cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fast, Secure Encryption for Indexing in a Column-Oriented DBMS

Networked information systems require strong security guarantees because of the new threats that they face. Various forms of encryption have been proposed to deal with this problem. In a database system, there are often two contradictory goals: security of the encryption and fast performance of queries. There have been a number of proposals of database encryption schemes to facilitate queries on encrypted columns. Order-preserving encryption techniques are well-suited for databases since they support a simple, and efficient way to build indices. However, as we will show, they are insecure under straightforward attack scenarios. We propose a new light-weight database encryption scheme (called FCE) for column stores in data warehouses with trusted servers. The low decryption overhead of FCE makes comparisons of ciphertexts and hence indexing operations very fast. Since it is hard to use classical security definitions in cryptography to prove the security of any existing symmetric encryption scheme, we propose a relaxed measure of security, called INFO-CPA-DB. INFO-CPA-DB is based on a well-established security definition in cryptography and relaxes it using information theoretic concepts. Using INFO-CPA-DB, we give strong evidence that FCE is as secure as any underlying block cipher (yet more efficient than using the block cipher itself). Using the same security measure we also show the inherent insecurity of any order preserving encryption scheme under straightforward attack scenarios. We discuss indexing techniques based on FCE as well.
Complex coacervation of poly(ethylene-imine)/polypeptide aqueous solutions: thermodynamic and rheological characterization.

Abstract This study is aimed at understanding the complex coacervation of two systems: branched poly(ethyleneimine) with linear poly(D,L-glutamic acid) or poly(D,L-aspartic acid), and identify differences and similarities with previously reported systems. Three different techniques (turbidity, isothermal titration microcalorimetry-ITC and rheology) were used in a comprehensive study of coacervation. Sample turbidity was used to show how various parameters (salt, stoichiometry, pH, temperature) affect complex coacervation. Complex coacervation decreases with increase in salt and coacervate formation is maximum when a 31:69 mol% acid:base ratio is used. Rare in literature phase diagrams revealed that coacervates are formed over a wide range of acid:base ratios (15–88 mol% NH 3 + groups), significantly broader compared to other systems. ITC was used for the thermodynamic characterization of the complexation between the polyelectrolytes, and showed that complex coacervation is entropy-driven (from the release of counter-ions) and enthalpically unfavored process. Composition and viscoelastic properties of the complex coacervates were examined gravimetrically and through rheology. Coacervate water content depends on the salt concentration and the stoichiometry. Coacervates exhibit a viscoelastic behavior that is dependent on the salt concentration. Master curves that can predict behavior at a wide range of time scales, not accessible by conventional rheological measurements, were created.
Backbone Orientation and Distance Measurements in Myosin II: Applications of High-Resolution EPR using a Bifunctional Spin Label

We have used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of a bifunctional spin label (BSL) to obtain high-resolution measurements of individual structural elements within the myosin II catalytic domain (CD). Two complementary EPR techniques were employed to measure protein orientation (conventional EPR) and intra-protein distances (dipolar electron-electron resonance, DEER). The use of BSL greatly enhances the resolution of EPR, by virtue of its strongly immobilized and stereoselective bifunctional attachment to the protein backbone at two engineered Cys residues. Crucially, both techniques utilized here permit the elucidation of myosin structure while in complex with actin, generating relevant constraints for the refinement of actomyosin structural models. In the current work, Dictyostelium myosin II was used as our model system. We measured nucleotide-dependent structural transitions of three key helices within the myosin CD. Three double-Cys sites were engineered, with Cys pairs located on the relay helix, helix HK (upper 50kDa domain) and helix HW (lower 50kDa domain), respectively. BSL on a construct with one of these pairs was used to measure myosin orientation relative to oriented actin. BSL on a construct with two pairs was used to measure interprobe distances. The effect of ADP binding was clearly detected by EPR, and subsequently modeled using the orientation and distance measurements as constraints. We find that the structural change induced by ADP in the actin-bound myosin CD is clearly different from that predicted from actin-free crystal structures. This work was funded by grants from NIH (R01 AR32961, T32 AR07612, P30 AR0507220).
Application of the microwave oven to scale-up in biological temperatures-shift experiments

Abstract A standard microwave oven has been used to raise the temperature of bacterial cultures in product amplification experiments involving cloned genes. The rapid temperature shift eliminated the variability of product yield initially experienced with scale-up to preparative cultures. The microwave heating method is simple, reproducible, inexpensive and operative over the temperature range of 40–50°C. It elicits the cell's normal transcriptional and translational responses to elevated temperature and results in synthesis of a faithful product by enzymic, immunological and structural criteria.
Differential ethanol olfactory experiences affect ethanol ingestion in preweanlings but not in older rats.

