cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wavelet-based sensor fusion

Sensor fusion can be performed either on the raw sensor output or after a segmentation step has been done. Our previous work has concentrated on neural network models for sensor fusion after segmentation. Although this method has been shown to be fast and reliable, there is still the overhead entailed from using entire images. The wavelet transform is a multiresolution method that is used to decompose images into detail and average channels. These channels maintain all of the image information and sensor fusion logic operations can be done within the wavelet coefficient space. In addition, image compression can be done within this same space for possible remote transmission. This paper examines sensor fusion within the wavelet coefficient space. The results of some experimental studies performed on the 1024 node NCUBE/10 at the University of South Carolina are also included.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Uncertainty Analysis and Calibration of SWMM Using a Formal, Bayesian Methodology

Importance of uncertainty analysis (UA) to estimate the degree of reliability associated with model predictions is being understood. Consequently, literature that describes various Bayesian methods for the assessment of parameter and model predictive uncertainty has been steadily rising. Applications dealing with urban stormwater management are, however, very limited. This study demonstrates successful application of a formal Bayesian methodology for UA of the U.S. EPA Stormwater Management Model (SWMM), a widely used urban stormwater management model, and illustrates the methodology using a highly urbanized watershed in southern California. DREAM(ZS), a recently developed effective and efficient sampling algorithm, and a generalized, formal likelihood function that addresses the assumptions commonly made regarding error structure including independence, normality and homoscedasticity are used for the UA. Results will include comparison of the simulated error structure with the assumptions made by the likelihood function, histogram of the parameters posteriors, bounds of the 95 percent confidence interval, and the maximum likelihood (ML) predictions. A conventional calibration attempted to compare the ML results derived from the UA with the optimal solutions identified by the single objective calibration will also be presented. Besides illustrating state-ofthe-art in UA, the study will highlight application of the methodology to developing a watershed management model to mitigate stormwater quantity and quality problems associated with urbanization.
Doing “Good” vs. Doing “Well”: The Role of Nonprofits in Society

Nonprofit organizations play a unique role in American life. However, they cannot exist alone; they have a complex, interdependent relationship with the economy's two other sectors—business and gov...
Optical pattern recognition on nonvertical imagery.

An optical matched spatial filtering system is described that is capable of correlating nonvertical imagery with no loss in the peak intensity and SNR of the output correlation. From the coordinates of the correlation peak, the tilt angle of one camera (or angle of approach of the object being photographed) and the scale of the image (distance from the object) can be determined. Experimental demonstrations of the principle (combined geometrical and optical transformations) on actual imagery are included.
Adult onset type II fiber centronuclear neuromyopathy with segmental demyelination

We report a 54-year-old male with progressive, adult onset distal muscle weakness and intermittent paresthesia associated with preferential type II fiber centronuclear (myotubular) change and segmental demyelination in sural nerve. Morphometric analysis, single fiber teasing and graphic analysis of internode lengths confirms the segmental demyelination with no evidence of ongoing repetitive Schwann cell remy elination. Cases of adult onset centronuclear myopathy are reviewed. This case provides evidence for a neurogenic component in the pathogenesis of the centronuclear neuromyopathies.
A rapid method for accurate cast duplication.

Abstract Duplicate casts are frequently needed for diagnostic procedures, treatment planning, and documentation. A method was described which permits the dentist to duplicate casts using materials normally available in most dental offices. The resultant cast demonstrates acceptable accuracy and surface detail. It is axiomatic to state that the accuracy of casts is a prerequisite to clinical success.
Spatial Resolution by the Human Visual System. The Effect of Mean Retinal Illuminance

This paper reports experimental results showing the effect of mean retinal illuminance on the modulation transfer function (MTF). The line spread function of the human visual system was computed. The test pattern in which the luminance varied sinusoidally in the horizontal direction was generated on the face of an oscilloscope by modulating the intensity of the beam.The behavior of the system changes with the mean retinal illuminance. At the highest mean retinal illuminance (1000 td) the MTF shows two peaks which gradually disappear at lower mean retinal illuminances. The line spread function of the entire visual system also exhibits a change in shape dependent on the mean retinal illuminance. In particular, what are deemed inhibitory influences become less prominent at lower mean retinal illuminance. From the line spread function of the optical part up to the retina, the line spread function of the physiological part of the visual system is also evaluated.A common asymptote appears at high frequencies when the characteristics are plotted in terms of absolute deviation from the mean versus spatial frequency for threshold perception. The asymptote provides an upper bound for the behavior of visual acuity at any retinal illuminance.
Laser action in temperature-controlled scattering media

We used a novel system based on a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) mixture containing a high gain laser dye to study laser actions in random scattering media. The LCST material comprised of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) in water can be reversibly transformed from a transparent state to a highly scattering colloid as the temperature is increased above 41 °C. The resulting temperature-dependent scattering length and photon diffusivity in the presence of an amplifying optically pumped Kiton Red 620 laser dye can tune the linewidth of output spectrum from 30 to 5 nm. Besides its suitability for random laser studies, this system may find its applications in remote temperature sensing and displays.
Observations on the mechanism of the alkylation reaction between nitrogen mustard and DNA

