cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CAM01-6: Robust and Optimal Control of Packet Loss Probability

QoS control and guarantees for IP/MPLS VPN services are increasingly important for network service providers. The dynamic control of QoS parameters is still an open issue. A control theory based packet loss control system is proposed to dynamic maintain the preset packet loss probability targets for instantiated VPN services in the core network, where the transducer and the dynamic packet loss model have been studied in the previous studies, respectively. However, the identified linear model contains time-varying and norm-bounded uncertain parameters. This paper will extend the previous research to design a robust and optimal controller for the complete QoS control system. Specially, a Linear Matrix Inequality (LMI) approach for designing the robust and optimal Proportional- Integral (PI) controller is studied. By adopting the LMI expression, a symmetric positive definite matrix P with guaranteed overall system's quadratic stability is determined. The matrix P finally infers the robust PI controller parameters. A number of experiments are devised on the live NCIT*net network to evaluate the performance of the controller.
Optimisation of enzyme treatment for the degradation of feed proteins for an Escherichia coli auxotroph lysine availability assay

The lysine availability of animal feed sources is dependent upon the protein source and the processing treatment. Animal bioassays are the standard method for evaluating lysine availability. There is a need to improve in vitro assays for lysine availability to better reflect animal availability measures. Such assays could eventually replace the need for animal assays and substantially reduce assay time and costs. One in vitro assay for lysine availability that has been used previously measures the growth response of an Escherichia coli lysine auxotroph on a protein source. However, since E coli does not secrete proteolytic enzymes, it is necessary to predigest proteins to release free lysine or lysine peptides. The objective of this study was to determine the lysine availability of different protein sources using different enzyme pretreatments and varying the duration of digestion. Pepsin, pancreatin, protease and peptidase enzyme solutions were prepared as either single enzymes or enzyme combinations and subsequently added to various protein solutions. The lysine availability of the protein digests was assayed by measuring the growth response of the E coli lysine auxotroph in supplemented minimal medium. Lysine availability was significantly affected by the enzyme treatment (p < 0.01). The protease–peptidase enzyme combination had the most extensive digestion for all protein sources. There was no significant difference between 4 and 10 h digestion periods for the combination of protease–peptidase. The 4 h protease–peptidase treatment produced a digest with E coli-determined lysine availability highly correlated (Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.942) with animal availability values from previous work by others. Based on these results, it is possible to use a standard 4 h protease–peptidase enzyme treatment to predigest feed proteins to provide an accurate estimate of available lysine by an in vitro E coli lysine assay. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry
Regulation of neuronal diversity in the Xenopus retina by Delta signalling

To generate the variety of mature neurons and glia found in the developing retina, the competence of pluripotent progenitor cells to respond to extracellular signals must be controlled. Delta, a ligand of the Notch receptor, is a candidate for regulating progenitor competence on the grounds that activation of the pathway involving Notch and Delta can inhibit cellular differentiation. Here we test this possibility in the developing Xenopus retina by misexpression of Delta messenger RNA. We find that Delta-misexpressing cells with wild-type neighbours adopt earlier fates, primarily becoming ganglion cells and cone photoreceptors. Progenitors transfected with Delta later in development also produce rod photoreceptors, but not the latest-generated cell types, demonstrating the importance of timing in Delta function. We conclude that Delta signalling in the vertebrate retina is a basic regulatory mechanism that can be used to generate neuronal diversity.
Seismic anisotropy beneath the Afar Depression and adjacent areas: Implications for mantle flow

[1] Shear wave splitting is a robust tool to infer the direction and strength of seismic anisotropy in the lithosphere and underlying asthenosphere. Previous shear wave splitting studies in the Afar Depression and adjacent areas concluded that either Precambrian sutures or vertical magmatic dikes are mostly responsible for the observed anisotropy. Here we report results of a systematic analysis of teleseismic shear wave splitting using all the available broadband seismic data recorded in the Afar Depression, Main Ethiopian Rift (MER), and Ethiopian Plateau. We found that while the ∼450 measurements on the Ethiopian Plateau and in the MER show insignificant azimuthal variations with MER‐parallel fast directions and thus can be explained by a single layer of anisotropy, the ∼150 measurements in the Afar Depression reveal a systematic azimuthal dependence of splitting parameters with a p/2 periodicity, suggesting a two‐layer model of anisotropy. The top layer is characterized by a relatively small (0.65 s) splitting delay time and a WNW fast direction that can be attributed to magmatic dikes within the lithosphere, and the lower layer has a larger (2.0 s) delay time and a NE fast direction. Using the spatial coherency of the splitting parameters obtained in the MER and on the Ethiopian Plateau, we estimated that the optimal depth of the source of anisotropy is centered at about 300 km, i.e., in the asthenosphere. The spatial and azimuthal variations of the observed anisotropy can best be explained by a NE directed flow in the asthenosphere beneath the MER and the Afar Depression.
Performance and Microanalysis of Cement Asphalt Mortar with Admixture of Coal Fly Ash

