cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A new model of landscape‐scale fire connectivity applied to resource and fire management in the Sonoran Desert, USA

Understanding where and when on the landscape fire is likely to burn (fire likelihood) and the predicted responses of valued resources (fire effects) will lead to more effective management of wildfire risk in multiple ecosystem types. Fire is a contagious and highly unpredictable process, and an analysis of fire connectivity that incorporates stochasticity may help predict fire likelihood across large extents. We developed a model of fire connectivity based on electrical circuit theory, which is a probabilistic approach to modeling ecological flows. We first parameterized our model to reflect the synergistic influences of fuels, landscape properties, and winds on fire spread in the lower Sonoran Desert of southwestern Arizona, and then defined this landscape as an interconnected network through which to model flow (i.e., fire spread). We interpreted the mapped outputs as fire likelihood and used historical burned area data to evaluate our results. Expected fire effects were characterized based on the degree to which future fire exposure might negatively impact native plant community recovery, taking into account the impact of repeated fire and major vegetation associations. We explored fire effects within habitat for the endangered Sonoran pronghorn antelope and designated wilderness. Model results indicated that fire likelihood was higher in lower elevations, and in areas with lower slopes and topographic roughness. Fire likelihood and effects were predicted to be high in 21% of the currently occupied range of the Sonoran pronghorn and 15% of the additional habitat considered suitable. Across 16 designated wilderness areas, highest predicted fire likelihood and effects fell within low elevation wilderness areas that overlapped large fire perimeters that occurred in 2005. As ongoing changes in climate and land cover are poised to alter the fire regime across extensive and ecologically important areas in the lower Sonoran Desert, an analysis of fire likelihood and effects can contribute new and important information to fire and fuels management. Our novel approach to modeling fire connectivity addresses challenges in quantifying and communicating wildfire risk and is applicable to other ecosystems and management issues globally.
A Rift Valley Gravity Profile in Southern Malawi

A gravity profile across the East African Rift System in southern Malawi shows a large free air anomaly comparable to those in Tanzania and northern Malawi.
Systolic array processing for order and time recursive generalized least-squares estimation

In this paper we present a geometric formalism by which it is possible to derive a large family of least-squares algorithms for systolic arrays. The geometric formalism is based upon that introduced by Shensal and Lee, et al., in their derivation of the Least-Squares Lattice Algorithm. Specifically, their time update theorem is used along with an order update theorem to derive general vector time and order recursion relations. As a result, a large number of new and previously known time and order recursive least-squares algorithms for systolic arrays can be derived in a unified manner.
Conducting a Journal Assessment Using an Enhanced MS Access Database

An existing Microsoft Access journals-specific database providing aggregated subject and other department-specific title information was enhanced to support the ease and efficacy of conducting a survey of School of Medicine faculty to ensure the journal collection reflected their educational and professional needs. Additional evaluative data points were recorded in the database. MS Access then facilitated the creation of the surveys, recording results from returned surveys and creation of results summaries for departments. The surveys expanded the knowledge of full-time faculty about departmental holdings at the title level, while enabling the serials team to obtain better information to support collection development.
Reversible inhibition of enzymes by interaction with synthetic polysaccharide macroanions

Abstract Charged polyglucose derivatives, such as polyglucose sulfates, with different molecular weights, branching, and degree of substitution precipitated basic proteins, such as lysozyme, ribonuclease, protamine, thymus peptide, polymyxin B, an ACTH preparation, cytochrome c, and serum albumin from aqueous solution at low pH and salt concentration. Enzymic activity of lysozyme, ribonuclease (both on ribonucleic acid and on a cyclic phosphate), and hyaluronidase was inhibited in solution. The inhibition required macromolecular size and polyanionic structure and depended on the type and amount of charged groups on the synthetic polysaccharide derivative. Highly substituted sulfates were the most effective inhibitors, while sulfates with similar molecular size but lower charge density or derivatives with weaker dissociating anionic groups (carboxyls) had less inhibitory activity. The inhibition appears to be due to electrostatic interaction forces between the oppositely charged macromolecules and can be reversed by a polymeric cation stronger than the substrate.
Metallurgical analyses of failed orthopedic implants

Several metallic orthopedic implants which failed in service and for which the medical histories are known are comprehensively examined using metallographic techniques and electron microprobe analyses to determine the causes of failure. The results indicate that fatigue is a major cause of failure and that, in all probability, the fatigue is initiated by poor design or poor material.
Autonomic Workflow Activities: The AWARD Framework

