cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diver: precise dynamic impact analysis using dependence-based trace pruning

Impact analysis determines the effects that the behavior of program entities, or changes to them, can have on the rest of the system. Dynamic impact analysis is one practical form that computes smaller impact sets than static alternatives for concrete sets of executions. However, existing dynamic approaches can still produce impact sets that are too large to be useful. To address this problem, we present a novel dynamic impact analysis called DIVER that exploits static dependencies to identify runtime impacts much more precisely without reducing safety and at acceptable costs. Our preliminary empirical evaluation shows that DIVER can significantly increase the precision of dynamic impact analysis.
Imaging of Colonic Diverticular Disease

Diverticular disease affects approximately two thirds of the population over the age of 70. While only a small fraction of these patients will develop diverticulitis, adequate radiological evaluation of diverticulitis and its complications is imperative in determining proper medical and surgical treatment. Clinical examination and laboratory tests alone have been found to be inaccurate in defining many aspects of the disease in up to 60% of cases. Over the past 30 years, contrast enema, computed tomography, and ultrasound have all been used extensively to diagnose the complications of diverticular disease. More recently, magnetic resonance imaging has been studied in patients with complicated diverticulitis. This article reviews the use of these different radiological modalities in diagnosing acute colonic diverticulitis and its complications.
Consonant deletion, obligatory synharmony, typical suffixing: An explanation of spelling practices in Mayan writing

The Pre-Columbian Mayan hieroglyphic script utilized logograms, representing CVC roots or CVCVC stems, and CV syllabograms. Starting with Knorozov’s (1952 etc.) initial breakthroughs in applying a Mayan linguistic model to account for the script’s spelling practices, most scholars have assumed that ‘synharmonic’ spellings of roots or stems, those in which the final consonant is ‘complemented’ by means of a CV syllabogram whose vowel is identical in quality to that of the root (e.g. C1V1C2 — C2(V1)), exhibited a linguistically ‘fictitious’ (or silent) vowel; such synharmonic spellings were commonly assumed to be default. Efforts were then aimed at determining the motivation of spellings in which the final syllabogram is instead ‘disharmonic’ (e.g. C1V1C2 — C2(V2)). Recently, it has been proposed that the vowels of disharmonic spellings were utilized as diacritics applied to the vowels of the preceding syllables in order to convey that such vowels were complex, while maintaining, generally, that synharmonic spellings were default. The present paper offers a thorough review of these proposals and gives arguments against their persuasiveness, abiding instead by four phonological contexts that call for the insertion of fictitious synharmonic vowels, supplemented by morphological conditioning and consonant deletion that account for additional cases of synharmonic spellings, and the vast majority of disharmonic spellings. These principles allow for a major refinement of the definition of ‘conventionalized’ and ‘default’ spellings, a new avenue for determining the nature of ‘pseudologographic’ or ‘morphosyllabic’ signs based on common syllabograms, and a new cognitive framework for addressing the question of the nature of logograms and syllabograms, as well as the origin and development of Mayan spelling practices.
Brief Report: Bone Fractures in Children and Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders

Peripubertal boys with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have lower bone mineral density (BMD) than typically developing controls. However, it is not clear whether lower BMD in ASD results in an increased fracture rate. This study examined the rate of fractures in children and adults with and without ASD using a national database of emergency room visits (Nationwide Emergency Department Sample). A higher odds ratio for hip fractures in children and young adults (3–22 years) as well as older adults (23–50 years) with ASD than those without ASD, and a higher odds ratio for forearm and spine fractures in women ages 23–50 with ASD were found. Further studies are necessary to better understand the decreased bone density in ASD and its implications for fracture development.
Autologous non-myeloablative hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in patients with systemic sclerosis

Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) utilizing a myeloablative regimen containing total body irradiation has been performed in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc), but with substantial toxicity. We, therefore, conducted a phase I non-myeloablative autologous HSCT study in 10 patients with SSc and poor prognostic features. PBSC were mobilized with CY and G-CSF. The PBSC graft was cryopreserved without manipulation and re-infused after the patient was treated with a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen of 200 mg/kg CY and 7.5 mg/kg rabbit antithymocyte globulin. There was a statistically significant improvement of modified Rodnan skin score whereas cardiac (ejection fraction, pulmonary arterial pressure), pulmonary function (DLCO) and renal function (creatinine) remained stable without significant change. One patient with advanced disease died 2 years after the transplant from progressive disease. After median follow-up of 25.5 months, the overall and progression-free survival rates are 90 and 70% respectively. Autologous HSCT utilizing a non-myeloablative conditioning regimen appears to result in improved skin flexibility similar to a myeloablative TBI containing regimen, but without the toxicity and risks associated with TBI.
Viscous stabilization of discontinuous Galerkin solutions of hyperbolic conservation laws

