cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Inviolate Person

Would government access to the mental impressions and memories of individuals be an unreasonable search or seizure? In this article I explore technology-facilitated law enforcement access to information stored within individual human minds and what barriers the Fourth Amendment may present to such invasions. I begin by reviewing the development of brain-computer interface technology and its current and probable near-future capabilities. I then explore the right protected by the Fourth Amendment, and how the reasonable expectation of privacy analysis currently favored by the Supreme Court may interact with such technology. I conclude that some particularly invasive thought access techniques are probably not a constitutional "search" under that approach. I propose that certain aspects of the property-oriented view of "[t]he right of the people to be secure in their persons" extant prior to the Supreme Court's decision in Warden v. Hayden may remain applicable when the corporeal mind is the subject of a search and seizure. I also promote the notion that the nature of the right should be grounded in the words of the Amendment, with a focus on the enumerated right to personal security rather than the unenumerated and often arbitrary "reasonable person" privacy analysis. I then attempt to formulate a definition of the "inviolate person," a boundary beyond which a governmental intrusion is per se unreasonable. I offer several justifications for this demarcation beyond the constitutional argument, and conclude with a brief argument for a two-tiered exclusionary rule with additional consequences for egregious constitutional violations.
Expect With Me : development and evaluation design for an innovative model of group prenatal care to improve perinatal outcomes

Despite biomedical advances and intervention efforts, rates of preterm birth and other adverse outcomes in the United States have remained relatively intransigent. Evidence suggests that group prenatal care can reduce these risks, with implications for maternal and child health as well as substantial cost savings. However, widespread dissemination presents challenges, in part because training and health systems have not been designed to deliver care in a group setting. This manuscript describes the design and evaluation of Expect With Me, an innovative model of group prenatal care with a strong integrated information technology (IT) platform designed to be scalable nationally. Expect With Me follows clinical guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Expect With Me incorporates the best evidence-based features of existing models of group care with a novel integrated IT platform designed to improve patient engagement and support, enhance health behaviors and decision making, connect providers and patients, and improve health service delivery. A multisite prospective longitudinal cohort study is being conducted to examine the impact of Expect With Me on perinatal and postpartum outcomes, and to identify and address barriers to national scalability. Process and outcome evaluation will include quantitative and qualitative data collection at patient, provider, and organizational levels. Mixed-method data collection includes patient surveys, medical record reviews, patient focus groups; provider surveys, session evaluations, provider focus groups and in-depth interviews; an online tracking system; and clinical site visits. A two-to-one matched cohort of women receiving individual care from each site will provide a comparison group (n = 1,000 Expect With Me patients; n = 2,000 individual care patients) for outcome and cost analyses. By bundling prevention and care services into a high-touch, high-tech group prenatal care model, Expect With Me has the potential to result in fundamental changes to the health care system to meet the “triple aim:” better healthcare quality, improved outcomes, and lower costs. Findings from this study will be used to optimize the dissemination and effectiveness of this model. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02169024 . Retrospectively registered on June 18, 2014.
Analysis of the Ability of Spleen Cells from Aged Mice to Produce Allospecific Cytotoxic Cells

The ability of aged rodents and humans to respond to foreign antigenic challenge decreases with age (Makinodan, 1977; Gottesman, 1987). This age-related deficiency is particularly severe in the T-cell system, as evidenced by the involution of the thymus, the decline in T- proliferative response to mitogens and specific antigens (Meredith and Walford, 1977; Miller and Stutman, 1981), the defeat in the ability to generate specific T-suppressor cells (Gottesman et al., 1984; Yin et al., 1988), and the inability of T cells to provide help for antibody production and cell-mediated immune responses (Miller and Stutman, 1981; Zharhary et al., 1984). Although many of these defects are contributed to by reduced lymphokine production by cells from aged donors (Miller and Stutman, 1981; Thoman and Weigle, 1982; Chang et al., 1982; Gilman et al., 1982), these activities are not all totally restored by addition of exogenous lymphokines (Gottesman et al., 1985). Cytotoxic T-lymphocyte (CTL) activity, a vital function for survival of the organism, shows an age-related decrease when assayed in bulk cultures (Gottesman et al., 1981). Limiting dilution analysis show a deficiency in a proportion of aged mice tested in CTL precursor frequency, under conditions in which helper cell function and interleukin-2 (IL-2) production are not limiting (Miller, 1984; Gorczynski and Chang, 1984; Zharhary et al., 1984).
Observations of Wind Forcing Effects on Estuary Length and Salinity Flux in a River-Dominated, Microtidal Estuary, Mobile Bay, Alabama

AbstractUsing long-term records (~11 years) of salinity and 390 days of ADCP data, aspects of the estuary length and salinity flux were evaluated in Mobile Bay under a range of river discharge, tid...
Reconstruction of Ultrasonic Images by Backward Propagation

