cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatic measurement of memory hierarchy parameters

The running time of many applications is dominated by the cost of memory operations. To optimize such applications for a given platform, it is necessary to have a detailed knowledge of the memory hierarchy parameters of that platform. In practice, this information is poorly documented if at all. Moreover, there is growing interest in self-tuning, autonomic software systems that can optimize themselves for different platforms; these systems must determine memory hierarchy parameters automatically without human intervention.One solution is to use micro-benchmarks to determine the parameters of the memory hierarchy. In this paper, we argue that existing micro-benchmarks are inadequate, and present novel micro-benchmarks for determining parameters of all levels of the memory hierarchy, including registers, all data caches and the translation look-aside buffer. We have implemented these micro-benchmarks in a tool called X-Ray that can be ported easily to new platforms. We present experimental results that show that X-Ray successfully determines memory hierarchy parameters on current platforms, and compare its accuracy with that of existing tools.
Food web structure and the role of epilithic biofilms in cave streams

Cave stream food webs rely exclusively on detritus from the surface for energy and represent a heterotrophic end point in the continuum of stream types. Both dissolved organic matter (DOM) and particulate organic matter, and associated microbes, are available in caves, but the relative importance of these foods is unclear. We examined trophic structure and the roles of particulate organic matter and DOM retained in epilithic biofilms in three cave streams using natural abundance isotopes (13C and 15N) and 13C tracer additions. Natural abundance 15N ratios showed that cave animals occupied two trophic levels: primary consumers and predators. Epilithic biofilms and animals were highly enriched in 15N, suggesting that dissolved organic matter from surface soils was incorporated into epilithon and supported stream food webs, even when coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) from the surface was abundant. We conducted 28-day 13C-acetate tracer additions to trace the use of epilithon carbon in the food webs. T...
Comorbid anxiety disorders and baseline medication regimens predict clinical outcomes in individuals with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence: Results of a randomized controlled trial

Despite the high prevalence and detrimental impact of alcoholism on bipolar patients, the diagnostic and treatment factors associated with better or worse clinical outcomes in alcohol-dependent patients with bipolar disorder are not well understood. The present study investigated the prospective impact of baseline psychiatric comorbidities and treatment regimens on clinical outcomes in bipolar alcoholics. Data were drawn from an 8-week randomized controlled clinical trial of acamprosate for individuals (n=30) with co-occurring bipolar disorder and alcohol dependence. Depressive and manic symptoms, and alcohol craving and consumption were monitored longitudinally using standardized instruments. Path analysis was used to estimate the prospective associations between patient characteristics and outcomes. More than 50% of patients were diagnosed with at least one anxiety (76.7%) or drug dependence disorder (60.0%). Comorbid anxiety disorders were prospectively associated with increased depressive symptoms and alcohol use. Participants were prescribed an average of 2.6 psychotropic medications at baseline. Antipsychotics and anticonvulsants were prospectively associated with increased alcohol use; anticonvulsants and benzodiazepines were associated with increased alcohol craving. Antidepressants were associated with increased depressive symptoms. Conversely, lithium was associated with decreased alcohol craving and depressive symptoms. The findings from the present study suggest areas for future research in this population.
Traditional Reform, Municipal Populism, and Progressivism Challenges to Machine Politics in Early-Twentieth-Century New York City

Support for reform candidates followed three distinct patterns, identified as traditional reform, municipal populist, and progressive. Whether traditional-reform and municipal-populist voters could be brought together to form a progressive coalition depended on the way experts were incorporated into city politics. The coalition that elected John Purroy Mitchel mayor of New York in 1913 combined traditional-reform voters who had previously supported Seth Low with municipal-populist voters who had previously supported William Randolph Hearst, but tensions between business interests and the experts who helped to construct Mitchel's coalition contributed to the fragmentation of the progressive coalition in the election of 1917.
Sleep apnea in adults with traumatic brain injury : A preliminary investigation

Abstract Webster JB, Bell KR, Hussey JD, Natale TK, Lakshminarayan S. Sleep apnea in adults with traumatic brain injury: a preliminary investigation. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2001;82:316-21. Objective: To determine the occurrence and nature of sleep-related breathing disorders in adults with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Design: Prospective, observational, consecutive sample enrollment of subjects admitted for rehabilitation after TBI. Setting: Inpatient rehabilitation and subacute rehabilitation units of a tertiary care university medical system. Participants: Subjects ( n = 28) included adults with TBI and a Rancho Los Amigos Scale level of 3 or greater who were less than 3 months postinjury and admitted for comprehensive inpatient rehabilitation. Interventions: Overnight sleep study using portable 6-channel monitoring system. Main Outcome Measure: Respiratory disturbance index (RDI), which is the number of apneic and hypopneic episodes per hour of sleep. Results: Evidence of sleep apnea was found in 10 of 28 (36%) subjects as measured by a RDI level of 5 or greater and in 3 of 28 (11%) subjects as measured by a RDI level of 10 or greater. This rate of sleep apnea is significantly ( p =.002) higher than would be predicted based on population norms. No correlation was found between the occurrence of significant sleep apnea and measures of TBI severity or other demographic variables. Sleep-related breathing disorders were primarily central though obstructive apneas were also noted. Conclusion: In this preliminary investigation, sleep-related breathing disorders as defined by a respiratory disturbance index of 5 or greater appears to be common in adult subjects with TBI.
Amplitude Distributions of the Poisson Process Transformed by Systems with Memory, with Special Reference to Shot Noise and Pile-Up