Preweanling (21 days old) and adult (60–80 days old) rats were exposed to ethanol odor either paired with the early stages of apomorphine-induced toxicosis, paired with the recovery from toxicosis, or unpaired with the induction of distress. Twenty four hours later, ethanol preferences were measured in a spatial olfactory test (ethanol vs lemon odor) or a drinking test (5.6% v/v ethanol vs 0.25% w/v citric acid solutions). During the olfactory test both young and adult rats expressed substantial ethanol odor aversions when previously exposed to this odor paired with toxicosis. However, changes in ethanol intake became apparent only in preweanling subjects. Preweanlings which received the ethanol odor paired with illness drank significantly less of the ethanol solution relative to controls, while subjects experiencing the odor paired with recovery from distress significantly increased their consumption of the ethanol solution. These prior aversive and appetitive olfactory experiences had no effect upon ethanol intake in adult rats. These results implicate both an ontogenetic and a sensorial factor in the regulation of ethanol intake.
Children's concepts of the social affordances of a virtual dog and a stuffed dog

Abstract Virtual characters are programmed to simulate relationship partners, yet little is known about how children conceptualize the social affordances of these characters, despite their growing presence in children's lives. In two studies (combined N = 49), we investigated the extent to which preschool children differentiate the social affordances of a virtual character that simulates social behaviors and those of a stuffed animal of the sort that children often use in pretend play. Children guessed whether a child in a video was referring to a stuffed dog or a virtual dog in a series of statements. The stuffed dog was associated with items rated by adults as relevant to friendship, whereas the virtual dog was associated with items rated as relevant to entertainment. These results suggest that despite their sophisticated programming, virtual characters might not be superior to simple stuffed animals as relationship partners.
Learning Curves and the Cyclical Behavior of Manufacturing Industries

Abstract Building on evidence that (a) productivity growth from learning by doing diminishes as experience accumulates with a technology and (b) learning by doing is largely specific to each production technology, this paper models a firm's decision of when to update its technology. The model implies that technology updates endogenously bring large drops in productivity. The model also implies that technology updates are more likely in a boom than in a recession since a high rate of production enables the firm to learn more quickly about the new technology. The forces in this model may help explain some features of plant and industry level data, such as the procyclicality of investment (including plant investment spikes) and the modest correlation between labor input and productivity. Journal of Economic Literature Classification Numbers: O31, L6, D92.
Attenuation of morphine analgesia by serum from morphine-treated rabbits

Abstract We have previously shown that repeated s.c. implantation of rabbits with pellets containing morphine or certain other narcotics evokes production of a serum morphine-binding component that has the characteristics of an immunoglobulin. We have, in the study reported here, given rabbit anti-morphine pellet serum (anti-MP) to rats i.v. at a dose equal to 20% of their blood volume. Effects on morphine analgesia as measured by the hot plate were studied following a 5 mg/kg dose of morphine. The anti-MP serum and an antiserum to a morphine-protein conjugate both significantly attenuated the analgesic response to morphine on the first day after serum treatment when compared to results in rats given control rabbit serum. Subsequent testing of the same rats (on Days 2, 9, and 48) with no additional serum treatment showed no differences in response.
A Case–Control Study of Stroke Risk Factors and Outcomes in African American Stroke Patients With and Without Crack–Cocaine Abuse

Stroke in crack–cocaine abusers is increasingly recognized. We aimed to identify significant differences in stroke risk factors, characteristics, and outcomes between hospitalized stroke patients with and without crack–cocaine abuse. This was a retrospective study that compared stroke patients with crack–cocaine abuse (cases) to stroke patients without crack–cocaine (controls). We identified 93 crack–cocaine cases and 93 controls admitted between January 2004 and May 2006 to one teaching hospital. There were significant differences between crack–cocaine cases and controls in age (48.7 years vs. 55 years) (P = 0.0001), male gender (65.6% vs. 40.9%) (odds ratios, OR = 1.64, 95% CI 1.22–2.21), arterial hypertension (61.1% vs. 83.9%) (OR = 0.30, 95% CI 0.15–0.60), hypercholesterolemia (18.7% vs. 68.5%) (OR = 0.10, 95% CI 0.05–0.21), diabetes (20.9% vs. 41.9%) (OR = 0.36, 95% CI 0.19–0.70), cigarette smoking (70.6% vs. 29%) (OR = 5.86, 95% CI 3.07–11.20), ischemic stroke (61.3% vs. 79.6%) (OR = 0.40, 95% CI 0.21–0.78), and intracerebral hemorrhage (33.3% vs. 17.2%) (OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.53–6.00). Also, there were significant differences in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale scores (3.3 vs. 7) (P < 0.0001), and MRS scores (1.8 vs. 2.5) (P = 0.0022) at hospital discharge. Using univariable and multivariable logistic regression, we found that crack–cocaine abusers had 2.28 higher odds of having a favorable functional outcome (MRS score ≤ 2) at hospital discharge, after adjusting for stroke risk factors and characteristics. Our study suggests that crack–cocaine abusers with stroke had fewer traditional risk factors, and more favorable functional outcome as compared to non-crack–cocaine abusers.
Experimental Results From A Second Harmonic Submillimeter Gyrotron