In this study, cement asphalt mortars prepared with three different cementitious material were systematically investigated: C1 ordinary Portland cement, C2sulfoaluminate cement, C3 (sulfoaluminate: ordinary Portland cement: fly ash=3:6:1) according to the technical indices of cement asphalt mortar for Chinese high speed railway (CRTS II). The C2 CA mortar shows early strength due to the early hydration process between the sulfoaluminate cement and water while the workability is not as excellent as C3 group which not only shows great performance in physical and mechanical properties but also has a good fluidity and workable time to meet the requirement of CRTS II. Through the microstructure analysis, it was found that cement asphalt mortar is a porous structure and the hydration between cement and free water happened at the early age while an integrated formed amorphous gel play an important role in the strength development of the CA mortar as the strength development to 28 days.
Political Resources for Policy Terminators

Scholars of policy termination have long understood that there are tremendous difficulties associated with closing down public programs and facilities. This examination of one closure begins with that understanding and then, using Deborah Stone's conceptualization of politics in the policy arena, moves to categorize and analyze those difficulties. The case involves the U.S. government's policy of providing lifelong, residential care to victims of Hansen's Disease (leprosy). The investigation documents the government's decision in the 1950s to end the policy and follows the ensuing battle. The government terminators, despite the rationality of their position, were held at bay for nearly fifty years by politically savvy opponents including patients, staff, and the community that housed the leprosarium. Only when government officials reached into their own bag of political resources and skillfully employed those resources, was it possible to end the policy.
Effect of remote picolinyl and picoloyl substituents on the stereoselectivity of chemical glycosylation.

O-Picolinyl and O-picoloyl groups at remote positions (C-3, C-4, and C-6) can mediate glycosylation reactions by providing high or even complete facial selectivity for the attack of the glycosyl acceptor. The set of data presented herein offers a strong evidence of the intermolecular H-bond tethering between the glycosyl donor and glycosyl acceptor counterparts while providing a practical new methodology for the synthesis of either 1,2-cis or 1,2-trans linkages. Challenging glycosidic linkages including α-gluco, β-manno, and β-rhamno have seen obtained with high or complete stereocontrol.
A Differential Diagnosis of the Inspirational Spells of Muhammad the Prophet of Islam

This paper reviews the spells of Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam. During these spells, Muhammad sensed the approach of a figure whom he thought to be the Angel Gabriel. The inspirational message transmitted to Muhammad during these spells helped form the religion of Islam. This is a review of the historical details of these spells and an attempt to reach a medical diagnosis. Although an unequivocal decision is not possible from existing knowledge, psychomotor or complex partial seizures of temporal lobe epilepsy would be the most tenable diagnosis. An examination of Western civilization's views of Muhammad's spells reveals historical and modern misconceptions about epilepsy.
Charged Particle Thermonuclear Reactions in Nucleosynthesis

Thermonuclear reaction rates are calculated at temperatures consistent with nucleosynthesis conditions in stars and supernovae (109≲T≲1010 K). The cross sections as a function of energy are determined by averaging over a density of compound nuclear states, an individual resonance contribution being represented by the Breit-Wigner formula. The proton and α-particle channel radii are estimated by fitting experimental (p, n) and (α, n) cross sections for nuclei in the mass range 40≲A≲200. The influence of the diffuseness of the nuclear surface on barrier penetration is taken into account by multiplying the square well penetration factors by a ‘reflection factor’ in the manner described by Vogtet al. (1965). Thermonuclear rates calculated by these procedures are compared with sums over experimentally determined resonance strengths for a number of charged-particle reactions involving medium mass nuclei (24≲A≲40).
Dual-polarization cylindrical long slot array (CLSA) antenna integrated with compact broadband baluns and slot impedance transformers

In this paper a realistic method for feeding the dipole mode of the dual-polarized CLSA antenna is presented. A compact lumped-element impedance transforming balun is designed, fabricated, and tested with a broadband dipole. The broadband balun is then simulated to verify its performance in the dual-polarized CLSA antenna along with the slot impedance transformers. This antenna has the capability of achieving 4 polarization modes (vertical, horizontal, LHCP, RHCP).
The One-Migrant-per-Generation Rule in Conservation and Management

In the face of continuing habitat fragmentation and isolation, the optimal level of connectivity be- tween populations has become a central issue in conservation biology. A common rule of thumb holds that one migrant per generation into a subpopulation is sufficient to minimize the loss of polymorphism and het- erozygosity within subpopulations while allowing for divergence in allele frequencies among subpopulations. The one-migrant-per-generation rule is based on numerous simplifying assumptions that may not hold in nat- ural populations. We examine the conceptual and theoretical basis of the rule and consider both genetic and nongenetic factors that influence the desired level qf connectivity among subpopulations. We conclude that one migrant per generation is a desirable minimum, but it may be inadequaite for many natural popula- tions. We suggest that a minimum of I and a maximum of 10( migrants per generation would be an appro- priate general rule of thumb for genetic purposes, bearing in mind that fctctors other than genetics maly fur- ther influence the ideal level of connectivity.
Kinetics of Bleaching of Photochromic Glass

