cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Water Activity of Fresh Pasta and Toxin Production by Proteolytic Clostridium botulinum.

Four types of fresh pasta (meat- or cheese-filled tortellini and flat noodle linguine or fettucine) were prepared with different water activities, inoculated with proteolytic Clostridium botulinum spores, packaged under a modified atmosphere, and stored at either 4 or 30°C for 8 to 10 weeks. Products were assayed for botulinal toxin at appropriate sampling times. No toxin was detected in any fresh pasta held at 4°C for up to 8 weeks. However, toxin was detected in meat tortellini with aw of 0.99 and 0.95 at 2 and 6 weeks, respectively, when held at 30°C. Toxin was not detected in tortellini with an aw of 0.94 or below held at 30°C for 10 weeks. Toxin was produced at 2 weeks in linguine at aw 0.96 and held at 30°C, whereas no linguine or fettucine at aw 0.93 or 0.95 and held at 30°C was toxic during 10 or 8 weeks, respectively. The aw of fresh pasta is a principal factor in preventing botulinal toxin production by proteolytic C. botulinum in temperature-abused products. A survey of commercially available fresh pasta revealed that most flat noodles were below the aw limit for botulinal toxin production, whereas most of the filled pasta had aw values which permitted toxin production if temperature abuse occurred.
Analysis of Coupled Poroviscoelasticity and Hydrodynamic Lubrication

As the state of the art pushes triboelements toward greater capabilities and longevity, the need for evolving triboelement technology exists. The following work explores a novel coupling of phenomena inspired by biomimetics. A poroviscoelastic substrate coupled to a fluid film load is modeled and compared to its rigid counterpart. It is hypothesized that poroviscoelasticity can improve triboelement properties such as damping and wear resistance and have utility in certain applications where flexibility is desired (e.g., biomechanical joint replacements, flexible rotordynamic bearings, and mechanical seals). This study provides the framework for the analysis of flexible, porous viscoelastic materials and hydrodynamic lubrication.
Mössbauer Parameters of Rubredoxin, a One-Iron-Sulfur Protein

Rubredoxins are red, iron-containing redox proteins. They are found in many bacteria and are among the simplest iron proteins known. 1) They typically consist of a polypeptide chain of 50–60 amino acids which binds a single iron atom by means of four characteristically located cysteine residues. The three-dimensional structure of rubredoxin from Clostridium pasteurianum, the particular protein under study here, has been determined by x-ray diffraction.2) It is found that the thiolate sulfurs of the four cysteine residues bind to the iron in a roughly tetoahedral array. The iron-sulfur distances range from 2.05 A to 2.34 A according to the x-ray data2), and the local symmetry at the iron site is C1 only. Recent EXAFS studies suggest smaller differences in the Fe-S distances3), but the symmetry is still expected to be very low.
A challenging future

The following article is a slightly condensed version of a talk given at The Metallurgical Society’s Extractive Metallurgy Division Luncheon, delivered in New York at the Waldorf Astoria on February 28, 1968, as part of the AIME Annual Meeting.
When Subjects Interpret the Data: Social Media Non-use as a Case for Adapting the Delphi Method to CSCW

This paper describes the use of the Delphi method as a means of incorporating study participants into the processes of data analysis and interpretation. As a case study, it focuses on perceptions about use and non-use of the social media site Facebook. The work presented here involves three phases. First, a large survey included both a demographically representative sample and a convenience sample. Second, a smaller follow-up survey presented results from that survey back to survey respondents. Third, a series of qualitative member checking interviews with additional survey respondents served to validate the findings of the follow-up survey. This paper demonstrates the utility of Delphi by highlighting the ways that it enables us to synthesize across these three study phases, advancing understanding of perceptions about social media use and non-use. The paper concludes by discussing the broader applicability of the Delphi method across CSCW research.
An Integrated Media, Integrated Processes Watershed Model – WASH123D: Part 6 – Sediment and Reactive Chemical Transport in Stream/River Networks

A watershed system includes river/stream networks, overland regions, and subsurface media. This paper presents a numerical model of sediment and reactive chemical transport in river/stream networks of watershed systems. The distribution of mobile suspended sediments and immobile bed sediments is controlled by hydrological transport as well as erosion and deposition processes. The distribution and fate of chemical species with a variety of chemical and physical processes is mathematically described by a system of advective-dispersive-reactive species- transport equations. Each equation in the system simply states that the rate of increase of a species is due to hydrology transport and the production rate from all reactions contributing to the species. The system is very stiff if some of reactions are very fast; in the limit with infinite rates. To circumvent the stiff problem, fast reactions must be decoupled from slow reactions. A matrix decomposition procedure is performed via the Gauss-Jordan column reduction of the reaction network. After matrix decomposition, the system of species-transport equations is transformed to a system of reaction extent-transport equations, in which one and only one linearly independent reaction rate appears in any reaction- extent equation. This facilitates the decoupling of fast reactions from slow reactions. Each of the reaction-extent transport equations with the one and only one fast reaction is then approximated with an algebraic equation and its reaction- extent is called an equilibrium variable. Thus the system of reaction-extent transport equations is reduced three subsets: (1) algebraic equations, (2) kinetic- variable transport equations, and (3) component transport equations. A variety of numerical methods are investigated for solving the mixed differential and algebraic equations (DAE). Two verification examples are compared with analytical solutions to demonstrate the correctness of and to emphasize the need of implementing various numerical options and coupling strategies for application-dependent simulations. A hypothetical example is employed to demonstrate the capability of the model to simulate both sediment and reactive chemical transport and to handle complex reaction networks involving both slow and fast reactions.
Cascaded spintronic logic with low-dimensional carbon

