cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Implementation and Evaluation of Mixed-Criticality Scheduling Approaches for Periodic Tasks

Traditional fixed-priority scheduling analysis for periodic task sets is based on the assumption that all tasks are equally critical to the correct operation of the system. Therefore, every task has to be schedulable under the scheduling policy, and estimates of tasks' worst case execution times must be conservative in case a task runs longer than is usual. To address the significant under-utilization of a system's resources under normal operating conditions that can arise from these assumptions, three main approaches have been proposed: priority assignment, period transformation, and zero-slack scheduling. However, to date there has been no quantitative comparison of system schedulability or run-time overhead for the different approaches. In this paper, we present what is to our knowledge the first side-by-side evaluation of those approaches, for periodic mixed-criticality tasks on uniprocessor systems, under a mixed-criticality scheduling model that is common to all three approaches. To make a fair evaluation of zero-slack scheduling, we also address two previously open issues: how to accommodate execution of a task after its deadline, and how to account for previously unidentified forms of interference between mixed-criticality tasks. Our simulations show that while priority assignment and period transformation are most likely to be able to schedule a randomly selected task set, a small fraction of the task sets are schedulable only under the zero-slack approach. Our empirical evaluation demonstrates that user-space implementations of mechanisms to enforce period transformation and zero-slack scheduling can be achieved on Linux without kernel modification, with suitably low overhead for mixed-criticality real-time task sets.
Experimental measurement of roller slip in end-pivoted roller follower valve train

Direct-acting tappets and end-pivoted roller followers are the two main types of valve train configurations widely used in passenger car engines. Considerable theoretical and experimental work has ...
Integrin–Matrix Interactions in the Cerebral Microvasculature

The integrity of all organ systems requires faithful interaction between its component cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). In the central nervous system (CNS), matrix adhesion receptors are uniquely expressed by the cells comprising the microvascular compartment, and by neurons and their supporting glial cells. Cells within the cerebral microvasculature express both the integrin and dystroglycan families of matrix adhesion receptors. However, the functional significance of these receptors is only now being explored. Capillaries of the cerebral microvasculature consist of the luminal endothelium, which is separated from circumferential astrocyte end-feet by the intervening ECM of the basal lamina. Endothelial cells and astrocytes cooperate to generate and maintain the basal lamina and the unique barrier functions of the endothelium. Integrins and the dystroglycan complex are found on the matrix-proximate faces of both endothelial cells and astrocyte end-feet. Pericytes rest against the basal lamina. In the extravascular compartment, select integrins are expressed on neurons, microglial cells, and oligodendroglia. Significant alterations in both cellular adhesion receptors and their ligands occur under the conditions of focal cerebral ischemia, multiple sclerosis (MS) and the modeled condition experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), certain tumors of the CNS, and arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The changes in matrix adhesion receptor expression in these conditions support their functional significance in the normal state. We propose that matrix adhesion receptors are essential for the maintenance of the integrity of the blood-brain permeability barrier, and that modulation of these receptors contribute to alterations in the barrier during brain injury. This review examines current information about cell adhesion receptor expression within the cerebral microvasculature and surrounding tissue, and their potential roles during the vascular responses to local injury.
Marketing mayas: Ethnic tourism promotion in Mexico

Abstract The role of the federal and state-level government, of the national intelligentsia, and of the local entrepreneurial bourgeoisie in the development of ethnic tourism in Mexico has been complex. This study focuses on the Maya culture area in the Chiapas highlands, in and around the mestizo-dominated city of San Cristobal de las Casas. Locally, the government has acted as a general modernizing agent and thus prepared the ground for ethnic tourism. But the development of a specific tourist infrastructure and the marketing of Mayas has been largely a response of the local mestizo bourgeoisie to a burgeoning new economic niche.
Antidepressant medication use and risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn

Purpose To determine the prevalence of persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn (PPHN) among infants whose mothers were exposed to antidepressants in the third trimester of pregnancy compared to the prevalence among infants whose mothers were not exposed to antidepressants in the third trimester. Methods A retrospective study was conducted using the automated databases of four health plans participating in the HMO Research Network Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics. Women who delivered an infant in a hospital from 1 January 1996 through 31 December 2000 were identified. The administrative databases were used to identify full-term infants whose mothers received an antidepressant during the third trimester of pregnancy and unexposed infants whose mothers did not receive an antidepressant during the third trimester. Hospitalization data were used to identify diagnoses or procedure codes potentially indicative of PPHN. Results Among 1104 infants exposed to antidepressants in the third trimester and a matched sample of 1104 unexposed infants, five infants were classified by the expert reviewers as having PPHN. Among those infants whose mothers were exposed to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in the third trimester, the prevalence of PPHN was 2.14 per 1000 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.26, 7.74), while the prevalence among infants whose mothers were not exposed was 2.72 per 1000 (95%CI 0.56, 7.93). Conclusions We did not find an association between SSRI use in late pregnancy and PPHN. Limitations of the present study, including the small number of confirmed cases, suggest further research in this area may be warranted. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pseudovirions as Vehicles for the Delivery of siRNA

