cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Control via concentration?: Political and business evidence

This paper explores the relationship between concentration and control, in terms of both markets and hierarchies in economics and their analogues of polities and parties in politics. It is argued that the relationship is not always a positive one. In some cases the relationship is negative and in other cases there is no relationship at all. Insight into the determinants of the nature of this relationship can be gained by explaining apparent inconsistencies which appear when contrasting the economic and political spheres. For example, why is it that a market which meets the criteria for perfect competition—many small producers—is considered socially optimal but not so a polity comprised of many small parties? The two-party system, considered desirable in our national politics, corresponds to the much maligned duopoly in the economic sphere. This paper posits that there are three major types of systems found in both the economic and political spheres, which apply to both levels of aggregation—firms and markets, and parties and polities, respectively—and which have different implications for the relationship between concentration and control. It is also argued that these two levels of aggregation, however useful or necessary for purposes of discussion, are not analytically distinct.
Predicting binaural hearing after stapedectomy from presurgery results.

• Past research has indicated that binaural hearing abilities are not always normal in patients having otosclerosis who have received bilaterally normal pure-tone thresholds through stapedectomy. This study investigated whether poststapedectomy performance on the binaural masking-level difference test could be predicted from presurgery tests in which the two ears were stimulated at an equal sound pressure level and at an equal sensation level. Results indicated that (1) binaural hearing usually improved following stapedectomy, though some patients maintained abnormally poor binaural hearing even though postsurgery pure-tone thresholds were normal; and (2) prediction of postsurgery results was poor, with postsurgery results often being underestimated from presurgery results. Results are interpreted in terms of possible forms of auditory deprivation and acoustic cross-over. ( Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg . 1990;116:946-950)
Rapid eye movement sleep deprivation revives a form of developmentally regulated synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex of post-critical period rats

Abstract The critical period for observing a developmentally regulated form of synaptic plasticity in the visual cortex of young rats normally ends at about postnatal day 30. This developmentally regulated form of in vitro long-term potentiation (LTP) can be reliably induced in layers II–III by aiming high frequency, theta burst stimulation (TBS) at the white matter situated directly below visual cortex (LTPWM-III). Previous work has demonstrated that suppression of sensory activation of visual cortex, achieved by rearing young rats in total darkness from birth, delays termination of the critical period for inducing LTPWM-III. Subsequent data also demonstrated that when rapid eye movement sleep (REMS) is suppressed, thereby reducing REMS cortical activation, just prior to the end of the critical period, termination of this developmental phase is delayed, and LTPWM-III can still be reliably produced in the usual post-critical period. Here, we report that for approximately 3 weeks immediately following the usual end of the critical period, suppression of REMS disrupts the maturational processes that close the critical period, and LTPWM-III is readily induced in brain slices taken from these somewhat older animals. Insofar as in vitro LTP is a model for the cellular and molecular changes that underlie developmental synaptic plasticity, these results suggest that mechanisms of synaptic plasticity, which participate in brain development and perhaps also in learning and memory processes, remain susceptible to the effects of REMS deprivation during the general period of adolescence in the rat.
The Stability of the Northern Canadian Tree Limit

ABSTRACT This paper presents data on and discusses the degree of postglacial stability of the northern Canadian tree limit. Holocene climatic changes have been both directional and synchronous for this region, though deteriorations/ameliorations either (1) lagged from west to east, (2) were buffered by local geographic factors, or (3) were not registered in the fossil record owing to the inherent persistence of the vegetation at some sites. The present northern tree limit in eastern Canada is in equilibrium with the prevailing climate, with the tree populations successfully regenerating both sexually and vegetatively. These tree stands are still occupying their maximum Hypsithermal positions. In contrast, the tree limit, tree line, and intervening forest-tundra ecotone in central and western Canada are out of equilibrium with today's climate. These populations are not sexually regenerative and apparently became established during warmer climates where the tree line was north of its present position. As su...
Spontaneous symmetry breaking and defect formation in a quenched ferromagnetic spinor Bose-Einstein condensate

We observe spontaneous symmetry breaking in a 87Rb spinor Bose condensate quenched across a quantum phase transition. This quench causes inhomogeneous ferromagnetic regions and topological defects to form in a magnetic quantum fluid.
Attitudes About the Nutritional Benefits and Pesticide‐Exposure Risks From Fruit and Vegetable Consumption

How consumers analyze and act upon conflicting information regarding the nutritional benefits offruit and vegetable consumption and potential health risks from pesticide residues is not well-documented. Washington state consumers were surveyed to identify attitudes towardfruits and vegetables (n = 1,067). Respondents were divided into four groups based on scores measuring concern about nutrition and pesticide residues. Those with high concern about both nutrition and pesticide residues had significantly higher (p < .0001) pesticide concern, residue reducing behavior, and perceived susceptibility to cancer and lower scores for trust in pesticide regulation and benefits of pesticide use. Individuals with low concern for both nutrition and pesticide residues had the lowest scores for nutrition behavior, residue-reducing behavior, and susceptibility to cancer but the highest mean scores for barriers toffruit and vegetable intake. Nutrition education that targets identified interests of consumer groups can enhance critical thinking and promote behavioral change.
Suppression of adenoviral gene expression in the liver: role of innate vs adaptive immunity and their cell lysis mechanisms.