We use an artificial viscosity term to stabilize discontinuous Galerkin solutions of hyperbolic conservation laws in the presence of discontinuities. Viscous coefficients are selected to minimize spurious oscillations when a kinematic wave equation is subjected to piecewise constant initial data. The same strategy is used with a local linearization in more complex situations. Several one and two-dimensional flow problems illustrate performance. A shock detection scheme [L. Krivodonova, J. Xin, J.-F. Remacle, N. Chevaugeon, J.E. Flaherty, Shock detection and limiting with discontinuous Galerkin methods for hyperbolic conservation laws, Appl. Numer. Math. 48 (2004) 323-338] further sharpens results near discontinuities.
The quadrate mind

Abstract Educational curriculum and policy depend on one's conception of the intrinsic nature of the child's mind and the effects of experience on its growth and development. A new view of the mental structure of the child and a new theory of mental development are proposed. Its architecture requires that we revamp some of the technology and much of the philosophy of education. These ideas taken all together are referred to as the quadrate mind, because they construe the structure of intellect to be divided into four (more or less) independent components: talking, drawing, planning, and valuing. Preliminary data to support the theory are reported, and suggestions about how to operationalize it further are discussed.
Effects of Reservoir Drawdown on Resuspension of Deltaic Sediments in Lake Powell

ABSTRACT Due to prolonged drought conditions in the Upper Colorado River Basin, Lake Powell's water surface elevation declined steadily from 1988 to an early 1993 level approximately 27 m below the full pool level of 1130 m above MSL, resulting in a 60% reduction in reservoir storage. Associated with this drawdown was the exposure and resuspension of over 100 channel kilometers of deltaic deposits in the combined major tributary arms of the reservoir. This resuspension process maybe a significant source of nutrient and trace element loading to the reservoir due to the release of substances associated with these sediments. This may have implications to productivity processes and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the aquatic ecosystem. In this study, 11 sites on the Colorado River and 3 sites in Dark Canyon, a small tributary in the inflow area of Lake Powell, were sampled for sediment concentration and size fractionation, nutrient concentrations, and total and dissolved trace element concentrations. Resul...
A new binder for powder injection molding titanium and other reactive metals

Abstract This paper describes the development of a new aromatic-based binder for powder injection molding (PIM) reactive metals, such as titanium, zirconium, niobium, tungsten, and molybdenum. Detailed processing results are discussed for titanium alloy (Ti-6,4) compacts fabricated using the new binder system. Because of the choice of the binder constituents, thermal removal is readily accomplished at low temperatures and short times via vacuum sublimation. In this way the binder can be cleanly extracted from the green part prior to sintering to minimize the amount of residual carbon left in the final component. Rheological measurements indicate that powder loadings in the PIM feedstock as high as 67 vol.% could be achieved using the new binder system, while still maintaining low mixing torques and injection molding pressures. Results from chemical analyses conducted on the Ti-6,4 powder before injection molding and the Ti-6,4 compacts after final sintering demonstrate no significant increase in carbon content due to processing. The raw powder contained 210 ppm carbon, while the as-sintered, PIM formed compacts exhibited 217 ppm carbon content.
Molecular Recognition of Immunophilins and Immunophilin-Ligand Complexes

Abstract Immunophilin-ligand complexes have been used to identify a previously unknown step in Ca2+-dependent signal transduction pathways. This Report, which we dedicate to Professor Harry H. Wasserman, describes structural and mechanistic aspects of immunophilin research.
High-energy electron-pair photoproduction from nuclei: Comparison with theory

Total cross sections for electron-positron pair production by photons have been measured in the energy range 1--10 GeV from nuclei ranging from hydrogen to uranium. The results agree, with a precision of about 2% over the full range, with calculations of Tsai.
Incidence Rates and Risk Factors for Ocular Complications and Vision Loss in HLA-B27-Associated Uveitis

Purpose To calculate the incidence rates of ocular complications and vision loss in HLA-B27-associated uveitis and to explore the effect of chronic inflammation on clinical outcomes. Design Retrospective longitudinal cohort study. Methods The clinical records of 99 patients (148 uveitis-affected eyes) with HLA-B27-associated uveitis seen at a tertiary care center were included. The main outcome measures were ocular complications (posterior iris synechiae, band keratopathy, posterior subcapsular [PSC] cataracts, ocular hypertension, hypotony, cystoid macular edema, and epiretinal membrane) and vision loss. Anterior chamber inflammation was defined as ≥1+ grade inflammation. Chronic uveitis was defined as persistent inflammation with relapse in 3 months after reviewing the patient's entire clinical course. Results The clinical course was most commonly acute/recurrent (75%) or chronic (20%). The most common complications to develop during follow-up were ocular hypertension (0.10/eye-year) and PSC cataracts (0.09/eye-year). In multivariate analysis, the presence of posterior synechiae at presentation, inflammation, corticosteroid-sparing therapy, corticosteroid injections, chronic disease, and male gender were associated with a statistically significant increased risk of developing vision loss (20/50 or worse). Chronic disease course was associated with a 7-fold increased risk of visual impairment (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.8, P P P = .04 and HR=3.3, P = .01, respectively). Conclusions Poorly controlled inflammation was associated with the development of ocular complications including vision loss. Patients with chronic inflammation were also at greater risk of complications.
Effects of passivation on breakdown voltage and leakage current of normally-off InAlN/GaN MISHFETs?a simulation study