In a previous paper1, the authors discussed two methods for image construction by computer from ultrasonic data. The first method involved recording the intensity distribution of ultrasonic holograms, and using this data in a computer simulation of the wavefront reconstruction procedure of holography2. The second involved recording the amplitude and phase of the ultrasonic wavefront and computing the image directly by backward propagation3. Successful reconstructions were obtained by both methods, but the backward propagation technique, which permits a considerable reduction in the spatial frequency bandwidth (and therefore computer time) required, seemed the more promising for further effort. Reconstructions using the backward propagation method have also been reported by Sondhi9.
NALOXONE ANTAGONISM OF MORPHINE-WITHDRAWAL BODY SHAKES BY AN AUDITORY CONDITIONAL STIMULUS

Male rats were made morphine dependent by IV infusions of morphine and then allowed to withdraw to elicit body shakes. They were given a sufficient number of discrete trials in which the body shakes were blocked by IV morphine injections each paired with a neutral tone. Following this phase, the tone presentation significantly reduced the withdrawal shakes without morphine only in the dependent rats who had earlier received morphine-tone pairing but not in those exposed to similar but unpaired treatments. Furthermore, effects of the tone-CS were antagonized by naloxone suggesting that the CS may cause release of endorphins in order to alleviate narcotic withdrawal signs.
Efficacy of the DAC inhibitor LBH589 in both rituximab-sensitive and rituximab-resistant lymphomas and effect on the antitumor activity of chemotherapy agents, monoclonal antibodies, and bortezomib

8576 Deacetylases (DACs) are enzymes that remove the acetyl groups from target proteins [histones (class I) and non-histones (class II)], leading to regulation of gene transcription and other cellu...
Surgical Conditions of the Neonatal Intestinal Tract

Surgical conditions affecting the neonatal intestine, including duodenal atresia, jejunoileal atresia, meconium ileus, midgut volvulus, Hirschsprung's disease, and necrotizing enterocolitis, are covered. Emphasis is on the practical issues of resuscitation and systematic evaluation. Detailed information on the surgical approach is then provided, to aid the surgeon-in-training, and the non-surgeon alike in understanding the management issues that arise in the operating room. Finally, long-term issues that arise in the follow-up of these children are addressed.
Open Source Tools for High Performance Quasi-Static-Time-Series Simulation Using Parallel Processing

Quasi-Static-Time-Series (QSTS) simulation is a valuable tool for evaluating the behavior of power systems through time. By performing daily, yearly and other time-based simulations, it is possible to characterize time-varying power conversion devices such as photovoltaic panels, storage, loads, and capacitors, among others within the power system. However, depending on the time-step resolution and simulation duration, the sequential simulation may require a considerable amount of computing time to complete. This paper describes the OpenDSSPM program which is the new Parallel Machine version of EPRI's open-source distribution system simulator program, OpenDSS. OpenDSS-PM is used to implement temporal parallelization and circuit solutions with Diakoptics based on actors as techniques to reduce the time required in QSTS. The results reveal that these techniques enable a significant reduction in time using common computer architectures.
RACISM AND AGEISM: ADDRESSING PATIENT AND PHYSICIAN BARRIERS TO IMPROVE OLDER ADULT CARE: Session 316

Abstract Robert Butler, the founding director of the National Institute on Aging first coined the term ageism. He included three domains in the definition, i.e., prejudicial attitudes, discriminatory practices, and institutional practices that negatively impact older adults. By some estimates, ageism is thought to be the most common “-ism” in the world. It has shown to affect the well-being of older adults in terms of their access to healthcare, employment, and psychological well-being. However, there is little done to address ageism in medical student education, for example, only 10% of medical schools require a geriatric medicine clinical experience and few include geriatric medicine in their didactic curricula. To address this gap, the session will aim to define ageism, contributors to ageist beliefs and practices, and then propose specific ways in which to overcome ageism including educational curricula, cultural approaches, and advocacy. On the other hand, healthcare providers can be recipients of prejudicial beliefs and behaviors by patients. In a recent survey, 70% of African American and 69% of Asian physicians reported having heard biased comments from patients. Nonetheless, educational curricula and training provide little guidance on how a physician could respond to racial intolerance. Not addressing these situations can cause significant barriers to providing care to patients and can contribute to burnout. During the session we will review the existing evidence about racism towards physicians and propose means by which this could be addressed by clinicians. Participants will have an opportunity to role play and discuss concrete steps to address racism. As with ageism, it will include consideration of educational curricula, cultural approaches, and advocacy.
Interventions to Enhance Self‐Efficacy in Cancer Patients: A Meta‐Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

