cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mechanisms in one-carbon nutrients and colon cancer.

PL05-01 Both pre-clinical and clinical studies suggest that diminished folate status increases the risk of colorectal carcinogenesis. Moreover, observations from rodent models of colon cancer as well as an epidemiological association between a common polymorphism in the folate-dependent enzyme, MTHFR, and the occurrence of colorectal neoplasms provide further support for a true mechanistic role for folate in determining the risk of this cancer. Further, the biological plausibility of such a relationship is high given the pivotal role that folate plays in biological methylation and the synthesis and repair of RNA/DNA. However, folate does not perform its important biochemical functions in isolation: these functions are also dependent on the adequate availability of several other 9one-carbon nutrients9, including vitamins B2, B6 and B12. We therefore investigated if the mild depletion of folate, alone or in combination with depletion of vitamins B2, B6 and B12 could induce alterations in pro-carcinogenic pathways in the colonic mucosa. Four month old mice were pair-fed diets with different combinations of vitamin depletion. To date, the most remarkable effects noted have been on the Wnt pathway. Genomic DNA hypomethylation and DNA strand breaks within the APC mutation cluster region were significantly induced by mild folate depletion combined with inadequacies of B2, B6, and B12; such effects were not significantly induced by folate depletion alone. Similarly, minor changes in the expression of the APC and b-catenin produced by mild folate depletion were magnified by the combined depletion of the abovementioned B-vitamins. Apoptosis was significantly attenuated only by the combined deficiency state. These findings indicate that a mild depletion of folate that is of insufficient magnitude by itself to induce Wnt pathway alterations may produce such effects when present in conjunction with mild inadequacies of other one-carbon nutrients. These observations underscore the import of multiple states of 9subclinical9 depletion that may act in concert with one another and thereby produce pro-carcinogenic effects that would not be produced by a single state of depletion.
Automatic Model Generation for Gate-Level Circuit PDES with Reverse Computation

Gate-level circuit simulation is an important step in the design and validation of complex circuits. This step of the process relies on existing libraries for gate specifications. We start with a generic gate model for Rensselaer’s Optimistic Simulation System, a parallel discrete-event simulation framework. This generic model encompasses all functionality needed by optimistic simulation using reverse computation. We then describe a parser system that uses a standardized gate library to create a specific model for simulation. The generated model is composed of several functions, including those needed for an accurate model of timing behavior. To quantify the improvements that an automatically generated model can have over a hand written model, we compare two gate library models: an automatically generated lsi-10k library model and a previously investigated, handwritten, simplified gtech library model. We conclude that the automatically generated model is a more accurate model of actual hardware. In comparison to previous results, we find that the automatically generated model is able to achieve better optimistic simulation performance when measured against conservative simulation. To test the automatically generated model, we evaluate the performance of a simulation of a full-scale OpenSPARC T2 processor model. This model consists of nearly 6 million LPs. We achieve a peak performance of 1.63 million events per second during a conservative simulation. To understand the relatively weaker performance of optimistic simulation, we investigate hot spots of event activity and visually identify a workload imbalance.
Learning information release policies for preventing intersection attacks

Location Based Services in the world of mobile devices has been used widely in all sectors and in various applications. It allows one to track the location, track services and also perfom other location based operations. Although it's uses are very significant, the information related to location has opened up opportunities for adversary to misuse the mobile clients. This paper addresses one such problem with location information release and the problem addressed is mainly around Intersection Attacks. The two geo-spatial information over a period of time may be kept private but the time interval between the two specific time periods could lead to information leakage. This paper proposes two methodologies called “hierarchical signatures” and “Markov devision process” to mitigate intersection attacks. The paper also details the experimentation and results based on the tests done on two types of datasetc including reality mining datasets and telecommunication datasets.
Adding Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to Exposure and Response Prevention for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to test whether treatment acceptability, exposure engagement, and completion rates could be increased by integrating acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with traditional exposure and response prevention (ERP). 58 adults (68% female) diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD; M age = 27, 80% white) engaged in a multisite randomized controlled trial of 16 individual twice-weekly sessions of either ERP or ACT + ERP. Assessors unaware of treatment condition administered assessments of OCD, depression, psychological flexibility, and obsessional beliefs at pretreatment, posttreatment, and six-month follow-up. Treatment acceptability, credibility/expectancy, and exposure engagement were also assessed. Exposure engagement was high in both conditions and there were no significant differences in exposure engagement, treatment acceptability, or dropout rates between ACT + ERP and ERP. OCD symptoms, depression, psychological inflexibility, and obsessional beliefs decreased significantly at posttreatment and were maintained at follow-up in both conditions. No between-group differences in outcome were observed using intent to treat and predicted data from multilevel modeling. ACT + ERP and ERP were both highly effective treatments for OCD, and no differences were found in outcomes, processes of change, acceptability, or exposure engagement.
BOOK REVIEW - Public human resource management: strategies and practices in the 21st century

