cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broccoli growth parameters and level of head infestations in simple and mixed plantings: Impact of increased flora diversification

Summary The impacts of interplanting broccoli, Brassica oleracea var. italica L., with chili pepper, Capsicum annuum L., or yellow sweetclover (YSC), Melilotus officinalis L., on broccoli growth parameters and levels of lepidopteran head infestations were studied during two field seasons (winter & summer). During both seasons, several broccoli growth characteristics (e.g. plant vertical area, whole plant biomass, etc.) were significantly reduced in broccoli-YSC habitats. However, broccoli heads in broccoli-YSC habitats did not differ significantly in size from other treatment habitats. Additionally, these heads contained the lowest mean lepidopteran contaminants per broccoli crown during the winter season. During this period, the average number of lepidopteran contaminants per broccoli head was more than twice that in monoculture and pepper intercropped broccoli than in broccoli-YSC habitats. During the summer experiment, the average number of lepidopteran contaminants per broccoli head was greater in pepper intercropped broccoli than in both monoculture and YSC interplanted broccoli. Potential causes of broccoli growth differences and their relationship to lepidopteran ovipositional behavior are discussed.
Judah P. Benjamin's senate speeches on slavery and secession

(1957). Judah P. Benjamin's senate speeches on slavery and secession. The Southern Speech Journal: Vol. 23, No. 1, pp. 10-20.
Time in Ruins: Melancholy and Modernity in the Pre-Romantic Natural Picturesque

This article examines the treatment of ruins in the works of two late eighteenth-century Picturesque writers, Carlo Castone della Torre di Rezzonico and Aurelio de’ Giorgi Bertola, linking the idea of melancholy associated with the ruin to pre-Romantic conceptions of time and nature and to developments in literary aesthetics. It argues that both writers stretch the boundaries of the Picturesque by using the depiction of ruins in a natural setting as a temporal presence that evokes the passage and effects of time, triggering a melancholic response. Their melancholy of ruins articulates a modern sensibility defined by the recognition of an irreparable rupture with the past and with nature.
White matter integrity in right hemisphere predicts pitch-related grammar learning

White matter plays an important role in various domains of cognitive function. While disruptions in white matter are known to affect many domains of behavior and cognition, the ability to acquire grammatical regularities has been mostly linked to the left hemisphere, perhaps due to its dependence on linguistic stimuli. The role of white matter in the right hemisphere in grammar acquisition is yet unknown. Here we show for the first time that in the domain of pitch, intact white matter connectivity in right-hemisphere analogs of language areas is important for grammar learning. A pitch-based artificial grammar learning task was conducted on subjects who also underwent diffusion tensor imaging. Probabilistic tractography using seed regions of interest in the right inferior frontal gyrus and right middle temporal gyrus showed positive correlations between tract volume and learning performance. Furthermore, significant correlations were observed between learning performance and FA in white matter underlying the supramarginal gyrus, corresponding to the right temporal-parietal junction of the arcuate fasciculus. The control task of recognition did not correlate with tract volume or FA, and control tracts in the left hemisphere did not correlate with behavioral performance. Results show that the right ventral arcuate fasciculus is important in pitch-based artificial grammar learning, and that brain structures subserving learning may be tied to the hemisphere that processes the stimulus more generally.
Isolation and partial characterization of two minor glycoproteins from human erythrocyte membranes.

Abstract Two minor glycoproteins GP-II and GP-III, were isolated from human erythrocyte membranes and characterized chemically and immunologically. The chemical composition of GP-II and GP-III was similar: GP-II consisted of 81% protein and 19 % carbohydrate of which 4.9 % was hexose. 5.4 % hexosamine and 7.8 % sialic acid. GP-III consisted of 76 % protein and 24 % carbohydrate of which 7.6 % was hexose, 7.2 % hexosamine and 8.1 % sialic acid. The amino acid composition of GP-II and GP-III was also similar. GP-II and GP-III, however, differed in chemical composition from the MN glycoprotein. GP-II and GP-III were associated with the blood group activities Ss, I and A, but not with the MN antigens. GP-III had higher blood group activities per μg of protein than did GP-II. The specific activities for the Ss blood group antigens were increased 3–10-fold by purification of GP-III from the aqueous phase of chloroform methanol extracts.
Fault-tolerant control for automated highway systems

Increasing highway traffic congestion and real estate costs that limit the building of new highways has brought about a renewed interest in an automated highway system (AHS) where the vehicle steering task ("lateral control") and the braking/throttle tasks ("longitudinal control") are taken over by computers to increase the throughput of existing highways. Since safety plays a key role in the development of an AHS, fault-tolerant control is vital. In this paper, we develop a robust longitudinal sliding-mode control algorithm and prove that this control algorithm is stable for a certain class of faults. In addition, we show that intervehicle spacing errors will not become amplified along the AHS in the event of a loss of lead vehicle information. The performance of the sliding-mode controller is demonstrated through a series of simulations incorporating various vehicle and AHS faults.
Evaluation of uncertainties in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy intensities associated with different methods and procedures for background subtraction. II. Spectra for unmonochromated Al and Mg X-rays