Effects of passivation on breakdown characteristics of normally-off InAlN/GaN MISHFETs have been investigated via physics based simulations. The product of passivation layer permittivity and thickness is found to dramatically affect breakdown voltage, due to alleviation of peak electric field at the gate edge on the drain side, leading to a much smoother field distribution in the channel. A proposed structure with a 985 nm TiO2 top and 15 nm HfO2 bottom passivation stack exhibits a breakdown at ~750 V with leakage current ~4 μA mm−1, showing ~15× increase in breakdown voltage compared to the structure without the TiO2 top layer (50 V).
Does an oral appliance reduce palatal flutter and tongue base snoring

Objectives Oral appliances are designed to treat snoring and sleep apnea by advancing the mandible and tongue. We test the hypothesis that an oral appliance affects palatal snoring as well as tongue base obstruction. Methods Prospective observational cohort study. Sixty patients with a chief complaint of snoring with or without apnea were enrolled. Each patient underwent a home sleep test followed by 3 weeks sleeping with an oral appliance. Each patient then underwent a repeat home sleep test while using the device. Results There was a statistically significant improvement in the snores per hour (P = 0.0005), the maximum snoring loudness (P = 0.0001), average snoring loudness (P = 0.00001), and the percentage of palatal snoring (P = 0.0007). There was also a significant decrease in oxygen desaturation events (P = 0.003). Conclusions This study suggests oral appliances may be effective treatment for both palatal and tongue base snoring.
The effects of restaurant quality attributes on customer behavioral intentions

Purpose – The purpose of this paper was to investigate the relationships between restaurant quality attributes and customer behavioral intentions. Design/methodology/approach – An experimental design was chosen to provide a high level of internal validity. Three separate 3 × 2 factorial design experiments were conducted through 18 separate vignette scenarios for three levels of quality (below average, average and above average) of three common restaurant attributes (food, service and ambience) in two types of restaurants (quick service and upscale). Findings – The results indicated that the type of restaurant moderated the relationship between restaurant service and ambience quality and customer behavioral intentions. Practical implications – The results of this study suggest that management of quick-service and upscale restaurants should focus on food quality, but establish different resource allocation priorities with respect to service and ambience quality. Originality/value – This study examined the l...
Effects of short-chain fatty acids on human rectosigmoid mucosal colonocyte brush-border enzymes

Short-chain fatty acids produced by bacterial fermentation of dietary fiber may provide a tonic stimulus to colonocyte differentiation that contributes to the protective effect of fiber against colorectal malignancy. Since brush-border enzymes are common markers of colonocytic differentiation, we compared the effects of equimolar (10 mmol/L) concentrations of the three most common short-chain fatty acids, acetate, butyrate, and propionate, on the alkaline phosphatase and dipeptidyl dipeptidase specific activity of human colonic mucosal biopsies obtained from normal volunteers. Only butyrate significantly stimulated alkaline phosphatase specific activity (50.4% ± 18.6%, P < .05). Short-chain fatty acid stimulation of dipeptidyl dipeptidase did not achieve statistical significance. Fibers yielding high colonic butyrate levels could have different effects on human colonic mucosal differentiation.
Regulation of chorion laeve prostaglandin E2 production by epidermal growth factor, protein kinase C activation and calcium

Abstract The effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF), phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMM), A23187, and ionomycin on prostaglandin production by chorion laeve cells in culture for 3 days and 10 days were tested. Experiments were conducted at day 3 because at this time the cultures became confluent and again at day 10 because changes have been observed in the biochemical properties of these cells with time in culture. At 3 days of culture the cells did not respond to EGF but at 10 days EGF (10 ng/ml) induced a significant increase in prostaglandin E2 production. PMIA (10 −9 to 10 −6 M) induced a significant increase in PGEZ production at both times in culture. The calcium ionophores, A23187 and ionomycin, were less effective in eliciting a response at either time in culture. Only A23187 (1μM) induced a significant increase in PGE 2 production at day 10 of culture. These data suggest that the presence of functional EGF receptors may increase with time in culture. Furthermore, activation of the protein kinase C pathway in the chorion laeve stimulates prostaglandin biosynthesis. On the other hand, chorion laeve cell prostaglandin biosynthesis is not responsive to increases in intracellular calcium induced by mobile ion carriers such as the ionophores used in this study.
Performance of the ArF scanning exposure tool