Remarkable breakthroughs have established the functionality of graphene and carbon nanotube transistors as replacements to silicon in conventional computing structures, and numerous spintronic logic gates have been presented. However, an efficient cascaded logic structure that exploits electron spin has not yet been demonstrated. In this work, we introduce and analyse a cascaded spintronic computing system composed solely of low-dimensional carbon materials. We propose a spintronic switch based on the recent discovery of negative magnetoresistance in graphene nanoribbons, and demonstrate its feasibility through tight-binding calculations of the band structure. Covalently connected carbon nanotubes create magnetic fields through graphene nanoribbons, cascading logic gates through incoherent spintronic switching. The exceptional material properties of carbon materials permit Terahertz operation and two orders of magnitude decrease in power-delay product compared to cutting-edge microprocessors. We hope to inspire the fabrication of these cascaded logic circuits to stimulate a transformative generation of energy-efficient computing.
A novel resource management approach for paramedic triage systems

Information technology is increasingly being used in healthcare paramedic sector with the goal to improve management of resources and enhance medical services to save lives. In this paper, we introduce EMTriage, a distributed Android application with the ability to access patients EHR's, and depending on the data and inputs, assess and distribute an acuity level to patients in need of resources. We use the Emergency Severe Index, a proven triage tool to set acuity level so paramedics know who to attend to first. We also introduce functionality such as, patients emailing their primary care doctors, directions to their closet hospital, access to information about diagnosing yourself, and an emergency warning system to inform people that you need help. Our solution provides client platform security and appropriately combines this with network security concepts. Moreover, we discuss further open problems and research challenges on security, privacy and usability of e-health cloud systems.
COMPARATIVE DEVELOPMENT OF VASCULAR TISSUE PATTERNS IN THE SHOOT APEX OF FERNS

In the pertinent literature related to vascular pattern development in the ferns, two themes, at least, predominate: (1) there is a considerable cauline or stem influence in the establishment of the pattern, or (2) the primary influence which determines xylem differentiation and maturation patterns relates to the leaves and their development at the apex. A review of the literature is provided as the background for a current survey, using modern techniques, of protoxylem maturation patterns among a variety of fern species which represents a broad taxonomic and morphological diversity. There are a number of fern species in which it is clear that leaves do have a primary influence in the early establishment of the vascular pattern. In such species, provascular strands with subsequent protoxylem maturation are differentiated only in relation to leaf traces. Examples are provided from the literature (e.g. Ophioglossaceae) and from the laboratory (e.g. Cyatheaceae) which describe in detail the protoxylem strand relationship to leaf traces. Detailed interpretations of the protoxylem pattern (whatever the mature stelar pattern may be) in these species permit an analysis and derivation of the phyllotactic fraction for the species. This is a further indication of the close interrelationship between leaf development and the protoxylem pattern. In many instances this relationship is obscured by later development, the subsequent maturation of metaxylem and the establishment of a characteristic siphonostele or dictyostele. However, where there is a single main protoxylem strand in each of the meristeles of a typical highly dissected dictyostele, it is also possible to derive the phyllotactic fraction by an analysis of the meristele pattern (e.g. Diplazium and Blechnum in this study). In other species (Gleicheniaceae, Hymenophyllaceae, and Schizaeaceae) it is clear that not all protoxylem cell maturation is associated with leaves. The protoxylem cells may not constitute strands, there may be no reticulate system where strands are present, and both provascular tissue and mature protoxylem cells may occur distal to all leaf primordia. In such species, with clearly cauline (stem) vascular tissue, influences in addition to leaf development must be important. One major feature noted in several species (e.g. Gleichenia and Dicranopteris ) is the association of lateral root vascularization with xylem cell maturation. Within this latter group, exemplified particularly by species with protosteles or siphonsteles, the diversity of protoxylem-metaxylem patterns is described. The general conclusion of the current research is that what appear to be relatively simple and very similar mature stelar patterns with characteristic primary xylem maturation patterns are in reality much more diverse and complex. This diversity and complexity remains to be pursued in detail. The influences of and interactions among the leaf, shoot, and root on vascular pattern establishment and xylem maturation patterns, provide a broad array of problems to be resolved by current and future researchers.
Creativity and the Critique of Reason