Background: Injection of adenoviral constructs causes liver infection prompting immunity, which suppress viral gene expression. Innate and adaptive immunity mediate these processes raising the question which pathways are the most prominent. Methods: Adenovirus expressing the β-galactosidase (β-gal) gene was injected into normal and immunodeficient mice. Elimination of β-gal-expressing hepatocytes and increases in liver enzymes were assayed. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I densities, perforin channel insertion and apoptosis by Fas and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were assayed. Results: At high virus doses, suppression of viral gene expression was as efficient in immunodeficient as in normal mice, while at low doses effects of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) were demonstrable. Despite CTL priming and elimination of infected hepatocytes no liver injury is detected. Hepatocyte MHC I densities were able to trigger CTL granule exocytosis and perforin lysis in vitro but not in vivo. This is we show is because of decreased sensitivity of hepatocytes from infected mice to perforin and increased sensitivity to Fas and TNF-α lysis. Conclusion: Effector cells of the innate immune system are exceedingly effective in suppressing adenoviral gene expression. Perforin-independent pathways, those mediated by TNF-α and Fas are very efficient in hepatocytes from virus-infected livers.
Design, modeling and testing of the Askaryan Radio Array South Pole autonomous renewable power stations

We describe the design, construction and operation of the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) Autonomous Renewable Power Stations, initially installed at the South Pole in December, 2010 with the goal of providing an independently operating 100 W power source capable of year-round operation in extreme environments. In addition to particle astrophysics applications at the South Pole, such a station can easily be, and has since been, extended to operation elsewhere, as described herein.
Ultra-Long-Haul DWDM Network Studies With Cost-Effective Reconfigurable OADMs

By use of novel technologies for broadcast and select (B&S) node architecture and a dispersion-managed fiber system, we demonstrate an ultra-long-haul (ULH) network system consisting of 13 optical add/drop multiplexers (OADM) in an optically transparent 4160-km network chain. All 80 channels at a bit rate of 10.7-Gbps, spaced with a 50-GHz wavelength grid, perform >13.6 dBQ, which offer a 2-dBQ optical margin when forward error correction is applied. A dynamic spectral equalizer with 40 dB extinction ratio is used for the B&S OADM, which offers simultaneous blocking and leveling functions for channel drop and power equalization. The cross-talk penalty requirement of an OADM in the ULH system is studied.
Does Income Smoothing Make Stock Prices More Informative

This paper presents a new approach to studying the effects of earnings management, by testing whether income smoothing, a particular form of earnings management, is associated with more informative stock prices. Stock price informativeness is defined as the amount of information about future earnings and cash flows reflected in current period stock returns, and is measured as the coefficient on future earnings (cash flows) in a regression of current stock return against current and future earnings (cash flows and accruals). I find that firms with greater smoothing have more informative stock prices, implying that managers use income smoothing to reveal their private information about the firm's future profitability.
Symbolic Design of Combinational and Sequential Logic Circuits Implemented by Two-Level Logic Macros

This paper presents a method for the optimal synthesis of combinational and sequential circuits implemented by two-level logic macros, such as programmable logic arrays. Optimization consists of finding representations of switching functions corresponding to minimal-area implementations. The design of optimization is based on two steps: symbolic minimization and constrained encoding. Symbolic minimization yields an encoding-independent sum of products representation of a switching function which is minimal in the number of product terms. The minimal symbolic representation is then encoded into a compatible Boolean representation. The algorithms for symbolic minimization and the related encoding problems are described. The computer implementation and the experimental results are then presented.
Understanding the Psychodynamics of Chronic Homelessness from a Self Psychological Perspective

Self psychology can help explain multiple meanings and experiences of being chronically homeless. While it is clear that homelessness is primarily caused by structural deficits and not individual characteristics, for people who are chronically homeless, this way of existence may have developed to serve a variety of coping, cohesive, and self-preserving functions as they have learned to survive and adapt to hostile environments. Through the use of self psychologically informed clinical practice, this paper explores the subject’s multiple meanings and experiences as well as the nuanced processes that led her to successfully attain permanent housing. The paper begins by discussing macro etiologies of homelessness, constructs in self psychology and strives to link the two in theory and practice by exploring one person’s life of chronic homelessness. The paper also explores ethical challenges as coercive elements factor into the case.
Mind the Gap: The Place of Gap Studies in Sociolegal Scholarship

