cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A Parametric I/O Model for Modern Storage Devices

Storage devices have evolved to offer increasingly faster read/write access, through flash-based and other solid-state storage technologies. When compared to classical rotating hard disk drives (HDDs), modern solid-state drives (SSDs) have two key differences: (i) the absence of mechanical parts, and (ii) an inherent difference between the process of reading and writing. The former removes a key performance bottleneck, enabling internal device parallelism, whereas the latter manifests as a read/write performance asymmetry. In other words, SSDs can serve multiple concurrent I/Os, and their writes are generally slower than reads; none of which is true for HDDs. Yet, the performance of storage-resident applications is typically modeled by the number of disk accesses performed, inherently assuming symmetric read and write performance and the ability to perform only one I/O at a time, failing to accurately capture the performance of modern storage devices. To address this mismatch, we propose a simple yet expressive storage model, termed Parametric I/O Model (PIO) that captures contemporary devices by parameterizing read/write asymmetry (α) and access concurrency (k). PIO enables device-specific decisions at algorithm design time, rather than as an optimization during deployment and testing, thus ensuring optimal algorithm design by taking into account the properties of each device. We present a benchmarking of several storage devices that shows that α and k vary significantly across devices. Further, we show that using carefully quantified values of α and k for each storage device, we can fully exploit the performance it offers, and we lay the groundwork for asymmetry/concurrency-aware storage-intensive algorithms. We also highlight that the degree of the performance benefit due to concurrent reads or writes depends on the asymmetry of the underlying device. Finally, we summarize our findings as a set of guidelines for designing storage-intensive algorithms and discuss specific examples for better algorithm and system designs as well as runtime tuning.
The Idea of Entanglement, Historiography, and Organization

This introductory chapter explains this volume’s theoretical framework, historiographical landscape, and organization. The first section explores the idea of historical and musical entanglement. Just as global historians have tried to decenter the nation-state and provincialize Europe, global historians of music have also tried to decenter European musical modernity. The second section presents a historiographical review of works on the topic. It examines monographs as well as several edited volumes that are similar to this volume. The last section explains the key arguments of the next eleven chapters. These chapters show German influences and presence in East Asia as well as East Asian influences and presence in Germany/Austria. They present several historical cases of hybridity and show bi-directional cultural flows in German-East Asian relations.
Should We Mitigate or Suppress the Next Pandemic? Time-Horizons and Costs Shape Optimal Social Distancing Strategies (preprint)

The COVID-19 pandemic has called for swift action from local governments, which have instated Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) to curb the spread of SARS-Cov-2. The quick and decisive decision to save lives through blunt instruments has raised questions about the conditions under which decision-makers should employ mitigation or suppression strategies to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. More broadly, there are still debates over which set of strategies should be adopted to control different pandemics, and the lessons learned for SARS-Cov-2 may not apply to a new pathogen. While curbing SARS-Cov-2 required blunt instruments, it is unclear whether a less-transmissible and less-deadly emerging pathogen would justify the same response. This paper illuminates this question using a parsimonious transmission model by formulating the social distancing lives vs. livelihoods dilemma as a boundary value problem. In this setup, society balances the costs and benefits of social distancing contingent on the costs of reducing transmission relative to the burden imposed by the disease. To the best of our knowledge, our approach is distinct in the sense that strategies emerge from the problem structure rather than being imposed a priori. We find that the relative time-horizon of the pandemic (i.e., the time it takes to develop effective vaccines and treatments) and the relative cost of social distancing influence the choice of the optimal policy. Unsurprisingly, we find that the appropriate policy response depends on these two factors. We discuss the conditions under which each policy archetype (suppression vs. mitigation) appears to be the most appropriate.
Management of Malignant Pleural Effusion: Sclerosis or Chronic Tube Drainage

Numerous benign, infectious, and malignant diseases lead to recurrent pleural effusions. Patients with cancer often develop current malignant pleural effusions secondary to their underlying disease. These malignant pleural effusions (MPE) frequently cause dyspnea and functional impairment. After other causes of dyspnea have been excluded, drainage of the MPE by simple thoracentesis can improve dyspnea and assist in improving ambulation and general activities. Malignant pleural effusion often recurs, challenging the physician, the patient, and the patient’s family in balancing the benefits of symptomatic improvement with the risk and inconvenience of therapy. In addition, most patients with MPE will have a median life expectance of 90 days (range, 3–9 months) depending upon the histological subtype of the primary tumor.
An investigation of the electrical behavior of thermally-sprayed aluminum oxide

