cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lead Objects Ingested by Common Loons in New England

Abstract Necropsies of Gavia immer (Common Loon) recovered lead and non-lead foreign objects from gastrointestinal tracts. Carcasses collected between 1987 and 2000 reveal that a great deal of loon mortality on lakes in New England is attributable to ingestion of lead objects. In this study, 522 carcasses were examined to inspect the types, sizes, and masses of 222 objects responsible for lead toxicosis. Most ingested lead objects were less than 2.5 cm long and weighed less than 25 g. Information on objects ingested by loons may help in development of non-toxic alternatives.
Proton Irradiation Augments the Suppression of Tumor Progression Observed with Advanced Age

Proton radiation is touted for improved tumor targeting, over standard gamma radiation, due to the physical advantages of ion beams for radiotherapy. Recent studies from our laboratory demonstrate that in addition to these targeting advantages, proton irradiation can inhibit angiogenic and immune factors critical to “hallmark” processes that impact cancer progression, thereby modulating tumor development. Outside the therapeutic utilization of protons, high-energy protons constitute a principal component of galactic cosmic rays and thus are a consideration in carcinogenesis risk for space flight. Given that proton irradiation modulates fundamental biological processes known to decrease with aging (e.g. angiogenesis and immunogenicity), we investigated how proton irradiation impacts tumor advancement as a function of host age, a question with both therapeutic and carcinogenesis implications. Tumor lag time and growth dynamics were tracked, after injection of murine Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells into syn...
Nodal Stage Classification for Breast Carcinoma: Improving Interobserver Reproducibility Through Standardized Histologic Criteria and Image-Based Training

Purpose Reliable pathologic stage classification of axillary lymph nodes is an important determinant of prognosis and therapeutic decision making for patients with invasive breast cancer. Pathologists' distinction between micrometastasis (pN1mi) and isolated tumor cells [ITC; pN0(i+)] is variable using the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) Staging Manual (Sixth Edition). We sought to determine whether a set of clearly defined histologic criteria could lead to reproducible nodal classification by pathologists. Patients and Methods Digital images of sentinel lymph node biopsies from 56 patients with small-volume nodal metastases were examined by six experienced breast pathologists (MDs), first as a pre-test, and again as a post-test after studying a training program that outlined and illustrated the classification criteria. Results Post-test results, after study of the training program, were significantly improved. Compared with the reference MD, agreement improved from 76.2% (pre-test κ = 0.575; st...
Polyomavirus infection of the urinary tract presenting as hemorrhagic cystitis in an immunocompetent five-year-old boy.

Human polyomavirus infection, which can be detected morphologically on Pap-stained routine urine cytology specimens, is most commonly encountered in immunocompromised patients and is a well-described complication of renal transplantation. We present a case of an immunocompetent 5-year-old boy with a sudden onset of dysuria and hematuria due to a self-limited polyomavirus urinary tract infection detected on routine urine cytology and confirmed with real-time PCR. Although rare cases of nonhemorrhagic cystitis have been reported, to the best of our knowledge this is the first case of hemorrhagic cystitis occurring in this setting. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2008;36:375–378. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparison of outcomes following stereotactic body radiotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer in patients with and without pathological confirmation:

Purpose/objective:Treatment of presumed early-stage lung cancer with definitive radiation therapy in the absence of a pathologically confirmed specimen frequently occurs. However, it is not well described in the literature, and there are few North American series reporting on this patient population. We report outcomes in patients treated with stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) for presumed lung cancer and compare them to outcomes in patients treated with SBRT with pathologically confirmed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).Materials/methods:This study is based on a retrospective review of 55 patients with presumed or confirmed lung cancer: 23 patients had nondiagnostic or absent pathologic specimens while 32 patients had pathologically confirmed NSCLC. All patients had hypermetabolic primary lesions on a positron emission tomography (PET) or PET/computed tomography (CT) scan. SBRT was delivered as 48–56 Gy in four to five fractions via a four-dimensional CT treatment plan.Results:Of the patients witho...
Evaluation of internal standard predictions across instrumental platforms in inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry

In a previous paper from this laboratory, 51 different elements were ratioed to each other under a variety of altered matrix and instrumental conditions. The objective was to isolate element pairs that made good internal standards for each other. The data were collected and evaluated using a nebulizer and an inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometer. Although results suggested that many optimal internal standards were correctly predicted, it was not clear whether these predicted internal standard pairs would remain good choices for this instrument over an extended time period and whether changing instrumental platforms would alter the internal standard selections. This article considers the choice of previously selected “good” internal standards for several elements using the same GBC ICP(TOF)MS after several optimizations, a torch change and nebulizer replacement. It also considers the use of the previously determined “good” internal standards for an Agilent ICP(quadrupole)MS with a different nebulizer system, torch, mass analyzer, etc. Interestingly, it was found that the internal standards predicted in the initial study continued to perform well on both platforms considered in the present study. In fact, overall errors were smaller in the second set of TOF data and on the quadrupole than those in the first set of TOF data. Mass and ionization potential trends were also similar to those from the previous study. Although there remains to be an equation allowing a priori selection of the ideal internal standard, the current results suggest that the prediction program developed in the previous study is effective over time and instrumental platforms.
Asymptotic distributions of nonparametric regression estimators for longitudinal or functional data

The estimation of a regression function by kernel method for longitudinal or functional data is considered. In the context of longitudinal data analysis, a random function typically represents a subject that is often observed at a small number of time points, while in the studies of functional data the random realization is usually measured on a dense grid. However, essentially the same methods can be applied to both sampling plans, as well as in a number of settings lying between them. In this paper general results are derived for the asymptotic distributions of real-valued functions with arguments which are functionals formed by weighted averages of longitudinal or functional data. Asymptotic distributions for the estimators of the mean and covariance functions obtained from noisy observations with the presence of within-subject correlation are studied. These asymptotic normality results are comparable to those standard rates obtained from independent data, which is illustrated in a simulation study. Besides, this paper discusses the conditions associated with sampling plans, which are required for the validity of local properties of kernel-based estimators for longitudinal or functional data.
China-Australia co-operative program teaching management pattern and implementation plan

With the rapid development of Chinese economy and education, deepening reform and open-up policy, more and more co-operative education programs are established in China. Among them, some programs are just copies of Western style or pattern, which have no Chinese characteristics. This article elaborates on the China-Australia education program offered at Shandong Jiaotong University, conducts research on the program teaching management pattern and implementation plan, which has unique and distinctive Chinese educational characteristics and deep rooted in the university's teaching advantages and draws conclusion that only the programs which have distinctive Chinese characteristics can be successful in the context of Chinese teaching and learning environment.
Nonlinear space charge wave theory of distortion in a Klystron

We present a new view of nonlinear distortion in a klystron based on an analytically solvable nonlinear Eulerian model. The nonlinear contributions to the analytic solutions for the beam modulations are "nonlinear space charge waves" in the sense that they are produced by the nonlinear mixing of the linear space charge waves. For a single-frequency input, amplitude and phase distortion are shown to be results of "self-intermodulation" at the drive frequency, or mixing of harmonic distortions with the fundamental. The self-intermodulation contributions add out of phase with the linear space charge waves to produce gain compression and phase distortion. By comparing the results to a conventional large-signal Lagrangian model we find this physical picture is accurate for drive levels up to 1.2 dB of gain compression. For a two-frequency input we predict the third-order intermodulation distortion generation and suppression with the nonlinear space charge wave theory.
A Modular Heat-Shrink-Packaged Check Valve With High Pressure Shutoff

A novel check valve featuring adhesiveless packaging in heat-shrink tubing and dual regulation of in-plane flow is presented. The modular design enables simple replacement of valve components to modify valve behavior and performance. The specific design is intended for low-profile fluidic applications requiring flow control, such as drug delivery devices. The heat-shrink packaging scheme is extremely robust and can withstand >; 2000 mmHg (266.6 kPa) without leakage. Three different valve geometries were investigated and evaluated with theoretical and finite-element modeling analyses. Repeated flow regulation experiments on a fully packaged, hydrated valve demonstrated flow regulation between 25 and 2000 mmHg (3.33-266.6 kPa) and leak-free closure up to 500 mmHg (66.7 kPa) of reverse pressure with no observed stiction. The valve closing time constants were also determined.
Control of bus headways by traffic signal timing methods

Bus bunching causes uneven passenger loadings and increases the average passenger waiting time. Bunching is caused by an unstable relationship between delay in the actual bus arrival time and passenger loading time requirements. An appropriate mathematical representation of this process is provided, and the general mathematical requirements for stabilizing the process is described. It is shown how if the time of arrival is known at certain locations, the traffic signals may be appropriately timed to remove this instability and enable the buses to adhere to their schedule with greater precision. An example demonstrating the performance of the algorithm on a particular bus route is provided.
Comparison of three vertical search spiders

The Web's dynamic, unstructured nature makes locating resources difficult. Vertical search engines solve part of the problem by keeping indexes only in specific domains. They also offer more opportunity to apply domain knowledge in the spider applications that collect content for their databases. The authors used three approaches to investigate algorithms for improving the performance of vertical search engine spiders: a breadth-first graph-traversal algorithm with no heuristics to refine the search process, a best-first traversal algorithm that uses a hyperlink-analysis heuristic, and a spreading-activation algorithm based on modeling the Web as a neural network.
Polemics on the modesty and segregation of women in contemporary Egypt.