Public Human Resource Management: Strategies and Practices in the 21st Century (Los Angeles, Sage/CQ Press, 2015), by R. Paul Battaglio, Jr., is a welcome new addition to the collection of textbook...
Density functional theory (DFT) and microcalorimetric investigations of CO adsorption on Pt clusters

Microcalorimetric measurements were conducted at 573 K of CO adsorption on Pt clusters supported in L-zeolite. The measured heat of CO adsorption is 175 kJ/mol, and the heat decreases to 90 kJ/mol near saturation coverage. Quantum chemical calculations were performed using density functional theory to study the interaction of CO with 10-atom Pt clusters. The heat of CO adsorption on atop-sites is calculated to be 209 kJ/mol, while a lower heat of 142 kJ/mol is calculated for CO on bridge-sites. These values decrease to 197 and 102 kJ/mol for population of two atop-sites and two bridge-sites, respectively, on the same Pt10 cluster. The heat of adsorption decreases to 157 kJ/mol when six CO molecules adsorb on six atop-sites of the cluster. The calculated initial heat of CO adsorption on Pt10 clusters is in agreement with experimental and theoretical values reported for CO adsorption on Pt single-crystal surfaces. The higher heat of CO adsorption at atop-sites may be caused by more σ-donation from CO to sp orbitals of Pt for atop-sites. The heat of CO adsorption on bridge-sites becomes higher on negatively charged platinum clusters. The calculated C-O stretching frequencies for charged and neutral platinum clusters agree with experimental data.
Development and Application of Risk Analysis in Duke Power

Duke Power Company managers have available to them today a set of analytical tools to provide risk evaluations for input into the decision-making process. This paper describes the development of risk analysis techniques within Duke Power Company and the growing application of these techniques in our work.
Channels in Kidney Epithelial Cells

Since the first conclusive demonstration of the presence of channels in epithelia, in particular the demonstration of amiloride-sensitive sodium channels involved in active Na+ reabsorption across the apical membrane of the frog skin (Lindemann and Van Driessche, 1976), the question arose as to how much of the conductive properties of epithelia are controlled by ion channels. The advent of the patch-clamp technique allowed a new way of investigating this problem in epithelial cells from kidney. Thus, by use of the patch-clamp technique on isolated kidney tubules and on cultured kidney cell lines, a comparison can be made between the conductance properties of the membranes and the properties of the ion channels found in the same segments. We can then begin to assess what components of the conductive properties of these cells are accounted for by channel activity.
Mountain-Top Vortices as Causes of Large Errors in Altimeter Heights

There have been uncontradicted reports of large altimeter errors in the vicinity of high mountains. A brief survey of pressure distributions over an airfoil with flaps shows a maximum pressure drop below static pressure of twice the velocity head. Applying this ratio to a 14,000-foot mountain in a 100-mph wind a maximum error of 700 feet is indicated. This is important, but not enough to explain the occasional reports of 2 to 3,000-foot errors. Pressure drops of this magnitude exist in tropical cyclones, and even greater depression is known in tornadoes. The pressure drop at the ground surface is seen to have an axial connection with the natural low pressure aloft. The strength of the vortex is shown to depend on the outside tangential input by the wind where the whirl velocity can be very moderate, and the superspeed spin inside a vortex is shown to be dependent on radial inflow of air which is discharged along the vortex axis. Procedures are suggested for locating mountain tornadoes and thorough investi...
Prediction of HIV Transmission Cluster Growth With Statewide Surveillance Data.

Background Prediction of HIV transmission cluster growth may help guide public health action. We developed a predictive model for cluster growth in North Carolina (NC) using routine HIV surveillance data. Methods We identified putative transmission clusters with ≥2 members through pairwise genetic distances ≤1.5% from HIV-1 pol sequences sampled November 2010-December 2017 in NC. Clusters established by a baseline of January 2015 with any sequences sampled within 2 years before baseline were assessed for growth (new diagnoses) over 18 months. We developed a predictive model for cluster growth incorporating demographic, clinical, temporal, and contact tracing characteristics of baseline cluster members. We internally and temporally externally validated the final model in the periods January 2015-June 2016 and July 2016-December 2017. Results Cluster growth was predicted by larger baseline cluster size, shorter time between diagnosis and HIV care entry, younger age, shorter time since the most recent HIV diagnosis, higher proportion with no named contacts, and higher proportion with HIV viremia. The model showed areas under the receiver-operating characteristic curves of 0.82 and 0.83 in the internal and temporal external validation samples. Conclusions The predictive model developed and validated here is a novel means of identifying HIV transmission clusters that may benefit from targeted HIV control resources.
Is development uniquely modern? Ancient Athens on the doorstep