Electrical properties of plasma-sprayed aluminum oxide coatings were measured at temperatures up to 600 C. High purity (> 99.5 wt% pure Al{sub 2}O{sub 3}) alumina powders were plasma-sprayed on stainless steel substrates over a range of power levels, using two gun configurations designed to attain different spray velocities. Key electrical properties were measured to evaluate the resultant coatings as potential insulating materials for electrostatic chucks (ESCs) being developed for semiconductor manufacturing. Electrical resistivity of all coatings was measured under vacuum upon heating and cooling over a temperature range of 20 to 600 C. Dielectric constants were also measured under the same test conditions. X-ray diffraction was performed to examine phase formation in the coatings. Results show the important of powder composition and careful selection and control of spray conditions for optimizing electrical behavior in plasma-sprayed aluminum oxide, and point to the need for further studies to characterize the relationship between high temperature electrical properties, measured plasma-spray variables, and specific microstructural and compositional coating features.
The HIV-exposed placenta morphologic observations and interpretation

Summary Pediatric AIDS was first recognized in 1983 by Oleske and Rubinstein. HIV transmission from an infected mother to her infant is responsible for nearly 90% of all cases. HIV may cross the placental barrier or be transmitted intrapartum in a manner similar to hepatitis B infection. The placenta, bathed in the blood of HIV infected mothers during gestation, provides a protective barrier against HIV for some fetuses. Histopathologic study of HIV exposed placentae seems to suggest the presence of protective mechanisms against intrauterine HIV transmission. The purpose of this preliminary report is to study the histopathology of HIV exposed placentae and to postulate placental defense mechanisms against HIV infection. The best test of placental function is the growth and development of the fetus. Women with HIV have small for gestational age term infants with large HIV exposed placentae. This may indicate insufficient placental function throughout pregnancy
High-power phase-locked diode-laser arrays

Phase-locked arrays of diode lasers are attractive as high-power coherent sources due to their all monolithic nature and intrinsic redundancy. Initially, due to ease in fabrication, gain-guided arrays were analyzed. However, gain-guided arrays, just as individual gain-guided devices, proved inherently unstable due to optical-mode dependence on the injected-carrier profile and thermally induced gradients. Positive-index-guided devices were next studied. It was quickly found that, due to gain-loss considerations, such devices prefer to operate in the out-of-phase condition. Significant efforts were spent to make the devices operate in-phase, but with limited success: 50-100 mW in diffraction-limited patterns. The real breakthrough occurred with the successful implementation of leaky-mode (antiguided) resonant optical waveguide laser arrays. >
Herpesviruses and cancer.

Herpesviruses represent a ubiquitous class of DNA viruses, of which many individual members have been implicated in the development of specific neoplasms. In fact, of the five known human herpesviruses, four are associated to varying degrees with human cancers. The incidence of one of these, herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is rapidly increasing in today’s sexually permissive society. This review discusses the evidence that HSV-2 plays a causal role in human cervical cancer. An additional review of herpesviruses and cancer can be found in the two-volume treatise edited by Rapp [1].
“But I wanted to appear happy”: How using arts-based and mixed methods approaches complicate qualitatively driven research

The study of culture shock has been limited in terms of the use of mixed methods research and arts-informed approaches. The purpose of this research was to expand upon the understanding of culture shock through the use of a mixed methods research design that included arts-informed, qualitative, and quantitative procedures. This study used a concurrent parallel design where all three data types were collected simultaneously, analyzed separately, and then analyzed together. It is based on an information-rich sampling of 10 undergraduate students participating in a short-term study abroad program based in the United States of America that traveled to a South American country. All data were collected throughout the duration of the program: self-portraits and explanatory artist statements, open-ended reflective journals, and responses to a modified version of the Revised Sociocultural Adaptation Scale. The analyses of each of these sets of data (i.e., the initial analysis stage) revealed a complexity of emotions that students experienced as part of their culture shock, the impact of interacting with others, and their heightened experience of culture shock upon returning home. The integration of these findings resulted in a reconsideration of the qualitative data in terms of potentially highlighting the importance of interactions with locals while abroad as being particularly important to alleviate culture shock. The article concludes by considering the implications of the arts-informed data and the use of a mixed methods research design for the interpretation of the qualitative data and for qualitative researchers in general.
Testing for Income Smoothing Using the Backing Out Method: A Review of Specification Issues

This study investigates potentially spurious correlation in prior studies of income smoothing which use a research method that we call backing out. If E is reported income, Y a discretionary earnings component hypothesized to smooth income, and T the smoothing target, the backing out method consists of regressing Y on E − Y − T. A negative regression coefficient is interpreted as evidence that Y is being managed to smooth earnings. We argue that the negative regression coefficient may simply reflect the positive correlation between E and T, which may or may not be the result of manipulating Y. If E is not manipulated by Y, the negative regression coefficient reflects measurement errors in E − Y as an estimate of unmanaged earnings. We replicate the backing out method of prior studies and use each of the accrual and cash flow components of earnings in the Statement of Cash Flows for Y. We find that the regression coefficient, hypothesized to be negative because of smoothing with Y, is always negative and its magnitude depends on the variances of Y and E − T (smoothing error) independent of the nature of Y (discretionary or nondiscretionary). We conclude that the negative coefficient on E − Y − T is equally consistent with three possibilities: (1) managers smooth earnings with Y, (2) managers smooth earnings with something other than Y, and (3) managers do not smooth earnings at all.
Inhibitors of protein kinase C prevent enhancement of calcium current and action potentials in peptidergic neurons of Aplysia

