cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Controlled trial of oral prednisone in the emergency department treatment of children with acute asthma.

Background. Recent studies have shown that the use of parenteral corticosteroids in the emergency department decreases the hospitalization rate for patients with acute asthma. We studied the efficacy of oral corticosteroids in the emergency department treatment of moderately ill children with acute asthma. Methods. Emergency department patients aged 1 through 17 years whose chief complaint was acute asthma were assigned a pulmonary index, based on clinical evaluation. Those with a moderate exacerbation (pulmonary index = 9 through 13) received either 2 mg/kg of oral prednisone or placebo in a randomized, double-blind fashion. Patients in each group were then treated with an identical regimen of frequent aerosolized albuterol, for up to a maximum of 4 hours. Results. Seventy-five patients were assessed. Overall, 11 (31%) of 36 in the prednisone group required hospitalization compared with 19 (49%) of 39 in the placebo group (P = .10). Among the sickest patients (initial pulmonary index > 10), 7 (32%) of 22 prednisone-treated patients required hospitalization compared with 13 (72%) of 18 placebo-treated patients (P Conclusions. These data demonstrate that oral prednisone, within 4 hours of its administration, reduced the need for hospitalization among a subset of children treated in the emergency department for acute asthma.
MR measures of renal perfusion, oxygen bioavailability and total renal blood flow in a porcine model: noninvasive regional assessment of renal function

Background. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be a useful adjunct to current methods of evaluating renal function. MRI is a noninvasive imaging modality that has the ability to evaluate the kidneys regionally, which is lacking in current clinical methods. Other investigators have evaluated renal function with MRI-based measurements, such as with techniques to measure cortical and medullary perfusion, oxygen bioavailability and total renal blood flow (TRBF). However, use of all three techniques simultaneously, and therefore the relationships between these MRIderived functional parameters, have not been reported previously. Methods. To evaluate the ability of these MRI techniques to track changes in renal function, we scanned 11 swine during a state of hyperperfusion with acetylcholine and a saline bolus and subsequently scanned during a state of hypoperfusion with the prolonged use of isoflurane anesthesia. For each time point, measurements of perfusion, oxygen bioavailability and TRBF were acquired. Measurements of perfusion and oxygen bioavailability were compared with measurements of TRBF for all swine across all time points. Results. Cortical perfusion, cortical oxygen bioavailability, medullary oxygen bioavailability and TRBF significantly increased with the acetylcholine challenge. Cortical perfusion, medullary perfusion, cortical oxygen bioavailability and TRBF significantly decreased during isoflurane anesthesia. Cortical perfusion (Spearman’s correlation coefficient ¼ 0.68; P < 1 3 10 � 6 ) and oxygen bioavailability (Spearman’s correlation coefficient ¼� 0.60; P < 0.0001) correlated significantly with TRBF, whereas medullary perfusion and oxygen bioavailability did not correlate with TRBF. Conclusions. Our results demonstrate expected changes given the pharmacologically induced changes in renal function. Maintenance of the medullary oxygen bioavailability in low blood flow states may reflect the autoregulation particular to this region of the kidney. The ability to noninvasively measure all three parameters of kidney function in a single MRI examination and to evaluate the relationships between these functional parameters is potentially useful for evaluating the state of the human kidneys in situ in future studies.
A fine-grained block ILU scheme on regular structures for GPGPUs

Abstract Iterative methods based on block incomplete LU (BILU) factorization are considered highly effective for solving large-scale block-sparse linear systems resulting from coupled PDE systems with n equations. However, efforts on porting implicit PDE solvers to massively parallel shared-memory heterogeneous architectures, such as general-purpose graphics processing units (GPGPUs), have largely avoided BILU, leaving their enormous performance potential unfulfilled in many applications where the use of implicit schemes and BILU-type preconditioners/solvers is highly preferred. Indeed, strong inherent data dependency and high memory bandwidth demanded by block matrix operations render naive adoptions of existing sequential BILU algorithms extremely inefficient on GPGPUs. In this study, we present a fine-grained BILU (FGBILU) scheme which is particularly effective on GPGPUs. A straightforward one-sweep wavefront ordering is employed to resolve data dependency. Granularity is substantially refined as block matrix operations are carried out in a true element-wise approach. Particularly, the inversion of diagonal blocks, a well-known bottleneck, is accomplished by a parallel in-place Gauss–Jordan elimination. As a result, FGBILU is able to offer low-overhead concurrent computation at O ( n 2 N 2 ) scale on a 3D PDE domain with a linear scale of N . FGBILU has been implemented with both OpenACC and CUDA and tested as a block-sparse linear solver on a structured 3D grid. While FGBILU remains mathematically identical to sequential global BILU, numerical experiments confirm its exceptional performance on an Nvidia GPGPU.
Gender-Based Harvesting in Wildlife Disease Management

