cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Class-specific quality of service guarantees in multimedia communication networks

We consider the problem of quality-of-service (QoS) provisioning in modern high-speed, multimedia, communication networks. We quantify QoS by the probabilities of loss and excessive delay of an arbitrary packet, and introduce the model of a multiclass node (switch) which provides network access to users that may belong to multiple service classes. We treat such a node as a stochastic system which we analyze and control. In particular, we develop an analytical approach to estimate both the delay and the buffer overflow probability per service class, based on ideas from large deviations and optimal control. We exploit these performance analysis results by devising a call admission control algorithm which can provide per class QoS guarantees. We compare the proposed approach to alternative worst-case and effective bandwidth-based schemes and argue that it leads to increased efficiency. Finally, we discuss extensions to the network case in order to provide end-to-end QoS guarantees.
Quantitative estimation of salicylic acid and its metabolites by thin-layer densitometry

A rapid thin-layer densitometric method for the quantitative determination of salicylic acid and its metabolites in urine or plasma is described. The method is specific and very sensitive. Nanogram quantities of salicylic acid and its metabolites, both free and conjugated, may be estimated. Known metabolites, as well as the newly described gentisuric acid, were estimated quantitatively in urine from a patient treated with aspirin.
Filled-band model leading to supercurrents in La-Ba-Cu-O.

A mechanism previously suggested as leading to high-${\mathit{T}}_{\mathit{c}}$ superconductivity in CdS is applied to La-Ba-Cu-O. It is based on full electron bands in a Brillouin zone bounded by the soft-tilting-mode wave vectors. The drive here comes from the interaction between the applied magnetic field and the Cu spins that still have antiferromagnetic correlation within the Cu-O planes.
Mutual Dissatisfaction Between Mother and Son in Substance-Abusing and Normal Families

This study compares relationship satisfaction between mother and son in families where the father either qualified for a diagnosis of psychoactive substance use disorder (SA+) or had no lifetime psychiatric diagnosis (SA-). The authors found that there was greater mutual dissatisfaction in SA+ families compared with SA- families. The magnitude of dissatisfaction cov-aried with behavioral disturbance in the children; however, in SA+ families, mother-son dissatisfaction correlated positively with externalizing and internalizing behaviors in the children, whereas in SA- families dissatisfaction correlated only with externalizing behaviors. The results suggest that in SA+families, generalized behavioral deviations in the child, combined with parent-offspring dissatisfaction, may facilitate the child's disengagement from parental influence and promote negative association with peers.
The effects of chronic exposure to supraphysiological concentrations of 3,5,3′ triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) on cultured GC cells

We have characterized the effects of supraphysiological concentrations of T3 on GC cells, a cultured cell line in which physiologic concentrations of T3 regulate cell growth, protein content, and growth hormone (GH) production. GC cells were exposed to 3 times (1.0 nM) and 80 times (25.0 nM) the physiologic concentration of T3 (0.3 nM) for either 4 d or for greater than 3 months. Both short and prolonged exposure to supranormal T3 concentrations supported maximal cell growth rate and induced significant increases in total protein (P < 0.025) and GH production (P < 0.01) per celi when compared to measurements in control GC cells. In addition, exposure to 1.0 nM and 25.0 nM T3 for greater than 3 months enhanced the toxicity of heat shock in a manner similar to previously described effects on GC cells due to T3 exposure of shorter duration. Thus, initial responses to raised T3 concentrations in cultured GC cells persisted without alteration when hormone exposure was prolonged for greater than 3 months.
Industrial Organization and Technological Change: The Decline of the British Cotton Industry*

In this important study Professor Lazonick provides an astute reappraisal of why Britain's once dominant economy has failed to meet the challenges of international competition in the twentieth century. The vehicle for his discussion is cotton manufacture, the industry which, through the technological and commercial innovations of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, made Britain the leading industrial power. Among Dr. Lazonick's questions are why did Britain's preeminance in this industry come to an end? Why did technological innovation yield to stagnation? Why did inefficient modes of economic organization persist in the face of manifest inadequacy? And what does the history of this industry have to teach us about recent economic theory?
Risk factors for lower respiratory tract infection death among infants in the United States, 1999-2004.

