cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Grenada: the Spice Isle

Located on the southern end of the Lesser Antilles’ Windward Island chain, the tri-island nation of Grenada is comprised of primarily volcanic islands. Grenada proper retains a mountainous landscape with a variety of volcanic features and fertile soil that supports the island’s agricultural economy and helps to promote tourism. The nation’s other two islands, Carriacou and Petite Martinique, both have mountainous interiors as well (at least for their size), though significantly less population. Grenada’s strategic position made it a desirable territory for both French and English colonial powers, but its landscape gave the Amerindian people an edge in resisting colonization. Though there is little Amerindian cultural presence on the island now, their legacy can be seen around the island in petroglyphs, a few archaeological sites, and with place names like Morne de Sateur’s (Leaper’s Cliff). Today, the landscape supports both the primary industry, agriculture, and the largest portion of the economy, tourism. But these endeavors remain constrained by the islands’ landforms and left to the whims of Nature which plays a grand role in changing the landscape every few decades. As more on-Island studies are completed, general awareness, mitigation, and management of precious resources such as soil, sand, and tourism, will undoubtedly help Grenada to continue providing for its inhabitants.
Businesses Beware: Consumer Immoral Retaliation in Response to Perceived Moral Violations by Companies

Consumers feeling wronged in the marketplace can respond in a variety of ways both morally appropriate and morally inappropriate. We focus on specific circumstances under which company wrongdoing i...
Comparison of left atrial pressure monitoring with dedicated catheter versus steerable guiding catheter during transcatheter mitral valve repair.

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to determine the accuracy of left atrial pressure (LAP) measurement through the manufacturer provided steerable guiding catheter (SGC) during transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR). BACKGROUND LAP measurement during TMVR has been shown to be associated with clinical improvement when measured through a dedicated catheter. METHODS Simultaneous LAP was performed in consecutive patients using an independent fluid-filled 4F multipurpose catheter and compared to LAP waveforms measured through the manufacturer-provided MitraClip SGC during TMVR (Abbott, Santa Clara, CA). RESULTS Mean age of 10 consecutive subjects with primary mitral regurgitation undergoing TMVR was 83 ± 3 years (60% female). Left atrial v wave and mean pressures through the dedicated catheter were 42 ± 7 and 24 ± 3 mmHg vs. 35 ± 7 and 23 ± 3 mmHg through the SGC (P < 0.001 and P = 0.23, respectively). Mean differences in v wave and mean LAP were 8 ± 4 and 1.0 ± 2.4 mmHg (percent difference 19 and 3%), respectively. SGC waveform overdamping was observed in all cases. CONCLUSIONS Left atrial v wave pressure measurement through a dedicated catheter with sideholes during TMVR has superior accuracy compared to the manufacturer provided SGC, which results in waveform overdamping and a significant underestimation of v wave pressure. These data have important implications for clinical practice.
Complex dynamics in a two-enzyme reaction network with substrate competition

Enzymatic reaction networks capable of generating complex spatiotemporal dynamics are not only the basis of essential biological processes, but also the basic units of synthetic systems with autonomous, adaptive and programmable behaviours. Activation and inhibition have been usually considered as indispensable interactions for the construction of such networks. Here we present an enzymatic reaction network that consists of a flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent oxidoreductase and a peroxidase that can generate tunable complex dynamics. These include charging/discharging, rectangular and parabolic pulses in a closed system, which are based on delayed and self-adapting substrate competition, rather than on activation or inhibition. Additionally, this system can spontaneously form visible spatiotemporal patterns that arise from reaction-driven Rayleigh–Benard convection. This work demonstrates that substrate competition could be an alternative path towards constructing biochemical networks with complex dynamics.
From carceral feminism to transformative justice: Women-of-color feminism and alternatives to incarceration

Racial injustice at the intersections of interpersonal and state violence sets the stage for this examination of mainstream responses to domestic and sexual violence. At one end of this continuum i...
Cancellation of Transverse Excitation in Gain Expanded Free Electron Lasers

We define and analyze emittance growth in gain expanded free electron lasers, develop criteria for the minimization of this phenomenon, and present some examples of the application of these criteria.
Methamphetamine (“speed”) arteritis

A case is reported which documents an unusual appearance of intracranial arteries after the intravenous self-administration of methamphetamine (“speed”). The cause of these arterial changes is not clear and continued investigation in the laboratory is planned.
Effects of high inclusion of soybean hulls on apparent total tract macronutrient digestibility, fecal quality, and fecal fermentative end-product concentrations in extruded diets of adult dogs