OBJECTIVE Self-efficacy expectations are associated with improvements in problematic outcomes widely considered clinically significant (ie, emotional distress, fatigue, and pain), related to positive health behaviors, and as a type of personal agency, inherently valuable. Self-efficacy expectancies, estimates of confidence to execute behaviors, are important in that changes in self-efficacy expectations are positively related to future behaviors that promote health and well-being. The current meta-analysis investigated the impact of psychological interventions on self-efficacy expectations for a variety of health behaviors among cancer patients. METHODS Ovid Medline, PsycINFO, CINAHL, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science were searched with specific search terms for identifying randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that focused on psychologically based interventions. Included studies had (a) an adult cancer sample, (b) a self-efficacy expectation measure of specific behaviors, and (c) an RCT design. Standard screening and reliability procedures were used for selecting and coding studies. Coding included theoretically informed moderator variables. RESULTS Across 79 RCTs, 223 effect sizes, and 8678 participants, the weighted average effect of self-efficacy expectations was estimated as g = 0.274 (P < .001). Consistent with the self-efficacy theory, the average effect for in-person intervention delivery (g = 0.329) was significantly greater than for all other formats (g = 0.154, P = .023; eg, audiovisual, print, telephone, and Web/internet). CONCLUSIONS The results establish the impact of psychological interventions on self-efficacy expectations as comparable in effect size with commonly reported outcomes (distress, fatigue, pain). Additionally, the result that in-person interventions achieved the largest effect is supported by the social learning theory and could inform research related to the development and evaluation of interventions.
NA3 glycan: a potential therapy for retinal pigment epithelial deficiency.

Atrophic age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common type of AMD, yet there is no United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved therapy. This disease is characterized by retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) insufficiency, primarily in the macula, which affects the structure and physiology of photoreceptors and ultimately, visual function. In this study, we evaluated the protective effects of a naturally derived small molecule glycan therapeutic-asialo-, tri-antennary complex-type N-glycan (NA3)-in two distinct preclinical models of atrophic AMD. In RPE-deprived Xenopus laevis tadpole eyes, NA3 supported normal retinal ultrastructure. In RCS rats, NA3 supported fully functioning visual integrity. Furthermore, structural analyses revealed that NA3 prevented photoreceptor outer segment degeneration, pyknosis of the outer nuclear layer, and reactive gliosis of Muller cells (MCs). It also promoted maturation of adherens junctions between MC and photoreceptors. Our results demonstrate the neuroprotective effects of a naturally derived small molecular glycan therapeutic-NA3-in two unique preclinical models with RPE insufficiency. These data suggest that NA3 glycan therapy may provide a new therapeutic avenue in the prevention and/or treatment of retinal diseases such as atrophic AMD.
Contemporary practice and perceptions surrounding the management of asymptomatic umbilical hernias in children: A survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

Abstract Purpose To explore variation in perceptions regarding the natural history of asymptomatic umbilical hernias, and to characterize the influence of clinical and nonclinical factors on decision-making surrounding timing of repair. Methods This was a survey of the American Pediatric Surgical Association. Branching logic and Likert scale questions were used to explore perceptions surrounding natural history (risk of complications and likelihood of spontaneous closure), preferred age for repair, and influence of anatomic, caregiver, sociodemographic, and biological factors on operative timing. Results 44% of members completed the survey (371/846). The most common age respondents would consider elective repair was 3 years (37%), although the majority preferred to wait until 4 or 5 years (54%). Most respondents estimated a Conclusion Practice and perceptions surrounding management of asymptomatic umbilical hernias vary widely. More robust epidemiological data are needed to define the likelihood of spontaneous closure in the context of age and physical exam findings. Collaborative efforts between surgeons and referring providers are also needed to optimize management of caregiver anxiety and expectations surrounding need for surgical referral and repair. Level of evidence Level V (expert opinion).
Herpes Simplex Virus-2 Hepatitis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Herpes simplex virus (HSV) is a rare cause of hepatitis in pregnancy and the chronically immunosuppressed, with a high propensity to progress to acute liver failure (ALF) and death. Patients typically present with a nonspecific clinical picture that often delays diagnosis and treatment, contributing to the high mortality rate. We present a case of a young female on chronic prednisone and hydroxychloroquine for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who was diagnosed with HSV-2 hepatitis after presenting with right-sided chest and abdominal discomfort. Despite early clinical deterioration, prompt initiation of therapy with intravenous acyclovir and methylprednisolone led to rapid improvement.
Differential expression of micro-RNAs in breast cancer with relapsed disease: A clinical data base study.

e12514Background: Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNA molecules that play important role in RNA silencing and post-transcriptional regulation of gene expression that are dysregulated in ca...
Examining the Determinants of Expenditure Forecasts

Local governments forecast revenues and expenditures as part of their budget process. Despite growing evidence of biased revenue forecasts, there is limited research on expenditure forecast bias. T...
Open-atmosphere flame synthesis of monolayer graphene