OBJECTIVE: To describe maternal and birth-related risk factors associated with lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) deaths among infants. METHODS: Records for infants with LRTI as a cause of death were examined by using the linked birth/infant death database for 1999–2004. Singleton infants dying with LRTI and a random sample of surviving singleton infants were compared for selected characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 5420 LRTI-associated infant deaths were documented in the United States during 1999–2004, for an LRTI-associated infant mortality rate of 22.3 per 100000 live births. Rates varied according to race; the rate for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) infants was highest (53.2), followed by black (44.1), white (18.7), and Asian/Pacific Islander infants (12.3). Singleton infants with low birth weight ( CONCLUSIONS: Low birth weight was associated with markedly increased risk for LRTI-associated death among all of the racial groups. Among infants with a birth weight of ≥2500 g, AI/AN and black infants were at higher risk of LRTI-associated death, even after controlling for maternal and birth-related factors. Additional studies and strategies should focus on the prevention of maternal and birth-related risk factors for postneonatal LRTI and on identifying additional risk factors that contribute to elevated mortality among AI/AN and black infants.
A size-dependent crystal plasticity finite-element model for creep and load shedding in polycrystalline titanium alloys

A rate-dependent anisotropic elastic-crystal plasticity based finite-element (FE) model with size-dependent yield strength is developed for polycrystalline Ti-6242. The initial slip system deformation resistances in the crystal plasticity relations are expressed as Hall–Petch type relations, where the grain size, lath size and colony size are chosen as characteristic lengths depending on the nature of slip. The FE model incorporates accurate phase volume fractions and orientation distributions that are statistically equivalent to those observed in orientation imaging microscopy (OIM) maps of the microstructure. The model is validated with experimental results on constant strain rate and creep tests. A relationship between the macroscopic flow stress and grain size and lath size for two-phase Ti-6242 is proposed. The effect of grain morphology on creep-induced load shedding and localization is discussed.
Promoting evidence based medicine in preclinical medical students via a federated literature search tool.

Background: Medical educators are increasingly faced with directives to teach Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) skills. Because of its nature, integrating fundamental EBM educational content is a challenge in the preclinical years.Aims: To analyse preclinical medical student user satisfaction and feedback regarding a clinical EBM search strategy.Methods: The authors introduced a custom EBM search option with a self-contained education structure to first-year medical students. The implementation took advantage of a major curricular change towards case-based instruction. Medical student views and experiences were studied regarding the tool's convenience, problems and the degree to which they used it to answer questions raised by case-based instruction.Results: Surveys were completed by 70% of the available first-year students. Student satisfaction and experiences were strongly positive towards the EBM strategy, especially of the tool's convenience and utility for answering issues raised during case-based learni...
Optimal methods for the preservation of cartilage samples in MRI and correlative biochemical studies

MRI studies of cartilage require the prevention of sample degradation before and during scanning and during shipment for correlative studies. Methods to achieve this include immersion in protease inhibitors (PIs), refrigeration, and freezing. In this study, bovine nasal cartilage (BNC) samples were stored in Dulbecco's phosphate-buffered saline (DPBS), DPBS with standard PIs, or PI solution with GM6001, a potent metalloproteinase inhibitor. For each buffer, three samples were scanned at +4 degrees C and stored at +4 degrees C or at -20 degrees C with thawing prior to imaging. T2 and magnetization transfer (MT) rate, km, were measured weekly over 4 months, after which time water and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) contents were compared with those of matching tissue excised pre-storage. Samples in DPBS exhibited increased T2 (+33.6% after 1 month at +4 degrees C, P = 0.040) and decreased km (-20.6%, P = 0.004), while refrigeration in DPBS with PI and GM6001 yielded good stability (T2: +2.7%, P = 0.874; km: -4.2%, P = 0.654 after 108 days at +4 degrees C). Water content increased while GAG content markedly decreased in all samples. Thus, stability in cartilage MRI parameters can be optimized with appropriate storage conditions, but storage time should nonetheless be minimized.
The kiss that scars

Comment on Sauce et al, page [11][1] In their article in this issue, Sauce and colleagues report that the syndrome of acute infectious mononucleosis leaves an immune scar that endures for years. The syndrome of acute infectious mononucleosis (pharyngitis, fever, activated lymphocytosis) and its
Optical switching for next generation data centers

Optics is making increasing commercial headway into point-to-point links for data centers and supercomputers. For optical switching however, progress needs to be made in cost and system integration. Tradeoffs are discussed emphasizing data center applications.
Multifocal Desmoplastic Fibromas of the Mandible

Desmoplastic fibroma is a locally aggressive benign fibrous tumor of bone that has been reported in both the maxillofacial skeleton and the long bones. Desmoplastic fibroma of the extremities was first reported by Jaffe1 in 1958. The first description of this entity involving the jaws was reported by Griffith and Irby2 in 1965. In rare instances, multifocal desmoplastic fibromas have been reported in the extremities and the pelvis.3-6 We report a case of desmoplastic fibroma that occurred asynchronously in 2 separate locations in the mandible.
Dark adaptation as a function of the intensity and distribution of light across the preadaptation field.