We report uncertainties in X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) intensities arising from commonly used methods and procedures for subtraction of the spectral background. These uncertainties were determined from a comparison of XPS intensities reported by volunteer analysts from 28 institutions and the corresponding intensities expected for a set of simulated XPS spectra. We analyzed peak intensities from 32 sets of data for a group of 12 spectra that had been simulated for a monochromated Al Kα source. Each reported intensity was compared with an expected intensity for the particular integration limits chosen by each analyst and known from the simulation design. We present ratios of the reported intensities to the expected intensities for the background-subtraction methods chosen by the analysts. These ratios were close to unity in most cases, as expected, but deviations were found in the results from some analysts, particularly if the main peak was asymmetrical or if shakeup was present. We showed that better results for the Shirley, Tougaard, and linear backgrounds were obtained when analysts determined peak intensities over certain energy ranges or integration limits. We then were able to recommend integration limits that should be a useful guide in the determination of peak intensities for other XPS spectra. The use of relatively narrow integration limits with the Shirley and linear backgrounds, however, will lead to measures of peak intensities that are less than the total intensities. Although these measures may be satisfactory for some quantitative analyses, errors in quantitative XPS analyses can occur if there are changes in XPS lineshapes or shakeup fractions with change of chemical state. The use of curve-fitting equations to fit an entire spectrum will generally exclude the shakeup contribution to the intensity of the main peak, and no account will be taken of any variation in the shakeup fraction with change of chemical state. Published in 2009 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Certain commercial products are identified to specify the formats in which the test spectra were distributed and the software with which the test spectra were analyzed by participants. This identification does not imply that the products are endorsed or recommended by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or that they are necessarily the most suitable for the purposes described.
How Twitter is Changing Narrative Storytelling: A Case Study of the Boston Marathon Bombings

Understanding social media, an integral part of 21st century American life, is more important than ever. On the one-year anniversary of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings, it is clear that Twitter was a primary source of information for many Americans, despite the vast inaccuracies tweeted by trusted sources throughout the days following the attack. This case study based on content analysis found that 10 authoritative organizations, including five news organizations, provided news and feature stories through their tweets – sometimes at the expense of accuracy to be first on their stories. They also posted tweets that ensured people’s safety during the crisis, enlisted help from the public, and offered perfunctory roles, such as sending out comforting messages for grieving people.
Association Between Peridural Scar and Recurrent Radicular Pain After Lumbar Discectomy: Magnetic Resonance Evaluation

THE PURPOSE OF this study was to investigate the presence of any correlation between recurrent radicular pain during the first six months following first surgery for herniated lumbar intervertebral disc and the amount of lumbar peridural fibrosis as defined by MR imaging. 197 patients who underwent first-time single-level unilateral discectomy for lumbar disc herniation were evaluated in a randomized, double-blind, controlled multicenter clinical trial. Clinical assessments, performed by physicians blinded to patient treatment status, were conducted preoperatively and at one and six months postoperatively. The enhanced MR images of the operative site utilized in the analysis were obtained at six months postoperatively. Radicular pain was recorded by the patient using a validated visual analog pain scale in which 0 = no pain and 10 = excruciating pain. The data obtained at the 6 month time point were analyzed for an association between amount of peridural scar as measured by MR imaging and clinical failure as defined by the recurrence of radicular pain. The results showed that the probability of recurrent pain increases when scar score increases. Patients having extensive peridural scar were 3.2 times more likely to experience recurrent radicular pain than those patients with less extensive peridural scarring. In conclusion, this prospective, controlled, randomized, blinded, multicenter study has demonstrated that there is a significant association between the presence of extensive peridural scar and the occurrence of recurrent radicular pain.
Observations of atmosphere-biosphere exchange of total and speciated peroxynitrates: nitrogen fluxes and biogenic sources of peroxynitrates

Abstract. Peroxynitrates are responsible for global scale transport of reactive nitrogen. Recent laboratory observations suggest that they may also play an important role in delivery of nutrients to plant canopies. We measured eddy covariance fluxes of total peroxynitrates (ΣPNs) and three individual peroxynitrates (APNs ≡ PAN + PPN + MPAN) over a ponderosa pine forest during the Biosphere Effects on AeRosols and Photochemistry EXperiment 2009 (BEARPEX 2009). Concentrations of these species were also measured at multiple heights above and within the canopy. While the above-canopy daytime concentrations are nearly identical for ΣPNs and APNs, we observed the downward flux of ΣPNs to be 30–60% slower than the flux of APNs. The vertical concentration gradients of ΣPNs and APNs vary with time of day and exhibit different temperature dependencies. These differences can be explained by the production of peroxynitrates other than PAN, PPN, and MPAN within the canopy (presumably as a consequence of biogenic VOC emissions) and upward fluxes of these PN species. The impact of this implied peroxynitrate flux on the interpretation of NOx fluxes and ecosystem N exchange is discussed.
On-the-fly resolve trace minimization