The alkylation and cross-linking of DNA by nitrogen mustard proceeds as two pseudo-first-order reactions; at 37° no unstable displaceable intermediates are observed, but the cross-linking reaction can be interrupted by nucleophilic competition. At 0°, the rate of the cross-linking reaction is greatly reduced, and the sequential steps can be completely dissociated. Under these circumstances, labile intermediates, displaceable by nucleophilic competition, are accumulated. The nature of the low-temperature intermediate is unknown at present; our data, however, suggest the need for further examination of the proposal of Lett, Parkins and Alexander1 involving transalkylation from triester phosphate to N-alkyl linkages.
Currents can be driven in the polar ionosphere

[1] The study of ionospheric heaters that induce controlled modifications in the ionosphere allows better understanding of effects driven naturally by solar activity in the ionosphere and the radiation belts. Previous ionospheric heaters at the Earth's poles have generated ultralow-frequency, extremely low frequency, and very low frequency waves in the ionosphere's D andE regions by modulating the auroral electrojet, the strong horizontal currents that naturally flow in the D and E regions at high latitudes. Now Papadopoulos et al. present theoretical and computational results that indicate that using high-frequency heating, low-frequency ionospheric currents can also be generated at F region altitudes, independent of the presence or absence of electrojet currents. The new technique, whose validity has been confirmed tentatively in recent polar experiments, allows generation of low-frequency waves by midlatitude heaters, such as the one under construction in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, and their subsequent injection in the inner radiation belt. It will permit for the first time the study of the interaction of artificially generated low-frequency waves with multi-MeV protons trapped in the inner belt and their precipitation rates in the South Atlantic anomaly region. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2011GL047368, 2011)
A study of some organotrichlorogermanes prepared from cesium trichlorogermanate(II)

Abstract The chemical reactions of cesium trichlorogermanate(II) to form RGeCl3 compounds have been reexamined, the older methods improved upon, and new techniques put forth. In the course of these studies, tert-butyltrichlorogermane and sec-butyltrichlorogermane and their triphenyl derivatives were prepared and characterized by means of NMR and infrared spectral data, and elemental analyses. Mechanistic possibilities for the reactions involved were probed in the light of steric limitations set by the reactants, and the overriding nucleophilicity of the GeCl−3 group.
A bibliography and categorization of bony fishes exhibiting parental care

Accepted for publication Ju!y 1981 Parental care occurs in a diversity of fishes, but predominantly among freshwater groups. Among the approximately 422 families of bony fishes (Osteichthyes), 89 are presently known to exhibit parental care. Grouping these families into eight categories, based on the sex of the care-giver(s), reveals male parental care is as common or more common than female parental care. Although unusual among vertebrates, parental care by males alone is very common among bony fishes. Lists of families, the forms of parental care exhibited, the modes of fertilization, the environments in which reproduction occurs, and the sources of documentation are presented. An extensive bibliography and index are
Fluorine NMR studies of fluorocinnamoylchymotrypsins.

Abstract Three monofluorocinnamoylchymotrypsins have been examined at pH 4 by fluorine NMR spectroscopy. Protein-induced fluorine chemical shifts are quite large (~7 ppm) when fluorine is present at the para position but nearly zero for ortho fluorine. The shifts roughly parallel those observed in complexes formed between the enzyme and the analogous N -acetylfluorophenylalanines, suggesting a similarity in molecular environment for the aromatic ring in both systems. Little correlation is found, however, between the shifts for the acylenzymes and those of the corresponding enzyme-cinnamate complexes, indicating that the environment for the aromatic ring in the complexes is dissimilar from that experienced by the aromatic group in the acylated enzyme. Solvent isotope effects ( H 2 O D 2 O ) on the fluorine chemical shifts for the fluorocinnamoylchymotrypsins are small and downfield. Fluorine NMR observations suggest that the presence of the fluorocinnamoyl group greatly stabilizes the enzyme toward denaturation in 8 m urea.
Multi-objective optimization for decision-making of energy and comfort management in building automation and control

Abstract Smart buildings are becoming a trend of next-generation's commercial buildings, which facilitate intelligent control of the building to fulfill occupants’ needs. The primary challenge in building control is that the energy consumption and the comfort level in a building environment often conflict with each other. In this study, to effectively manage the energy consumption and occupants’ comfort, a multi-agent based control framework is proposed for smart building applications. The energy consumption and the overall comfort level are considered as two control objectives in the system design. Two multi-objective optimization methods including multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) and weighted aggregation are utilized to generate the Pareto fronts which are made up of Pareto-optimal solutions. These tradeoff solutions are useful to informed decision-making for energy and comfort management in the complex building environments.
The Exact Finite Sample Distribution of Theil's Compatibility Test Statistic and its Application