By offering out-of-sample observations, pre-modern case studies can provide unique insights into the process of economic development. We focus on the case of ancient Athens in the 5th and 4th centuries BCE. During that time, Athens moved beyond the logic of rent-seeking and rent-creation that grips natural states, displaying many features of development present in the modern world. Athenian development rested on a set of institutions different from those prevalent in the modern world: in particular, Athens lacked liberal democratic institutions and strong central governments with high state capacity. The findings yield a twofold conclusion: first, modern theories centered on the recent experience of contemporary nation-states impose too narrow a frame on the phenomenon of development. Second, by analyzing in depth one case study, we reconstruct a different path toward development.
Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated fuel in prismatic high-temperature gas-cooled reactors: Sensitivity of reactor behavior during design basis accidents to fuel properties and the potential impact of the SiC defect annealing process

Abstract We conducted reactor performance calculations to assess the potential design basis accident performance of HTGR fuel designs. Three Fully Ceramic Microencapsulated (FCM) fueled HTGR designs were developed in a previous work (Lu et al., 2018). The maximum fuel temperature in the cores fueled by these three FCM fuels was predicted to be higher than that in the reference 350-MWt mHTGR core in both normal operating conditions and during representative design basis accidents (Lu and Brown, 2019). To better understand the potential safety margins in mHTGR design basis accidents, we performed thermal-hydraulics sensitivity studies to investigate how maximum fuel temperature varies considering various parameters, e.g. thermal properties, within the ranges corresponding to the differences between the FCM-fueled prismatic mHTGR cores and the reference core with conventional fuel compacts. We found that the difference in the steady-state axial power distribution contributed the most to the difference in the maximum fuel temperature, in both normal operation and design basis accidents. Experimental data suggested that the annealing process of irradiation defects in SiC would be rapid at mHTGR relevant fuel temperatures. The bounding potential impact of the SiC annealing on the maximum fuel temperature was analyzed considering both the thermal conductivity recovery and the Wigner energy release due to the annealing of SiC. We found that the defect annealing process in SiC would at most increase the peak maximum fuel temperature of an FCM-fueled core by 40 K in loss of forced cooling accidents and by 10 K in a control rod withdrawal accident. Additional experiments on the SiC defect annealing kinetics and Wigner energy release in more relevant conditions are needed.
Mass Media and Politics

Since the emergence of political science as a research discipline, the influence of mass media on political behavior and political institutions has been well debated, with numerous conflicting and complementary theories proposed to explain how the Fourth Estate reports, interprets, analyzes, and contextualizes information about government and public affairs. In the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, technological advances in computers and communication, the reorganization of commercial media operations, and the use of communication professionals skilled in marketing and message manipulation have triggered reconsideration of the roles and functions of mass news media in a world of multiplying news sources and fragmented audiences.
Signal Processing and Machine Learning for Biomedical Big Data

But for one flaw in the first printing of this text (to be detailed at the end of this review), this reviewer highly recommends this reference text. This 28-chapter, 89-author, large-format ( $8.5\times11$ ”), liberally illustrated (216 b/w figures), well-referenced and up-to-date text will be of value to those entering the field and likely to those interested in teaching various aspects of biomedical big data collection and analysis.
Nonholomorphic N=2 terms in N=4 super Yang-Mills theory: 1-loop calculation in N=2 superspace

Abstract The effective action of N =2 gauge multiplets in general includes higher-dimension UV finite nonholomorphic corrections integrated with the full N =2 superspace measure. By adding a hypermultiplet in the adjoint representation we study the effective action of N =4 super Yang-Mills theory. The nonanomalous SU (4) R-symmetry of the classical N =4 theory must also be present in the on-shell effective action, and therefore we expect to find similar nonholomorphic terms for each of the scalars in the hypermultiplet. The N =2 path integral quantization formalism developed in projective superspace allows us to compute these hypermultiplet nonholomorphic terms directly in N =2 superspace. The corresponding gauge multiplet expression can be successfully compared with the result inferred from a N =1 calculation in the abelian subsector.
Root Cause Analysis

Root cause analysis (RCA) is a retrospective method of analyzing sentinel events and errors aimed at identification of the “root cause” of the problem. The RCA process should be initiated upon identification of a sentinel event, and typically includes the formation of a team of key stakeholders, investigation of the situation and collection of data on the process, identification of possible causes, development and presentation of recommendations, and the implementation of “tests of change” for the new process. Studies confirm that adoption of the RCA process can lead to a cultural shift in the institution, moving from individual blame to identification of systemic errors, and the development of policies for patient safety and eventually, a reduction in the frequency of occurrence of the sentinel event in question. Appropriate application of the RCA process requires stringent use of the methodology, in-depth analysis of the situation and possible causes, and an experienced team. Hindsight bias and bias towards one possible cause of an event could seriously hamper the outcome of an RCA, resulting in changes in practice with limited benefit and potential harm including misallocation of resources. On the other hand, a well-conducted RCA can provide significant value addition to various quantitative measures of quality of care.
Correspondence between Fail-Safe k and Dual-Criteria Methods: Analysis of Data Series Stability.