This brief presentation of Anna-Teresa Tymieniecka’s Logos and Life does not pretend to do justice to her thought. It is simply an introduction to a very complex work, without comment or critique. The reader will find it useful then to consult the original text in order to derive his/her own understanding of it.
FUEL CELLS – SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS | Cells and Stacks

A thermodynamic analysis is developed to predict the maximum possible conversion efficiency (i.e., from available energy in a fuel to electrical output) for solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). Efficiency is represented as the product of three factors (reversible efficiency, part-load efficiency, and fuel utilization), all of which can be evaluated thermodynamically and are independent of the particular membrane–electrode assembly (MEA) structure. Power density, however, depends upon details of the MEA architecture. Optimal SOFC design and operation usually depend upon practical trade-offs between efficiency and power density. The functioning of a complete fuel cell system depends upon the contributions of supporting balance-of-plant components (e.g., fuel-processing reactors and heat exchangers). A thermodynamic analysis, based upon energy availability (exergy), is used to evaluate the integrated system performance. Because of unavoidable losses in the balance-of-plant components, the system-level efficiency is significantly lower than the efficiency of the SOFC itself. Careful integration of the SOFC with supporting components is necessary for overall system performance.
Automatic Segmentation of Coronary Vessels from Digital Subtracted Angiograms: A Knowledge-Based Approach

This paper presents a rule-based expert system for identifying and isolating coronary vessels in digital angiograms. The system is written in OPS5 and LISP and uses low level processors written in C. The system embodies both stages of the vision hierarchy: The low level image processing stage works concurrently with edges (or lines) and regions to segment the input image. Its knowledge is that of segmentation, grouping, and shape analysis. The high level stage then uses its knowledge of cardiac anatomy and physiology to interpret the result and to eliminate those structures not desired in the output.
Histological assessment of rodent CNS tissues to EPR oximetry probe material.

The effects of the paramagnetic oxygen sensing material, lithium phthalocyanine (LiPc) and fusinite were assessed in the brain of Mongolian gerbils and the spinal columns of rats respectively, to determine if there are histologically discernible changes in the tissue surrounding the probe material. This information is essential for the evaluation of the role of EPR oximetry in the measurement of pO2 in the CNS; the technique has great potential value for such measurements because it reports on the pO2 accurately and sensitively and, after the initial placement, measurements can be made repeatedly without invasive procedures or anesthesia. Histologic assessments demonstrated the inert nature of both the fusinite and LiPc EPR probes in rodent CNS tissue over relatively long (2 month) time periods. The fusinite suspensions and LiPc crystals (size range of approximately 100–200 µm) remained well localized to the point of injection and created mild acute tissue reaction on implantation (which appeared to resolve quickly) and virtually no tissue reaction at later times. The majority of the implanted fusinite and LiPc material was present extracellularly in the brain and spinal cord. MRI provided an accurate, noninvasive assessment of probe placement and was able to investigate pathologic effects (hemorrhage, edema, necrosis) associated with the probe placement and treatment effects.
A COMPARISON OF SEVERAL TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE SIGNAL MULTIPATH FROM THE GLOBAL POSITIONING SYSTEM

Earlier Global Positioning System (GPS) tests and analyses have demonstrated that signal multipath can cause large variations in the pseudorange measurement. The multipath environments are compared by computing the standard deviations from the pseudorange measurements over several hours. These have ranged from 1.3 m in a benign environment to 4.0 and 5.0 m in a highly reflective environment.
Clustering Methods and Validation of Representative Distribution Feeders

Clustering has received a lot of focus globally in recent years to determine representative feeders for validating smart grid technologies; however, clear reasoning on why a particular technique was used to accomplish a clustering step and whether similar results can be obtained from different techniques has not been reported. Further, and most importantly, validating final representative feeders and clusters when a sizeable feeder data set is used has not been completed. This paper addresses these issues. This paper also highlights the parameters that were determined to be critical for photovoltaic hosting capacity based on this analysis.
A New Strategy for Creating Noncanonical Amino Acid Dependent Organisms

The use of noncanonical amino acids (ncAAs) to control an organism's viability provides a strategy for the development of conditional 'kill switches' for live vaccines or engineered human cells. Here we report an approach inspired by the posttranslational acetylation/deacetylation of lysine residues, in which a protein encoded by a gene with an in-frame nonsense codon at an essential lysine can be expressed in its native state only upon genetic incorporation of AcK, and subsequent enzymatic deacetylation in the host cell. We have applied this strategy to two essential E. coli enzymes, the branched chain aminotransferase BCAT and the DNA replication initiator protein DnaA. We also devised a barnase-based conditional suicide switch to further lower the escape frequency of the host cells. This strategy offers a number of attractive features for controlling host viability, including a single small molecule-based kill switch, low escape frequency and unaffected protein function.
Impact of lot and sublot sizes on smoothness specifications using road data in the USA