Following brief stimulation of an afferent pathway, the bag cell neurons of Aplysia undergo a dramatic change in excitability, resulting in a prolonged discharge of spontaneous action potentials. During the discharge, the action potentials of the bag cell neurons become enhanced in height and width. The afterdischarge triggers release of neuroactive peptides that initiate egg-laying behavior in this animal. Evidence suggests that changes in excitability of the bag cell neurons may be mediated by activation of protein kinase C (PKC) and cAMP- dependent protein kinase (cAMP-PK). PKC activators, such as the phorbol ester TPA (12-O-tetradecanoyl-13-phorbol acetate), enhance the amplitude of action potentials in isolated bag cell neurons in cell culture. These agents act by unmasking a previously covert species of voltage-dependent calcium channel resulting in an increase in calcium current. In the accompanying paper (Conn et al., 1989), we showed that H-7, a protein kinase inhibitor, inhibits the effect of TPA, and is a selective inhibitor of PKC relative to cAMP-PK in these cells. We now report that another PKC inhibitor, sphinganine, also inhibits the effect of TPA on action potential height and calcium current in cultured bag cell neurons, and that N-acetylsphinganine, an inactive sphinganine analog, fails to inhibit the effects of PKC activators. Although both H-7 and sphinganine prevent the effects of TPA when added prior to TPA addition, neither compound reverses the effects of TPA when added after the action potentials have already become enhanced by TPA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Triune Divine Identity: Reflections On Pauline God-Language, in Disagreement With J.D.G. Dunn

In his recent Theology of Paul the Apostle, J.D.G. Dunn argues that 'Jewish monotheism' remains foundational for Paul, despite the addition of secondary christological convictions to his inherited Jewish beliefs. In opposition to this, it is argued that, without detriment to its Jewish roots, Paul's view of God is fully and distinctively Christian. For Paul, the word 'God' means 'the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ', 'the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead'. Paul is con cerned with no other god than the one whose very being is constituted by the rela tionship to Jesus and his Spirit.
An ‘Agenda for Demolition’: The Fallacy and the Danger of the ‘Subversive Voting’ Argument for Felony Disenfranchisement

This essay exposes the weaknesses in the theory that convicts should not be allowed to vote because they might use their votes for evil purposes. Part I shows that the subversive-voting hypothesis is alive and well in the contemporary debate over disenfranchisement. Part II demonstrates that the subversive-voting claim is profoundly antithetical to modern ideas about universal suffrage – and is, in fact, no different from what opponents of expanded voting rights have been arguing for hundreds of years. Part III turns to evidence from a generation of social science research to demonstrate that the theory that convicts would vote subversively is utterly without empirical support. Part IV argues that even if offenders did plan to pursue interests different to those of other voters, the idea that they can be stripped of voting rights for that reason violates essential American political and constitutional principles, and is contrary to current international human rights law.
A model of the electrophysiological properties of nucleus reticularis thalami neurons

A model of the electrophysiological properties of rodent nucleus reticularis thalami (NRT) neurons of the dorsal lateral thalamus was developed using Hodgkin-Huxley style equations. The model incorporated voltage-dependent rate constants and kinetics obtained from recent voltage-clamp experiments in vitro. The intrinsic electroresponsivity of the model cell was found to be similar to several empirical observations. Three distinct modes of oscillatory activity were identified: 1) a pattern of slow rhythmic burst firing (0.5–7 Hz) usually associated with membrane potentials negative to approximately -70 mV which resulted from the interplay of ITs and IK(Ca); 2) at membrane potentials from approximately -69 to -62 mV, rhythmic burst firing in the spindle frequency range (7–12 Hz) developed and was immediately followed by a tonic tail of single spike firing after several bursts. The initial bursting rhythm resulted from the interaction of ITs and IK(Ca), with a slow after-depolarization due to ICAN which mediated the later tonic firing; 3) with further depolarization of the membrane potential positive to approximately -61 mV, sustained tonic firing appeared in the 10–200-Hz frequency range depending on the amplitude of the injected current. The frequency of this firing was also dependent on the maximum conductance of the leak current, IK(leak), and an interaction between the fast currents involved in generating action potentials, INa(fast) and IK(DR), and the persistent Na+ current, INa(P). Transitions between different firing modes were identified and studied parametrically.
B-physics at the tevatron