Over the last two decades, small interfering RNA (siRNA)-mediated gene silencing has quickly become one of the most powerful techniques used to study gene function in vitro and a promising area for new therapeutics. Delivery remains a significant impediment to realizing the therapeutic potential of siRNA, a problem that is also tied to immunogenicity and toxicity. Numerous delivery vehicles have been developed, including some that can be categorized as pseudovirions: these are vectors that are directly derived from viruses but whose viral coding sequences have been eliminated, preventing their classification as viral vectors. Characteristics of the pseudovirions discussed in this review, namely phagemids, HSV amplicons, SV40 in vitro-packaged vectors, influenza virosomes, and HVJ-Envelope vectors, make them attractive for the delivery of siRNA-based therapeutics. Pseudovirions were shown to deliver siRNA effector molecules and bring about RNA interference (RNAi) in various cell types in vitro, and in vivo using immune-deficient and immune-competent mouse models. Levels of silencing were not always determined directly, but the duration of siRNA-induced knockdown lasted at least 3 days. We present examples of the use of pseudovirions for the delivery of synthetic siRNA as well as the delivery and expression of DNA-directed siRNA.
Experimental exposure of Helisoma trivolvis and Biomphalaria glabrata (Gastropoda) to Ribeiroia ondatrae (Trematoda).

Abstract Experimental infections provide an important foundation for understanding host responses to parasites. While infections with Ribeiroia ondatrae cause mortality and malformations in a wide range of amphibian second intermediate host species, little is known about how the parasite affects its snail first intermediate hosts or even what species can support infection. In this study, we experimentally exposed Helisoma trivolvis, a commonly reported host of R. ondatrae, and Biomphalaria glabrata, a confamilial snail known to host Ribeiroia marini, to increasing concentrations of embryonated eggs of R. ondatrae obtained from surrogate definitive hosts. Over the course of 8 wk, we examined the effect of parasite exposure on infection status, time-to-cercariae release, host size, and mortality of both snail species. Helisoma trivolvis was a highly competent host for R. ondatrae infection, with over 93% infection in all exposed snails, regardless of egg exposure level. However, no infections were detected ...
Synergistic action of estrogenic hormone and X-rays in inducing thymic lymphosarcoma of mice.

SummarySynergistic lymphomogenic effects were obtained when estrogenic hormone and x-rays were administered simultaneously to mice of the Bagg albino and CBA stocks. Thymic lymphoid tissue appeared to be more sensitive than other lymphoid tissue. This was also true when x-rays and methylcholan-threne acted synergistically in the dba stock.
Horsemanship and Life Skills of Youth in Horse Programs

Abstract The objectives of this study were to describe youth horse program participants and to determine the relationship between horsemanship and life skills development. The Impact of Equine Activities Survey contained questions related to horsemanship skills, life skills, and demographic characteristics. Horsemanship skills (riding, handling, safety, health management, and nutrition) were measured on a Likert scale that ranged from 1 (“not at all”) to 5 (“always”). Life skills (decision making, critical thinking, communicating, goal setting, and problem solving) were measured on a Likert scale that ranged from 1 (“never”) to 5 (“always”). A proportional stratified random sample of 982 youth, ages 12 to 18, was selected from membership in 4-H, the American Quarter Horse Youth Association, the United States Pony Clubs, and the National High School Rodeo Association in Pennsylvania and Colorado. The survey was conducted by mail yielding a 33.5% response rate. The majority of the responding youth were female (86.9%) and white (96.9%). A total of 71.7% participated in western, followed by 50.8% in hunt seat, and 41.6% in timed events. Youth indicated that they “most of the time” to “always” performed horsemanship skills in the areas of handling (4.80), followed by safety (4.71), riding (4.52), nutrition (4.07), and health management (3.74). Youth indicated that they “often” exhibited life skills relative to decision making (4.13), communicating (4.09), goal setting (3.99), problem solving (3.92), and critical thinking (3.92). A positive relationship (r = 0.501, P
ANTERIOR VAGINAL SUSPENSION OPERATION FOR TREATMENT OF STRESS INCONTINENCE.