The construction quality of a lot is often measured by collecting and testing a few samples. The statistics of an acceptance quality characteristic of the lot determined based on the samples are us...
Exact Imaging of Extended Targets Using Multistatic Interferometric Measurements

In this paper, we present a novel approach that can exactly recover extended targets in wave-based multistatic interferometric imaging, based on Generalized Wirtinger Flow (GWF) theory [1]. Interferometric imaging is a generalization of phase retrieval, which arises from cross-correlation of measurements from pairs of receivers in multistatic configuration. Unlike standard Wirtinger Flow, GWF theory guarantees exact recovery for arbitrary lifted forward models that satisfy the restricted isometry property over rank-1, positive semi-definite (PSD) matrices with a sufficiently small restricted isometry constant (RIC). To this end, we design a deterministic, lifted forward model for interferometric multistatic radar satisfying the exact recovery conditions of the GWF theory. Our results quantify a lower limit on the pixel spacing and the minimal sample complexity for exact multistatic radar imaging via GWF. We provide a numerical study of our RIC and pixel spacing bounds, which shows that GWF can achieve exact recovery with super-resolution. While our primary interest lies in radar imaging, our method is also applicable to other multistatic wave-based imaging problems such as those arising in acoustics and geophysics.
Synthesis of C-3 alkyl analogs of cocaine

Abstract The first general stereocontrolled approach to C-3 alkyl analogs of cocaine is described. The route utilized versatile intermediates 2β-hydroxymethyl-3α-cyanotropane and 2β-hydroxymethyl-3β-cyanotropane.
Soil swelling potential across Colorado: A digital soil mapping assessment

Abstract Swelling soils contain high amounts of expansive clay minerals which swell upon wetting and shrink upon drying. Urban growth across swelling soils causes billions of dollars in infrastructure damage annually throughout the United States. Here, continuous spatial information of soil swelling properties is provided across Colorado, a state experiencing extensive urban growth across swelling soils. The objectives were: 1) model the spatial variability and associated uncertainty of soil swelling-related properties across Colorado; 2) generate a continuous statewide map of soil swelling potential and associated uncertainty at 1x1km resolution; and 3) identify urban areas prone to experience swelling conditions. A digital soil mapping (DSM) framework for extracting pedologically-relevant information from legacy maps was used to train machine learning models to analyze multiple sources of information to represent the soil forming environment (e.g., soils, climate, organisms, topography). Best predictions were based on regression trees and explain over 80% of soil swelling spatial variability across the state (10-fold cross validation strategy). Over 20% of urbanized areas were identified as being prone to experience swelling conditions. Special considerations must be undertaken to couple urban development with soil functionality in order to prevent future damages and economic losses.
Hereditary Breast Cancer: Prophylactic Mastectomy, Breast Conservation, and Rates of Cancer

Hereditary breast cancers represent 5–10% of all breast cancer diagnoses [1] and up to 40% of all breast cancer diagnosed in women 35 years of age or younger [2]. In 1886 the French physician Paul Broca first noticed and described a familial clustering of breast cancer [3]; in his wife’s family, 10 out of 24 women, spread across four generations, reportedly died from breast cancer. In addition, several other family members died from other malignant diseases. Broca astutely concluded that this high incidence of cancer in a single family was too high to be attributed to chance. In 1990, p53 mutations were identified in Li-Fraumeni syndrome, a disorder with a high predilection for breast cancer [4, 5]. Subsequently, in 1994, using positional cloning methods, a strong candidate for the 17-q-linked BRCA1 gene was identified [6]. Probable predisposing mutations detected included an 11-base pair deletion, a 1-base pair insertion, a stop codon, a missense substitution, and an inferred regulatory mutation. The BRCA1 gene was found to be expressed in numerous tissues including the breast and ovary. In 1994 Wooster et al. [7] performed a genomic linkage search with 15 high-risk breast cancer families that were unlinked to the BRCA1 locus on chromosome 17q21 and were successful in localizing a second breast cancer susceptibility locus, BRCA2, to chromosome 13q12–13. In 1995, in a collaborative effort between the University of Utah and the Institute of Cancer Research in the United Kingdom, a set of families with a predisposition to breast and ovarian cancers were studied and reliably excluded from linkage to BRCA1 lead to the landmark discovery of the second breast cancer gene, BRCA2 [8].
Transgenic expression of carbonic anhydrase III in cardiac muscle demonstrates a mechanism to tolerate acidosis

Carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII) is abundant in liver, adipocytes, and skeletal muscles, but not heart. A cytosolic enzyme that catalyzes conversions between CO2 and HCO3− in the regulation of intrac...
Serena Williams and (the perception of) violence: intersectionality, the performance of blackness, and women’s professional tennis

Serena Williams is the most accomplished tennis player in the open era of professional tennis. She is also a Black woman which figures prominently in how she is (mis)understood in tennis. Using int...
Parathyroidectomy is Safe in Elderly Patients: A National Surgical Quality Improvement Program Study.