Workflows have been successfully applied to express the decomposition of complex scientific applications. This has motivated many initiatives that have been developing scientific workflow tools. However the existing tools still lack adequate support to important aspects namely, decoupling the enactment engine from workflow tasks specification, decentralizing the control of workflow activities, and allowing their tasks to run autonomous in distributed infrastructures, for instance on Clouds. Furthermore many workflow tools only support the execution of Direct Acyclic Graphs (DAG) without the concept of iterations, where activities are executed millions of iterations during long periods of time and supporting dynamic workflow reconfigurations after certain iteration. We present the AWARD (Autonomic Workflow Activities Reconfigurable and Dynamic) model of computation, based on the Process Networks model, where the workflow activities (AWA) are autonomic processes with independent control that can run in parallel on distributed infrastructures, e. g. on Clouds. Each AWA executes a Task developed as a Java class that implements a generic interface allowing end-users to code their applications without concerns for low-level details. The data-driven coordination of AWA interactions is based on a shared tuple space that also enables support to dynamic workflow reconfiguration and monitoring of the execution of workflows. We describe how AWARD supports dynamic reconfiguration and discuss typical workflow reconfiguration scenarios. For evaluation we describe experimental results of AWARD workflow executions in several application scenarios, mapped to a small dedicated cluster and the Amazon (Elastic Computing EC2) Cloud.
Parity nonconservation and the origin of biological chirality: Theoretical calculations

Recent theoretical calculations concerning the hypothesized connection between the parity violating weak interactions and the origin of biological chirality are extended in order to assess the relative importance of differential beta radiolysis of enantiomers and the energy difference between enantiomers. It is found that the largest chiral, polarizations are produced at lower temperatures where beta radiolysis dominates. At higher temperatures the energy difference between enantiomers dominates but the chiral polarization is appreciably smaller.
The pyridine ring of NAD is formed by a nonenzymatic pericyclic reaction.

The biosynthesis of quinolinate 3, the precursor to the pyridine ring of NAD, is still poorly understood. Two pathways have been identified, one involving the direct formation of quinolinic acid from aspartate and dihydroxyacetone phosphate, the other requiring a five-step degradation of tryptophan. The final step in this degradation is catalyzed by the non-heme Fe(II)-dependent enzyme 3-hydroxyanthranilate-3,4-dioxygenase (HAD). This enzyme catalyzes the oxidative ring opening of 3-hydroxyanthranilate (1) to 2-amino-3-carboxymuconic semialdehyde (ACMS, 2) which then cyclizes to quinolinate (3). In this communication, we demonstrate the following: (1) cyclization of ACMS to 3 is not HAD catalyzed, (2) the most stable form of ACMS in solution is an all trans isomer which undergoes facile cis to trans isomerization about the C2−C3 and C4−C5 double bonds via transient formation of its enol tautomer (6), (3) a model study on the ring opening of N,N-dimethylcarbamoylpyridinium with hydroxide and methoxide sug...
Highly diastereoselective reduction of ferrocene bis-imines with methyllithium and the formation of C2-symmetric Zr complexes.

Alkylation of ferrocene bis-imines Fc[NC(H)Ar]2 (Ar = Ph, p-Tol) with MeLi was found to proceed in a highly diastereoselective fashion producing the C2-symmetric ferrocene diamines Fc[NC(H)(Me)Ar]2–H2 with 90% diastereomeric excess. This process allowed for the synthesis of C2-symmetric zirconium complexes Fc[NC(Me)Ar]ZrBn2.
RETCON: transactional repair without replay

Over the past decade there has been a surge of academic and industrial interest in optimistic concurrency, i.e. the speculative parallel execution of code regions that have the semantics of isolation. This work analyzes scalability bottlenecks of workloads that use optimistic concurrency. We find that one common bottleneck is updates to auxiliary program data in otherwise non-conflicting operations, e.g. reference count updates and hashtable occupancy field increments. To eliminate the performance impact of conflicts on such auxiliary data, this work proposes RETCON, a hardware mechanism that tracks the relationship between input and output values symbolically and uses this symbolic information to transparently repair the output state of a transaction at commit. RETCON is inspired by instruction replay-based mechanisms but exploits simplifying properties of the nature of computations on auxiliary data to perform repair without replay. Our experiments show that RETCON provides significant speedups for workloads that exhibit conflicts on auxiliary data, including transforming a transactionalized version of the Python interpreter from a workload that exhibits no scaling to one that exhibits near-linear scaling on 32 cores.
Explicit computation of Gross-Stark units over real quadratic fields

Abstract Text We present an effective and practical algorithm for computing Gross–Stark units over a real quadratic base field F . Our algorithm allows us to explicitly construct certain relative abelian extensions of F where these units lie, using only information from the base field. These units were recently proved to always exist within the correct extension fields of F by Dasgupta, Darmon, and Pollack, without directly producing them. Video For a video summary of this paper, please click here or visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h1-GW-sTNc .
Building America Research Benchmark Definition: Updated December 2009