The ability of modern SAT solvers to produce proofs of un- satisfiability for Boolean formulas has become a powerful tool for EDA applications. Proofs are generated from a resolve trace that captures information about the creation of all conflict clauses. Due to their sizes, resolve traces are kept in files. The sizes of these files makes the use of proofs of un- satisfiability impractical for industrial tools. Although only a small part of the resolve trace is eventually used, until now it was not known how to filter out unnecessary information. We propose a simple algorithm for on-the-fly resolve trace minimization in which we identify clauses that are guaranteed not to take part in the proof of unsatisfiability, and delete all of their associated information. This algorithm dramatically decreases the size of the resolve trace, to the point where it can be stored in the main memory. Our experiments reveal that the minimized trace is typically 3 to 6 times smaller. This makes the use of proofs of unsatisfiability and the computation of unsat cores more practical and will enable future applications to take advantage of it.
Management learning exercise and trainer's note for building grounded theory in tourism behavior

Abstract Modeling traveler behavior is challenging because many variables affect each stage of the process. A useful technique to uncover important dimensions and relationship in travel behavior is grounded theory construction. Using data collected by long interviews (see McCracken G. The long interview. Newbury Park: Sage; 1998), tourist responses are categorized by decision area and mapped to test grounded theory propositions. This article shows how researchers can craft useful learning exercises for training analysts and executives from survey data. Also, the example provides additional support for Woodside et al.'s (2004) (Woodside AG, MacDonald R, Burford M. (2004), “Grounded Theory of Leisure Travel,” J Travel Tour Mark, Vol 17 No 1, pp. 7–39.) study on grounded theory of tourism behavior.
Beyond Chiefdoms: Pathways to Complexity in Africa

Beyond Chiefdoms: Pathways to Complexity in Africa. Susan Keech Mclntosh. ed. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1999.176 pp.
Color rendering: A tale of two metrics

It was the best measure of color rendering, it was the worst measure of color rendering. Color rendering index (CRI) is the most common metric used by the lighting industry to represent the color rendering properties of electric light sources. CRI was intended to characterize how “true” or “natural” objects appeared when illuminated by a light source, but was never intended to, for example, represent how well object colors could be differentiated under a light source, another important aspect of color rendering. Data presented here demonstrate that CRI in conjunction with another measure of color rendering, gamut area index (GAI), is useful at predicting subjective judgments of how “natural” objects appear as well as how “vivid” objects appear, and how well one can discriminate between subtle differences in hue. Neither measure by itself, however, is sufficient for meeting all of the expectations of a light source for providing good color rendering under all viewing conditions. It remains for future research to determine if just two metrics are sufficient to assure good color rendering from a light source and whether these two metrics (CRI and GAI) are the best for such purpose. In the meantime, CRI and GAI should be used jointly in recommendations as practical, useful, and mutually reinforcing measures of color rendering. The data presented here also demonstrate that total irradiance is important for good color rendering. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Col Res Appl, 33, 192–202, 2008
Parenteral nutrition maintains pulmonary IgA antibody transport capacity, but not active transport, following injury.

Abstract Background Parenteral nutrition (PN) increases post-trauma pneumonia versus enteral feeding. PN impairs murine immunoglobulin A (IgA) airway defenses and abrogates a normal IgA increase following injury. This work investigates the effect of type/route of nutrition on lung IgA and its transport protein, polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR), after injury. Methods Catheterized mice were randomized to Chow or PN for 5 days and sacrificed without injury (Chow: n = 12; PN n = 11), or 8 hours after laparotomy + neck incisions (Chow-injury: n = 11, PN-injury: n = 13). Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and lung IgA levels were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lung pIgR by Western blot. Results BAL IgA levels increased in Chow-injury versus PN-injury ( P P P P Conclusions PN impairs the airway IgA response to injury but not due to impaired IgA transport capacity/pIgR level.
Scale-dependent dynamics: Zooplankton and the stability of freshwater food webs

The study of freshwater pelagic communities is entering an exciting and controversial phase. Recent efforts to clarify how food web interactions differ from food chain interactions have emphasized the various, often subtle, repercussions of top predators on communities. Predators can modify community structure not only through directly imposed death rates, but also through direct and indirect effects on prey interactions, behavior, life-styles and morphology (e.g. induction of defenses). In some cases, the effects influence ecosystem properties (material fluxes, turnover rates and primary production). Attempts to trace food web impacts in enclosure and lake studies have revealed important time-dependent system properties. Severe resource limitation of fast variables (phytoplankton and small zooplankton) stabilizes lower trophic levels, whereas the potentially destabilizing effects of fish population oscillations are long compared to the growing season and subject to year-to-year climatic vagaries. The time-scale dependent approach is important because it emphasizes how local (transient) solutions may be more ecologically relevant to stability calculations than overall (global) solutions.
Neurocognitive phenotype of isolated methylmalonic acidemia.

