cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application-storage discovery

Discovering application dependency on data and storage is a key prerequisite for many storage optimization tasks such as data assignment to storage tiers, storage consolidation, virtualization, and handling unused data. However, in the real world these dependencies are rarely known, and discovering them is a challenge because of virtualization at various levels and the need for discovery methods to be non-intrusive. As a result, many optimization tasks are performed, if at all, without the full knowledge of application-to-storage dependencies.This paper presents a non-intrusive application-to-storage discovery method, and while it is built on our prior work, the storage discovery described here is entirely new. We used this discovery method in two production enterprise environments, consisting of about 323 servers, and we show how the discovered data enables three optimization tasks. First, we relate application criticality with storage tiers. Second, we find unused storage devices and we show how this information together with storage consolidation can be used to achieve power savings of up to two orders of magnitude. Third, we identify opportunities for database storage optimization.
Dietary Fiber: Nutritional Lessons for Macronutrient Substitutes

The wide array of low-fat foods containing soluble fibers have the potential for helping in weight loss or weight control. Consumption of soluble fibers in sufficient quantities has been shown to lower serum lipid concentrations and to improve glycemic response. Some individuals could, eventually, consume a significant portion of their soluble dietary fiber from processed foods containing soluble-fiber fat substitutes. Changes in dietary fiber and starch sources increase the amount of fermentable material reaching the colon. Short-chain fatty acids thus produced are used as an energy source by colonocytes and may inhibit hepatic cholesterol synthesis. However, colonic fermentation can also result in flatulence or diarrhea. In addition, some diets high in soluble fiber have been shown to change intestinal cell morphology in rats. The possible benefits from consumption of a diet high in soluble fiber fat substitutes in serum lipid reduction, glycemic response improvement, and/or weight reduction as well as potential problems in flatulence, mineral absorption, and colonic cell hyperproliferation should be investigated.
Impaired activation of cytosolic phospolipase A2 in inflamed canine colonic circular muscle

Abstract Background & Aims: Arachidonic acid (AA) is a critical second messenger in several cell types. We examined whether cholinergic AA acts as a second messenger in contraction of colonic circular muscle cells and if this role is altered by inflammation. Methods: The experiments were performed on single dispersed cells. AA release was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Escherichia coli membranes labeled with 3 H-AA were used as a substrate for determining phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 ) activity, and Western immunoblotting for protein expression. Results: Acetylcholine and the PLA 2 activator melittin induced cell contractions and AA release. Both effects were inhibited by the PLA 2 inhibitor ONO-RS-082. Cytosolic and membrane PLA 2 activities increased in response to acetylcholine. These were blocked by ONO-RS-082 and cytosolic PLA 2 100-kilodalton antibody, but not by dithiothreitol, a secretory PLA 2 inhibitor. Acetylcholine- and melittin-stimulated release of AA and their contractile response were attenuated in inflamed cells. Immunoblotting indicated that the protein expression of cPLA 2 was suppressed during inflammation. Conclusions: AA acts as a second messenger in muscarinic receptor–activated contractions of colonic circular muscle cells. cPLA 2 is the primary enzyme that releases AA in these cells; its expression as well as activation are significantly attenuated by inflammation. The attenuated release of AA may partly account for the inhibition of colonic circular muscle tone and phasic contractions observed during inflammation. GASTROENTEROLOGY 2000;119:62-70
Routes of Acquisition of the Gut Microbiota of the Honey Bee Apis mellifera.

ABSTRACT Studies of newly emerged Apis mellifera worker bees have demonstrated that their guts are colonized by a consistent core microbiota within several days of eclosure. We conducted experiments aimed at illuminating the transmission routes and spatiotemporal colonization dynamics of this microbiota. Experimental groups of newly emerged workers were maintained in cup cages and exposed to different potential transmission sources. Colonization patterns were evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) to assess community sizes and using deep sequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons to assess community composition. In addition, we monitored the establishment of the ileum and rectum communities within workers sampled over time from natural hive conditions. The study verified that workers initially lack gut bacteria and gain large characteristic communities in the ileum and rectum within 4 to 6 days within hives. Typical communities, resembling those of workers within hives, were established in the presence of nurse workers or nurse worker fecal material, and atypical communities of noncore or highly skewed compositions were established when workers were exposed only to oral trophallaxis or hive components (comb, honey, bee bread). The core species of Gram-negative bacteria, Snodgrassella alvi, Gilliamella apicola, and Frischella perrara, were dependent on the presence of nurses or hindgut material, whereas some Gram-positive species were more often transferred through exposure to hive components. These results indicate aspects of the colony life cycle and behavior that are key to the propagation of the characteristic honey bee gut microbiota.
Fractal analysis illuminates the form of connectionist structural gradualness.