Soybean hulls (SBH) are a fiber-rich co-product of the soybean oil extraction process that corresponds to 8% of the soybean seed. Despite being readily available and priced competitively, SBH are underutilized in monogastric nutrition. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate SBH as a dietary fiber in canine diets. Four diets were formulated with either SBH, beet pulp (BP), or cellulose (CL) as the main source of dietary fiber (15% total dietary fiber [TDF]), with the control diet formulated with no supplemental fiber (NF). Animal procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Eight adult female Beagle (mean age = 4.6 ± 0.6 yr; mean BW = 12.8 ± 1.7 kg) were used in a replicated 4 × 4 Latin square design. Each period consisted of 14 d, with 10 d of diet adaptation followed by 4 d of total fecal and urine collections. At the end of each period, a blood sample was collected and analyzed for serum chemistry. Food was offered twice daily and fed to maintain body weight. Food intake (g/d) on a dry matter basis (DMB) did not differ among treatments. Fecal score was lower (P < 0.05) for dogs fed CL (2.0) in contrast with other dietary treatments (2.3), using a 5-point scale (1 = hard, dry pellets; 5 = diarrhea). Fecal as-is and DM output did not differ for dogs fed BP, CL, or SBH, and were approximately 50% greater (P < 0.05) than dogs fed NF. Apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD) of dry matter, organic matter, and gross energy were greater (P < 0.05) for dogs fed NF when compared with dogs fed BP, CL, or SBH. Dogs fed CL had greater (P < 0.05) AHF ATTD (94%) compared with all other treatments (mean = 91%). Dogs fed CL and NF had greater (P < 0.05) CP ATTD, 87% and 86%, respectively, while dogs fed SBH were intermediate (83%) and dogs fed BP were lowest (79%). Total short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) concentration was greatest in dogs fed BP (582.5 μmol/g) and SBH (479.7 μmol/g) when compared with NF and CL (267.0 and 251.1 μmol/g, respectively). Serum metabolites were within-reference ranges and dogs remained healthy throughout the study. In conclusion, SBH resulted in similar macronutrient ATTD when compared with BP and CL. Dogs fed SBH were also observed to have an increase in fecal SCFA concentration. In general, high level addition of SBH were well-utilized by the dog, resulting in no untoward effects on dog health, nutrient digestibility, or fecal characteristics.
Body-Guided Galvanic Coupling Communication for Secure Biometric Data

In a world dominated by the wearable IoT devices, malicious security threats have become a common concern in system design. Guided by this notion, we propose a secure transmission system through body-guided channels using Galvanic Coupling (GC). The GC-method injects weak electrical current into human tissue, primarily propagating through the skin. The proposed design provides impermeability to malicious attacks, (e.g. side-channel sniffing) when sending biometric data, as the body behaves as a natural waveguide. The following contributions are: 1) the analytical formulation and empirical verification of a 3D tissue equivalent circuit model for GC-signal propagation of the human arm-wrist-palm channel; 2) the simulation study of numerous modulation schemes, drawn from the validated results of the GC-channel model; 3) the design and implementation of a transceiver prototype using optimal communication parameters (modulation, frequency, power) for transmission on a dielectrically equivalent tissue phantom; and 4) through the experimental trials, we demonstrate the eavesdropping susceptibility of the GC-signals, and similar body communication techniques, over-the-air and while in direct contact with the medium. The performance results of the GC-transceiver prototype yield a bit error rate of 10−6 with a transmit power of −2 dBm, in addition to over 7 $\times$ reduction of signal radiation outside the body compared to capacitive coupling.
Assignment of Infrared-Active Combination Bands in the Vibrational Spectra of Protonated Molecular Clusters Using Driven Classical Trajectories: Application to N4H+ and N4D.

We investigate the utility of the driven molecular dynamics (DMD) approach to complex molecular vibrations by applying it to linear clusters with several degenerate vibrational modes and infrared (...
Coupled Dynamics of Material Delivery and Robotic Manipulator Axes in Endoscopic Additive Manufacturing

Tissue engineering (TE) has seen success in recapitulating the natural function of a variety of simple tissues in the laboratory setting. One barrier to increased clinical translation of tissue constructs is morbidities caused by open surgeries currently needed for their delivery into the body. Advanced robotics and control allow for new tools and manufacturing capabilities that can accelerate the clinical viability of existing forms of TE today. One such tool, an intracorporeal, additive manufacturing (AM) based TE fabrication system in an endoscopic form factor, the Endo AM system, allows for the fabrication of TE constructs inside the body in a minimally-invasive manner. The Endo AM system consists of a 9-joint robotic manipulator and a direct-write (DW) AM extruder, leading to complex flow and positioning dynamics. Here we describe and explore the dynamics of the Endo AM system in simulation, with a focus on studying the coupling of dynamic positioning and material delivery axes.
Untimely Meditations for Critical Pedagogy.

Unfortunately our times are characterised by a serious dissonance between the logic of education policy and the challenges of the nation. In this context, we need to continue to reinvigorate critic...
Exploring the Effect of Music Education on Intercultural Sensitivity in Early Adolescence: A Mixed Methods Inquiry.