Arising in the late 1960s and early 1970s—in conjunction with the development of sociology of law and the Law and Society Association—gap studies dominated much of sociolegal scholarship for a time, providing multiple examples of the ways in which law on the books is inconsistent with law in action. These gaps, in turn, spurred calls for legal reform. By the 1980s, however, gap studies came in for criticism, not only for the presumption that law was purposively rational but also for scholars' beliefs that they could identify law's aims. To some, the findings were naive or undertheorized. Nonetheless, gap studies have illuminated many legal practices and have helped to identify pathways by which law may have an impact. Even as sociolegal scholarship has become increasingly decentered from law, one still sees the tendrils of gap studies in research exploring discrepancies between expectations and actuality in law and legality.
Examining self-efficacy during learning: variability and relations to behavior, performance, and learning

Self-regulated learning (SRL) theorists propose that learners' motivations and cognitive and metacognitive processes interact dynamically during learning, yet researchers typically measure motivational constructs as stable factors. In this study, self-efficacy was assessed frequently to observe its variability during learning and how learners' efficacy related to their problem-solving performance and behavior. Students responded to self-efficacy prompts after every fourth problem of an algebra unit completed in an intelligent tutoring system. The software logged students' problem-solving behaviors and performance. The results of stability and change, path, and correlational analyses indicate that learners' feelings of efficacy varied reliably over the learning task. Their prior performance (i.e., accuracy) predicted subsequent self-efficacy judgments, but this relationship diminished over time as judgments were decreasingly informed by accuracy and increasingly informed by fluency. Controlling for prior achievement and self-efficacy, increases in efficacy during one problem- solving period predicted help-seeking behavior, performance, and learning in the next period. Findings suggest that self-efficacy varies during learning, that students consider multiple aspects of performance to inform their efficacy judgments, and that changes in efficacy influence self-regulated learning processes and outcomes.
Natural Rewards Self-Management, Personality, and Achievement Outcomes

The purpose of this paper is to test and examine a model of personality and selfregulation that specifies a possible self-regulatory route to increased performance in achievement contexts—the use of natural rewards self-management strategies, which allow people to create motivating situations by modifying tasks through perceptual or physical means. This model is hierarchically organized with global personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness) predicting use of natural rewards, and natural rewards influencing attention and effort, which are positively related to performance. Participants were undergraduate students at 3 large state universities, and data were collected at 4 points during the semester. Results from structural equation modeling provided support for the model. The theoretical and practical implications of these results are discussed. jasp_660 2267..2294
Language Program as Ecology: A Perspective for Leadership.

A language program is a delicate and intricate system of interacting resources or components, which, like a biological ecology, is in a constant state of evolution and change. The interactive system making up the program’s internal culture is connected ecologically to the external environment. The ecological model is introduced as a useful perspective on a language program, with examples given of the impact of change on program structure and functioning and of the interlocking decision areas for program development. Faculty are central to the culture, operation, and decision-making of the language program ecology and have a key role to play in interacting with changing student populations and other areas of program change.
Pathomorphology and pathogenesis of bacterial meningoventriculitis of neonatal ungulates.

Bacterial meningoventriculitis was studied in 26 neonatal ungulates. Preceded by a substantial bacteremia, usually due to Escherichia coli, the fibrinopurulent inflammation involved leptomeninges, choroid plexuses, and ventricle walls, but largely spared the neuraxial parenchyma. It is proposed that this surface-relatedness results from the transport of bacteria by monocytes of low bactericidal power, migrating by normal pathways to maintain significant surface populations of macro- phages. The neuraxial parenchyma is spared because of its normal lack of a macrophage population. A similar pathogenesis would hold for the frequent concurrent appearance of serositis and synovitis. Bacterial meningoventriculitis of neonatal ungu- lates6. 12-15 is characterized by a peculiarly surface-re- lated inflammation of the leptomeninges, choroid plex- uses and ventricle walls with sparing of the underlying neuraxial parenchyma. A similar condition appears in human infants3*' but seems to be rare in puppies and kittens. It is often forgotten that many cases of neonatal septicemia may have well-developed lesions of menin- goventriculitis without specific neurologic signs. The disease is most often caused by invasive strains of Escherichia coli, but other bacteria can produce similar lesion^.'^ There is a consistent association with bacteremia.*'* 29. 30 Serositis, synovitis, or both are fre- quently observed to occur concurrently. To more thor- oughly define the nature and pattern of the lesions and to attempt a reconstruction of their pathogenesis, a retrospective study of the disease was made. We were not concerned with deficiencies of immunity which may have facilitated infection, only with events conse- quent upon the bacteremia. For this condition, the term, meningoventriculitis, is preferred to the even more cumbersome synonym, chorioependymomeningitis. Ependymitis is an unsat- isfactory term since most of the reaction is subependy- mal. Ventriculitis is used here to define inflammation of the inner ventricle wall (ependyma and subepen- dyma) apart from the deeper parenchyma. Inflamma- tion of the choroid plexus stroma (plexitis or choroidi- tis) may be regarded as a part of leptomeningitis since the extracellular spaces of plexus stroma and leptomen- inges are in direct continuity and the plexus stromal cells appear to be leptomeningo~ytes.~~ Also, a part of meningitis is the accumulation of exudate in the peri- vascular spaces of the larger paramedian vessels of the brainstem. While these tunnel into the brain, they are not intracerebral.28 Accompanied by leptomeningo- cytes and occasional macrophages, these vessels bear a relationship to the parenchyma resembling that of men- ingeal vessels in the depths of sulci.
Plasmonic properties of regiospecific core-satellite assemblies of gold nanostars and nanospheres.