Abstract We give an overview of recent results in B-physics from the two Tevatron experiments CDF and D0. We report on results for B0 mixing, B lifetime measurements, the B production cross section at √s = 630 GeV, correlated forward and central b production, limits on electro-magnetic penguin decays and we report on the J/ψ & ψ(2S) production cross section. Some of the B lifetime measurements [1],[2] and the measurement of the J/ψ & ψ(2S) production [3] have been published; all other results are preliminary.
Ultrasonic Doppler Sensing in HCI

Several properties differentiate ultrasonic Doppler sensing from other sensing techniques-high frame rate, low computational overhead, instantaneous velocity readings, and range independence. Also, because it isn't vision-based, it might open doors to sensing in once taboo locations.
Image processing with the Random Neural Network

Enhancing image quality and combining observations into a coherent description are essential tools in various image processing applications such as multimedia publishing, target recognition, and medical imaging. In this paper we propose two novel approaches for image enlargement and image fusion using the Random Neural Network (RNN) model, which has already been successfully applied to the problems such as still and moving image compression, and image segmentation. The advantage of the RNN model is that it is closer to biophysical reality and mathematically more tractable than standard neural methods, especially when used as a recurrent structure.
Cancer as a mechanism of hypermutation.

The highly structured mechanisms of cancers, their tendency to occur as a response to environmental stress, and the existence of oncogenes, suggest that neoplasticity may represent more than a biological disfunction. It is proposed that cancer exists as a phylogenetic mechanism serving to promote “hyperevolution”, albeit at the expense of the ontogeny, that is similar to a process recently discovered in bacterial mutations. Cell-surface-associated nucleic acid in tumorigenic cells and sperm cell vectorization of foreign DNA indicate the existence of essential mechanisms necessary to the occurrence of cancer mediated hyperevolution. An analysis of the proposed mechanism indicates that for mutagenesis of chemical cytology, stress induced neoplasticity confers an evolutionary advantage of more than two orders of magnitude.
Stroke Mimics and Acute Stroke Evaluation: Clinical Differentiation and Complications after Intravenous Tissue Plasminogen Activator.

Abstract Background Intravenous tissue-plasminogen activator remains the only U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment for acute ischemic stroke. Timely administration of fibrinolysis is balanced with the need for accurate diagnosis. Stroke mimics represent a heterogeneous group of patients presenting with acute-onset focal neurological deficits. If these patients arrive within the extended time window for acute stroke treatment, these stroke mimics may erroneously receive fibrinolytics. Objective This review explores the literature and presents strategies for differentiating stroke mimics. Discussion Clinical outcome in stroke mimics receiving fibrinolytics is overwhelmingly better than their stroke counterparts. However, the risk of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage remains a real but rare possibility. Certain presenting complaints and epidemiological risk factors may help differentiate strokes from stroke mimics; however, detection of stroke often depends on presence of posterior vs. anterior circulation strokes. Availability of imaging modalities also assists in diagnosing stroke mimics, with magnetic resonance imaging offering the most sensitivity and specificity. Conclusion Stroke mimics remain a heterogeneous entity that is difficult to identify. All studies in the literature report that stroke mimics treated with intravenous fibrinolysis have better clinical outcome than their stroke counterparts. Although symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage remains a real threat, literature searches have identified only two cases of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in stroke mimics treated with fibrinolytics.
Tobacco Use Outcomes Among Patients With Lung Cancer Treated for Nicotine Dependence

PURPOSE: There is a current lack of consensus about the effectiveness of nicotine dependence treatment for cancer patients. This retrospective study examined the 6-month tobacco abstinence rate among lung cancer patients treated clinically for nicotine dependence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A date-of-treatment matched case control design was used to compare lung cancer patients (201 lung cancer patients, 41% female) and nonlung cancer patients (201 controls, 45% female) treated in the Mayo Clinic Nicotine Dependence Center between 1988 and 2000. The intervention involves a brief consultation with a nicotine dependence counselor. A treatment plan individualized to the patient’s needs is then developed. The primary end point was the self-reported, 7-day point prevalence abstinence from tobacco at 6-month follow-up. RESULTS: At baseline, compared with the controls, the lung cancer patients were significantly older (P < .001), reported higher motivation to stop smoking (P = .003), and were at a higher stage of cha...
Pathology of the appendix in children: an institutional experience and review of the literature

Background The appendix can be affected by a variety of congenital and acquired diseases, but acute appendicitis is the most common pathology found in the pediatric population.
Stresses in a perforated cylindrical shell

Abstract It is assumed that the deformations of a thin cylindrical elastic shell, subjected to a uniform lateral pressure, are adequately described by the Donnell shell equations. The surface of the shell is perforated by a rectangular cutout. The tangential membrane displacements and the normal membrane stresses vanish on the simply supported edges of the hole and the ends of the cylinder. Numerical solutions are obtained by replacing the boundary value problem by a finite difference approximation and solving the resulting system of linear algebraic equations by an iteration procedure.
H2 as an energy source for mixotrophic acetogenesis from the reduction of CO2 and syringate by Acetobacterium woodii and Eubacterium limosum