Barnard-Brak, Richman, Little, and Yang (Behaviour Research and Therapy, 102, 8–15, 2018) developed a structured-criteria metric, fail-safe k, which quantifies the stability of data series within single-case experimental designs (SCEDs) using published baseline and treatment data. Fail-safe k suggests the optimal point in time to change phases (e.g., move from Phase B to Phase C, reverse back to Phase A). However, this tool has not been tested with clinical data obtained in the course of care. Thus, the purpose of the current study was to replicate the procedures described by Barnard-Brak et al. with clinical data. We also evaluated the correspondence between the fail-safe k metric with outcomes obtained via dual-criteria and conservative-dual criteria methods, which are empirically supported methods for evaluating data-series trends within SCEDs. Our results provide some degree of support for use of this approach as a research tool with clinical data, in particular when evaluating small or medium treatment effect sizes, but further research is needed before this can be used widely by practitioners.
Health care utilization as a predictor of death anxiety in older adults.

The relationship between health care utilization and death anxiety in older adults is underexplored. This secondary analysis of the 2012 Health and Retirement Study examined health care utilization...
Aid "Specifically Directed" to Facilitate War Crimes: The ICTY's Anomalous Actus Reus Standard for Aiding and Abetting

Table of ContentsI. Introduction 258II. The Development of Specific Direction 260A. Prosecutor v. Tadic 261B. Prosecutor v. Blagojevic 265C. Prosecutor v. Perific 267D. Prosecutor v. Stanific 269III. Consistency of the Doctrine 270A. With International Treaty and Case Law 270B. With ICTY Case Law 274IV. Normative Evaluation 276A. Process Concerns 276B. Specific Direction 278V. Conclusion 285I. INTRODUCTIONIn May 2013, the International Criminal Tribunal for Crimes Committed in the Former Yugoslavia ("ICTY") acquitted two former heads of the Serbian State Security Service of aiding and abetting the war crimes of, as well as conspiring with, a special unit of the Serbian State Security Service known as the Red Berets.1 The defendants, Simatovic and Stanisic, interacted with a contingent of the Serbian Volunteer Guard known as Arkan's men-training, supplying, and financing them under continuous communication with Slobodan Milosevic.2 In separate proceedings, the Trial Chamber found the Red Berets, Arkan's men, Milesovic, and members of the Bosnian Serb Army guilty of crimes against humanity for participation both in the murder and persecution of non-Serbs and in their deportation and forcible transfer from Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.3 Yet it acquitted Simatovic and Stanisic despite their elite status within the Serbian security apparatus, their establishment and operation of a Red Beret training camp, and evidence that Stanisic, assuring Simatovic, said "we'll exterminate them completely."4To arrive at this result, the ICTY invoked a sui generis requirement that the prosecution prove the accused's acts of assistance were "sperifically directed towards charged crimes."5 In other words, the ICTY announced a shift away from presuming actus reus when acts of assistance substantially contributed to a crime's commission (with the attendant burden on the defendant(s) to rebut the presumption), to requiring that the prosecution prove the acts of assistance themselves tend only or predominantly to effectuate the crimes in question. The ultimate effect was to decriminalize entire categories of conduct-making proof of actus reus non-consequentialist and importing a further "intent" requirement as to the acts themselves.6 Indeed, one prominent peer tribunal expressed alarm at the ICTY's novel formulation, rebutting it with the language of the Rome Statute:* * * * 7 "the actus reus of aiding and abetting liability under Article 6(1) of the [Rome] Statute and customary international law is that the accused's acts and conduct of assistance, encouragement, and/or moral support had a substantial effect on the commission of each charged crime for which he is to be held responsible."8This Comment argues that the ICTY's jurisprudence in this and its predecessor case is at odds with the weight of its own precedent, as well as that of its peer tribunals, and likely contravenes generally accepted principles of customary law governing UN Security Council tribunals. …
Impact of Sexual and Interpersonal Violence and Trauma on Women: Trauma-Informed Practice and Feminist Theory

Women experience disproportionate rates of both sexual assault and intimate partner violence (CDC, 2019). This article describes the physical, sexual, and mental health impact of these traumas for ...
IBM PAIRS: Scalable Big Geospatial-Temporal Data and Analytics As-a-Service

The rapid growth of geospatial-temporal data from sources like satellites, drones, weather modeling, IoT sensors etc., accumulating at a pace of PetaBytes to ExaBytes annually, opens unprecedented opportunities for both scientific and industrial applications. However, the sheer size and complexity of such data presents significant challenges for conventional geospatial information systems (GIS) which are supported by relational geospatial databases and cloud-based geospatial services based on file systems (mostly manifested as object stores or “cold” tape storages).
A Novel Approach to Establish and Enhance Event Reporting Systems Among Resident Physicians.