Abstract In this article we derive the exact finite sample distribution of a statistic utilized by Theil [10] to test whether sample and prior information are in conflict with each other. A weighted estimator for the slope coefficient in a simple regression equation with one independent variable is obtained by using weights which are determined by the observed value of Theil's test statistic. This weighted estimator is particularly useful when we are uncertain about the compatibility of prior information with sample information.
Long-Term Polyacrylamide Formulation Effects on Soil Erosion, Water Infiltration, and Yields of Furrow-Irrigated Crops

Two formulations of water-soluble anionic polyacrylamide (WSPAM) are used in agriculture to reduce erosion and manage infiltration in furrow irrigations, although few if any reports have compared their effectiveness. A control and two WSPAMs, a granular form and the inverse emulsion, or oil-based liquid form, were applied to irrigation water supplied to furrows formed in a silt loam soil with 1.5% slope during each irrigation from 1993 to 1999. Stock solutions prepared from the two WSPAMs in tap water were injected into furrow inflows to attain a concentration of 10 mg L -1 only during furrow advance. During irrigations, furrow inflow and runoff rates, and runoff sediment concentrations were measured. Crop yields were measured in five of the 7 yr. Relative to controls, both WSPAM treatments reduced runoff sediment loss equally well, decreasing soil losses by 84% per irrigation, and prevented the loss of 47.8 Mg soil ha -1 over the 7-yr period. The yearly soil loss reductions produced by WSPAMs ranged from 66 to 99%, and may reflect changes in the electrical conductivity (EC) of the irrigation water. Both WSPAM treatments increased the proportion of applied irrigation water that infiltrated into newly formed furrows, but the emulsion produced the greatest overall increase in water infiltration fraction. As a class, WSPAM treatments increased yields by 14.3% for bean ('Viva Pink' Phaseolus vulgaris L.) and 4.5% for silage corn (Zea mays L.), suggesting that the cost of WSPAM applications may be recoverable. While the two WSPAM formulations provide equivalent erosion protection, differences in infiltration effects, product costs, and potential environmental impacts should be considered when selecting the formulation.
Influence of Selected Host Plants on Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Larval Mortality Caused by a Baculovirus

Larvae of gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), were fed gypsy moth nuclear polyhedrosis virus on selected host plants to study influence of host plants on larval mortality. Larvae consuming the virus on red oak, Quercus rubra L., or red maple, Acer rubrum L., showed significantly lower mean mortality due to the virus than did larvae fed virus on quaking aspen, Populus tremuloides Michx., or pitch pine, Pinus rigida Mill. Mean viral mortalities for larvae fed red oak, red maple, pitch pine, and quaking aspen were 32.0, 35.4, 44.4, and 49.7%, respectively.
Role of charged residues in the S1-S4 voltage sensor of BK channels.

The activation of large conductance Ca2+-activated (BK) potassium channels is weakly voltage dependent compared to Shaker and other voltage-gated K+ (KV) channels. Yet BK and KV channels share many conserved charged residues in transmembrane segments S1–S4. We mutated these residues individually in mSlo1 BK channels to determine their role in voltage gating, and characterized the voltage dependence of steady-state activation (Po) and IK kinetics (τ(IK)) over an extended voltage range in 0–50 μM [Ca2+]i. mSlo1 contains several positively charged arginines in S4, but only one (R213) together with residues in S2 (D153, R167) and S3 (D186) are potentially voltage sensing based on the ability of charge-altering mutations to reduce the maximal voltage dependence of PO. The voltage dependence of PO and τ(IK) at extreme negative potentials was also reduced, implying that the closed–open conformational change and voltage sensor activation share a common source of gating charge. Although the position of charged residues in the BK and KV channel sequence appears conserved, the distribution of voltage-sensing residues is not. Thus the weak voltage dependence of BK channel activation does not merely reflect a lack of charge but likely differences with respect to KV channels in the position and movement of charged residues within the electric field. Although mutation of most sites in S1–S4 did not reduce gating charge, they often altered the equilibrium constant for voltage sensor activation. In particular, neutralization of R207 or R210 in S4 stabilizes the activated state by 3–7 kcal mol−1, indicating a strong contribution of non–voltage-sensing residues to channel function, consistent with their participation in state-dependent salt bridge interactions. Mutations in S4 and S3 (R210E, D186A, and E180A) also unexpectedly weakened the allosteric coupling of voltage sensor activation to channel opening. The implications of our findings for BK channel voltage gating and general mechanisms of voltage sensor activation are discussed.
A rainwater harvesting system reliability model based on nonparametric stochastic rainfall generator.