The issue of woman's proper role in society is a lively one in any country today, East or West. Perhaps in no other area has the rapidity of social and economic change touched the lives and values of the average person so deeply. In the Middle East this topic is particularly sensitive because one of the most frequent criticisms leveled at Islam by Western observers is that it degrades women. Male guardianship of women, forced marriages, polygamy, the seclusion of women, and the man's unilateral right of divorce are all, in Western eyes, indications of the inferior status of women in Muslim society and of the inferiority of Islam as a religious and cultural system. Furthermore, Westerners often see it as their duty, whether as mission or strategem, to assist the Muslim woman to liberate herself from these traditional bonds, and especially to remove her veil and educate her.
Affect-aware tutors: recognising and responding to student affect

Theories and technologies are needed to understand and integrate the knowledge of student affect (e.g., frustration, motivation and self-confidence) into learning models. Our goals are to redress the cognitive versus affective imbalance in teaching systems, develop tools that model student affect and build tutors that elicit, measure and respond to student affect. This article describes our broad approach towards this goal and our three main objectives: develop tools for affect recognition, interventions in response to student affect, and emotionally animated agents.
AN ANNOTATED LIST OF THE PLANT BUGS, OR MIRIDAE (HEMIPTERA: HETEROPTERA), OF KENTUCKY

Abstract A list of 202 species of Miridae, or plant bugs, of Kentucky is presented, based on study of more than 4,000 specimens from the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville collections and fieldwork conducted by the authors, supplemented by a review of the literature. One- hundred seventy-six species are newly recorded from the state; 26 species previously were known in Kentucky based on the most recent North American Heteroptera catalog and a few other literature sources. The Miridae in this list are arranged alphabetically by subfamily, tribe, genus, and species. Distribution, dates, host plants, depository, and number of specimens examined are provided for each species. When a Kentucky host was not recorded, literature documenting known hosts is given, along with selected papers providing biological information.
Structural and morphological evaluation of Ru–Pd bimetallic nanocrystals

Abstract Ru–Pd bimetallic nanocrystals are successfully synthesized via a facile polyol co-reduction method. The resulting nanocrystals show spheres, triangular nanoplates, decahedra, nanorods, and irregular shapes. A combination of PdII and RuIII precursors tends to yield Ru–Pd bimetallic nanocrystals of higher shape monodispersity than those from PdII and RuII precursors. The mole ratio between Ru and Pd components in the precursor solution also plays a key role in determining the size/shape distribution of the nanocrystals, with higher Pd/Ru ratios generating products of more uniform size. Elemental analyses and electron microscopy studies suggest that the obtained nanocrystals have alloyed structures over the full composition space and that they form through either monomer addition or coalescence mechanisms.
A model study of changes in excitability of ventricular muscle cells: inhibition, facilitation, and hysteresis

A model study was carried out to investigate the mechanism of changes in excitability at long cycle lengths (i.e., > 1,000 ms), which are responsible for various phenomena, including electrotonic i...
Neurohumoral interactions in conscious dehydrated rabbit

The purpose of this study was to examine the role of angiotensin II (ANG II), arginine vasopressin (AVP), and neurogenic mechanisms in maintaining arterial pressure (MAP) in conscious water-deprived rabbits. Water deprivation produced marked increases in plasma renin activity and the concentration of AVP; however, plasma catecholamine concentrations were unchanged. Arterial baroreflex control of renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA) and heart rate (HR) was similar in water-replete and dehydrated animals. Administration of an ANG II receptor antagonist (ANG IIX) to water-deprived animals produced a small decrease in MAP but no significant changes in HR or mesenteric and hindquarters vascular resistances. Similarly, there was no significant effect on MAP, HR, or regional hemodynamics when dehydrated animals received an AVP-V1 antagonist (AVPX). RSNA increased by maximums of 61 and 43% in response to ANG IIX and AVPX, respectively. Combined administration of ANG IIX and AVPX produced significant decreases in MAP (-9 mmHg) and hindquarters resistance (-24%) and 117% and 23 beat/min increases in RSNA and HR, respectively. The effect on mesenteric resistance was variable; however, the response was generally a decrease. We conclude that ANG II and AVP pressor mechanisms are activated to sustain MAP in the dehydrated state. In contrast, the basal level and baroreflex control of sympathetic nervous system activity are unchanged from the water-replete state. However, activation of sympathetic nerve activity may become important in maintaining peripheral resistance when ANG II and AVP receptors are blocked in water-deprived animals.
Music Mash-Ups: The Current Australian Copyright Implications, Moral Rights and Fair Dealing in the Remix Era