Glasses containing small particles of silver halide are caused to darken by the action of uv light. Fading occurs when the exciting light source is removed and is often enhanced by irradiation with visible light. It is shown that simultaneous optical and thermal bleaching can be separated mathematically and that optical bleaching is a first order process. A model for thermal bleaching based on diffusion is consistent with rate studies and qualitatively explains the dependence of the fading rate on the darkening conditions.
Technology and changes in the division of labor in the American home

Synopsis Popular ideology indicates that technology has helped to liberate women from the household. But in practice, just as women's work load at home was declining, technology allowed the taking on of new burdens. We examine the specific impacts of various levels of technologies-industrialization, utilities, appliances, and convenience foods-on the division of household labor. Effects are measured in three ways: (1) potential reallocation of women's time; (2) redivision of household labor among its members, and (3) Labor market aids for housework including convenience foods or home services. We conclude that most past change in work content has occurred from non-technological sources, and that household division of labor seems to be increasing. Future ‘liberation≐ is most likely to come through the provision of labor market services for the household.
Interactive tools for assisting the extraction of cartographic features

Cartographic feature extraction is a manpower intensive process, requiring detailed and tedious labor by a skilled cartographer to identify and delineate significant cartographic features from an image. The availability of digital image data has made feasible the usage of computers to aid in the extraction of features. In particular, much interest has been generated in the potential for AT and IU techniques to automate feature extraction. In this paper we report on techniques to assist the cartographer. In particular, the cartographer initiates by picking a point or points on the feature, and the tools complete the delineation process. We discuss two such tools, one which delineates line features and one which delineates area features. Both tools utilize neural nets to carry out the critical decisions on tracking feature boundaries. In both tools the cartographer is allowed to concentrate on the most important and professionally rewarding task, feature detection and identification, and is spared the most tedious task, feature boundary delineation.
Controversies in the natural history of congenital human cytomegalovirus infection: the paradox of infection and disease in offspring of women with immunity prior to pregnancy

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most common virus infection in the developing fetus. A fraction of infants infected in utero develop significant life-threatening and organ-threatening disease with over 90 % of infected infants exhibiting no clinical evidence of infection in the newborn period. However, about 10 % of all infected infants will develop long-term sequelae. Early studies stressed the importance of primary maternal HCMV infection during pregnancy as a critical determinant of intrauterine transmission and outcome. This concept serves as the foundation for the development of prophylactic vaccines and biologics such as HCMV immune globulins. More recently, studies in maternal populations with high HCMV seroprevalence have challenged the concept of protective maternal immunity. Findings from multiple studies suggest that preexisting maternal HCMV immunity provides at best, partial protection from disease in the infected offspring and similarly may have limited impact on intrauterine transmission. This brief review will provide some considerations about the apparent paradox of maternal HCMV immunity and congenital infection.
Pulmonary Histoplasmosis: Report of a Case Long Considered Tuberculous Improved by Acti-Dione

A case * is presented who had a chronic cough following “influenza” in 1918–19 and was considered to have arrested pulmonary tuberculosis from 1925 to 1949 although acid fast bacilli were never recovered. In 1949, during the severest exacerbation he had experienced, Histoplasma capsulatum was repeatedly recovered in sputum cultures. Histoplasmin skin test was positive and coccidioidin and blastomycin were negative. The complement fixation test for histoplasmosis was positive. Right upper lobectomy was performed, although the pulmonary involvement was not entirely in this lobe. Improvement with negative sputum and gain in weight followed prolonged treatment with Acti-dione which was effective when administered either intravenously (Upjohn) or orally (Lilly). Further investigation of Acti-dione in cases of histoplasmosis is indicated.
Carotenoids from nudibranchs

Abstract 1. 1. The nudibranchs, Anisodoris nobilis, Dendrodoris fulva and Doriopsilla albopunctata, were found to contain unusually high percentages of carotenes in their integumental carotenoids. The first two fractions isolated in each case were identified as α-carotene and β-carotene, respectively. 2. 2. A third fraction, also isolated in good yield from each nudibranch, has been identified as isorenieratene, an aromatic carotenoid previously found only in sponges and bacteria. The carotenoids isolated from these nudibranchs seem to reflect the pigment composition of the sponges which comprise their diets. 3. 3. The main pigment of Triopha carpenteri (“triophaxanthin”) has been identified as an acetylenic apo-carotenoid (C31H42O2). It was also found in the food carotenoids, as were all of the other fractions isolated from this nudibranch. 4. 4. Astaxanthin, the only carotenoid found in Flabellinopsis iodinea, was isolated in three different forms: free, esterified and conjugated to a protein. Astaxanthin was also found to be the only carotenoid in the food. 5. 5. It is proposed that nudibranchs most probably lack the biochemical ability to alter carotenoids from one structure to another.
Culturally Responsive Pedagogy in Higher Education: A Collaborative Self-Study