Background Event reporting systems are an integral part of patient safety programs that continue to remain a challenge primarily due to systems-based barriers. Smartphone use in patient care continues to be an ever-growing facet of medicine and patient care. Combining the problem of event reporting challenges with the modern resource of mobile phones may be used to promote a culture of safety and increase event reporting in the emergency department (ED) and the hospital among residents. Methods We introduced a new method of event reporting for emergency medicine (EM) residents in the ED using a mobile messaging application widely used throughout the hospital to facilitate physician communication to report events. Implementation of the intervention occurred in three phases. During the preintervention phase, we retrospectively reviewed EM resident rates of event reporting and administered a survey regarding their attitudes toward the traditional system of event reporting. We then introduced the mobile messaging application-based event reporting system and tracked the number of events recorded during the first 8 months of implementation. Following the intervention, we administered a postintervention survey to the EM residents inquiring about the same metrics that were used in the preintervention survey. Results Forty EM residents reported a total of 147 events during the 8 months of the intervention phase compared to 12 reports during the prior year as whole, resulting in a 12-fold increase. The postintervention scores ranged from 55 to 73 with a mean (±SD) of 65 (±9). EM resident satisfaction rates and comfort level with the new reporting system increased by 232 and 104%, respectively, and the likelihood of reporting an event increased by 127% (p < 0.02). The time required by EM residents to submit a report also decreased significantly. Conclusion The implementation of a mobile application to target systems barriers associated with event reporting significantly increased event reporting by EM residents, improved EM resident attitudes about event reporting, and reduced the time required to submit an event, ultimately promoting a culture of safety.
The impact of urgent care centers on nonemergent emergency department visits.

OBJECTIVE To estimate the impact of urgent care centers on emergency department (ED) use. DATA SOURCES Secondary data from a novel urgent care center database, linked to the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project State Emergency Department Databases (SEDD) from six states. STUDY DESIGN We used a difference-in-differences design to examine ZIP code-level changes in the acuity mix of emergency department visits when local urgent care centers were open versus closed. ZIP codes with no urgent care centers served as a control group. We tested for differential impacts of urgent care centers according to ED wait time and patient insurance status. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS Urgent care center daily operating times were determined via the urgent care center database. Emergency department visit acuity was assessed by applying the NYU ED algorithm to the SEDD data. Urgent care locations and nearby emergency department encounters were linked via zip code. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We found that having an open urgent care center in a ZIP code reduced the total number of ED visits by residents in that ZIP code by 17.2% (P < 0.05), due largely to decreases in visits for less emergent conditions. This effect was concentrated among visits to EDs with the longest wait times. We found that urgent care centers reduced the total number of uninsured and Medicaid visits to the ED by 21% (P < 0.05) and 29.1% (P < 0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS During the hours they are open, urgent care centers appear to be treating patients who otherwise would have visited the ED. This suggests that urgent care centers have the potential to reduce health care expenditures, though questions remain about their net cost impact. Future work should assess whether urgent care centers can improve health care access among populations that often experience barriers to receiving timely care.
Assessment of Coagulation and Hemostasis Biomarkers in a Subset of Patients With Chronic Cardiovascular Disease.

Measurement of a single marker of coagulation may not provide a complete picture of hemostasis activation and fibrinolysis in patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases. We assessed retrospectiv...
History of atmospheric deposition of trace elements in lake sediments, ∼1880 to 2007.

We report measurements of 30 major and trace elements (TEs) in sediment cores from two high-altitude lakes, West Pine Pond (WPP), and Clear Pond (CP), in the Adirondack Mountains of New York State using inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. The data are used to deduce atmospheric deposition histories of TEs over ~130 years. The cores were collected using a gravity corer, sliced, freeze dried, and ages determined using 210Pb and 137Cs techniques. TE data in WPP were supplemented with our earlier elemental carbon (EC) measurements. Lithophilic elements showed no systematic temporal pattern or any significant enrichment over their crustal abundances. Anthropogenic TEs exhibited distinct increases beginning ~1900, and peaked around 1920–1970, due apparently to energy-related emissions. Peak concentrations of most TEs, except Pb and Hg, were observed at ~1921 in WPP and ~1940s in CP. Concentration of Pb peaked in 1973 in both lakes and Hg only in CP at ~1965. Lead fluxes were reflective of historical smelter production and combustion of coal and leaded gasoline. Copper and zinc fluxes mimicked corresponding primary production, while EC fluxes followed the long-term trend for fossil and biofuel combustion. TE and EC flux trends were closely related to the growth of industrialization in the Central and Midwestern U.S. and changing fuel consumption patterns. Compared to peak values, the modern TE fluxes decreased by 25–85%, whereas EC decreased by 96%. Apparently, the regulations intended to control pollutant emissions have succeeded in reducing atmospheric concentrations of the species studied and have improved air quality.
Acoustic Detection by Fishes