To track progress toward aggressive multi-year whole-house energy savings goals of 40-70% and onsite power production of up to 30%, DOE's Residential Buildings Program and NREL developed the Building America Research Benchmark in consultation with the Building America industry teams. The Benchmark is generally consistent with mid-1990s standard practice, as reflected in the Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Technical Guidelines (RESNET 2002), with additional definitions that allow the analyst to evaluate all residential end-uses, an extension of the traditional HERS rating approach that focuses on space conditioning and hot water. Unlike the reference homes used for HERS, EnergyStar, and most energy codes, the Benchmark represents typical construction at a fixed point in time so it can be used as the basis for Building America's multi-year energy savings goals without the complication of chasing a ''moving target''.
Stick To What You Know

Iwill be arguing that a subject’s belief thatp is justified if andonly if heknows that p: justification is knowledge. I will start by describing two broad classes of allegedly justified beliefs that do not constitute knowledge and which, hence, cannot be what they are often taken to be if my view is correct. It is far from clear what my view is until I say a lot more about the relevant concept or concepts of justification that concernme. The following section describes several concepts of justification that epistemologists have employed, and, in particular, identifies the two concepts of justification that I claim are coextensive with the concept of knowledge. One of those is the deontological conception of justification: I will be arguing that one ought not believe that p unless one knows that p. I imagine that the major opposition to my view will be that it is simply obvious that there are justified false beliefs, a feeling that I try todispel in the lengthy sectionon concepts of justificationbefore I finally get around togiving themainarguments in favorof my view. A view as unorthodox asmine demandsmore than a single argument: I offer four in the third section. Everyone allows that many people have many unjustified beliefs, and everyone has some unjustified beliefs, but such beliefs appear to be farmore prevalent onmy view than onmore orthodox views. In the last section, I argue that unjustified beliefs, although widespread, are not quite as common as they might appear to be on my view.
FREQ-Seq: a rapid, cost-effective, sequencing-based method to determine allele frequencies directly from mixed populations.

Understanding evolutionary dynamics within microbial populations requires the ability to accurately follow allele frequencies through time. Here we present a rapid, cost-effective method (FREQ-Seq) that leverages Illumina next-generation sequencing for localized, quantitative allele frequency detection. Analogous to RNA-Seq, FREQ-Seq relies upon counts from the >105 reads generated per locus per time-point to determine allele frequencies. Loci of interest are directly amplified from a mixed population via two rounds of PCR using inexpensive, user-designed oligonucleotides and a bar-coded bridging primer system that can be regenerated in-house. The resulting bar-coded PCR products contain the adapters needed for Illumina sequencing, eliminating further library preparation. We demonstrate the utility of FREQ-Seq by determining the order and dynamics of beneficial alleles that arose as a microbial population, founded with an engineered strain of Methylobacterium, evolved to grow on methanol. Quantifying allele frequencies with minimal bias down to 1% abundance allowed effective analysis of SNPs, small in-dels and insertions of transposable elements. Our data reveal large-scale clonal interference during the early stages of adaptation and illustrate the utility of FREQ-Seq as a cost-effective tool for tracking allele frequencies in populations.
Can Art Really End

In The End of Art, 1 Arthur Danto prophetically announces the end of art history as we know it with the arrival of Andy Warhol's Brillo Box. But, when you think about it, his suggestion seems very strange. True, art exhibits a rampant, unguided pluralism. However, the mere existence of pluralism seems no more to support the end of art history than it does to suggest that we have simply entered into yet another phase of art history. The pronouncement of art history's end with Brillo Box is even more puzzling when we recall that Brillo Box also makes possible Danto's definition of art. Prima facie, there is a tension between the fact that the arrival of Brillo Box makes possible Danto's definition of art and the fact that the arrival of Brillo Box also marks the end of art. After all, of what use is a definition of art, if it is possible only after art has ended? My project has two parts: (1) Noel Carroll has argued, against Danto, that the latter uses his end-of-art thesis in an illicitly circular way.2 The reason is that Danto uses the thesis to indemnify his own essentialist theory of art against the possibility of future counterexamples. I shall argue that Danto's end-of-art thesis does not presuppose any essentialist theory of art. (2) In the second part, I shall go on to argue that, on Danto's s own terms, art history cannot come to an end anyway-contrary to his claim.
Modeling the distribution of four vegetation alliances using generalized linear models and classification trees with spatial dependence

Abstract Generalized linear models (GLMs) and classification trees were developed to predict the presence of four vegetation alliances in a section of the Mojave Desert in California. Generalized additive models were used to provide response shapes for parameterizing GLMs. Environmental variables used to model the distribution of the alliances included temperature, precipitation, elevation, elevation-derived terrain variables (slope, transformed aspect, topographic moisture index, solar radiation, and landscape position), and categorical landform/surface composition variables. Vegetation distributions exhibit spatial dependence and therefore we used indicator kriging to derive neighborhood values of “presence” also used as predictors in the models. The models were developed using 2859 observations coded present or absent for each of the four alliances, and assessed using 960 observations. In general, all of the models were improved with the addition of the kriged dependence term. However, models that relied heavily on the kriged dependence term were less generalizable for predictive purposes. Classification tree models had higher classification accuracy with the training data, but were less robust when used for predictions with the test data. Each of the models was used to generate a map of predictions for each alliance and the results were often quite different. The predicted maps with the kriged dependence terms looked unrealistically smooth, particularly in the classification tree models where they were often selected as the most important variables, and therefore heavily influenced the spatial pattern of the resulting map predictions.
Transparency and social responsibility issues for Wikipedia