In this article we discuss findings from a collaborative self-study of how seven teacher educators define, enact, and navigate their roles as culturally responsive educators across various programs within a higher education institution. All participants conducted an individual interview with another team member and engaged in prolonged team meetings in order to understand and conceptualize culturally responsive pedagogy (CRP). Findings include the participants' difficulty with defining CRP in higher education; the importance of modeling and building relationships with students when enacting CRP; tensions related to students and institutions; and professional and personal opportunities to continuously evolve. The findings begin to fill in a void for an articulated framework of CRP beyond P-12 classrooms and illustrate the type of support and professional development higher education institutions need to provide for teacher educators to actualize this work.
VARIATIONS OF REFRACTIVE INDEX OF GLASS WITH TIME AND TEMPERATURE IN ANNEALING REGION

The refractive index of a rapidly cooled fiber of borosilicate glass was found to increase according to the equation, 1/(N6–N) – 1/(N6–N0) =At, where t is time, N6 is equilibrium index, and A is a constant at constant temperature. Index data were plotted according to this equation to determine, graphically, values of N6 and A for several temperatures between 914° and 1060°F. Values of N6 for temperatures from 1060° to 1180°F. were determined by prolonged heating of the glass at each 20° interval. The change of A with temperature was found to be well represented by the equation, log A=K/T+C, where T is the absolute temperature and K and C are constants.
Marriage markets and nonmarital fertility in the United States.

We merge census microdata with vital statistics data to examine the effect of women’s marriage opportunities on nonmarital fertility rates and ratios across 75 U.S. metropolitan areas. Measures of the quantity and “quality” of marriageable men simultaneously specific for women’s age, race, education, and place of residence reveal especially poor marriage prospects for highly educated black women. The effect of mate availability on nonmarital fertility is generally modest. Among white women, marriage opportunities are associated inversely with the nonmarital fertility rate, perhaps reflecting an increased likelihood that a premarital conception will be legitimated. Marriage opportunities also reduce nonmarital fertility ratios for young black and white women. The nonmarital fertility rate is lower among women whose marriage pool includes a large percentage of nonemployed males. Only a small proportion of the racial difference in nonmarital fertility appears attributable to differences in the marriage markets of black and of white women.
Toward Sustainable Psychological Interventions for Change

Many problems confront psychological interventions for change. Some reside within the discipline (e.g., inexperience with policy development and the external validity issue). Other problems are raised by value issues and the controversial nature of policy debates that lie beyond the discipline. This article discusses these issues and then focuses on yet another concern—the sustainability of psychological interventions. It calls for cross-level analyses that avoid the common ecological and compositional fallacies, and it introduces and illustrates yet another error common in psychology—the single process fallacy. The article concludes by maintaining that normative change is a prerequisite for sustaining interventions. Norms are persistent; unless they are altered, psychological efforts are unlikely to be either sustainable or effective.
DNA binding activity of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor is sensitive to redox changes in intact cells.

Abstract The potential involvement of vicinal dithiols in the transformation of the aryl hydrocarbon (Ah) receptor from its ligand binding to DNA binding form in Hepa-1 cells was explored through the use of diamide and phenylarsine oxide (PAO), which have been shown to specifically form a stable ring complex with vicinal sulfhydryl groups in selected proteins. Pretreatment with diamide and PAO rapidly prevented the inducer-dependent formation of the Ah receptor/xenobiotic response element complex detected by electrophoretic mobility shift assays and suppressed Ah receptor-mediated transcription. Diamide and PAO also inhibited DNA binding activity of the nuclear Ah receptor subsequent to its translocation to the nucleus but to a lesser extent than that observed with pretreatment conditions. The Ah receptor exhibited much higher sensitivity to cellular redox changes than Sp1, a transcription factor previously shown to be very sensitive to redox regulation. Diamide added to nuclear extracts inhibited Ah receptor DNA binding more than when it was added in intact cells. In contrast, Ah receptor DNA binding activity was more sensitive to PAO when it was added to intact cells than when it was added to nuclear extracts. Finally, dithiol 2,3-dimercaptopropanol was over 100 times more effective than monothiol 2-mercaptoethanol in reversing the PAO-dependent inhibition of Ah receptor DNA binding activity. This suggests that vicinal sulhydryl residues may be involved in DNA binding of the Ah receptor.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Group 12 Metal Thiocarboxylates, M(SOCR)2Lut2 [M = Cd, Zn; R = CH3, C(CH3)3; Lut = 3,5-Dimethylpyridine (Lutidine)]