Abstract An open-atmosphere, unconfined setup comprising a novel multiple inverse-diffusion flame (m-IDF) burner modified with extended precursor tubes is employed to synthesize graphene on substrates. Growth conditions of mono-, bi-, and few-layer graphene (MLG, BLG, and FLG, respectively) are investigated, with systematic variation of parameters such as substrate temperature, methane-to-hydrogen volume flow rate ratio ( J CH 4 : J H 2 ), growth duration, post-flame flow profiles, substrate material, precursor species (e.g., CH4, C2H2, C2H4), and in-situ post-growth hydrogen annealing. Graphene growth on copper is observed for a wide range of temperatures from 850 °C to 1000 °C, with high-quality BLG created at a substrate temperature of 1000 °C with J CH 4 : J H 2 of 1:100 for 5 min growth duration. A sequential in-situ post-growth hydrogen annealing treatment, where the hydrocarbon precursor flow is terminated but the hydrogen m-IDFs are maintained, is found to be effective for etching adlayers of graphene. As such, BLG is reduced to MLG by increasing the post-growth hydrogen annealing duration at 1000 °C to 10 min. In-situ gas-phase Raman measurements characterize the evolution of the gas-phase precursor species in the synthesis flow field. CH2 is determined to be the main gas-phase carbon species needed near the substrate to form graphene in our flame synthesis system.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) augment adipogenesis and shift the proteome in murine 3T3-L1 adipocytes.

Abstract The Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a wide group of fluorinated compounds, which the health effects of many of them have not been investigated. Perfluorinated sulfonates, such as perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorinated carboxylates, such as perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) are members of this broad group of PFAS, and previous studies have shown a correlation between the body accumulation of PFOS and PFOA and increased adipogenesis. PFOA and PFOS have been withdrawn from the market and use is limited because of their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulative properties. Instead, short chain PFAS have been created to replace PFOA and PFOS, but the health effects of other short chain PFAS are largely unknown. Therefore, herein we aimed to comprehensively determined the potential adipogenesis of ten different PFAS (PFBS, PFHxS, PFOS, PFBA, PFHxA, PFHA, PFOA, PFNA, PFDA, and HFPO-DA) and investigated the differences in protein expression of 3T3-L1 cells upon exposure to each PFAS. 3T3-L1 cells were differentiated with or without each PFAS for 4-days, and cellular lipid was quantified using Nile Red staining. Analysis of the adipocyte proteome was performed to identify the pathways related to adipogenesis and quantify proteins significantly affected by each PFAS. The results showed that in general, every PFAS investigated in our study has the potential to induce the 3T3-L1 differentiation to adipocytes in the presence of rosiglitazone, with the concentrations that range between 0.25 and 25 µM. Proteomics analysis revealed specific markers regarding to adipogenesis upregulated upon exposure to each of the ten PFAS.
Design and validation of optimized feedforward with robust feedback control of a nuclear reactor

Design applications for robust feedback and optimized feedforward control, with confirming results from experiments conducted on the Pennsylvania State University TRIGA reactor, are presented. The combination of feedforward and feedback control techniques complement each other in that robust control offers guaranteed closed-loop stability in the presence of uncertainties, and optimized feedforward offers an approach to achieving performance that is sometimes limited by overly conservative robust feedback control. The design approach taken in this work combines these techniques by first designing robust feedback control. Alternative methods for specifying a low-order linear model and uncertainty specifications, while seeking as much performance as possible, are discussed and evaluated. To achieve desired performance characteristics, the optimized feedforward control is then computed by using the nominal nonlinear plant model that incorporates the robust feedback control.
Enzymatic modification of proteins. V. Protein acceptor specificity in the arginine-transfer reaction.

Abstract The specificity of protein acceptors in the arginine transfer reaction has been investigated employing the criterion that a true acceptor be capable of accepting nearly stoichiometric quantities of arginine in the reaction catalyzed by arginyl-tRNA-protein transferase. A single protein was found to account for about 50% of the total acceptor activity in crude soluble extracts from rabbit liver. This protein was isolated and identified as rabbit albumin on the basis of its electrophoretic mobility, molecular weight, and amino acid composition. Of 38 defined proteins and polypeptides which have been tested, seven were found to function as acceptors. These were bovine, rabbit, and human albumins, bovine thyroglobulin, two human Bence-Jones proteins, and soybean trypsin inhibitor. These proteins are all known to have aspartic or glutamic acid as their NH2-terminal residue. The results indicate that the arginine-transfer reaction is highly specific with respect to protein acceptors and that this specificity is based on the presence of aspartic acid or glutamic acid at the NH2 termini.
Minoxidil inhibits ocular cell proliferation and lysyl hydroxylase activity.