Many physical and biological phenomena can be described through processes obtained by a transformation of the Poisson process. Such processes have been simulated by the computer for various amplitude distributions and response functions which are common for processing of signals from nuclear detectors. The following amplitude distributions have been analyzed: delta function, gaussian, exponential, rectangular, and typical nuclear spectra. The system impulse response functions can have arbitrary shapes, such as exponential, RC integrated and/or differentiated, cusp, bipolar, etc. The following cases have been analyzed: continuous time series; pulsed time series (pulsed accelerator case); pulse shaping networks for minimal distortions at high rates; pile-up rejection systems; shot noise; systems with finite resolving time. A large number of cases have been simulated and systematically investigated, and probability density functions for each case are shown.
Commuting varieties of r-tuples over Lie algebras

Abstract Let G be a simple algebraic group defined over an algebraically closed field k of characteristic p and let g be the Lie algebra of G. It is well known that for p large enough the spectrum of the cohomology ring for the r-th Frobenius kernel of G is homeomorphic to the commuting variety of r-tuples of elements in the nilpotent cone of g (Suslin et al., 1997, [27] ). In this paper, we study both geometric and algebraic properties including irreducibility, singularity, normality and Cohen–Macaulayness of the commuting varieties C r ( gl 2 ) , C r ( sl 2 ) and C r ( N ) where N is the nilpotent cone of sl 2 . Our calculations lead us to state a conjecture on Cohen–Macaulayness for commuting varieties of r-tuples. Furthermore, in the case when g = sl 2 , we obtain interesting results about commuting varieties when adding more restrictions into each tuple. In the case of sl 3 , we are able to verify the aforementioned properties for C r ( u ) . Finally, applying our calculations on the commuting variety C r ( O sub ¯ ) where O sub ¯ is the closure of the subregular orbit in the nilpotent cone of sl 3 , we prove that the nilpotent commuting variety C r ( N ) has singularities of codimension ⩾2.
Fast gamma oscillations are generated intrinsically in CA1 without the involvement of fast-spiking basket cells

Information processing in neuronal networks relies on the precise synchronization of ensembles of neurons, coordinated by the diverse family of inhibitory interneurons. Cortical interneurons can be usefully parsed by embryonic origin, with the vast majority arising from either the caudal or medial ganglionic eminences (CGE and MGE). Here, we examine the activity of hippocampal interneurons during gamma oscillations in mouse CA1, using an in vitro model where brief epochs of rhythmic activity were evoked by local application of kainate. We found that this CA1 KA-evoked gamma oscillation was faster than that in CA3 and, crucially, did not appear to require the involvement of fast-spiking basket cells. In contrast to CA3, we also found that optogenetic inhibition of pyramidal cells in CA1 did not significantly affect the power of the oscillation, suggesting that excitation may not be essential for gamma genesis in this region. We found that MGE-derived interneurons were generally more active than CGE interneurons during CA1 gamma, although a group of CGE-derived interneurons, putative trilaminar cells, were strongly phase-locked with gamma oscillations and, together with MGE-derived axo-axonic and bistratified cells, provide attractive candidates for being the driver of this locally generated, predominantly interneuron-driven model of gamma oscillations.
Electroporation (revival of direct current ablation): new approach for increasing epicardial ablation safety in close proximity to a coronary artery.

Several different techniques and energy sources have been developed for catheter ablation of tachyarrhythmias, including atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.1–3 Radiofrequency (RF) current is the most commonly used energy source for ablation. Although RF ablation has been proven to be effective, there are several limitations, including relatively long procedure times and high recurrence rate, especially for ablation of atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia.2,3 During RF ablation, excessive tissue heating may lead to serious complications, such as steam pop, cardiac perforation, pulmonary vein stenosis, coronary arterial injury, and thrombo-embolism.1–4 Conversely, tissue cooling by arterial flow (providing greater heat sink) may limit RF lesion formation and lead to gaps in the ablation line, such as linear ablation across the mitral isthmus.5,6 Article see p 913 Direct current (DC) catheter ablation technique was initiated in early 1980s, but was abandoned shortly after RF ablation became available in 1990s.7 DC ablation was associated with serious complications, supposedly related to barotrauma and proarrhymia.8,9 Barotrauma is caused by a high-pressure shock wave resulting from an electrically isolating vapor globe, leading to arcing (spark) and explosion.8 At the …
Concentration and Temperature Dependence of Dynamic Light Scattering for Some Polystyrene Solutions in Toluene, Cyclohexane, Methylcyclohexane and Deuteromethylcyclohexane