Solution-based molecularly-mediated bottom-up assembly of gold nanostars and nanospheres in regiospecific core–satellite nanoarchitectures is reported. The controlled assembly is driven by coupling reactions in solution between small, rigid, Raman-active organic molecules bound to the surface of the nanoparticles, and leads to much narrower interparticle gaps than achievable with DNA-based assembly methods. In the described system, gold nanostars with multiple sharp spikes, ideal for electromagnetic field enhancement, are used as the core particle onto which spherical satellites are assembled. Transmission electron micrographs show that the core–satellite structures assemble with <2 nm interparticle gaps and regiospecific binding of only one sphere per spike, and the process can be followed by monitoring changes in the surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectra of the Raman active linkers. The assembled structures give rise on average to two orders of magnitude SERS signal enhancement per nanoparticle in comparison to their constituents, which can be attributed to the creation of SERS “hot spots” between the nanostar tip and the satellite sphere. Two dimensional finite element electromagnetic models show strongly confined electromagnetic field intensity in the narrow interparticle gaps of core–satellite assemblies, which is significantly enhanced in comparison to the constituent nanoparticles, thus corroborating the experimental findings. Thus, the assemblies reported here can be envisioned as SERS-tags for imaging purposes as well as a model system for SERS-based chemical sensing with improved sensitivity.
Estimation of protein coding density in a corpus of DNA sequence data

A number of experimental methods have been reported for estimating the number of genes in a genome, or the closely related coding density of a genome, defined as the fraction of base pairs in codons. Recently, DNA sequence data representative of the genome as a whole have become available for several organisms, making the problem of estimating coding density amenable to sequence analytic methods. Estimates of coding density for a single genome vary widely, so that methods with characterized error bounds have become increasingly desirable. We present a method to estimate the protein coding density in a corpus of DNA sequence data, in which a 'coding statistic' is calculated for a large number of windows of the sequence under study, and the distribution of the statistic is decomposed into two normal distributions, assumed to be the distributions of the coding statistic in the coding and noncoding fractions of the sequence windows. The accuracy of the method is evaluated using known data and application is made to the yeast chromosome III sequence and to C. elegans cosmid sequences. It can also be applied to fragmentary data, for example a collection of short sequences determined in the course of STS mapping.
Fútbol cantitos: negotiating masculinity in Argentina

Futbol as a source of national identity for many Argentineans has been documented by several scholars. Literature on how it represents the broader scope of Argentine society continues to develop. During the most significant period of modernization, many dwelling within Argentina searched for representation of the cultural and social essence of their respective locales. Social clubs became well organized throughout the country and each served as the pillar of identification many sought. Futbol competitions soon offered an outlet with which to construct and affirm particular identities. Argentinean futbol fans continue this practice today. How football supporters live and enact their fandom have been explored widely in Europe. In particular, recent work has begun to examine the popular cultural forms that emerge from sports fans, particularly songs, chants and the use of musical instruments. An analytical study of the songs and chants composed and delivered by the militant (barras bravas) and casual fans fr...
Chemical sensors based on metal oxide nanostructures

This paper is an overview of sensor development based on metal oxide nanostructures. While nanostructures such as nanorods show significan t potential as enabling materials for chemical sensors, a number of s ignificant technical challenges remain. The major issues addressed in this work revolve around the ability to make workable sensors. This paper discusses efforts to address three technical barriers related t o the application of nanostructures into sensor systems: 1) Improving contact of the nanostructured materials with electrodes in a microse nsor structure; 2) Controling nanostructure crystallinity to allow co ntrol of the detection mechanism; and 3) Widening the range of gases that can be detected by using different nanostructured materials. It is concluded that while this work demonstrates useful tools for furt her development, these are just the beginning steps towards realizati on of repeatable, controlled sensor systems using oxide based nanostr uctures.
Multiple conserved regulatory domains promote Fezf2 expression in the developing cerebral cortex