This article discusses the likely Australian copyright implications of an increasingly popular form of digital music expression: the music mash-up, a majority of which are created from pre-existing audio/sound recordings and video without permission of the copyright owner. In examining this issue, the analysis of the courts in the recent Larrikin music copyright infringement cases are examined. Consideration of the implications of music mash-up creation to moral rights is also considered. In the hypothetical scenario that a music mash-up artist is accused of copyright infringement, consideration is given as to the likely outcome of the application of the fair dealing exceptions under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). Finally, a suggestion is made as to the direction of future law reform in this area.
162 TRANSTHORACIC ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY PREDICTORS OF LEFT ATRIAL THROMBUS AND DENSE SMOKE IN PATIENTS WITH NONVALVULAR ATRIAL FIBRILLATION.

Introduction Major known risk factors for stroke in nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) identified by transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) are left atrial thrombus (LAT), spontaneous echocardiographic contrast (dense smoke), left atrial appendage emptying velocity (LAAEV) less than or equal to 0.2 m/sec, and complex aortic plaque (CAP). Study Hypothesis Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) variables may predict the presence of LAT. Methods Of 183 consecutive patients (median age 73, range 35 to 103 years) who underwent TEE prior to cardioversion for NVAF and who had a TTE within 3 months of the index TEE, 20 were excluded because of mitral valve disease (any mitral stenosis, moderate-severe mitral reurgitation, or mitral prosthesis). The following variables were entered as potential predictors of TEE risk factors for stroke in logistic regression analyses: age $ 70 years, left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH, septum in diastole > 1.2 cm), left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD, LVEF 4.0 cm). Results The following table presents the results of the logistic regression analyses (n = 163): Conclusion LVH and LVSD were identified as independent predictors of LAT, dense smoke, and low LAAEV. RV pacing lead was found to be an additional predictor of dense smoke, whereas age $ 70 years was the only predictor of complex aortic plaque.
Formulating Design Principles For Management Information Systems

AbstractThere is a need to incorporate both formal and informal modes of generating information in the concept of information systems. Further, the model (s) used to accomplish this integration should be structured so as to illustrate the alternatives available relative to designing or adapting an information system. The models discussed provide a basis for formulating design principles as well as illustrating alternative system structures.
Rheumatoid arthritis: Targeted interventions can minimize joint destruction

Rheumatoid arthritis can cause joint erosion and deformity, pain, stiffness, and decreased function and range of motion. Early diagnosis is crucial to prevent permanent joint damage. In this article, Drs Williams and Fye discuss articular and extra-articular manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis as well as the evolving treatment approaches to this complex disease.
A long, deep and wide artificial neural net for robust speech recognition in unknown noise.

A long deep and wide artificial neural net (LDWNN) with multiple ensemble neural nets for individual frequency subbands is proposed for robust speech recognition in unknown noise. It is assumed that the effect of arbitrary additive noise on speech recognition can be approximated by white noise (or speech-shaped noise) of similar level across multiple frequency subbands. The ensemble neural nets are trained in clean and speech-shaped noise at 20, 10, and 5 dB SNR to accommodate noise of different levels, followed by a neural net trained to select the most suitable neural net for optimum information extraction within a frequency subband. The posteriors from multiple frequency subbands are fused by another neural net to give a more reliable estimation. Experimental results show that the subband ensemble net adapts well to unknow noise.
Voltage-gated cation and anion channels in mammalian Schwann cells and astrocytes.

This article reviews some recent studies on the voltage-gated ion channels in the plasmalemma of the satellite cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems. Following the finding that rabbit Schwann cells exhibit a large binding capacity for saxitoxin (Ritchie and Rang, 1983) electrophysiological studies have shown that these cells not only express plasmalemmal voltage-gated sodium channels but also voltage-gated potassium channels (Chiu, Shrager and Ritchie, 1984; Shrager, Chiu and Ritchie, 1985). Whole-cell recording with the patch-clamp method reveals that the properties of these two kinds of channel are quite similar to those of the corresponding channels in the nodal axolemma, except that the peak current-voltage relation of the sodium channels is shifted about 30 mV in the depolarizing direction. Similar voltage-gated sodium and potassium channels exist in rat cultured astrocytes (Bevan et al., 1985). Furthermore, the outward current on depolarization in astrocytes has a component other than that carried in the potassium channels. About 75% of the total outward current is blocked by external TEA or internal caesium; and it is presumed to be a potassium current. The remainder, however, is insensitive to these potassium channel blocking agents; but it is abolished by exposure to the two stilbene sulphonates, DIDS and SITS (Gray and Ritchie, 1986). This remaining current persists in the presence of the large organic cation N-methyl-(+)-glucamine in the patch pipette. It is, however, reduced when the chloride of the external medium is replaced by methyl-sulphate, sulphate, or isethionate; and it is abolished when the external anion is gluconate (M.W., 190). The TEA-insensitive component of outward current in astrocytes thus seem to involve an influx of chloride ions through a voltage-gated channel whose diameter is such that anions larger than gluconate cannot pass. The current in the channels is neglible at potentials more negative than about -40 mV.
Conley's connection matrix