Dynamic light scattering measurements are reported as functions of concentration and temperature for polystyrenes of well defined molecular weight and polydispersity in a good solvent (toluene) and...
Plenty of evidence but no clear answers to what therapies improve symptoms associated with autism spectrum disorders

Abstracted from: Ospina, M. B., Seida, J. K., Clark, B., Karkhaneh, H., Hartlin, L., Tjosvold, L., Vandermeer, B., & Smith, V. (2008). Behavioral and developmental interventions for autism spectrum disorder: A clinical systematic review. PLoS ONE, 3, 1–32. Source of funding: No source of funding reported.
Application of phase consistency to improve time efficiency and image quality in dual echo black-blood carotid angiography

There is a considerable similarity between proton density-weighted (PDw) and T2-weighted (T2w) images acquired by dual echo fast spin-echo (FSE) sequences. The similarity manifests itself not only in image space as correspondence between intensities of PDw and T2w images, but also in phase space as consistency between phases of PDw and T2w images. Methods for improving the imaging efficiency and image quality of dual echo FSE sequences based on this feature have been developed. The total scan time of dual echo FSE acquisition may be reduced by as much as 25% by incorporating an estimate of the image phase from a fully sampled PDw image when reconstructing partially sampled T2w images. The quality of T2w images acquired using phased array coils may be significantly improved by using the developed noise reduction reconstruction scheme, which is based on the correspondence between the PDw and T2w image intensities and the consistency between the PDw and T2w image phases. Studies of phantom and human subject MRI data were performed to evaluate the effectiveness of the techniques.
Paget Disease of Bone

The current understanding of Paget disease of bone (PDB) has vastly changed since Paget described the first case in 1877. Medical management of this condition remains the mainstay of treatment. Surgical intervention is usually only used in fractures through pagetic bone, need for realignment to correct deformity in major long bones, prophylactic treatment of impending fractures, joint arthroplasty in severe arthritis, or spinal decompression in cases of bony compression of neural elements. Advances in surgical technique have allowed early return to function and mobilization. Despite medical and surgical intervention, a small subset of patients with PDB develops Paget sarcoma.
Exploring the workplace impact of intentional/unintentional age discrimination

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between employee perceptions of unfair treatment of older workers and employee engagement. Design/methodology/approach – In a sample of over 4,500 workers, ages 18-94, from a retail workforce across three regions of the USA, the authors examine the relationship between perceptions that older workers are less likely to be promoted and employee engagement, using multilevel mixed effects linear regression models. The authors also examine whether the relationship is different if older workers were seen as fit for promotion, and whether discrimination is: intentional (fit, but less likely to be promoted) or unintentional (unfit, and less likely to be promoted). Findings – Results indicate that perceived discrimination is related to lower levels of employee engagement among workers of all ages. Findings also suggest that for older workers, there is a more negative relationship between unintentional discrimination and employee engagement, while f...
A Proposed Scheme for Epidemic Routing with Active Curing for Opportunistic Networks

Opportunistic networking is emerging as a technique to exploit chance encounters among mobile nodes, and is distinct from previously studied behaviors found in sensor and ad hoc networking research. In this paper, we explore contributions in epidemic data dissemination and mobile ad hoc networks applicable to opportunistic networking, and propose an extension to prior work based on active cures. Our scheme, called SERAC, increases the rate at which cure messages are propagated in a fragmented network for the purpose of reducing the overhead of outstanding yet incompletely disseminated messages. Preliminary analyses demonstrate the feasibility of performance gains under the opportunistic networking model.
The Awareness Framework: A Novel Approach for Understanding HIV Testing and Disclosure in HIV-discordant Dyads

HIV testing and counseling (HTC) is rapidly being brought to scale in sub-Saharan Africa [1]. Scale-up has been driven primarily by the goal of linking HIV-infected persons to treatment. But what impact will HTC scale-up have on HIV prevention, especially as new biomedical HIV prevention interventions are introduced? Consistent with the Couples HIV Testing and Counseling Guidelines recently released by the World Health Organization, we assert that the prevention impact of HTC will hinge on whether both members of HIVdiscordant dyads receive HTC and whether they share their HIV status with each other. However, a better understanding of the prevention impact of other awareness possibilities is needed. We introduce a novel framework for considering a person’s awareness of his/her own HIV status (through HTC) and his/her partner’s HIV status (through HIV disclosure) within HIV-discordant dyads. This framework is useful for understanding HTC trends, examining behavioral and biomedical risk in partnerships, and ultimately optimizing the impact of HIV prevention.
Has Basic Acupuncture Research Met the Gold Standard of Science