PURPOSE To examine the antiproliferative and lysyl hydroxylase-suppressing effects of minoxidil on cultured proliferating and density-arrested human retinal pigment epithelial cells (hRPE) and Tenon's capsule fibroblasts (hTCF). METHODS Proliferating and density-arrested hRPE and hTCF, exposed to minoxidil (0.1-5 mM) for 15 min to 7 days, were examined by proliferation assays, [3H]thymidine incorporation, trypan-blue exclusion, and phase-contrast microscopy. The lysyl hydroxylase-suppressing effects were examined in confluent hRPE exposed to minoxidil (0.01-1 mM) using L-[4,5-3H]-lysine-labeled procollagen substrate and measuring the amount of tritium released as 3H2O after vacuum distillation. RESULTS Minoxidil (0.1-5 mM) inhibited the proliferation of subconfluent cultures of hRPE and hTCF in a dose-dependent manner with a half-maximal effect at 1.5 and 2.5 mM, respectively. The antiproliferative effect, detectable within 24 hr, occurred with a limited exposure period and persisted even after removal of minoxidil from the culture medium. In contrast, 1-5 mM minoxidil had minimal effect on density-arrested hRPE and hTCF. However, at doses above 3 mM, although minoxidil had no effect on the number of density-arrested hRPE, morphologic and viability experiments indicated signs of cytotoxicity. Minoxidil (0.1-1 mM) caused a maximum of 71% reduction in the activity of lysyl hydroxylase, an enzyme needed for stable cross-links in collagen. CONCLUSIONS Minoxidil may be a useful drug for the treatment of conditions such as proliferative vitreoretinopathy and bleb scarring after trabeculectomy, disorders with unwanted cell proliferation and collagen production.
Effects of Prenatal and Chronic Undernutrition on Aging and Survival in Rats

The effect on aging and survival of mild (2/3 of ad lib) chronic prenatal and postnatal undernutrition over 10 generations, or prenatal undernutrition only has been studied in rats. Both regimes of undernutrition used decreased body weights of animals as compared to the controls. Both undernourished groups had lower cholesterol levels and tumor incidence than the controls. The effects on survival depended not only on the time period of undernutrition but also on the age of the animals examined: chronic undernutrition resulted in lower survival of young adult animals (4-8 months) but higher survival than the controls in old age. Prenatal undernutrition only had no effect on young adult animals, gave higher survival than the controls at ages 8-18 months but considerably lower survival than controls in the old age: the underdevelopment of vital organs whose cells proliferate only before birth might have been the cause of such decreased longevity.
The UC Berkeley Digital Library Project: Re-thinking Scholarly Information Dissemination and Use (Abstract)

Information technology is not merely provided enhanced versions of services of the sort we have come to expect from libraries; it is inducing a fundamental change in the way information is created, disseminated, and used. The shift from the current centralized, discrete publishing model, toward a distributed, continuous, and self-publishing model, is already underway. However, left to its own devices, some of the the better aspects of the current model, such as peer review, may be compromised, even as the opportunity for new services is afforded. Effort will also be required to provide first class support in the emerging infrastructure for data that are not textual in nature, such as images, videos, maps, and scientific data sets. Many tools and technologies will be useful in enhancing and exploiting this view of the emerging information infrastructure. One set of tools relates to document technologies. "Multivalent Documents" is a new model of documents that seems useful in this context. The multivalent document model is (i) highly open, meaning that is supports an open-ended variety of document formats and functions, (ii) highly extensible, meaning that it can be extended and customized in novel ways and to meet particular user needs, and (iii) highly distributed, meaning that components of a document may exist as separate networked resources, which are combined dynamically into a coherent documents. A particularly attractive aspect of the model is the manner in which it supports "spontaneous collaboration", the ability of a user to annotate web pages, scanned images, and other networked, resources for which that user has no privileged relation. Multivalent documents address some issues in manipulating on-line resources. Finding those resources is still problematic, especially for those in image form. "Automatic content analysis" is the set of techniques for analyzing the content of information objects so as to facilitate their subsequent access. We present some recent developments in this area for accessing document images, photographs, and text.
Blockade of apoptosis as a rational therapeutic strategy for the treatment of sepsis.

Over time it has become clear, that much like other organ systems, the function and responsiveness of the immune system is impaired during the course of sepsis and that this is a precipitous event in the decline of the critically ill patient/animal. One hypothesis put forward to explain the development of septic immune dysfunction is that it is a pathological result of increased immune cell apoptosis. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the clearance of increased numbers of apoptotic cells may actively drive immune suppression through the cells that handle them. Here we will review the data from studies involving septic animals and patients, which indicate that loss of immune cells, as well as non-immune cells, in some cases, is a result of dysregulated apoptosis. Subsequently, we will consider the cell death pathways, i.e., ‘extrinsic’ and/or ‘intrinsic’, which are activated and what cell populations may orchestrate this dysfunctional apoptotic process, immune and/or non-immune. Finally, we will discuss potentially novel therapeutic targets, such as caspases, death receptor family members [e.g., TNF, Fas], pro-/anti-apoptotic Bcl-family members, etc., and approaches, such as caspase inhibitors, use of fusion proteins, peptidomimetics, siRNA, etc., which might be considered for the treatment of the septic patient.
Understanding Terrestrial Ecosystem Response to Antarctic Climate Change

International observing platforms, such as the Arctic Observing Network (AON) and the Southern Ocean Observing System (SOOS), have become a primary method for detecting the long-term effects of climate change on complex ecosystems. Based on the success of this model for research coordination, a workshop was held in Portland, Oregon, in July 2012, with support from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Office of Polar Programs Antarctic Integrated Systems Science program, to develop criteria for the implementation of a McMurdo Dry Valleys Terrestrial Observation Network (TON).
Data Portability: Key to Cloud Portability and Interoperability