An oft posed question is, given a dynamical system with fixed points, can one prove the existence of heteroclinic orbits. On a more general level one can ask whether, given a collection of invariant sets, there exist connecting solutions between them. C. Conley introduced an algebraic object called the connection matrix which is designed to answer such questions. The ideas involved are generalizations of earlier techniques based on the Conley index which allowed one to prove the existence of connections between attractor-repeller pairs. The simplest description of the connection matrix is that it organizes the information provided by the homology (or co-homology) groups of the Conley indices associated to the isolated invariant sets. Never-the-less, it is the author’s belief that in its present form the connection matrix can be applied to many interesting problems by individuals with little or no training in algebraic topology. The purpose of this paper is to describe, on the most elementary level, the connection matrix and to show how strong results can be easily obtained.
Optimal sizing of Hybrid Energy Storage Systems to mitigate wind power fluctuations

Wind energy penetration level may be adversely impacted by frequency deviations as a result of wind power fluctuations. Energy Storage System (ESS) can be a viable candidate for mitigating wind power fluctuations. However, economic considerations for ESS may cause significant limits in implementation. Therefore, effectiveness and optimal size of ESS are important to study. This paper proposes a method to find an optimal size of sodium sulfur battery energy storage and pumped storage hydro to accommodate high penetrations of wind energy. The proposed method decomposes the imbalance power by using Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) to fast and slow components. Hence, different ESS technologies can be dispatched based on their effectiveness in various time spans. For instance, the slower pumped storage hydro can compensate slow cycles, and the fast-acting batteries can be dispatched to balance smaller and more frequent cycles. This method can be used in the planning of different ESS technologies. Comparative studies on real wind data from Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) shows the efficacy of the proposed method.
Gender-specific determinants of asthma among U.S. adults.

Asthma, a chronic respiratory disease affecting over 18.7 million American adults, has marked disparities by gender, race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Our goal was to identify gender-specific demographic and socioeconomic determinants of asthma prevalence among U.S. adults using data from the Behavioral Risk Factors Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Gender-specific regression analyses were performed to model the relationship between asthma prevalence with age, race/ethnicity, income, education level, smoking status, and body mass index (BMI), while taking into account the study designs. Based on BRFSS data from 1,003,894 respondents, weighted asthma prevalence was 6.2% in males and 10.6% in females. Asthma prevalence among grade 2 obese and grade 3 obese vs. not overweight or obese women was 2.5 and 3.5 times higher, respectively, while that in men was 1.7 and 2.4 times higher; asthma prevalence among current vs. never smoker women was 1.4 times higher, while that in men was 1.1 times higher. Similar results were obtained with NHANES data from 13,364 respondents: asthma prevalence among grade 2 obese and grade 3 obese vs. not overweight or obese respondents was 2.0 and 3.3 times higher for women, though there was no significant difference for men; asthma prevalence among current vs. never smokers was 1.8 times higher for women and not significantly different in men. Asthma prevalence by race/ethnicity and income levels did not differ considerably between men and women. Our results underscore the importance of obesity and smoking as modifiable asthma risk factors that most strongly affect women.
Modeling of fuzzy-based voice of customer for business decision analytics

Identification, interpretation and response to customer requirements are the key success factors for companies, regardless of their industry. Failing to satisfy customer requirements can damage a company's reputation and cause heavy losses. In this study, we have developed a new approach for properly interpreting and analyzing the fuzzy voice of the customer using association rule learning and text mining. This unique methodology converts textual and qualitative data into a common quantitative format which is then used to develop a mapped Integrated Customer Satisfaction Index (ICSI). ICSI is a framework for measuring customer satisfaction. Previous measures of customer satisfaction ratio failed to incorporate the cost implications of resolving customer complaints/issues and the fuzzy impact of those complaints/issues on the system. In addition to including these important and unique factors in the present study, we have also introduced a dynamic Critical to Quality (CTQ) concept, a novel method that provides a real-time system to monitor the CTQ list through an updated CTQ library. Finally, a procedure for customer feedback mining and sentiment analysis is proposed that handles typographical errors, which are unavoidable in every real database. The results of this study suggest that incorporating the fuzzy level of negativity and positivity of comments into the model instead of treating negative and positive comments as binary variables, leads to more reasonable outcomes. In addition, this study provides a more structured framework for understanding customer requirements.
Effects of Charge Balance and Exciton Confinement on the Operational Lifetime of Blue Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes

For 15 years, the rapid degradation of luminance over time has rendered blue phosphorescent light emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) too short-lived for many practical applications. To date, studies have concentrated on the degradation of the emitting materials, yet not the many other parts of these devices. The authors develop a method to measure charge and exciton leakage directly over time, and find that these effects are $n\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}o\phantom{\rule{0}{0ex}}t$ responsible for PHOLED degradation---an important revelation that shifts our attention toward the actual sources of failure.
Differences in Skin Structure and Function in Ethnic Populations

The structure and function of the various components of skin are well studied. In the last few decades, increasing research has examined whether the structure and function of skin may vary among skin types including those across different races and ethnicities. Certain similarities and differences have been discovered while other areas require further study. As physicians continue to treat diverse populations, an understanding of these similarities and differences is essential in providing appropriate medical care.
Engines of Empire: Steamships and the Victorian Imagination

Douglas R. Burgess Jr. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2016. viii and 342 pp., notes, bibliography, index. $35.00 cloth (ISBN 9780804798068).Gone now, and increasingly forgotten with the e...
Carrier-grade availability-aware mapping of Service Function Chains with on-site backups

Network Function Virtualization (NFV) is a promising technique to greatly improve the effectiveness and flexibility of network services through a process named Service Function Chain (SFC) mapping, with which network functions (NFs) are deployed over virtualized and shared platforms in data centers. NFV typically requires a higher availability at the carrier grade than conventional cloud-based IT services, provided by native IaaS mechanism, for example. To achieve the high availability, each VNFs in an SFC can be provisioned with sufficient on-site backups. However, having too many backups may greatly decrease the resource utilization. Therefore, an open challenge is to find an effective method to allocate backup resource in order to maximize the number of SFC requests that can be served while meeting their heterogeneous availability requirements. To address this challenge, we first study how to allocate a minimum amount of backup resource for a single SFC request as an integer nonlinear program and provide an optimal solution. Based on the solution, we then propose an online heuristic algorithm for mapping multiple SFC requests with the objective of maximizing the number of SFC requests that can be served. Last but not least, we introduce a novel backup pooling mechanism to further improve the efficiency of backup resource usage. Through simulations, we show that our proposed algorithm can significantly reduce resource consumption due to backups and increase the number of co-existing SFC requests that can be served.
Batch spot market for data analytics cloud providers

Hosting data analytics services is challenging as their workload is often composed of on-line (e.g., interactive or streaming), requiring fast on-demand provisioning, and batch jobs. As workload demand fluctuations lead to varying idle capacity, efficient resource management is difficult, in particular given different provider objectives, e.g., utilization, revenue.
Screening for Lipid Disorders in Children and Adolescents.

A healthy 12-year-old boy presents for a school physical and well visit. His family history reveals that his maternal grandfather had a heart attack at 75 years of age and that his 52-year-old father has started taking a medication for elevated cholesterol levels.
Attojoule Modulators for Photonic Neuromorphic Computing

We show how the nonlinear transfer function of electrooptic modulators enables vector matrix multiplications of photonic neural networks. Here the modulators energy-per-bit function and signal-to-noise ratio are critical factors impacting system performance.
Ultra-reliable and energy efficient wireless sensor networks

Near instant link failure recovery and lower energy consumption can be achieved via the synergistic combination of Diversity and modified Triangular Network Coding (eDC-NC), an open-loop coding technique, in a wide variety of network architectures. In this paper, eDC-NC is applied to Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to enable very rapid recovering from wireless link/node failures and provide low computational and energy cost, which are very important metrics for WSNs. It is shown that utilizing eDC-NC coding in WSNs can provide ultra-reliability with very rapid fault recovery, decrease energy consumption, and increase the network throughput for broadcasting applications.
Making a Notch in the Evolution of the Human Cortex.