ABSTRACTThe purpose of this convergent parallel mixed methods study was to explore changes in levels of intercultural sensitivity after a group of early adolescent students participated in a high–i...
Observing Clouds, Convection and Precipitation with a Geostationary Microwave Sounder

A geostationary microwave sounder, GeoSTAR, capable of providing continuous monitoring every 15 minutes of atmospheric temperature, water vapor, clouds, precipitation, and wind in the presence of clouds, convection and precipitation, which will add tremendously to our ability to observe rapidly evolving dynamic atmospheric phenomena, has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. GeoSTAR uses aperture synthesis to overcome the difficulty of attaining adequate spatial resolution from geostationary orbit and is made possible with new technology that has been fully tested. Plans have been developed at JPL for a mission focused on observing severe convective storms – tropical cyclones, mesoscale convective systems, and extratropical cyclones – with a goal of improving our understanding, modeling and prediction of these destructive phenomena, and such a mission could be a key element in NASA’s response to the 2017 Earth Science Decadal Survey [1].
Factors Associated with Being PrEP-Naïve Among a U.S. National Cohort of Former-PrEP and PrEP-Naïve Participants Meeting Objective Criteria for PrEP Care.

There is an urgent need to increase uptake and persistence in HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in PrEP-eligible candidates. Little is known about the similarities and differences between groups of PrEP-naive and former users, an important consideration for future interventions. We explored factors associated with being PrEP-naive in a U.S. national cohort of naive and former-PrEP users, all of whom met objective criteria for PrEP care at enrollment. Data were derived from the Together 5000 cohort study, an Internet-based U.S. national cohort of cisgender and trans men and trans women who have sex with men. Participants were recruited via ads on men-for-men geosocial networking apps. All participants were not on PrEP at the time of enrollment. We conducted bivariate analysis to explore differences between the two groups and used multivariable logistic regression to assess factors associated with being PrEP-naive. Of the 6283 participants, 5383 (85.7%) were PrEP-naive and 900 (14.3%) were former-PrEP users. There were significant differences between PrEP-naive and former-PrEP users across multiple demographic variables, in addition to PrEP-related and psychosocial variables. Factors associated with being PrEP-naive included younger age, sexual identity other than gay/queer, lower perception of candidacy for PrEP care, less willingness to take PrEP, lower access to PrEP care, and individual-level barriers such as health- and provider-related concerns. Programs and policies designed to address uptake and persistence of PrEP should be aware of these differences. Providing care in non-traditional LGBTQ-care settings, home-based PrEP interventions, and provision by healthcare providers other than physicians could improve uptake. Future research should investigate mechanisms that can improve uptake and persistence in communities in need of PrEP.
The AACR2 as a Design Schema for Bibliographic Databases

The Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules are actually a set of rules for a database--a bibliographic database. An examination of the rules from a generalized database approach, using the entity-relationship model, shows that each rule belongs to at least one of six types: content; establishing entities, relationships, or attributes; authorized sources; domain; format; and access points. The current arrangement of the rules and their individual composition ignores these types: it scatters rules of the same type and mixes a variety of types within a single rule. This results in confusion between the internal/external and conceptual levels of design and a poorly organized presentation of cataloging rules. A generalized database approach suggests an outline for a better organization of the rules. It also provides insight into a variety of issues, such as the role of the main entry. Further investigations using this approach would improve our understanding of the cataloging code.
Low-Depth Quantum Simulation of Materials

Quantum simulation of the electronic structure problem is one of the most researched applications of quantum computing. The majority of quantum algorithms for this problem encode the wavefunction using N Gaussian orbitals, leading to Hamiltonians with O(N^4) second-quantized terms. We avoid this overhead and extend methods to condensed phase materials by utilizing a dual form of the plane wave basis which diagonalizes the potential operator, leading to a Hamiltonian representation with O(N^2) second-quantized terms. Using this representation, we can implement single Trotter steps of the Hamiltonians with linear gate depth on a planar lattice. Properties of the basis allow us to deploy Trotter- and Taylor-series-based simulations with respective circuit depths of O(N^(7/2)) and O(N^(8/3)) for fixed charge densities. Variational algorithms also require significantly fewer measurements in this basis, ameliorating a primary challenge of that approach. While our approach applies to the simulation of arbitrary electronic structure problems, the basis sets explored in this work will be most practical for treating periodic systems, such as crystalline materials, in the near term. We conclude with a proposal to simulate the uniform electron gas (jellium) using a low-depth variational ansatz realizable on near-term quantum devices. From these results, we identify simulations of low-density jellium as a promising first setting to explore quantum supremacy in electronic structure.
Seeking racial and ethnic equity among neonatologists.