Acetobacterium woodii and Eubacterium limosum were grown in a defined medium or suspended in buffer containing syringate as the sole organic carbon source to test whether H2 would support acetogenesis from a phenylmethylether and CO2. When growing and resting cell preparations were incubated under various headspace gas compositions, consistent O-demethylation activity and growth were observed on syringate-CO2 when H2 served as the sole energy source. However, the dependency for H2 was relieved by addition of yeast extract. A hypothetical scheme representing hydrogenolytic (reductive) O-demethylation and mixotrophic acetogenesis is proposed in light of these results and other literature observations.
Does footwear type impact the number of steps required to reach gait steady-state?: An innovative look at the impact of foot-orthoses on gait initiation

Many studies have attempted to better elucidate the effect of foot orthoses on gait dynamics. To our knowledge, most previous studies exclude the first few steps of gait and begin analysis at steady state walking. These unanalyzed steps of gait may contain important information about the dynamic and complex processes required to achieve equilibrium for a given gait velocity. The purpose of this study was to quantify gait initiation and determine how many steps were required to reach steady state walking under three footwear conditions: barefoot, habitual shoes, and habitual shoes with a prefabricated foot orthoses. Fifteen healthy subjects walked 50m at habitual speed in each condition. Wearing habitual shoes with the prefabricated orthoses enabled subjects to reach steady state walking in fewer steps (3.5 steps+/-2.0) compared to the barefoot condition (5.2 steps+/-3.0; p=0.02) as well as compared to the habitual shoes condition (4.7 steps+/-1.6; p=0.05). Interestingly, the subjects' dynamic medial-lateral balance was significantly improved (22%, p<0.05) by using foot orthoses compared to other footwear conditions. These findings suggest that foot orthoses may help individuals reach steady state more quickly and with a better dynamic balance in the medial-lateral direction, independent of foot type. The findings of this pilot study may open new avenues for objectively assessing the impact of prescription footwear on dynamic balance and spatio-temporal parameters of gait. Further work to better assess the impact of foot orthoses on gait initiation in patients suffering from gait and instability pathologies may be warranted.
Hidden Markov Model Analysis of Multichromophore Photobleaching

The interpretation of single-molecule measurements is greatly complicated by the presence of multiple fluorescent labels. However, many molecular systems of interest consist of multiple interacting components. We investigate this issue using multiply labeled dextran polymers that we intentionally photobleach to the background on a single-molecule basis. Hidden Markov models allow for unsupervised analysis of the data to determine the number of fluorescent subunits involved in the fluorescence intermittency of the 6-carboxy-tetramethylrhodamine labels by counting the discrete steps in fluorescence intensity. The Bayes information criterion allows us to distinguish between hidden Markov models that differ by the number of states, that is, the number of fluorescent molecules. We determine information-theoretical limits and show via Monte Carlo simulations that the hidden Markov model analysis approaches these theoretical limits. This technique has resolving power of one fluorescing unit up to as many as 30 f...
Electrochemical study of copper ions in a series of sulfoxo solvents

Summary The voltammetric behavior of copper(II) ion in dimethyl sulfoxide, diethyl sulfite, sulfolane, 2,4-dimethylsulfolane, 3-methylsulfolane, methyl methanesulfonate, and diethyl sulfate at the dropping mercury and rotating platinum electrodes has been examined. Two-step waves were obtained for the reduction of copper(II) ion at the rotating platinum electrode in all the solvents. However, because of the closeness of the potentials of the copper(II), copper(I) and copper(I), copper(Hg) couples to each other in each solvent, only one-step reduction waves were obtained in all the solvents with the dropping mercury electrode. From the electrochemical data, the proton magnetic resonance data on hydrogen bonding between phenol and the sulfoxo compounds in carbon tetrachloride, the 19 F magnetic resonance study of the solvation of boron trifluoride in the sulfoxo solvents, the stretching frequencies of the S-O group of the sulfoxo compounds, and consideration of the dielectric constant of the sulfoxo solvents, the following order has been established for the ability of the solvents to solvate copper(II) and copper(I) ions: dimethyl sulfoxide > (methyl methanesulfinate) > diethyl sulfite > sulfolane > methyl methanesulfonate > diethyl sulfate.
Madness and Work: Short- and Long-Term Effects of Mental Illness on Occupational Careers

This study assesses the impact of mental illness on occupational careers. Thirty-six married men who first entered mental hospitals in the 1950s were followed up in 1972 and eighteen men who were first hospitalized in 1973-74 were interviewed. Their histories reveal the importance of the development of competence in the work role prior to the onset of mental illness. Those who were able to develop competence were likely to retain their jobs through the initial episode of illness and to remain occupationally stable in the ensuing years even in the face of persistent symptomatology. The data are interpreted as evidence that the label, "mental patient," does not constitute a master status and in and of itself does not significantly affect occupational careers.
Semantic-context effects on word recognition: Influence of varying the proportion of items presented in an appropriate context