Summary The reliability with which harvested rainwater can be used as a means of flushing toilets, irrigating gardens, and topping off air-conditioner serving multifamily residential buildings in New York City is assessed using a new rainwater harvesting (RWH) system reliability model. Although demonstrated with a specific case study, the model is portable because it is based on a nonparametric rainfall generation procedure utilizing a bootstrapped markov chain. Precipitation occurrence is simulated using transition probabilities derived for each day of the year based on the historical probability of wet and dry day state changes. Precipitation amounts are selected from a matrix of historical values within a moving 15 day window that is centered on the target day. RWH system reliability is determined for user-specified catchment area and tank volume ranges using precipitation ensembles generated using the described stochastic procedure. The reliability with which NYC backyard gardens can be irrigated and air conditioning units supplied with water harvested from local roofs exceeds 80% and 90%, respectively, for the entire range of catchment areas and tank volumes considered in the analysis. For RWH systems installed on the most commonly occurring rooftop catchment areas found in NYC (51–75 m2), toilet flushing demand can be met with 7–40% reliability, with lower end of the range representing buildings with high flow toilets and no storage elements, and the upper end representing buildings that feature low flow fixtures and storage tanks of up to 5 m3. When the reliability curves developed are used to size RWH systems to flush the low flow toilets of all multifamily buildings found a typical residential neighborhood in the Bronx, rooftop runoff inputs to the sewer system are reduced by approximately 28% over an average rainfall year, and potable water demand is reduced by approximately 53%.
Specific panicle responses resulting from MSMA-induced straighthead sterility in rice

Straighthead is a physiological disorder of rice causing sterility. A particular characteristic of straighthead is panicles that remain upright because of the light weight of the unfilled grains, the hulls of which may be distorted into a crescent or parrot-beak shape. Monosodium methanearsenate (MSMA) was used in this study, to induce straighthead-like sterility symptoms in rice. Rating scales were developed to quantify the specific symptoms of straighthead (grain distortion, rachis curvature, panicle exsertion, and panicle weight), which were used to examine MSMA-induced straighthead in a greenhouse setting. Different rice cultivars were surveyed for their specific responses to MSMA, to identify targets for focus in rice breeding that differ in their responses. MSMA altered the pattern of anthesis so that flowering continued for a longer period of time although the initial flowering time and total panicle number were not affected. Early flowering panicles were less affected by MSMA than later flowering panicles. While all previous studies of MSMA-induced straighthead used MSMA applied at or before planting, a time course of MSMA application showed a time point for application at about the V4 (4-leaf) stage when the sterility symptoms were reduced and then an interval of time from about V6 to V8 when applications resulted in symptoms more severe than application at planting. A greenhouse temperature study demonstrated that lowering the temperature of the roots reduced the severity of the responses. MSMA is valuable as a trigger to induce a set of sterility symptoms so that the underlying physiological, biochemical, and genetic causes can be studied, and which may have implications for other sterility conditions.
File formats commonly used in mass spectrometry proteomics

The application of mass spectrometry (MS) to the analysis of proteomes has enabled the high-throughput identification and abundance measurement of hundreds to thousands of proteins per experiment. However, the formidable informatics challenge associated with analyzing MS data has required a wide variety of data file formats to encode the complex data types associated with MS workflows. These formats encompass the encoding of input instruction for instruments, output products of the instruments, and several levels of information and results used by and produced by the informatics analysis tools. A brief overview of the most common file formats in use today is presented here, along with a discussion of related topics.
Compiled Communication for All-Optical TDM Networks

While all-optical networks offer large bandwidth for transferring data, the control mechanisms to dynamically establish all-optical paths incur large overhead. In this paper, we consider the problem of adapting all-optical multiplexed networks in multiprocessor or multicomputer environment by using compiled communication as an alternative to dynamic network control. In compiled communication, the network resources are managed statically and therefore, run time control overhead is eliminated. In addition, complex offline algorithms can be incorporated to manage the network resources more efficiently. We studied several off-line connection scheduling algorithms for optimizing the multiplexing degree required to satisfy communication requests. The performance of compiled communication for communication patterns that can be determined at compile time in application programs is evaluated and compared with dynamically controlled communication assuming a two-dimmension torus topology. Our results show that the compiled communication out-performs the dynamic communication to a large degree for these communication patterns. Since most of the communication patterns in parallel applications can be determined at compile time, we conclude that compiled communication is an effective mechanism for all-optical network in multiprocessor environments.
Failure of propranolol in the treatment of childhood haemangiomas of the head and neck.