The genetic programs required for development of the cerebral cortex are under intense investigation. However, non-coding DNA elements that control the expression of developmentally important genes remain poorly defined. Here we investigate the regulation of Fezf2, a transcription factor that is necessary for the generation of deep-layer cortical projection neurons. Using a combination of chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by high throughput sequencing (ChIP-seq) we mapped the binding of four deep-layer-enriched transcription factors previously shown to be important for cortical development. Building upon this we characterized the activity of three regulatory regions around the Fezf2 locus at multiple stages throughout corticogenesis. We identified a promoter that was sufficient for expression in the cerebral cortex, and enhancers that drove reporter gene expression in distinct forebrain domains, including progenitor cells and cortical projection neurons. These results provide insight into the regulatory logic controlling Fezf2 expression and further the understanding of how multiple non-coding regulatory domains can collaborate to control gene expression in vivo.
Why Doesn't Imatinib Cure Chronic Myeloid Leukemia?

Imatinib mesylate has transformed the treatment for chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). The vast majority of patients obtain hematologic remission, with a low probability of progression of disease. Yet imatinib rarely cures CML, and current recommendations dictate lifelong treatment with imatinib. In this review we analyze the biology behind the failure of imatinib to fully eradicate CML. We review evidence that indicates that the leukemic stem cell for CML is inherently resistant to imatinib, and that imatinib treatment itself may enhance this resistance.
Thickness effects on the optical transmission characteristics of small hole arrays on thin gold films

Transmission characteristics are measured as a function of film thickness on metallic hole array samples which are prepared with varied hole periodicity, size and shape on a silica substrate. We have determined that the transmission efficiency for 130 nm gold thickness is about 40 % less than that of a gold film of 60 nm thickness with the triangular hole structure. The peak positions are also moved significantly as a function of metal thickness due to the coupling of the localized surface plasmon inside the hole. Additionally, under certain conditions of the hole periodicity and size, the transmission efficiency is increased near 750 nm wavelength although the metal thickness is thicker.
Functional profiling discovers the dieldrin organochlorinated pesticide affects leucine availability in yeast.

Exposure to organochlorinated pesticides such as dieldrin has been linked to Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, endocrine disruption, and cancer, but the cellular and molecular mechanisms of toxicity behind these effects remain largely unknown. Here we demonstrate, using a functional genomics approach in the model eukaryote Saccharomyces cerevisiae, that dieldrin alters leucine availability. This model is supported by multiple lines of congruent evidence: (1) mutants defective in amino acid signaling or transport are sensitive to dieldrin, which is reversed by the addition of exogenous leucine; (2) dieldrin sensitivity of wild-type or mutant strains is dependent upon leucine concentration in the media; (3) overexpression of proteins that increase intracellular leucine confer resistance to dieldrin; (4) leucine uptake is inhibited in the presence of dieldrin; and (5) dieldrin induces the amino acid starvation response. Additionally, we demonstrate that appropriate negative regulation of the Ras/protein kinase A pathway, along with an intact pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, is required for dieldrin tolerance. Many yeast genes described in this study have human orthologs that may modulate dieldrin toxicity in humans.
Pharmacokinetics of teratogenic antibodies administered to rats

The serum levels of total and visceral yolk sac (VYS)-reactive sheep IgG have been determined following injection of a teratogenic sheep anti-VYS antiserum. After intravenous injection, levels of VYS-reactive IgG fell rapidly, with 75% of the amount in the injection removed in the first 5 min, and 90% by 60 min. By contrast, 90% or more of the total sheep IgG was still present at these times. A similar difference in clearance was seen after intraperitoneal injection, although the serum levels also reflected the presence of a pool of antiserum in the peritoneum and the simultaneous influx and efflux of IgG into and from the circulation. The clearance pattern was similar in pregnant and nonpregnant rats; it is concluded that antibodies against VYS-specific antigens comprise a very small fraction of VYS-reactive antibodies in the antiserum. ELISA and Western blot analysis indicated extensive cross-specificity with antigens present in rat tissues other than the VYS. Similar teratogenic effects were observed after intravenous or introperitoneal injection of the antiserum at 8.5 days of gestation; we conclude that the proximal effect likely begins within the period immediately after the injection. The results are also considered within the context of published reports that the VYS shows structural and functional damage for several days after intraperitoneal administration of antiserum at 8.5 days. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
13-year long-term associations between changes in traditional cardiovascular risk factors and changes in fibrinogen levels: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study.