We examine two connectionist networks—a fractal learning neural network (FLNN) and a Simple Recurrent Network (SRN)—that are trained to process center-embedded symbol sequences. Previous work provides evidence that connectionist networks trained on infinite-state languages tend to form fractal encodings. Most such work focuses on simple counting recursion cases (e.g., a n b n ), which are not comparable to the complex recursive patterns seen in natural language syntax. Here, we consider exponential state growth cases (including mirror recursion), describe a new training scheme that seems to facilitate learning, and note that the connectionist learning of these cases has a continuous metamorphosis property that looks very different from what is achievable with symbolic encodings. We identify a property—ragged progressive generalization—which helps make this difference clearer. We suggest two conclusions. First, the fractal analysis of these more complex learning cases reveals the possibility of comparing connectionist networks and symbolic models of grammatical structure in a principled way—this helps remove the black box character of connectionist networks and indicates how the theory they support is different from symbolic approaches. Second, the findings indicate the value of future, linked mathematical and empirical work on these models—something that is more possible now than it was 10 years ago.
Physician responses to an educational intervention on improving their long-term prescribing of sedatives

Abstract The current study examined response forms returned by physicians in response to a Medicaid retrospective therapeutic intervention on the long-term use of sedatives. The educational intervention was designed to notify physicians about their patients' long-term use of sedatives and suggest that they reevaluate the patient's need for sedative hypnotic medication and decrease or discontinue prescribing the medication and/or suggest non-pharmacological alternatives if deemed appropriate. Forty=seven percent of physicians responded to the educational intervention. Nineteen percent of responding physicians planned to change the patient's medication in some way. The most common planned change was to decrease the dose. Physicians also stated that they would recommend one or more non-pharmacological alternatives to 17% of patients. Thirty-eight percent of physicians planned to monitor and/or counsel the patient. Over 40% of physicians reported planning no action after receiving the intervention. Twenty-six percent of physicians planned no action because of patient demand for the sedatives. The study concludes that physicians need to be better trained on how to: (1) discuss non-pharmacological treatments with patients and (2) deal with and respond to patients who demand controlled substances.
Discovering arbitrary event types in time series

The discovery of events in time series can have important implications, such as identifying microlensing events in astronomical surveys, or changes in a patient's electrocardiogram. Current methods for identifying events require a sliding window of a fixed size, which is not ideal for all applications and could overlook important events. In this work, we develop probability models for calculating the significance of an arbitrary-sized sliding window and use these probabilities to find areas of significance. Because a brute force search of all sliding windows and all window sizes would be computationally intractable, we introduce a method for quickly approximating the results. We apply our method to over 100 000 astronomical time series from the MACHO survey, in which 56 different sections of the sky are considered, each with one or more known events. Our method was able to recover 100p of these events in the top 1p of the results, essentially pruning 99p of the data. Interestingly, our method was able to identify events that do not pass traditional event discovery procedures. In this extended work, we present a generalization of our algorithm to discover different event types characterized by distinct patterns. Copyright © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining 2: 396-411, 2009
Emergency Physicians Accuracy in the Diagnosis of Stroke

Background and Purpose The role of emergency physicians in trials of acute stroke therapy is expanding. We investigated the ability of emergency physicians to accurately identify patients with stroke. Methods We reviewed all 446 patients who were evaluated in the emergency department and had an inpatient admitting or discharge diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke from May 1, 1992, to June 30, 1993. The final admitting diagnosis made by the emergency physician was compared with the final hospital discharge diagnosis, 95% of which were made by neurologists or neurosurgeons. Results All 76 patients with a final discharge diagnosis of intracerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage were correctly diagnosed by the emergency physicians (sensitivity, 100%; positive predictive value, 100%). Of the 351 patients with a final discharge diagnosis of ischemic stroke or transient ischemic attack, 346 were correctly identified by the emergency physicians (sensitivity, 98.6%; positive predictive value, 94.8%). Nineteen patients were diagnosed with stroke or transient ischemic attack by the emergency physician but had a final discharge diagnosis other than stroke. Discharge diagnoses included paresthesia or numbness of unknown causes (3), seizure (2), complicated migraine (2), peripheral neuropathy (2), cranial nerve neuropathy (2), psychogenic paralysis (1), and other (7). Conclusions Emergency physicians at a large urban teaching hospital with a comprehensive stroke intervention program can accurately identify patients with stroke, particularly hemorrhagic stroke. If similar accuracy can be documented in other types of hospitals, emergency physicians may become key providers of urgent stroke intervention.
Consultation to administrators.