The 193nm lithography is needed for manufacturing devices of finer than 180nm feature size rule. The each key technology in regard to 193nm wavelength, the light source, glass material, photo resist, mask, and so on, has been investigated until now. For ArF exposure too, the major concerns of 193nm wavelength are the projection unit and the illumination unit. The glass materials have been tested the quality and durability for exposure tools' life. Using enough good materials, the first solution of full field ArF projection lens was accomplished by all refractive type, and its performance was confirmed.
Three-dimensional modeling of explosive desensitization by preshocking by

Abstract The reactive three-dimensional hydrodynamic Code 3DE has been used to investigate the reactive hydrodynamics of desensitization of heterogeneous explosives by shocks too weak to initiate propagating detonation in the geometries studied. The preshock desensitizes the heterogeneous explosive by closing the voids and making it more homogeneous. A higher pressure second shock has a lower temperature in the multiple shocked explosive than in single shocked explosive. The multiple shock temperature may be low enough to cause a detonation wave to fail to propagate through the preshocked explosive.
Health Care Educator Training in Simulation: A Survey and Web Site Development

Abstract Background Simulation is becoming ubiquitous in nursing education, but many educators do not have the necessary training to use simulation effectively. Methods This article describes a collaborative process by which our training initiative gathered data on regional training needs of health care educators and designed in-person and online educational resources to improve education for nurses and other health professions. Results Our online survey showed that only 23% of the 66 respondents had used simulation in teaching. The training topics rated most helpful were teaching interprofessional communication, leading a postsimulation debriefing, and integrating simulation into course curricula. Based on this survey, we developed and publicly disseminated four basic and three advanced online simulation courses that can be taken by educators of nursing and other health professionals at no cost. Conclusions Funds for faculty development in simulation are generally scarce. The InCITE simulation online courses provide no-cost basic and reliable education in the use of simulation.
BCSQ: Bin-based Core Stateless Queueing for Scalable Support of Guaranteed Services

Core stateless packet scheduling systems have received considerable attention in recent years because of their scalability in supporting per-flow Quality of Services guarantees. In such a system core routers do not need to maintain per-flow state and do not need to perform per-flow operations such as per-flow classification, per-flow queueing, and per-flow scheduling. On the other hand, existing core stateless packet schedulers require core routers to sort incoming packets based on their virtual finish times. This sorting operation results in the worst-case runtime complexity of O(log2 N), where N is the number of packets in a scheduler. In this paper we propose a bin-based core stateless queueing (BCSQ) algorithm, which achieves constant runtime complexity that is independent of the number of packets in the scheduler. We present the detailed design of BCSQ and derive the worst-case end-to-end delay bounds for packets in a network of BCSQ. In addition, we investigate the effects of the configurable parameters of BCSQ on the performance of BCSQ networks. Simulation studies are also performed to illustrate the efficacy and performance of BCSQ.
Effect of Film Irregularities on Sunscreen Efficacy

The effect of distortion of a uniform film on its opacity has been calculated for a simple step film model. Nonuniform distribution of sunscreen films on skin and of the absorber within the film would account for large discrepancies between naively predicted efficacy and that observed clinically.
Decoding apparatus for eukaryotic selenocysteine insertion

Decoding UGA as selenocysteine requires a unique tRNA, a specialized elongation factor, and specific secondary structures in the mRNA, termed SECIS elements. Eukaryotic SECIS elements are found in the 3′ untranslated region of selenoprotein mRNAs while those in prokaryotes occur immediately downstream of UGA. Consequently, a single eukaryotic SECIS element can serve multiple UGA codons, whereas prokaryotic SECIS elements only function for the adjacent UGA, suggesting distinct mechanisms for recoding in the two kingdoms. We have identified and characterized the first eukaryotic selenocysteyl-tRNA-specific elongation factor. This factor forms a complex with mammalian SECIS binding protein 2, and these two components function together in selenocysteine incorporation in mammalian cells. Expression of the two functional domains of the bacterial elongation factor–SECIS binding protein as two separate proteins in eukaryotes suggests a mechanism for rapid exchange of charged for uncharged selenocysteyl-tRNA–elongation factor complex, allowing a single SECIS element to serve multiple UGA codons.
Dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene in microreactors