OBJECTIVE: Methylmalonic acidemia (MMA) is a metabolic disorder with a poorly defined long-term neurocognitive phenotype. We studied the neuropsychological outcomes of patients and examined clinical covariates that influenced cognition. METHODS: A diverse cohort with mut , cblA , or cblB subtypes of isolated MMA ( N = 43), ages 2 to 32 years, were evaluated at a single center over a 6-year period. The influence of clinical, laboratory, and metabolic parameters on neuropsychological testing results was determined. RESULTS: Early-onset mut patients ( n = 21) manifested the most severe neurocognitive impairments, with a mean ± SD full-scale IQ (FSIQ) of 71.1 ± 14.75. Late-onset mut patients ( n = 6) had a mean FSIQ of 88.5 ± 27.62. cblA ( n = 7), cblB ( n = 6), and mut patients diagnosed prenatally or by newborn screening ( n = 3) obtained mean FSIQs in the average range (100.7 ± 10.95, 96.6 ± 10.92, and 106.7 ± 6.66, respectively). Hyperammonemia at diagnosis and the presence of a seizure disorder were associated with a lower FSIQ ( P = .001 and P = .041, respectively), but other clinical variables, including basal ganglia injury and mutation status, did not. FSIQ remained stable over longitudinal testing ( n = 10). Decreased scores on processing speed, compared with all other intellectual domains, emerged as a specific neurocognitive manifestation. CONCLUSIONS: The neurocognitive outcomes seen in isolated MMA are highly variable. An earlier age of disease onset, the presence of hyperammonemia at diagnosis, and a history of seizures were associated with more severe impairment. In all patient subtypes, selective deficits in processing speed were present. * Abbreviations: MMA — : methylmalonic acidemia FSIQ — : full-scale IQ P/NBS — : prenatal or newborn screening diagnosis
Estimated ion mobilities for some air constituents

Abstract Estimates, based on available experimental data and on theory, are given for the mobilities of the ions O+, N+, O2+, and NO+ in the neutral species He, O, N, O2 and N2 from 0° to 2500°K.
Shipboard power restored for active duty

Network reconfiguration for restoration in a military shipboard power system is a very important task that is performed in order to restore loads as a result of battle damage or system faults. This article features an expert-system-based reconfiguration methodology for load restoration in shipboard power systems. The power system considered in the present study is based on the layout profile of a US surface combatant ship. The methodology developed will determine whether the loads that lost supply are restorable. When considering loads, it gives precedence to high priority loads. It also determines if there is any violation of current constraints of any cables and voltage constraints at load nodes. If the load is restorable, as suggested by an expert system, and there is no violation of any constraints, then the load is said to be restorable and the operation sequence required in restoring that load would be given as the output. A CAD drawing of the power system and a database of the system information has been developed using a geographic information system (GIS). A software tool incorporating failure assessment and expert system restoration methodology was developed using Visual C++, Multilogic Exsys Developer, Alternate Transients Program (ATP), and Microsoft Access. Microstation has been used for GIS. Various fault cases were designed, and the developed tool was used to run them and perform expert system restoration.
Algorithmic Cholesky factorization fault recovery

Modeling and analysis of large scale scientific systems often use linear least squares regression, frequently employing Cholesky factorization to solve the resulting set of linear equations. With large matrices, this often will be performed in high performance clusters containing many processors. Assuming a constant failure rate per processor, the probability of a failure occurring during the execution increases linearly with additional processors. Fault tolerant methods attempt to reduce the expected execution time by allowing recovery from failure. This paper presents an analysis and implementation of a fault tolerant Cholesky factorization algorithm that does not require checkpointing for recovery from fail-stop failures. Rather, this algorithm uses redundant data added in an additional set of processors. This differs from previous works with algorithmic methods as it addresses fail-stop failures rather than fail-continue cases. The implementation and experimentation using ScaLAPACK demonstrates that this method has decreasing overhead in relation to overall runtime as the matrix size increases, and thus shows promise to reduce the expected runtime for Cholesky factorizations on very large matrices.
Model order selection of damped sinusoids in noise by predictive densities

We develop a procedure for the order selection of damped sinusoidal models based on the maximum a posteriori (MAP) criterion. The proposed method merges the concept of predictive densities with Bayesian inference to arrive at a complex multidimensional integral whose solution is achieved by way of the efficient Monte Carlo importance sampling technique. The importance function, a multivariate Cauchy probability density, is employed to produce stratified samples over the hypersurfaces support region. Centrality location parameters for the Cauchy are resolved by exploiting the special structure of the compressed likelihood function (CLF) and applying the fast maximum likelihood (FML) procedure of Umesh and Tufts. Simulation results allow for a comparison between our method and the singular value decomposition (SVD) based information theoretic criteria of Reddy and Biradar (see IEEE Trans. Signal Processing, vol.41, no.9, p.2872-81, 1993).
Accommodation for flickering stimuli.