This article discusses organizational factors and some issues for which mental health consultation is often sought, including aggressive behavior, nonattendance, staff development, screening and early intervention, and support for families trying to access professional services.
European Court of Human Rights' Dance with Death

This paper explores the evolving death penalty jurisprudence of the Council of Europe and its judicial arm the European Court of Human Rights. After effectively abolishing capital punishment within its member states it has begun to assert its abolitionist stance extraterritoriality. This extension is consistent with the goals of the convention but risks overextended the court's abilities. Such an over-extending could compromise the progress that has been made, towards protecting a comprehensive suite of rights.
Conjugate Analysis of Thin Film Heat Spreaders to Reduce Temperature at Hot Spots

The effects of thin film coating on maximum temperature of integrated electric circuits are investigated. A fully three-dimensional conjugate heat transfer analysis was performed to investigate the effects of thin film material and thickness on the temperature of a hot spot. Two different materials, diamond and graphene nano-platelets were simulated as materials for thin films. The thin film heat spreaders were applied to the top wall of the three optimized arrays of micro pin-fins having circular, airfoil and convex cross sections. The electronic chip with a 4 × 3 mm footprint featured a 0.5 × 0.5 mm hot spot located on the top wall which was exposed to a uniform high-level background heat flux. The effective area of coverage of the thin films was also investigated computationally. It was found that thin film heat spreaders significantly reduce the hot spot temperature, allowing for increased thermal loads and therefore increased performance. Furthermore, it was found that thickness of the thin film heat spreader does not have to be greater than a few tens of microns.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Choleretic Action and Excretion of Ginchophen in Rabbit Bile

Summary and ConclusionsThe chloretic action of various doses of cinchophen was studied in a relatively. large number of anesthetized rabbits. Cinchophen in doses ranging from 10 to 50 mg per kilo had no appreciable effect on the volume output of bile. It was also found that, on the average, only 3 mg of cinchophen per rabbit was recovered in the bile over a period of 2 hours. Since it was found that the absence of cinchophen choleresis in the rabbit was not due to an acute intoxication of the liver, because after cinchophen sodium dehydrocholate caused a brisk choleresis, it is tentatively concluded that cinchophen does not cause choleresis in the rabbit because it is not excreted in the bile.
Isolation of Glycocyamine from Urine

The isolation of glycocyamine (guanido acetic acid) from urine is of interest because of its possible relationship to the origin of creatine. Hunter has critically reviewed the literature on this subject in his monograph on “Creatine and Creatinine”.My interest in this subject began with the finding that an extract of urine prepared with Lloyd's reagent gave a positive Sakaguchi reaction. I also found that the Lloyd's extract of urine from a case of pseudohypertrophic muscular dystrophy gave a stronger Sakaguchi reaction than did urine from normal individuals. Urine from this patient (8-year-old boy) was therefore used in attempting to isolate the substance responsible for the positive reaction. The patient received 15 gm. of glycine daily during the period of urine collection. The urine was collected in 2- or 3-day periods using toluene as a preservative.The procedure used is briefly as follows: The urine after filtering was made acid to congo red with hydrochloric acid and extracted with 100 gm. Lloyd's...
Quantitative expression of imitation precision for false radar target

Based on the radiation resolution,a description method of imitation precision was presented for artificial radar target.Using the error detection probability calculation method for a given imagery intensity,the relationship between target contrast、independent looks and error probability was discovered.Finally the detection probability dependence on the RCS difference between true and false targets was analyzed.The theoretic results indicate that imitation difference of artificial radar targets should be less than 3 dB.
Research Progress on 2 μm Wave Band Ultrafast Laser Crystals

The spectral parameters,the latest research progress in Tm,Ho doped double tungstate,YAP,Lu2O3,CLNGG crystals and the ultrafast laser performance using them as gain media were reviewed. The properties and the advantages of these crystals were summarized and it is pointed out that the main research direction in the future should be searching for disordered structure crystals with broad absorption and emission band which are suitable for LD pumping.
In vitro action of tumor necrosis factor on myeloid leukemia cells

We investigated the in vitro action of recombinant tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF) on the clonal growth of normal and malignant myeloid cells. Clonogenic cells from six of nine myeloid leukemia cell lines were very sensitive to the effects of TNF with 50% of the colonies inhibited (ED50) by concentrations of TNF that ranged between 6 and 150 U/mL. A decrease in DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis and in cloning efficiency occurred within three hours of exposure of HL-60 promyelocytes to TNF. The TNF in combination with recombinant interferons produced an additive or synergistic inhibition of colony formation of HL-60 and THP-1 myelomonoblasts. Normal human CFU-GM are sensitive to TNF (ED50 between 100 and 50,000 U/mL), but their sensitivity to TNF depends on the source of colony stimulating factor (CSF) with T lymphocyte derived GM-CSF (recombinant or natural) partially protecting the CFU-GM from the suppression exerted by TNF (and interferons). In eight of 15 cases the clonogenic myeloid leukemia cells from patients with acute or chronic myeloid leukemia were more sensitive than normal CFU-GM using GM-CSF as a source of colony stimulating activity. Further studies showed that the action of TNF on myeloid leukemia cells probably can be only partially explained by differentiation. Our finding of a possible selective cytotoxicity to leukemic clonogenic cells by TNF suggests that TNF may have value in the therapy of some patients with myeloid leukemia.
Patterns in the evolution of Homo erectus

Skull and tooth dimensions of Homo erectus fossils from Africa, Europe and Asia appear to fluctuate rather than to change progressively during an interval of 1.3 Myr prior to the start of the Upper Pleistocene. No significant trends can be observed. This suggests a period of stasis in human evolution, after which Homo sapiens may have evolved rapidly from archaic mid-Pleistocene ancestors.
Decision Making in the Treatment of Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis and Periodontitis: Scientific Evidence and Clinical Experience.