Abstract Two hundred and seventy-one cases have been presented to demonstrate the adaptability of suprapubic suspension of the urethra, the bladder neck, and the bladder, utilizing the perivaginal musculofascial sheath to provide a sling for support. This sling is sutured to the undersurface of the fibrocartilage of the pubic symphysis and to the lateral pelvic wall in the region of the obturator membrane to support a relaxed and sagging anterior vaginal wall. The importance of an inert material, dacron, and its advantage over silk or cotton in the establishment of a permanent repair have been presented.
All Sustainability Is Local: New Wilmington, Pennsylvania (1994)

I grew up in a small town amidst the rolling hills and farms of western Pennsylvania. As towns go, it wasn’t much different from thousands of others throughout the United States. There were four churches and a small liberal arts college. It was a “dry” town filled with serious and hard-working Protestants and a disconcertingly large number of retired preachers and missionaries. It was not the kind of place that greeted Elvis and rock and roll with open arms. The prevailing political sensibilities were sober and overwhelmingly Republican of the Eisenhower sort. The town would have seemed stuffy and parochial to a Sherwood Anderson or a Theodore Dreiser, and it probably was. But for a little boy on a bicycle it was a paradise. By the standards of the 1990s, the town, the college, and its residents would have failed even the most lax certification for political correctness. It was a man’s world, neither multicultural nor multiracial. The sexual revolution lay ahead. And almost everyone who was anyone in town bought without question the assumptions of midcentury America about our inherent virtue, the certainty of economic progress, the evils of Communism, and the beneficence of technology. J. Edgar Hoover was a hero. Boys were measured for manhood on the baseball diamond or the basketball court. It was also a place, like most others, in transition from one kind of economy to another.
Current practices for treatment of respiratory syncytial virus and other non-influenza respiratory viruses in high-risk patient populations: a survey of institutions in the Midwestern Respiratory Virus Collaborative.

Background The optimal treatment for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection in adult immunocompromised patients is unknown. We assessed the management of RSV and other non-influenza respiratory viruses in Midwestern transplant centers. Methods A survey assessing strategies for RSV and other non-influenza respiratory viral infections was sent to 13 centers. Results Multiplex polymerase chain reaction assay was used for diagnosis in 11/12 centers. Eight of 12 centers used inhaled ribavirin (RBV) in some patient populations. Barriers included cost, safety, lack of evidence, and inconvenience. Six of 12 used intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), mostly in combination with RBV. Inhaled RBV was used more than oral, and in the post-stem cell transplant population, patients with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), graft-versus-host disease, and more recent transplantation were treated at higher rates. Ten centers had experience with lung transplant patients; all used either oral or inhaled RBV for LRTI, 6/10 treated upper respiratory tract infection (URTI). No center treated non-lung solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with URTI; 7/11 would use oral or inhaled RBV in the same group with LRTI. Patients with hematologic malignancy without hematopoietic stem cell transplantation were treated with RBV at a similar frequency to non-lung SOT recipients. Three of 12 centers, in severe cases, treated parainfluenza and metapneumovirus, and 1/12 treated coronavirus. Conclusions Treatment of RSV in immunocompromised patients varied greatly. While most centers treat LRTI, treatment of URTI was variable. No consensus was found regarding the use of oral versus inhaled RBV, or the use of IVIG. The presence of such heterogeneity demonstrates the need for further studies defining optimal treatment of RSV in immunocompromised hosts.
Morphologic Variations of Bacteria in the Lag Phase

The phenomena of growth, senescence and rejuvenescence in bacteria have been the subject of considerable study and speculation. Since these phenomena are apparently essentially identical with those exhibited by higher organisms, such studies, relatively easily made and rapidly completed, will probably prove of more and more importance in experimental biology. The rate of growth of bacteria, as expressed by one or another form of curve, shows a regular variation from the time of seeding until the culture is dead; after remaining dormant for a period, the cells increase in number with increasingly greater rapidity until a maximum rate is reached, then with decreasing rapidity until the number remains stationary, after which the cells begin to die with increasing rapidity until a maximum death rate is attained, then with decreasing rapidity, some cells remaining viable in most cultures for long periods. Most authors who have written on the growth curve have found it convenient to divide this curve into phases. Lane-Claypon 1 recognized 4 phases : a latent period of no growth or slow growth, a period of maximum growth, a stationary period, and a period of death. This division was also followed by Penfold 2 and by Chesney.3 Buchanan 4 further subdivided these phases, making 7 in all: the initial stationary phase, the lag phase (or phase of positive acceleration), the logarithmic growth phase, the phase of negative acceleration, the maximum stationary phase, the phase of accelerated death, and the logarithmic death phase. Most interest has centered in the first stage, generally referred to as the lag phase. This is usually defined as the period from the time of seeding until a maximum growth rate is attained ; but Buchanan points out that this contains 2 periods, a preliminary stationary phase when no growth occurs, the organisms lying dormant, and a phase of steadily
Long- and Short-Term Effect of Cucurbitacin Consumption on Acalymma vittatum (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Fitness