Racial and ethnic inequities in leadership achievement, compensation, scholarly productivity, and grant funding exists among physicians. This study explores whether similar inequities exist among neonatologists within the United States. A voluntary anonymous survey was distributed to members of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Neonatal–Perinatal Medicine with 560 respondents. Logistic regression and ordinary least squares were used to assess whether racial and ethnic identity is associated with clinical time, leadership, compensation, publication, grant funding, or academic rank. As compared to non-Hispanic White neonatologists, statistical differences were found for underrepresented minorities in medicine in: regions of the country where they worked, total cash compensation received, being awarded an NIH grant, and location of graduate medical education. Fewer differences were found for Asian neonatologists and included location of graduate medicine education. Racial and ethnic identity remains a significant independent factor influencing professional achievement and compensation.
Transition-metal coordinate bonds for bioinspired macromolecules with tunable mechanical properties

Transition-metal coordination complexes are emerging as a broad class of supramolecular crosslinks that can be used to engineer the mechanical properties of advanced structural materials. Unlike conventional covalent bonds, metal-coordination bonds have the capacity to reform after rupture, thereby enabling dynamic, tunable and reversible (self-healing) mechanical properties. Several biological organisms, such as marine mussels, have been found to take advantage of these unique properties of metal-coordinate complexes in the assembly of load-bearing materials for complex extraorganismal functions. Accordingly, efforts to integrate metal-coordinate crosslinking in bioinspired synthetic protein and polymer hydrogels are an increasingly active area of research. However, a deeper understanding of how metal-coordination bonds affect bulk mechanical properties is still missing, rendering predicting the mechanical properties of metal-coordinated materials challenging. In this Review, we survey recent advances and open questions in our understanding of how chemical properties of metal-coordinate complexes influence multiscale mechanical behaviour, with the aim of presenting metal-coordination bonding as a rich, inorganic crosslinking chemistry tool. We also review applications of metal-coordinate crosslinking in the design of novel materials with tunable mechanical properties, ranging from tough gels to soft robots. These applications highlight the opportunities arising from the integration of this class of load-bearing crosslinks in structural materials design. The reversibility of transition-metal coordination bonds affords broad control over the structural dynamics of materials. This Review surveys the design principles underlying the utilization of this dynamic crosslink chemistry to engineer tunable mechanical properties in biological materials and protein and polymer hydrogels.
Little Ice Age to modern lake-level fluctuations from Ferguson's Gulf, Lake Turkana, Kenya, based on sedimentology and ostracod assemblages

Lacustrine sedimentary records and the proxies contained within them are valuable archives of past climate. However, the resolution of these records is frequently coarse or contains a high degree of uncertainty, making it difficult to resolve how climatic variability impacts the ecosystems on which humans depend. The goal of this study is to couple recent sediment cores sampled at centimeter-scale resolution with paleo- and historical information about lake levels to document how changes in the paleoenvironment impact the paleoecology of a rift basin lake. We present multiproxy data from three short cores collected from Ferguson's Gulf (FG), a shallow embayment connected to the western shore of Lake Turkana, Kenya. Five distinct biozones were interpreted on the basis of ostracods and geochemistry (δ18O, δ13C, and major elements), spanning the Little Ice Age (LIA) to the modern. Overall, ostracod total abundance and assemblage diversity decreased up-core, with the largest total abundance and genera diversity occurring during the LIA. This fits with regional datasets that indicate the Eastern Branch of the East African Rift System was wetter during the LIA than it is today. This also suggests that human impact in and around Lake Turkana has weakened the resiliency of the ecosystems in FG.
Post-degree clinical supervision for licensure: Occurrence of inadequate and harmful experiences among counselors

We assessed the occurrence of inadequate and harmful clinical supervision experienced by supervisees engaged in post-degree supervision for licensure. Among 310 supervisees receiving post-degree su...
Acoustic measurement and statistical characterization of direct-printed, variable-porosity aluminum foams.

Additive manufacturing has expanded greatly in recent years with the promise of being able to create complex and custom structures at will. Enhanced control over the microstructure properties, such as percent porosity, is valuable to the acoustic design of materials. In this work, aluminum foams are fabricated using a modified powder bed fusion method, which enables voxel-by-voxel printing of structures ranging from fully dense to approximately 50% porosity. To understand the acoustic response, samples are measured in an acoustic impedance tube and characterized with the Johnson–Champoux–Allard–Lafarge model for rigid-frame foams. Bayesian statistical inversion of the model parameters is performed to assess the applicability of commonly employed measurement and modeling methods for traditional foams to the additively manufactured, low porosity aluminum foams. This preliminary characterization provides insights into how emerging voxel-by-voxel additive manufacturing approaches could be used to fabricate acoustic metal foams and what could be learned about the microstructure using traditional measurement and analysis techniques.
Association of Elementary School Reopening Status and County COVID-19 Incidence.

Abstract Objective To examine the association between elementary school opening status (ESOS) and changes in pediatric COVID-19 incidence. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of US counties with school districts with ≥500 elementary school students. The main exposure was ESOS in September, 2020. The outcome was county incidence of COVID-19. Age-stratified negative binomial regression models were constructed using county adult COVID-19 incidence. Results Among 3220 US counties, 618 (19.2%) were remote, 391 (12.1%) were hybrid, 2022 (62.8%) were in-person. In unadjusted models, COVID-19 incidence after school started was higher among children in hybrid or in-person counties compared with remote counties. After adjustment for local adult incidence, among children aged 0 to 9, the incidence rate ratio of COVID-19 (IRR) compared with remote counties was 1.01 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.93–1.08) in hybrid counties and 0.79 (95% CI 0.75–0.84) in in-person counties. Conclusions Counties with in-person learning did not have higher rates of COVID-19 after adjustment for local adult rates.
Ultrasonic bone stimulation increases orthostatic tolerance after 24 hours of bed rest (1171.6)