BACKGROUND: Infantile haemangiomas enter a rapid proliferative phase within months of birth, before slowly involuting. Those with the potential for disfigurement or morbidity require intervention. Propranolol has emerged as an effective new treatment modality, with the potential to become the first-line treatment of choice. METHODS: Four children with haemangiomas of the head and neck were treated with propranolol at a tertiary referral centre. The size of the haemangioma and the symptoms resulting from airway compromise were monitored. RESULTS: Three of the four children showed a dramatic response to treatment with propranolol. However, one child responded initially but was readmitted with stridor secondary to new haemangioma proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: We report a cautionary case in which a subglottic haemangioma developed contemporaneously with propranolol treatment, requiring surgical intervention. This finding highlights the need for regular follow up of treatment response, and the need for monitoring for treatment side effects.
Liver Fibrosis during an Outbreak of Acute Hepatitis C Virus Infection in HIV-Infected Men: A Prospective Cohort Study

Outbreaks of acute hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are occurring in HIV-infected men who have sex with men. We evaluated risk factors and liver histopathology in 11 consecutively enrolled men with newly acquired HCV infection that was diagnosed on the basis of antibody seroconversion, new elevations in alanine aminotransferase level, and wide fluctuations in HCV RNA level. Ten patients reported unprotected anal intercourse, and 7 reported "club-drug" use, including methamphetamine. Liver biopsy showed moderately advanced fibrosis (Scheuer stage 2) in 9 patients (82%). No cause of liver damage other than acute HCV infection was identified. The specific pathways leading to periportal fibrosis in HIV-infected men with newly acquired HCV infection require investigation.
Isolation of immunoresistant human glioma cell clones after selection with alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocytes: cytogenetic and molecular cytogenetic characterization

Intratumoral heterogeneity and genetic instability within gliomas may allow intrinsically immunoresistant (IR) cells to escape alloreactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte (aCTL) cellular immunotherapy. The potential existence of aCTL-resistant variants prompted us to investigate whether cellular immunotherapy resistant glioma models could be isolated. To generate the models, repeated intermittent or continuous selective pressure (ISP or CSP) with multiple aCTL populations was applied to a low-passage glioblastoma cell explant, 13-06-MG, obtained from a patient at initial diagnosis. IL-6 and IL-8 secretion was greater in coincubates of aCTL cells with 13-06-ISP and 13-06-CSP immunoselected cells than those with 13-06-MG parental cells. Initially, the immunoselected cells were less sensitive to aCTL lysis; however, the reduced aCTL-sensitivity was not maintained upon further selection. We therefore isolated IR clones from continuously immunoselected cells (13-06-CSP). The frequency of IR clones was 1-6 cells per 10,000 immunoselected cells. Two clones selected for further study, 13-06-IR29 and 13-06-IR30, resisted aCTL lysis in the absence of immunoselective pressure. Cytogenetic analyses revealed structural anomalies and genomic imbalances unique to the IR clones. Based on these findings, a hypothetical model is proposed that traces the origin of the IR clones to a clonal variant within the 13-06-CSP and 13-06-MG populations.
Fluid mixing with a pipeline tee: Theory and experiment

The pipeline mixing of two fluid streams by turbulent jet injection normal to the pipeline has been studied theoretically and experimentally. A simple scaling law for the second moment of the tracer concentration within the pipeline is proposed for the first fifteen pipe diameters down-stream from the injection point. The similarity solution is derived by assuming that the tracer diffuses in a weak compound jet moving parallel to the pipeline axis. The theoretical results are correlated with all of the available experimental measurements. The results indicate that the second moment of the tracer concentration decreases with increasing jet momentum and distance from the injection point such that M = 0.25. (lm/D)−2 (x/D)−4/3.
Reasoning MPE to multiply connected belief networks using message passing

Finding the l Most Probable Explanations (MPE) of a given evidence, Se, in a Bayesian belief network is a process to identify and order a set of composite hypotheses, HiS, of which the posterior probabilities are the l largest; i.e., Pr(H1|Se) ≥ Pr(H2|Se) ≥ ... ≥ Pr(Hl|Se). A composite hypothesis is defined as an instantiation of all the non-evidence variables in the network. It could be shown that finding all the probable explanations is a NP-hard problem. Previously, only the first two best explanations (i.e., l = 2) in a singly connected Bayesian network could be efficiently derived without restrictions on network topologies and probability distributions. This paper presents an efficient algorithm for finding l (≥ 2) MPE in singly-connected networks and the extension of this algorithm for multiply-connected networks. This algorithm is based on a message passing scheme and has a time complexity O(lkn) for singly-connected networks; where l is the number of MPE to be derived, k the length of the longest path in a network, and n the maximum number of node states - defined as the product of the size of the conditional probability table of a node and the number of the incoming/outgoing arcs of the node.
Reoperative lung transplantation for donor-derived pulmonary mucormycosis.

A 64-year-old male with end-stage lung disease underwent right orthotopic lung transplantation. After doing well initially, he developed acute hypoxemic respiratory failure with allograft pneumonia. Donor operative cultures demonstrated mold of the Mucor species, which were corroborated by donor endobronchial cultures obtained near the right mainstem bronchial anastomosis. The patient was treated with reoperative bilateral orthotopic lung transplantation in combination with antifungal agents. The operation was performed successfully, using lungs donated after cardiac death and treated with ex vivo lung perfusion. The patient has recovered well, remaining on room air with good allograft function, without evidence of fungal disease.
Assessing laboratory employee competence.