— A laser optometer was used to measure accommodative responses of three observers for sinusoidal gratings presented in Maxwellian view at optical distances ranging from 0 to 4 dioptres. Contrast of the stimuli was modulated spatially at 1.0, 4.2 and 6.5 cycles deg.-1 (cpd), and temporally at six frequencies ranging from 3.0 to 40 Hz. Accommodation was consistently more accurate for the 4.2 cpd than for either the 1.0 or 6.5 cpd gratings. Furthermore, accommodative responsiveness for the 4.2 cpd was not affected by temporal modulation, while that for the other spatial frequencies improved monotonically as a function of temporal frequency. These results reinforce earlier reports that accommodation is most responsive for contrast of intermediate spatial frequencies and they indicate that stimulus flicker generally degrades accommodation for spatial contrast.
The Superoxide Dismutase Gene sodM Is Unique to Staphylococcus aureus: Absence of sodM in Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) profiles of clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) were determined by using whole-cell lysates and activity gels. All S. aureus clinical isolates exhibited three closely migrating bands of activity as previously determined for laboratory strains of S. aureus: SodM, SodA, and a hybrid composed of SodM and SodA (M. W. Valderas and M. E. Hart, J. Bacteriol. 183:3399-3407, 2001). In contrast, the CoNS produced only one SOD activity, which migrated similarly to SodA of S. aureus. Southern analysis of eight CoNS species identified only a single sod gene in each case. A full-length sod gene was cloned from Staphylococcus epidermidis and determined to be more similar to sodA than to sodM of S. aureus. Therefore, this gene was designated sodA. The deduced amino acid sequence of the S. epidermidis sodA was 92 and 76% identical to that of the SodA and SodM proteins of S. aureus, respectively. The S. epidermidis sodA gene expressed from a plasmid complemented a sodA mutation in S. aureus, and the protein formed a hybrid with SodM of S. aureus. Both hybrid SOD forms as well as the SodM and SodA proteins of S. aureus and the S. epidermidis SodA protein exist as dimers. These data indicate that sodM is found only in S. aureus and not in the CoNS, suggesting an important divergence in the evolution of this genus and a unique role for SodM in S. aureus.
Improved Incorporation of Noncanonical Amino Acids by an Engineered tRNATyr Suppressor

The Methanocaldcoccus jannaschii tyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (TyrRS):tRNA(Tyr) cognate pair has been used to incorporate a large number of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) into recombinant proteins in Escherichia coli. However, the structural elements of the suppressor tRNA(Tyr) used in these experiments have not been examined for optimal performance. Here, we evaluate the steady-state kinetic parameters of wild-type M. jannaschii TyrRS and an evolved 3-nitrotyrosyl-tRNA synthetase (nitroTyrRS) toward several engineered tRNA(Tyr) suppressors, and we correlate aminoacylation properties with the efficiency and fidelity of superfolder green fluorescent protein (sfGFP) synthesis in vivo. Optimal ncAA-sfGFP synthesis correlates with improved aminoacylation kinetics for a tRNA(Tyr) amber suppressor with two substitutions in the anticodon loop (G34C/G37A), while four additional mutations in the D and variable loops, present in the tRNA(Tyr) used in all directed evolution experiments to date, are deleterious to function both in vivo and in vitro. These findings extend to three of four other evolved TyrRS enzymes that incorporate distinct ncAAs. Suppressor tRNAs elicit decreases in amino acid Km values for both TyrRS and nitroTyrRS, suggesting that direct anticodon recognition by TyrRS need not be an impediment to superior performance of this orthogonal system and offering insight into novel approaches for directed evolution. The G34C/G37A tRNA(Tyr) may enhance future incorporation of many ncAAs by engineered TyrRS enzymes.
Vitamin A deficiency in a newborn resulting from maternal hypovitaminosis A after biliopancreatic diversion for the treatment of morbid obesity.

Background Biliopancreatic diversion (BPD) has been advocated for the treatment of morbid obesity. This procedure has the theoretical advantage that patients retain normal eating capacity and lose weight irrespective of their eating habits. However, vitamin deficiencies may develop because BPD causes malabsorption. Objective This report describes a 40-y-old mother and her newborn infant, who developed vitamin A deficiency as a result of iatrogenic maternal malabsorption after BPD. Our primary objective is to show that BPD patients need close follow-up and lifelong micronutrient supplementation to prevent nutrient deficiencies in themselves and their offspring. Design The medical records of the mother and infant were reviewed, and their clinical course was followed until 10 mo postpartum. The mother was also interviewed on several occasions about her medical care, follow-up, and supplemental vitamin use. Results The mother developed night blindness with undetectable serum vitamin A concentrations in the third trimester of her pregnancy. Her vitamin A deficiency was untreated until she delivered her infant. At delivery, the infant also had vitamin A deficiency. He may have permanent retinal damage, but this is still unclear because the ophthalmologic examination performed at 2 mo of age was inconclusive. Conclusions Complications of BPD may take many years to develop, and the signs and symptoms may be subtle. Because of the malabsorption that results from BPD, patients need lifelong follow-up and appropriate vitamin supplementation to prevent deficiencies. These nutrient deficiencies can also affect the offspring of female BPD patients.
Maximal Coverage Location Problem

The maximal covering location problem was first introduced by Church and ReVelle in 1973 at the North American Regional Science Council meetings and subsequently published in Papers in Regional Science (formerly Papers of the Regional Science Association) in 1974. It has proven to be a seminal contribution to location analysis and modeling, in terms of both technical merit and practical significance. With more than 1,500 citations in the academic literature, it has truly stood the test of time and may actually be as relevant or more so today than when it was first presented/published. Not only is it the subject of broad application and extension, but it has also been integrated in a number of geographic information system–based commercial software packages, including ArcGIS and TransCAD, for general use. This article provides an overview of the maximal covering location problem, highlighting the use, application, solution, evolution, and extension of this important location analytic approach.
Laser ablation surface-enhanced Raman microspectroscopy.