A series of group 12 metal thiocarboxylate species, M(SOCR)(2)Lut(2) [M = Cd, Zn; R = CH(3), C(CH(3))(3); Lut = 3,5-dimethylpyridine (lutidine)], were synthesized to investigate their potential to act as precursors for the formation of metal sulfide materials. These species were expected to undergo thiocarboxylic anhydride elimination to give stoichiometric metal sulfides and remove the organic supporting ligands cleanly. These species were characterized by (1)H, (13)C, and (where appropriate) (113)Cd NMR spectroscopies, TGA, elemental analysis, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The spectroscopic and analytical data were consistent with the formulas identified above, and in the solid state the compounds are monomeric with approximate tetrahedral metal coordination environments and monodentate S-bond thiocarboxylate ligands. Crystal data for Cd(SOCCH(3))(2)Lut(2): crystallized in the triclinic space group Po, with a = 8.267(1) A, b = 9.467(1) A, c = 14.087(1) A, alpha = 94.04(1) degrees, beta = 91.49(1) degrees, gamma = 104.03(1) degrees, and Z = 2. Thermal decomposition of these compounds in the solid state or in solution resulted in formation of the corresponding metal sulfide at low temperatures, as seen by powder X-ray diffraction. Evidence for thiocarboxylic anhydride elimination was documented by NMR in solution phase reactions. The effects on thiocarboxylic anhydride elimination, resulting from varying M, R, or solvent media, were examined by heating NMR tube solutions of M(SOCR)(2)Lut(2) in pyridine or toluene. Heating toluene or pyridine solutions of Cd(SOCCH(3))(2)Lut(2) resulted in formation of nanocrystalline, sphalerite CdS, as determined by X-ray diffraction and TEM. These preliminary reactivity studies have revealed the great potential of this highly tailorable chemical system as precursors to group 12 metal sulfido species.
Some exact solutions of the stokes problem for an elastico-viscous fluid

Exact solutions for the following three problems for an elastico-viscous fluid are obtained: (i) Stokes problem on a porous plate, (ii) Stokes problem, and (iii) steady flow over a porous plate. It is shown that the Taylor expansion in powers of the elastico-viscous parameter matches with the perturbation solutions obtained in some earlier investigations. Wave structure for the first problem is analyzed.
Depth-correction algorithm that improves optical quantification of large breast lesions imaged by diffuse optical tomography

Optical quantification of large lesions imaged with diffuse optical tomography in reflection geometry is depth dependence due to the exponential decay of photon density waves. We introduce a depth-correction method that incorporates the target depth information provided by coregistered ultrasound. It is based on balancing the weight matrix, using the maximum singular values of the target layers in depth without changing the forward model. The performance of the method is evaluated using phantom targets and 10 clinical cases of larger malignant and benign lesions. The results for the homogenous targets demonstrate that the location error of the reconstructed maximum absorption coefficient is reduced to the range of the reconstruction mesh size for phantom targets. Furthermore, the uniformity of absorption distribution inside the lesions improve about two times and the median of the absorption increases from 60 to 85% of its maximum compared to no depth correction. In addition, nonhomogenous phantoms are characterized more accurately. Clinical examples show a similar trend as the phantom results and demonstrate the utility of the correction method for improving lesion quantification.
Authority in Jeopardy: Gender Trouble in Alcott's “My Mysterious Mademoiselle”

Since the publication of Behind the Mask: The Unknown Thrillers of Louisa May Alcott in 1975, gender theorists and critics have been intrigued with Louisa May Alcott's short stories. Ostensibly the...
A single streptococcal gene can confer innate immune resistance and virulence to a nonpathogenic bacterium

Abstract We show here that heterologous expression of a single group B streptococcal (GBS) surface-anchored protein, sapB, is sufficient to render the nonpathogenic bacterium Lactococcus lactis resistant to innate immune clearance and highly virulent upon animal challenge.
The effects of changes in motivation on alpha enhancement.

The effect of varying monetary reinforcement on performance in an occipital alpha enhancement situation was examined. It was found that alpha output was increased with larger rewards but that the changes in performance were not linearly related to size of reward.
Changing epidemiology of infections due to extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing bacteria

Background Community-associated infections caused by extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producing bacteria are a growing concern.
A low voltage in situ tunable 1.8-18 MHz high-Q fully-differential continuous-time filter

A CMOS low voltage supply filter with in-situ (in place) tuning is presented. Its basic building block is a transconductor comprising an MOS transistor driver operating in the triode region cascoded with an MOS transistor current source at the output. This circuit can be employed in high-frequency continuous-time filters using low power supply voltages (usually less than 3 volts). A second-order high-Q fully-differential bandpass filter with programmable tuning is demonstrated. The filter is tuned by programming the current bias through a switched current memory cell. The overall tuning accuracy is mainly limited by the precision of an external crystal oscillator.
Hormonal effects on phosphorylase activity in the rat uterus.