The Cloud brings new opportunities for governments to develop and deploy efficient and compelling citizen services, unlock the potential of the public domain data, as well as reduce costs for ICT services. Even for a new technology like Cloud, however, interoperability and portability is a key topic of discussion for government policy makers, both as a tool to reduce integration costs, as well as to reduce dependence on large ICT vendors. Cloud computing has potential to transform computing into a service-based model, where cloud service providers build cloud systems, and the majority of the users become the “consumers” of such services. In this changing dynamics of the computing industry, cloud service providers become increasingly more responsible for making sure that individual components of hardware and software are working together to provide the service promised to the customer in the service level agreement (SLA). In context of this fundamental shift, governments have to invest relatively fewer resources on the “systems interoperability” as the burden of getting software and hardware to work together shifts towards the cloud service providers rather than the consumer. While systems interoperability becomes the primary domain of the cloud service provider, issues around data interoperability still remain important, and perhaps even critical, as government data becomes increasingly contained with the systems provided through the cloud service provider. The issue of cloud portability is important to governments, as they want to ensure that customers can switch cloud service providers without unreasonable switching costs. Inevitably when a customer changes the cloud service provider, it is reasonable to assume that there will be a certain amount of switching costs. However, from a cloud portability perspective, it also becomes critical that data is sharable between cloud providers, since without the ability to port data, it would become simply impossible to switch cloud service providers at all. Policies need to be crafted around data interoperability related issues to ensure that data interchange between cloud services is un-hindered, as most government users will likely use heterogeneous cloud service providers for their needs. Policy makers will have to focus on data ownership and control issues to ensure that they continue to control the destiny of their data. Government policy makers should prioritize discussions on “data in the cloud” to ensure key requirements around data ownership, portability, standards, security and privacy are well understood, and cloud service providers are transparent around these issues in the SLA discussions.
The Effects of Longitudinal Roughness Elements and Local Suction upon the Turbulent Boundary Layer

To directly interact with the bursting process, microgeometry in the form of longitudinal roughness elements was combined with local suction in an attempt to inhibit low speed streak lift-up. The roughness elements consisted of long cylindrical strings aligned in the streamwise direction. The size and spacing were based upon the optimal geometry of Johansen and Smith1 for aligning the low speed streaks over the roughness elements. Suction was applied under the roughness elements for a small streamwise extent of ∆ x + = 400. Measurments were performed with a spanwise rake of twelve hot-wires which extended over three of the roughness elements. A detection algorithm was developed to study the low speed streaks and the effects of suction upon them. Statistics of their duration and frequency of occurence have been calculated with and without suction. The addition of the roughness elements increased the number of streaks above them while keeping the streak length nearly constant. When suction was applied, the number and length of the streaks decreased as expected. The VITA algorithm was used to detect the strong shear layers associated with the bursting process. The frequency of VITA detections also decreased with increasing suction. These changes confirm that the selective suction concept is a valid one, but large suction rates of C q > 0.005 were needed to obtain significant structural changes. If the suction were applied over a longer streamwise extent, similar results may be obtained with lower suction rates.
Vitamin D deficiency and fatigue: an unusual presentation

Fatigue is a vague but common complaint that is poorly characterized by physicians as well as patients. While fatigue may result from a number of different etiologies, at the present time, a comprehensive approach to each patient with fatigue does not include routine measurement of serum vitamin D levels. A 61-year-old man was evaluated for excessive daytime fatigue. No features characteristic for depression, sleep apnea, or narcolepsy were present. A comprehensive work-up, including thyroid function tests and testosterone levels, did not reveal any abnormalities. However, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D level was low, at 18.4 ng/mL. Vitamin D supplementation was initiated. At follow-up in 3 and 12 months, the patient reported complete resolution of daytime fatigue, corresponding to an increase in his vitamin D levels. Possible mechanisms for clinical improvement include effects of vitamin D on components of inflammatory cascades, including tumor necrosis factor-alpha and prostaglandin D2, which result in decrease in central nervous system homeostatic sleep pressure. While more research is needed to determine if patients presenting with fatigue should be routinely screened for vitamin D deficiency, clinicians should consider obtaining vitamin D levels in patients with unexplained fatigue, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain, and risk factors for vitamin D deficiency.
Adeno-associated virus and adenovirus coinfection induces a cellular DNA damage and repair response via redundant phosphatidylinositol 3-like kinase pathways

During adeno-associated virus and adenovirus (AAV/Ad) coinfection, accumulation of viral genomes and proteins can alter cellular stress responses. To determine how AAV/Ad coinfection affects the host we screened over 60 cellular proteins for their responses. AAV/Ad coinfections induce a robust DNA damage response (DDR) that is distinct from that induced by Ad infection alone. Using chemical inhibitors, deficient cell lines and siRNA knockdowns of the DDR kinases, ATM, ATR and DNA-PK, we determined that DNA-PK and ATM kinases are the initial transducers of this response. AAV/Ad coinfection induces ATM- and DNA-PK mediated phosphorylation of RPA2, NBS1, H2AX and the checkpoint kinases CHK1/2. Inhibition of one or more of the DDR kinases reduces the level of phosphorylation of downstream targets but does not dramatically reduce Ad or AAV protein expression. However, AAV DNA levels are moderately affected by kinase inhibition. These experiments provide new insights into the cellular responses to AAV/Ad coinfections.
Measurement of sulfuric acid and particulate strong acidity in the Los Angeles basin