Improved identification of trace organic compounds in complex matrixes is critical for a variety of fields such as material science, heritage science, and forensics. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) is a vibrational spectroscopy technique that can attain single-molecule sensitivity and has been shown to complement mass spectrometry, but lacks widespread application without a robust method that utilizes the effect. We demonstrate a new, highly sensitive, and widely applicable approach to SERS analysis based on laser ablation in the presence of a tailored plasmonic substrate. We analyze several challenging compounds, including non-water-soluble pigments and dyed leather from an ancient Egyptian chariot, achieving sensitivity as high as 120 amol for a 1:1 signal-to-noise ratio and 5 μm spatial resolution. This represents orders of magnitude improvement in spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to those of other SERS approaches intended for widespread application, greatly increasing the applicabi...
Local food protection and safety infrastructure and capacity: a Maryland case study.

Introduction In Maryland, county Food Protection Programs (FPP), housed within Environmental Public Health (EPH) Divisions, maintain responsibility for regular inspection of all food service facilities (FSF). With growing concerns about how our food supply is protected, it is important to determine the state and effectiveness of our food safety systems. This research elucidates the roles, responsibilities, strengths, and weaknesses of Food Safety and Protection Programs in Maryland. Methods A 16-question survey tool, which addressed facets of the local food protection infrastructure, including FSF inspections, staffing, budget, and foodborne illness surveillance, was distributed to all 24 county FPP. Results The number of FSF in Maryland increased 97% from 2001 to 2006 and counties had an average inspection completion rate of 73%, with a 4% increase over the time period. Statewide, there were 4.1 EPH full-time employees (FTE) per 10 000 population and 1.6 FPP FTE per 10 000 population. EPH Division budgets increased 63% statewide, from $19.5 million in 2000 to $31.9 million in 2007. FPP budgets also increased 59% over the period, from $6.2 million in 2000 to $9.8 million in 2007. Conclusions This study offers new quantitative measures of the demands, capacities, and performance of Food Protection and Safety Programs in Maryland. This assessment of local EPH and FPP capacity also offers insight into the strengths and weaknesses of the local food protection and safety infrastructure. Importantly, it reveals an infrastructure and dedicated food protection workforce that inspects the food supply and responds to foodborne illness outbreaks. Yet, resources vary substantially from county to county, impacting which services can be provided and how well they can be performed. This can, in turn, impact the potential risk of foodborne illness and the public's overall health.
Effects of Variation in Natural Algal and Detrital Diets on Larval Anuran (Hyla regilla) Life-History Traits

The quality of algae as food for larval Pacific treefrogs, Hyla regilla, varies among algal taxa. Tadpole diets were manipulated in enclosures in the South Fork Eel River, northern California. Enclosed tadpoles were fed ad libitum one of the dominant filamentous green algae (Cladophora, Zygnema, Mougeotia, or Oedogonium), the dominant cyanobacterium in the habitat (Nostoc), flocculent detritus, or a commercial reptile/amphibian food. Tadpoles in a control treatment were not fed but had access to seston which deposited in all enclosures. Diet treatment significantly affected weekly growth rates, as well as time to and weight at metamorphosis. Tadpoles grew most rapidly on filamentous green algae with diatom epiphytes and on the commercial food. Tadpoles fed epiphytized Cladophora metamorphosed 27.1% (11.7 days) sooner and weighed 38.9% (70 mg) more than tadpoles fed Cladophora cleaned of diatoms. In comparison to tadpoles fed Mougeotia, which does not support epiphytes, tadpoles fed epiphytized Cladophora metamorphosed 37.4% (19.7 days) sooner and weighed 31.6% (50 g) more. Tadpoles with the lowest growth rates were those filtering deposited seston or flocculent detritus. Observed changes in life-history traits with diet are assessed in relation to models which predict the optimal timing of metamorphosis.
HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ Matching in Pancreas Transplantation: Effect on Graft Rejection and Survival

To enhance selection of appropriate deceased donors for pancreas transplants, we sought to determine whether HLA matching improved posttransplantation outcomes. In this single-center study of 1219 pancreas transplants, we correlated posttransplantation outcomes with HLA-A, -B, -C, -DR, and -DQ matches and mismatches. Rejection was linearly correlated with the number of mismatches. The individual number of HLA mismatches reached significance at four or more with a 2.3- to 2.9-fold increase in rejection. The effect was most predominant with HLA-B (1.8-fold with one mismatch and 2.0-fold with two mismatches) and -DR (1.9-fold with two mismatches) loci, whereas HLA-A, -C, and -DQ matches or mismatches did not independently predict acute rejection. The affect was strongest in solitary pancreas transplants, with little impact for simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK). In contrast, HLA matching did not affect graft or patient survival rates but was associated with a reduced risk of opportunistic infection. Avoidance of acute rejection saved an estimated $32 000 for solitary pancreas recipients and $52 000 for SPK recipients in hospital costs. Our data do not support the use of HLA matching for predicting pancreas graft survival but do support its significance for the reduction of acute rejection, particularly for solitary pancreas recipients.
Effect of vitamin A deficiency on Plasmodium lophurae infection in ducks.