Our studies indicate that stimulation of the otolith organs by gravitational (head-down rotation) and non-gravitational (ultrasonic bone stimulation of mastoid; UBS) activation increases muscle sympathetic activity in humans. These findings suggest that otolith stimulation might assist in maintaining vascular resistance and arterial blood pressure during orthostatic challenges. To test this hypothesis, 16 subjects were placed in head-down bed rest for 24 hours and then tested twice with an 80° head-up tilt test once with and without UBS. The order of the two tilt tests was randomized with a maximum test duration of 30 min. Eight subjects were able to complete both tests after bed rest. In the remaining 8 subjects (2 M, 6 F, 26 ± 2 yr, 172.4 ± 3.0 cm, 74.6 ± 5.8 kg) who could not complete the tilt tests, tilt time was significantly greater in 7 of the 8 subjects with UBS compared to without (743 ± 180 vs. 574 ± 158 s, P = 0.002). Mean arterial pressure was 60±6 mmHg at the stoppage of the control tilt test...
Dopaminergic modulation of arm swing during gait among Parkinson's disease patients.

BACKGROUND Reduced arm swing amplitude, symmetry, and coordination during gait have been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD), but the relationship between dopaminergic depletion and these upper limb gait changes remains unclear. OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the effects of dopaminergic drugs on arm swing velocity, symmetry, and coordination in PD. METHODS Forearm angular velocity was recorded in 16 PD and 17 control subjects (Controls) during free walking trials. Angular velocity amplitude of each arm, arm swing asymmetry, and maximum cross-correlation were compared between control and PD groups, and between OFF- and ON-medication states among PD subjects. RESULTS Compared to Controls, PD subjects in the OFF-medication state exhibited lower angular velocity amplitude of the slower- (p = 0.0018), but not faster- (p = 0.2801) swinging arm. In addition, PD subjects demonstrated increased arm swing asymmetry (p = 0.0046) and lower maximum cross-correlation (p = 0.0026). Following dopaminergic treatment, angular velocity amplitude increased in the slower- (p = 0.0182), but not faster- (p = 0.2312) swinging arm among PD subjects. Furthermore, arm swing asymmetry decreased (p = 0.0386), whereas maximum cross-correlation showed no change (p = 0.7436). Pre-drug angular velocity amplitude of the slower-swinging arm was correlated inversely with the change in arm swing asymmetry (R = -0.73824, p = 0.0011). CONCLUSIONS This study provides quantitative evidence that reduced arm swing and symmetry in PD can be modulated by dopaminergic replacement. The lack of modulations of bilateral arm coordination suggests that additional neurotransmitters may also be involved in arm swing changes in PD. Further studies are warranted to investigate the longitudinal trajectory of arm swing dynamics throughout PD progression.
Perceived Vulner ability and Fear of Crime

Abstract Crime rates are at twenty year lows across the country, but levels of fear of crime have not dropped com men surately. In this research, we test a model that explains Fear of Crime as a function of perceived risk of being caught in gang crossfire or being shot by a criminal. This perceived risk of victimization is, in turn, hypothesized to be in fluenced by perceptions of gun victim characteristics. Specifically, we hypothesize that, controlling for demographic influences, perceptions that a preponderance of gun victims are criminals or innocent people caught in crossfire will relate to increased perceived personal risk of being shot by a criminal, which will lead to heightened fear of crime. Data from 143 participants' responses to a telephone survey confirmed our proposed model. Implications for social policy are discussed.
Measuring Local Aggregate House Prices

This study evaluates the ability of a range of popular aggregate house price indexes to predict house prices out-of-sample at the transaction level for a small geographic area. The analysis particularly addresses the utility of spatial econometric methods. The results suggest that spatial econometric methods, which more explicitly consider the spatial aspects of observed house prices, provide better predictive accuracy as compared to more traditional estimation techniques, such as the repeat sales index, a hybrid repeat sales-hedonic price index, and hedonic price models estimated through least squares. The conclusions are drawn from a sample of 38,984 single-family residential real estate transactions for the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin over the years 2002-2008.
Design techniques for achieving state-of-the-art oscillator performance

The design, fabrication, component selection, and performance of extremely low noise surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonator and delay line oscillators, as well as an extremely low noise L-band dielectric resonator (DR) oscillator are described. To illustrate the design procedure, several specific examples are presented. It is shown that the basic feedback-loop oscillator configuration is well suited to high performance oscillator design in the VHF, U HF and microwave frequency ranges, based upon the incorporation of a two-port frequency stabilizing element. State-of-the-art performance is realized for SAW resonator and delay line based oscillators, as well as for a very simple L-band dielectric resonator oscillator design. >
A scalable information management middleware for large distributed systems