It is now widely known that many species of fish produce sounds as part of their behavioral repertoire involved with reproduction, territoriality, and general social interactions (see reviews by Demski, Gerald & Popper, 1973; Fine, Winn & 011a, 1977; Myrberg, Spanier & Ha, 1978; Tavolga, 1971, 1977a; Winn, 1964, 19'72). Sound is of particular value under environmental conditions unsuitable for visual or chemical communication. For example, the effectiveness of visual stimuli in the aquatic environment is limited by low light levels and the rapid attenuation of signals over distance; while chemical signals propagate slowly, are non-directional, and are easily diffused by water currents. Sound in water, on the other hand, has a high speed of propagation, low rate of attenuation, and directional properties. Consequently, sound is useful for rapid, high speed communication over considerable distances. Further, depending upon the acoustic properties of the signals (e.g. frequency and transient characteristics), sounds can be used to direct an animal to the emitter, or to communicate in physically complex environments, such as coral reefs, where other signals would be blocked by barriers.
U.S. highway public private partnerships

Purpose – The use of public-private partnerships (P3s) for infrastructure delivery, particularly for highway projects, has been increasing in the USA. The purpose of this paper is to empirically evaluate the difference of P3s and non-P3 highway projects, in terms of their costs and efficiency. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical model of highway construction costs was estimated using a linear regression model that explicitly accounts for the cost differential between the contracts. The differences between efficiencies was also evaluated through a two-stage analysis, where projects’-specific technical efficiencies were first estimated using stochastic frontier analysis and data envelopment analysis, and then the difference in technical efficiencies between the two groups were evaluated through non-parametric tests of means. Findings – Controlling for various project characteristics, the P3 highway projects in the USA showed higher initial costs than non-P3 projects. However, the efficiency scores sh...
Variation in Practice of Expedited Partner Therapy for Adolescents by State Policy Environment

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess provider practice of expedited partner therapy (EPT) for adolescents with chlamydial infection across varying state policy environments and compare provider practice in a parallel treatment scenario for a nonsexually transmitted disease. Methods Anonymous survey of randomly selected providers in one of three state EPT policy environments: EPT is (A) explicitly legal; (B) permissible, but not directly referenced in law; or (C) potentially allowable. Results Of 195 respondents, only 20% reported ever practicing EPT. Group A providers were more likely to have used EPT than Groups B and C. Commonly cited barriers included missed opportunity to counsel partners and ensuring medication delivery. In parallel hypothetical scenarios, providers were more likely to offer prophylactic antibiotics to a patient's mother for pertussis exposure without a face-to-face visit than the sexual partner of an adolescent with chlamydia. Conclusions Further investigation is needed to better understand provider and policy factors that may facilitate EPT provision to adolescents.
Signal control optimization for automated vehicles at isolated signalized intersections

Traffic signals at intersections are an integral component of the existing transportation system and can significantly contribute to vehicular delay along urban streets. The current emphasis on the development of automated (i.e., driverless and with the ability to communicate with the infrastructure) vehicles brings at the forefront several questions related to the functionality and optimization of signal control in order to take advantage of automated vehicle capabilities. The objective of this research is to develop a signal control algorithm that allows for vehicle paths and signal control to be jointly optimized based on advanced communication technology between approaching vehicles and signal controller. The algorithm assumes that vehicle trajectories can be fully optimized, i.e., vehicles will follow the optimized paths specified by the signal controller. An optimization algorithm was developed assuming a simple intersection with two single-lane through approaches. A rolling horizon scheme was developed to implement the algorithm and to continually process newly arriving vehicles. The algorithm was coded in MATLAB and results were compared against traditional actuated signal control for a variety of demand scenarios. It was concluded that the proposed signal control optimization algorithm could reduce the ATTD by 16.2–36.9% and increase throughput by 2.7–20.2%, depending on the demand scenario.
Comparison of compensation ratios determined by photoluminescence and electrical methods in epitaxial GaAs

Abstract Compensation ratios in high purity epitaxial GaAs layers are determined by Nam et al.'s photoluminescence method at a well-defined finite excitation intensity. This excitation intensity is obtained from the excitation-dependence of the peak energy of the neutral donor-acceptor transition. The values of compensation ratio determined in this way are in excellent agreement with those obtained by the conventional electrical method.
Reliability lessons learned from GPU experience with the Titan supercomputer at Oak Ridge leadership computing facility

The high computational capability of graphics processing units (GPUs) is enabling and driving the scientific discovery process at large-scale. The world's second fastest supercomputer for open science, Titan, has more than 18,000 GPUs that computational scientists use to perform scientific simulations and data analysis. Understanding of GPU reliability characteristics, however, is still in its nascent stage since GPUs have only recently been deployed at large-scale. This paper presents a detailed study of GPU errors and their impact on system operations and applications, describing experiences with the 18,688 GPUs on the Titan supercomputer as well as lessons learned in the process of efficient operation of GPUs at scale. These experiences are helpful to HPC sites which already have large-scale GPU clusters or plan to deploy GPUs in the future.
Effects of glucocorticoid treatment on bone strength.