E the correlation between laboratory personnel standards and the accuracy and reliability of laboratory results was one of the original studies called for in the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988 (CLIA).1 A review of the research literature, which was published in 1992, found that most published research focused on the relationship between performance in proficiency testing and the credentials of personnel employed by the participating laboratory.2 The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention funded a study by Christian and colleagues,3 which explored ways in which personnel competency was being assessed in a small group of hospital, blood bank, independent, physician office, and group practice laboratories. This study found that no consistent method was being used for competency assessment. Given the difficult task of finding a tool that measures how well an employee actually performs his or her job, it is not surprising that competency assessment remains a challenging assignment. In a recent review of the methods commonly used to assess the clinical competence of residents in internal medicine, Holmboe and Hawkins4 found no single assessment method that could successfully evaluate clinical competence. The College of American Pathologists Q-Probes study5 of the tools used by 522 institutions to assess laboratory employee competence adds
A Genetic Screen Identifies Putative Targets and Binding Partners of CREB-Binding Protein in the Developing Drosophila Eye

Drosophila CREB-binding protein (dCBP) is a very large multidomain protein, which belongs to the CBP/p300 family of proteins that were first identified by their ability to bind the CREB transcription factor and the adenoviral protein E1. Since then CBP has been shown to bind to >100 additional proteins and functions in a multitude of different developmental contexts. Among other activities, CBP is known to influence development by remodeling chromatin, by serving as a transcriptional coactivator, and by interacting with terminal members of several signaling transduction cascades. Reductions in CBP activity are the underlying cause of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, which is, in part, characterized by several eye defects, including strabismus, cataracts, juvenile glaucoma, and coloboma of the eyelid, iris, and lens. Development of the Drosophila melanogaster compound eye is also inhibited in flies that are mutant for CBP. However, the vast array of putative protein interactions and the wide-ranging roles played by CBP within a single tissue such as the retina can often complicate the analysis of CBP loss-of-function mutants. Through a series of genetic screens we have identified several genes that could either serve as downstream transcriptional targets or encode for potential CBP-binding partners and whose association with eye development has hitherto been unknown. The identification of these new components may provide new insight into the roles that CBP plays in retinal development. Of particular interest is the identification that the CREB transcription factor appears to function with CBP at multiple stages of retinal development.
Alignment Of Smectic Liquid Crystal Molecules By Grated Glass And Silicon Substrates

We present the results of a study of the effect of photolithographed gratings on glass and silicon wafers on the alignment of smectic liquid crystal molecules. The gratings have periods in the range of 200nm − 200µm, and depths of up to 2µm. We found that smectic liquid crystals align sharply along the gratings, depending on the temperature cycling method used in loading the sample. This result applies both to silicon gratings as well as glass gratings, despite the increased roughness observed in glass gratings. The quality of the alignment is uniform in the range 664nm − 24µm, and breaks down outside this region, setting lower and upper boundaries for grating preparation.
Adaptive Performance-Aware Distributed Memory Caching

Distributed in-memory caching systems such as memcached have become crucial for improving the performance of web applications. However, memcached by itself does not control which node is responsible for each data object, and inefficient partitioning schemes can easily lead to load imbalances. Further, a statically sized memcached cluster can be insufficient or inefficient when demand rises and falls. In this paper we present an automated cache management system that both intelligently decides how to scale a distributed caching system and uses a new, adaptive partitioning algorithm that ensures that load is evenly distributed despite variations in object size and popularity. We have implemented an adaptive hashing system1 as a proxy and node control framework for memcached, and evaluate it on EC2 using a set of realistic benchmarks including database dumps and traces from Wikipedia.
Comprehensive Management of Patients with Traumatic Aortic Injury

Thoracic aortic trauma frequently occurs in the setting of chest trauma. As such, victims of aortic trauma may have multiple life-threatening thoracic injuries involving the chest wall, trachea, bronchus, lungs, pleura, heart, diaphragm, esophagus, and great vessels (Table 16.1).
The knowable, the doable and the undiscussed : Tradition, submission, and the 'becoming' of rural landscapes in Denmark's iron age

Farmers in Late Iron Age Denmark lived in centuries-old villages, within territories inhabited for milfennia. Long-held patterns of settlement, movement, economic interaction and socio-political structure characterized the cultural landscapes of these loosely integrated, heterarchical societies. During the transition to a state in the late Viking Age, many new settlements were established and rapid landscape change transformed older communities into highly controlled, newly regulated places.
When Justice Promotes Injustice: Why Minority Leaders Experience Bias When They Adhere to Interpersonal Justice Rules

Accumulated knowledge on organizational justice leaves little reason to doubt that organizational members benefit when leaders adhere to interpersonal justice rules. However, upon considering how j...
146 THE MOUSE BETA GLOBIN GENE LOCUS IS AN INDEPENDENT MODIFIER OF ERYTHROCYTE GLUTATHIONE METABOLISM