Information management is one of the key tasks of any large-scale distributed application. The goal of this dissertation is to design and build a general and scalable information management middleware for large distributed systems that will facilitate design, development, and deployment of distributed applications and that will enable application developers to explore the tradeoffs between communication cost, response latency, and consistency. In this dissertation, we present a Scalable Distributed Information Management System (SDIMS) that aggregates information about large-scale networked systems and that can serve as a basic building block for a broad range of large-scale distributed applications by providing detailed views of nearby information and summary views of global information. To serve as a basic building block, an SDIMS should have four properties: scalability to many machines and data items, flexibility to accommodate a broad range of applications, administrative isolation for security and availability, and robustness to node and network failures. We design, implement, and evaluate an SDIMS that (1) leverages Distributed Hash Tables (DHT) to create scalable aggregation trees, (2) provides flexibility through a simple API that lets applications control propagation of reads and writes and through a self-tuning mechanism that adapts the propagation to observed load in the system, (3) provides administrative isolation through a novel Autonomous DHT algorithm, and (4) achieves robustness to node and network reconfigurations through lazy reaggregation, on-demand reaggregation, and tunable spatial replication. Through extensive simulations and micro-benchmark experiments on several real testbeds, we observe that our system is an order of magnitude more scalable than existing approaches, provides a wide range of choices for applications to control the propagation of data to tradeoff the bandwidth cost with the response latency, achieves administrative isolation properties at a cost of modestly increased read latency in comparison to flat DHTs, and gracefully handles failures. We implement several applications on top of SDIMS including a file location system and a multicast system. We also use SDIMS in two other research efforts in our lab---as a controller for a distributed file replication system and as an information gathering plane in a distributed network monitoring system.
Common Controversies in the Management of Gallbladder Cancer

Gallbladder cancer is a rare and lethal malignancy. Most patients are best served at high-volume centers of excellence, where they are likely to receive evidence-based care derived from a multidisciplinary approach. Surgical resection is recommended for early-stage disease, whereas if the disease is unresectable, the treatment options include biliary drainage, gemcitabine-based combination chemotherapy, fluoropyrimidine chemoradiation, clinical trial enrollment, or best supportive care. While treatment by T-stage is straightforward in many cases, the debate regarding simple versus radical cholecystectomy is still active for patients with T1b disease. Other controversies exist over the necessity of resecting the bile duct and port sites, the extent of lymph node dissection and hepatic resections, and the value of resection for patients with jaundice.
Use of Ampicillin/Sulbactam Versus Imipenem/Cilastatin in the Treatment of Limb-Threatening Foot Infections in Diabetic Patients

In a double-blind randomized trial, imipenem/cilastatin (I/C; 500 mg every 6 hours) and ampicillin/sulbactam (A/S; 3 g every 6 hours) were compared in regard to their efficacy for initial empirical and definitive parenteral treatment of limb-threatening pedal infection in diabetic patients. The major endpoints of treatment were cure (resolution of soft-tissue infection), failure (inadequate improvement, necessitating a change in antibiotic therapy), and eradication (clearance of all pathogens from the wound and any bone cultures). Patients in the two treatment groups were similar in regard to the severity of diabetes; presence of neuropathy and peripheral vascular disease; site and severity of infection; pathogen isolated; and frequency of osteomyelitis (associated with 68% of the 48 A/S-treated infections and 56% of the 48 I/C-treated infections). After 5 days of empirical treatment, improvement was noted in 94% of the A/S and 98% of the I/C recipients. At the end of definitive treatment (days' duration [mean +/- SD]: 13 +/- 6.5 [A/S], 14.8 +/- 8.6 [I/C]), outcomes were similar: cure, 81% (A/S) vs. 85% (I/C); failure, 17% (A/S) vs. 13% (I/C); and eradication, 67% (A/S) vs. 75% (I/C). Treatment failures were associated with the presence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens and possible nosocomial acquisition of infections. The number of adverse events among patients in the two treatment groups was similar: 7 in the A/S group (4 had diarrhea and 3 had rash) and 9 in the I/C group (5 had diarrhea, 2 had severe nausea, 1 had rash, and 1 had seizure). Efficacy of A/S and I/C is similar for initial empirical and definitive treatment of limb-threatening pedal infection in patients with diabetes.
Executive Scanning and Perceived Uncertainty: A Multidimensional Model

The present study examined how executives’perceptions of the environment affected their decisions to collect strategic information. It was hypothesized that two dimensions of perceived uncertainty would have unique relationships with environmental scanning. Interviews were conducted with 72 senior executives in a cross-section of industries and produced the following results: (1) strategic importance was the primary determinant of scanning; (2) scanning declined as the environment was perceived to be more complex; and (3)perceived variability interacted with importance to positively affect scanning.
Inspiring a love of computer science through the education of our youth (abstract only)