Dark adaptation functions for three subjects were measured after preadaptation to luminances of 2500, 500, 100, 20, 4, and 0.8 ml. The distribution of light across the preadaptation field was varied so that 100%, 20%, 4%, or 0.8% of the total field area was luminous. The data suggest that different combinations of the intensity and area in preadaptation conditions, if the total amount of light is held constant, produce no important changes in the subsequent dark adaptation functions. Some applications of these data to equipment design are discussed.
High-Threshold, Kv3-Like Potassium Currents in Magnocellular Neurosecretory Neurons and Their Role in Spike Repolarization

We identified Kv3-like high-threshold K+ currents in hypothalamic supraoptic neurons using whole cell recordings in hypothalamic slices and in acutely dissociated neurons. Tetraethylammonium (TEA)-...
Exploiting superpages in a nonvolatile memory file system

Emerging nonvolatile memory technologies (sometimes referred as Storage Class Memory (SCM)), are poised to close the enormous performance gap between persistent storage and main memory. The SCM devices can be attached directly to memory bus and accessed like normal DRAM. It becomes then possible to exploit memory management hardware resources to improve file system performance. However, in this case, SCM may share critical system resources such as the TLB, page table with DRAM which can potentially impact SCM's performance. In this paper, we propose to solve this problem by employing superpages to reduce the pressure on memory management resources such as the TLB. As a result, the file system performance is further improved. We also analyze the space utilization efficiency of superpages. We improve space efficiency of the file system by allocating normal pages (4KB) for small files while allocating super pages (2MB on ×86) for large files. We show that it is possible to achieve better performance without loss of space utilization efficiency of nonvolatile memory.
Dehydration of Pollock Skin Prior to Gelatin Production

Alaska pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is the U.S.A.'s largest commercial fishery, with an annual catch of over 1 million tons. During pollock processing, the skins are discarded or made into fish meal, despite their value for gelatin production. The absence of gelatin-processing facilities in Alaska necessitates drying of the skins before transport to decrease the moisture content, but conventional hot-air drying is expensive. This study eval- uated a less energy-intensive technology, the use of desiccants for reducing water weight in pollock skins prior to shipment. To ensure that the functional properties of gelatin obtained from dried pollock skins were not affected during desiccation, gelatins were prepared from each skin-drying treatment and compared with gelatin extracted from air-dried pollock skins. None of the desiccation treatments decreased the gel strength of pollock skin gelatin, nor were there major differences in gelling temperature or viscosity among the gelatin solutions. This suggests that pollock skins can be economically stabilized for transport to a gelatin-processing facility through the use of regen- erable desiccants that are already common in the food industry. Practical Application: Pollock skins destined for gelatin production can be stabilized using chemical desiccants prior to shipment. The dehydration process does not harm the functional properties of gelatin, such as gel strength, gelling temperature, and viscosity. This research suggests that fish skins can be economically stabilized for trans- port to a gelatin-processing facility through the use of regenerable desiccants that are already common in the food industry.
Does Performance Shape Competence

Are the peculiar design characteristics of human languages merely the result of evolutionary accidents that determined innate limitations on linguistic competence? Or do they stem from the fact that human languages are used for practical purposes, and that efficient use demands sentence structures that can readily be produced and parsed? The only way to decide this question is to look for functional explanations of language structure; the search should be informative, whether it ultimately succeeds or fails. Some grammatical constraints have the effect of ruling out one structural analysis of a potentially ambiguous word string, thus disambiguating it and reducing uncertainty for the sentence parsing routines. So far, however, there has been no convincing account in these terms of the major 'island' constraints on transformational operations. It is not plausible, for example, that these are motivated by the strain of holding a transformational 'filler' constituent in memory until its associated 'gap' has been found, or by the difficulty of identifying gaps in certain sentential contexts. I suggest that the parsing routines play a crucial but less specific role in determining the constraints. They call for some restrictions on filler and gap positions, but not for any particular restrictions. The actual pattern of permitted filler-gap relations stems from the expressive function of transformations. Only fillers and gaps that are central to expressive purposes are admitted; all others are excluded by the constraints. Despite the difficulty of defining expressive function, this approach offers promising explanations for why different transformations, and similar transformations in different languages, are subject to different constraints. I conclude that the form of a language may indeed be shaped by its function, but only if 'function' is construed broadly enough to include communicative goals as well as the mechanics of the encoding and decoding operations. Finally, there are indications that these functional pressures on language design can operate only within certain very narrow confines established by the nature of linguistic competence.
The Pleiotropic Two-Component Regulatory System PhoP-PhoQ

PhoP-PhoQ is a two-component system that governs virulence, mediates the adaptation to Mg2+-limiting environments, and regulates numerous cellular activities in several gram-negative species. It consists of the inner membrane sensor PhoQ and the cytoplasmic regulator PhoP. The PhoP-PhoQ system is
The numerical treatment of laplace transforms: I. The Koizumi inversion method

An inversion formula based on expansion in a Fourier sine series, proposed by Koizumi in 1935, is examined. It is found to give results of moderate accuracy with relatively little work.
A methodology for hardware-software codesign