Wildlife disease management strategies traditionally focus on lowering aggregate host density below a host-density threshold, reducing infectious contacts (when transmission is density-dependent) to reduce prevalence. The focus on aggregate host density is because controls such as harvests are typically nonselective with respect to disease status. Such nontargeted strategies increase control costs and may not optimally lead to eradication. We consider targeting an observable trait correlated with infection--gender. Two endogenous host-density thresholds emerge, in contrast to the exogenous thresholds arising in the ecological literature on multiple-host-pathogen problems. The ability to manage these thresholds reduces control costs and makes eradication optimal.
Patterns of malformation in children with congenital diaphragmatic defects

The medical records of 102 live-born children with a congenital diaphragmatic defect were reviewed to determine the frequency and nature of underlying chromosomal, genetic, and nongenetic patterns of malformation. Overall, 40 children (39%) had a major nonpulmonary malformation, and 14 of these children (14%) had a previously recognized pattern of malformation. A group of 18 children (18%) with cardiac anomalles had an increased mortality rate in comparison with those children without cardiac defects (72% vs 38%). The frequency and severity of nonpulmonary abnormalitles in children with congenital diaphragmatic defects suggest that examination of affected children should include cardiac evaluation, a karyotype when the defect is one feature of a broader pattern of altered development, and a careful evaluation for minor anomalies, which may provide clues to an overall diagnosis.
High-resolution, spin-echo BOLD, and CBF fMRI at 4 and 7 T

With growing interest in noninvasive mapping of columnar organization and other small functional structures in the brain, achieving high spatial resolution and specificity in fMRI is of critical importance. We implemented a simple method for BOLD and perfusion fMRI with high spatial resolution and specificity. Increased spatial resolution was achieved by selectively exciting a slab of interest along the phase-encoding direction for EPI, resulting in a reduced FOV and number of phase-encoding steps. Improved spatial specificity was achieved by using SE EPI acquisition at high fields, where it is predominantly sensitive to signal changes in the microvasculature. Robust SE BOLD and perfusion fMRI were obtained with a nominal in-plane resolution up to 0.5 0.5 mm 2 at 7 and 4 Tesla, and were highly reproducible under repeated measures. This methodology enables high-resolution and high-specificity studies of functional topography in the millimeter to submillimeter spatial scales of the human brain. Magn Reson Med 48:589 ‐593, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Plagioclase An Range and Residual Porosity in Igneous Cumulates of the Kiglapait Intrusion

The range in An content of plagioclase in grain mounts of igneous cumulates provides a measure of diversity that is uniquely preserved in plagioclase because of its well-known refractory nature. To a first approximation such data provide, when calibrated, an estimate of the residual porosity or fraction of trapped liquid, in each specimen. The ensemble of specimens then provides a model for the stratigraphic variation of residual porosity. The raw data, however, include pre-cumulus zoning that can be isolated from in situ zoning by textural analysis in thin section.The baseline of residual porosity determinations was earlier determined for the Lower Zone of the Kiglapait intrusion from the content of excluded components in the solid rock compared with their content in the melt as calculated by summation and Rayleigh fractionation. The baseline equation was then used to calibrate the residual porosity obtained from the An range in grain mounts.This calibration is now extended to the remainder of the intrusion. The An range and the calculated residual porosity decrease to zero at 99% solidified (PCS) and then rise to the end of crystallization.The data suggest initial porosities smaller than 0·35. Allowing for pre-cumulus zoning, the data suggest a dominance of adcumulates in the intrusion and these impermeable barriers occupy 75% of the rocks in the Lower Zone. They occur at intervals of 1 to rarely 15 m and thereby restrict the likelihood of compaction over thick mushy zones. Variations in the Fo range of olivine are also observed in grain mounts and they follow those in plagioclase. However, they are in part due to subsolidus equilibration with Fe^Ti oxides and augite. The new calibration is successfully applied to the Skaergaard intrusion to supplement the published results from excluded components, with some interesting contradictions.
The heat shock response of Neurospora crassa

Nearly every type of cell in all organisms responds to the stress of sublethal heat shock with a major redirection of gene expression that helps to protect the cell against still higher, lethal temperatures (Lindquist, 1986; Lindquist & Craig, 1988). The molecular basis of this heat shock response, as well as responses to certain other physical stresses, centers about rapid synthesis of a unique set of mRNAs and their translation into the characteristic heat shock proteins. At the same time, normal gene transcription becomes repressed, and translation of normal mRNAs is reduced or discontinued. For most plants and microorganisms, this response to high temperature is transient, and they resume normal transcription and translation after a certain period of time at the heat shock temperature, presumably after accumulating sufficient amounts of the heat shock proteins (Lindquist, 1986). Numerous experiments have shown that cells that are exposed to a sublethal heat shock become more resistant to lethally high temperatures, as well as certain other stresses, and the proteins that cells synthesize during heat shock appear, in most cases, to be required for their increased thermotolerance (Plesofsky-Vig & Brambl, 1985).
Factors Associated With Student Attrition And Retention In An Educational Leadership Doctoral Program