Hormonally induced changes in total phosphorylase t and active phosphorylase a concentrations were determined in the uteri of spayed rats given estradiol and the ratios a/t calculated. A single injection of 50 µg. estradiol in rats spayed 6–8 days increases phosphorylase a concentration and the ratio a/t at least 2 fold in 48 hours without altering the level of phosphorylase t. The amount of phosphorylase a per whole uterus increases by 6 hours afterestradiol, phosphorylase t by 24 hours, indicating 2 phases of the estrogen effect. Phosphorylase a is high at normal estrus, low during diestrum. Testosterone acts similar to estradiolbut is less effective and progesterone has no effect. Large doses of adrenaline, nor-adrenaline and posterior pituitary extract given intraperitioneally to estrogen-primed rats, markedly lowers phosphorylase a within 1 hour, but not phosphorylase t. Histamine lowers both slightly without altering the ratio. These changes in phosphorylasea parallel similar changes in uterine glyc...
Entropy as a measure of database information

An estimate of the information a database contains and the quantification of the vulnerability of that database to compromise by inferential methods is discussed. Such a measure could be used to evaluate the deterrent value of extant protection methods and provide a measure of the potential for inferential compromise through the use of one of the known attack tools. The authors explore the use of the concept of entropy as defined for information by C.E. Shannon (1948; 1951), for the purpose of quantifying information content in a database and develop a measure of vulnerability based on entropy. Use of the measure, when exact disclosure through the use of a tracker is anticipated, is characterized for both static and dynamic databases at design and operational time. >
Sarcoidosis in a patient with common variable immunodeficiency

Abstract Introduction Although sarcoidosis is associated with common variable immunodeficiency (CVID), this diagnosis is difficult to make in CVID patients. Diagnosing sarcoidosis is dependent on a combination of clinical, radiologic, and histologic findings. The hallmark of sarcoidosis is the presence of noncaseating granulomas. However, granulomas are also found in CVID. We describe a patient with CVID who developed erythema nodosum (EN) and was ultimately diagnosed with sarcoidosis. Case report A 42-year-old woman with a 25-year history of CVID, well-controlled by monthly intravenous immunoglobulin therapy, had a marked deterioration in her clinical status. She developed worsening dyspnea, fatigue, and weight loss. Pulmonary function tests showed both restrictive and obstructive patterns. A CT of the chest revealed mediastinal adenopathy and bronchiectasis. A CT of the abdomen demonstrated a massively enlarged spleen. She developed refractory anemia and thrombocytopenia secondary to hypersplenism and a splenectomy was performed. The pathology revealed a 1.9 kg spleen with caseating and noncaseating granulomas. There was no evidence of infection or lymphoproliferative disease. Nine months later the patient developed painful nodular lesions on the extensor surface of her forearms and shins. Biopsy revealed septal panniculitis consistent with EN. Given the patient's pulmonary symptoms, chest radiographs, granulomas, and EN, the diagnosis of sarcoidosis was made. Conclusion It is difficult to diagnose sarcoidosis in a patient with CVID. Sarcoidosis should be included in the differential diagnosis in CVID patients with worsening pulmonary symptoms, splenomegaly, and EN.
Phronesis A Model for Pedagogical Reflection

The purpose of this article is to describe a paradigm of reflection that explicitly synthesizes varied perspectives of reflection into a coherent model grounded on the ancient conception of virtue. Previous conceptions of reflection have considered its moral implications and connections but have stopped short of claiming that reflection is essentially of moral value. This model identifies reflection with the classical moral virtue phronesis by merging contemporary work on reflection in teaching with philosophical work on phronesis. The article concludes with an account of the value and utility of conceptualizing reflection as phronesis.
Method of characteristics for supersonic flow of a guiding centre plasma.

A study of the compressive magneto-acousic waves in a guiding centre plasma shows that the wavefront that emerges point disturbance after a finite time is a simple oblate spheroid with the axis of revolution parallel to the field lines. Thus, in a steady three-dimensional supersonic flow of guiding centre plasma a simple analytic exprencan be obtained to represent the characteristic surfaces. From a proper linear combination of the governing macroscopic equations, the characteristic equation is obtained. It represents the propagation of disturbances on the characteristic surface. The characteristic theory can be used to study the interaction of the solar wind with the moon and possibly with other planetary bodies.
Evolution of the mandibular mesh implant.