Objective Cross-sectional and prospective studies have linked cardiovascular events and traditional risk factors (TRFs) with higher plasma fibrinogen levels. In a young cohort, we sought to determine longitudinal associations between changes in/development of TRFs and fibrinogen levels over 13 years.
Utility-directed resource allocation in virtual desktop clouds

User communities are rapidly transitioning their ''traditional desktops'' that have dedicated hardware and software installations into ''virtual desktop clouds'' (VDCs) that are accessible via thin-clients. To allocate and manage VDC resources for Internet-scale desktop delivery, existing works focus mainly on managing server-side resources based on utility functions of CPU and memory loads, and do not consider network health and thin-client user experience. Resource allocations without combined utility-directed information of system loads, network health and thin-client user experience in VDC platforms inevitably results in costly guesswork and over-provisioning of resources. In this paper, we develop an analytical model viz., ''Utility-Directed Resource Allocation Model (U-RAM)'' to solve the combined utility-directed resource allocation problem within VDCs. Our solution involves an iterative algorithm that leverages utility functions of system, network and human components obtained using a novel virtual desktop performance benchmarking toolkit viz., ''VDBench'' that we developed. The combined utility functions are used to direct decision schemes based on Kuhn-Tucker optimality conditions for creating user desktop pools and determining optimal resource allocation size/location. We deploy VDBench in a VDC testbed featuring: (a) popular user applications (Spreadsheet Calculator, Internet Browser, Media Player, Interactive Visualization), and (b) TCP/UDP based thin-client protocols (RDP, RGS, PCoIP) under a variety of user load and network health conditions. Simulation results based on the utility functions obtained from the testbed demonstrate that our solution maximizes VDC scalability i.e., 'VDs per core density', and 'user connections quantity', while delivering satisfactory thin-client user experience.
Shared sequence variants of Mus spretus LINE-1 elements tracing dispersal to within the last 1 million years

LINE-1 repetitive sequences contain a record of an evolving population of transposons within the mammalian genome. Of the 100,000 copies of LINE-1 sequences per genome there are many shared sequence variants representing changes occurring within the propagating LINE-1 elements themselves, rather than changes that occur during retrotransposition or after an element inserts in the genome. These shared sequence variants define families of LINE-1 elements which have spread within specific periods of time. We have been interested in studying events in LINE-1 evolution since the speciation of Mus spretus and Mus domesticus approximately 3 million years (Myr) ago. To do this, we have collected LINE-1 sequences that have shared sequence variants specific to M. spretus. The sampled LINE-1 elements were sequenced at their extreme 3' ends, where the density of sequence variants is highest. The new sequences define six new M. spretus-specific sequence variants. Of these, we have found one that could be used to screen for LINE-1 elements arising in the last 1 Myr, which we argue is a critical sample for understanding the dynamics of LINE-1 propagation.
Abstract ED03-01: Using electronic health data in “real-world” studies: Examples and opportunities in the HMO Cancer Research Network

The HMO Cancer Research Network (CRN) is a National Cancer Institute-funded initiative to support and facilitate collaborative cancer research within non-profit integrated health care delivery systems. The CRN has several characteristics that result collectively in a unique, unparalleled resource for epidemiologic and health services research in cancer. These include scientists with expertise in conducting public-domain cancer research in these settings; defined populations with a combined membership of approximately 8.5 million individuals within 9 different integrated health care delivery systems; clinical and administrative data systems that capture most aspects of care; development and implementation of common data models in the Virtual Data Warehouse (VDW) to facilitate collaborative and multi-institutional research; and access to clinicians and administrators to facilitate translation of research findings to practice. The VDW includes demographic, utilization, diagnostic, procedure, and pharmacy data which can be used to study cancer epidemiology, cost effectiveness, practice patterns and more. Investigators can propose collaborative research projects via the CRN website (http://crn.cancer.gov/). The presentation will include examples of recent CRN-based research studies highlighting both study design and practical issues in conducting studies using electronic data from multiple sources. Strategies for successful collaborative research within and beyond the CRN will be discussed. Supported by U24 CA171524. Citation Format: Vincent Paul Doria-Rose, Katherine Mazor. Using electronic health data in “real-world” studies: Examples and opportunities in the HMO Cancer Research Network. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Twelfth Annual AACR International Conference on Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research; 2013 Oct 27-30; National Harbor, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Can Prev Res 2013;6(11 Suppl): Abstract nr ED03-01.
Learning by Jamming

Aristotle offers the epigram for this chapter with the assertion from his Ethics: “For the things we have to learn to do, we learn by doing them.” In turn, this chapter explores what is happening when learning is put underway and ‘conducted’ by an educator who is ‘making music’ with their students. ‘Music making’ is a figurative category used to describe a particular form of dynamic dialogic learning. Hence, the aim of this chapter is to offer a phenomenology of the ‘music making philosophical educator.’ One can imagine different types of music making educators, and it is hoped this chapter will inspire others to describe their own musical-philosophical educators. However, the attention here is exclusively focused on describing the philosophical educator as one who puts into motion an improvisational jam session, i.e., one who understands that a philosophical education, or the experiential learning of human freedom, happens through dialogic jamming.
Toxicities Following Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy Treatment of Locally-Recurrent and Previously Irradiated Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma ☆

Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) with concomitant cetuximab is an effective treatment option for previously irradiated, locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck. Its local control and overall survival are similar to those of other available treatment options. Each retreatment depends heavily on the prior treatment and every patient is a special case. Based on the experience of our institution and previously published studies, for patients who receive concomitant cetuximab with a median prior radiation therapy dose of 70Gy, we recommend a total dose of 40-44Gy delivered in 5 fractions on alternating days over 1-2 weeks. However, Grade 2 or 3 toxicities are not uncommon. Therefore, in this review, we also report a pilot study that applies a normal tissue complication probability dose-response model to estimate the probability of toxicities in locally recurrent squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck reirradiated with SABR. Although this dose-response model includes concurrent targeted therapy and no comparable model yet exists for SABR without it, complication rates without concurrent biological therapy or chemotherapy should be no higher than those described here.
Mixed-hybrid and vertex-discontinuous-Galerkin finite element modeling of multiphase compositional flow on 3D unstructured grids

Problems of interest in hydrogeology and hydrocarbon resources involve complex heterogeneous geological formations. Such domains are most accurately represented in reservoir simulations by unstructured computational grids. Finite element methods accurately describe flow on unstructured meshes with complex geometries, and their flexible formulation allows implementation on different grid types. In this work, we consider for the first time the challenging problem of fully compositional three-phase flow in 3D unstructured grids, discretized by any combination of tetrahedra, prisms, and hexahedra. We employ a mass conserving mixed hybrid finite element (MHFE) method to solve for the pressure and flux fields. The transport equations are approximated with a higher-order vertex-based discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretization. We show that this approach outperforms a face-based implementation of the same polynomial order. These methods are well suited for heterogeneous and fractured reservoirs, because they provide globally continuous pressure and flux fields, while allowing for sharp discontinuities in compositions and saturations. The higher-order accuracy improves the modeling of strongly non-linear flow, such as gravitational and viscous fingering. We review the literature on unstructured reservoir simulation models, and present many examples that consider gravity depletion, water flooding, and gas injection in oil saturated reservoirs. We study convergence rates, mesh sensitivity, and demonstrate the wide applicability of our chosen finite element methods for challenging multiphase flow problems in geometrically complex subsurface media.
The “Performance of Rotavirus and Oral Polio Vaccines in Developing Countries” (PROVIDE) Study: Description of Methods of an Interventional Study Designed to Explore Complex Biologic Problems

Oral vaccines appear less effective in children in the developing world. Proposed biologic reasons include concurrent enteric infections, malnutrition, breast milk interference, and environmental enteropathy (EE). Rigorous study design and careful data management are essential to begin to understand this complex problem while assuring research subject safety. Herein, we describe the methodology and lessons learned in the PROVIDE study (Dhaka, Bangladesh). A randomized clinical trial platform evaluated the efficacy of delayed-dose oral rotavirus vaccine as well as the benefit of an injectable polio vaccine replacing one dose of oral polio vaccine. This rigorous infrastructure supported the additional examination of hypotheses of vaccine underperformance. Primary and secondary efficacy and immunogenicity measures for rotavirus and polio vaccines were measured, as well as the impact of EE and additional exploratory variables. Methods for the enrollment and 2-year follow-up of a 700 child birth cohort are described, including core laboratory, safety, regulatory, and data management practices. Intense efforts to standardize clinical, laboratory, and data management procedures in a developing world setting provide clinical trials rigor to all outcomes. Although this study infrastructure requires extensive time and effort, it allows optimized safety and confidence in the validity of data gathered in complex, developing country settings.
Food, aid, and education in East Africa: repackaging the conversation

AbstractThis paper examines students’ food perspectives in three rapidly diversifying contemporary contexts: a university setting in Kigali, Rwanda where students help to prepare Chinese dumplings; a school garden and canteen in Nairobi, Kenya where students jostle for bowls of beans and rice; and a fast-food restaurant in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, where wealthy students sometimes eat. In interpreting these settings, the paper contrasts students’ food perspectives with the work conducted in these countries by the United Nations World Food Program. The work draws on a theoretical literature on food as symbolising social relations to argue that the WFP might deal with food more complexly in these countries by building and expanding on students’ already astute and complex food perspectives.
Quels cycles pour la filière des réacteurs à haute température

Differents cycles de combustible peuvent etre envisages dans les reacteurs a haute temperature. Des raisons physiques fondamentales rendent ces reacteurs extremement flexibles vis-a-vis des cycles de combustibles avec lesquels ils peuvent fonctionner (melanges tres varies de materiaux fissiles et fertiles possibles). Les cycles effectivement etudies dans le passe ou envisageables aujourd'hui pour les futurs RHT, presentent chacun des avantages et des inconvenients. Les performances de chacun de ces cycles pour ce qui concerne la consommation d'uranium naturel ainsi que la consommation et la production de plutonium et d'uranium-233 sont examinees. Dans les conclusions, les principaux enseignements de cette analyse sont resumes et quelques-unes des etudes essentielles restant a realiser dans ce domaine sont identifiees.
Proton beam therapy: the next disruptive innovation in healthcare?