The purpose of the study was to examine the factors behind doctoral student attrition. Findings indicated that doctoral students perceive human factors to be the most significant for program completion.
Platelet activating factor increases expression of complement receptors on human neutrophils

The phospholipid inflammatory mediator platelet activating factor (PAF) has been shown to stimulate certain functions of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN). However, the effect of PAF on surface complement receptors of PMN has not been described. Using monoclonal antibodies and flow cytometry, we have assessed the effects of PAF on surface expression of membrane receptors for C3bi (CR3) and C3b (CR1) in human PMN. PAF (optimal concentration of 1 x 10(-8) M) increased CR3 190% and CR1 174% compared with unstimulated cells at 37 degrees C, while the PAF analogue lyso-PAF had no stimulatory effect. Both CR3 and CR1 responses to PAF reached maximum levels at 15-30 min. PAF effects were comparable to peak effects induced by LTB4 but less than induced by FMLP. A PAF receptor antagonist, SRI 63-441, blocked the increased complement receptor expression in a dose-dependent manner with maximal inhibition of 80-95% at 5 x 10(-6) M. Extracellular calcium had no effect on CR1 expression but slightly enhanced and EGTA partially inhibited the PAF-induced increase in CR3 expression. Simultaneous incubation with PAF and LTB4 enhanced CR3 and CR1 expression more than either agent alone. These findings indicate that PAF, alone and in combination with LTB4, can induce altered expression of complement receptors on the surface of PMN. This effect may enhance adhesion and phagocytosis by PMN at inflammatory reaction sites.
Indicators of high technology competitiveness of 28 countries

Georgia Tech, with support from the National Science Foundation, has now completed a decade of development of indicators of national high technology competitiveness. This paper reports on the standing, emphasis, and rate of change of high tech competitiveness for 28 nations. Results show strong standing for the '4 Asian tigers', comparable to many Western European countries. Five of our '6 Asian cubs' show dramatic rates of growth in high tech production and export capabilities; the 4 Tigers no longer show strong growth. Patterns are presented and discussed as well for 'the Big 3' (Japan, USA, Germany), three non–European developed economies, two former East Bloc countries, and three Latin American nations. Our panel of 180 experts project a dramatic broadening of global high tech export competition over the coming 15 years.
Blockade of pressure natriuresis induced by inhibition of renal synthesis of nitric oxide in dogs.

To evaluate the participation of nitric oxide (NO) on pressure-induced natriuresis in pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs, renal perfusion pressure (RPP) was increased twice from 100 to 150 mmHg before and during the intrarenal administration of an NO-synthesis inhibitor, NG-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), while determining changes in glomerular filtration rate (GFR), renal blood flow (RBF), and urine sodium and water excretion. Before the inhibition of NO, the increase in RPP induced diuresis (5-fold) and natriuresis (4.2-fold) with no change in RBF or GFR. However, the intrarenal infusion of L-NAME (1 microgram.kg-1.min-1) blunted the diuretic and natriuretic responses without altering RBF or GFR. The infusion of the NO synthesis precursor L-arginine prevented the inhibitory effect that L-NAME exerted on the diuretic and natriuretic responses to the increase in RPP. These results indicate that the increase in RPP stimulates NO synthesis and suggest that NO might play an important role in the control of sodium and water excretion during acute changes in RPP.
Prospective randomized trial of high-dose cisplatin and fluorouracil infusion with or without sodium diethyldithiocarbamate in recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Previous studies have indicated that sodium diethyldithiocarbamate (DDTC) can reduce cisplatin's (CP) toxic effects without altering the antitumor activity. DDTC has also been shown to have immunostimulative properties. Sixty patients with objectively measurable recurrent and/or metastatic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck were randomized to receive either (A) CP at 120 mg/m2 over one hour on day 1, plus fluorouracil (5-FU) at 1,000 mg/m2 over 24 hours as a continuous infusion on days 1 through 5, or (B) CP/5-FU as in A, plus DDTC at 600 mg/m2 over 30 minutes administered intravenously (IV) exactly 30 minutes after CP infusion. Group B also received DDTC at 200 mg/m2 administered IV over 30 minutes on days 8 and 15. Each cycle was repeated at 3-week intervals. Objective responses were achieved in 41% of the CP/5-FU group and in 29% of the CP/5-FU with DDTC group (P = .26). Median survival was 9 months in group A and 10 months in group B. CP-related toxicity between the groups was equivalent with respect to nausea and vomiting, renal impairment, neurotoxicity, ototoxicity, and hematologic toxicity. The pharmacokinetics of reactive platinum species in plasma ultrafiltrate and urine samples obtained from both groups were comparable. The immune status of 48 patients was evaluated before and after completion of therapy. There were no significant differences in mean pretreatment and posttreatment values within or between groups A or B, except for absolute pretreatment OKT4 values (P = .02). We conclude that (1) the present dose and infusion schedule of DDTC did not significantly reduce CP-mediated toxic effects, (2) DDTC did not alter the disposition of ultrafilterable platinum species, (3) DDTC did not affect immune responses, and (4) the addition of DDTC improved neither the clinical response nor the survival of patients with recurrent SCC of the head and neck.
Corporate Control and Majority Positions