Special purpose hardware is vital to embedded systems as it can simultaneously improve performance while reducing power consumption. The integration of special purpose hardware into applications running in software is difficult for a number of reasons. Some of the difficulty is due to the difference between the models used to program hardware and software, but great effort is also required to coordinate the simultaneous execution of the application running on the microprocessor with the accelerated kernel(s) running in hardware. To further compound the problem, current design methodologies for embedded applications require an early determination of the design partitioning which allows hardware and software to be developed simultaneously, each adhering to a rigid interface contract. This approach is problematic because often a good hardware-software decomposition is not known until deep into the design process. Fixed interfaces and the burden of reimplementation prevent the migration of functionality motivated by repartitioning. This thesis presents a two-part solution to the integration of special purpose hardware into applications running in software. The first part addresses the problem of generating infrastructure for hardware-accelerated applications. We present a methodology in which the application is represented as a dataflow graph and the computation at each node is specified for execution either in software or as specialized hardware using the programmer's language of choice. An interface compiler has been implemented which takes as input the FIFO edges of the graph and generates code to connect all the different parts of the program, including those which communicate across the hardware/software boundary. This methodology, which we demonstrate on an FPGA platform, enables programmers to effectively exploit hardware acceleration without ever leaving the application space. The second part of this thesis presents an implementation of the Bluespec Codesign Language (BCL) to address the difficulty of experimenting with hardware/software partitioning alternatives. Based on guarded atomic actions, BCL can be used to specify both hardware and low-level software. Based on Bluespec System Verilog (BSV) for which a hardware compiler by Bluespec Inc. is commercially available, BCL has been augmented with extensions to support more efficient software generation. In BCL, the programmer specifies the entire design, including the partitioning, allowing the compiler to synthesize efficient software and hardware, along with transactors for communication between the partitions. The benefit of using a single language to express the entire design is that a programmer can easily experiment with many different hardware/software decompositions without needing to re-write the application code. Used together, the BCL and interface compilers represent a comprehensive solution to the task of integrating specialized hardware into an application. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - docs@mit.edu)
A Study of the Human Factor in Farm Management

Most farm management studies of the factors affecting the financial success of farmers have dealt with farm organization and farm practices. Comparatively little attention has been given to the farmer himself who develops and directs the organization and determines the practices followed. It is hardly fair to assume, however, that farm management investigators have failed to recognize the importance of personal and family characteristics and considerations as factors affecting farm earnings. Farm management is a comparatively new branch of research. The first definite program of farm management investigation in the United States was initiated by the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station in 1902. Two years later the first farm management work of the United States Department of Agriculture was started. In many states farm management research has been in progress less than a decade. As in any new field of study, the investigators started first with the most obvious and easily measured phenomena and gradually developed technique for more intricate studies.
On Capital Structure and the Liquidity of a Firm's Stock

Though prior capital structure literature suggests a causal relation between liquidity and leverage (i.e., liquidity affects leverage), we explore the notion that these variables are jointly determined. Consistent with the idea that debt forces managers to make better investment decisions, we find that as leverage increases, spreads decrease. Results from our empirical analysis further imply that as liquidity decreases, leverage increases, which is consistent with the notion that managers rely on debt financing when equity financing becomes relatively expensive. While controlling for the endogenous relationship between spreads and leverage greatly reduces the impact of spreads on leverage, results from our method suggest that a one standard deviation increase in spreads results in a 3% increase in leverage. Not only do our results add to the understanding of the complex relationship between capital structure and liquidity, they also shed light on the determinants of leverage and bid-ask spreads.
Hyperglycemia is associated with poor outcome in newborn infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia for hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) improves survival and neurodevelopmental outcome in neonatal hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). Both, hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia are common in infants with HIE. The relationship between hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, and immediate outcome has not been well described. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of newborn infants with HIE (N = 56) was conducted. Blood glucose concentrations recorded during the first 96 hours were noted. Glucose levels of infants who underwent TH (TH group, N = 20) were compared with those that did not undergo TH (No-TH group, N = 36). The relationship between blood glucose and mortality and/or moderate/severe disability was determined. RESULTS: Mean ± SD blood glucose concentration during the first 24 hours of age was significantly higher in the TH group (148 ± 65 mg/dl), compared with the No-TH group (113 ± 50 mg/dl; p = 0.02), despite a lower glucose infusion rate in the former (4.05 ± 1.77 mg/kg/hr vs. 5.36 ± 2.51 mg/kg/hr; p = 0.04). One hundred percent of infants (n = 9) in the TH group with blood glucose levels >200 mg/dl during the first 24 hours of age died or had moderate/severe disability, compared with 54.5% of those with blood glucose <200 mg/dl in this group (p = 0.03). A similar effect was not present in the No-TH group. CONCLUSION: Hyperglycemia on the first day portends poor outcome in newborn infants undergoing TH for HIE.
Erythrocyte radioiron uptake in the rat and the effects of cobalt.