Between 1960 and 1972, the Dallas Veterans Administration Hospital Maxillofacial Research Laboratory developed and made over 150 cast-mesh implants. Successive designs were ovoid, circular, and double-lumened in cross section to improve implant strength, surface area for bioattachment, and adjustability. Sleeves, collars, and bows were employed in the assembly of these implants, with an acrylic condylar head attached when indicated. In 1972, our laboratory developed a mandibular mesh tray, cast in one piece on a single sprue, with preservation of the vertically adjustable ramus. Stainless steel replaced Vitallium because of its greater malleability. Essentially, a lost-wax technique is used to cast the mesh tray. The model of a mandibular segment is duplicated as a refractory model. Mesh wax, made in our own custom-made die, is adapted to the refractory model. The unit is then sprued and invested. The wax is fired our of the mold in a gas furnace. Casting is done by the transferral of molten stainless steel from the crucible to the mold by centrifugal force in an electroinduction casting machine. Other mesh implants that have been developed are made from wire mesh, Dacron mesh, cast Ticonium, and hydroformed titanium.
Torsional Deformation of Double Helix in Interaction and Aggregation of DNA

We incorporate sequence-dependent twisting between adjacent base pairs and torsional elasticity of double helix into the theory of DNA-DNA interaction. The results show that pairing and counterion-induced-aggregation of nonhomologous DNA are accompanied by considerable torsional deformation. The deformation tunes negatively charged phosphate strands and positively charged grooves on opposing molecules to stay "in register", substantially reducing nonideality of the helical structure of DNA. Its cost, however, makes interaction between nonhomologous DNA less energetically favorable. In particular, interaction between double helical DNA may result in sequence homology recognition and selective pairing of homologous fragments containing more than 100-200 base pairs. We also find a weak, but potentially measurable, increase in the expected counterion concentration required for aggregation of nonhomologous DNA and slightly higher solubility of such DNA above the critical concentration.
Fast evaluation of the likelihood of an HMM: ion channel currents with filtering and colored noise

Hidden Markov models (HMMs) have been used in the study of single-channel recordings of ion channel currents for restoration of idealized signals from noisy recordings and for estimation of kinetic parameters. A key to their effectiveness from a computational point of view is that the number of operations to evaluate the likelihood, posterior probabilities and the most likely state sequence is proportional to the product of the square of the dimension of the state space and the length of the series. However, when the state space is quite large, computations can become infeasible. This can happen when the record has been lowpass filtered and when the noise is colored. In this paper, we present an approximate method that can provide very substantial reductions in computational cost at the expense of only a very small error. We describe the method and illustrate through examples the gains that can be made in evaluating the likelihood.
The DNA-binding Protein Hdf1p (a Putative Ku Homologue) Is Required for Maintaining Normal Telomere Length in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae

In mammalian cells, the Ku autoantigen is an end- binding DNA protein required for the repair of DNA breaks [Troelstra, C. and Jaspers, N.G.J. (1994) Curr. Biol., 4, 1149- 1151]. A yeast gene (HDF1) encoding a putative homologue of the 70 kDa subunit of Ku has recently been identified [Feldmann, H. and Winnacker, E. L. (1993) J. Biol. Chem., 268, 12895- 12900]. We find that hdf1 mutant strains have substantially shorter telomeres than wild-type strains. We speculate that Hdf1p may bind the natural ends of the chromosome, in addition to binding to the ends of broken DNA molecules. Strains with both an hdf1 mutation and a mutation in TEL 1 (a gene related to the human ataxia telangiectasia gene) have extremely short telomeres and grow slowly.
Thermoelectric Device Fabrication Using Thermal Spray and Laser Micromachining

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are solid-state devices that convert heat directly into electricity. They are used in many engineering applications such as vehicle and industrial waste-heat recovery systems to provide electrical power, improve operating efficiency and reduce costs. State-of-art TEG manufacturing is based on prefabricated materials and a labor-intensive process involving soldering, epoxy bonding, and mechanical clamping for assembly. This reduces their durability and raises costs. Additive manufacturing technologies, such as thermal spray, present opportunities to overcome these challenges. In this work, TEGs have been fabricated for the first time using thermal spray technology and laser micromachining. The TEGs are fabricated directly onto engineering component surfaces. First, current fabrication techniques of TEGs are presented. Next, the steps required to fabricate a thermal spray-based TEG module, including the formation of the metallic interconnect layers and the thermoelectric legs are presented. A technique for bridging the air gap between two adjacent thermoelectric elements for the top layer using a sacrificial filler material is also demonstrated. A flat 50.8 mm × 50.8 mm TEG module is fabricated using this method and its performance is experimentally characterized and found to be in agreement with expected values of open-circuit voltage based on the materials used.
The cAMP-response element mediates induction of secretogranin II by CHX and FSK in GH4C1 cells.