With increasing age, the incidence of hyperparathyroidism is increased. This study evaluates parathyroidectomy outcomes in elderly patients. Primary hyperparathyroidism patients having parathyroidectomy as listed in the 2005–2017 ACS-NSQIP database were separated by age: ≤60, 61–79 and ≥80. Outcomes included complications, 30-day mortality, return to the OR, operating times, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare patients 61–79 and ≥80 to those ≤60. Patients ≤60 and ≥80 were propensity score matched using gender, race, BMI, smoking status, steroid use, modified frailty index (mFI), ASA class, procedure, setting, anesthesia, and wound class. Morbidity and mortality were compared to ACS-NSQIP database patients having elective inguinal hernia repair. Of 47,701 patients: 22,220 were ≤60, 22,683 were 61–79, and 2798 were ≥80. Patients ≥80 had more complications (2.3% vs. 1.5% for 61–79 and 1.0% for ≤60, p 1 day (10.3% vs. 5.8% and 6.7%, p < 0.01), and mortality (0.21% vs. 0.11% and 0.03%, p < 0.01). On multivariable analysis of the overall population, older age, male gender, steroid use, high mFI, outpatient procedure, and general anesthesia increased the risk of complications. On propensity score matched analysis, there was no difference in complications (1.5% vs. 2.2%, p = 0.06) or mortality (0.04% vs. 0.23%, p = 0.12) between patients ≤60 and ≥80. Parathyroidectomy morbidity and mortality was lower than that for elective inguinal hernia repair in patients ≥80 (2.3% vs. 10% and 0.21% vs. 1.1%, p < 0.01). Parathyroidectomy is a safe operation, offering lower morbidity and mortality than elective hernia repair in all age groups including octogenarians.
Effect of Scala Tympani Height on Insertion Depth of Straight Cochlear Implant Electrodes

ObjectiveStudies suggest lateral wall (LW) scala tympani (ST) height decreases apically, which may limit insertion depth. No studies have investigated the relationship of LW ST height with transloc...
Reimagining collaboration through the lens of the posthuman: Uncovering embodied learning in noise music

While education research has largely avoided posthumanist scholarship, this analytic lens challenges the ways in which researchers have conceptualized educational technologies, i.e. collaboration a...
Stem and root assessment in mangrove forests using a low-cost, rapid-scan terrestrial laser scanner

Accurate assessment of forest structure and biomass is hampered by extensive field measurements that are time-consuming, costly, and inefficient. This is especially true in mangrove forests that have developed complex above-ground root structures for stability and survival in the harsh, anaerobic, and reducing conditions of water-logged sediments. These diverse structures can differ even among similar species, providing complex three dimensional structures and making them difficult to accurately assess using traditional allometric methods. Terrestrial laser scanners (TLS) have been used widely in collecting forest inventory information in recent years, mainly due to their fine-scale, detailed spatial measurements and rapid sampling. In this work we detected stems and roots in TLS data from three mangrove forests on Pohnpei Island in Micronesia using 3D classification techniques. After removing noise from the point cloud, the training set was acquired by filtering the facets of the point cloud based on angular orientation. However, many mangrove trees contain above-ground roots, which can incorrectly be classified as stems. We consequently trained a supporting classifier on the roots to detect omitted root returns (i.e., those classified as stems). Consistency was assessed by comparing TLS results to concurrent field measurements made in the same plots. The accuracy and precision for TLS stem classification was 82% and 77%, respectively. The same values for TLS root detection were 76% and 68%. Finally, we simulated the stems using alpha shapes for volume estimation. The average consistency of the TLS volume assessment was 85%. This was obtained by comparing the plot-level mean stem volume (m3/ha) between field and TLS data. Additionally, field-measured diameter-at-breast-heights (DBH) were compared to the lidar-derived DBH using the reconstructed stems, resulting in 74% average accuracy and an RMSE of 7.52 cm. This approach can be used for automatic structural evaluation, and could contribute to more accurate biomass assessment of complex mangrove forest environments as part of forest inventories or carbon stock assessments.
Differential supply management by age in hotel tourism products

In the development of hotel product strategies, the proportion of diversification and differentiation is a major decision that the hotel offers a wider range of services, which will help to find most suitable for guests, or narrows down its targeted segments and provides them with specific supply elements. One segmentation aspect could be the age of guests. The most prominent and identifiable age group in the supply is the senior, which has always been important for hotels. They have the off-season demand, predictable and well-known needs, their satisfaction is easily accessible. The research is looking for the answer to the question of whether the hotels have the opportunity of acquire the senior segment and what are the special features of the products recommended for them. Parts related to the topic of tourism marketing literature have been reduced to the accommodation services in the secondary information processing section of this paper. This is followed by the identification of the segment's booking and residence habits. Primary analysis of supply will be by observation of collecting and comparing the hotels' offerings to senior guests
Challenges and Limitations to Treating ADHD in Incarcerated Populations.

