cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
POSTER: Quantifying the Direct Overhead of Virtual Function Calls on Massively Parallel Architectures

Programmable accelerators aim to provide the flexibility of traditional CPUs, with greatly improved performance and energy-efficiency. Arguably, the greatest impediment to the widespread adoption of programmable accelerators, like GPUs, is the software engineering overhead involved in getting the code to execute correctly. To help combat this issue, GPGPU computing has matured from its origins as a collection of graphics API hacks to include advanced programming features, including object-oriented programming. This level of support, in combination with a shared virtual memory space between the CPU and GPU, make it possible for rich object-oriented frameworks to execute on GPUs with little porting effort. However, executing this type of flexible code on a massively parallel accelerator introduces overhead that has not been well studied. In this poster, we analyze the direct overhead of virtual function calls on contemporary GPUs. Using the latest GPU architectures and compilers, this poster performs the analysis of how virtual function calls are implemented on GPUs. We quantify the direct overhead incurred from contemporary implementations and show that the massively multithreaded nature of GPUs creates deficiencies and opportunities not found in CPU implementations of virtual function calls.
Association between smoking cessation and post-hospitalization healthcare costs: A matched cohort analysis

The potential economic benefit in terms of reduced healthcare costs when patients quit smoking after hospital discharge has not been directly measured. The aim of this study was to compare the costs for hospital admission and six-month follow-up for a cohort of patients who self-reported abstinence from cigarettes at 6 months after hospital discharge and a matched group of patients who reported continued smoking. This was a secondary analysis of a recent population-based clinical trial cohort (ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT01575145), with cohort membership determined by self-reported 7 day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months after the index hospital discharge. Participants were admitted to Mayo Clinic Hospital, Rochester, MN, between May 5, 2012 and August 10, 2014 for any indication and lived in the areas covered by postal codes included in Olmsted County, MN. Propensity score matching was used to control for differences between groups other than smoking status, and any residual imbalance was adjusted through generalized linear model with gamma distribution for cost and log-link transformation. Of 600 patients enrolled in the clinical trial, 144 could be contacted and self-reported 7 day point prevalence abstinence at 6 months after hospital discharge. Of these patients, 99 were successfully matched for this analysis. The cost for the index hospitalization was significantly greater in patients who abstained compared to those that did not abstain (mean difference of $3042, higher for abstainers, 95% CI $170 to $5913, P = 0.038). However, there was no difference between mean 6-month follow-up costs, number of inpatient hospitalizations, or number of emergency room visits for abstainers versus non-abstainers. There was no evidence to support the hypothesis that abstinence at 6 months after hospital discharge is associated with a decrease in health care costs or utilization over the first 6 months after hospital discharge.
Test driven development on the cheap: text files and explicit scaffolding

Test driven development (also known as test-first development) is a technique associated with Extreme Programming and Agile Programming methods.[1] Most advocates of test driven development use automated testing tools to facilitate bookkeeping and to encourage frequent and thorough regression testing throughout development. These tools (such as JUnit, NUnit and XUnit) are increasingly popular, and deservedly so. However, in this paper, we suggest a simplified approach that may sometimes be preferable when introducing the idea of test driven programming: using a textfile and a straightforward testing harness. This technique will probably be of limited use to experienced test driven developers, but novices (both students and faculty) may find it a simpler way to understand how test-driven development works without having to install and learn an automated testing system.
Eruptive Melanocytic Acral Nevi in the Setting of 6-mercaptopurine Therapy.

Eruptive melanocytic nevi (EMN) are a rare clinical finding characterized by sudden-onset nevi that often present in a grouped distribution. They have been associated with chemotherapy, immunosuppression, bullous diseases, and medications including multikinase and BRAF inhibitors. It is important for dermatologists to be able to identify patients with sudden development of new melanocytic nevi secondary to particular medications. Herein, we describe a case of eruptive melanocytic acral nevi secondary to 6-mercaptopurine therapy. J Drugs Dermatol. 2017;16(5):516-518. .
Meaningful Labour, Employee Ownership, and Workplace Democracy: A Comment on Weidel (2018)

Timothy Weidel has argued that Martha Nussbaum’s list of central capabilities should be amended to include a capability for meaningful labour. This paper extends Weidel’s ideas, arguing that meanin...
Concern and control in human agency