At M.I.T. a submillimeter gyrotron is being operated using a waveguide cavity with an iris at its output end. This experiment operated at second harmonic for 1-2 μsec pulses with a 75 kV, 10 A electron beam. Second harmonic emission has been observed at 13 frequencies from 301 GHz to 503 GHz with output powers of 1-22 kW and a 15 MHz frequency bandwidth. The highest output power was 22 kW with an efficiency of 3.5 % at 467 GHz and an output power of 15 kW with 6% efficiency was obtained at 417 Ghz. A variety of diagnostics that were used to discriminate between fundamental and second harmonic emission will be discussed.
Dynamic transit scheduling under efficiency constraints

Abstract The problem of dynamic transit scheduling is addressed, and a method for transient and steady-state solutions is developed. The dynamic demand-supply formulation employed is based on previously calibrated disaggregate demand specifications. The existence and feasibility of solutions are examined, and stability conditions are derived. Numerical examples for both urban and rural conditions are given. The new methodology does not require time-series endogenous data but only initial conditions to provide long- or short-term scheduling plans. Futhermore, it takes into account passenger demand fluctuations and explicitly deals with management responsiveness and time lags in implementing scheduling decisions. Owing to its dynamic nature the methodology can be used as a design tool in transit scheduling and for assessing the effects of time-varying exogenous events such as gasoline price fluctuations, transport budget restrictions and other contingencies.
Asymptotic Representations for Root Vectors of Nonselfadjoint Operators and Pencils Generated by an Aircraft Wing Model in Subsonic Air Flow

This paper is the second in a series of several works devoted to the asymptotic and spectral analysis of an aircraft wing in a subsonic air flow. This model has been developed in the Flight Systems Research Center of UCLA and is presented in the works by A. V. Balakrishnan. The model is governed by a system of two coupled integrodifferential equations and a two parameter family of boundary conditions modeling the action of the self-straining actuators. The differential parts of the above equations form a coupled linear hyperbolic system; the integral parts are of the convolution type. The system of equations of motion is equivalent to a single operator evolution-convolution equation in the energy space. The Laplace transform of the solution of this equation can be represented in terms of the so-called generalized resolvent operator, which is an operator-valued function of the spectral parameter. This generalized resolvent operator is a finite-meromorphic function on the complex plane having the branch cut along the negative real semi-axis. Its poles are precisely the aeroelastic modes and the residues at these poles are the projectors on the generalized eigenspaces. In the first paper and in the present one, our main object of interest is the dynamics generator of the differential parts of the system. It is a nonselfadjoint operator in the energy space with a purely discrete spectrum. In the first paper, we have shown that the spectrum consists of two branches and have derived their precise spectral asymptotics. In the present paper, we derive the asymptotical approximations for the mode shapes. Based on the asymptotical results of these first two papers, in the next paper, we will discuss the geometric properties of the mode shapes such as minimality, completeness, and the Riesz basis property in the energy space.
Positron Emission in the Decay of K 40

Positron emission has been detected in the decay of ${\mathrm{K}}^{40}$ in a triple coincidence experiment using a liquid-scintillation positron detector and two NaI(Tl) annihilation gamma detectors. A ratio of $\frac{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{+}}{{\ensuremath{\beta}}^{\ensuremath{-}}}=(1.12\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.14)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5}$ was found. This corresponds to a ratio of the squared matrix elements of $\frac{{{M}_{+}}^{2}}{{{M}_{\ensuremath{-}}}^{2}}=0.18\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.03$ which is in substantial agreement with a theoretical estimate of $\frac{1}{8}$. The effect of this result on the decay constants of ${\mathrm{K}}^{40}$ is discussed.
Temperature compensation of a quartz tuning-fork clock crystal via post-processing

The dependence of a tuning-fork quartz crystal oscillator's frequency f on temperature T is observed over the temperature range −5 to 20°C. From this, a parabolic f(T) function is fit to the crystal's data, and used to compensate for sampling period drift in an Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) system based around this crystal at various temperatures. Resolution and uncertainty of this method are discussed.
Comments on "A Note on Base &#8211;2 Arithmetic Logic"

Recently, Yuen1 has given simple methods for positive-negative base conversion. This correspondence presents a straightforward and complete proof for his algorithmetic steps. A few comments on the choice of negabinary adders with positive twin carries and with positive and negative carries have also been added.
Oleic Acid and Linoleic Acid Are the Major Determinants of Changes in Keratinocyte Plasma Membrane Viscosity

Keratinocytes were grown in medium with no essential fatty acids as well as in media with specially selected fatty acid augmentations. Gas chromatographic determinations of 21 fatty acids in the phospholipids were correlated with plasma membrane viscosity obtained by electron paramagnetic resonance studies (n = 24). Using standard procedures from multivariate analysis, we derived an expression that modeled the viscosity data as a function of four key fatty acid levels: [formula see text] where the fatty acids are given in mole percent of total lipids and are identified as two number sequences: number of carbons followed by number of double bonds. No other fatty acid made a significant contribution to the regression equation. The range of viscosity was very large, varying from 60 to 120 cP over the sample population. The results are interpreted to indicate that polyunsaturated fatty acids are replaced with monounsaturated fatty acids by the keratinocytes and that dihomogamma-linolenic acid (20:3, n-6) plays an important role in membrane viscosity when essential fatty acids are available in the growth medium of these adult human cultured keratinocytes.
Surface-mediated release of a synthetic small-molecule modulator of bacterial quorum sensing: Gradual release enhances activity