The mouse beta globin gene locus (Hbb) differs in inbred C57BL/6J (C57) and 129S1/SvImJ (129) mice such that beta globins produced by 129 mice have a glycine to cysteine substitution at position 13. Because beta globin cysteine residues bind glutathione, we hypothesized that beta globin genotype is an independent modifier of erythrocyte glutathione distribution between bound and free compartments. Blood was collected from ten C57, ten 129, and forty B6129SF2/J (F2) hybrid mice at eight weeks of age. Hemoglobin genotype and glutathionyl hemoglobin (Hb-SSG) levels were determined by capillary isoelectric focusing. The molar concentration of bound glutathione was calculated based on Hb-SSG. Reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione were measured by capillary zone electrophoresis. The beta globin genotypes of the F2 hybrid mice were homozygous C57 (F2-C57, n = 10), heterozygous (F2-C57x129, n = 19), and homozygous 129 (F2-129, n = 11). Free glutathione levels (GSH + GSSG, μmol/L RBC) were significantly higher (means ± SEM, p
Capture and recycle of industrial CO2 emissions using microalgae

A novel cyclic flow photobioreactor (PBR) for the capture and recycle of CO2 using microalgae was designed and deployed at a coal-fired power plant (Duke Energy’s East Bend Station). The PBR was operated continuously during the period May–September 2015, during which algae productivity of typically 0.1–0.2 g/(L day) was obtained. Maximum CO2 capture efficiency was achieved during peak sunlight hours, the largest recorded CO2 emission reduction corresponding to a value of 81 % (using a sparge time of 5 s/min). On average, CO2 capture efficiency during daylight hours was 44 %. The PBR at East Bend Station also served as a secondary scrubber for NO x and SO x , removing on average 41.5 % of the NO x and 100 % of the SO x from the flue gas. The effect of solar availability and self-shading on a rudimentary digital model of the cyclic flow PBR was examined using Autodesk Ecotect Analysis software. Initial results suggest that this is a promising tool for the optimization of PBR layout with respect to the utilization of available solar radiation.
Synthesis and Reactivity of Ti(III) Tris(tert-butoxy)siloxy Complexes

Reaction of TiCl 3 (THF) 3 with 3 equivalents of LiOSi(O t Bu) 3 produces the Ti(III) siloxide Ti[OSi(O t Bu) 3 ] 3 (THF) 2 (1), and a 1:4 ratio of the same reagents gives {LiTi[OSi (O t Bu) 3 ] 4 } x . Upon heating to 95 °C, compound 1 converts via THF ring-opening to [( t BuO) 3 SiO]3TiO(CH2)4Ti[OSi(O t Bu) 3 ] 3 . The pyridine adduct Ti[OSi(O t Bu) 3 ] 3 (pyr) 2 , and polymeric {Ti[OSi(O t Bu) 3 ] 3 (4,4'-bipyridine)} n , are also described. Electronic spectra for the Ti[OSi (O t Bu) 3 ] 3 L 2 complexes indicate D 3 h symmetry, and similar results for the 4,4'-bipyridine adduct suggest a linear polymeric structure.
Sensing the Risk: New Approaches and Technologies for Protection and Security of Cultural Heritage. The “PRO_CULT” Project

The PRO_CULT project promotes the development and the use of innovative low cost methodology for both monitoring and protecting cultural heritage and the growth of a cultural identity of local communities. It aims to develop sensing technologies and operating procedures in the field of security and the preservation of artistic, archaeological, architectural and landscape heritage with particular reference to emergency situations and to involve new different end users types. This approach has led to the release of products, technologies and operational methods, low cost and user-friendly paying attention to accessibility, sustainability, and citizen participation [1].
Hybrid RLS-NLMS algorithm for real-time remote active noise control using directional ultrasonic loudspeaker

This paper presents a Hybrid RLS-NLMS adaptive algorithm for remote cancellation of multi-tone noise signals using a directional ultrasonic loudspeaker. It combines the stable and computationally efficient but slow converging traditional Normalized Least Mean Squares (NLMS) algorithm with a fast converging yet computationally complex Recursive Least Squares (RLS) algorithm. This gives a fast converging, stable and less computationally complex Hybrid RLS-NLMS algorithm, which gives lesser residual error than compared to a NLMS algorithm and lower overall computational complexity than a RLS algorithm individually. The anti-noise signal generated by proposed algorithm modulates the 60 kHz carrier frequency of the directional ultrasonic loudspeaker which serves as the noise canceling loudspeaker. Automatic demodulation of the ultrasonic output signal cancels the noise signal at a distant target point within the loudspeaker output pattern. Experimental results for real time implementation of the Hybrid algorithm to cancel various multi-tone noise signals using the ultrasonic loudspeaker are presented.
Investigating the relationship between traffic incidents and public events: A case study