Human agency is typically theorized as a unique form of control or countercontrol in a determinant world. Thus, the nature of world (as a closed, determinant space) is taken for granted, creating a...
A Comparison of Mental and Behavioral Health Risks Factors Associated With Current Dual Use of Electronic Cigarette and Conventional Tobacco Cigarettes With Exclusive Tobacco Cigarette Use and Nonuse Among Adults in the United States.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES While health risks associated with tobacco cigarette use are well-known, additional risks of dual use are poorly understood. This study compared mental and behavioral health risk factors associated with the current dual use of e-cigarettes and conventional tobacco cigarettes with current exclusive users of tobacco cigarettes and nonusers of either e-cigarettes or tobacco cigarettes. METHODS Data from the 2016 National Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) were analyzed (N = 277,034). Current dual use was defined as the current use of tobacco cigarettes and the use of e-cigarettes, everyday or some days. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to assess associations between dual use and mental and behavioral health risks compared with exclusive tobacco cigarette users and nonusers. RESULTS Compared with nonusers, current dual use was associated with increased odds of having more than 14 days of self-reported poor physical health (adjusted odd ratio [AOR], 1.9; P < .01), more than 14 days of self-reported poor mental health (AOR, 1.8; P < .01), a diagnosis of depression (AOR, 2.2; P < .001); using smokeless tobacco products (AOR, 1.6; P < .05), alcohol use (AOR, 1.6; P < .01), and marijuana use (AOR, 8.3; P < .001) than current exclusive users of tobacco cigarettes. CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE The concurrent use of e-cigarettes and tobacco cigarettes is associated with increased odds of having behavioral and mental health problems. These findings may be indicative of increased health risks associated with dual use, compared with the exclusive use of tobacco cigarettes, and have important implications for public health interventions and policies aimed at mitigating health risk behaviors. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00-00).
Internal governance and corporate acquisition activities

The literature shows that the performance of bidders has been historically poor both in the short run and in the long run. Agency theory tells us that unless CEO owns 100% of the firm, the decision-making process would deviate from shareholder value maximization. Building upon the theory of internal governance by Acharya et al. (J Financ 66(3):689–720, 2011), this study documents the salutary effect of the novel governance mechanism on corporate acquisition activities. Internal governance is optimal if neither the CEO nor her subordinates are dominating. The curvilinear relationship suggests that when power and responsibility sharing is balanced in acquiring firms, myopic CEOs would have lower acquisition propensity, lower likelihood of targeting public firms, higher deal completion rate, and stronger short term gains. A system of regression equations is applied to mitigate the concerns about potential endogeneity and selection bias. Moreover, the empirical evidence demonstrates that good internal governance has strong predictive power for long term performance in the post-acquisition period, which sheds light on the influential role of subordinates in post-deal integration.
Reducing New Persistent Opioid Use After Surgery: A Review of Interventions.

This review aims to summarize interventions used in the perioperative period to reduce the development of new persistent postoperative opioid use in opioid-naive patients. The development of new persistent opioid use after surgery has recently been identified as a common postoperative complication. The existing literature suggests that interventions across the continuum of care have been shown to decrease the incidence of new persistent postoperative opioid use. Specific preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative interventions will be reviewed, as well as the use of clinical pathways and protocols that span throughout the perioperative period. Common to many of these interventions include the use of multimodal analgesia throughout the perioperative period and an emphasis on a patient-centered, evidence-based approach to the perioperative pain management plan. While the incidence of new persistent postoperative opioid use appears to be high, the literature suggests that there are both small- and large-scale interventions that can be used to reduce this. Technological advances including prescription monitoring systems and mobile applications have enabled studies to monitor opioid consumption after discharge. Interventions that occur preoperatively, such as patient education and expectation setting regarding postoperative pain management, and interventions that occur postoperatively, such as the implementation of procedure-specific, evidence-based prescribing guidelines and protocols, have been shown to reduce post-discharge opioid consumption. The use of multimodal analgesia and opioid-sparing adjuncts throughout the perioperative period is central to many of these interventions and has essentially become standard of care for management of perioperative pain.
Patterns of video-based motion analysis use among sports physical therapists