Several recent experiments have shown that an appropriate semantic context facilitates word recognition. Lexical (word/nonword) decisions about a word such as "nurse" are faster when it follows a related word such as "doctor". The present experiment examines the consequence of varying the proportion of semantically related adjacent words. The effect of semantic context is found to depend on the overall proportion of related word pairs. More facilitation occurs when there is a greater proportion of related word pairs. This finding contradicts theories of word recognition which account for context effects solely by postulating transient increases in the aecessibility of only those words semantically related to the particular preceding stimuli encountered by the observer. An adequate theory must include an account of strategic or adaptive processes in which the past usefulness of contextual information modulates its influence in the word recognition process.
Diagnostic potential of neutrophil elastase inhibitor complex in the routine care of critically ill newborn infants

It has been suggested that determination of the neutrophil elastase α1-proteinase inhibitor complex (E-α1PI) improves the diagnosis of bacterial infection in newborns. We evaluated the use of E-α1PI measurements in 143 newborns, consecutively admitted to a tertiary intensive care unit, employing a new random access assay and a sampling procedure that minimises post-collection artefacts. The 95% range for non-infected newborns was 20–110 μg/l up to the 5th day of life and 20–85 μg/l thereafter. The sensitivity as to the diagnosis of culture-proven bloodstream infection was 80% for E-α1PI, 86% for the immature to total neutrophil ratio, 64% for C-reactive protein and 37% for the total white blood cell count. The corresponding specificity amounted to 97%, 85%, 85% and 86%, respectively. E-α1PI increases preceded elevations of C-reactive protein by 18 h. Like C-reactive protein, E-α1PI levels did not distinguish between bloodstream infection and non-bacterial inflammatory responses. Results of E-α1PI became available within 1 h of collection and usually 2–3 h before manual leucocyte counts.
Exploring dimensionality reduction of EEG features in motor imagery task classification

A Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) system based on motor imagery (MI) identifies patterns of electrical brain activity to predict the user intention while certain movement imagination tasks are performed. Currently, one of the most important challenges is the adaptive design of a BCI system. For solving it, this work explores dimensionality reduction techniques: once features have been extracted from Electroencephalogram (EEG) signals, the high-dimensional EEG data has to be mapped onto a new reduced feature space to make easier the classification stage. Besides the standard sequential feature selection methods, this paper analyzes two unsupervised transformation-based approaches – Principal Component Analysis and Locality Preserving Projections – and the Local Fisher Discriminant Analysis (LFDA), which works in a supervised manner. The dimensionality in the projected space is chosen following a wrapper-based approach by an efficient leave-one-out estimation. Experiments have been conducted on five novice subjects during their first sessions with MI-based BCI systems in order to show that the appropriate use of dimensionality reduction methods allows increasing the performance. In particular, obtained results show that LFDA gives a significant enhancement in classification terms without increasing the computational complexity and, then, it is a promising technique for designing MI-based BCI system.
Surpassing the optical diffraction limit with photo-inhibited super-resolution (PInSR) lithography

We present our progress towards nano-patterning with focused visible and near-UV light, using a novel photo-polymerizable resist. Special attention will be given to the difficulties presented by diffusion of reactive photo-generated molecules.
TU-A-BRA-01: Non-Coplanar Treatment of Hypofractionated Intracranial SRT with Tomotherapy

Purpose: To report on a newly developed positional device and dosimetric results in Tomotherapy intracranial hypofractionated Stereotactic Radiosurgery Treatment (SRT) with non‐coplanar beam characteristics. Methods: An in‐house developed positional device has been adapted to generate the non‐coplanar dosimetric effects in selected hypofractionated intracranial SRT patients. Three different head positions and CTdata sets of same patients were scanned to provide the basic panning information. Contrast is also provided to delineate CTV. Dose constraints for PTV and OARs were scaled down according to the total composite dose (30Gy is split into 12Gy, 12Gy and 6Gy with 5 treatment fractions). The ability to change the rotational angles of the head for each treatment fraction would reduce the volume of normal braintissue irradiated to lower clinically significant doses and increase the dose gradient surrounding the treatment area. Due to the TomoTherapy nature of helical co‐planar treatment, this methodology will generate a composite non‐coplanar delivery in order to reduce the low dose spread inside the PTV slices. Planning was performed with the three CTdata sets and the composite dosimetry was evaluated to prove the clinical efficacy. Results and Discussion: Clinical dosimetry results indicate improved dosimetry coverage while minimizing the scattered dose to the volume slices of PTV. Composite dosimetry indicated the 50% isodose volume minus target volume was reduced by 9.4% for a small tumor (0.7cm3). For a medium tumor (2.5cm3), the volume was reduced by 8.9% and for a large tumor (4.2cm3), the volume was reduced by 13.0%. All those reduction ha shown by manipulating the various head treatment positions, we can achieve lower dose sparing inside the volume of PTV slices. Conclusions: Our developed device and composite dosimetric results have shown the clinical benefits to improve the dose gradient and minimize the low dose region inside the PTV CT slices.
Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher in the Cave: An Anti-Captivity Narrative?