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are prescribed for the treatment of several diseases, but their long-term use causes osteoporosis. Current research suggests that GCs suppress the canonical Wnt/β pathway, resulting in decreased expression of critical bone proteins. This study examined how bone structure and strength of high bone mass (HBM) mice and low density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 5 (LRP5) knockout (KO+/−) mice are affected by GC treatment in comparison to wild-type (WT) mice, and if changes were specific to either trabecular or cortical bone. Mice were treated with either prednisone or placebo. The femurs and L4 vertebral bodies were analyzed by micro-CT for structure and mechanically tested to determine strength and apparent material strength properties. Differences in all measured variables corresponding to GC treatment and genotype were tested using two-way ANOVA. GC treatment caused decreased structural strength parameters, weakened apparent material strength properties, and disruption of bone structure in HBM, but not LRP5+/− or WT, mice. Despite treatment-related loss, trabecular bone structure and strength remained elevated as compared to LRP5+/− and WT mice. In HBM femurs, both cortical and trabecular structure, but not strength parameters, were negatively affected by treatment. In HBM vertebral bodies, both structural and strength parameters were negatively affected by treatment.
Ape Signing: Problems of Method and Interpretation

R E P O R T S I N T H E LAST DECADE that apes can learn to communicate with humans using a rudimentary form of sign lang~agel-~ have been received with great interest. For many anthropologists, linguists, philosophers, and psychologists, research with apes such as Washoe, Koko, and others appeared to provide decisive evidence bearing on several fundamental issues. For example, the belief that language is species-specific could not be sustained if apes acquired some linguistic facility, as these projects seemed to indicate. The apes’ performance also appeared to rescue learning-theoretic views of language acquisition from critical analyses such as Chomsky’s.6 The methods used in the ape sign language projects were derived from such theories, and some researchers were self-consciously behavioristic in orientation.’ Whatever the logical merit of such criticism of empiricist theories of language acquisition, it might be waived aside if the apes acquired linguistic skills through shaping and differential reinforcement of responses. This would at the same time undermine strongly nativist positions. This research has gained renown outside the academic community through accounts in the print and broadcast media, documentary and educational films, and popularized texts. As might be expected, the mass media accepted the ape researchers’ claims uncritically, focusing instead on speculation. If apes can talk, what will they say? Will they be
Electron paramagnetic resonance imaging of tumor hypoxia: enhanced spatial and temporal resolution for in vivo pO2 determination.

The time-domain (TD) mode of electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data collection offers a means of estimating the concentration of a paramagnetic probe and the oxygen-dependent linewidth (LW) to generate pO2 maps with minimal errors. A methodology for noninvasive pO2 imaging based on the application of TD-EPR using oxygen-induced LW broadening of a triarylmethyl (TAM)-based radical is presented. The decay of pixel intensities in an image is used to estimate T, which is inversely proportional to pO2. Factors affecting T in each pixel are critically analyzed to extract the contribution of dissolved oxygen to EPR line-broadening. Suitable experimental and image-processing parameters were obtained to produce pO2 maps with minimal artifacts. Image artifacts were also minimized with the use of a novel data collection strategy using multiple gradients. Results from a phantom and in vivo imaging of tumor-bearing mice validated this novel method of noninvasive oximetry. The current imaging protocols achieve a spatial resolution of ∼1.0 mm and a temporal resolution of ∼9 s for 2D pO2 mapping, with a reliable oxygen resolution of ∼1 mmHg (0.12% oxygen in gas phase). This work demonstrates that in vivo oximetry can be performed with good sensitivity, accuracy, and high spatial and temporal resolution. Magn Reson Med, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Awake epidural anesthesia is effective and safe in the high-risk colectomy patient

PURPOSE: This study was designed to examine the feasibility and safety of performing open colectomy using awake epidural anesthesia in high-risk patients with comorbid illnesses. METHODS: We retrospectively compared 15 highrisk patients who underwent colectomy using awake epidural anesthesia with 17 lower risk colectomy patients who received conventional general endotracheal anesthesia. All patients were operated on consecutively during the same time period by the same surgeon. RESULTS: Based on the number of coexisting diseased organ systems and by a weighted multifactorial index of operative risk, the patients receiving awake epidural anesthesia were significantly more ill than the patients receiving general anesthesia. No differences in complications, length of operative procedure, or number of lymph nodes in cancer specimens were found between the two groups. There was a trend favoring the epidural technique when operative blood loss, length of postoperative hospital stay, and return of bowel function were considered. CONCLUSIONS: Awake epidural anesthesia is a safe and effective technique in high-risk patients undergoing colectomy and achieves an operative risk that compares favorably with healthier patients receiving general anesthesia.
EPR inequality and heisenberg uncertainty principle

We prove a non-classicality condition which allows distinguishing entanglement from classical correlation in continuous variables, for two photons/particles systems. This implies that entanglement can overcome the limitations imposed by the uncertainty principle on factorable states
Empty target subtractions and radiative corrections in electron scattering experiments