The unique structure and function of the human brain ultimately results from the action of evolution on the human genome. In a recent issue of Cell, Fiddes et al. (2018) and Suzuki et al. (2018) describe human-specific NOTCH2 paralogs that enhance neural progenitor proliferation and expand cortical neurogenesis.
Site-directed insertion of transgenes in drosophila

The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been a popular and productive model organism for more than a century. Methods for essentially random transgene introduction developed in the 1980s have been supplemented more recently with site-specific and targeted approaches. Integrated recognition sites for PhiC31 integrase allow reproducible locations for related transgenes. Targeting through homologous recombination has been achieved by in situ generation of linear donor DNA. Enhanced targeting frequencies have been achieved by making a double-strand break in the target with zinc-finger nucleases (ZFNs). Relative strengths and weaknesses of these approaches are considered.
'Those Who are Used': A Commentary on the Employee: A Political History, by Jean-Christian Vinel

This paper is a critical commentary on Jean-Christian Vinel’s 2013 book, The Employee: A Political History. In substance, Vinel’s book addresses the history and consequences of the failure of American unions to organize supervisory employees. However, as befits a book published in a series created “to reverse the fragmentation of modern U.S. history and to encourage synthetic perspectives on social movements and the state,” it ranges rather more broadly. Thus, the book is a legal and political history of a word (“employee”). It also attempts an intellectual history of American industrial relations theory, and of the course of labor relations law from the New Deal into the twenty-first century. It is also a brave effort to synthesize the distinct “critical” and “industrial realist” strains of labor relations history that spent the better part of the 1980s and 1990s, amid the unfolding, never-ending, crisis of American trade unionism, arguing over how to interpret the legacy of the New Deal’s collective bargaining policy. And it is an effort at a critique of both those positions (although Vinel’s sympathies are ultimately with the realists.) Finally, while indubitably an American history, The Employee is intermittently comparative. This commentary assesses sympathetically Vinel’s efforts, but parts company from his conclusions.
Complement Mediators of Inflammation

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the chemistry and biology of three complement-derived polypeptides, termed anaphylatoxins, that function most importantly as mediators of inflammation. The human anaphylatoxins C3a, C4a, and C5a are biologically active low molecular weight fragments derived from the complement components C3, C4, and C5, respectively. All of these polypeptides share a common biological activity termed as spasmogenicity; that is, they promote smooth muscle contraction and induce increased vascular permeability. It is these biological properties that account for the ability of these molecules, and C5a in particular, to induce an anaphylactic response in appropriate test animals—thus their designation as anaphylatoxins. Once the anaphylatoxins are formed in human serum, their spasmogenie activities are rapidly abrogated by an enzyme that acts as an anaphylatoxin inactivator. This exopeptidase, serum carboxypeptidase N, removes the COOH-terminal arginyl residue from each of the anaphylatoxin molecules and converts them to their des-Arg derivatives. All three of the human anaphylatoxins display spasmogenic activity. In the case of C3a and C4a, this activity is rapidly destroyed by a serum exopeptidase that selectively removes their COOH-terminal arginyl residues. Normally, this enzymatic control mechanism is so effective that biologically active forms of these molecules are not found circulating in blood. As a result, the biological properties of these two anaphylatoxins may only be manifest at local sites in vivo .
Teaching the Design-by-Contract Concept in a Software Engineering Course Using RESOLVE

Design by contract (DBC) is a key concept in software engineering. The RESOLVE language and environment support the teaching and learning of DBC concepts. However, students encounter obstacles in fully achieving the desired educational outcomes. Some of these obstacles are related to the complexity of the content. Additional appropriate exercises can help to address these obstacles. Other obstacles are related to features of the environment and documentation. We propose a variety of interventions to address these obstacles, including potential revisions to the environment, updates to the documentation, and the creation of additional instructional materials.
Assessing the Impact of Time Spent in Restrictive Housing Confinement on Subsequent Measures of Institutional Adjustment Among Men in Prison

Proponents of restrictive housing argue that its use is an effective deterrent of antisocial behavior, while its critics maintain that the setting causes serious psychological damage and increases ...
Interactions of long-term food ration variation and short-term fasting on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) pathways in copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus).