Twain originally intended the book to appeal to adults, and only decided to market the completed Tom Sawyer to children and adolescents at the urging of his friend William Dean Howells. Twain may have sold the book with children in mind, but his satirical attitude toward the pervasive influence of religion in American life, and especially the failure of Tom to invoke prayer as many of his American forerunners had done when in thrall of a dangerous Native American, makes the novel a thoroughly adult work. In fact, Tom Sawyer is constructed as a sort of anti-captivity narrative because Tom and Becky rely on their personal resources to escape a situation that in Puritan times would have served instead as an object lesson in religious faith and self-abnegation. My argument is that Tom Sawyer is worth reconsidering for its thoroughly dismissive attitude toward an important religious fail-safe device that has been a foundation of America's understanding of itself since Puritan times. Twain derides organized religion throughout Tom Sawyer , but the crisis point is the well-known encounter of Tom and Becky when they are lost in McDougal's Cave and discover that they are essentially trapped with the vicious Injun Joe. Tom and Becky are not captives, but their plight is nonetheless reminiscent of earlier American captivity narratives such as that of Mary Rowlandson. And though the earlier pages of the novel have contained literally dozens of dismissive comments regarding religious devotion, the cave encounter presents a particularly important encounter an anti-captivity narrative; Tom abjures the longstanding choice of appealing to divine powers for salvation, and instead decides to emulate the ethos of his tormentor. This is not to say that Tom becomes an "Injun Joe" once he reaches adulthood, but merely that he cannot bring himself to dismiss the sinister criminal as the epitome of evil and opt for the other Manichean choice. In short, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer turns the Christian enterprise of America on its head if it doesn't indeed reject the entire religious impetus of the
A definitive QT study incorporating step‐wise dose escalation to steady‐state

Background Controversy exists surrounding the optimal study design to evaluate a drug's effect on the QT interval. Confounding issues include drug interactions, presence of metabolites, and tolerability at high dosages. These issues impacted a QT evaluation of duloxetine. Methods An initial study assessed the rate and feasibility of adaptive step-wise dose escalations to steady-state at supratherapeutic dosages and the linearity of the dose-exposure relationship. A second study measured exposures during maximal inhibition of drug metabolism. ECGs were collected per ICH draft guidelines. Results The final design was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover study in healthy females, with a single dose of moxifloxacin as a positive control. Duloxetine was dosed per preliminary studies, which defined tolerability of a step-wise dosing scheme to exposures approximating those after maximal inhibition of 2D6 and 1A2 (5X the recommended dosage). Replicate ECGs were collected at baseline and compared with time-matched ECGs during placebo, duloxetine, and positive control periods at 4 separate times during the 12h-dosing interval. The primary endpoint was Fridericia's corrected QT interval with a sample size to detect a 7.5 msec change from baseline due to drug. Conclusions Tolerability issues and confounding pharmacodynamic factors can complicate study designs for QTc assessment. Preliminary studies can define limitations and maximize efficiency of study design. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2005) 77, P12–P12; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2004.11.049
Sec22p Export from the Endoplasmic Reticulum Is Independent of SNARE Pairing

Molecularly distinct sets of SNARE proteins localize to specific intracellular compartments and catalyze membrane fusion events. Although their central role in membrane fusion is appreciated, little is known about the mechanisms by which individual SNARE proteins are targeted to specific organelles. Here we investigated functional domains in Sec22p that direct this SNARE protein to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), to Golgi membranes, and into SNARE complexes with Bet1p, Bos1p, and Sed5p. A series of Sec22p deletion mutants were monitored in COPII budding assays, subcellular fractionation gradients, and SNARE complex immunoprecipitations. We found that the N-terminal "profilin-like" domain of Sec22p was required but not sufficient for COPII-dependent export of Sec22p from the ER. Interestingly, versions of Sec22p that lacked the N-terminal domain were assembled into ER/Golgi SNARE complexes. Analyses of Sec22p SNARE domain mutants revealed a second signal within the SNARE motif (between layers -4 and -1) that was required for efficient ER export. Other SNARE domain mutants that contained this signal were efficiently packaged into COPII vesicles but failed to assemble into SNARE complexes. Together these results indicated that SNARE complex formation is neither required nor sufficient for Sec22p packaging into COPII transport vesicles and subsequent targeting to the Golgi complex. We propose that the COPII budding machinery has a preference for unassembled ER/Golgi SNARE proteins.
Impact of Distributed Generation on Voltage Profile of Radial Power Systems