Efforts to explain the evolution of cucurbitacin phagostimulation in many luperine Chrysomelidae have focused primarily on the ecological benefits derived from consuming these bitter compounds. Little attention has been given to the physiological costs that may result from ingesting cytotoxic triterpenes. To understand the current factors that stabilize the response of luperines to cucurbitacins we quantified the effect of cucurbitacin consumption on larval growth rate and survivorship, adult longevity, age at 1st reproduction, and fecundity in Acalymma vittatum (F.), the striped cucumber beetle. Larvae that fed on roots high in cucurbitacins gained weight more quickly than, and survived as well as, larvae that developed on roots with only trace amounts of bitterness. We found no significant differences in the fitness traits of females reared from eclosion until death on diets excluding cucurbitacins, featuring 1 short pulse of cucurbitacins, consisting of a choice between cucurbitacin-laden and cucurbitacin-free food, and containing only foods rich in cucurbitacins. However, males fed 1 short pulse of dietary cucurbitacins lived significantly longer than males that ate no cucurbitacins or males that ate cucurbitacins throughout their adult lives. The data suggest that the physiological costs associated with cucurbitacin consumption in A. vittatum are minimal and are counteracted by advantages from short-term consumption of cucurbitacins. This is consistent with observations of a marked gustatorial sensitivity toward cucurbitacins that disappears after beetles have consumed enough compound to embitter their tissues.
Fabrication and Characterization of Nickel Nanowire Polymer Composites

Magnetic polymers are multi-functional composites emerging as a new category of smart materials. This work focuses on fabrication and characterization of magnetic polymer nanocomposites based on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) elastomer matrix. The magnetic fillers are commercially available Ni nanoparticles and respectively in-house fabricated Ni nanowires. Synthesis of Ni nanowires is achieved by electroless deposition inside nanoporous anodic alumina templates. After template removal, the nanowires are coated with 1-Octodecanethiol surfactant and mixed with PDMS using a FlackTek SpeedMixer™. In parallel, nanoparticles are mixed with PDMS, without undergoing surfactant coating. Both composites are evaluated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) to determine dispersion uniformity. Mechanical properties are resolved by tensile tests performed by an instron. Preliminary results suggest that surfactant addition enhances dispersion, while mechanical properties of the composites for up to 5 vol. % of added nickel remain close to that of the polymer matrix without filler.
TOLUIDINE BLUE-ALIZARIN RED S STAINING OF CARTILAGE AND BONE IN WHOLE-MOUNT SKELETONS IN VITRO.

Cartilage and bone of the developing skeleton can be reliably differentiated in whole-mount preparations with toluidine blue-alizarin red S staining after FAA fixation. The recommended staining procedure is based chiefly on the use of newborn white and Swiss-Webster mice, 4-9 days postnatal, but was tested also on mice and rats 3-8 wk of age. Procedure: Sacrifice, skin, eviscerate, remove body fat, and place specimens in FAA (formalin, 1; acetic acid, 1; 70% alcohol, 8) for approximately 40 min. Stain in 0.06% toluidine blue made in 70% ethyl alcohol for 48 hr at room temperature. Use 20 volumes of stain solution to the estimated volume of the specimen. Destain soft tissues in 35% ethyl alcohol, 20 hr; 50%, 28 hr; and 70%, 8 hr. Counterstain in a freshly prepared 1% aqueous solution of KOH to which is added 2-3 drops of 0.1% alizarin red S per 100 ml of solution. Each day for 3 days, transfer the specimen to a fresh 1% KOH-alizarin mixture, or until the bones have reached the desired intensity of red and ...
Residential Rate Design and Death Spiral for Electric Utilities: Efficiency and Equity Considerations

Abstract Nearly flat growth in US electricity demand, combined with policies to increase distributed generation, have resulted in concerns of revenue “death spiral” for electric utilities. Redesigning rate structures in response to high penetration of distributed generation creates both efficiency and equity considerations. This chapter explores these considerations in the context of New Jersey that has three policy elements: aggressive solar mandates, net-metering, and recovering almost all fixed costs for residential consumers through volumetric rate. Winners and losers are projected under possible scenarios of rate adjustments, along with effects on the collection of Sales and Use Tax on sale of electricity.
A Sensor Management Algorithm Based on Renyi Entropy for Gaussian Nonlinear Tracking System

A sensor management algorithm is presented based on Renyi entropy for Gaussian nonlinear multi-target tracking system.First, the target tracking accuracy requirement was analyzed based on the prediction error and the filtering error calculated by using UKF.Then, the approximate estimation of probability density function was implemented by using Renyi entropy together with Parzen window function, and the target information gain was obtained.The target priority, i.e., the threats degree, was introduced, and the efficiency function was obtained.Finally, the efficiency function was used to distribute the sensors.The simulation results show that: 1) the use of Renyi entropy can represent the high order characteristics of nonlinear system;and 2) Combined with Parzen window function, it can not only maintain accuracy but also reduce the calculation cost, and can measure the uncertainty of the information in the tracking well, reduce the tracking error, and optimize the tracking performance of the system.
Food intake regulation in pigs. IV. The influence of dietary threonine imbalance on food intake, dietary choice and plasma acid patterns.