There is a tremendous need for computer science in every discipline; however, our K-12 institutions seem reluctant to alter traditional teaching methods and curriculum in order to include computing concepts at an early age. Therefore, most students are not exposed to computer science until they reach college. In this BOF, I'd like to explore what can be done to help introduce more young people to this exciting discipline, as well as encourage educators and administrators to incorporate computer science curriculum in their schools. As a leader in my children's school for the "Hour of Code" initiative, I was able to witness firsthand how children as youg as four and as old as high school seniors are hungry for more when it comes to programming. During this talk, we will explore what can be done from this point to encourage schools, teachers, and administration to continue (or begin) our youth's knowledge and experience with programming. As a nation, the United States is failing in the proper instruction of our children in the field of computer science. While employment for computer related fields is rising, and knowledge of the discipline is necessary no matter what the ultimate field of study or occupation of the student, only about two thirds of the states within the United States have computing education standards for grade levels K-12 (http://www.acm.org/runningonempty/roemap.html). As an educator (and a mother) I find this disturbing. A good work was begun by "Code.org" this past December, with more than 15 million students logging in to the site and working through the tutorials there. How can we promote and continue this initiative in our local schools and encourage up to date requirements for our students.
Single particle dynamics in the Anderson lattice

We present a theory for the single particle dynamics of the U→∞ Anderson lattice using a projection operator which projects out of any operator its exact thermal average in the space of single particle excitations and is capable of handling the complex f statistics properly. It is exact in the large degeneracy limit and gives a dynamically renormalized hybridization and f level energy. In addition, we find self-energy corrections from the on-site c-f exchange and intersite RKKY exchange induced by the correlation which are absent in other truncation treatments and lead to competition between on-site screening and magnetic effects.
Structure of the hypothetical protein AQ_1354 from Aquifex aeolicus

The crystal structure of a hypothetical protein AQ_1354 (gi 2983779) from the hyperthermophilic bacteria Aquifex aeolicus has been determined using X-ray crystallography. As found in many structural genomics studies, this protein is not associated with any known function based on its amino-acid sequence. PSI-BLAST analysis against a non-redundant sequence database gave 68 similar sequences referred to as `conserved hypothetical proteins' from the uncharacterized protein family UPF0054 (accession No. PF02310). Crystallographic analysis revealed that the overall fold of this protein consists of one central α-helix surrounded by a four-stranded β-sheet and four other α-helices. Structure-based homology analysis with DALI revealed that the structure has a moderate to good resemblance to metal-dependent proteinases such as collagenases and gelatinases, thus suggesting its possible molecular function. However, experimental tests for collagen­ase and gelatinase-type function show no detectable activity under standard assay conditions. Therefore, we suggest either that the members of the UPF0054 family have a similar fold but different biochemical functions to those of collagenases and gelatinases or that they have a similar function but perform it under different conditions.
Synthesis and characterization of branched phosphopeptides: Prototype consolidated ligands for SH(32) domains

This paper details the solid-phase synthesis by Nα-9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) chemistry of a series of bivalent consolidated ligands, branched peptides with lengths of 22 to 25 residues. The target peptides were designed to, and in fact do, interact with greater specificity and higher affinity with the SH2 and SH3 domains of Abelson kinase in an SH(32) dual domain construct. Fmoc-O-phospho-l-tyrosine[Fmoc-Tyr(PO3H2)-OH] was used to introduce the required phosphotyrosine residues, and Fmoc-Ne-1-(4,4-dimethyl-2,6-dioxocyclohexylidene)ethyl-l-lysine [Fmoc-Lys(Dde)-OH] was used to introduce a branch point that allowed proper orientation of individual ligands. The resultant product peptides were characterized by amino acid analyses and electrospray mass spectra.
A Two-Stage Cross Correlation Approach to Template Matching

Two-stage template matching with sum of absolute differences as the similarity measure has been developed by Vanderburg and Rosenfeld [1], [2]. This correspondence shows the development of two-stage template matching with cross correlation as the similarity measure. The threshold value of the first-stage is derived analytically and its validity is verified experimentally. Considerable speed-up over the one-stage process can be obtained by introducing only a small false dismissal probability.
Emergency Fracture Stabilization

Equine limb fractures require emergency veterinary attention. First aid treatment of most equine fractures consists of sedation, analgesia, and external coaptation. More severe or open fractures may require administration of antimicrobial medications, tetanus prophylaxis, and/or fluid therapy before transportation to a referral facility. Prompt patient stabilization and proper immobilization of the fractured limb decrease the risks of further injury to the limb and increase the chances of a successful fracture repair. Knowledge of proper splinting techniques is essential; improper management of a fractured limb can result in more damage occurring at the fracture site and a grave prognosis.
High-Speed, Multi-Slice, X-Ray Computed Tomography

During the first decade of CT scanner development, continuous progress has been made in scanning speed and resolution. This trend is expected to continue in the next decade as new source and detector technologies are introduced. CT has the theoretical potential to eventually rival fluoroscopy in both dynamic speed and resolution. This paper discusses the recent progress in development of the CVCT scanner, a millisecond electron-beam device, intended for high-speed multislice CT. Extensive evaluations using an electron-beam testbed device illustrate the feasibility of this approach.© (1982) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Magnetic order in Dy/Lu superlattices