Abstract We describe a method of simulating the radiative effects and also considerably reducing the amount of time needed for the measurements of target wall contributions in electron scattering experiments.
Helly-type theorems for intersections of sets starshaped via orthogonally convex paths

Let \({\mathcal{K}}\) be a family of simply connected sets in the plane. If every countable subfamily of \({\mathcal{K}}\) has an intersection that is starshaped via orthogonally convex paths, then \({\mathcal{K}}\) itself has such an intersection. For the d-dimensional case, let \({\mathcal{K}}\) be a family of compact sets in \({\mathbb{R}^d}\). If every finite subfamily of \({\mathcal{K}}\) has an intersection that is starshaped via orthogonally convex paths, again \({\mathcal{K}}\) itself has such an intersection.
Partial purification and properties of UDPG dehydrogenase from Escherichia coli.

Abstract 1. 1. UDPG dehydrogenase (UDPG: NAD oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.22), was purified 88-fold to a specific activity of 2.3 from a derepressed strain of Escherichia coli. 2. 2. The enzyme has a molecular weight of approximately 86 000 and a pH optimum of 9.0; Km is 1.0 mM for UDPG and 0.05 mM for NAD, respectively. 3. 3. UDPG, CDPGlc and dTDPGlc, but not GDPGlc or ADPGlc function as substrates. 3-Acetylpyridine adenine dinucleotide, 3-pyridinealdehydeadenine dinucleotide, thionicotinamide adenine dinucleotide, deamino adenine dinucleotide and 3-acetylpyridine deamino adenine dinucleotide, but not 3-pyridinealdehyde deaminoadenosine dinucleotide, are cosubstrates. 4. 4. The enzyme is stable for 2 months when frozen at −4 °C in the presence of UDPG. UDPG and 2-mercaptoethanol are necessary for optimal enzyme activity. 5. 5. UDPXyl is an inhibitor strictly competitive with UDPG and noncompetitive with NAD; NADH is an inhibitor strictly competitive with NAD and uncompetitive with UDPG. UDPglucuronate is an inhibitor competitive with UDPG at high UDPG concentrations; at low UDPG concentrations UDPglucuronate is an inhibitor which displays positive cooperativity.
An analysis of deep depletion thin-film MOS transistors

Consideration is given to the problems associated with the use of an insulated gate to obtain depletion in the channel of a field-effect transistor. It is shown that if an inversion layer forms at the insulator semiconductor interface before the channel is completely depleted complete pinch-off of drain current by the gate will not be observed. It is further shown that channel pinch-off at the drain will always occur and, hence, that drain current saturation will always be observed. A quantitative analysis based on the proposed model is performed and theoretical expressions for the device behavior are derived and plotted. The analysis of the device is divided into two ranges, a high-frequency range and a low-frequency range, where the dividing frequency is the frequency response of the surface inversion layer. This dividing frequency is generally orders of magnitude lower than the upper operating frequency limit of the transistor itself. Finally, the theoretical results are compared with experiment and shown to be in good agreement.
High yield conversion of doxorubicin to 2-pyrrolinodoxorubicin, an analog 500-1000 times more potent: structure-activity relationship of daunosamine-modified derivatives of doxorubicin

Abstract A convenient, high yield conversion of doxorubicin to 3'-deamino-3'-(2''-pyrroline-1''-yl)doxorubicin is described. This daunosamine-modified analog of doxorubicin is 500-1000 times more active in vitro than doxorubicin. The conversion is effected by using a 30-fold excess of 4-iodobutyraldehyde in anhydrous dimethylformamide. The yield is higher than 85%. A homolog of this compound, 3'-deamino-3'-(1'',3''-tetrahydropyridine-1''-yl)doxorubicin, was also synthesized by using 5-iodovaleraldehyde. In this homolog, the daunosamine nitrogen is incorporated into a six- instead of a five-membered ring. This analog was 30-50 times less active than its counterpart with a five-membered ring. A similar structure-activity relationship was found when 3'-deamino-3'-(3''-pyrrolidone-1''-yl)doxorubicin (containing a five-membered ring) and 3'-deamino-3'-(3''-piperidone-1''-yl)doxorubicin (with a six-membered ring) were tested in vitro, the former being 5 times more potent than the latter. To further elucidate structure-activity relationships, 3'-deamino-3'-(pyrrolidine-1''-yl)doxorubicin, 3'-deamino-3'-(isoindoline-2''-yl)doxorubicin, 3'-deamino-3'-(2''-methyl-2''-pyrroline-1''-yl)doxorubicin, and 3'-deamino-3'-(3''-pyrroline-1''-yl)doxorubicin were also synthesized and tested. All the analogs were prepared by using reactive halogen compounds for incorporating the daunosamine nitrogen of doxorubicin into a five- or six-membered ring. These highly active antineoplastic agents can be used for incorporation into targeted cytotoxic analogs of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone intended for cancer therapy.