Abstract Background: The gold standard in testing scientific theory requires multiple independent prospective tests. This standard was applied to basic acupuncture research. Objectives: To test whether basic acupuncture research has met the gold standard of science. Data Sources: Literature search and review of publications in MEDLINE and Chinese medical literature databases were combined with discussion with many experts to identify and analyze the models in basic acupuncture research that have predictions. These predictions were further checked for independent confirmation by multiple research groups. Results: The growth control model is the only published model in basic acupuncture research that has met the gold standard. It suggests that the Meridian system is a macroscopic growth control system originated from a network of organizers in embryogenesis. Several phenomena of acupuncture such as the distribution of auricular acupuncture points, the long-term effects of acupuncture, and the effect of mult...
Mechanism of lumen enlargement with direct stenting versus predilatation stenting: influence of remodelling and plaque characteristics assessed by volumetric intracoronary ultrasound

Objective: To compare the effects of arterial remodelling and plaque characteristics on the mechanisms of direct stenting and predilatation stenting. Direct stenting has become routine in some laboratories and differs technically from predilatation stenting. Methods: Pre- and post-interventional volumetric intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) was undertaken in 30 patients with direct stenting and in 30 with predilatation stenting of non-calcified native coronary lesions, using the same stent design and stent length. Lumen, vessel (external elastic membrane (EEM)), and plaque (plaque + media) volumes were calculated. Remodelling was determined by comparing the EEM area at the centre of the lesion with the EEM areas at proximal and distal reference sites. Plaque eccentricity was defined as the thinnest plaque diameter to the thickest plaque diameter ratio. Plaque composition was characterised as soft, mixed, or dense. Results: All volumetric IVUS changes were similar in the two groups. Pre-intervention remodelling remained uninfluenced after direct stenting, but was neutralised after predilatation stenting. Eccentric lesions responded to intervention by a greater luminal gain owing to greater vessel expansion in direct stenting. Plaque composition influenced luminal gain in direct stenting, the gain being greatest in the softest plaques; in predilatation stenting, luminal gain was equivalent but vessel expansion was greater for “dense” plaque and plaque reduction greater for “soft” plaque. Conclusions: In non-calcified lesions, the mechanisms of lumen enlargement after direct or predilatation stenting are significantly influenced by atherosclerotic remodelling, plaque eccentricity, and plaque composition.
Two-dimensional atomic lithography by submicrometer focusing of atomic beams

We analyze a method for serial writing of arbitrary two-dimensional patterns using optical focusing of a collimated atomic beam. A spatial light modulator is used in a side illumination geometry to create a localized optical spot with secondary maxima that are well separated from the central peak. Numerical simulation of a lithography experiment using a magneto-optical trap as a source of cold Cs atoms, collimation and cooling in a magnetic guide, and optical focusing predicts FWHM pixel sizes of 110×110 nm and writing times of ∼20 ms/pixel.
Subjective valuation of cushioning in a human drop landing task as quantified by trade-offs in mechanical work

Humans can perform motor tasks in a variety of ways, yet often favor a particular strategy. Some factors governing the preferred strategy may be objective and quantifiable, (e.g. metabolic energy or mechanical work) while others may be more subjective and less measurable, (e.g. discomfort, pain, or mental effort). Subjectivity can make it challenging to explain or predict preferred movement strategies. We propose that subjective factors might nevertheless be characterized indirectly by their trade-offs against more objective measures such as work. Here we investigated whether subjective costs that influence human movement during drop landings could be indirectly assessed by quantifying mechanical work performed. When landing on rigid ground, humans typically absorb much of the collision actively by bending their knees, perhaps to avoid the discomfort of stiff-legged landings. We measured how work performed by healthy adults (N=8) changed as a function of surface cushioning for drop landings (fixed at about 0.4m) onto varying amounts of foam. Landing on more foam dissipated more energy passively in the surface, thus reducing the net dissipation required of subjects, due to relatively fixed landing energy. However, subjects actually performed even less work in the dissipative collision, as well as in the subsequent active, positive work to return to upright stance (approximately linear decrease of about 1.52 J per 1 cm of foam thickness). As foam thickness increased, there was also a corresponding reduction in center-of-mass vertical displacement after initial impact by up to 43%. Humans appear to subjectively value cushioning, revealed by the extra work they perform landing without it. Cushioning is thus worth more than the energy it dissipates, in an amount that indicates the subjective discomfort of stiff landings.
Signalling displays during predator-prey interactions in a Puerto Rican anole, Anolis cristatellus