We demonstrate an approach to the surface-mediated release of a synthetic N-acylated L-homoserine lactone (AHL) modulator of bacterial quorum sensing (QS). AHL released gradually from thin films of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLG) is shown to activate QS in the model symbiont Vibrio fischeri at levels that exceed those promoted by direct solution-based administration.
CLOCKSPEEDS IN ARCHITECTURE: EVOLUTION, DEAD-ENDS, AND DISCONTINUITIES

The United States Navy DDG-1000 shipbuilding program was drastically cut back in 2008 before the first ship of the class had been launched. The platform was deprecated by recent emerging threats from China using improved technologies that countered the DDG-1000 capabilities. The system development and capabilities are examined through the lenses of various systems engineering tools and project management frameworks. The analysis illustrates how system developmental rates can be used to introduce disruptions to a system in opposition.
Feeding images to a multilayer perceptron for target recognition

This paper focuses on strategies for presenting an image to a multi-layer perceptron trained with algorithms such as the back propagation learning scheme. The main contribution of this paper is to show that feeding an image to a multi-layer neural net must be chosen carefully because it may have a significant impact on back propagation convergence, or even neural net recognition performance (error rate).
A Primer on CBER'S Regulatory Review Structure and Process

The Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) is the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) component responsible for ensuring the safety, potency, purity, and efficacy of biological products...
Low alpha-fetoprotein hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background and Aim: A large proportion of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients do not secrete elevated levels of the tumor marker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). There is little published guide to prognostic features of this patient subset. Methods: We interrogated a large HCC database in which all patients had been followed until death, to examine which features might be prognostically useful. Results: We found 413 biopsy-proven unresectable HCC patients with low serum AFP values. Serum gamma glutamyl transpeptidase (GGTP) levels were one of the most significant factors for survival. This dichotomization into low and high GGTP levels separated the patients into distinctive survival ranges. Patients with GGTP levels 795 days. Patients with GGTP ≥ 110 U/mL and large tumors with the presence of portal vein thrombosis had the shortest survival range of 300–560 days. Conclusions: Serum levels of the onco-fetal protein GGTP represent a useful prognostic parameter in HCC patients with low AFP levels.
Multilevel methodology for a class of non-separable optimization problems

A class of large-scale non-separable problems is considered, where the overall objective function is not of an additive form with respect to subsystems. The non-separable optimization problem is embedded in a corresponding multiobjective separable optimization problem. A theoretical grounding is established for the original problem's optimal solution, which is attained by a non-inferior solution of the corresponding multiobjective separable optimization problem. A three-level methodology, which decomposes the overall large-scale problem into smaller subproblems and reaches the optimal solution in an iterative way, is also developed.
Exploring the Limits of System Integration With Smart Dust

The Smart Dust project aims to explore the limits of system integration by packing an autonomous sensing, computing, and communication node into a cubic millimeter mote that will form the basis of massive distributed sensor networks, thus demonstrating that a complete system can be integrated into 1m m 3 . Effectively exploring this space requires new approaches to design that emphasize energy and volume constraints over all others. To this end a 16 mm 3 autonomous solar-powered sensor node with bi-directional optical communication has been demonstrated, with smaller nodes forthcoming. System integration limits will shrink even further as carbon nanotube technology matures.
Alcohol Withdrawal Treatment in the Medically Hospitalized Patient: A Pilot Study Assessing Predictors for Medical or Psychiatric Complications.

Background Optimizing alcohol withdrawal treatment is a clinical priority, yet it is difficult to predict on presentation which patients would require benzodiazepines or in which patients withdrawal would be complicated. Detoxification studies typically exclude patients with medical comorbidities, psychiatric comorbidities, or multiple substance use disorders; therefore, it is difficult to generalize their conclusions to all types of patients. Objective This retrospective study with no exclusion criteria identifies the risk factors for complicated withdrawal. Methods A retrospective medical record review of 47 veterans admitted to a tertiary veteran's medical hospital for alcohol detoxification. Demographics, blood alcohol level, Charlson Comorbidity Index, drinks per drinking day, pre–psychiatry consult benzodiazepine administration, and length of stay were compared for veterans with complications vs those without. Results Overall, 21% patients experienced significant complications during their medically-managed detoxification, including behavioral disruptions and delirium tremens. Of the patients, 79% were initially assessed using the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised scale, and 34% continued to be monitored with the Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised scale during their hospital stay. A Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised scale score ≥15 at presentation was significantly associated with increased odds of complications ( p = 0.005). There was a trend toward significance of association of complications with tachycardia, history of delirium tremens, and benzodiazepines being administered before psychiatric consultation. The groups did not significantly differ with respect to age, admission blood alcohol level, Charlson Comorbidity Index, comorbid recent substance abuse, or length of stay. Conclusion Clinical Institute Withdrawal Assessment for Alcohol-Revised scale scores ≥15 at presentation was significantly associated with increased odds of complicated alcohol withdrawal (odds ratio=28, 95% CI: 2.5–317.6, p = 0.005), which supports findings from previous studies.
Role of the Immune Response in Age-Dependent Resistance of Mice to Encephalitis Due to Sindbis Virus