Abstract Objective Examine video-based motion analysis (VBMA) use among sports physical therapists. Design Cross-sectional observation. Setting Survey, online-platform. Participants American Academy of Sports Physical Therapy members (n = 261). Main Outcome Measures VBMA use frequency, reasons for use, facilitators/barriers, tools used, factors associated with use. Results 194 (74.3%) used VBMA but 163 (84%) use it for ≤ 25% of their caseload. Most (57.7%) used their personal device to capture VBMA. Commonly cited reasons for use were movement analysis (93.8%) and patient education (87.6%). Barriers to use included time (30.7%), unfamiliarity with device/equipment (19.2%), and lack of device/equipment (18.4%). Younger age, advanced training, and greater time spent with return patients were each associated with use. For every 5-year increase of age, there was a 12% reduced likelihood of VBMA use (OR = 0.88; 95% CI = 0.77–1.00). Board-certified sports clinical specialists were more likely to use vs. those without additional certifications/degrees (OR = 3.27; 95% CI = 1.33–8.02). Spending 30–59 (vs. Conclusion Most respondents used VBMA, albeit infrequently. Those younger, with advanced training, and spending ≥30 min with return patients were more likely to use VBMA. Future research should investigate whether VBMA use enhances patient outcomes.
Sourcing Cloud Transactions Economically - The Right Way

This article makes the case that the sourcing of cloud services income, when earned by a multinational group, should be determined on a “look-through or unitary” approach. Such an approach would include in the source computation the relevant activities of all group members whose activities contributed to the cloud services provided to customers. This is in contrast to the current regulatory approach that takes into account only the relevant activities of the one group member entity that recorded the cloud services income from its customers. A "unitary" approach is necessary because the current approach (which has been in place for many decades) has facilitated multinational groups intentionally crafting their structures to achieve a specific tax-motivated result within each group member. A sourcing result that will truly reflect the group’s business can only be achieved by applying the facts and circumstances approach to sourcing on a unitary basis. The article includes an example of how the current approach distorts the sourcing of cloud services income.
Modified Oxacillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus detected in neonatal intensive care patients

Active surveillance in our neonatal intensive care unit identified Staphylococcus aureus cultures from two infants with heterogeneity in methicillin resistance between isolated subclones lacking mecA and mecC. Whole-genome analysis of 4 modified (MODSA) and 4 methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) subclones for each culture identified either truncating mutations in the cyclic diadenosine monophosphate phosphodiesterase enzyme (GdpP), or a nonsynonymous substitution in penicillin binding protein 2 (PBP2). These cases highlight the difficulty in identifying non-mecA/non-mecC-mediated methicillin-resistance in clinical laboratories.
Qualitative kinematics of linkages

Abstract : An important aspect of qualitative spatial reasoning is understanding mechanisms. This paper presents a qualitative analysis of motion for mechanical linkages. In particular, we describe how to analyze the behavior of a mechanism which has a movable axis. The basic idea of our approach is to represent relative motions of the link in terms of quadrants (qualitatively representing the direction relative to a global reference frame) and relative inclinations relative to the x-axis. Using this representation ; we can derive all the possible motions of a system of linkages. This idea has been implemented and tested on several examples.
Enzymatic and Physiological Properties of the Yeast Glutamate-α-Ketoadipate Transaminase

In a study of differences between the two glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminases of Saccharomyces, it was observed that glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase I exhibited lower substrate specificity, functioning with aspartate in addition to glutamate as amino donor but not with alanine. Glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase II functioned with glutamate but not with aspartate or alanine. Glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase II readily catalyzed the reverse reaction (toward α-ketoadipate), whereas glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase I exhibited only weak activity in the reverse direction. A kinetic study of the forward reaction revealed that α-ketoglutarate, a product, behaved as a strong noncompetitive inhibitor of glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase I but not of glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase II. On the other hand, glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase II formation was derepressed by growth on α-aminoadipate, and to a lesser extent by lysine, and was repressed by glucose, while glutamate-α-ketoadipate transaminase I was scarcely affected by the growth conditions. These mechanisms may play a role in the regulation of lysine biosynthesis in yeast.
A new protein quality evaluation index based on growth responses of rats.