We examined conspicuous signalling displays in the context of predator-prey interactions. To determine in which context Puerto Rican crested anoles, Anolis cristatellus, perform conspicuous signals, we exposed wild lizards to a model of a natural snake predator. The lizards gave six behavioural responses to the model: immobility, predator inspection, flight, lateral face-oV, dewlapping and push-ups. They displayed significantly more push-ups and push-up bouts in the presence of the snake model. Alternative theories regarding the function of conspicuous signals inA. cristatellus, theflash concealment and predator deterrent hypotheses, were also tested. Theflash concealment hypothesis proposes that the sudden display exhibition of signalling behaviour followed by theflight of the animal may confuse the predator about the position of the prey, thus causing the predator to abort the attack. The pursuit deterrent hypothesis contends that because the chances of the predator successfully attacking its prey decrease when the prey is aware of the incoming predator, prey have evolved signalling behaviours that communicate to the predator that it has been detected, therefore discouraging the attack. Results supported the use of push-ups, dewlapping, lateral face-oV and predator inspection as predator deterrent signals. During the recognition phase of a predatory encounter,A. cristatellusmay rely more on behavioural signals than onflight to avoid predation. Because the predator deterrent signals are the same as the signals used in social interactions, it is suggested that predation pressure may have reinforced the eVects of sexual selection in the evolution of Anolis signalling displays. ? 1997 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Socializing volunteers in an online community: a field experiment

Although many off-line organizations give their employees training, mentorship, a cohort and other socialization experiences that improve their retention and productivity, online production communities rarely do this. This paper describes the planning, execution and evaluation of a socialization regime for an online technical support community. In a two-phase project, we first automatically identified from participants' early behavior, those with high potential to become core members. We then designed, delivered and experimentally evaluated socialization experiences intended to build commitment and competence among these potential core members. We were able to identify potential core members with high accuracy from only two weeks of behavior. A year later, those classified as potential core members participated in the community ten times more actively than those not identified. In an evaluation experiment, some potential core members were randomly assigned to receive socialization experiences, while others were not. A year later, those who had participated in the socialization regime contributed more answers in the community compared to those in the control condition. The socialization experiences, however, undercut their sense of connection to the community and the quality of their contributions. We discuss what was effective and what could be improved in designing socialization experiences for online groups.
Digital refocusing with incoherent holography

Light field cameras allow us to digitally refocus a photograph after the time of capture. However, recording a light field requires either a significant loss in spatial resolution [11, 21, 10] or a large number of images to be captured [12]. In this paper, we propose incoherent holography for digital refocusing without loss of spatial resolution from only 3 captured images. The main idea is to capture 2D coherent holograms of the scene instead of the 4D light fields. The key properties of coherent light propagation are that the coherent spread function (hologram of a single point source) encodes scene depths and has a broadband spatial frequency response. These properties enable digital refocusing with 2D coherent holograms, which can be captured on sensors without loss of spatial resolution. Incoherent holography does not require illuminating the scene with high power coherent laser, making it possible to acquire holograms even for passively illuminated scenes. We provide an in-depth performance comparison between light field and incoherent holographic cameras in terms of the signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR). We show that given the same sensing resources, an incoherent holography camera outperforms light field cameras in most real world settings. We demonstrate a prototype incoherent holography camera capable of performing digital refocusing from only 3 acquired images. We show results on a variety of scenes that verify the accuracy of our theoretical analysis.
Quantifying and verifying reachability for access controlled networks

Quantifying and querying network reachability is important for security monitoring and auditing as well as many aspects of network management such as troubleshooting, maintenance, and design. Although attempts to model network reachability have been made, feasible solutions to computing network reachability have remained unknown. In this paper, we propose a suite of algorithms for quantifying reachability based on network configurations [mainly Access Control Lists (ACLs)] as well as solutions for querying network reachability. We present a network reachability model that considers connectionless and connection-oriented transport protocols, stateless and stateful routers/ firewalls, static and dynamic NAT, PAT, IP tunneling, etc. We implemented the algorithms in our network reachability tool called Quarnet and conducted experiments on a university network. Experimental results show that the offline computation of reachability matrices takes a few hours, and the online processing of a reachability query takes 0.075 s on average.
Effect of Indian Ayurvedic medicine Ashwagandha on measurement of serum digoxin and 11 commonly monitored drugs using immunoassays: study of protein binding and interaction with Digibind.