Abstract 1.1. The ferrokinetics of the rat provide a reliable laboratory method of studying the effects on the rate of erythropoiesis and bone marrow function. 2.2. Cobalt administration increases radioiron utilization in normal and hypophysectomized rats. The action of cobalt does not appear to be altered by splenectomy or significantly modified by administration of cysteine or histidine. 3.3. The standard deviation of the mean results is less in the hypophysectomized group than in the normal group, and the proportional response to erythropoietic stimulation as measured by iron tracer utilization is greater in the hypophysectomized group than in the normal group.
The elimination of a ribbing effect observed in cytologic smears

Received, February 14, 1958; accepted for publication March 17. Or. Naylor is Instructor in Pathology and Cytologist. straight band of the smeared material is loosened; it folds upward in a hinge-like movement and adheres to the part of the smear immediately above it. In doing so, it leaves in its place a band almost completely denuded of material. Such alternate bands may occur a dozen or more times in 1 smear. When the smears are stained, the thicker bands are invariably overstained and difficult to study because of their double layering, whereas the intervening bands show few, if any, cells. This artefact may be easily overcome by increasing the speed of immersion of the
Fast Multi-Objective CMODE-Type Optimization of PM Machines Using Multicore Desktop Computers

Large-scale design optimization of electric machines is oftentimes practiced to achieve a set of objectives, such as the minimization of cost and power loss, under a set of constraints, such as maximum permissible torque ripple. Accordingly, the design optimization of electric machines can be regarded as a constrained optimization problem (COP). Evolutionary algorithms (EAs) used in the design optimization of electric machines including differential evolution (DE), which has received considerable attention during recent years, are unconstrained optimization methods that need additional mechanisms to handle COPs. In this paper, a new optimization algorithm that features combined multi-objective optimization with differential evolution (CMODE) has been developed and implemented in the design optimization of electric machines. A thorough comparison is conducted between the two counterpart optimization algorithms, CMODE and DE, to demonstrate CMODE’s superiority in terms of convergence rate, diversity and high definition of the resulting Pareto fronts, and its more effective constraint handling. More importantly, CMODE requires a lesser number of simultaneous processing units which makes its implementation best suited for state-of-the-art desktop computers reducing the need for high-performance computing systems and associated software licenses.
Stereo vision-based obstacle avoidance for micro air vehicles using an egocylindrical image space representation

Micro air vehicles which operate autonomously at low altitude in cluttered environments require a method for onboard obstacle avoidance for safe operation. Previous methods deploy either purely reactive approaches, mapping low-level visual features directly to actuator inputs to maneuver the vehicle around the obstacle, or deliberative methods that use on-board 3-D sensors to create a 3-D, voxel-based world model, which is then used to generate collision free 3-D trajectories. In this paper, we use forward-looking stereo vision with a large horizontal and vertical field of view and project range from stereo into a novel robot-centered, cylindrical, inverse range map we call an egocylinder. With this implementation we reduce the complexity of our world representation from a 3D map to a 2.5D image-space representation, which supports very efficient motion planning and collision checking, and allows to implement configuration space expansion as an image processing function directly on the egocylinder. Deploying a fast reactive motion planner directly on the configuration space expanded egocylinder image, we demonstrate the effectiveness of this new approach experimentally in an indoor environment.
El trabajo de la materia (1923-1959). Alfonso Reyes, materialista

Esta investigacion explora el pensamiento materialista presente en la obra de Alfonso Reyes. Vision de mundo y disposicion intuitiva, el materialismo le confiere a la obra su coherencia y su movimiento. La misma unidad organica describe las transformaciones de la materia y actua sobre si misma para la produccion de obras escritas. Filosofia de la materia, pensamiento del trabajo y poetica forman aqui un continuo en el que tiene lugar la escritura, animada por la aprehension sensible: esfuerzo introspectivo y mundano; habituacion del cuerpo a la escritura de la experiencia.
The elusive consequences of slow engine response on drive cycle fuel efficiency

High fuel economy is typically achieved with smooth velocity profiles, which can be attained with slow engine response. The reverse however, is not true. Specifically, this paper shows that slow engine response may have deleterious fuel economy effects when aggressive profiles such as the US06 drive cycle need to be tracked. This effect is crucial for strategies which enable higher fuel efficiency at the expense of engine responsiveness. It is shown that slow engine dynamics lead to fluctuations in vehicle tracking performance that result in higher fuel consumption. The effect is quantified with a mean value model of a vehicle with a turbocharged engine undergoing the US06 drive cycle with two different strategies, trading off fuel economy and turbo-lag. The strategies include one that minimizes the engine backpressure through wastegate control (MBWG) and another that uses low pressure loop cooled exhaust gas recirculation (LP-cEGR) in addition to the MBWG strategy. The results indicate that slower engine dynamics can completely overshadow (in the LP-cEGR case) or even reverse (in the MBWG case) these strategies' fuel economy gains.
Establishing Clinical Pharmacy Services With Prescribing Privileges in a Federally Qualified Health Center Primary Care Clinic.