This essay addresses some salient issues associated with corporate control. First, what determines the distribution of insider and outsider share ownership in the firm, and how does this distribution affect corporate performance? Second, how effective are board dismissals, proxy fights and takeovers as alternative corporate control mechanisms? Third, how do these alternative mechanisms interact, and what are the resulting incentives for boards of directors, managers, and takeover bidders? Fourth, do takeovers change underlying value, or do they merely redistribute wealth between affected parties? Finally, what explains the changes in supervision by boards of directors and through takeovers that occur over time?
Moving beyond Data Transcription: Rigor as Issue in Representation of Digital Literacies.

Rigor in qualitative research has been based upon criteria of credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Drawing upon articles published during our editorship of the Journal o...
Splenic pseudosinuses and hepatic angiomatous lesions. Distinctive features of hairy cell leukemia.

In 14 cases of hairy cell leukemia unique vascular lesions not previously reported were observed in surgically resected spleens and hepatic biopsies. In all 14 spleens there were variably prominent distended spaces filled with erythrocytes and resembling dilated sinuses. These structures appeared to be lined by hairy cells, and studies utilizing histochemical and enzymatic methods confirmed that they were in fact pseudosinuses lacking the endothelial cells and ring fibers of normal splenic sinuses. These changes were not present in normal spleens or in spleens involved by other types of chronic leukemia, and appear to be qualitatively specific for hairy cell leukemia. In three of five hepatic biopsies similar angiomatous lesions were present in multifocal clusters resembling hemangiomas. Their pathogenesis may be related to possible adherence of hairy cells to reticulum fibers in involved tissues.
Handling of hamburgers and cooking practices

Hamburgers are a popular and commonly consumed food product. Hamburger, and ground beef in general, must be handled hygienically to ensure the health and safety of food service workers and consumers. In this chapter, various aspects of hamburger and ground beef are explored to demonstrate the need for proper handling along the supply chain, including insight into the microbiological, chemical, and physical properties of hamburger. Additionally, intervention methods, both those used by beef processors in large-scale production and those used in the restaurant or home for consumption by end-users are elucidated. Current regulations mandated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are discussed. Knowledge of the concepts in this chapter will help ensure public health and maintain the popularity of hamburgers in the United States and around the world.
Radial Head Fracture

Various common injuries in the shoulder, humerus, and elbow are investigated in this section. Significant attention is paid not only to proper diagnostic examination and imaging, but also to optimal non-operative and operative treatment options to manage these conditions.
Effects of Cannabis Use on Neurocognition in Adolescents and Emerging Adults

Adolescent cannabis use has substantially increased over the past two decades. Teens and young adults are undergoing considerable neurodevelopment, and thus may be particularly susceptible to the negative effects of cannabis. This chapter will cover the potential consequences of cannabis use on the developing brain, including neurocognition, brain structure, and brain function. We will also address how additional factors, including gender, age of use onset, and other substance use, may moderate the effects of cannabis on individuals. We will highlight that more research is needed to disentangle preexisting differences from the effects of cannabis use, as well as how cannabis use may affect special populations, such as, those with psychiatric comorbidities. Given the high rates of use, and research suggesting negative outcomes, policy makers should target efforts toward teen cannabis use prevention.
Exploring potential social influences on brain potentials during anticipation of tactile stimulation.

Abstract This study explored interpersonal influences on electrophysiological responses during the anticipation of tactile stimulation. It is well-known that broad, negative-going potentials are present in the event-related potential (ERP) between a forewarning cue and a tactile stimulus. It has also been shown that the alpha-range mu rhythm shows a lateralized desynchronization over central electrode sites during anticipation of tactile stimulation of the hand. The current study used a tactile discrimination task in which a visual cue signaled that an upcoming stimulus would either be delivered 1500 ms later to the participant’s hand, to a task partner’s hand, or to neither person. For the condition in which participants anticipated the tactile stimulation to their own hand, a negative potential (contingent negative variation, CNV) was observed in the ERP at central sites in the 1000 ms prior to the tactile stimulus. Significant mu rhythm desynchronization was also present in the same time window. The magnitudes of the ERPs and of the mu desynchronization were greater in the contralateral than in the ipsilateral hemisphere prior to right hand stimulation. Similar ERP and EEG changes were not present when the visual cue indicated that stimulation would be delivered to the task partner or to neither person. The absence of social influences during anticipation of tactile stimulation, and the relationship between the two brain signatures of anticipatory attention (CNV and mu rhythm) are discussed.
ICA based single microphone Blind Speech Separation technique using non-linear estimation of speech