● Context.—Ashwagandha, a popular Ayurvedic medicine, is now available in the United States. Alkaloids found in this herb have structural similarity with digoxin. Objective.—To study potential interference of Ashwagandha with serum digoxin measurement by immunoassays. Potential interference was also investigated with immunoassays for 11 other commonly monitored drugs. In addition, interaction of components of Ashwagandha with the Fab fragment of antidigoxin antibody (Digibind) was investigated. Design.—Two different brands of liquid extract and 1 dry powdered form of Ashwagandha were used for this investigation. Aliquots of drug-free serum were supplemented with various concentrations of Ashwagandha and apparent digoxin concentrations were measured by 3 digoxin immunoassays. Mice were fed with Ashwagandha and apparent digoxin concentrations were measured 1 and 3 hours after feeding. Potential interference of Ashwagandha with immunoassays of 11 other drugs was also investigated. Interaction of components of Ashwagandha with Digibind was studied in vitro. Results.—Significant apparent digoxin concentrations were observed both in vitro and in vivo using the fluorescence polarization immunoassay of digoxin, whereas the Beckman and the microparticle enzyme immunoassay digoxin assay demonstrated minimal interference. Immunoassays of 11 other drugs tested were unaffected. When Ashwagandha extract was added to a serum pool containing digoxin, falsely elevated digoxin value was observed with fluorescence polarization immunoassay, but values were falsely lowered when measured by the microparticle enzyme immunoassay. Digibind neutralized digoxin-like immunoreactive components of Ashwagandha in vitro. Conclusions.—Components of Ashwagandha interfered with serum digoxin measurements using immunoassays. Digibind neutralized free digoxin-like immunoreactive components of Ashwagandha. (Arch Pathol Lab Med. 2007;131:1298–1303)
Relating streamflow characteristics to specialized insectivores in the Tennessee River Valley: a regional approach

Analysis of hydrologic time series and fish community data across the Tennessee River Valley identified three hydrologic metrics essential to habitat suitability and food availability for insectivorous fish communities in streams of the Tennessee River Valley: constancy (flow stability or temporal invariance), frequency of moderate flooding (frequency of habitat disturbance), and rate of streamflow recession. Initial datasets included 1100 fish community sites and 300 streamgages. Reduction of these datasets to sites with coexisting data yielded 33 sites with streamflow and fish community data for analysis. Identification of critical hydrologic metrics was completed using a multivariate correlation procedure that maximizes the rank correlation between the hydrologic metrics and fish community resemblance matrices. Quantile regression was used to define thresholds of potential ranges of insectivore scores for given values of the hydrologic metrics. Increased values of constancy and insectivore scores were positively correlated. Constancy of streamflow maintains wetted perimeter, which is important for providing habitat for fish spawning and increased surface area for invertebrate colonization and reproduction. Site scores for insectivorous fish increased as the frequency of moderate flooding (3 times the median annual streamflow) decreased, suggesting that insectivorous fish communities respond positively to less frequent disturbance and a more stable habitat. Increased streamflow recession rates were associated with decreased insectivore scores. Increased streamflow recession can strand fish in pools and other areas that are disconnected from flowing water and remove invertebrates as food sources that were suspended during high-streamflow events. Published in 2008 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A peptide that binds the pea aphid gut impedes entry of Pea enation mosaic virus into the aphid hemocoel

Development of ways to block virus transmission by aphids could lead to novel and broad-spectrum means of controlling plant viruses. Viruses in the Luteoviridae enhanced are obligately transmitted by aphids in a persistent manner that requires virion accumulation in the aphid hemocoel. To enter the hemocoel, the virion must bind and traverse the aphid gut epithelium. By screening a phage display library, we identified a 12-residue gut binding peptide (GBP3.1) that binds to the midgut and hindgut of the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Binding was confirmed by labeling the aphid gut with a GBP3.1-green fluorescent protein fusion. GBP3.1 reduced uptake of Pea enation mosaic virus (Luteoviridae) from the pea aphid gut into the hemocoel. GBP3.1 also bound to the gut epithelia of the green peach aphid and the soybean aphid. These results suggest a novel strategy for inhibiting plant virus transmission by at least three major aphid pest species.
Conduct Problems Among Boston-Area Youth Following the 2013 Marathon Bombing: The Moderating Role of Prior Violent Crime Exposure

A large body of work documents the heavy mental health burden of youth exposure to disasters, but the majority of this research has focused on posttraumatic stress and internalizing symptoms. Less ...
A delicate balance: the cost effectiveness of new antiplatelet agents.

For more than a decade, dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel has been the standard of care for patients presenting with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) [(1)][1]. However, the therapeutic landscape has changed dramatically with the introduction of prasugrel and ticagrelor, which
Effects of nostril orientation on airflow dynamics, heat exchange, and particle depositions in human noses

Abstract The orientation of the nostrils is thought to regulate airflow dynamics and associated functions of the nose. Previous studies have used different nostril orientations ranging from downward-directed (90°) to anterior-directed (0°). However, the influences of nostril orientation on nose functions have not yet been studied. The objective of this study is to systematically assess the influences of the orientation of the nostrils on airflow, heat exchange, and particle behaviors during inhalation by means of image-based modeling. Nose models with five different nostril angles were developed by modifying the vestibule of an anatomically accurate nose airway geometry reconstructed from magnetic resonance imaging. Large eddy simulations and a Lagrangian tracking model were used to simulate airflow dynamics and particle transport with a wide range of inhalation conditions (4–45 L/min) and particle sizes ( 1 – 20 μ m ). Results showed that nostril orientation exerted a significant impact on superior/inferior meatus ventilating and sub-regional and local depositions. The downward-directed nose model has the highest flow flux to the superior meatus and lowest flux to the nasal floor. The turbulence intensity inside the main flow is negligible; however, there are substantial vortex formations in the near-wall region. The anterior-directed nose model has the strongest near-wall vortices in the valve vicinity, which is coincident with the location of the highest wall shear stress and heat exchange, and has a close correlation with local particle deposition patterns. Results of this study indicate that the actual nostril angle should be preserved to reliably predict respiratory functions of a pathological/postsurgical nose, or the delivered doses of a topical intranasal delivery.
Ching Chongs and Tiger Moms: The “Asian Invasion” in U.S. Higher Education