Focused Clinical Question: What are the key considerations for coordination of care for a patient with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and chronic periodontitis (CP), and what are the clinical implications of RA on periodontal health?Summary: Both RA and CP involve hyper-immune response and osseous destruction. However, despite emerging evidence that RA and CP may have common etiologies and patients with RA have increased risk of CP, periodontal evaluation and treatment remain largely similar for patients with and without RA. More fully assessing inflammatory burden in patients with RA and CP may allow practitioners to more accurately assess the risk profile of a patient for RA and periodontal disease progression and to better evaluate adequate end points to periodontal therapy. Furthermore, coordination of care for patients with RA and CP with their rheumatologist or treating physician could allow for advanced screening and prophylactic care that may prevent disease development or progression.Conclusion: For p...
Multiple Meningiomas in a Patient with Cowden Syndrome

Background Cowden syndrome is a rare, multisystem disease manifesting with increased hamartomas and neoplasms. Though meningioma has been documented in patients with Cowden syndrome, the relationship between these two phenomena is still unclear. Case Description We report a case of a 43-year-old female patient with a known PTEN mutation and clinical history of Cowden syndrome. A workup of headache demonstrated two skull base meningiomas. At the time of surgery, several additional tiny meningiomas were detected in the same region. Conclusions The development of multiple meningiomas in a patient with predisposition for tumor is more than coincidental. Though PTEN mutations and deletions have not been shown to be critical for meningioma development, this case challenges that conclusion. In light of recent genetic advances in meningioma molecular pathogenesis, the role of the PTEN/AKT/PI3K pathway is discussed.
Experience gained in the certification of Seattle MDT ATLAS end-cap chambers

ATLAS monitored drift tube (MDT) chambers are composed of precision muon drift tubes assembled into arrays to form base chambers. Each tube wire in a chamber is located to a precision of 25 microns to provide large area precision chambers for the measurement of muons produced in high-energy collisions at the LHC. Following the completion of 80 MDT base chambers we have been through a process at Seattle and CERN of certifying their operational readiness for ATLAS. The certification process involved a recheck of the gas tightness, the addition of the high voltage and signal electronics cards, the cabling, the testing and conditioning for dark current at high voltage and ultimately collecting millions of cosmic ray events for each MDT. This paper reviews the results, the problems and the repairs performed during the certification. Analysis of the cosmic ray events provides an insight into occasional anomalies in tube function.
Characterization of pure and mixed Ar, Kr and Xe gas jets generated by different nozzles and a study of X-ray radiation yields after interaction with a sub-ps laser pulse

Gas jets accelerated through a linear supersonic and a conical nozzle, comprising a monomer/cluster mix, were characterized at UNR using a Mach-Zehnder type interferometer and Rayleigh scattering. A comparison of the two nozzle types is presented, showing that the linear nozzle produces gas jets of an order of magnitude denser than the conical nozzle. The linear gas jets of Ar, Kr, and Xe as well as triple mixtures with different percentages of each of the aforementioned gases were characterized. The densest gas jets used Ar as the target gas, while the least dense jets came from Kr. Cluster radii of the pure gases were measured, and Xe gas jets were found to produce the largest gas clusters. A study of X-ray generation by gas jet-laser plasma was performed at the UNR Leopard laser (1.057 μm, 350 fs, ∼1019 W/cm2) on the linear nozzle. The gas jets were irradiated with a high-intensity sub-ps laser pulse. An absolute X-ray output of the laser-gas jet interactions measured by the calibrated PCDs is presented and show that triple mixtures of Xe, Kr, and Ar each exhibited a higher X-ray yield compared to the pure gases. A strong anisotropy of X-ray radiation with respect to laser beam polarization direction is observed in all the gas jets. In fact, this anisotropy is different in three spectral regions (>1.4, 3.5 and 9 keV).
Patient with Concomitant Acute Venous Thromboembolism

In patients with atrial fibrillation who develop an acute venous thromboembolism, it is important to initiate anticoagulant dosing for the acute VTE, which may differ from dosing for atrial fibrillation depending on the particular agent. Parenteral anticoagulants are needed at the start of therapy if dabigatran, edoxaban, or warfarin is chosen, and should be prescribed at full treatment doses. The patient should be fully anticoagulated during the first 3 months of therapy after the VTE in order to prevent clot propagation and embolism.
Optimal Length of Conformational Transition Region in Protein Search for Targets on DNA