SUMMARY The response of pigs to threonine imbalance diets was a rapid and marked depression in food intake. Plasma threonine values showed rapid depression due to the imbalance. Both food intake and plasma threonine values were restored by dietary supplementation of threonine. When given a choice between threonine imbalance and protein-free diets pigs chose to eat the protein-free diet.
Postoperative Management for Patients With Durable Mechanical Circulatory Support Devices

Mechanical circulatory support devices have been approved as bridge to transplantation, as bridge to recovery, or as destination therapy to treat end-stage heart failure. The perioperative challenges for the anesthesiologist and the intensivist caring for these patients include device-related complications, hemodynamic instability, arrhythmias, right ventricular failure, and coagulopathy. Perioperative management in this high-risk population has a significant impact on patient outcomes. This review focuses immediate postoperative intensive care unit management of device-related complications.
App Localization and Trafficking in the Central Nervous System

One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology is amyloid plaque deposition in the brain (reviewed in Sisodia and Price, 1995). The amyloid plaque core consists primarily of a 4 kDa peptide known as β-amyloid or Aβ. Aβ is derived by proteolytic processing of a type I integral membrane protein, the amyloid Aβ protein precursor, or APP. Based on strong genetic and biochemical data (reviewed in Hardy and Duff, 1993), it is widely agreed that at least some forms of AD are caused by excess Aβ deposition in the brain, particularly excess Aβ of 42 or 43 amino acids in length (Aβ 1-42/43). The genetic evidence includes the identification of five distinct mutations in APP, all of which cosegregate with rare forms of AD: four of these mutations have been shown to increase the levels of Aβ 1-42/43. More recently, AD-associated mutations in the presenilin-1 and presenilin-2 genes have also been shown to cause increased levels of Aβl-42/43 (e.g., Scheuner et al., 1996). Finally, it has been suggested that the AD-associated form of apolipoprotein E is involved in the accumulation of Aβ (e.g., Strittmatter et al., 1993; Strittmatter et al., 1993).
Initial Experience with Combined Interferon-α2b and Carbon Dioxide Laser for the Treatment Of Condylomata Acuminata*

AbstractThe incidence of condylomata acuminata, a common sexually transmitted disease caused by certain types of human papillomaviruses, is increasing rapidly and treatment regimens presently are not consistently effective. One of the more popular and effective modes of treatment has been laser therapy. Because of the relatively high recurrence rate of condylomata acuminata with laser treatment alone and because laser treatment in some patients with confluent acetowhite lesions would render cosmetically unacceptable results if the entire area were treated, we believed that it was reasonable to use intralesional pretreatment.We present our preliminary data on 14 consecutive patients with the clinical diagnosis of condylomata acuminata who were treated with the combination of carbon dioxide laser and intralesional interferon-«2B. We found the treatment regimen to be effective in decreasing the recurrence rate compared to laser treatment alone and it was well tolerated with only transient side effects in a m...
Behavioral responses to predation risk in brooding female amphipods (Gammarus pseudolimnaeus)

ABSTRACTPrevious research has shown that brooding female amphipods (Gammarus pseudolimnaeus) are more likely than other adults to be eaten by vertebrate and invertebrate predators under restrictive laboratory conditions. Here, we investigate how the mobility of amphipods that differ in sex or reproductive status varies. Second, we investigate whether any such differences in mobility are associated with differences in predator avoidance behaviors. Male amphipods collected from the field had 18% higher maximum velocity and 44% higher average velocity than females. Non-brooding females had 33% higher maximum velocity than brooding females, but their average velocities were not significantly different. The average velocity of brooding females was negatively correlated with brood size. Brooding females were significantly more likely to aggregate and to seek cover when predator cues were present, whereas the responses of males and non-brooding females were more variable, as predicted by the trait compensation h...
Riding the Wave: Consumer Economics and the Consumer Movement in the United States

The development and current state of the scholarly field of Consumer Economics in the United States is discussed in relation to the Consumer Movement and other forces that have impinged upon it. Membership in the American Council on Consumer Interests, the scholarly organization for consumer economists, is used as one measure of the size and health of the field. Other forces impinging on the field that are discussed include: the baby boom induced increase in the demand for college education; the subsequent decline in the support for higher education as higher education costs rose throughout the 1980s and 1990s; the decline in the Federal Government's support for consumer research and consumer education; and the development of competing organizations.
Reference Pricing Changes The ‘Choice Architecture’ Of Health Care For Consumers

Reference pricing in health insurance creates incentives for patients to select for nonemergency services providers that charge relatively low prices and still offer high quality of care. It changes the “choice architecture” by offering standard coverage if the patient chooses cost-effective providers but requires considerable consumer cost sharing if more expensive alternatives are selected. The short-term impact of reference pricing has been to shift patient volumes from hospital-based to freestanding surgical, diagnostic, imaging, and laboratory facilities. This article summarizes reference pricing’s impacts to date on patient choice, provider prices, surgical complications, and employer spending and estimates its potential impacts if expanded to more services and a broader population. Reference pricing induces consumers to select lower-price alternatives for all of the forms of care studied, leading to significant reductions in prices paid and spending incurred by insurers and employers. The impact on...
An application view of COORDINATORS coordination managers for first responders

COORDINATORs are coordination managers for fielded first responders. Each first response team is paired with a COORDINATOR coordination manager which is running on a mobile computing device. COORDINATORs provide decision support to first response teams by reasoning about who should be doing what, when, with what resource, in support of which other team, and so forth. COORDINATORs respond to the dynamics of the environment by (re)coordinating to determine the right course of action for the current circumstances. COORDINATORs have been implemented using wireless PDAs and proprietary first responder location tracking technologies. This paper describes COORDINATORs, the motivation for them, the underlying agent architecture, implementation issues, and first response exercises.
Pathogenesis and Treatment of Bovine Foot Rot.