Wikipedia is known as a free online encyclopedia. Wikipedia uses largely transparent writing and editing processes, which aim at providing the user with quality information through a democratic collaborative system. However, one aspect of these processes is not transparent--the identity of contributors, editors, and administrators. We argue that this particular lack of transparency jeopardizes the validity of the information being produced by Wikipedia. We analyze the social and ethical consequences of this lack of transparency in Wikipedia for all users, but especially students; we assess the corporate social performance issues involved, and we propose courses of action to compensate for the potential problems. We show that Wikipedia has the appearance, but not the reality, of responsible, transparent information production.
Occurrence of Trenbolone Acetate Metabolites in Simulated Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Runoff

Metabolites of androgenic synthetic growth promoters used at confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) pose a demonstrated ecological risk. To evaluate the transport of trenbolone acetate (TBA) metabolites from beef cattle CAFOs, rainfall simulation experiments were conducted at the University of California, Davis, research CAFO. Steroid concentrations in solid and aqueous samples from the research CAFO and solids samples from a commercial CAFO were analyzed by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The data indicate that 17α-trenbolone (17α-TBOH), 17β-trenbolone (17β-TBOH), and trendione (TBO), the three primary TBA metabolites, occur in soils and runoff. Soils at the research CAFO contained up to 8.2 (±1.1) ng/g-dw of 17α-TBOH and 1.2 (±0.1) ng/g-dw of 17β-TBOH, with slightly higher (~20 ng/g-dw) 17α-TBOH concentrations observed in commercial CAFO soils. In simulated runoff, 17α-TBOH concentrations of 1-350 ng/L and TBO concentrations from 1-170 ng/L were observed. The metabolite 17β-TBOH intermittently occurred in runoff samples at 5-26 ng/L and may be correlated to anaerobic soils. Metabolite concentrations observed in CAFO runoff correspond to 5-15% of potential maximum steroid concentrations predicted by mass balances. First order transformation rates of 0.028/day (25 day half-life) were estimated for 17α-TBOH in CAFO soils. Results suggest that ecologically relevant concentrations of TBA metabolites can be mobilized from CAFO surfaces in storm runoff and may lead to receiving water concentrations at or above ecological effects thresholds for a very limited number of discharge scenarios.
Towards High-Performance Optimizations of the Unstructured Open-Source SU2 Suite

This article presents a snapshot of ongoing efforts to optimize an open-source CFD analysis and design suite, SU2, for high-performance, scalable Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes calculations using implicit time integration. We focus on performance optimizations with a particular emphasis on code profiling, the opportunities for parallelism of the software components, and finding highly-scalable algorithms. Consequently, the resulting code modifications are geared toward achieving coarseand fine-grained parallelism for edge-based, finite volume CFD solvers, making efficient use of memory within a heavily object-oriented solver, and choosing appropriate algorithms for maximizing parallelism, especially when solving the linear systems arising from implicit time integration of the governing equations. All lessons learned are reported for the benefit of both the users and developers of SU2, as well as the larger CFD community for pursuing performance improvements in similar analysis and design software packages.
VLSI microprocessor design for classroom instruction

An outline for the instruction of VLSI microprocessor design is given. Considerable preplanning and complexity reduction by use of hierarchy is proposed to simplify the design procedure and reduce or eliminate design iterations late in the design. The microprocessor designed is a modified version of a simple-instruction accumulator machine designed for teaching software and hardware concepts. The design beings with the construction of standard cell libraries using the CAD tools VIVID and MAGIC. A design in VIVID is supported to verify circuit functionality, and a design in MAGIC is supported for final layout. The design continues with considerations for arithmetic-logic-unit (ALU) design, clocking schemes, bus-pre-charging, floorplanning, system timing, and interfacing to memory. >
Mobile robotics in future nuclear reactor environments

An approach to developing more capable mobile robots through integrating robotics R&D with advanced reactor design is presented. The GE ALMR (Advanced Liquid Metal Reactor) design is used as the focus for defining the mobile robotic R&D being performed in the areas of locomotion, sensing, manipulation, navigation, machine intelligence, and man-machine shared control. >
"We as Human Beings Get Farther and Farther Apart": the experiences of patients with remote monitoring systems.