The starting point of many fundamental biological processes is associated with protein molecules finding and recognizing specific sites on DNA. However, despite a large number of experimental and theoretical studies on protein search for targets on DNA, many molecular aspects of underlying mechanisms are still not well understood. Experiments show that proteins bound to DNA can switch between slow recognition and fast search conformations. However, from a theoretical point of view, such conformational transitions should slow down the protein search for specific sites on DNA, in contrast to available experimental observations. In addition, experiments indicate that the nucleotide composition near the target site is more symmetrically homogeneous, leading to stronger effective interactions between proteins and DNA at these locations. However, as has been shown theoretically, this should also make the search less efficient, which is not observed. We propose a possible resolution of these problems by suggesti...
DD62: Zeile beherrscht Spalte und dominiert das Denken (April 2008)

Im Leben zahlt meist nicht nur eines, oft auch ein anderes. Wir versuchen dann, zweidimensional zu denken, was wir nicht wirklich konnen. Wir stellen unsere Gedanken hilfsweise in einer Tabelle dar. Und jetzt verrate ich Ihnen ein Geheimnis: Das Wichtige schreiben Sie irgendwie immer in die Zeilen. Und deshalb irren Sie so oft. Zweidimensionales Denken ist wirklich in hoherer Dimension, nicht erst Zeile, dann Spalte. Huuh, das ist zu theoretisch, ich weis.
The effects of repeated lineups and delay on eyewitness identification

A significant problem in eyewitness identification occurs when witnesses view a suspect in one venue such as a mugshot and then later in a lineup where the suspect is the only previously viewed person. Prior research has documented that the witness may select the suspect from the lineup due either to misplaced familiarity from seeing the mugshot or to their prior commitment from identifying the suspect from the mugshot. Two experiments attempted to minimize these biases by using repeated identical lineups, such that both targets and fillers were repeated, to determine if such a procedure could be useful. Across two experiments, we also varied the delay between seeing the event and the first lineup, as well as the delay between lineups. Despite the use of identical lineups, we continued to observe the effects of commitment and misplaced familiarity, so our procedure did not remove these problems. In addition, we also found that both repeated lineups and increasing delays can influence people’s tendency to choose and their willingness to maintain their decisions, regardless of accuracy. Most importantly, however, despite the negative effects of repeated lineups and the relatively long delays used in our experiments, we obtained strong relations between confidence and accuracy when using confidence-accuracy characteristic plots. High confidence responses were associated with high accuracy.
Lumbar loads and trunk kinematics in people with a transtibial amputation during sit-to-stand

People with a transtibial amputation have numerous secondary health conditions, including an increased prevalence of low back pain. This increased prevalence may be partially explained by altered low back biomechanics during movement. The purpose of this study was to compare trunk kinematics and L4-L5 lumbar loads in people with and without a transtibial amputation during sit-to-stand. Motion capture, ground reaction force and electromyographic data were collected from eight people with a unilateral transtibial amputation and eight people without an amputation during five self-paced sit-to-stand motions. A musculoskeletal model of the torso, lumbar spine, pelvis, lower limbs, and 294 muscles was used in a static optimization framework to quantify L4-L5 loads, low back muscle forces, and trunk kinematics. Participants with an amputation had greater peak and average L4-L5 loading in compression compared to control participants, with peak loading occurring shortly after liftoff from the chair. At the instant of peak loading, participants with an amputation had significantly greater segmental trunk lateral bending and trunk-pelvis axial rotation toward the intact side, and significantly greater segmental trunk axial rotation toward the prosthetic side compared to control participants. Participants with an amputation also had greater peak frontal plane and transverse plane segmental trunk angular velocity. The postural differences observed in people with a transtibial amputation were consistent with their ground reaction force asymmetry. The cumulative effects of the altered movement strategy used by people with an amputation may result in an increased risk for low back pain development over time.
Outcome after total hip arthroplasty. Comparison of a traditional disease-specific and a quality-of-life measurement of outcome

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the Harris Hip Score (HHS), a traditional method of patient assessment of a total hip arthroplasty (THA), and the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36), a commonly used health-related quality-of-life survey. One hundred forty patients returning for routine clinical follow-up evaluation of a primary THA were asked to fill out the SF-36 quality-of-life survey, as well as questions concerning their perceptions of their THA. The patient's surgeon assessed the THA with the traditional HHS. The correlations between the HHS and the SF-36 domains were highest in the physical component summary scores for male patients of all ages and female patients 65 years of age or older. The correlations were lower for the mental component summary scores of all patients, but particularly in female patients younger than 65. When the SF-36 scores were compared with age and sex-matched population norms, both age and sex were found to be important. Men younger than 65 had scores lower than norms in the physical function domains, but were comparable in the mental health domains. The older men had scores comparable to the norms in all domains. Female patients of all ages, however, had lower scores in the physical function domains. The greatest differences were noted in the female patients younger than 65. The HHS is commonly used to assess disease-specific pain and function in THA patients; however, the results of this study suggest that the SF-36 health survey can capture additional important quality-of-life domains that are influenced by a THA and that these domains are influenced by the age and sex of the patient. The combination of a disease-specific scoring system and a quality-of-life survey would allow a more global assessment of a THA in all patients. Studies evaluating the results of THAs should either assess the results of male and female patients separately when sample size is sufficiently large or use sex as a possible covariate in a multivariate analysis.
A plausible approach to computer-aided cryptographic proofs.