Abstract Variation in food intake affects somatic growth by altering the expression of hormones in the somatotropic endocrine axis including insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Here, we examined IGF-1 pathway responses to long- and short-term variation in food availability in copper rockfish (Sebastes caurinus), a nearshore Pacific rockfish important for commercial and recreational fisheries. Juvenile copper rockfish were raised under differing ration amounts (3% or 9% mass feed·g−1 fish wet mass·day−1) for 140 d to simulate ‘long-term’ feeding variation, after which some fish from both rations were fasted for 12 d to generate ‘short-term’ conditions of food deprivation. Rockfish on the 9% ration treatment grew more quickly than those on the 3% ration and were larger in mass, length, and body condition (k) after 152 d. Fish on the 9% ration had higher blood glucose than those on the 3% ration, with fasting decreasing blood glucose in both ration treatments, indicating that both long-term and short-term feed treatments altered energy status. Plasma IGF-1 was higher in rockfish from the 9% ration than those in the 3% ration and was also higher in fed fish than fasted fish. Additionally, plasma IGF-1 related positively to individual variation in specific growth rate (SGR). The positive association between IGF-1 and SGR showed discordance in fish that had experienced different levels of food and growth over the long-term but not short-term, suggesting that long-term nutritional experience can influence the relationship between IGF-1 and growth in this species. Rockfish on the 3% ration showed a lower relative abundance of gene transcripts encoding igf1 in the liver, but higher hepatic mRNAs for IGF binding proteins igfbp1a and igfbp1b. Fasting similarly decreased the abundance of igf1 mRNAs in the liver of fish reared under both the 9% and 3% rations, while concurrently increasing mRNAs encoding the IGF binding proteins igfbp1a, -1b, and -3a. Hepatic mRNAs for igfbp2b, -5a, and -5b were lower with long-term ration variation (3% ration) and fasting. Fish that experienced long-term reduced rations also had higher mRNA levels for igfbp3a, -3b, and IGF receptors isoforms A (igf1rA) and B (igf1rB) in skeletal muscle, but lower mRNA levels for igf1. Fasting increased muscle mRNA abundance for igfbp3a, igf1rA, and igf1rB, and decreased levels for igfbp2a and igf1. These data show that a positive relationship between circulating IGF-1 and individual growth rate is maintained in copper rockfish even when that growth variation relates to differences in food consumption across varying time scales, but that long- and short-term variation in food quantity can shift basal concentrations of circulating IGF-1 in this species.
Rotary manifold for automating a paper-based Salmonella immunoassay

Foodborne pathogens are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths around the world each year. Rapid screening of agricultural products for these pathogens is essential to reduce and/or prevent outbreaks and pinpoint contamination sources. Unfortunately, current detection methods are laborious, expensive, time-consuming and require a central laboratory. Therefore, a rapid, sensitive, and field-deployable pathogen-detection assay is needed. We previously developed a colorimetric sandwich immunoassay utilizing immuno-magnetic separation (IMS) and chlorophenol red-β-D-galactopyranoside for Salmonella detection on a paper-based analytical device (μPAD); however, the assay required many sample preparation steps prior to the μPAD as well as laboratory equipment, which decreased user-friendliness for future end-users. As a step towards overcoming these limitations in resource-limited settings, we demonstrate a reusable 3D-printed rotational manifold that couples with disposable μPAD layers for semi-automated reagent delivery, washing, and detection in 65 minutes. After IMS to clean the sample, the manifold performs pipette-free reagent delivery and washing steps in a sequential order with controlled volumes, followed by enzymatic amplification and colorimetric detection using automated image processing to quantify color change. Salmonella was used as the target pathogen in this project and was detected with the manifold in growth media and milk with detection limits of 4.4 × 102 and 6.4 × 102 CFU mL−1 respectively. The manifold increases user friendliness and simplifies immunoassays resulting in a practical product for in-field use and commercialization.
A Guide/Antiguide Structure for Implementing Self-Imaging Waveguide Beamsplitters

Optical beamsplitting forms a critical function in applications such as antenna remoting, cable television (CATV) distribution, and telecommunications. In each of these areas, the input and outputs to the splitting device typically consist of optical fibers. A Y-branching tree of fused fiber splitters is sufficient for small numbers of splitters, N. For N ≥ 16, however, fused fiber splitters are impracticable and fiber-pigtailed integrated optical splitters appear more viable. Desired characteristics of integrated optical (IO) beamsplitters include robustness in fabrication tolerance, ease of manufacture, fabrication techniques implementable in a variety of material systems, insensitivity to polarization, uniformity in splitting ratios, low insertion loss, and compact size. Previous designs of IO beamsplitters used cascaded Y-junction branches [1] or evanescent field couplers [2]; but, more recently, computer-generated waveguide holograms [3], radiative power splitters [4], [5], and self-imaging beamsplitters [6] have been demonstrated. To achieve all the desired device characteristics, we argue that the self-imaging approach holds the greatest promise.
An Integrated State of Health (SOH) Balancing Method for Lithium-Ion Battery Cells

This paper proposes a novel methodology to balance the State of Health (SOH) of lithium-ion battery cells which are connected in series through DC/DC converters. SOH has been emerged as the critical battery health indicator besides the State of Charge (SOC), battery internal resistance and other conventional precursors. SOH balancing is crucial for utilizing the battery cells which shows different capacity characteristics due to aging factor. A simplified SOH balancing topology of liion battery cells which are connected through DC/DC converters providing power to a common load is proposed. The simplified SOH balancing method is well applicable to cases where battery maintenance accessibility is limited. Additionally, employing the proposed SOH balancing scheme would enhance the operational life time of total battery storage unit and reduce the battery replacement cost. Extensive simulations have been presented in this paper to validate the proof of concept.