In this paper, a Blind Speech Separation (BSS) technique is introduced based on Independent Component Analysis (ICA) for underdetermined single microphone case. In general, ICA uses noisy speech from at least two microphones to separate speech and noise. But ICA fails to separate when only one stream of noisy speech is available. We use Log Spectral Magnitude Estimator based on Minimum Mean Square Error (LogMMSE) as a non-linear estimation technique to estimate the speech spectrum, which is used as the other input to ICA, with the noisy speech. The proposed method was tested for machinery, babble and traffic noise types mixed with speech at Signal to Noise Ratios (SNRs) of −5 dB, 0 dB and 5 dB. Objective and subjective results show high quality and intelligibility in the separated speech using the developed method.
Phonology in the basilect: the fate of final consonants in Liberian Interior English

Pidginized Liberian Interior English (LIE) has English as its lexifier language and Mande languages as its substrate. Broadly speaking, this means that LIE takes its lexicon from English and its phonology from Mande. However, the structure of English words clashes with Mande syllable structure conditions, particularly with regard to word-final consonants. To resolve this conflict, LIE has in some cases restructured the English words and in others created phonological rules to make underlying English forms more Mande-like on the surface. These rules include paragoge (for verbs only), resyllabification, and deletion. In the present study, a variable-rule analysis of LIE performance data identifies the crucial linguistic and social factors that bear upon rule choice, thereby making possible a linguistic assessment of regularities in the rules' distribution.
A new sample preparation method for crude or fuel oils by mineralization utilizing single reaction chamber microwave for broader multi-element analysis by ICP techniques

Abstract The objective of this study was to develop an effective and routine single sample preparation method to accurately and precisely analyze multiple elements (up to 57) in crude oils using both an inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometer (ICP-OES) for high abundance elements and a triple quadrupole-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (QQQ-ICP-MS) (or ICP-MS) for low abundance trace and ultra-trace elements. A critical aspect of this study was to develop a single sample preparation method that could be effective in analyzing the largest number of quantifiable elements with instruments used in tandem to cover a wider and more practical combined dynamic range. Three sample preparation techniques were investigated and tested, including high pressure combustion with strong-acid digestion, high pressure and high temperature strong-acid digestion within Parr bombs, and high temperature and high pressure digestions in a Single Reaction Chamber (SRC) microwave. For the combustion method, no element showed recovery above 75%, thus this method was deemed unacceptable for accurate and precise analysis of crude oil. Average recoveries ranging from 94% to 106% for 19 analytes were achieved with high pressure and high temperature acid digestion within Parr bombs. A drawback of the method, however, was a rather small sample sizes (100 mg) that could be achieved without venting, which places limitations on detection and quantitation limits of large numbers of low abundance analytes in natural crude oils. The best of the SRC microwave-assisted acid digestion tests, however, was also shown to be acceptable for 19 analytes using a certified organometallic standard, with average recoveries ranging from 93% to 113%. Because of rapid sample throughput and the larger sample sizes (1.2 g sample size per digestion session) that can be accommodated with the single reaction chamber microwave digestion technique, better method detection and quantification limits and high precision on a range of low abundance elements could be achieved. We also then successfully tested the recovery of 53 elements with this SRC microwave method by adding a multi-element spike to Conostan base oil. This optimum SRC digestion method tested was then used to examine a NIST natural crude oil research material (NIST RM 8505) in an attempt to quantify up to 57 elements. The mean vanadium concentration (mass fraction) is reported as 390 ± 0.4 µg/g, the mean value of 5 replicate digestions by our method, which agrees well with the recommended value for the only element recommended for NIST 8505 of 390 ± 10 µg/g. The number of quantified analytes for the RM 8505 was further extended to a total of 52 elements with RSDs
Claiming expertise from betwixt and between: Digital humanities librarians, emotional labor, and genre theory

Librarians' liminal (intermediate) position within academia situates us to make unique contributions to digital humanities (DH). In this article, we use genre theory, feminist theory, and theories ...
Millimeter-wave interconnects for microwave-frequency quantum machines

Superconducting microwave circuits form a versatile platform for storing and manipulating quantum information. A major challenge to further scalability is to find approaches for connecting these systems over long distances and at high rates. One approach is to convert the quantum state of a microwave circuit to optical photons that can be transmitted over kilometers at room temperature with little loss. Many proposals for electro-optic conversion between microwave and optics use optical driving of a weak three-wave mixing nonlinearity to convert the frequency of an excitation. Residual absorption of this optical pump leads to heating, which is problematic at cryogenic temperatures. Here we propose an alternative approach where a nonlinear superconducting circuit is driven to interconvert between microwave-frequency ($7\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{9}$ Hz) and millimeter-wave-frequency photons ($3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{11}$ Hz). To understand the potential for quantum state conversion between microwave and millimeter-wave photons, we consider the driven four-wave mixing quantum dynamics of nonlinear circuits. In contrast to the linear dynamics of the driven three-wave mixing converters, the proposed four-wave mixing converter has nonlinear decoherence channels that lead to a more complex parameter space of couplings and pump powers that we map out. We consider physical realizations of such converter circuits by deriving theoretically the upper bound on the maximum obtainable nonlinear coupling between any two modes in a lossless circuit, and synthesizing an optimal circuit based on realistic materials that saturates this bound. Our proposed circuit dissipates less than ${10}^{\ensuremath{-}9}$ times the energy of current electro-optic converters per qubit. Finally, we outline the quantum link budget for optical, microwave, and millimeter-wave connections, showing that our approach is viable for realizing interconnected quantum processors for intracity or quantum data center environments.
Predicting fuel consumption for commercial buildings with machine learning algorithms