Abstract Objective To explore the experiences of patients living with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) who had received remote monitoring (RM). Background Anecdotal evidence suggests that not all patients with RM use the technology. Methods Focus groups of patients with an ICD who received an RM system. Transcripts reviewed using thematic analysis. Results Nine patients (3 women and 6 men; median [range] age, 73 [58–91] years) received an RM system. Patients were assigned to a group in regard to RM system use (nonusers, n = 5; users, n = 4). Few nonusers recalled having prior conversations about the system. Users described it as “simple” and “easy” to use. Nonusers often were unsure whether their system was correctly transmitting information. System benefits perceived by users included convenience and security. Nonusers expressed mistrust. Recommendations included early education and help lines. Conclusions Patient adherence to RM systems can be improved by explaining perceived benefits and addressing barriers to use.
Achondrites and Igneous Processes on Asteroids

The possible roles of partial melting and fractional crystallization in the formation of eucrite and ureilite achondrites are discussed, summarizing the results of recent petrological investigations and theoretical modeling efforts. Typical data are presented graphically, and it is found that there is as yet no consensus on the correct model of achondrite evolution, and hence no agreement on the chemistry of the parent bodies. Assuming that the ureilites formed as adcumulates, their properties support a role for fractionation in relatively small bodies, even though the magmatic composition of the ureilite parent bodies is different from that of terrestrial cumulates.
Formation of Hemidesmosomes In Vitro by a Transformed Rat Bladder Cell Line

Two hemidesmosomal plaque components of 230 and 180 kD have recently been characterized using autoantibodies in the serum samples of bullous pemphigoid (BP) patients (Klatte, D. H., M. A. Kurpakus, K. A. Grelling, and J. C. R. Jones. 1989, J. Cell Biol. 109:3377-3390). These BP autoantibodies generate the type of staining patterns that one would predict for formed hemidesmosomes, i.e., a punctate staining pattern towards the substratum; in less than 50% of various primary epithelial and transformed epidermal cell lines even when such cells are maintained in culture for prolonged periods. In contrast, affinity-purified human autoantibodies against the 230-kD hemidesmosomal plaque component generate intense immunofluorescence staining along the region of cell-substratum interaction in the rat bladder tumor cell line 804G maintained on uncoated glass cover-slips. This pattern is distinct from that observed in the 804G cells using an antibody preparation directed against vinculin, a component of adhesion plaques. Ultrastructural analyses of the 804G cells reveals that hemidesmosome-like structures occur along the basal surface of cells where they abut the substratum. These structures are present in 804G cells maintained in culture in reduced levels of Ca2+ and are recognized by autoantibodies directed against the 230-kD hemidesmosomal plaque component as determined by immunogold ultrastructural localization. To study hemidesmosome appearance in this cell line, 804G cells were trypsinized and then allowed to readhere to glass coverslips. In rounded, unattached 804G cells, hemidesmosome-like plaque structures occur along the cell surface. These structures are recognized by the 230-kD autoantibodies. At 1 h after plating, hemidesmosomes are observed along the substratum attached surface of cells. Protein synthesis is not required for the appearance of these hemidesmosomes. Within 4 h of plating, autoantibody staining and hemidesmosomes appear towards the cell periphery. Subsequently, the polypeptide recognized by the BP autoantibodies becomes concentrated in the perinuclear region, where there are numerous hemidesmosomes. We propose that the hemidesmosomes in 804G cells are involved in cell-substratum adhesion. We discuss possible mechanisms of assembly of hemidesmosomes in the 804G cells. Indeed, the 804G cells should prove an invaluable cell line for the biochemical and molecular dissection of hemidesmosome structure, function, and assembly.
Within-Year Soil Legacies Contribute to Strong Priority Effects of Exotics on Native California Grassland Communities

Understanding priority effects, in which one species in a habitat decreases the success of later species, may be essential for restoring native communities. Priority effects can operate in two ways: size-asymmetric competition and creation of ‘‘soil legacies,’’ effects on soil that may last long after the competitive effect. We examined how these two types of priority effects, competition and soil legacies, drive interactions between seedlings of native and exotic California grassland plants. We established native and exotic communities in a mesocosm experiment. After 5 weeks, we removed the plants from half the treatments (soil legacy treatment) and retained the plants in the other half (priority effect treatment, which we interpret to include both competition and soil legacies). We then added native or exotic seed as the colonizing community. After 2 months, we measured the biomass of the colonizing community. When germinating first, both natives and exotics established priority effects, reducing colonist biomass by 86 and 92%, respectively. These priority effects were predominantly due to size-asymmetric competition. Only exotics created soil legacies, and these legacies only affected native colonizers, reducing biomass by 74%. These results imply that exotic species priority effects can affect native grassland restorations. Although most restorations focus on removing exotic seedlings, amending soil to address soil legacies may also be critical. Additionally, because native species can exclude exotics if given a head start, ensuring that natives germinate first may be a costeffective restoration technique.
Potential Biases Introduced by Conflating Screening and Diagnostic Testing in Colorectal Cancer Screening Surveillance