Microreactors consisting of channels etched into silicon are used to dehydrogenate cyclohexane to benzene. These reactors are fabricated by wet etching into silicon. The reactors contain a system of 10 channels 10 micrometers deep, 500 micrometers wide, and 50 mm long. The surface of the channels is sputtered with platinum to catalyze the gas-solid heterogeneous reaction. This endothermic reaction is heated and kept isothermal at 200 degree(s)C. The level of conversion is linked to the details of the geometry, pressure, and fluid flow regime. Experiments and simulations show that conversion is higher in the Knudsen regime due to a higher level of molecule-wall collisions.© (1999) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A Vision for the Future Opportunities and Challenges: Notes From the Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

It is a pleasure and a privilege to address the readership of Circulation in my new capacity as Director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Our Institute has a long and distinguished record of scientific progress in cardiovascular, lung, and blood diseases and sleep disorders, and the present transition affords an opportunity for reflection and critical assessment of our future directions. In this first edition of what I hope will be many “Notes From the Director,” I want to share my vision for the Institute. This vision is based on a fundamental set of values—excellence, innovation, integrity, respect, and compassion—that will permeate all activities of the NHLBI. I believe that scientific discovery provides the basis for progress and that the NHLBI is uniquely positioned to catalyze changes that must be made to transform our new scientific knowledge into tangible improvements in health. Within this framework, let me outline some priorities for the coming years—priorities that will, of course, undergo reevaluation and reformulation as we seek the input of our grantees, constituents, and advisors. Basic research provides the foundation of the NHLBI portfolio and has been one of its great strengths. The typical model of investigation—research conducted by single investigators or small groups of investigators on projects of their own inspiration—accounts for most of the unanticipated and major scientific discoveries in this country. I believe strongly that we must protect and nurture investigator-initiated research. The NHLBI will continue to invest in the most talented scientists conducting the highest-caliber research. In addition to renewed support of investigator-initiated research, the NHLBI must exert national leadership in capturing research opportunities, taking risks, and developing an innovative and distinctive research portfolio that is science driven. We intend to make the most of exciting and unprecedented opportunities to support emerging scientific fields. One …
Advanced millimeter-wave InP HEMT MMICs

InP-based high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) developed have exhibited state-of-the-art low noise and power performance well up to W-band frequencies. High performance V- and W-band monolithic amplifiers based on these devices have also been developed. A full W-band InP three-stage monolithic microwave integrated circuit (MMIC) amplifier yields a measured noise matching and bias decoupling networks. A thorough design and analysis procedure was incorporated, including accurate characterization of the devices and circuit elements at W-band frequencies. The first pass success of these full band MMIC amplifiers indicates the importance of accurate device characterization and thorough circuit designs in millimeter wave monolithic IC development. >
Dual control of linear stochastic systems with unknown parameters

Closed-loop control of linear stochastic control systems with unknown parameters is studied using a dual-control approach. At each state, the cost functional associated with the system objective is decomposed into a certainty equivalence cost and a dual cost. The dual cost is appropriately expressed in terms of filter variables in algebraic form, and it appears to be a sum of dual costs of each future state. It is shown that the dual cost at the next immediate stage dominates the future uncertainties, and the resulting optimal control problem is solved in closed form using this property. >
ELFS: object-oriented extensible file systems

Summary form only given. ELFS (an ExtensibLe File System), (1) provides high bandwidth and low latency I/O to applications programs on high performance architectures, (2) reduces the cognitive burden faced by applications programmers when they attempt to optimize their I/O operations to fit existing file system models, and (3) seamlessly manages the proliferation of data formats and architectural differences. The ELFS solution consists of language and run-time system support that permits the specification of a hierarchy of file classes. >
In vitro evaluation of broad-spectrum β-lactams in the Philippines medical centers: role of fourth-generation cephalosporins

Cefepime is a potent broad-spectrum "fourth-generation" cephalosporin. The in vitro activity of cefepime was compared to that of cefpirome, ceftazidime, ceftriaxone, imipenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam in a multilaboratory (nine medical centers) Philippine surveillance project from March through October 1998. A total of 626 Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms (10 species groups) were tested by the Etest method (AB BIODISK, Solna, Sweden) with results validated by current quality control strain analysis. The overall rank order of usable spectrum of activity was imipenem (4.2% resistance), cefepime (4.5%), cefpirome (5.0%), piperacillin/tazobactam (5.8%) > ceftriaxone (11.2%) > ceftazidime (15.3%), and results did not differ significantly between medical centers. Ceftazidime-resistant Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. occurred at rates of 13.3% and 31.1%, respectively, indicating extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) activity. Imipenem (100% susceptible), cefepime, and cefpirome (both > or = 97.8% susceptible) were active in vitro against these ESBL phenotypes. Organisms with ceftazidime and/or ceftriaxone-resistant profiles consistent for hyper-production of Amp C cephalosporinases were detected at high rates among the Citrobacter spp. (29.2%) and Enterobacter spp. (45.8%); however, imipenem (100.0% susceptible) and cefepime (98.9%) remained active. Cefepime and imipenem (both 87.5% susceptible) were the most active agents tested against Acinetobacter spp. whereas piperacillin/tazobactam was most effective against P. aeruginosa (80.0% susceptible). Most tested beta-lactams (except ceftazidime) were active versus oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci. These data should be used as a guide for treatment selection with beta-lactam compounds in the Philippines and to serve as a resistance benchmark in comparisons with future studies in this nation.
The design of high-speed low-power digital circuits