Abstract This paper presents a modeling framework that uses machine learning algorithms to make long-term, i.e. one year-ahead predictions, of fuel consumption in multiple types of commercial prototype buildings at one-hour resolutions. Weather and schedule variables were used as model inputs, and the hourly fuel consumption simulated with EnergyPlus provided target values. The data was partitioned on a monthly basis, and a feature selection method was incorporated as part of the model to select the best subset of input variables for a given month. Neural networks (NN) and Gaussian process (GP) regression were shown to perform better than multivariate linear regression and ridge regression, and as such, were included as part of the model. The modeling framework was applied to make predictions about fuel consumption in a small office, supermarket, and restaurant in multiple climate zone. It was shown that for all climate zones for all months, the maximum errors pertaining to one year-ahead forecasts of fuel consumption made by the ML model are 15.7 MJ (14,880 Btu), 284.3 MJ (268,516 Btu) and 74.0 MJ (70,138 Btu) respectively. The methods and results from this study can be used to estimate on-site fuel consumption and emissions from buildings, thereby enabling improved decisions pertaining to building efficiency with respect to fuel use.
Living with Tourette’s Syndrome

Illnesses in children are difficult enough, but for children and adolescents with Tourette's syndrome, the emergence of unwelcome motor and vocal tics in social situations can lead to not only embarrassment, but also increased self-consciousness, social isolation, thoughts of persecution, and physical pain. This article offers an overview of Tourette's syndrome and focuses on DSM-IV-TR criteria, severity, prevalence and course, etiology and epidemiology, indications for medications, psychosocial therapies, and nursing implications.
Colon Surface Registration Using Ricci Flow

Shape registration is very fundamental for shape analysis problems, especially for abnormality detection in medical applications. In virtual colonoscopy, CT scans are typically acquired with the patient in both supine and prone positions. The registration of these two scans is desirable so that the user can clarify situations or confirm polyp findings at a location in one scan with the same location in the other, thereby improving polyp detection rates and reducing false positives. However, this supine-prone registration is challenging because of the substantial distortions in the colon shape due to the patient’s change in position. In this work, we present an efficient algorithm and framework for performing this registration through the use of conformal geometry and Ricci flow to guarantee that the registration is a diffeomorphism (a one-to-one and onto mapping). The taeniae coli and colon flexures are automatically extracted for each supine and prone surface, employing the colon geometry. The two colon surfaces are then divided into several segments using flexures, and each segment is cut along a taenia coli and conformally flattened to the rectangular domain using Ricci flow. Corresponding feature points between supine and prone are found and used to adjust the conformal flattening to be quasi-conformal, such that the features become aligned. We present multiple methods of visualizing our results, including 2D flattened rendering, corresponding 3D endoluminal views, and rendering of distortion measurements. We demonstrate the efficiency and efficacy of our registration method by illustrating matched views on both the 2D flattened colon images and in the 3D volume rendered colon endoluminal view. We analytically evaluate the correctness of the results by measuring the distance between features on the registered colons.
Impact of Active Layer Morphology on Bimolecular Recombination Dynamics in Organic Solar Cells

Using kinetic Monte Carlo simulations, we present a reaction-diffusion model to describe the impact of the morphology of the active layer and charge-transfer lifetime on the bimolecular recombination kinetics in organic solar cells. The morphologies we consider range from bilayers to bulk heterojunctions with coarse and fine intercalated domains. We find that within the morphologies simulated by the potential model, it is the density of states that affects the order of bimolecular recombination kinetics. The results show that the morphology of the active layer, modeled by the potential model, only influences the average delay time between the exciton dissociation and the onset of bimolecular recombination. The results also indicate that the donor or acceptor domain size and the degree of Gaussian disorder have very similar effects on the charge recombination dynamics. Our findings suggest one possible way to explain (i) why bimolecular recombination deviates from second-order (Langevin) kinetics and (ii) ...
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS AND THE BOLTZMANN EQUATION