The protein efficiency ratio (PER) is the official method for protein quality evaluation in the United States and Canada. Two other widely used indices of evaluation are the slope ratio and net protein ratio (NPR) methods. Each of these methods has problems associated with its calculation and interpretation. In this paper, a new index, actual protein utilization ( APU ) is discussed, and its relationship to the other indices is examined. Each of the indices is given a theoretical basis by relating it to the four parameter mathematical model for physiological responses. To compare the indices, growth bioassays were carried out using male rats (40, 60, 115 g) consuming three different proteins (casein, lactalbumin and soy) and an amino acid mixture (Rogers and Harper). Dose-response curves were generated for each diet, and the indices PER, NPR, Slope and APU were calculated. APU was shown to have certain characteristics that make it superior to the other methods of protein quality evaluation, i.e., it closely approximates the growth response curve and it incorporates a term for the protein intake required for maintenance.
JIGGLE: Java Interactive Graph Layout Environment

JIGGLE is a Java-based platform for experimenting with numerical optimization approaches to general graph layout. It can draw graphs with undirected edges, directed edges, or a mix of both. Its features include an implementation of the Barnes-Hut tree code to quickly compute internode repulsion forces for large graphs and an optimization procedure based on the conjugate gradient method. JIGGLE can be accessed on the World Wide Web at http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~quixote.
Changes in Adhesion Complexes Define Stages in the Differentiation of Lens Fiber Cells

PURPOSE. During their differentiation, lens fiber cells elongate, detach from the lens capsule, associate at the sutures, and degrade all cytoplasmic membrane-bound organelles. Changes in the expression or organization of cell adhesion and cytoskeleton-associated proteins were correlated with these events during fiber cell differentiation in chicken embryos. METHODS. Fixed or living lenses were sliced with a tissue slicer, permeabilized or extracted with detergents, stained with antibodies or fluorescent-labeled phalloidin, and viewed with a confocal microscope. The distribution of N-cadherin in elongating and mature fiber cells was determined by Western blot analysis. Reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RTPCR) was used to determine the distribution of vinculin and paxillin transcripts. RESULTS. Staining for N-cadherin and band 4.1 protein decreased soon after fiber cells detached from the capsule. Detergent extraction of lens sections and Western blots of dissected lens regions showed that much of this decrease in staining was due to epitope masking. Vinculin immunoreactivity was barely detectable on the lateral membranes of elongating fiber cells but increased markedly once these cells reached their maximum length and formed the sutures. Staining for paxillin was also low in elongating fiber cells but increased late in fiber cell differentiation, just before the cells destroyed their membrane-bound organelles. Spectrin and ankyrin immunoreactivity did not change when fiber cells reached the sutures. Staining for F-actin increased transiently in cells that had just reached the sutures. Messenger RNAs for vinculin and paxillin were more abundant in maturing than in elongating fiber cells. CONCLUSIONS. The adhesion complexes of lens fiber cells change in organization and composition soon after these cells finish elongating and detach from the capsule. Increased staining for vinculin and paxillin defines distinct stages of fiber cell differentiation that are intermediate between the completion of cell elongation and the time when lens fiber cells degrade their membrane-bound organelles. Remodeling adhesion complexes during fiber cell maturation may assure the stability of fiber‐fiber associations, once these cells are no longer transcriptionally active. (Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001;42: 727‐734) T
Computer zwingen Menschen zum Glück

„Was war es nur, was die Gesichter der Schweine so verandert hatte? Manche hatten funf Kinne, manche vier und manche drei. Was aber war es, was sich zu verschmelzen und zu verandern schien? ... Die Tiere drausen schauten von Schwein zu Mensch und von Mensch zu Schwein, und dann nochmals von Schwein zu Mensch; aber es war bereits unmoglich, zu sagen, wer das Schwein und wer der Mensch war.“
Importance of having agreeable friends in adolescence (especially when you are not)