To the Editor We read with interest the commentary by Hall and Myers.[1][1] We applaud them for their excellent work in reviewing the standard treatments for attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). We agree with them that more research is needed to guide corrections staff on how best to
Advanced process control for nano technology manufacturing

Currently, inline metrology and tool FDC data are the main information source which engineers use to conduct the process control. However, metrology data are very expensive in terms of their tool cost and its hit on cycle time. Moreover, metrology measurement accuracy is increasingly questionable due to the rapid device shrinking factor. All leading fabs are employing EES/FDC system to provide real time information of the wafer status for feedback, control and process optimization. However, they are expensive to setup and maintain due to its high IT infrastructure and human monitoring cost. They are also prone to frequent missing and false alarms.
Economic Foundations of Symmetric Programming: Multiple Optimal Solutions

A large majority of empirical studies using either an LP or a QP specification has neglected the consequences of one important aspect of mathematical programming. Simply stated, the polyhedral nature of the solution set in LP and QP models may be responsible for multiple optimal solutions, if some plausible conditions are realized. If and when an empirical problem possesses alternative optimal solutions, why is only one of them usually selected for presentation in final reports which, often, make efficiency judgements and prescribe significant policy changes? In this chapter, we discuss, separately, the existence, the computation, and the consequences of multiple optimal solutions (MOS)in linear programming and in quadratic programming models. MOS in Linear Programming When LP is used for analyzing empirical problems, an explicit comparison is usually made between the activities actually chosen and operated by the economic agent under scrutiny and the optimal level of activities suggested by the model's solution. In some instance (Wicks), the use of LP for policy planning has inspired the use of Theil's U -inequality coefficient to assess formally the discrepancy between actual and optimal (predicted) activities. Desired values of the U coefficient are those close to zero, attained when the squared distance between actual and LP optimally predicted activities is small. Implicitly, minimum distance criteria have been used by many authors to assess the plausibility and performance of their LP models. In the presence of multiple optimal solutions, however, the selection of a specific solution for final analysis is crucial and should not be left to computer codes, as probably has been the case in all reported studies.
Using permutation patterns for content-based phylogeny

When the same set of genes appear in different orders on the chromosomes, they form a permutation pattern. Permutation patterns have been used to identify potential haplogroups in mammalian data [8]. They also have been successfully used to detect phylogenetic relationships between computer viruses [9]. In this paper we explore the use of these patterns as a content similarity measure and use this in inferring phylogenies from genome rearrangement data in polynomial time. The method uses a function of the cardinality of the set of common maximal permutation patterns as a proxy for evolutionary “proximity” between genomes. We introduce Pi-logen, a phylogeny tool based on this method. We summarize results of feasibility study for this scheme on synthetic data by (1) content verification and (2) ancestor prediction. We also successfully infer phylogenies on series of synthetic data and on chloroplast gene order of Campanulaceae data.
Abstract 24: Predictors of Occult Atrial Fibrillation in Cryptogenic Stroke

Background and Purpose: Prolonged cardiac monitoring may identify paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (AF) in patients with cryptogenic stroke. We aimed to identify clinical, echocardiographic, and neuroimaging features which may increase the efficiency of detecting AF on cardiac monitoring. Methods: We studied a retrospective cohort of 227 subjects with cryptogenic ischemic stroke referred for 28 day mobile cardiac outpatient telemetry (MCOT). Patients with large artery disease or high risk sources of cardioembolism were excluded. We reviewed medical records, brain images, and echocardiograms, blinded to MCOT results. Acute and/or chronic infarctions were characterized by size, location, and as cortical, subcortical, or both; wedge-shaped; lacunar; borderzone; and/or multiple territories. Cardiac features included left atrial (LA) size, ejection fraction, aortic arch atheroma, and PFO. Variables were tested in univariate analyses and further incorporated in a multivariate logistic regression model to determine independent predictors of detecting AF. Results: The cohort age was 62.9±2.9 years, 42% were men, and 53% were white. Median CHADS was 3 and CHADS2Vasc was 5. Infarcts were >1.5 cm in 62% of subjects, predominantly cortical in 47%, subcortical in 39%. Only 9% were single, deep, and 60 (OR 3.6 [1.2-10.4], p=0.02) and prior (chronic) cortical or cerebellar infarction (OR 3.3 [1.3-8.6], p=0.013) (C-statistic 0.72). There was no association with any other clinical, echocardiographic, or radiographic parameter. AF was detected in 32% of patients with age >60 and the presence of prior cortical or cerebellar infarction, compared to 4% with neither of these factors. Conclusion: Atrial fibrillation is detected on MCOT in a substantial minority of cryptogenic stroke patients. Age>60 and the presence of prior cortical or cerebellar strokes are predictive of detecting AF in these patients. Other brain and cardiac characteristics were not found to be helpful. These data may aid in the selection of patients for prolonged arrhythmia monitoring.
US-EU Regulatory Convergence: Capital Markets Issues