Objectives:To describe the process and cost of establishing clinical pharmacy services with prescribing privileges in a federally qualified health center (FQHC) primary care clinic.Setting:The prim...
John Dewey and the Future of Community College Education By C. P. Harbour

Community colleges, and indeed all of higher education, are under pressure for reinvention—responding to social, financial, and political pressures, rampant technological change, as well as shiftin...
Updated Polychlorinated Biphenyl Mass Budget for Lake Michigan

This study revisits and updates the Lake Michigan Mass Balance Project (LMMBP) for polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) that was conducted in 1994–1995. This work uses recent concentrations of PCBs in tributary and open lake water, air, and sediment to calculate an updated mass budget. Five of the 11 LMMBP tributaries were revisited in 2015. In these five tributaries, the geometric mean concentrations of ∑PCBs (sum of 85 congeners) ranged from 1.52 to 22.4 ng L–1. The highest concentrations of PCBs were generally found in the Lower Fox River and in the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal. The input flows of ∑PCBs from wet deposition, dry deposition, tributary loading, and air to water exchange, and the output flows due to sediment burial, volatilization from water to air, and transport to Lake Huron and through the Chicago Diversion were calculated, as well as flows related to the internal processes of settling, resuspension, and sediment–water diffusion. The net transfer of ∑PCBs is 1240 ± 531 kg yr–1 out of the l...
Poly-traumatic multi-ligament knee injuries: is the knee the limiting factor?

Multi-ligament knee injuries (MLKI) from a high-velocity accident are rare but potentially devastating. This matched cohort analysis compares knee functional outcomes after multiple ligament reconstruction in poly-trauma patients to those that occurred in isolation. Sixty-two patients with MLKI that occurred either as a component of polytrauma or had occurred in isolation were matched according to age, sex, and knee dislocation grade. Functional outcomes and knee physical examination were assessed at a 2-year follow-up. New Injury Severity Score (NISS) was calculated based on the poly-traumatic injury pattern. Risk factors for worse outcomes in the poly-trauma cohort were analyzed. The mean IKDC, Lysholm, and NISS scores in the polytrauma cohort were 57.2 ± 21.9, 62 ± 22, and 40.9 ± 20.4, respectively, at a mean of 67 months (range 24–220). The isolated knee injury group was followed for a mean of 74 months (range 24–266) with mean IKDC and Lysholm scores of 71.1 ± 26.5 and 78 ± 23, respectively. Patients in the control cohort had significantly higher IKDC (p = 0.01) and Lysholm scores, (p = 0.003). There were no major differences between the two groups in regards physical examination findings at final follow-up. None of the analyzed risk factors was predictive of poor outcome. When comparing knees with similar multi-ligament and neurovascular injury patterns, patients who sustained their injury as a result of poly-trauma demonstrated significantly lower functional scores following reconstruction. This is despite restoration of similar knee stability and range of motion. The functional outcomes following MLKI reconstruction in poly-traumatized patients are influenced by factors other than the knee including concomitant injuries and psychosocial factors. Therapeutic Level III.
On Analysis of Active Querying for Recursive State Estimation.

In stochastic linear/nonlinear active dynamic systems, states are estimated with the evidence through recursive measurements in response to queries of the system about the state to be estimated. Therefore, query selection is essential for such systems to improve state estimation accuracy and time. Query selection is conventionally achieved by minimization of the evidence variance or optimization of various information theoretic objectives. It was shown that optimization of mutual information-based objectives and variance-based objectives arrive at the same solution. However, existing approaches optimize approximations to the intended objectives rather than solving the exact optimization problems. To overcome these shortcomings, we propose an active querying procedure using mutual information maximization in recursive state estimation. First we show that mutual information generalizes variance based query selection methods and show the equivalence between objectives if the evidence likelihoods have unimodal distributions. We then solve the exact optimization problem for query selection and propose a query (measurement) selection algorithm. We specifically formulate the mutual information maximization for query selection as a combinatorial optimization problem and show that the objective is submodular, therefore can be solved efficiently with guaranteed convergence bounds through a greedy approach. Additionally, we analyze the performance of the query selection algorithm by testing it through a brain computer interface (BCI) typing system.
Modeling the Improved Visual Acuity Using Photodiode Based Retinal Implants Featuring Fractal Electrodes.