Bovine foot rot (BFR) is an infectious disease of the interdigital skin and subcutaneous tissues of beef and dairy cattle that occurs under a variety of management and environmental settings. The anaerobic, gram-negative bacteria Fusobacterium necrophorum, Porphyromonas levii, and Prevotella intermedia are commonly isolated from lesions. A multitude of host, agent, and environmental factors contribute to the development of BFR. Initiation of systemic antimicrobial therapy early in the course of disease commonly leads to resolution. Delays in treatment may result in extension of infection into deeper bone, synovial structures, or ligamentous structures, and the prognosis for recovery is reduced.
Existing anatomical parameters and the need for further determinations for various tissue structures.

Vascular patterns within the central nervous system differ considerably from one part of the brain to another but in each area are characteristic of the region (Lockard et al., 1959). Indeed the architectural pattern of the blood vessels corresponds so precisely to the pattern of the nerve cells that each small area can be identified on the basis of its blood vessels alone (figs. 1 and 2). By the use of histochemical techniques the density of blood vessels has been shown to correspond to the metabolic activity of each area (Friede, 1961).
Communication Through Haptics During Human Collaborative Manipulation

This paper describes research towards understanding haptic communication during planar object manipulation. In particular, a classification algorithm that classifies four stages of manipulation of ...
Can serum Procalcitonin aid in the diagnosis of blood stream infection in patients on immunosuppressive medications

Abstract Background Patients on immunosuppressive medications may not exhibit the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) in the setting of bacterial infection. Our study examines the relationship between serum PCT levels and the odds of manifesting SIRS and BSI in patients on immunosuppressive medications and examines whether this relationship is altered from patients who are not on these medications. The diagnostic performance of Procalcitonin (PCT) detecting BSI in patients on immunosuppressive agents is compared to that in non-immunosuppressed patients. Methods We tested the association between BSI, serum PCT levels, contemporaneous SIRS scores using logisitic regression in a dataset of 4279 patients. The diagnostic performance of these variables for detecting BSI was assessed. Results In patients on immunosuppressive medications, multivariate logistic regression models demonstrate that while the serum PCT level is associated with BSI (OR: 2.48, p Conclusions As PCT levels rise, patients on immunosuppressive agents are less likely to mount a SIRS response, despite having a high probability of BSI. PCT might prove helpful in this setting as immunosuppressive agents do not alter the diagnostic performance of serum PCT in detecting BSI.
Serial Interviews: When and Why to Talk to Someone More Than Once

Many qualitative social scientists conduct single-session interviews with large numbers of individuals so as to maximize the sample size and obtain a wide range of study participants. Yet in some c...
Association Between Tidal Volumes Adjusted for Ideal Body Weight and Outcomes in Pediatric Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.

Objectives:The impact of tidal volume on outcomes in mechanically ventilated children with pediatric acute respiratory distress syndrome remains unclear. To date, observational investigations have failed to calculate tidal volume based on standardized corrections of weight. We investigated the impac
Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome and oculocutaneous albinism in Chinese children with pigmentation defects and easy bruising

Determining the etiology of oculocutaneous albinism is important for proper clinical management and to determine prognosis. The purpose of this study was to genotype and phenotype eight adopted Chinese children who presented with oculocutaneous albinism and easy bruisability. The patients were evaluated at a single center; their ages ranged from 3 to 8 years. Whole exome or direct sequencing showed that two of the children had Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome (HPS) type-1 (HPS-1), one had HPS-3, one had HPS-4, and four had non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism associated with TYR variants (OCA1). Two frameshift variants in HPS1 (c.9delC and c.1477delA), one nonsense in HPS4 (c.416G > A), and one missense variant in TYR (c.1235C > T) were unreported. The child with HPS-4 is the first case with this subtype reported in the Chinese population. Hypopigmentation in patients with HPS was mild compared to that in OCA1 cases, who had severe pigment defects. Bruises, which may be more visible in patients with hypopigmentation, were found in all cases with either HPS or OCA1. Whole mount transmission electron microscopy demonstrated absent platelet dense granules in the HPS cases; up to 1.9 mean dense granules per platelet were found in those with OCA1. Platelet aggregation studies in OCA1 cases were inconclusive. Clinical manifestations of oculocutaneous albinism and easy bruisability may be observed in children with HPS or OCA1. Establishing definitive diagnoses in children presenting with these phenotypic features is facilitated by genetic testing. Non-syndromic oculocutaneous albinism and various HPS subtypes, including HPS-4, are found in children of Chinese ancestry.
How to optimally constrain galaxy assembly bias: supplement projected correlation functions with count-in-cells statistics