One- to eight-week-old mice were studied after subcutaneous inoculation of Sindbis virus. Local replication at the site of inoculation, transient viremia, and invasion of the brain were found in mice of all ages, although the quantities of virus were greater in younger mice. Death occurred in 100% of one-week-old mice, 28% of two-week-old mice, and none of the mice four weeks old or older. Pathologic examination of the brains on day 7 after infection revealed a mononuclear inflammatory infiltrate in all mice, with evidence of necrosis in the youngest. Neutralizing antibody was present by day 3 and reached high titers by day 6 in all age groups. Specific stimulation of cells from the draining lymph node by Sindbis virus antigen was also demonstrable by day 6 in all groups. There was no evidence for a primary role of humoral or cellular immune responses in the age-dependent resistance of mice to infection with Sindbis virus.
Slope stability of bioreactor landfills during leachate injection: Effects of unsaturated hydraulic properties of municipal solid waste

In bioreactor landfill, the leachate flow and moisture distribution depend upon saturated and unsaturated hydraulic properties of municipal solid waste (MSW). The effects of unsaturated parameters have not been studied because of scarcity of the data and variation in unsaturated parameters due to MSW heterogeneity, degree of decomposition, and pore structure. In this study, a numerical two-phase flow model was used to examine the effects of unsaturated hydraulic properties on the moisture distribution, pore fluid pressures, and the stability of a bioreactor landfill slope with horizontal trench as leachate recirculation system. Unsaturated hydraulic parameters were based on the van Genuchten model and obtained from previously published laboratory studies. The unsaturated hydraulic properties of MSW are found to significantly influence the leachate distribution, pore water and capillary pressures, and landfill slope stability during the operations of leachate injection and subsequent gravity drainage. Further research is needed for better understanding and accurate measurement of hydraulic properties and shear strength parameters of unsaturated MSW.
Multidimensional slit-scan detection of bladder cancer. Preliminary clinical results.

A multidimensional slit-scan flow system was developed for the automated recognition of abnormal cells derived from cancer of the uterine cervix and its precursors. It provides great sensitivity in both its ability to recognize cellular abnormality and to deal with the myriad potential causes of false alarms in an automated flow system. While its initial application was the automated recognition of the spectrum of neoplasia in gynecologic cytology samples, a preliminary study was carried out using specimens obtained from the urinary bladder. Cellular material was collected by bladder irrigation and stained with the fluorochrome acridine orange. One hundred fifty-three bladder irrigation specimens, including 115 abnormal specimens containing cells derived from neoplastic lesions of the bladder epithelium, were analyzed. For the purposes of this study, abnormal specimens from the urinary bladder included specimens containing cells derived from the following lesions of the urothelium: dysplasia (atypical hyperplasia), carcinoma-in-situ, and transitional cell carcinoma, grades 1–3. Approximately 50,000 cells were analyzed for most specimens. Of the 38 presumed normal specimens (specimens containing only normal urothelial components), four were instrument classified abnormal. For the 69 specimens containing cells derived from transitional cell carcinoma, grade 1, 1–2, 2, 66 were correctly classified as abnormal while three were classified as normal. There were no false negatives in the 17 specimens containing cells derived from transitional cell carcinoma, grade 2–3, 3, or in the two specimens containing cells derived from carcinoma-in-situ. Of the eight specimens containing cells derived from dysplasia (atypical hyperplasia), seven were instrument classified abnormal. This system has demonstrated utility in the study and recognition of the cellular components of urothelial cancer and its precursors present in the urinary bladder.
α-Tocopheryl succinate and derivatives mediate the transcriptional repression of androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells by targeting the PP2A-JNK-Sp1-signaling axis