Electronically restoring vision to patients blinded by severe retinal degenerations is rapidly becoming a realizable feat through retinal implants. Upon receiving an implant, previously blind patients can now detect light, locate objects, and determine object motion direction. However, the restored visual acuity (VA) is still significantly below the legal blindness level (VA < 20/200). The goal of this research is to optimize the inner electrode geometry in photovoltaic subretinal implants in order to restore vision to a VA better than blindness level. We simulated neural stimulation by 20 um subretinal photovoltaic implants featuring square or fractal inner electrodes by: (1) calculating the voltage generated on the inner electrode based on the amount of light entering the photodiode, (2) mapping how this voltage spreads throughout the extracellular space surrounding retinal bipolar neurons, and (3) determining if these extracellular voltages are sufficient for neural stimulation. By optimizing the fractal inner electrode geometry, we show that all neighboring neurons can be stimulated using an irradiance of 12 mW/mm^2, while the optimized square only stimulates ~10% of these neurons at an equivalent irradiance. The 20 um fractal electrode can thus theoretically restore VA up to 20/80, if other limiting factors common to retinal degenerations, such as glia scarring and rewiring of retinal circuits, could be reduced. For the optimized square to stimulate all neighboring neurons, the irradiance has to be increased by almost 300%, which is very near the maximum permissible exposure safety limit. This demonstration that fractal electrodes can stimulate targeted neurons for long periods using safe irradiance levels highlights the possibility for restoring vision to a VA better than the blindness level using photodiode-based retinal implants.
Optimizing Selection of Patients for Prostate SBRT: Overview of Toxicity and Efficacy in Low, Intermediate, and High-Risk Prostate Cancer

The first patient to receive treatment with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer (PCa) was treated in the year 2000. Since then, as the result of several single-institution and multi-institutional trials, over a decade-and-half’s worth of clinical experience has accrued to help guide indications for routine treatment with SBRT and identify promising areas for investigation in clinically localized PCa. In this introductory Chapter, we briefly review the standard risk stratification scheme for clinically localized PCa to contextualize the selection of patients for treatment with SBRT. We then provide a comprehensive synthesis of the medical literature to date, focusing on the tabulation of efficacy and toxicity rates as reported. While randomized clinical trials comparing SBRT with conventionally fractionated or moderately hypofractionated RT are underway, the current body of evidence supports the efficacy and safety of SBRT not only for low PCa, but also for intermediate risk disease. We also review some of the reports describing higher than anticipated toxicities, and provide likely explanations for these discrepancies. Potential contraindications to SBRT, such as large prostate size and prior transurethral resection of the prostate, are discussed. Finally, we discuss the emerging evidence examining the role of SBRT in high-risk PCa.
Numerical and Evolutionary Approaches for the Optimization of Electrical Microgrid Control Parameters

The choice of automated control strategies for an electrical microgrid can have a significant impact on the cost and performance of that system. For that reason, it is desirable to find control parameters that are optimal with respect to several metrics of particular interest. This paper describes the modeling and simulation of an electrical microgrid incorporating mobile power transfer systems, and highlights how to formulate the selection of control parameters for such a microgrid as an optimization problem. Further, it compares optimization algorithms exemplifying two approaches -- numerical and evolutionary -- with respect to this optimization task. We discuss and show through the results of a set of comparisons against several objectives that the evolutionary optimization approach seems more promising for this type of problem.
Primary Readers’ Perceptions of a Camp Guided Reading Intervention: A Qualitative Case Study of Motivation and Engagement

Reading motivation declines across elementary school. Although a substantive body of empirical work exists specific to the reading motivation of older children, researchers have paid less attention...
In vitro and in silico multidimensional modeling of oncolytic tumor virotherapy dynamics

Tumor therapy with replication competent viruses is an exciting approach to cancer eradication where viruses are engineered to specifically infect, replicate, spread and kill tumor cells. The outcome of tumor virotherapy is complex due to the variable interactions between the cancer cell and virus populations as well as the immune response. Oncolytic viruses are highly efficient in killing tumor cells in vitro, especially in a 2D monolayer of tumor cells, their efficiency is significantly lower in a 3D environment, both in vitro and in vivo. This indicates that the spatial dimension may have a major influence on the dynamics of virus spread. We study the dynamic behavior of a spatially explicit computational model of tumor and virus interactions using a combination of in vitro 2D and 3D experimental studies to inform the models. We determine the number of nearest neighbor tumor cells in 2D (median = 6) and 3D tumor spheroids (median = 16) and how this influences virus spread and the outcome of therapy. The parameter range leading to tumor eradication is small and even harder to achieve in 3D. The lower efficiency in 3D exists despite the presence of many more adjacent cells in the 3D environment that results in a shorter time to reach equilibrium. The mean field mathematical models generally used to describe tumor virotherapy appear to provide an overoptimistic view of the outcomes of therapy. Three dimensional space provides a significant barrier to efficient and complete virus spread within tumors and needs to be explicitly taken into account for virus optimization to achieve the desired outcome of therapy.
The effect of pollen protein concentration on body size in the sweat bee Lasioglossum zephyrum (Hymenoptera : Apiformes)