The U.S. and the E.U. are the two most important areas in terms of capital raising and securities trading, so together they constitute the "G-2" of the capital markets. Through informal leadership, the G-2 can help resolve some important regulatory issues between the U.S. and the E.U. while providing precedents for the global capital markets. The key issues in the U.S. include: reconciliation of accounting systems, extraterritorial application of Sarbanes-Oxley, and U.S. access to E.U. trading screens. The key issues in the E.U. include: E.U. restrictions on pension management, differential treatment of financial conglomerates, and no uniform E.U. rules on takeovers.
Democracy Through the Polarized Lens of the Camcorder: Argumentation and Vernacular Spectacle on Youtube in the 2008 Election

YouTube was commonly used to display evidence of negative campaigning in the 2008 election. This essay tracks the use of YouTube against supporters of John McCain, focusing on how argumentation is ...
The Impact of Monoblock Design and Battery Packaging on Temperature Excursion of Nickel/Iron Batteries

The impact of monoblock design and battery packaging on the temperature distribution and excursion of the nickel/iron EV batteries was examined by using a generic battery thermal model. It was found that substantial differences in temperature rise and temperature distribution exist between a single cell and a close-pack 5-cell monoblock. During a three-hour constant current discharge, the temperature of the monoblock exceeds the temperature limit set by the battery developer. This problem may be alleviated by providing inter-cell air spaces and applying forced air cooling to the battery. The importance of maintaining uniform air flow distribution in a full-scale nickel/iron battery pack was also illustrated using an example.
Persistent Observation of Dynamic Scenes in an Active Camera Network

This chapter deals with the problem of persistent observation of a wide area scene through decentralized, cooperative control of an active camera network. We focus on applications where events unfold over a large geographic area and need to be analyzed by multiple cameras. There is no central unit accumulating and analyzing all the data. The overall goal is to observe all objects (i.e., targets) in the region of deployment of the cameras, while selectively focusing at a high resolution on some particular target features based on application requirements. Efficient usage of resources in such a scenario requires that the cameras be active. However, this control cannot be based on separate analysis of the sensed video in each camera. They must act collaboratively to be able to acquire multiple targets at different resolutions. Our research focuses on developing accurate and efficient target acquisition and camera control algorithms in such scenarios using game theory. We show real-life experimental results of the approach.
LATE EOCENE CRYSTAL‐BEARING SPHERULES: TWO LAYERS OR ONE?

Late Eocene crystal-bearing spherules have been found in deep sea cores from the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, equatorial Pacific Ocean, and eastern equatorial Indian Ocean. Keller et al. (1987) have suggested that the spherules from the western equatorial Pacific (Site 292, core 38) and eastern Indian Ocean (Site 216) are older (Globigerapsis semiinvoluta Zone) than those from the central equatorial Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea (Globorotalia cerroazulensis Zone). The strongest argument in favor of two layers is the biostratigraphic data; however, published biostratigraphic interpretations are at odds with Keller et al.'s (1987) conclusions. Furthermore, paleomagnetic data for Site 292 seems to contradict Keller et al.'s conclusion that the spherules found in core 36 occur in sediments of the same stratigraphic age as those found in the central equatorial Pacific, Gulf of Mexico, and Caribbean Sea sites. Although the spherules from Sites 216 and 292 (core 38) do have higher average CaO, and lower average Al2O3 and FeO contents than the late Eocene spherules from the other sites, there is a great deal of overlap in composition. It is our opinion that the similarities in composition and petrography between the late Eocene crystal-bearing spherules are greater than the differences. Additionally, there seems to be a systematic change in composition and in amount of iridium excess from east to west when all the sites containing the crystal-bearing spherules are considered. We believe, therefore, that it is likely that the late Eocene crystal-bearing spherules all belong to a single event.
Understanding and Coping with Hardware and Software Failures in a Very Large Trigger Farm

When thousands of processors are involved in performing event filtering on a trigger farm, there is likely to be a large number of failures within the software and hardware systems. BTeV, a proton/antiproton collider experiment at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, has designed a trigger, which includes several thousand processors. If fault conditions are not given proper treatment, it is conceivable that this trigger system will experience failures at a high enough rate to have a negative impact on its effectiveness. The RTES (Real Time Embedded Systems) collaboration is a group of physicists, engineers, and computer scientists working to address the problem of reliability in large-scale clusters with real-time constraints such as this. Resulting infrastructure must be highly scalable, verifiable, extensible by users, and dynamically changeable.
Postyield behavior of subchondral trabecular bone.

