was significantly reduced for serum (p < 0.0001) and tissue (p < 0.004) PSA as well as bcl-2 expression (p < 0.008). There were significant histologic increases in vacuolization (p < 0.001), pyknosis (p < 0.04), fibrosis (p < 0.01) and lymphocytic infiltration (p < 0.008) in the malignant tissue. There were significant increases in squamous metaplasia (p < 0.0002), fibrosis (p < 0.0005), basal cell hypertrophy (p < 0.0005) and lymphocytic infiltration (p < 0.0002) in the benign tissue. Androgen deprivation therapy produces significant changes in marker expression and morphology in prostate specimens. At times these iatrogenic changes can be confusing. Clinicians and pathologists must be aware of these changes.
Dexamethasone Increases Pigment Epithelium-Derived Factor in Perfused Human Eyes

Purpose: To investigate the effects of dexamethasone (DEX) on pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) cDNA and secreted protein in human trabecular meshwork (TM). Methods: Anterior segment organ cultures were perfused with 0.1 μ M DEX (OD) and vehicle (OS). Primary human TM cells (HTM) were treated with DEX under similar conditions. PEDF mRNA and secreted PEDF protein were quantitated by RT-PCR and Western blot. Results: PEDF mRNA and secreted PEDF protein levels were significantly higher in DEX over vehicle-treated cultures. In contrast, DEX decreased the activity of a 92-kDa gelatinolytic zymogen in organ culture effluents. Conclusion: DEX action in the human TM might include a PEDF-mediating pathway.
Using agency data for evidence-based programming: A university–agency collaboration

Agencies providing residential treatment are encouraged, or even mandated, to collect outcomes data and to implement evidence based practices, yet little guidance has been provided on how to do so using agency administrative data that are collected on an ongoing basis. We examined data on Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS) scores for 1608 admissions to a residential treatment center from 2002 through 2008. CAFAS scores were measured every 90 days, providing multiple CAFAS scores for each individual. Results demonstrated that on average residents improved in functioning over time. Sensitive to the evolving needs of residents who had been entering the program, the treatment center made significant program changes in 2006 to attempt to better serve residents through a broad array of specialized programming. Compared to the overall results, the analysis suggested that residents who entered the program since October 2006 appeared to have made larger improvements in their CAFAS scores. Results were derived by employing multilevel models appropriate for estimating growth trajectories with repeated measures data. Conversations with agency staff suggested that using administrative data, and advanced statistical models, were extremely helpful for organizational decision making and evidence-based programming.
Investigation of the instrument response of a vidicon-based low-energy electron diffraction system

Abstract The instrument response function of a LEED system using a phosphor screen and vidicon camera has been determined and limiting factors identified. Examples of the application of the system to LEED beam angular profiles and constant momentum transfer averaging of J versus E profiles are given.
The Conservative Revolution: The Movement that Remade America

How did conservatism, so irrelevant in 1946 that no major politician would dare call himself a conservative, come to dominate American politics by the 1990s? That is the question at the heart of this splendid narrative history by a Senior Fellow at the influential Heritage Foundation.In analyzing the events, ideas, and personalities that have shaped our age, Lee Edwards shows that the modern conservative era grew out of the words and deeds of many heroes, particularly the men he calls the Four Misters -- Robert Taft (Mister Republican), Barry Goldwater (Mister Conservative), Ronald Reagan (Mister President), and Newt Gingrich (Mister Speaker). Edwards examines the careers of these four larger-than-life leaders who put their stamp on conservative politics and transformed the conservative movement into a political majority. In the tradition of Paul Johnson's A History of the American People, The Conservative Revolution is certain to become the definitive work on a political force that has shaped our nation in this century and will continue to be a major influence in the century just ahead.