As part of our effort to understand the mechanism underlying alpha-tocopheryl succinate [vitamin E succinate (VES)]-mediated antitumor effects, we investigated the signaling pathway by which VES suppresses androgen receptor (AR) expression in prostate cancer cells. VES and, to a greater extent, its truncated derivative TS-1 mediated transcriptional repression of AR in prostate cancer cells but not in normal prostate epithelial cells; a finding that underscores the differential susceptibility of normal versus malignant cells to the antiproliferative effect of these agents. This AR repression was attributable to the ability of VES and TS-1 to facilitate the proteasomal degradation of the transcription factor Sp1. This mechanistic link was corroborated by the finding that proteasome inhibitors or ectopic expression of Sp1 protected cells against drug-induced AR ablation. Furthermore, evidence suggests that the destabilization of Sp1 by VES and TS-1 resulted from the inactivation of Jun N-terminal kinases (JNKs) as a consequence of increased phosphatase activity of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Stable transfection of LNCaP cells with the dominant-negative JNK1 plasmid mimicked drug-induced Sp1 repression, whereas constitutive activation of JNK kinase activity or inhibition of PP2A activity by okadaic acid protected Sp1 from VES- and TS-1-induced degradation. From a mechanistic perspective, the ability of VES and TS-1 to activate PP2A activity underscores their broad spectrum of effects on multiple signaling mechanisms, including those mediated by Akt, mitogen-activated protein kinases, nuclear factor kappaB, Sp1 and AR. This pleiotropic effect in conjunction with low toxicity suggests the translational potential for developing TS-1 into potent PP2A-activating agents for cancer therapy.
The Osteoderms and Palpebral in Lanthanotus borneensis (Squamata: Anguimorpha)

is rarely collected, probably because itis nocturnal, fossorial, and semiaquatic (Harrisson,1962; Manthey and Grossman, 1997). Few specimensexist in collections worldwide, and skeletons are ex-tremely rare. As a result of limited access to speci-mens, many phylogenetic analyses that include thisspecies relied upon the same specimen (REE 1445, col-lection of Richard Etheridge, San Diego State Univer-sity) to score osteological characters (e.g., Pregill et al.,1986; Estes et al., 1988; Norell and Gao, 1997; Gao andNorell, 1998).This problem is not unique to
A learning feature engineering method for task assignment

Multi-domain IT services are delivered by technicians with a variety of expert knowledge in different areas. Their skills and availability are an important property of the service. However, most organizations do not have a consistent view of this information because creation and maintenance of a skill model is a difficult task, especially in light of privacy regulations, changing service catalogs and worker turnover. We propose a method for ranking technicians on their expected performance according to their suitability for receiving the assignment of a service request without maintaining an explicit skill model describing which skills are possessed by each technician. We find appropriate assignees by making use of similarities between the assignees and previous tasks performed by them.
Ventilated cookstoves associated with improvements in respiratory health-related quality of life in rural Bolivia.

Background Household air pollution (HAP) from combustion of biomass fuels worldwide is linked to asthma, respiratory infections and chronic pulmonary diseases. Implementation of ventilated cookstoves significantly reduces exposure to HAP. However, improvements in concurrent respiratory health-related quality of life (HRQoL) have not been previously evaluated with a standardized questionnaire. Methods The association between woodsmoke exposure and respiratory HRQoL outcomes was evaluated using an intervention study in a rural community in Bolivia. Indoor carbon monoxide (CO) levels from traditional stoves and from cookstoves with chimneys were analyzed alongside interview results of women heads-of-households using the St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) in 2009 and 1-year post-intervention.
ESTIMATING AVERAGE MONTHLY LAKE EVAPORATION IN THE NORTHEAST UNITED STATES

ABSTRACT: A methodology to estimate the average monthly lake evaporation, E(τ), (month τ=1,12) for fresh water bodies located in the northeast United States is presented. The approach combines analysis of at-site, lake-specific vertical water temperature profile data and a previously developed regional air temperature based model approximation of the widely accepted modified Penman energy budget estimate of mean monthly potential evaporation, Ep(τ) (mm/day). The paper presents procedures to develop site-specific estimates of Ep(τ) and to convert water temperature data to average monthly conductive heat flux, G(τ). With monthly estimates of G(τ), the average monthly potential evaporation, Ep(τ), is then convertible to estimates of the average monthly lake evaporation, E(τ). This new method permits a good estimate of site-specific lake evaporation rates without the data and computational requirements of the Penman energy budget procedure nor the comparatively expensive, time consuming field eddy correlation approach.
An Interior Point Optimization Solver for Real Time Inter-frame Collision Detection: Exploring Resource-Accuracy-Platform Tradeoffs

We present and compare implementations of an affine interior-point algorithm for real-time collision detection on a GPGPU and an FPGA. This particular interior-point algorithm is distinguished from other collision detection methods by its ability to perform detection between pairs of objects undergoing fast rotational and translational movement. This enables inter-frame collision detection, i.e. collision that might occur during the transition from one frame to another. In our design for the FPGA, we implemented the algorithm both in single-precision floating point and 32-bit fixed point and analyzed the trade-off between resource usage, data accuracy/precision, and system efficiency. Then, we compare them to a floating point implementation on a GPGPU using CUDA. With an object resolution of 45 vertices (45 vertices representing each polyhedral object), our FPGA implementation processes 1562 frames/sec for floating point and 1350 frames/second for fixed point and offers an 11x speedup over the GPGPU implementation. With object resolutions greater than 242 vertices, our GPGPU implementation outperforms our FPGA implementations.
Jackson's Rule for Single-Machine Scheduling: Making a Good Heuristic Better