It has been assumed generally that malnutrition decreases the resistance of the host to malaria.1 The studies of Trager published in 1943 indicate the role that biotin may play in malarial infections.2'3 Seeler and associates found that "the peak parasite counts in Plasmodium lophurae infections are much greater in chicks on a diet deficient in biotin than in chicks on a diet which is identical except that it contains an adequate amount of biotin,, .1 More recently it has been shown that both riboflavin and folic acid deficiency decreases the severity of the acute malarial infection as judged by the parasite count.4,5 P. lophurae infections have been studied in ducks fed a ration deficient in vitamin A. The results of this study are reported in this paper.
Abstract LB-359: Inhibition of DNA repair by the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 as a novel radiosensitization strategy for glioblastoma.

Glioblastomas (GBM) are deadly brain tumors with extremely poor prognosis. The standard of care for GBM is tumor resection followed by treatment with ionizing radiation (IR) and the DNA alkylating agent temozolomide. As GBMs are highly radioresistant, it is crucial to identify effective radiosensitizers for improving therapeutic outcome. We find that NVP-BEZ235, a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor that is in clinical trials, potently inhibits both ATM and DNA-PKcs, the two major kinases that respond to IR-induced DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Consequently, this drug blocks non-homologous end joining (NHEJ) as well as homologous recombination (HR), the two major pathways of DSB repair. We find that low concentrations of NVP-BEZ235 (100 nM) can block DSB repair in a panel of human GBM lines resulting in significant radiosensitization. This radiosensitizing effect is more potent than that seen with much higher concentrations (10 μm) of current inhibitors of DNA-PKcs or ATM that are being optimized for clinical testing. In order to examine the effects of NVP-BEZ235 in vivo , we sub-cutaneously injected mice with radioresistant U87 glioma cells ectopically expressing EGFRvIII and treated with clinically-relevant doses of the drug. We find that NVP-BEZ235 blocks the activation of both DNA-PKcs and ATM in irradiated tumors resulting in significant attenuation of DSB repair. Tumors treated with a combination of IR and NVP-BEZ235 exhibit elevated DSBs and reduced Ki67 positivity compared to tumors treated with only IR or NVP-BEZ235. Consequently, a combination of IR and NVP-BEZ235 results in dramatic inhibition of tumor growth, in contrast to almost no inhibition with either treatment modality alone. Finally, we established that NVP-BEZ235 can cross the blood-brain barrier and therefore examined its effectiveness in an orthotopic brain tumor model. We find that NVP-BEZ235 given with IR can attenuate the growth of intracranial tumors generated from U87-EGFRvIII cells, thereby extending survival of tumor-bearing mice. Importantly, NVP-BEZ235 also sensitizes subcutaneous and intracranial tumors to temozolomide by attenuating the repair of secondary (replication-associated) DSBs that are generated upon temozolomide treatment. In sum, this study provides support for the potential use of NVP-BEZ235 as a radio- and chemo-sensitizer for improving the outcome of GBM therapy. Citation Format: Carlos Gil Del Alcazar, Molly Gillam, Nozomi Tomimatsu, Xiaohuan Gao, Bipasha Mukherjee, Sandeep Burma. Inhibition of DNA repair by the dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor NVP-BEZ235 as a novel radiosensitization strategy for glioblastoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-359. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-LB-359
Conversion of automated clinical chemistry methods to microsampling.

The AutoAnalyzer has been modified to reduce specimen volume requirements to 0.1 ml. by replacing pump tubing. Alteration of procedure or reagents is not required for most analyses and sensitivity and accuracy of the micromethods are comparable to equivalent macromethods. Glucose, urea nitrogen, chloride, carbon dioxide, sodium, and potassium were measured in 1.0 ml. specimens of blood from rats using the microprocedures.
The pregnant woman massages nipple to replace an infant to suck up to urge a milk vegetable level of influence.

Objective:The summary purpose investigates a pregnant woman to massage nipple to replace by hand the infant sucks up to urge a milk vegetable level of influence.Method:Produces Pregnant woman of cesarean section empress the three hours have no pregnant woman whom the human milk secretes to is divided into 2 sets random,56 pregnant woman massages nipple to replace an infant to suck up for the experiment set by hand,43 infant's normal regulationses suck up for the matched control.Result:Pregnant woman can early secrete milk,many Secrete milk,prevent from the nipple occurrence of crack,be advantageous to female baby's health.Conclusion:Pregnant woman massages nipple to replace an infant to suck up to make urge a milk a vegetable to secrete quantity increment by hand.
181 PALMITIC ACID-INDUCED CELL DEATH IN NERVE GROWTH FACTOR DIFFERENTIATED PC12 CELLS INVOLVES THE UP-REGULATION OF HYPOXIA-INDUCING FACTOR 1 AND βNIP-3.