This paper tries to sell a potential approach to making the process of writing and verifying our cryptographic proofs less prone to errors. Specifically, I advocate creating an automated tool to help us with the mundane parts of writing and checking common arguments in our proofs. On a high level, this tool should help us verify that two pieces of code induce the same probability distribution on some of their common variables. In this paper I explain why I think that such a tool would be useful, by considering two very different proofs of security from the literature and showing the places in those proofs where having this tool would have been useful. I also explain how I believe that this tool can be built. Perhaps surprisingly, it seems to me that the functionality of such tool can be implemented using only “static code analysis” (i.e., things that compilers do). I plan to keep updated versions of this docuemnt along with other update reports on the web at http://www.research.ibm.com/people/s/shaih/CAV/.
Quantitative determination of armodafinil in human plasma by liquid chromatography-electrospray mass spectrometry: Application to a clinical study.

Armodafinil is a wake-promoting agent approved in 2007 by the US Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of excessive sleepiness. A rapid, sensitive and selective liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the determination of armodafinil in human plasma was developed and validated. Armodafinil and internal standard (armodafinil d-10) were extracted from human plasma using protein precipitation combined with liquid-liquid extraction. This developed method only requires 50 μL of plasma for the analysis. The chromatographic separation was performed with a Waters symmetry, C18 , 4.6 × 150 mm, 5 μm column using formic acid, water and acetonitrile as solvent delivered at a 0.7 mL/min flow rate. The total run time of the method was 3 min. The method was validated according to regulatory guidance in terms of specificity, selectivity, linearity, matrix effect, recovery and stability. Optimized Q1/Q3 mass transitions for armodafinil and armodafinil d-10 were 274.1/167.2 (m/z) and 284.4/177.4 (m/z) respectively. The method showed linearity within the tested concentration range of 10-10,000 ng/mL. The method was successfully applied to quantify armodafinil concentrations after single oral administration of a 250 mg tablet in a clinical study conducted in healthy volunteers. Significant advantages of this method are minimal sample volume, short run time and a lower LLOQ.
Character Strengths and First-Year College Students’ Academic Persistence Attitudes: An Integrative Model ψ:

Higher education scholars produce the majority of research on student persistence. However, counseling psychologists may be uniquely situated to help students persist toward graduation by enhancing...
Optical Versus Electronic Implementation of Probabilistic Graphical Inference and Experimental Device Demonstration Using Nonlinear Photonics

The probabilistic inference model has been widely used in various areas, such as error-control coding, machine learning, speech recognition, artificial intelligence, and statistics. In this paper, we study both computation and communications power consumption of optical-based and electronic-based implementations of the probabilistic inference algorithm used in solving large scale problems. Our analysis indicates that the optical implementation provides substantial reduction for power and area compare to the electronic-based solutions as problems become large. For a network with 1 million nodes and 100 alphabet size, our proposed wavelength multiplexed all-optical implementation requires approximately 200 kilowatts (kW) of power as compared with 1.47 gigawatts (GW) and 1.7 megawatts (MW) using CPU-based and subthreshold VLSI-based systems, respectively. The optical-based solution is tolerant to shot noise and imperfections of optical modules used in the architecture as well. We also performed an all-optical experimental verification of a graphical inference as the proof of concept and have demonstrated the essential mathematical operations, multiplication, and normalization (division), in photonics operations using nonlinear bulk materials. The normalization and multiplication are shown optically through a pump-probe saturation process and a logarithm-summation-exponential (log-sum-exp) operation, respectively. We used single mode silicon waveguide and single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCNT) as nonlinear optical materials to implement logarithm and exponential operations, respectively. The SWCNT is also used as the nonlinear component in the pump-probe saturation experiment to implement the normalization function.
On the reducibility of systems of analytic quasi-periodic linear functional differential equations

Abstract We address the problem of the asymptotic reducibility of a system of analytic quasi-periodic linear functional differential equations extending the results of M.S. Bortei and V.I. Fodchuk [3] to the case of (possibly) complex eigenvalues. At the same time, we provide a simpler proof of the asymptotic reducibility that bypasses the method of accelerated convergence and it is instead based on more transparent KAM-type estimates.
Best Practices For Providing Transition Services For Children With Down’s Syndrome: Potential Applications for Saudi Arabia