Personal memoirs by people who are not household names rarely set off fiery debate and conversations the way that Amy Chua's Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother ignited them in January 2011.1 Yet Tiger Mom's chronicle of her experiences as a second-generation Asian American woman raising mixed-race, third-generation daughters has clearly struck a national nerve. The book has been discussed in major print and broadcast media outlets including the Wall Street Journal, Time, Newsweek, NPR, and the New York Times, just to name a few; Chua has even made an appearance on The Colbert Report on Comedy Central. The hype generated around the book can be explained by two key concepts. First, Battle Hymn converges with the master narrative framing Asians in America as invading foreigners who maintain their peculiar un-American cultures in the U.S. Second, it concomitantly connects to cultural fears of a non-white population challenging white supremacy vis-a-vis educational attainment, particularly in elite college admiss...
Heart Disease and Colon Cancer Prevention Beliefs and Their Association With Information Seeking and Scanning

Despite their understanding of the links between (a) information seeking and scanning and (b) health outcomes, researchers still know relatively little about the impact of information behaviors on people's disease-related beliefs and attitudes. The goal of this study was to validate findings linking information and health behaviors and to assess whether information seeking and scanning are associated with beliefs about the effectiveness of heart disease and colon cancer risk prevention behaviors (in regard to exercise, controlling one's diet to prevent overweight/obesity, and daily fruit and vegetable intake), as well as determine whether the effects of seeking versus scanning on these beliefs differ. Data from the Annenberg National Health Communication Survey were analyzed (N = 3,212). For colon cancer, significant main effects were detected for information scanning for each of the 3 beliefs assessed (p .05). Our results suggest that disease-related cognitions and beliefs, which ultimately impact decisions to engage in prevention behaviors, may be influenced most by less purposeful forms of information acquisition.
Giles v. California : Avoiding Serious Damage to Crawford's Limited Revolution

This Article endorses the result in Giles v. California, which limited the reach of the forfeiture through wrongdoing exception to those instances where “the defendant engaged in conduct designed to prevent the witness from testifying.” Largely for practical and policy reasons, I find this result important and proper. Given the apparently limited coverage of out-of-court statements by the confrontation doctrine under the testimonial statement approach, expansive application of the forfeiture doctrine could have gutted much of its already restricted protection. I also briefly sketch where I believe the new confrontation doctrine that Crawford v. Washington produced stands in protecting the rights of defendants against problematic hearsay statements. My judgment is that these developments have been important and largely positive but limited in impact. Moreover, the mini-revolution that Crawford spawned appears to have largely run its course, and the more recent decision of the Court in Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts, which concluded that forensic certificates are testimonial, does not change that assessment. Finally, Giles adds further evidence of the limited power of originalism to determine specific applications for the Confrontation Clause doctrine in a modern world that differs, both in legal structure and values, from the Framing era. Fortunately, the splintered decisions and analysis suggest that this misguided approach is losing its hold on the Court’s confrontation analysis and that pragmatic and policy concerns may play a stronger role on future developments in this area.
Robert Koch and the modern investigator.

(1995). Robert Koch and the Modern Investigator. Hospital Practice: Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 99-101.
Preconditioning Calves for the Feedlot

Preconditioning is a theoretically sound concept; however, it has not gained wide acceptance by cow-calf producers or feeders owing to logistics and expense. Many of the claims of preconditioning are not substantiated by controlled research data. Many of the positive claims made for preconditioning may be a result of the calves moving more rapidly through the marketing channels. Although preconditioning is profitable to some producers, on the average, preconditioning is difficult to justify economically. Modifications of the preconditioning concept have the potential to make it more feasible to the majority of cow-calf producers. Any producer or feeder considering a preconditioning program or feeding preconditioned calves should first calculate an economic projection.
Parathyroid size and uptake of alpha-aminoisobutyric acid in intact and hypophysectomized rats.