Abstract Levels of H 2 SO 4 up to 11μg m −3 were observed in the Los Angeles Basin employing the benzaldehyde extraction technique. Strong particulate acid measurements generally supported the H 2 SO 4 determinations. However, adsorbed HNO 3 appears to contribute to the particulate acidity as well as H 2 SO 4 . Correlations between the concentrations of gaseous and paniculate species were evaluated.
Calibration of the Density-Gradient model by using the multidimensional effective-mass Schrödinger equation

A calibration method is developed for the electron effective mass in the Density-Gradient model. This method uses the two- and three-dimensional effective-mass Schrodinger equations, which are solved for bounded quantum systems. The electron effective mass is computed by fitting the electron concentration computed by using the Density-Gradient model to the electron concentration computed by using the Schrodinger equation. Results for strongly confined silicon system with (100), (110), and (111) crystallographic orientations are presented. It is shown that the effective mass varies with the shape and dimensions of the quantum box. In device simulations, one should use the value of m_n that corresponds to the right shape and dimensions of the confinement region in the device.
Muscle‐ and Pneumatic‐Powered Counterpulsating LVADs: A Pilot Study

There is a worldwide interest in supporting the failing heart with a skeletal muscle by either wrapping it around the natural heart (dynamic cardiomyoplasty) or by constructing a skeletal muscle ventricle (SMV) used for counterpulsation. Conventional cardiomyoplasty in many clinics carries an operative mortality rate of 15-20% partly because it requires 6 weeks to train the muscle to contract continually. A flexible, pear-shaped blood pump with an inflatable air chamber was designed and made around which a muscle can be wrapped. The advantage of our design is that it can also be driven by pneumatic power, immediately supporting the circulation of a seriously ill patient while that patient is still on the operating table. After a period of time to allow for revascularization and the subsequent training of the muscle, the external pneumatic power can be gradually discontinued. Then the assisted patient becomes tether-free. If, at any time, the muscle power fails, the pneumatic-powered mechanism can be reactivated. In the preferred approach, the blood pump is connected to the aorta for diastolic counterpulsation. A muscle can either be wrapped around the blood pump directly, or around one of two separate muscle pouches connected to the blood pump. To facilitate surgery, a large pouch is inserted under the musculus latissimus dorsi, which is connected to a blood pump. When stimulated, the muscle will contract over the pouch compressing it and providing power to the blood pump. If it is found that the pressure generated in the pouch cannot meet the aortic blood pressure, it can be augmented by using a pressure amplifier.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adenovirus-mediated inducible gene expression in vivo by a hybrid ecdysone receptor.

Precise control of transgene expression would markedly facilitate certain applications of gene therapy. To regulate expression of a transferred gene in response to an exogenous compound in vivo, we modified the ecdysone-responsive system. We combined the advantages of the Drosophila (DmEcR) and the Bombyx ecdysone receptor (BmEcR) by creating a chimeric Drosophila/Bombyx ecdysone receptor (DB–EcR) that preserved the ability to bind to the modified ecdysone promoter without exogenous retinoid X receptor (RXR). In cultured cells, DB–EcR effectively mediates ligand-dependent transactivation of a reporter gene at lower concentrations of the chemical ecdysone agonist GS-E than VgRXR (DmEcR + RXR). Transgene delivery in vivo was achieved by intramyocardial injection of recombinant adenovirus vectors in adult rats. Upon stimulation with GS-E, DB–EcR potently (>40-fold induction) activated gene expression in vivo while VgRXR was not induced. This hybrid ecdysone receptor represents an important new tool for in vivo transgene regulation with potentially diverse applications in somatic and germline transfer.
Power management circuits for a 15-μA, implantable pressure sensor

A custom IC for wireless bladder pressure sensing incorporates power-management circuitry to limit the active time of the instrumentation circuitry and to minimize telemetry rate. Instrumentation circuits are operated with low duty factors in a pipelined manner to generate 100-Hz pressure samples. Telemetry rate is adapted according to sample activity, which is measured using a 2nd-order FIR filter. Measured results indicate that the number of transmitted samples is less than 5% of those acquired, resulting in an average telemetry rate of 1.5 Hz and corresponding current of 0.6 μA. A low-power regulator and clock oscillator set a baseline current draw of 7.5 μA while instrumentation and digital circuits consume an average of 4.7 μA, for a total average consumption of just 12.8 μA.
Boards of Directors and Stakeholder Orientation

Based on a survey of 2,361 directors in 291 of the largest companies of the Southeast States, this study empirically examined boards of directors' stakeholder orientations. The results indicate that (1) there exist distinct stakeholder groups perceived by directors, (2) directors have high stakeholder orientations, (3) directors view some stakeholders differently depending on their occupation (CEO directors v. non-CEO directors) and type (inside directors vs. outside directors).
Interatomic Distances in Covalent Molecules and Resonance between Two or More Lewis Electronic Structures.