The effect of cAMP on secretogranin II (SgII) gene transcription in GH4C1(GH) cells is not observed unless protein synthesis is inhibited. We have defined elements in the SgII promoter that mediate regulation by cycloheximide (CHX) and forskolin (FSK) and characterized the nuclear proteins that interact with them. GH cells were transfected with p2774Luc, p351Luc, p242Luc, and p223Luc containing 2,612, 189, 80, and 61 bp of the SgII promoter upstream of the luciferase gene, respectively. Treatment with CHX and FSK increased promoter activity 8- to 12-fold in cells transfected with p2774Luc, p351Luc, and p242Luc but had no effect in cells transfected with p223Luc. The same 19-bp element (−80 to −62) mediates regulation by CHX alone, as CHX caused a 3.8-fold increase in activity in GH cells transfected with p242Luc but not p223Luc. Gel mobility shifts using sequences −84 to −53 resulted in three complexes, which contained cAMP response element-binding protein heterodimerized with cAMP response element modula...
Landscape of targeted anti-cancer drug synergies in melanoma identifies a novel BRAF-VEGFR/PDGFR combination treatment

A newer generation of anti-cancer drugs targeting underlying somatic genetic driver events have resulted in high single-agent or single-pathway response rates in selected patients, but few patients achieve complete responses and a sizeable fraction of patients relapse within a year. Thus, there is a pressing need for identification of combinations of targeted agents which induce more complete responses and prevent disease progression. We describe the results of a combination screen of an unprecedented scale in mammalian cells performed using a collection of targeted, clinically tractable agents across a large panel of melanoma cell lines. We find that even the most synergistic drug pairs are effective only in a discrete number of cell lines, underlying a strong context dependency for synergy, with strong, widespread synergies often corresponding to non-specific or off-target drug effects such as multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1) transporter inhibition. We identified drugs sensitizing cell lines that are BRAFV600E mutant but intrinsically resistant to BRAF inhibitor PLX4720, including the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor/kinase insert domain receptor (VEGFR/KDR) and platelet derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR) family inhibitor cediranib. The combination of cediranib and PLX4720 induced apoptosis in vitro and tumor regression in animal models. This synergistic interaction is likely due to engagement of multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), demonstrating the potential of drug- rather than gene-specific combination discovery approaches. Patients with elevated biopsy KDR expression showed decreased progression free survival in trials of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase pathway inhibitors. Thus, high-throughput unbiased screening of targeted drug combinations, with appropriate library selection and mechanistic follow-up, can yield clinically-actionable drug combinations.
Testing an ecologically based classification tool on fruit-based agroforestry in northern Thailand

Ecologists are increasingly using multivariate analytical approaches to reveal relationships between communities. These methods have promise in other fields as well. The use of multivariate methods to delineate relationships and classify an agroforestry system was tested among fruit-based agroforestry gardens in northern Thailand. Data on crop species composition, species abundance, perennial-crop age groups, and other physical and ecological factors from 82 gardens in three villages in a Highland watershed in northern Thailand were used in this study. Using Hierarchical Cluster Analysis the gardens were divided into clusters, each representing a different garden type (or fruit-based agroforestry subsystem). Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMS) analysis was used to assist in the interpretation of classification groupings and analysis gradients. The NMS analysis shows overall crop diversity, herbaceous food crops, size and market potential of the fruit planting as important classifying factors. However, this analysis did not produce as clear distinctions as hoped among gardens in a continuum of gradually changing and overlapping characteristics.
The Biological Basis of Learning

Background: Brain-based learning BBL, also referred to as educational neuroscience, examines learning as a biological process. Teaching to support BBL requires blending of understanding of neuroscience with the practice of education. With BBL, the learning environment is designed to enhance the brain's natural ability to learn. Aim: This manuscript describes the fundamentals of brain-based learning, translates the basic tenets of BBL to the simulation learning environment, and presents practical application strategies for simulation-based learning. Method: Focusing on the work of Renate and Geoffrey Caine, this article examines their approach to BBL, including the three core elements of brain-based learning experience: orchestrated immersion in complex environments, relaxed alertness, and active processing. The three elements of the Caine and Caine model are well-embedded in the larger BBL literature and have particular utility with simulation-based education. Results: The three core elements of BBL have direct application to simulation as a teaching and learning practice. This paper presents several specific strategies designed to enhance both the simulation event experience and the debriefing. Conclusion: The simulation learning environment can be adapted to capitalize on the tenets of BBL. Several instructional strategies are available to enhance the biological process of learning while utilizing simulation-based learning practices.
Community-Based Support and Unmet Needs Among Families of Persons with Brain Injuries: A Mixed Methods Study with the Brain Injury Association of America State Affiliates

This study examined service gaps and post-injury needs for families of persons with brain injuries as perceived by leadership of 28 Brain Injury Association of America state affiliates. Participants report that BIAA affiliates assist families with a variety of information, service referral, and emotional support services. Participants stressed that, while many community-based programs and professionals are available, they do not adequately meet family caregiver needs. Similarly, participant responses to a modified version of the Family Needs Questionnaire indicate that families have a great need for post-injury rehabilitation supports but that these needs are seldom fully met. Finally, participants emphasized a need for enhanced training and knowledge regarding brain injury. Clinical service and research implications are discussed for the general public and for the families of veterans.