عنوان البحث : أفضل الخدمات الانتقاليه لمتلازمه داون لتطبيقها في المملکه العربيه السعوديه أ/ رنده صالح عبدالرحمن العجيمي مشروع تخرج (متطلب مقرر) جامعه: اکرون يعاني الطلبه والطالبات من ذوي الاعاقه الذهنيه في المجتمع مثل مجتمع المملکه العربية السعودية من عمليه فصلهم عن نظرائهم الاصحاء في التعليم وايضا عن الحياه الطبيعية في المجتمع. هذا الفصل يقلص من امکانيات ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصه وخصوصا الذهنيه منها من الانخراط في المجتمع سواء عن طريق العمل او حتي العيش المستقل ويجعلهم عاله علي ذويهم. في الخمسين سنه الماضيه کان هذا الحال أيضا مماثل في کثير من الدول ومنا الولايات المتحده الامريکيه,لکن, في العصر الحالي الکثير من الجهود بذلت لتخطي مثل هذه العقبات التي تواجه ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصه وخصوصا الذهنية منها وتم التعرف علي الطرق التي تفيد في بناء مجتمع متکامل وايضا کيفيه مواجهه العقبات . تعتبر المرحله الانتقاليه من الطفوله إلى المراهقه هي اصعب المراحل الانتقاليه لاصحاب الإعاقات الذهنيه ومن هذا المنطلق تعتبر الخطط الموضوعه والدراسات المقامه أهم سبل المساعده في تسهيل وتسيير مثل هذه الصعوبات سواء بالولايات المتحده الامريکية أو بعض الدول الأوروبيه عن طريق استخدام أسلوب تدريسي متطور يطلق عليه طرق التعليم الخاص بذوي الاحتياجات الخاصه . هذه الدراسه تقدم لمحه عامه عن افضل الممارسات المقبولة حاليا والعمول بها في الولايات المتحده الامريکية لتسهيل العمليه الانتقاليه والدمج بين ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصه وخصوصا مرضي متلازمه داون ونظرائهم الاصحاء. اعتمدت الدراسه علي حصر اربعه عناصر أساسية تساهم بشکل رئيسي في بناء خطه الدمج لمرضي متلازمه داون في المجتمع . أول العناصر هو مدى قدرة الطالب على جعل (أو على الأقل يکون لها صوت في) القرارات التي تؤثر عليه / عليها (تقرير المصير). والثاني: هو مدى قدرة الطالب تشارک في تشکيل الخطه التربويه الفرديه الخاصه به. ثالثا الخطه الانتقاليه أو خطه الدمج تستلزم مقدارا عاليا من التعاون بين المشارکين سواء من مدرسين, الاسرة, الطلاب , أفراد المجتمع, الهيئات المتخصصة, وکل من يستطيع تقديم يد المساعده . العنصر الأخير وضع بناء علي دراسات استنتجت أن ذوي الاحتياجات الخاصه وخصوصا مرضى متلازمه داون يمکنهم الاستفادة من المشارکه في الانشطه الاجتماعيه اثناء تواجودهم في المدارس مثل العمل التعاوني حيث ان هذه الانشطه تساهم في شکل فعال لإعدادهم ليکونوا أعضاء فاعلين في المجتمع مستقبلا.
Effects of Xenon-Based Anesthetic Exposure on the Expression Levels of Polysialic Acid Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule (PSA-NCAM) on Human Neural Stem Cell-Derived Neurons.

Numerous studies suggest a long duration of anesthesia during the late gestation period and infancy is associated with an increased risk of neuronal damage and neurocognitive impairment. The noble gas xenon is an anesthetic that is reported to have neuroprotective effects in some circumstances at certain concentrations. Currently, the effects of xenon on the brain and its potential neuroprotective properties, and/or the effects of xenon used in combination with other anesthetics, are not clearly understood and some reported data appear contradictory. In the present study, human neural stem cells were employed as a human-relevant model to evaluate the effects of xenon when it was co-administered with propofol, a frequently used anesthetic in pediatric anesthesia, and to understand the mechanism(s). The expression of polysialic acid (PSA) neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) on human neural stem cell–differentiated neurons was investigated as a key target molecule. PSA is a specific marker of developing neurons. It is essential for neuronal viability and plasticity. Human neural stem cells were maintained in neural differentiation medium and directed to differentiate into neuronal and glial lineages, and were exposed to propofol (50 μM) for 16 h in the presence or absence of xenon (33%). The neural stem cell–derived neurons were characterized by labelling cells with PSA-NCAM, after 5 days of differentiation. Propofol- and/or xenon-induced neurotoxicities were determined by measuring PSA immunoreactivity. A time course study showed that neuronal cell surface PSA was clearly cleaved off from NCAM by endoneuraminidase N (Endo-N), and eliminated PSA immunostaining was not re-expressed 4, 8, or 16 h after Endo-N washout. However, in the presence of 33% xenon, intense PSA staining on neuronal cell surface and processes was evident 16 h after Endo-N washout. In addition, prolonged (16 h) propofol exposure significantly decreased the positive rate of PSA-labeled neurons. When combined with xenon, propofol’s adverse effects on neurons were attenuated. This work, conducted on the human neural stem cell–derived models, has provided evidence of the beneficiary effects of xenon on neurons and helps develop xenon-based anesthesia regimens in the pediatric population.
Employing inferences across scales: Integrating spatial data with different resolutions to enhance Maxent models