This chapter discusses the distribution functions and the Boltzmann equation. To obtain a realistic idea of the processes occurring within a plasma, the distribution of velocities of the electrons within the plasma should be determined. The equations for each and every particle should be solved separately. The properties of a plasma that are observed are because of the contributions of large numbers of particles; therefore, a statistical description is perfectly adequate. This statistical description is provided by the distribution function. To give a complete specification of the properties of a system of particles, it is necessary to know the position and velocity of each particle. The entire system at any instant of time is specified by the positions of the points in phase space, where each point represents a particle. As a necessity for the validity of the statistical approach, each elemental volume in phase space must contain a large number of particles. The number of particles in any elemental volume of the phase space is specified by a distribution function.
Twitter-enhanced Android malware detection

In data-driven Android malware detection, large numbers of both malicious and benign apps are used to train machine learning classifiers to detect malware. Existing approaches have nearly exclusively focused on app contents to extract features for classification. We seek to understand if auxiliary data, specifically Twitter data, can be used to improve the performance of existing approaches for Android malware detection. Throughout the course of our research, we collected over 50 million tweets potentially related to Android apps. We propose to link tweets with apps using approaches inspired from the standard vector space model, and subsequently study the usefulness of the linked tweets in malware detection. We find that Twitter data accurately linked to apps through HTTP links can be used to improve the machine learning classifier performance across a variety of common malware detection classifiers. However, classification experiments with Twitter data automatically linked to apps reveal the need for future work on more robust linking approaches.
Pooled shRNA Screenings: Experimental Approach

RNA interference (RNAi) has emerged as a powerful genetic strategy to functionally interrogate the entire genome by loss-of-function studies. In the last years, several arrayed shRNA libraries that can silence almost all the human genome have been developed. The generation of new and more efficient shRNA plasmids has allowed performing genetic screens in a pooled fashion and provides the opportunity to investigate the entire genome finding relevant genes to any biological process. In this chapter, the pipeline and methods to perform a pooled shRNA screen are discussed.
Seeing meiotic chromosomes without seeing them

Cytological visualization of meiotic chromosomes has revealed the fundamental basis for Mendelian inheritance and for the exceptions to Mendel’s rules provided by genetic linkage and recombination as well as revealing and describing many complex aspects of chromosome morphogenesis (for recent review, see [1]). As a complement to cytological approaches, our laboratory has developed assays which provide other ways of probing chromosome organization and behavior.
Abstract 9593: Osteoclastogenesis as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

Arterial calcification has been proven to be the result of highly organized processes as seen in bone which relies upon a delicate balance between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoclast-like cells (OLCs) are derived from the monocyte/macrophage lineage and share features of osteoclasts, including the ability to dissolve extracellular matrix. Although osteoclastogenesis has been reported to occur in calcified arteries, its potential role in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has yet to be explored. Here, we examined the role of OLCs in the development of AAA. Firstly, we obtained aortic tissues from patients undergoing surgical repair for AAA (N = 5) and aortic occlusive disease (N = 5). Alizarin-Red staining showed calcification in both aneurysmal and occlusive aorta. In contrast, OLCs, recognized as multi-nucleated cells positive for enzymatic TRAP staining, were identified only in aneurysmal aorta (100%, 5 of 5). A time course experiment in mouse calcium chloride-induced AAA (CaCl2 AAA) showed calcium deposition and monocyte/macrophage accumulation starting at 48 hours post-surgery followed by OLC formation, peaking 7 days after CaCl2 injury. Secondly, we administered bisphosphonate (Zoledronic acid, 0.1 mg/kg, once), an inhibitor of osteoclasts, or normal saline as a control, intravenously to mouse after CaCl2 injury (N = 3). Bisphosphonate-treated mice showed a significant reduction in arterial dilation after 7 and 42 days with a mean fold change of 1.08 ± 0.09 vs. 1.62 ± 0.05 (P
Surface States and Leed

The following remarks, which introduce the session on localized states in solids, concern the simplest kind of localized state and its close relationship to the scattering states used in low-energy electron diffraction (LEED). These simple localized states are the so-called intrinsic surface states, which can exist on the surface of an ideal crystal and are localized in the vicinity of that surface; they are described by a wave function which has the usual Bloch periodicity parallel to the surface (with real wave numbers kx and ky), but attenuates exponentially both going into the crystal and into the vacuum outside the crystal, hence these states are localized in one direction - the z direction. The idea of such states goes back a long time, to Tamm1 (1932), and has been discussed by many workers since.2 In fact such states appeared in the calculations of George Watkins, on the energy level of a finite cluster, described at this Conference. In Watkins’ calculations they were a nuisance, since he was trying to simulate the behavior of a bulk crystal, and he tried to get rid of them, whereas now we are specifically interested in these states and concerned with getting an accurate description for the case of the semi-infinite crystal.
Ribotype Analysis of Strain Distribution in Listeria monocytogenes