Background: Screening and postsymptomatic diagnostic testing are often conflated in cancer screening surveillance research. We examined the error in estimated colorectal cancer screening prevalence due to the conflation of screening and diagnostic testing. Methods: Using data from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey, we compared weighted prevalence estimates of the use of all testing (screening and diagnostic) and screening in at-risk adults and calculated the overestimation of screening prevalence across sociodemographic groups. Results: The population screening prevalence was overestimated by 23.3%, and the level of overestimation varied widely across sociodemographic groups (median, 22.6%; mean, 24.8%). The highest levels of overestimation were in non-Hispanic white females (27.4%), adults ages 50–54 years (32.0%), and those with the highest socioeconomic vulnerability [low educational attainment (31.3%), low poverty ratio (32.5%), no usual source of health care (54.4%), and not insured (51.6%); all P < 0.001]. Conclusions: When the impetus for testing was not included, colorectal cancer screening prevalence was overestimated, and patterns of overestimation often aligned with social and economic vulnerability. These results are of concern to researchers who use survey data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) to assess cancer screening behaviors, as it is currently not designed to distinguish diagnostic testing from screening. Impact: Surveillance research in cancer screening that does not consider the impetus for testing risks measurement error of screening prevalence, impeding progress toward improving population health. Ultimately, to craft relevant screening benchmarks and interventions, we must look beyond “what” and “when” and include “why.” Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 24(12); 1–5. ©2015 AACR .
Multifarious roles of sialic acids in immunity

Sialic acids are a diverse family of monosaccharides widely expressed on all cell surfaces of vertebrates and so-called “higher” invertebrates, and on certain bacteria that interact with vertebrates. This overview surveys examples of biological roles of sialic acids in immunity, with emphasis on an evolutionary perspective. Given the breadth of the subject, the treatment of individual topics is brief. Subjects discussed include biophysical effects regulation of factor H; modulation of leukocyte trafficking via selectins; Siglecs in immune cell activation; sialic acids as ligands for microbes; impact of microbial and endogenous sialidases on immune cell responses; pathogen molecular mimicry of host sialic acids; Siglec recognition of sialylated pathogens; bacteriophage recognition of microbial sialic acids; polysialic acid modulation of immune cells; sialic acids as pathogen decoys or biological masks; modulation of immunity by sialic acid O-acetylation; sialic acids as antigens and xeno-autoantigens; antisialoglycan antibodies in reproductive incompatibility; and sialic-acid–based blood groups.
Monte Carlo Simulation of Industrial Waste Discharge

The concepts of Monte Carlo simulation, in conjunction with relevant concepts from probability and statistics, are presented by illustrating their application to an industrial waste peak load smoothing problem. A tanning operation consisting of eight batch processes and two continuous flow processes, has been simulated. The formulation of all input data and assumptions has been described in detail and the logic involved in programming the simulation has been explained. The simulator has been used to examine the possibility of smoothing peak loads, in terms of both flow and organic load, by altering the schedule of waste liquors from the various batch tanning processes. Extensions of simulation byond the limited scope of this study have been suggested by posing several typical and important questions which can be answered using the concepts explained herein. The basic concepts have been presented in simple and general terms to facilitate and encourage the use of simulation in other industrial waste problem situations.
Court-Connected Mediation in General Civil Cases: What We Know from Empirical Research

The present article reports the findings of an empirical study that examined parties' and attorneys' assessments of mediation, mediation outcomes, and the time and cost of resolution in general jurisdiction civil cases. The study also examined the relationships between case, party, mediator, and program characteristics, on the one hand, and settlement and participants' perceptions, on the other hand. Most parties and lawyers saw mediation as a procedurally just process that generally involved party participation and lacked settlement coercion. Almost half of mediated cases settled, and a substantial number of additional cases made progress toward settlement. Overall, mediation did not reduce the time to disposition, but cases that settled in mediation were resolved more quickly and attorneys reported greater cost savings. Party preparation for mediation, active party and attorney participation in mediation, and attorney cooperation during the session were among the characteristics that enhanced parties' perceptions of procedural fairness. The characteristics that had the strongest relationship with an increased likelihood of settlement were the lack of disparity in parties' initial positions, the attorney's greater cooperation during mediation, and the mediator's recommending a settlement or evaluating the case. The findings of other studies of civil mediation are discussed throughout. The Article concludes by summarizing what is known about general civil case mediation from empirical research and discussing the implications for program design and future research.
“Just Cast the Net, and Hopefully the Right Fish Swim into It”: Audience Management on Social Network Sites

When users post on social network sites, they can engage in audience-reaching strategies, in an effort to reach desired audience members, as well as audience-limiting strategies, in an effort to avoid unwanted audience members. While much research has focused on users' audience-limiting strategies, little research has explicitly focused on users' audience-reaching strategies. Additionally, little work has explored either strategy at the post level. Using mixed methods involving a diary study and follow-up interviews focused on a diverse group of users' posts, this article reveals several audience-reaching strategies users engaged from altering their content to tagging. However, users in this study rarely used strategies to exclude people proactively and technologically outside of their targeted audiences, and instead broadcasted widely. Participants described several rationales for sharing broadly from skill-related issues to a reliance on the audience or site to filter the content.
Viewing Manners Through a Wider Lens