This paper provides the results of a study conducted to assess the impacts of the “wind generation variability” on the voltage profile in a small-scale radial power system. The power network has been modeled using one of the well-known simulation programs used by the industry known as Powerworld®. The study takes into account the irregular behavior of the wind patterns and focuses on effects of wind generation at variable penetration levels on the voltage profile of a 13-bus radial power system. The assessment introduces two unique scenarios. In one scenario, the wind-generation farms are connected to a remote location with a critical voltage profile. The intensity of wind penetration is fluctuated methodically to evaluate the influence on the grid's voltage profile. The Smallest Singular Value of Jacobian (SSVJ) analysis of the power flow Jacobian matrix is applied to further assess the networks voltage profile. This method has been favored and utilized as an index for evaluating voltage profiles by the industry as well as the utilities. Simulation results along with recommendation and suggestions for improvements in each scenario have been provided.
CHALLENGES FOR FUTURE RESEARCH IN ATOMIZATION AND SPRAY TECHNOLOGY: ARTHUR LEFEBVRE MEMORIAL LECTURE

The current state-of-the-art of atomizer design, aircraft engines, diesel and gasoline engines, medical sprays, spray painting of automobiles, and laser optical instruments is reviewed. Future research for several decades will be driven by increasingly urgent demands to improve fuel and energy efficiency, and to drastically reduce the emission of pollutants. A much greater degree of control is required, not only in spray systems, but for pressure and flow rates which are introduced into atomizers. An improved understanding and control of liquid and air flows inside atomizers will be necessary. The breakup of liquid jets and sheets in many current spray systems results in chaotic generation of drop sizes and velocities. Electrosprays and ultrasonic sprays provide the means to generate more steady and controlled sprays. Major breakthroughs in the physics of diesel injector sprays have been achieved by using high intensity x-rays from the Synchroton at Argonne Labs. Moving away from single injectors to multiple injectors and replacing drilling of holes with etching and lamination allows multiple nozzles, with air and liquid swirl passages, to generate micro-sized droplets, fully dispersed in combustion chambers. The Federal Drug Administration has authorized the inhalation of insulin for treatment of diabetes. Aerosol particle sizers must be in the range of one to four microns. Stents, for the support of collapsed arteries, must be spray-coated with medication. Cryogenic sprays are used for cooling the skin during dermatological skin surgery. These are examples of important developments in the field of medicine. Future collaboration between physicists, mechanical, chemical and materials engineers, mathematicians, computationalists and experimentalists, with industrial designers and engineers, will offer many opportunities for young engineers to establish careers in atomization and spray technology.
PROLOG in distributed systems: An overview

Abstract The exploitation and use of parallelism is considered as one of the critical issues to the development of multiprocessing and distributed systems. The exploitation of parallelism offers various advantages, in particular, in the automatic detection of parallelism for the distribution of processes to different processors effectively and efficiently in multiprocessing systems, database processing, distributed systems, expert systems, Al based systems, and so forth. This paper discusses the use of PROLOG and PROLOG variants in distributed systems. Starting with the discussion on various sources of parallelism in logic programming, in particular in PROLOG, the paper highlights the features of PROLOG which makes it useful for distributed systems. Some examples of implementations based on these features of PROLOG and PROLOG variants are also discussed. These implementations clearly demonstrate that there is an ever increasing demand and interest among the researchers to use PROLOG in various applications. Further, some current undecided issues in this area/field are also mentioned.
Developing a radiology-based teaching approach for gross anatomy in the digital era

Rationale and Objectives The purpose of this study was to assess the implementation of a digital anatomy lecture series based largely on annotated, radiographic images and the utility of the Radiological Society of North America–developed Medical Imaging Resource Center (MIRC) for providing an online educational resource. Materials and Methods A series of digital teaching images were collected and organized to correspond to lecture and dissection topics. MIRC was used to provide the images in a Web-based educational format for incorporation into anatomy lectures and as a review resource. A survey assessed the impressions of the medical students regarding this educational format. Results MIRC teaching files were successfully used in our teaching approach. The lectures were interactive with questions to and from the medical student audience regarding the labeled images used in the presentation. Eighty-five of 120 students completed the survey. The majority of students (87%) indicated that the MIRC teaching files were “somewhat useful” to “very useful” when incorporated into the lecture. The students who used the MIRC files were most likely to access the material from home (82%) on an occasional basis (76%). With regard to areas for improvement, 63% of the students reported that they would have benefited from more teaching files, and only 9% of the students indicated that the online files were not user friendly. Conclusions The combination of electronic radiology resources available in lecture format and on the Internet can provide multiple opportunities for medical students to learn and revisit first-year anatomy. MIRC provides a user-friendly format for presenting radiology education files for medical students.