Using the actor–partner interdependence model, we examined whether adolescent’s agreeableness, best friend’s agreeableness, and the interaction between adolescentfriend agreeableness are important for interpersonal functioning. Adolescents (N = 158) in fifth to eighth grades who were part of best friend pairs completed personality and friendship measures. Adolescents’ adjustment and victimization experiences were assessed by peer nominations. For boys, best friend’s agreeableness moderated the relationship between the target boy’s agreeableness and overt victimization, relational victimization, and externalizing problems. For girls, best friend’s agreeableness moderated the relationship between the target girl’s agreeableness and internalizing problems and prosocial skills. This study provides an initial glimpse into how traits of friends can influence outcomes beyond what would be expected from adolescents’ personality alone.
Community matters: Social presence and learning outcomes

The study examines the relationship between social presence and students' learning outcomes. An emerging body of research connects social presence with learning outcomes in online coursework. Social presence is the "degree to which a person is perceived as a 'real person' in mediated communication" (Gunwardena & Zittle, 1997, p.9). The study of 121 student participants addresses the following questions: What is the evidence of social presence in students' communication in an online discussion forum and in an attitudinal survey? 2) What pedagogical methods affect students' perceptions of social presence? and 3) What is the relationship between social presence and students' learning outcomes? The regression model revealed that students with higher demonstrations of social presence in discussion forum posts had statistically significantly higher ratings on the CAT. This seems to indicate that social presence influences student outcomes on written assignments.
Atomic and Nuclear Effects in the Slow-Neutron Total Cross Section of Terbium

The total cross section of terbium has been measured for neutron energies ${E}_{n}$ from 0.003 to 1.78 eV. For neutron energies above the Be cutoff a new method employing two crystal monochromators in series was used. For ${E}_{n}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.005$ eV a single-crystal monochromator in conjunction with a Be filter was employed. Using earlier measurements of the radiative-capture cross section, the experimental results have been analyzed to include the contributions due to paramagnetic scattering, coherent scattering, and phonon effects. The analysis shows that the experiment and the calculations are consistent everywhere except $0.015\ensuremath{\lesssim}{E}_{n}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.10$ eV. In this energy range inelastic coherent scattering is not accurately accounted for with the use of Placzek's incoherent approximations. In addition crystalline-field effects give rise to further complications. The comparison between the experiment and the calculations for $0.015\ensuremath{\lesssim}{E}_{n}\ensuremath{\lesssim}0.10$ eV suggests that studies of coherent inelastic scattering and crystalline-field effects in terbium metal are needed. The experimental results for ${E}_{n}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}0.12$ eV yield the potential scattering cross section as 7.5 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.5 b. This corresponds to a spin-independent nuclear radius of 7.73 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.27 fm and to a radius parameter of 1.43 \ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{} 0.05 fm. The results suggest that the incoherent scattering cross section, if present, is very small (\ensuremath{\lesssim} 1.0 b).
Loose part monitoring system improvements

Abstract Metal impact theory, plate wave transmission theory, and experimental data were used to develop an analytical basis for loose part monitoring system performance. Valid signal properties were defined and guidelines were developed for the number and location of sensors, sensor mounting, calibration methods, signal filtering, and interpretation.
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia among women with papillomavirus infection compared to women with Trichomonas infection

This study was undertaken to determine if women with papillomavirus infection were more likely to develop cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) than women with other sexually transmitted infections. Women with cytologic evidence of papillomavirus infection and a comparison group of women with cytologic evidence of Trichomonas infection were identified from a reexamination of cervicovaginal smears initially evaluated between 1973 and 1981 in a private pathology laboratory. To identify subsequent CIN among these women the authors reviewed records of private obstetric and gynecology practices and public clinics through 1983. After accounting for possible confounding variables, including age, marital status, frequency of cervical cytologic examination, and selected characteristics of pregnancy history, a 2.7-fold increase in the rate of CIN was found among the 613 women with prior papillomavirus infection compared to the 410 women with previous Trichomomas infection. The rate ratio was higher among women with more severe cervical neoplasia than for those with less severe neoplasia and for those followed for greater than 12 months than for those followed 7 to 12 months. The results of this study provide further evidence of the role of papillomavirus in the etiology of cervical cancer.
Psychological Inflexibility in Childhood and Adolescence: Development and Evaluation of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth.