I take up reflections on my book, On Manners, by Professors Van Norden, Cline, and Olberding. In response to Professor Van Norden, I further explain and defend my employment of Kant, arguing that Kantianism offers distinctive and valuable resources for thinking about manners. I suggest similarities between Kant and Xunzi 荀子. In response to Professor Cline, I take up the question of the developmental function of manners and explore in further detail the ways in which our social roles both give us standing to perform certain ritual actions and also make demands on us about whether and how we perform them. In response to Professor Olberding, I revisit one of the themes from the book, virtuous hospitality. I argue that we may have moral reason to adapt ourselves and our practices to certain aesthetic standards for domestic activities, rather than adjust the standards to suit our individual tastes.
Giving Time, Not Money: Long-term Impacts of Short-term Mission Trips

This article expands current knowledge of the impact that brief but intense religious experiences can have on routine behavior by examining the long-term effects of short-term mission travel on bot...
The status of two-dimensional Si/SiGe heterostructures

Silicon has dominated the semiconductor market consistently for decades. Other semiconductors, such as gallium arsenide, have found important niches, but the computer industry has yet to difoplace silicon as its favorite semiconductor. Recently, however, silicon-germanium alloys have been a focus of research, because they offer the option of greatly enhancing the speed and flexibility of silicon and can be integrated with existing silicon technology rather than replacing it. This article reviews some of the exciting new results in Si/SiGe heterostructures.
The design of a digital controller for use with magnetic bearings

The hardware circuit of the four-degree-of-freedom(4-DOF) active magnetic bearings(AMB) is designed with the TMS320F2812 and the EPM7128 as its control core.The program is written by C-language in the CCS circumstances.The incremental anti-integral-saturated and integral separation PID algorithm is used to realize the system control.An experiment has been done under the state of static suspension on the 4-DOF AMB in a laboratory. The experimental results show that the system demonstrates excellent dynamic performance and meets the expectant design requirements.
Commutativity and collinearity: a historical case study of the interconnection of mathematical ideas. Part I

This paper investigates the discovery of an intriguing and fundamental connection between the famous but apparently unrelated mathematical work of two late third-century mathematicians. This link went unnoticed for well over 1500 years until the publication of two groundbreaking but again ostensibly unrelated works by two German mathematicians at the close of the nineteenth century. In this, the second and final part of the paper, we continue our examination of the chain of mathematical events and the related development of mathematical disciplines, without which the connection might never have been noticed in the first place.
Multi-type Flexible AC Transmission System Optimization Placement Based on Nesting Multi-objective Particle Swarm Optimization Algorithm

For minimizing investment cost and maximizing available transmission capacity(ATC), we presented a multi-objective optimization model of flexible AC transmission system(FACTS) placement after considering multiple constraints. A nesting multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm is used for this multi-constrained non-linear N-P difficult model. The algorithm's outer layer is used to compute multi-objective optimization, and its inner layer is used to compute ATC and static voltage stability indexes. Several conclusions are drawn from calculation on the basis of the presented model as follows: thyristor controlled series capacitor(TCSC) is the most reasonable configuration without considering any other factors; compared with unified power flow controller(UPFC) and static synchronous compensator(STATCOM), mixed installation of multi-type FACTS can get a better balance between enhancing ATC and lowering investment cost; if a grid needs higher ATC with limited investment, a parallel and series hybrid FACTS installation program is its first choice. A simulation of the standard IEEE 14-bus power system indicates that the proposed optimization method is valid and correct, and it can determine the type, size, and location of FACTS simultaneously.
Study on the attenuation of antibody and its influencing factors after immunization with 60μg hepatitis B vaccine in low or non-response adults

Objective To evaluate the levels of antibody to hepatitis B surface antigen and explore the possible affecting factors in the low or no-responding adults after 60μg hepatitis B vaccine. Methods Staffs from a hospital in Shenzhen City with a history of immunization with hepatitis B vaccine but negative for hepatitis B were re-immunized 60μg dose of a vaccine. During the vaccination period of 6 months and 12 months respectively, serum were collected and then analyzed to explore the anti-Hbs level using chemiluminescence immunoassay(CLIA method). Meanwhile, a questionnaire was designed to investigate the possible affecting factors, and non-conditional logistic regression was adopted to analyze the survey data. Results The anti-HBs seroprotection rate still was91.74% after one year, but it was lower than that in 6 months group(Z=2.78,P=0.005). Stay up late and dringing coffee was the main factor and drinking coffee was a main protective factors of immunogenicity attenuation. Conclusion The immunogenicity of a 60μg hepatitis B vaccine was effective in low or non-response adults to reduce the attenuation of antibody level, stay up later should be avoided and drinking encouragecd.
The Age Associated Alteration in Eccentric Contraction Properties during a Stretch Shortening Cycle in Fast and Slow Twitch Mouse Muscles