SummaryParathyroid function was assessed in intact male and female rats of various ages and in young, hypophysectomized male rats by measuring gland weight and uptake of the nonmetabolized amino acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid (AIB). Parathyroid weight/body weight ratio was higher in females 8 weeks and older than in males. The tissue water/serum concentration (T/S) ratio for AIB was unaffected by age, sex, or season. Hypophysectomy with or without growth-hormone treatment resulted in proportional changes in parathyroid weight and body weight and did not affect the parathyroid T/S ratio for AIB. Serum calcium concentration was constant with age while serum inorganic phosphorus concentration decreased and total protein concentration increased.
Detection of Chilling Injury in “Xiahui No.5” Peach by Electronic Nose

A new method to detect chilling injury in peaches by electronic nose(E-nose) was developed.Changes in sensory evaluation score, browning index, total soluble solids, titratable acid, extractable juice rate and hardness of peach during cold storage were measured. The volatile compounds emanating from peaches were assessed by using an E-nose(PEN3) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry(GC-MS). The suggested chilling injury classification was as follows: grade 0, scores above 90;grade 1, scores between 80 and 90 and normal softening after warehouse storage; grade 2, scores between 70 and 80 and fruits not normally softened after warehouse storage; and grade 3, scores below 70. The accuracy of the Fisher mathematical model was 91.7%. The relative content of grass-type flavor compounds increased along with increasing severity of chilling injury, whereas the relative content of fruit-type flavor compounds decreased. Tetradecane, hexadecane and nonadecane were found only in peaches with chilling injury, and their relative contents increased with storage time, indicating that they may be characteristic odor compounds of peach with chilling injury. The results obtained from this study could provide references for rapid and nondestructive determination of chilling injury in peach.
Marketing power of oil enterprises based on RSR method

In order to find the gap between marketing power of China's oil companies and international oil companies,using rank sum ratio(RSR) method and Excel statistical software,marketing power of the nine major oil companies is evaluated in this paper.By analyzing it is obtained that the differences of the RSR values of nine major oil companies are greater and marketing power level is arranged into a hierarchy.In the nine oil companies,Exxon-Mobil and Shell companies were in the first grade.The score of CNPC only ranks seventh,with TOTAL,BP,Texaco,Chevron,ENI,together is in the second grade,but when compared with big international oil companies it still lags behind.
Design consideration of converter based transmission line emulation

Ac transmission line emulator is the bridge to interconnect ac systems to fulfill the grid emulation function, where all the emulator elements such as generators, loads and lines are implemented by universal three-phase voltage source converters. In this paper, three design issues are addressed. First, the impact of ac voltage switching noise on the performance of a transmission line emulator in terms of steady state and dynamic accuracy is described, and an improved sampling algorithm is presented. Then, a new dc offset controller is proposed to mitigate the induced dc current flow by sampled dc offset noise, to guarantee the normal operation of ac line emulator. Furthermore, the stability issues regarding different emulation schemes are analyzed, providing a metric to predict the feasible impedance range that a line emulator can reach and to choose the proper emulation strategy for a specific system. Finally, experimental results obtained from a multi-converter based hardware testbed verify the design schemes.
Gedankenexperiment for Looking at 5th Force Arguments for Contribution for a Pre Planckian Inflaton. with Consequences.

Using work by Fishbach and Talmadge, we use 5th force arguments and the common Virial theorem, plus a modified Wheeler De Witt wave function to set up an energy fluctuation equation. From there, we also use a modified Heisenberg Uncertainty principle to isolate the role of an inflaton in Pre Planckian space – rime. Its consequences are remarked upon with the range of a purported 5th force and scaled as between 10^-1 to 10^-3.
WE-AB-204-02: Definition of D&I/AAPM Efforts (Stephen Avery/Will Ngwa)

Many efforts have been made to increase diversity in the science workforce. In order for us to be competitive in innovation and ingenuity we need to reach out to any source of intellectual talent. Having greater diversity can only increase the creativity in medical physics. In order for students to succeed academically they need role models and mentors with whom they can identify. Literature has shown that racial and ethnic diversity has both direct and indirect positive effects on the educational outcomes, career advancement and motivation of students. Diversity not only focuses on race, ethnicity and gender, but it can also include socioeconomic status, sexual orientation and more. Underrepresented populations have had low numbers over the years not only in medical physics but also in the sciences in general. With the rapidly changing face of our country we need to address how we attract and train the next generation of scientists to stay competitive. It is necessary to examine the role that diversity and inclusion play in the long term goals of institutions, workplaces and classrooms. To increase innovation we must engage people from all walks of life with different perspectives and life experiences to solve the problems that we will face. Diversity should be viewed as a strategy to achieve our goals instead of acts of good citizenship. Many of today's businesses and corporations have discovered that embracing diversity prepares future leaders in today's global market. This lecture will provide insight to how differences within our society can drive innovation. We will provide an overview of the role diversity and inclusion plays in the clinic, education and research to develop the future workforce in medical physics. Learning Objectives: 1.Understanding the role diversity and inclusion plays in medical physics. 2.The importance of developing education and research strategies for a global workforce. 3.How to develop a roadmap to diversity excellence within AAPM.