Digital integrated circuits have been built which exhibit sub-nanosecond signal propagation delay times at 5 mW power dissipation, thus yielding a power-delay product figure of merit which is an order of magnitude lower than existing high-speed integrated circuits. Computer-aided device and circuit analysis (both D.C. and transient) was utilized to optimize the design of the circuits. The transistor equivalent-circuit models were tailored to the operating conditions of the digital circuits; however, within that operating range, all pertinent non-linearities in model parameters such as transistor base-spreading resistance and cut-off frequency, circuit resistor vahLes and signal swing were investigated, in order to gain insight into device and circuit operation.
A comparative study of bearing designs and operational environments for harmonic side-drive micromotors

The development of flange bearing harmonic side-drive (wobble) micromotors and the results from a comparative study of the operation of flange and center-pin bearing micromotors in different gaseous environments are discussed. The flange and center-pin wobble polysilicon micromotors have been operated with excitations as low as 30 V across 1.5- mu m rotor/stator gaps. Since the flange in the flange bearing design is located at a smaller radius than the bushing in the center-pin bearing design, changes in the frictional parameters of the flange/bushing contact affect the performance of flange bearing micromotors less than that of center-pin bearing micromotors. As a result, flange bearing wobble micromotors show superior performance in gaseous environments over their center-pin counterparts. They can be operated in room air for longer periods and are not significantly affected by the operating environment or by extended storage between operations. The coefficient of friction for polysilicon is observed to change with the operational environment. >
SOFTScale: stealing opportunistically for transient scaling

Dynamic capacity provisioning is a well studied approach to handling gradual changes in data center load. However, abrupt spikes in load are still problematic in that the work in the system rises very quickly during the setup time needed to turn on additional capacity. Performance can be severely affected even if it takes only 5 seconds to bring additional capacity online. In this paper, we propose SOFTScale, an approach to handling load spikes in multi-tier data centers without having to over-provision resources. SOFTScale works by opportunistically stealing resources from other tiers to alleviate the bottleneck tier, even when the tiers are carefully provisioned at capacity. SOFTScale is especially useful during the transient overload periods when additional capacity is being brought online. Via implementation on a 28-server multi-tier testbed, we investigate a range of possible load spikes, including an artificial doubling or tripling of load, as well as large spikes in real traces. We find that SOFTScale can meet our stringent 95th percentile response time Service Level Agreement goal of 500ms without using any additional resources even under some extreme load spikes that would normally cause the system (without SOFTScale) to exhibit response times as high as 96 seconds.
Is the Replicability Crisis Overblown? Three Arguments Examined:

We discuss three arguments voiced by scientists who view the current outpouring of concern about replicability as overblown. The first idea is that the adoption of a low alpha level (e.g., 5%) puts reasonable bounds on the rate at which errors can enter the published literature, making false-positive effects rare enough to be considered a minor issue. This, we point out, rests on statistical misunderstanding: The alpha level imposes no limit on the rate at which errors may arise in the literature (Ioannidis, 2005b). Second, some argue that whereas direct replication attempts are uncommon, conceptual replication attempts are common—providing an even better test of the validity of a phenomenon. We contend that performing conceptual rather than direct replication attempts interacts insidiously with publication bias, opening the door to literatures that appear to confirm the reality of phenomena that in fact do not exist. Finally, we discuss the argument that errors will eventually be pruned out of the literature if the field would just show a bit of patience. We contend that there are no plausible concrete scenarios to back up such forecasts and that what is needed is not patience, but rather systematic reforms in scientific practice.
Interferons impair early transgene expression by adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in muscle cells