During animal movement, cyclical changes in muscle length are common. However, age-associated muscle mechanics are not well understood. We used a stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) protocol that stimulated muscles over the first third of lengthening to determine eccentric contraction properties during length oscillations in mice that ranged in age from 30 - 400 days. Mouse extensor digitorum longus (EDL, fast twitch) and soleus (slow twitch) muscles were used in the experiments. We calculated the rate of force development (RFD) during eccentric contractions and total work. A passive SSC was also conducted to measure passive properties, because an age-associated increase in muscle stiffness was expected. The results indicate that the RFD and total negative work increased with increasing age in a linear fashion. The contribution of passive muscle components remained consistent or increased only slightly with age. Further, our results suggest that an age associated increase in muscle stiffness is associated with components of active muscle. These could include age-associated changes in cross bridge cycling or an increase in stiffness of the titin filament. Titin has been shown to contribute to passive and active stiffness in eccentrically contracting muscles. Because titin stiffness is modified by a variety of pathways, we argue future work should focus on identifying age-associated changes in titin stiffness.
An alternative to in vitro fertilization embryo transfer: The successful transfer of human oocytes and spermatozoa to the distal oviduct

In vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) for treatment of irreparable tubal damage provides a means for otherwise hopelessly infertile couples to obtain offspring. Recently a simpler and less expensive procedure was applied as an alternative to IVF-ET to patients with at least one patent fallopian tube. This procedure employs stimulated ovarian cycles, washed and cultured sperm, and laparoscopic aspiration of oocytes. Recovered oocytes and sperm are deposited in the ampulla of the oviduct by means of a catheter. From February 1 to September 28, 1985, 137 cycles yielded 60 laparoscopies (51 patients). Elevated human chorionic gonadotropin observed in 18 cases was confirmed in 12 cases by ultrasound. Nine uterine pregnancies continued with no tubal pregnancy. Success is comparable for this new procedure and IVF-ET. The results suggest that many IVF-ET patients should be offered the simpler and less expensive option of tubal transfer (TT).
Sharing Research Tools and Materials: Homo Scientificus and User Innovator Community Norms

This Article uses a simplified rational choice theory of social norms to illuminate the circumstances in which a norm of sharing is likely to arise among user innovators who invent technologies for their own use. It then evaluates the issue of sharing of scientific research tools in this light, focusing on the effects of patenting and of the convergence of academic and commercial research in the life sciences. Finally, it discusses the potential for policy changes to promote sharing norms in the diverse community of research tool innovators.
Donor Corneal Transplantation vs Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis in Patients with Previous Graft Failures: A Retrospective Single Center Study (An American Ophthalmological Society Thesis).

To compare short-term outcomes of repeat penetrating keratoplasty (PK) to those of Boston type 1 keratoprosthesis (KPro). Our hypothesis was that visual outcomes were superior for KPro compared to PK.This is a retrospective, nonrandomized, intermediate-term case series. Consecutive adults with one or more failed PKs who underwent either PK or KPro between January 2008 and December 2010 were included. Demographics, indication for the initial PK, comorbidities, concomitant procedures, and complications were considered. Only one procedure in each eye was included. All KPro procedures were retained in the analyses.Fifty-three patients underwent PK and 27 received KPro. Mean follow-up was 19.5 months in the PK group and 16.5 months in the KPro group. KPro eyes had worse mean preoperative vision (hand motions vs counting fingers, P=.01) and more comorbidities. In the postoperative period, 35% of PK eyes and 45% of KPro eyes attained best-ever visual acuity of 20/70. Forty-seven percent of PK eyes vs 40% of KPro eyes were able to retain this visual acuity. Two-year rate of failure to retain visual acuity better than the baseline was higher for PK eyes, though not at a statistically significant level (hazard ratio [HR]=1.67; 95% CI, 0.78-3.60; P=.19). Two-year cumulative rate of graft failure (loss of clarity for PK and removal/replacement for KPro) was higher for PK eyes (HR=3.23; 95% CI, 1.12-9.28; P=.03). Retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, and glaucoma rates were similar (P=.6 for all).These results demonstrate less frequent graft failure, greater visual improvement, and greater likelihood of maintaining the visual improvement in KPro eyes vs PK.
Screeningmethoden des exokrinen Pankreas (FDL-, PABA-Test, Stuhlchymotrypsinbestimmung) im Vergleich zum Sekretin-Pankreozymintest

In der Literatur werden sehr unterschiedliche Ergebnisse [1–3, 5–7] uber die Sensitivitat und Spezifitat verschiedener indirekter Pankreasfunktionsteste berichtet.