Most models for the connection between galaxies and their haloes ignore the possibility that galaxy properties may be correlated with halo properties other than mass, a phenomenon known as galaxy assembly bias. Yet, it is known that such correlations can lead to systematic errors in the interpretation of survey data. At present, the degree to which galaxy assembly bias may be present in the real Universe, and the best strategies for constraining it remain uncertain. We study the ability of several observables to constrain galaxy assembly bias from redshift survey data using the decorated halo occupation distribution (dHOD), an empirical model of the galaxy--halo connection that incorporates assembly bias. We cover an expansive set of observables, including the projected two-point correlation function $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$, the galaxy--galaxy lensing signal $\Delta \Sigma(r_{\mathrm{p}})$, the void probability function $\mathrm{VPF}(r)$, the distributions of counts-in-cylinders $P(N_{\mathrm{CIC}})$, and counts-in-annuli $P(N_{\mathrm{CIA}})$, and the distribution of the ratio of counts in cylinders of different sizes $P(N_2/N_5)$. We find that despite the frequent use of the combination $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})+\Delta \Sigma(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ in interpreting galaxy data, the count statistics, $P(N_{\mathrm{CIC}})$ and $P(N_{\mathrm{CIA}})$, are generally more efficient in constraining galaxy assembly bias when combined with $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$. Constraints based upon $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ and $\Delta \Sigma(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ share common degeneracy directions in the parameter space, while combinations of $w_{\mathrm{p}}(r_{\mathrm{p}})$ with the count statistics are more complementary. Therefore, we strongly suggest that count statistics should be used to complement the canonical observables in future studies of the galaxy--halo connection.
Trans-Himalayan power corridors: Infrastructural politics and China's Belt and Road Initiative in Nepal

Abstract This article examines the shifting dimensions of Chinese infrastructural aid in Nepal, focusing on the politics of anticipation and enunciation that shape Nepali perceptions of Chinese-facilitated development and negotiations concerning Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Drawing from ethnographic research focused on sites of ongoing and planned infrastructure development in Nepal's two northern districts of Rasuwa and Gorkha, we analyze the uncertain remaking of these areas into trans-Himalayan power corridors. Our examination reveals the gamut of transitions, opportunities, reorientations, and expectations that the BRI and other forms of Chinese investment evoke in Nepal, showing how politics articulate infrastructures, and vice versa. After reviewing the historical context of Nepal-China relations, our empirical analysis begins in late 2014 when China became the single largest source of foreign direct investment in Nepal, continues through several rounds of negotiations about the BRI and other forms of Chinese infrastructural investment and aid, and concludes with a review of significant Nepal-China agreements at the Second Belt and Road Forum, held in Beijing in April 2019. Tacking between remote construction sites, scenes of diplomatic debate, borderland villages, investment summits, and speculative media coverage, we demonstrate how the Belt and Road Initiative is differently enacted and co-constructed by a variety of Nepali and Chinese actors who interpret, reimagine, and rhetorically appropriate the BRI within their own narrations of future possibility.
Experimental studies of the host-finding behavior of Trogus pennator, a parasitoid of swallowtail butterflies.

The parasitic wasp Trogus pennator (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae) attacks larvae in two genera of Papilionidae, Eurytides and Papilio, on plants in a variety of families. The female wasps' responses to food plants, feeding damage, and frass were examined in a series of experiments designed to test the hypothesis that parasitic wasps that specialize on host taxa and seek their hosts in a variety of habitats exhibit fixed responses to host-derived cues and more flexible responses to cues associated only with the hosts' food plants. Naive T. pennator females showed no preferences when offered either a choice between two papilionid food plants or a choice between a food plant and a plant not used for food by Papilionidae. After experience with hosts in the presence of a particular food plant, however, wasps preferred that plant. Naive wasps did prefer plants damaged by host larvae over plants damaged by nonhost (saturniid) larvae and also preferred methylene chloride extracts of host frass over extracts of frass from saturniid larvae fed on the same plant species, results indicating that the responses of T. pennator females to host-derived cues are innate. The chemical compositions of the extracts of frass from several papilionid and one saturniid species were also examined, and the significance of the finding that no host-specific patterns were detected among the major components of the extracts is discussed.
Statistical emulation of a perturbed basal melt ensemble of an ice sheet model to better quantify Antarctic sea level rise uncertainties