Recombinant adenovirus (AVR) promises to be an efficient vector in gene therapy for neuromuscular diseases, but in preclinical experiments the expression of therapeutic genes is shorter lived in immunocompetent animals than in immunocompromised hosts. Interferons (IFN), which are known to have a role both in early antiviral activity and in late cytotoxic immunoreaction against the virus or transduced cells, may influence the efficiency of gene transfer. In this study we investigated the role of IFNs in determining the efficiency of gene transfer by AVR. AVRs expressing β-galactosidase (β-gal) from either a cytomegalovirus (CMV) or a troponin-I promoter were used. Muscle cells were infected by AVR after exposure to various IFNs. The αIFN treatment significantly reduced (up to fivefold) the CMV promoter-driven gene expression in muscle cells in vitro and in immature muscles in vivo, while the least effective inhibitor was βIFN. The decrease in gene expression by IFNs was more pronounced with the CMV-driven transgene than troponin-I promoter-driven one and was due to a decrease in transcript level. Intrinsic IFNs that are triggered by AVR administration can decrease the efficiency of gene transfer in muscle cells. Therefore the use of muscle specific promoters in AVR and/or IFN inhibitory agents will likely improve the prospects of effective gene therapy by AVR.
Object Permanence Development in Infants with Motor Handicaps

This study was an investigation of the effects of a motor handicap on the development of object permanence in the young child. Motor abilities were evaluated for 12 infants aged 13 to 29 months. Based on this evaluation, the children were described as manipulators or nonmanipulators in reference to their upper extremity skills. Their stage of object permanence was assessed using traditional and nontraditional assessments. Heart rate and visual tracking were recorded during the nontraditional assessment. Heart rate did not significantly relate to visual fixation or search response. There was, however, a significant difference ( p < .02) between stage achievement with traditional testing and age-appropriate levels. There was no significant difference between the nontraditional assessment and the age-appropriate levels. In addition, there was no significant difference in the development of object permanence between infants described as manipulators and those described as nonmanipulators. The last two findings suggest that infants with motor handicaps may develop object permanence at the expected ages, according to a nontraditional assessment.
Early Soviet property law in comparison with Western legal traditions

This chapter is an attempt to put early Soviet property rights theory into conversation with property rights theories in various Western legal traditions, and to bracket that discussion within more foundational critiques of legal formalism. This is important not just because of the endurance of various socialist property regimes to this day, but also because unlocking shared ontological, political or ideological commitments in two nominally-opposed theoretical contexts can help us understand the actual normative stakes in these deliberations, and thus, shed light on the deeper institutional contours of property reforms by identifying previously overlooked actors, interests, and pathways of governance. The chapter starts with a heuristic mapping of several theoretical moorings for property rights in the Western legal tradition and attempts to problematize the formalist claim that property law regimes are relatively autonomous/internally constituted. It then examines early Soviet critiques of formalism and their remarkable ‘anti-formalist formalist’ argumentative logic. Following recent research that shows the deep embeddedness of private right as a default assumption in both Soviet and Western legal thinking, the chapter lays out several intuitions regarding the ideological and political functions that are served by the recognition of formal individual property rights regimes in socialist and liberal societies, including: (1) the reification of the individual as a primordial legal actor; (2) promotion of individualism in socialist societies and collectivism in liberal societies as an affective dimension of bipolarity; (3) instrumentalisation of private rights to occlude class conflicts or channel distributional conflicts towards particular institutional forms of dispute settlement. These themes are directly relevant to ongoing policy debates over the role of strong and clear property rights as prerequisites for economic growth not only in the context of various post-socialist ‘transitions’ but also globally.
Examining How Students With Diverse Abilities Use Diagrams to Solve Mathematics Word Problems