Abstract Challenges associated with developing species distribution models (SDMs) with high-resolution data (including from lidar) prompted our investigation into a complementary approach to enhance the performance of SDMs using spatial data with different resolutions. In our experiment we developed a model with Maxent (a presence-background SDM) with variables that had a 30-m resolution, and then used the output of the model to restrict the background sampling area for models developed with variables that had a 10-m resolution. According to common measures of model quality, this approach produced better models than both a model developed with the default Maxent background sampling area and a model developed using the conventional approach of resampling environmental data to a common spatial resolution. We then reviewed the ecological meaning of this approach and observed how model mechanics were impacted as restricting the background sampling areas led to background points that had a greater contrast with the presence points, and therefore different environmental characteristics than background points sampled from the default background sampling area.
Is there any role for device therapies in resistant hypertension: COMMENTARY

In this issue of Kidney360 , two titans of hypertension, Drs. Ray Townsend and Aldo Peixoto, debate whether there is any role for device therapies in resistant hypertension. As the debate’s moderator, I will provide background information to set the stage for this epic showdown and offer a nonpartisan opinion on the topic. First, what is meant by “resistant hypertension?” According to the most recent ACC/AHA High Blood Pressure Clinical Guidelines, the diagnosis of resistant hypertension is made when a patient takes three antihypertensive medications, including at least one diuretic, but does not achieve control or when BP control is achieved but requires four or more medications (1). Using the BP target of <130/80 mm Hg, the prevalence of resistant hypertension among United States adults taking antihypertensive medication is estimated at 20% or 10.3 million persons (2). Second, with so many different types of antihypertensive medications that can effectively and reliably lower BP, why turn to device therapy for hypertension management given the inherent risks that come with these invasive procedures? Many patients cannot or will not take antihypertensive medications as prescribed due to unacceptable side effects or other factors. Moreover, even patients with perfect medication adherence to multiple antihypertensive medications will sometimes still have poorly controlled BP (3). Thus, …
Cognitive Functions in Adults Receiving Cochlear Implants: Predictors of Speech Recognition and Changes After Implantation.

Hypotheses Significant variability in speech recognition outcomes is consistently observed in adults who receive cochlear implants (CIs), some of which may be attributable to cognitive functions. Two hypotheses were tested: 1) preoperative cognitive skills assessed visually would predict postoperative speech recognition at 6 months after CI; and 2) cochlear implantation would result in benefits to cognitive processes at 6 months. Background Several executive functioning tasks have been identified as contributors to speech recognition in adults with hearing loss. There is also mounting evidence that cochlear implantation can improve cognitive functioning. This study examined whether preoperative cognitive functions would predict speech recognition after implantation, and whether cognitive skills would improve as a result of CI intervention. Methods Nineteen post-lingually deafened adult CI candidates were tested preoperatively using a visual battery of tests to assess working memory (WM), processing speed, inhibition-concentration, and nonverbal reasoning. Six months post-implantation, participants were assessed with a battery of word and sentence recognition measures and cognitive tests were repeated. Results Multiple speech measures after 6 months of CI use were correlated with preoperative visual WM (symbol span task) and inhibition ability (stroop incongruent task) with moderate-to-large effect sizes. Small-to-large effect size improvements in visual WM, concentration, and inhibition tasks were found from pre- to post-CI. Patients with lower baseline cognitive abilities improved the most after implantation. Conclusions Findings provide evidence that preoperative cognitive factors contribute to speech recognition outcomes for adult CI users, and support the premise that implantation may lead to improvements in some cognitive domains.
Basic Computer Arithmetic

This chapter consists of a brief review or introduction, depending on the reader’s background, of the basics of computer arithmetic. The first two sections are on algorithms and designs of hardware units for addition and multiplication. (Subtraction is another fundamental operation, but it is almost always realized as the addition of the negation of the subtrahend.) For each of the two operations, a few architectures for hardware implementation are sketched that are sufficiently exemplary of the variety of possibilities. The third section of the chapter is on division, an operation that in its direct form is (in this book) not as significant as addition and multiplication but which may nevertheless be useful in certain cases. The discussions on algorithms and architectures for division are therefore limited.
Factors Associated With Caregiver-Child Symptom Concordance Among Trauma-Exposed Children.

Concordance in caregivers’ and children’s reports of children’s trauma-related symptoms is often low, and symptom discrepancies are associated with negative clinical implications. The aim of the cu...
Rat Brain Cyclic Amp Levels and Withdrawal Behavior following Treatment with t-Butanol

Tertiary alcohols, for all practical purposes, are not oxidatively metabolized. Thus, t-butanol is a potentially useful tool to evaluate whether a given biologic action is due to alcohol or one of its metabolic products. Previously, several groups have shown that t-butanol can produce physical dependence in the rat (Wallgren et al., 1973; Thurman and Pathman, 1975) at doses which are 4- to 5-fold lower than ethanol. Also, t-butanol is 4 to 5 times more lipid soluble than ethanol, indicating that the dose of an alcohol necessary to produce physical dependence is inversely related to its lipid solubility.