Large social events can influence traffic conditions and possibly lead to jams and incidents. This study leverages crowdsourced data to analytically evaluate the relationship between social events and traffic incidents in the city of Chicago. In particular, we collected data on social events from scraping online webpages, as well as traffic data from a twitter account that posted irregular traffic incidents based on a crowdsourced navigation application (Waze). Using these two sources the relationship between social events and the occurrence of traffic incidents was investigated. The total number social events and their categories for each region and its neighboring regions were used to build models that predicted the chance of a traffic incident occurrence.
When good protections go bad: Exploiting anti-DoS measures to accelerate rowhammer attacks

The rowhammer vulnerability, where repeated accesses to a DRAM row can speed the discharge of neighboring bits, has emerged as a significant security concern in the computing industry. To address the problem, computer and software vendors have: i) doubled DRAM refresh rates, ii) restricted access to virtual-to-physical page mappings, and iii) disabled access to cache-flush operations in sandboxed environments. While recent efforts have shown how to overcome each of these protections individually, machines today are protected from rowhammer attacks if they employ all three of these protections simultaneously. In this paper, we demonstrate the first rowhammer attack that overcomes all three of these protections when used in tandem. Our attack is a virtual-memory based cache-flush free attack that is sufficiently fast to rowhammer with double rate refresh. The most astonishing aspect of our attack is that it is enabled by the recently introduced Cache Allocation Technology, a mechanism designed in part to protect virtual machines from inter-VM denial-of-service attacks. The subtext of this paper asks the question: “Is there any hope for system security, when the protections for one attack enable yet another?” We claim that the solution to this conundrum lies in the approach taken to protecting systems. Adopting a subtractive approach to secure systems, in contrast to additive measures, could go a long way toward building provably secure systems.
Enforcing the rules in timber concessions: Performance bonding in the presence of corruption risk

Abstract Performance bonding is a common method to enforce logging standards and timber contract rules, yet their applications in tropical concessions are still uncommon, with prohibitively high cost of capital, imperfect enforcement, risk of corruption, and long payback periods cited as reasons. In the face of these factors, we derive conditions for a feasible bond scheme and the amount of additional insurance a landowner can ask from a harvester in the form of a higher than strictly needed bond payment. We then determine the effect of confiscation risk on the feasibility of bond schemes, with this risk stemming from the presence of a corrupt inspector and taking the form of either collusive or non-collusive corruption. We show that confiscation risk can seriously limit the range of possible bond payments and the effects differ between the corruption types. An empirical example evaluates these results in the context of enforcement of reduced impact logging techniques in tropical concession management. The results will help governments better apply bond schemes and in particular adjust them in the presence of risks and external constraints.
Structured Cobol II Objectives and Methodologies

(1983). Structured Cobol II Objectives and Methodologies. The Journal of Data Education: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 1-2.
Measuring the impacts of new public transit services on space-time accessibility: An analysis of transit system redesign and new bus rapid transit in Columbus, Ohio, USA

Abstract The absence of effective access to opportunities and services is a key contributor to poor socio-economic and health outcomes in underserved neighborhoods in many cities. The city of Columbus, Ohio, USA is attempting to enhance residents' accessibility by providing new public transit services. These new services include a major Transit System Redesign (TSR) of the conventional bus network and the introduction of a new bus rapid transit, named CMAX. Using a high-resolution space-time accessibility measure, we analyze whether these new public transit services will change residents' accessibility to job and healthcare in an underserved neighborhood of Columbus. Also, we assess whether enhancing the CMAX service to reduce delays (e.g., reserved lane, off-board payment system) will improve accessibility. The high-resolution space-time accessibility measure in this study uses published public transit schedules via the General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS). We use multiple departure times during a day to account for the temporal fluctuations of accessibility based on the transit schedule changes. We also consider the operating hours of job opportunities and healthcare services. Results suggest that the TSR yields ambiguous benefits for accessibility to jobs and healthcare. However, the new CMAX service and its potential upgrades lead to a substantial increase in both job and healthcare accessibility. The results can be used for city officials and urban planners to evaluate the effectiveness of public transit innovations in improving accessibility.
Performance validity in older adults: Observed versus predicted false positive rates in relation to number of tests administered.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: This study examined false positive rates on embedded performance validity tests (PVTs) in older adults grouped by cognitive status.Method: The research design involved secondary analysis of data from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center database. Participants (N = 22,688) were grouped by cognitive status: normal (n = 10,319), impaired (n = 1,194), amnestic or nonamnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI; n = 5,414), and dementia (n = 5,761). Neuropsychological data were used to derive 5 PVTs.Results: False positive rates on individual PVTs ranged from 3.3 to 26.3% with several embedded PVTs showing acceptable specificity across groups. The proportion of participants failing two or more PVTs varied by cognitive status: normal (1.9%), impaired (6.6%), MCI (13.2%), and dementia (52.8%). Comparison of observed and predicted false positive rates at different specificity levels (.85 or .90) demonstrated significant differences in all comparisons. In normal and impaired groups, predic...