The term disruptive innovation was coined in the 1990s by Harvard Business School professor, Clayton Christensen, to describe technological innovations that transform current markets and quickly replace existing technology.1 A commonly cited example relates to the development of the automobile in the early 1900s. Clearly, the automobile represented a revolutionary technological advancement for transportation, but it remained a luxury good of limited use until Henry Ford began production of the Model-T in 1908. The Model-T was by no means a superior product to previously produced automobiles. But Ford's assembly line mass production methods allowed the car to be produced at a significantly less cost and suddenly the automobile was affordable to the masses. In this case, more efficient mass production techniques represented a disruptive innovation in the transportation market. Technology innovation within healthcare has been extraordinary and has undoubtedly resulted in improved patient outcomes over time. However, examples of truly disruptive technologies in healthcare are uncommon. Essential qualities of disruptive technologies are that they need to be convenient, affordable and accessible in order to foster rapid adoption. Instead, most innovations in healthcare technology are considered sustaining innovations in that they represent step-wise improvements of existing technology, but are also more costly and complex. Recent examples include the use of positron emission tomography (PET)/CT, robotic assisted surgery or molecular targeted cancer therapies. The need for evidence development is clearly one reason why disruptive innovations in healthcare are rare. Healthcare is relatively unique in this regard when compared with other sectors of technological innovation, such as automotive manufacturing or telecommunications. Decisions in healthcare use have high stakes that can impact patient's lives, and the associated costs are often borne by society as a whole rather than the individual. Stakeholders in healthcare therefore rely on methods of evidence-based medicine, health technology assessment …
Variational Inference of Cluster-Weighted Models for Sensitivity Analysis

A sampling-based sensitivity analysis framework for computational mechanics models is further developed here for computing full-field sensitivities throughout the model’s parameter space. A central component of this method is probabilistic regression with cluster-weighted models. An approximate Bayesian formulation for inference of the cluster-weighted model parameters is presented as a more robust alternative to the standard maximum likelihood method. The method employs variational inference of the hyperparameters in the posterior joint density of the cluster-weighted model parameters and the associated latent variables. Conjugate priors are used to simplify inference within the variational framework. The proposed method has slightly higher computational overhead than expectation maximization but this is more than compensated for by the improved regularity of the regression function and the potential to avoid cross-validation as more clusters are added. Derivatives of test functions were estimated analytically through their cluster-weighted models trained on limited sample sets and found to exhibit all of the key features seen in the true derivatives.
Single Unilateral Vaginal Ectopic Ureter: Is it Really a Rarity?

Abstract Although previously regarded as a rarity, 13 of the 20 published cases of single unilateral vaginal ectopic ureter have been reported within the last year. We have seen 4 cases of a single unilateral vaginal ectopic ureter within a 4-month interval. The relationship of vaginal ureteral ectopia to mullerian and mesonephric duct anomalies is discussed. If the ureteral bud originates laterally from the mesonephric duct then the ureter may retain its connection with the mesonephric duct while failing to connect to the bladder. This condition combined with persistence of the distal mesonephric (Gartner’s) duct, which ruptures vaginally, accounts for vaginal ureteral ectopia and incontinence. The diagnostic studies for vaginal ureteral ectopia include excretory urography, radionuclide scanning, ultrasonography and administration of oral phenazopyridine in conjunction with careful vaginoscopic examination. The combination of lifelong wetting and solitary kidney on excretory urography should alert the urologist to this syndrome. The single unilateral vaginal ectopic ureter may be more common than has been suggested previously.
Cytodiagnosis of Pneumocystis carinii Infection Using Toluidine Blue O

This paper describes a two-year study at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Washington, DC, to evaluate whether toluidine blue O staining can be used to detect Pneumocystis carinii more quickly and reliably than traditional methods. Bronchoalveoiar lavage specimens were prepared using combined Saccomanno and cytocentrifugation methods. Staining by toluidine blue O was as reliable as traditional cyst wall staining methods; however, toluidine blue 0 staining was completed in less than ten minutes and required only two reagents. Toluidine blue 0 staining proved to be a fast, reliable, and effective method for demonstrating the Pneumocystis organism .