We consider the scheduling problem in which jobs with release dates and delivery times are to be scheduled on one machine. We present a 4/3-approximation algorithm for the problem with precedence constraints among the jobs, and two polynomial approximation schemes for the problem without precedence constraints. At the core of each of the algorithms presented is Jackson's Rule-a simple but seemingly robust heuristic for the problem.
An automatic additive and multiplicative noise removal scheme with sharpness preservation

To remove noise from biomedical images polluted by excessive and inhomogeneous additive or multiplicative noise, most of the denoising algorithms cannot keep a desirable balance between denoising and preservation of fine features; only work for one specific noise; and involve heuristic parameter tuning. We present a fully automatic approach to preserve sharp edges and fine details while removing noise. Explained in nonlocal means scheme, we propose a segmentation boosted NL-means filter (SNL) based on the concept of mutual position function to ensure averaging is only taken over pixels in the same phase. To address unreliable segmentation due to excessive noise, we apply SNL filtering in an iterative way. Comparison with ROF, BM3D, K-SVD and the original NL-means on simulated data, MRI and SEM images indicates potentials of our method.
Phase II study of induction and adjuvant bevacizumab in patients with stage IB-IIIA non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) receiving induction docetaxel and cisplatin

7531 Background: VEGF supports growth of NSCLC and is blocked by bevacizumab. Bevacizumab with chemotherapy is an established treatment for advanced NSCLC. We conducted this study to assess the efficacy and toxicity of induction bevacizumab (Bev) with cisplatin (C) and docetaxel (D) in patients with resectable NSCLC. Methods: All patients (pts) had resectable Stage IB-IIIA NSCLC and received up to 4 cycles of D 75 mg/m2 and C 75 mg/m2 followed by surgery. Pts with non-squamous NSCLC also received 3 cycles of Bev 15 mg/kg along with induction DC (Bev-DC). Bev was not given in pre-operative cycle 4. Pts with squamous or central tumors or hemoptysis received 4 cycles of DC only (DC). All resected pts were eligible for adjuvant Bev 15 mg/kg q3 weeks for 1 year. The primary endpoint was rate of downstaging from pre-operative clinical stage to pathologic stage. Results: From Aug 2005 - Nov 2008, 47 pts were enrolled: 27 women; median age 62; Stage 1B -15%, Stage II-17%, Stage IIIA-68%. Of 36 pts given Bev-DC, 1...
Discrete prolate spheroidal sequence based filter banks for the analysis of nonstationary signals

Filter banks are often used in the analysis and the synthesis of signals. By using cascade or parallel connected filters, multi-resolution analysis of a signal in different sub-bands is possible. A method based on the filter banks using discrete prolate spheroidal sequences (DPSS) is proposed in this paper. DPSS are solutions to an energy maximization problem in a limited bandwidth context; their time-frequency concentration aspect is exploited in the proposed design. A filter bank is derived using DPSS sequences and their modulated counter parts and is utilized in the analysis of non-stationary signals. The designed filter-bank achieves a concise representation of a non-stationary signal by maximizing the spectral energy in each sub-band.
From Treebank Parses to Episodic Logic and Commonsense Inference

We have developed an approach to broad-coverage semantic parsing that starts with Treebank parses and yields scoped, deindexed formulas in Episodic Logic (EL) that are directly usable for knowledgebased inference. Distinctive properties of our approach are • the use of a tree transduction language, TTT, to partially disambiguate, refine (and sometimes repair) raw Treebank parses, and also to perform many deindexing and logical canonicalization tasks; • the use of EL, a Montague-inspired logical framework for semantic representation and knowledge representation; • allowance for nonclassical restricted quantifiers, several forms of modification and reification, quasi-quotes and syntactic closures; • an event semantics that directly represents events with complex characterizations; • a scoping algorithm that heuristically scopes quantifiers, logical connectives, and tense; • a compositional approach to tense deindexing making use of tense trees; and • the use of an inference engine, EPILOG, that supports input-driven and goal-driven inference in EL, in a style similar to (but more general than) Natural Logic.
Introduction: Mediating State and Market in China 's Competitive High Technology Industry

The new age of globalization is characterized by the explosive development and application of new technologies, which arguably are among the leading forces for change in the global economy. China is one of the world’s largest manufacturing bases for technological products, but its role does not end there. In the last five years, China has shown considerable initiatives in engaging in global technological changes at many different levels. China’s science and technology (S&T) sectors, after twenty years of reform, have also become more integrated with its economy and are playing increasingly important roles in technology innovation. At the global level, however, China continues to be a follower rather than a creator of new technology, in spite of the fact that Chinese leaders are convinced that indigenous technology development is strategically important to China. A generation ago, China’s S&T system evolved from the former Soviet Union model and exhibited a fairly rigid division of labour, with the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) focusing on basic research, universities focusing on training, institutions sponsored by industrial ministries focusing on industrial research and development (R&D), and state enterprises focusing on manufacturing. There was little interaction between the S&T systems and the production and consumption in the economy. Since the mid-1980s, the Chinese government has tried to reform its S&T system, in the hope that it will become more productive and more closely linked with industries. Different approaches have been tested, such as restructuring the funding mechanisms for the state R&D institutes and universities, creating research institutions and university-affiliated
Rapid reequilibration of H2O and oxygen fugacity in olivine-hosted melt inclusions