Adult bees and wasps provide all the food their offspring require to grow from egg to adult. For a given diet, offspring body size generally increases with an increase in the amount of food consumed as a larva, but the extent to which body size is influenced by the type of food consumed is poorly known. Pollen ranges from 2–60% protein among plant species, and bees are extremely efficient at assimilating nitrogen; therefore, it seems likely that either parent bees adjust the size of larval provisions to compensate for differences in pollen protein concentration or bee offspring attain different body size depending on the pollen type(s) consumed as a larva. We presented the generalist sweat bee Lasioglossum zephyrum with pollen diets that differed in protein content and monitored offspring body size during two experiments. In a protein supplementation experiment, diets ranged from 20–66% protein and consisted of Typha pollen amended with soy protein. On a pollen/soy diet, offspring body size increased 25% with a shift from 20–37% protein, but did not increase further at greater protein concentrations. In a multiple pollen experiment, pollen diets ranged from 20–39% protein and consisted of eight pollens that differed naturally in protein concentration. The largest offspring arose from the most protein-rich pollens, whereas much smaller bees developed on protein-poor pollens. Provision size only predicted offspring size when pollen type, and therefore protein quantity, was considered. Adult foragers did not adjust provision size to compensate for pollen protein. Therefore, offspring body size appears to result from a combination of controlled (provision size) and uncontrolled (pollen quality) factors that arise out of bee foraging decisions.
Haematobia irritans parasitism of F1 yak × beef cattle (Bos grunniens × Bos taurus) hybrids.

The horn fly Haematobia irritans (Diptera: Muscidae) is a blood obligate ectoparasite of bovids that causes annual losses to the U.S. beef cattle industry of over US$1.75 billion. Climate warming, the anthropogenic dispersion of bovids and the cross-breeding of beef cattle with other bovid species may facilitate novel horn fly-host interactions. In particular, hybridizing yaks [Bos grunniens (Artiodactyla: Bovidae)] with beef cows (Bos taurus) for heterosis and carcass improvements may increase the exposure of yak × beef hybrids to horn flies. The present paper reports on the collection of digital images of commingled beef heifers (n = 12) and F1 yak × beef hybrid bovids (heifers, n = 7; steers, n = 5) near Laramie, Wyoming (∼ 2200 m a.s.l.) in 2018. The total numbers of horn flies on beef heifers and F1 yak × beef heifers [mean ± standard error (SE): 88 ± 13 and 70 ± 17, respectively] did not differ significantly; however, F1 yak × beef steers had greater total horn fly abundance (mean ± SE: 159 ± 39) than female bovids. The present report of this experiment is the first such report in the literature and suggests that F1 yak × beef bovids are as susceptible as cattle to horn fly parasitism. Therefore, similar monitoring and treatment practices should be adopted by veterinarians, entomologists and producers.
Transformative Education in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics: Empowering the Next Generation of Scientists:

I argue that traditional models of student success should emphasize socialization that empowers students of color in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) while developing their ...
Network Intrusion Detection System as a Service on OpenStack Cloud

Cloud computing has become a major computing paradigm and data processing approach in almost all sectors. To ensure normal business operation and data security, performing traffic monitoring and detecting suspicious network packets and possible network intrusions have become a daily job for tenant administrators. Using existing tools, a tenant administrator can set up a Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) on a virtual machine (VM) instance in the tenant and mirror the traffic from other instances in the tenant to the NIDS instance via Tap as a Service (TaaS) or a Switched Port Analyzer (SPAN) port. However, this type of mechanisms can consume significant resources (e.g., CPU and bandwidth) in the cloud environment. In this work, we propose a new lightweight approach, namely Network Intrusion Detection System as a Service (NIDSaaS), for OpenStack cloud. Our preliminary experimental results show that our NIDSaaS approach consumes much less CPU compared to the existing TaaS approach.
Estimating the burden of the opioid epidemic for adults and adolescents in Ohio counties

Quantifying the opioid epidemic at the local level is a challenging problem that has important consequences on resource allocation. Adults and adolescents may exhibit different spatial trends and require different interventions and resources so it is important to examine the problem for each age group. In Ohio, surveillance data are collected at the county level for each age group on measurable outcomes of the opioid epidemic, overdose deaths, and treatment admissions. However, our interest lies in quantifying the unmeasurable construct, representing the burden of the opioid epidemic, which drives rates of the outcomes. We propose jointly modeling adult and adolescent surveillance outcomes through a multivariate spatial factor model. A generalized spatial factor model within each age group quantifies a latent factor related to the number of opioid-associated treatment admissions and deaths. By assuming a multivariate conditional autoregressive model for the spatial factors of adults and adolescents, we allow the adolescent model to borrow strength from the adult model (and vice versa), improving estimation. We also incorporate county-level covariates to help explain spatial heterogeneity in each of the factors. We apply this approach to the state of Ohio and discuss the findings. Our framework provides a coherent approach for synthesizing information across multiple outcomes and age groups to better understand the spatial epidemiology of the opioid epidemic.