Abstract. Antarctic ice shelves are vulnerable to warming ocean temperatures, and some have already begun thinning in response to increased basal melt rates. Sea level is therefore expected to rise due to Antarctic contributions, but uncertainties in its amount and timing remain largely unquantified. In particular, there is substantial uncertainty in future basal melt rates arising from multi-model differences in thermal forcing and how melt rates depend on that thermal forcing. To facilitate uncertainty quantification in sea level rise projections, we build, validate, and demonstrate projections from a computationally efficient statistical emulator of a high-resolution (4 km) Antarctic ice sheet model, the Community Ice Sheet Model version 2.1. The emulator is trained to a large (500-member) ensemble of 200-year-long 4 km resolution transient ice sheet simulations, whereby regional basal melt rates are perturbed by idealized (yet physically informed) trajectories. The main advantage of our emulation approach is that by sampling a wide range of possible basal melt trajectories, the emulator can be used to (1) produce probabilistic sea level rise projections over much larger Monte Carlo ensembles than are possible by direct numerical simulation alone, thereby providing better statistical characterization of uncertainties, and (2) predict the simulated ice sheet response under differing assumptions about basal melt characteristics as new oceanographic studies are published, without having to run additional numerical ice sheet simulations. As a proof of concept, we propagate uncertainties about future basal melt rate trajectories, derived from regional ocean models, to generate probabilistic sea level rise estimates for 100 and 200 years into the future.
MC2: A Secure Collaborative Computation Platform

Multiple organizations often wish to aggregate their sensitive data and learn from it, but they cannot do so because they cannot share their data. For example, banks wish to train models jointly over their aggregate transaction data to detect money launderers because criminals hide their traces across different banks. To address such problems, my students and I developed MC2, a framework for secure collaborative computation. My talk will overview our MC2 platform, from the technical approach to results and adoption.Biography: Raluca Ada Popa is a computer security professor at UC Berkeley. She is a co-founder and co-director of the RISELab at UC Berkeley, where her research is on systems security and applied cryptography. She is also a co-founder and CTO of a cybersecurity startup called PreVeil. Raluca has received her PhD in computer science as well as her Masters and two BS degrees, in computer science and in mathematics, from MIT. She is the recipient of a Sloan Foundation Fellowship award, NSF Career, Technology Review 35 Innovators under 35, and a George M. Sprowls Award for best MIT CS doctoral thesis.
Who should determine the medical necessity of dental sedation and general anesthesia? A clinical commentary supported by Illinois patient and practitioner surveys.

Abstract Many third-party payers try to deny benefits for dental sedation and general anesthesia. The term "not medically necessary" is often applied to these services by third-party payers. The label is poorly defined and varies from payer to payer. This paper uses original practitioner and patient opinion surveys to support the position that the definition of medical necessity is solely the joint responsibility of the patient and his/her physician. These surveys also support the argument that both patients and practitioners view dental sedation and general anesthesia as a medically necessary procedure if it allows a patient to complete a medically necessary surgical procedure that he/she might otherwise avoid.
Effect of Weight Class on Regional Brain Volume, Cognition, and Other Neuropsychiatric Outcomes among Professional Fighters.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a common source of functional impairment among athletes, military personnel, and the general population. Professional fighters in both boxing and mixed martial arts ...
Post-silicon Functional Validation with Virtual Prototypes

Post-silicon validation has become a critical stage in the system-on-chip (SoC) development cycle, driven by increasing design complexity, higher level of integration and decreasing time-to-market. According to recent reports, post-silicon validation effort comprises more than 50% of the overall development effort of an 65nm SoC. Though post-silicon validation covers many aspects ranging from electronic properties of hardware to performance and power consumption of whole systems, a central task remains validating functional correctness of both hardware and its integration with software. There are several key challenges to achieving accelerated and low-cost post-silicon functional validation. First, there is only limited silicon observability and controllability; second, there is no good test coverage estimation over a silicon device; third, it is difficult to generate good post-silicon tests before a silicon device is available; fourth, there is no effective software robustness testing approaches to ensure the quality of hardware/software integration. We propose a systematic approach to accelerating post-silicon functional validation with virtual prototypes. Post-silicon test coverage is estimated in the presilicon stage by evaluating the test cases on the virtual prototypes. Such analysis is first conducted on the initial test suite assembled by the user and subsequently on the expanded test suite which includes test cases that are automatically generated. Based on the coverage statistics of the initial test suite on the virtual prototypes,
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia causing Gradenigo's syndrome

We report Stenotrophomonas maltophilia as a cause of Gradenigo’s syndrome, a rare complication of suppurative otitis media (OM). The clinical triad of sixth nerve palsy, OM and pain in the distribution of trigeminal nerve constitute the diagnosis of Gradenigo’s syndrome. Common organisms that have been recovered include; Group A Streptococcus, Pneumococcus, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Our aim is to report the first case of Gradenigo’s syndrome caused by S. maltophilia, an aerobic, non-fermentative, Gram-negative bacterium which causes uncommon but difficult to treat infections in humans. Rare pathogens such as S. maltophilia should be included in the differential diagnosis of organisms causing complicated non-responding OM even if the host is immunocompetent.