The solubility of H 2 O in silicate melt drops substantially with decreasing pressure, so that a magma initially containing several weight percent H 2 O in a crustal magma reservoir is left with only a few thousand parts per million following ascent and eruption at the Earth’s surface. This rapid release of volatiles makes determining the pre-eruptive H 2 O contents of magmas very difficult. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions are thought to retain their H 2 O because they are protected from decompression by the strength of the host crystal, and pre-eruptive concentrations obtained from melt inclusions have been used to both estimate the amount of H 2 O in the upper mantle and investigate its role in the melt generation process. The greatest uncertainty involved in constraining upper mantle conditions from melt inclusions is the potential for rapid diffusive loss or gain of H + (protons) through the host olivine. Here we present results from hydration and dehydration experiments that demonstrate that, contrary to the widely held view, H 2 O loss or gain in melt inclusions is not limited by redox reactions and significant fluxes of H + through the host olivine are possible on very short time scales. We also show that the Fe 3+ /ΣFe of an olivine-hosted melt inclusion maintains equilibrium with the external environment via diffusion of point defects through the host olivine. Our results demonstrate that, while pre-eruptive H 2 O and Fe 3+ /ΣFe can be reliably estimated, olivine-hosted melt inclusions do not necessarily retain a record of the H 2 O and O 2 fugacity conditions at which they formed. High-H 2 O melt inclusions are particularly susceptible to diffusive dehydration, and therefore are not reliable proxies for the state of the upper mantle.
Foucault and The Spaces of History

What the intellectual can do is provide instruments of analysis, and at present this is the historian's essential role. What's effectively needed is a ramified, penetrative perception of the present, one that makes it possible to locate lines of weakness, strong points, positions where the instances of power have secured and implanted themselves by a system of organization dating back over 150 years. In other words, a topological and geographical survey of the bat tlefield?that is the intellectual's role. (PK 62)
Secrecy-Preserving Query Answering in ELH Knowledge Bases

In this paper we study Secrecy-Preserving Query Answering problem under Open World Assumption (OWA) for ELH Knowledge Bases (KBs). We employ two tableau procedures designed to compute some consequences of ABox (A) and TBox (T ) denoted by Aâ and T â respectively. A secrecy set of a querying agent is subset S of Aâ âa T â which the agent is not allowed to access. An envelope is a superset of the secrecy set which provides logical protection to the secrecy set against the reasoning of the querying agent. Once envelopes are computed, they are used to efficiently answer assertional and GCI queries without compromising the secret information in S. Answering GCI queries while preserving secrecy has not been studied in the current literature. When the querying agent asks a query q, the reasoner answers âYesâ if KB |= q and q does not belong to the envelopes; otherwise, the reasoner answers âUnknownâ. Being able to answer âUnknownâ plays a key role in protecting secrecy under OWA. Since we are not computing all the consequences of the KB, answers to the queries based on just Aâ and T â could be erroneous. To fix this problem, we further augment our algorithms to make the query answering procedure foolproof.
The strong symmetric genus spectrum of abelian groups

Let $${\mathcal {S}}$$ denote the set of positive integers that may appear as the strong symmetric genus of a finite abelian group. We obtain a set of (simple) necessary and sufficient conditions for an integer g to belong to $${\mathcal {S}}$$ . We also prove that the set $${\mathcal {S}}$$ has an asymptotic density and approximate its value.
Liver glucose-6-phosphate activity in pregnancy; a study utilizing albino rats.

Abstract 1. 1. Pregnancy is associated with a decrease in glucose-6-phosphatase activity in the rat. The nitrogen concentration of liver is unchanged. 2. 2. The possible relation of alterations in glucose-6-phosphatase activity to peripheral blood sugar concentration and hepatic glycogen storage in pregnancy is discussed.
Septic arthritis due to Vibrio fetus. Report of a case.

A case of septic arthritis due to Vibrio fetus is presented. This rare human infection occurred in a knee joint with a background of old and recent trauma. Treatment by repeated joint aspirations plus administration of parenteral penicillin and streptomycin had little effect on control of the infection until ampicillin was added to the regimen. After surgical removal of an old corroded screw and washer, recovery was uneventful and return of function was complete.
Understanding the Conditions of Bias: Essays on Gender Differences in Evaluation Outcomes Across Three Empirical Contexts - Dissertation Executive Summary

Whereas existing research has importantly documented that gender differences in evaluation outcomes exist, this dissertation shifts the focus to uncovering the conditions under which this is the case as well as the underlying mechanisms driving these observed gender differences. Specifically, the three papers in this dissertation contribute to our understanding of the evaluative mechanisms perpetuating gender inequality by answering the following overarching research question: Under what conditions and how do evaluation processes lead to different outcomes for comparable men and women, particularly when more relevant indicators of quality are available to evaluators?