Several superlattices containing alternate layers of the rare earth elements dysprosium and lutetium were grown by molecular beam epitaxy. Neutron diffraction shows that these samples develop a helical phase in the (≈40 A) Dy layers at TN = 178 K which propagates coherently across the nonmagnetic Lu (20–55 A thick). The Dy layers order ferromagnetically at temperatures which vary from 140 to 160 K (the ferromagnetic phase in the bulk material appears at 85 K). Below TC the ferromagnetic Dy layers may be either aligned or anti-aligned. The transition is accompanied by a distortion of the superlattice basal plane comparable to that which occurs in bulk Dy. We also observe an approximately 80 K increase in TC in thin Lu/Dy(< 150 A)/Lu films. We discuss how the observed high TC may be related to the elastic coupling of the Dy to Lu.
Real-time scheduling with security awareness for packet switched networks

Conventional real-time scheduling algorithms provide timing constraints to network applications without enhancing or optimizing the security service according to the network dynamics. In this paper, we propose a GAIA multi-agent system that combines the functionality of real-time scheduling with the confidentiality security service enhancement for packet switched networks. The real-time scheduling uses the differentiated earliest deadline first scheduler. The security service enhancement scheme adopts a resource estimation methodology. The proposed system provides the required quality-of-service for the real-time data traffic while adaptively enhancing the packet's confidentiality security service level. The buffering systems at the edge router and the destination nodes are optimally used to protect the network from being congested by heavy traffic load.
Rock-magnetic carriers of century-scale susceptibility cycles in glacial–marine sediments from the Palmer Deep, Antarctic Peninsula

Abstract A 4200 year long magnetic susceptibility profile from the Palmer Deep records century- and millennial-scale variability in paleoenvironmental conditions along the western Antarctic Peninsula. The susceptibility profile shows regularly spaced highs and lows over the last 3360 years B.P. then drops to uniformly low values. These features are formed by the variable dilution of terrigenous material with biogenic sediments and shifts in magnetic mineralogy. High-susceptibility intervals are characterized by multi-domain (MD) pure magnetite. Low-susceptibility intervals are characterized by pseudo-single-domain (PSD) magnetite and titanomagnetite. Prior to 3360 years B.P., the magnetic mineral assemblage is dominated by fine PSD titanium-rich titanomagnetite and superparamagnetic particles, suggesting a change in sediment provenance and/or sediment transport processes. The absence of MD magnetite suggests a cessation in locally derived ice-rated debris. This horizon represents the transition from the mid-Holocene climatic optimum to the Neoglacial period, marked by an increase in glacial sedimentation.
NF-κB Repression by PIAS3 Mediated RelA SUMOylation

Negative regulation of the NF-κB transcription factor is essential for tissue homeostasis in response to stress and inflammation. NF-κB activity is regulated by a variety of biochemical mechanisms including phosphorylation, acetylation, and ubiquitination. In this study, we provide the first experimental evidence that NF-κB is regulated by SUMOylation, where the RelA subunit of NF-κB is SUMOylated by PIAS3, a member of the PIAS (protein inhibitor of activated STAT) protein family with E3 SUMO ligase activity. PIAS3-mediated NF-κB repression was compromised by either RelA mutant resistant to SUMOylation or PIAS3 mutant defective in SUMOylation. PIAS3-mediated SUMOylation of endogenous RelA was induced by NF-κB activation thus forming a negative regulatory loop. The SUMOylation of endogenous RelA was enhanced in IκBα null as compared with wild type fibroblasts. The RelA SUMOylation was induced by TNFα but not leptomycin B mediated RelA nuclear translocation. Furthermore, RelA mutants defective in DNA binding were not SUMOylated by PIAS3, suggesting that RelA DNA binding is a signal for PIAS3-mediated SUMOylation. These results support a novel negative feedback mechanism for NF-κB regulation by PIAS3-mediated RelA SUMOylation.
An assay for activity of arogenate dehydratase based upon the selective oxidation of arogenate

Abstract An improved method of assay is presented for arogenate dehydratase, an enzyme catalyzing the formation of l -phenylalanine from l -arogenate. The improvement consists of the inclusion of a step in which arogenate is selectively oxidized using potassium permanganate prior to the measurement of phenylalanine. Following removal of excess KMnO 4 , the phenylalanine present is measured fluorometrically under optimal conditions. A convenient qualitative test for the completeness of arogenate oxidation in the presence of other molecules which are oxidized by KMnO 4 is described. A rigorous evaluation of phenylalanine measurement by the method reported here was accomplished by comparison with three other methods, including amino acid analysis.
Posterior Paralysis of Hamsters with Herpes simplex Infection of the Cervix

LITTLE has been reported about specific virus infections of the female genital tract. Most text-books on gynaecology make sparse or no reference to virus infections of the tract except for lymphogranuloma venereum in human beings. As part of an investigation of the role of ‘ordinary’ viruses in neoplasia of the cervical tract, an attempt was made to develop an experimental model which would enable the interrelationships of viruses and carcinogens to be studied. Herpes simplex virus was selected for initial investigation because of the relatively frequent occurrence of vesicles in the tract of women and because of the latency aspect of its pathogenesis.