This study examined students’ understanding of diagrams and their use of diagrams as tools to solve mathematical word problems. Students with learning disabilities (LD), typically achieving students, and gifted students in Grades 4 through 7 (N = 95) participated. Students were presented with novel mathematical word problem-solving tasks and interviewed for their understanding of diagrams for solving problems. Scoring rubrics were designed to assess for levels of problem-solving performance, evidence of diagram use, type of diagram generated, how the diagram was used to solve problems, their definition of a diagram, and their reason for why a diagram can be used to solve problems. Results indicated that students with LD typically generated diagrams of a poorer nature and used them in a less strategic manner than their peers. Concerns regarding the impact of content knowledge on the quality of diagram generation as well as implications regarding instruction to use diagrams to understand and solve problems ...
Abstract PR02: Genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway and risk for colorectal cancer in African Americans.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths in both sexes in the United States. There is a large disparity in both CRC incidence and survival between African Americans (AAs) and all other US racial groups. Differences in serum vitamin D levels could contribute to this disparity because vitamin D is thought to protect against CRC and AAs have lower serum vitamin D levels than whites. We hypothesized that genetic variants in vitamin D-related genes are associated with CRC risk in AAs. Methods: To evaluate association with CRC risk, we genotyped 39 putatively functional single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in vitamin D-related genes (CYP27A1, GC, CYP3A4, CYP2R1, DHCR7/NADSYN1, VDR, CYP27B1 and CYP24A1, in 961 AA cases (292 right colon, 340 left colon, 113 rectal) and 838 AA controls from the North Carolina Colorectal Cancer Study and the Chicago Colorectal Cancer Consortium. We calculated odds ratios (OR) using logistic regression, assuming an additive genetic model and controlling for age, gender, and West African ancestry. We further evaluated whether the genetic polymorphisms conferred differential risk for right-sided CRC (R-CRC) and left-sided CRC (L-CRC, including rectal). Results: Nominal associations (p Conclusion: Our results indicate that several SNPs in the vitamin D pathway contribute to CRC susceptibility in AAs, with the minor allele of rs73913755 conferring increased protection against L-CRC. We hypothesize that the minor allele of rs73913755 causes a reduction in the expression levels of CYP24A1. We further hypothesize that there is a gradient of expression levels of CYP24A1 in the colon with higher levels on the left side than on the right side. The protective effect of rs73913755 would then be explained by increased levels of calcidiol in the tissue in combination with a threshold effect. Because rs73913755 is African-specific, its presence could explain in part the lower proportion of L-CRC in AAs compared to whites. Future studies include analysis of vitamin D pathway gene expression levels relative to genotype and analysis of possible gene-vitamin D level interactions in AA CRC. This abstract is also presented as Poster B72. Citation Format: Fabio Pibiri, Rick A. Kittles, Robert S. Sandler, Temitope O. Keku, Sonia S. Kupfer, Rosa Xicola, Xavier Llor, Nathan A. Ellis. Genetic variation in the vitamin D pathway and risk for colorectal cancer in African Americans. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Fifth AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities in Racial/Ethnic Minorities and the Medically Underserved; 2012 Oct 27-30; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2012;21(10 Suppl):Abstract nr PR02.
What the Eye Does Not Admire the Brain Does Not Desire: How Visual Properties of Product Packaging Affect Consumer Attention and Choice

Consumer research explains how various visual properties of marketing stimuli, such as color or shape, individually, influence consumer attention and choice. It is not clear, however, how these various properties compete and combine to grab consumer attention. We draw on insights from visual and computational neuroscience to introduce the construct of visual importance of marketing stimuli as the combination of various visual features. In addition, we demonstrate how a neuroscience-based simulation of attention can be used to measure thus defined visual importance. We conduct an eye- tracking experiment in the point-of-purchase context to show that visual importance of marketing stimuli influences consumer attention and choice systematically, consistent with the underlying algorithms of how the brain codes and uses visual information.
Motivation and Job Performance:A Comparative Study among Pharmacists

This comparative study is survey based descriptive research. The objectives of this research are to identify and differentiate the factors affecting motivation in the context of organization structure and policy and pharmacy profession and also to examine and compare impact of lack of motivation on job performance of pharmacists working in single-speciality hospitals and multi-speciality hospitals in Tirunelveli city, Tamilnadu. The study has sampled 60 pharmacists using judgement sampling technique after they were stratified into two groups; namely, pharmacists working in private multi-speciality hospitals and pharmacists working in single-speciality hospitals using stratified sampling technique. Primary data have been collected by means of selfprepared questionnaires and analyzed using mean and standard deviation. The results of the study has shown that there has been no major difference in perception of majority of the pharmacists working in both kinds of hospitals towards most of the factors affecting the motivation and impact of lack of motivation on job performance and their perception level has also been at medium level.
246 EFFECT OF EARLY HAND EXPRESSION ON MILK PRODUCTION IN PUMP-DEPENDENT MOTHERS OF PRETERM INFANTS.

The volume of milk produced by a pump-dependent mother is the strongest determinant of the duration and exclusivity of breast-feeding the very low birth weight (VLBW, 5 per day, n = 16). The mean frequency of pumping in groups I, II, and III over the first 3 days postpartum was 3.7 ± 0.8, 4.4 ± 1.7, and 5.1 ± 1.7/d, respectively, and the mean frequency over 14 days was 5.7 ± 1.0, 5.8 ± 1.3, and 6.5 ± 1.3/d, respectively. No statistical differences were found between the three groups at either time points. By week 2, group I, II, and III mothers produced a mean milk volume of 497 ± 226, 484 ± 352, and 802 ± 540 mL/d, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference in milk production by group III mothers compared with groups I and II (p ≤.04 and 5 per day) in the first 3 postpartum days, can produce larger than average volumes of breast milk by week 2. This suggests that mothers with risk factors for underproduction (eg, preterm or near-term delivery, cesarean section, separation of mother and infant) may benefit from using hand expression in conjunction with pumping or breast-feeding to reduce the likelihood of insufficient milk production, the most common reason given by mothers for early termination of breast-feeding. Supported in part by grant M01 RR-00070 from the National Center for Research Resources, National Institutes of Health, and by Medela, Inc. We thank P. Hartsell, D. Inguillo, B. Kogut, and B. Piane for their invaluable help.