Cylindrical specimens of bovine subchondral trabecular bone were tested to uniaxial compressive strain levels of 75% to study energy absorption during pore collapse. Stress–strain curves were characterized by macroscopic yield at about 8% strain followed by a significant horizontal pore collapse regime. Energy absorption occurred largely in this postyield regime. Yield strength and energy absorption capacity were found to increase linearly with specimen apparent density. Microstructural analysis of the deformed specimens verified that the mechanism for energy absorption was primarily fracture and buckling of trabeculae. The results suggest that during fracture, the collapse of trabecular bone (and the consequent absorption of energy) serves to attenuate stresses transmitted through the skeleton and thus protect vital structures such as the brain.
A unique integer mathematical model for scheduling deteriorating jobs with rate-modifying activities on a single machine

In this paper, we consider the scheduling a set of deteriorating jobs on a single processor. We propose a model which reflects real life situations in which the processing time of jobs change depending on its initial processing time (deteriorating jobs) and activities, such as machine maintenance or a break for workers. A rate-modifying activity (rma) is a maintenance activity given to a machine to restore it to its original state. The general problem we deal with in this study is to determine the job sequence, the number of rmas, and rma positions within the work sequence. We formulate a unique integer program to solve this model for makespan and total completion time objectives. We also propose efficient heuristic algorithms for solving large size problems for both makespan and total completion time objectives.
Comparison of elastin peptide concentrations in body fluids from healthy volunteers, smokers, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Proteolysis of elastic fibers is central to the development of emphysema, and a simple, noninvasive assay of elastin degradation would be useful in diagnosis and in therapeutic monitoring. We have adapted an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to determine plasma, urine, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) elastin peptide concentrations in nonsmokers, healthy smokers, and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Plasma elastin peptide concentrations were significantly higher in subjects with COPD (66.8 ± 5.8 ng/ml, n = 10) compared with nonsmokers (23.4 ± 4.6 ng/ml, n = 12), and healthy smokers had intermediate values (36.0 ± 6.8, n = 6), p < 0.05. Urine values (both unadjusted and normalized to urine creatinine concentration) were approximately 10-fold higher than plasma in all subject groups, and the relative differences among groups were the same as tor plasma, with values of 910.8 ± 105.6, 358.1 ± 101.2, and 281.0 ± 67.8 ng/ml for subjects with COPD (n = 10), heal...
Effect of Processing Temperature on Pigments and Color of Spinacha

SUMMARY A method was developed for estimation of chlorophylls a and h, pheophytins a and h, lutein, and carotene in processed spinach. The method, developed primarily for calorimetric studies, involves extraction of the spinach with acetone and chromatographic separation on a sugar-starch (70:30) column. Equations were developed for spectrophotometric estimation of the amount of each pigment in the eluate from the column. The method gave recovery values of 95–98% for a wide range of pigment mixtures, and a coefficient of variation of approximately 1.5% for reproducibility on the same extract. Fresh spinach was blanched, pureed, packed in glass thermal-death-time tubes and processed in an oil bath at 240, 250, 260, 270, and 280°F for a process value equal to Fo 4.9. Color measurements indicated a difference of 4.1 units between the controls and the samples processed at 280°F, and 11.6 units between the controls and the samples processed at 240°F. The pigment changes indicated a progressively smaller change in chlorophylls a and h to pheophytins a and h as the processing temperature was raised. Chlorophyll a was degraded more rapidly than chlorophyll b, and the ratio of the two changed from 1.55 for the samples processed at 280°F, to 0.92 for the samples at 240°F. Some degradation of lutein was observed, particularly at the lower processing temperatures, whereas carotene was unchanged. The pigment-free tissues also showed more change in color at the lower temperatures, but the contribution of the pigment-free tissues and the degradation of lutein to the over-all color change was very small. The major reasons for the change in color of the spinach puree upon processing were, first, the degradation of chlorophyll a to pheophytin a, and second, the degradation of chlorophyll b to pheophytin b.
Analysis and implementation of the gas-kinetic BGK scheme for computational gas dynamics

SUMMARY Gas-kinetic schemes based on the BGK model are proposed as an alternative evolution model which can cure some of the limitations of current Riemann solvers. To analyse the schemes, simple advection equations are reconstructed and solved using the gas-kinetic BGK model. Results for gas-dynamic application are also presented. The final flux function derived in this model is a combination of a gas-kinetic Lax‐Wendroff flux of viscous advection equations and kinetic flux vector splitting. These two basic schemes are coupled through a non-linear gas evolution process and it is found that this process always satisfies the entropy condition. Within the framework of the LED (local extremum diminishing) principle that local maxima should not increase and local minima should not decrease in interpolating physical quantities, several standard limiters are adopted to obtain initial interpolations so as to get higher-order BGK schemes. Comparisons for well-known test cases indicate that the gas-kinetic BGK scheme is a promising approach in the design of numerical schemes for hyperbolic conservation laws. # 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.