In a paper to be published in the Zeitschrift fur Kristallographie, Professor M. L. Huggins and I have formulated tables of radii for use in crystals containing electron-pair bonds. With the aid of these tables, we have also constructed a table of radii (table 1) for non-metallic atoms in covalent molecules. These radii are designed especially for purely covalent compounds, in which fluorine forms one electron-pair bond, oxygen two, nitrogen three, etc., but they are applicable also to other compounds, such as (CH3)3N:O:, with the following exception. The radii given for As, Se, Br, Sb, Te and I are to be used for these atoms with a covalence of one, two or three; for a covalence of four slightly smaller values ("tetrahedral radii") are to be used. The change is probably due to a change in the nature of the bond eigenfunctions involved.
Congenital pancreatic cyst arising from occlusion of the pancreatic duct

Congenital pancreatic cysts, particularly solitary cysts, are rare causes of abdominal masses in newborns. The etiology of these cysts is unknown and they can vary in location within the pancreas. We present a novel case of an infant with a solitary congenital cyst of the pancreatic duct, itself, as a result of occlusion of the pancreatic duct. Solitary congenital pancreatic cysts are a rare cause of abdominal masses in infants. We recently evaluated a 7-week-old infant with progressive abdominal distension since birth. This child was found to have a large solitary pancreatic cyst. This cyst resulted from occlusion of the main pancreatic duct at the level of the ampulla resulting in cystic degeneration of the pancreatic duct. Based on our review of the literature we believe this is the first documented case of such a cyst.
Temporal relationship between the occurrence of fresh noma and the timing of linear growth retardation in Nigerian children

BACKGROUND Fresh noma (cancrum oris) occurs predominantly in children <4 years of age. The key risk factors are poverty, malnutrition and infections. Evolution from an intraoral inflammation to a grotesque oro-facial gangrene is very rapid. OBJECTIVE We assessed potential relationship between the occurrence of fresh noma and linear growth retardation (LGR) which is prevalent in deprived Third World infants/children between ages 3 and 30 months. LGR is attributed to malnutrition and chronic immunostimulation by environmental antigens. DESIGN Anthropometric evaluation of children (n = 91) with fresh noma, ages 0-8 years, in relation to US National Center for Health Statistics Reference values was carried out. Age-matched noma-free, poor village children (n = 151) from similar communities as noma cases, and elite urban children (n = 132) served as control groups. Heights and weights were measured and the height for age (HAZ), weight for age (WAZ) and weight for height (WHZ) scores calculated as indices of stunting, underweight and wasting respectively. Serum level of interleukin (IL)-18, a multifunctional cytokine, was also measured. RESULTS In the age groups 0-4 and 4-8 years, the percentages of noma children <-2.0SD were 91% and 67% respectively. The corresponding values for the village children were 37% and 24% and significantly different (P < 0.001) from the noma group. Only 7% of the elite children aged 4-8 years were stunted. Low body weight and wasting were prominent features of village and noma groups, but more marked in the latter. Associated with noma was a profound increase (P < 0.001) in IL-18 in comparison with urban controls, and a 34% non-statistically significant increase relative to the village control group. Among other functions, IL-18 induces several pro-inflammatory cytokines and the matrix metalloproteinases, influences long bone growth, and consequently may be relevant to growth retardation seen in poor village children and noma victims. CONCLUSION These results suggest that occurrence of fresh noma was probably programmed very early in life by malnutrition and chronic infections resulting from replacement of breast milk with contaminated, inferior substitutes. Although not investigated, we speculate that children with fresh noma might also be victims of intrauterine growth retardation as noma is most prevalent during the infantile phase of child growth which starts at mid-gestation and tails off at 4 years.
Implications of advanced modeling on the observation of Poole–Frenkel effect saturation

Abstract The implications of a modern model of the Poole–Frenkel (PF) effect on an experimental method for observing PF saturation are investigated. It has previously been shown, using the classical PF model, that I – V curves measured at different temperatures should converge under the conditions of PF effect saturation, and such measurements were presented showing the first observation of saturation. However, saturation is not directly predicted from the classical model. The modern model used in this paper incorporates the Fermi–Dirac function to describe the population of Coulombic traps, and will predict saturation; therefore, the consistency between the modern model and this measurement technique are investigated. This is accomplished by studying the temperature variation of the modern model. We show that the modern model does predict that I – V ( T ) curves will converge at saturation, but this convergence is more complicated than in the classical model. Thus, the effective saturation condition predicted by the modern model is more complicated than the saturation condition usually considered. We discuss the interpretation of saturation measurements in light of the modern model.