Changes in the temporal and spatial patterns of strain distribution for the foodborne pathogen Listeria monocytogenes were studied by ribotyping using the Qualicon Riboprinter system. Ribotype patterns were obtained by using the restriction enzymes EcoRI and PvuII for 72 isolates of L. monocytogenes recovered from smoked salmon samples over a period of 3 years. Each pattern was classified both by comparison to a pattern library and by comparison among the 72 isolate patterns. Eleven EcoRI-based ribogroups and 16 PvuII groups were identified. Eight of the 11 EcoRI ribogroups were found in isolates obtained over a period of >12 months, and 75% of the EcoRI ribogroups that were found in more than one food sample were distributed nationally. Within the set of isolates, there were 26 instances where more than one isolate was obtained from a single food sample. In 35% of these instances, the co-isolates produced different ribotype patterns, indicating that multiple strains of L. monocytogenes commonly coexist in the same environment. Overall, these data indicate that the population of L. monocytogenes consists of a number of widely dispersed strains with little geographic or temporal stratification.
Complications of Cystectomy

AbstractAnalysis of 50 consecutive cystectomies performed by 1 surgeon during a 3-year period is conducted to determine the rate of complications (32 per cent) and the operative mortality (2 per cent). Rectal injury during salvage cystectomy represents the most major complication and wound infection was the most common complication.
Organizational Trust and Risk Communication: Trust in the Epa and Opposition to Fracking

Political scientists have long been interested in the development of trust in social institutions. It is thought that trust supports the development of social capital, fosters participation in government, and a variety of other positive behaviors. Most of this literature, though, stages trust in government at a general level: trust in the entire system of government and entire levels of government (local, state, federal). However, we propose that trust may be held in specific administrative organizations rather than (or in addition to) systemically and that this element of trust is related to the acceptance of messages about risk technology. This paper focuses on the contribution of trust in political institutions on the acceptance of policy information. With a nationally representative public opinion survey, we have conducted a survey experiment that randomized treatments of three levels of risk and three potential messengers of risk information (including the EPA) in relation to fracking. We have found that the randomized treatment for risk intensity is a significant predictor for support for fracking but that the identity of the messenger does not matter. The results suggest that the identity of the EPA is a weak signal at the level of a specific communication. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of this work for public managers who rely on public compliance or public communication to accomplish their organizations’ missions.
Glass Formation and Growth in Solids

Traditionally, a glass is defined as an undercooled liquid brought below a characteristic freezing temperature referred to as the glass transition temperature, Tg. The formation of glass requires that the process of crystallization be bypassed during cooling through the thermodynamic melting point Tm, and the undercooled temperature range to below Tg. The nucleation and growth of crystals in an undercooled melt involves atomic rearrangements which occur on a time scale τx (T, P. C. Y.) which depends on temperature T, pressure P, melt composition C, and possible other less conventional parameters collectively labeled Y. Very roughly, cooling through the undercooled region must take place on a time scale τC such that τC ≲ τX in order to achieve the glassy state. Detailed theories which lead to specific criteria have been put forth by Turnbull and others for the case of metallic liquids.(1)
Platform Synergy: Architectural Origins and Competitive Consequences

The internal architecture of apps has yet to receive attention in platform studies, which predominantly study apps’ platform-facing, external architecture. We develop a theory of how the interplay ...
Split sizes and extremal tree shapes

Abstract The size ‖ σ ‖ of a split σ (a bipartition) of the leaf set of a tree is the cardinality of the smaller part. There exist many studies of properties of the phylogenetic tree shapes (trees with no vertex of degree 2) and general trees related to the split sizes. A general function Φ f ( T ) = ∑ σ ∈ Σ ⁎ ( T ) f ( ‖ σ ‖ ) was proposed for an (strictly) increasing function f, where the sum is over all non-trivial splits induced by internal edges. There are many interesting applications of this important concept. In particular, Φ f ( ⋅ ) was used to measure the balance of phylogenetic tree shapes. Extremal problems for Φ f ( ⋅ ) have been considered and partially answered for binary trees. In this paper, we study the extremal trees with a given degree sequence that maximize or minimize Φ f ( ⋅ ) . These results can also be directly applied to phylogenetic tree shapes and their degree sequences. When the number of leaves is fixed, we can also compare the extremal trees of different degree sequences. This comparison is conducted for degree sequences of phylogenetic tree shapes with given number of leaves. Immediate consequences are shown. Related problems are also proposed for potential future work.
Leukocytosis Associated with Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma as a Predictor of Poor Prognosis - A Case Report and Review of Literature

Leukocytosis, specifically granulocytosis in malignancy is a common finding with various etiologies. Graulocytosis associated with esophageal cancer has not commonly been reported in case reports in the United States. Furthermore, granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) producing tumors have been associated with a variety of cancers. However, G-CSF producing esophageal tumors are rare. The diagnosis is established through serum G-CSF levels and immunohistochemistry staining of tumor cells. Here, we report a case of a 72-year-old woman with persistent granulocytosis leading to the diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Although, our case did not report serum G-CSF levels, we strongly suspect it to be the underlying etiology in our case. Additionally, through our missed opportunity, we hope to emphasize and increase awareness of G-CSF producing ESCC.