Hypoxic-ischemic injury in the nervous system is associated with the degradation of membrane phospholipids with subsequent release of free fatty acids (FFAs). It has been proposed that this increase in the release of FFA can cause fatty acid-induced apoptotic neuronal cell loss and would be at least in part responsible for the observed secondary injury seen following hypoxia/ischemia and nerve injury insult. Purpose The present study uses NGF differentiated PC12 (NGFDPC12) cells to study neuronal apoptosis and to investigate the mechanism by which pathological concentrations of saturated FFA trigger neuronal cell death. We previously reported that NGFDPC12 cells exposed to palmitic acid (PA) show a dramatic loss of viability as early as 12 hours after treatment and exhibit an increase in the expression levels of several mRNAs of apoptosis-associated proteins such as BAK and βNIP-3 and hypoxic-inducing factor 1 alpha (HIF-1). Methods To further study this observation, we performed a series of Western blots experiments using cell extract of NGFDPC12 cells exposed to PA bound to bovine serum albumin (BSA) (2:1 ratio) to determine the levels of βNIP-3 and its activator HIF-1. Cells were treated with the PA for 6, 9, 12, and 24 hours. Cells were then harvested and lysed in an extraction buffer with protease inhibitors. Next, 20 μg of total cellular protein were electrophoresed on 4-12% gradient SDS-polyacrylamide gel. Proteins were transferred to nitrocellulose membrane and blocked with 7.5% nonfat milk in TTBS for 1 hour. Blots were then probed with antibodies for HIF-1 or βNIP-3 followed by a secondary antibody conjugated to horseradish peroxidase. Antigen-antibody complexes were visualized with enhanced chemiluminescence. Results Our Western blot results show an increase in both proteins HIF-1 and βNIP-3. HIF-1 and βNIP-3 have a maximum expression at 6 hours after PA treatment and gradually decreased thereafter. Conclusion These findings suggest that these two apoptosis-associated proteins may play a role in the apoptotic cell damage mediated by saturated FFA in NGFDPC12 cells. This work is supported in part by NIGMS award 2R25GM060507-05 to M.D.L.
Surfactant Solubilization of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Compounds in Soil-Water Suspensions

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are hydrophobic compounds readily sorbed onto soil; the addition of surfactants to soil-water systems may solubilize PAH compounds by incorporation of the PAH in surfactant micelles. The solubilization of anthracene, phenanthrene and pyrene was evaluated in soil-water suspensions with several nonionic and anionic surfactants. The most effective surfactants were nonionic octyl- and nonyl- phenylethoxylates with 9 to 12 ethoxylate units. At soil-water mass ratios of about 1:7 to 1:2, greater than 0.1% by volume surfactant dose was required in order to initiate solubilization, with doses of 1% by volume resulting in 70 - 90% solubilization. The soil-water partition coefficient for anthracene was reduced by two orders of magnitude with 1% by volume phenylethoxylate surfactant. The solubilization of anthracene, phenanthrene and pyrene in soil-water systems occurs at surfactant doses, [Csurf], much greater than the clean water surfactant critical micelle concentration. A surfactant-soil solubilization coefficient is derived as Caq(s)/S, where Caq(s) is the observed aqueous solubility of PAH in the presence of surfactant, and S is the specific sorption of PAH onto soil. Caq(S)/S is shown to be proportional to Csurf-CMCeff, where CMCeff is the effective critical micelle concentration in the presence of soil. Additional information is needed on the sorption characteristics of surfactant on soil in order to describe more fully the PAH-surfactant solubilization process.
Estimating Traffic Volume on Wyoming Low Volume Roads Using Linear and Logistic Regression Methods

Abstract Traffic volume is an important parameter in most transportation planning applications. Low volume roads make up about 69% of road miles in the United States. Estimating traffic on the low volume roads is a cost-effective alternative to taking traffic counts. This is because traditional traffic counts are expensive and impractical for low priority roads. The purpose of this paper is to present the development of two alternative means of cost-effectively estimating traffic volumes for low volume roads in Wyoming and to make recommendations for their implementation. The study methodology involves reviewing existing studies, identifying data sources, and carrying out the model development. The utility of the models developed were then verified by comparing actual traffic volumes to those predicted by the model. The study resulted in two regression models that are inexpensive and easy to implement. The first regression model was a linear regression model that utilized pavement type, access to highways, predominant land use types, and population to estimate traffic volume. In verifying the model, an R2 value of 0.64 and a root mean square error of 73.4% were obtained. The second model was a logistic regression model that identified the level of traffic on roads using five thresholds or levels. The logistic regression model was verified by estimating traffic volume thresholds and determining the percentage of roads that were accurately classified as belonging to the given thresholds. For the five thresholds, the percentage of roads classified correctly ranged from 79% to 88%. In conclusion, the verification of the models indicated both model types to be useful for accurate and cost-effective estimation of traffic volumes for low volume Wyoming roads. The models developed were recommended for use in traffic volume estimations for low volume roads in pavement management and environmental impact assessment studies.
I Prefer to Eat ...

In this challenge paper, we consider the importance of preferences in smart homes and assistive environments and discuss the potential application of models and algorithms developed within the computational preferences community. We suggest the value of future research collaborations.