The authors describe the development and validation of the Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth (AFQ-Y), a child-report measure of psychological inflexibility engendered by high levels of cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance. Consistent with the theory underlying acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), items converged into a 17-item scale (AFQ-Y) and an 8-item short form (AFQ-Y8). A multimethod psychometric approach provides preliminary support for the reliability and validity of the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8. In 5 substudies, 3 samples (total N = 1369) were used to establish (a) item comprehension (n = 181), (b) initial item selection (n = 513), (c) final item reduction and development of a short form for research (n = 346), (d) comprehensive psychometric evaluation of the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8 (n = 329), and (e) convergent and construct validity for both versions of the AFQ-Y. Overall, results suggest that the AFQ-Y and AFQ-Y8 may be useful child-report measures of core ACT processes.
Prediabetic Markers in Children With Stress Hyperglycemia

Background: Previous studies have shown that children with stress hyperglycemia have an increased risk for development of type I or insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Objective: To determine whether stress hyperglycemia in prospectively screened pediatric patients represents a prediabetic state. Design: Prospective, cohort analytic study. Setting: The Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters is an urban pediatric emergency department at a tertiary care, university-based children's hospital in Norfolk, Va. Patient Population: All patients who required a venipuncture for evaluation of an acute illness or injury from October 1992 through March 1993 were screened prospectively for hyperglycemia (blood glucose level ≥8.3 mmol/L [≥ 150 mg/dL]). Each hyperglycemic patient was age matched to a stress control subject (defined as a nonhyperglycemic but acutely ill child) from the emergency department and a healthy control subject from a well-child clinic. Intervention: Blood samples were obtained at the time of initial evaluation in the emergency department from 30 hyperglycemic patients (age range, 4 weeks to 12.4 years; median, 2 years), 30 stress control subjects, and 30 healthy control subjects. All samples were tested for islet cell antibodies, insulin autoantibodies, glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies, and HLA typing, specifically the genotypes at theDQB1gene. Main Outcome Measures: The presence of immunologic or genetic markers for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and/or the clinical development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Results: No patients or control subjects were positive for islet cell antibodies. One hyperglycemic patient and 3 stress control subjects were positive for insulin autoantibodies; all 4 of these subjects had sickle-cell disease and fever. Four of the 8 patients with sickle-cell disease had insulin autoantibodies, compared with none of the 52 patients and stress control subjects without sickle-cell disease (P Conclusions: Children with stress hyperglycemia do not have an increased prevalence of immunologic or genetic markers of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and thus do not appear to be at an increased risk for development of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Our data suggest that insulin autoantibodies develop in children subject to sickle cell crises. Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1996;150:936-941
Geometric properties of loop condensed phases on the square lattice

Loop condensed phases are scale-invariant quantum liquid phases of matter. These phases include topologically ordered liquid phases such as the toric code as well as critical liquids such as the Rokhsar-Kivelson point of the quantum dimer model on the square lattice. To investigate the extent to which nonlocal geometric observables capture a signature of the nonlocal quantum order present in these phases, we compute geometric properties of such loop condensed states using directed loop Monte Carlo calculations. In particular, we investigate the loop condensed nature of ground state of the square lattice quantum dimer model at the Rokhsar-Kivelson point and compare with other loop condensed states on the square lattice, including those of the toric code and fully packed loop model. The common features of such liquids are a scale invariant distribution of loops and a fractal dimensionality of spanning loops. We find that the fractal dimension of the loop condensate of the square lattice quantum dimer model at the Rokhsar-Kivelson point is $3/2$, which provides quantitative confirmation of the effective height model that is commonly used to describe this critical dimer liquid.
Evaluation of candidate international reference reagents and a microimmunodiffusion test for the identification of precipitins to the H and M antigens of histoplasmin.

Anti- Histoplasma capsulatum sera are specifically identified when they react with histoplasmin to form h and m precipitin lines in the agar-gel immunodiffusion test. Ten scientists from nine nations (Argentina, Canada, England, France, Israel, Japan, Russia, United States of America and Venezuela) have evaluated candidate international reference sera and histoplasmin as international reference reagents for use in an agar-gel microimmunodiffusion test. Criteria for the acceptance of the test as an international reference method depended upon the determination of the sensitivity and specificity of the procedure when applied by each laboratory to 31 coded rabbit sera having diverse concentrations of antibody to the h or m antigens in the reference histoplasmin. Acceptance of a candidate lot of lyophilized histoplasmin and candidate reference antiserum was based upon the determination of the optimum reconstitution volumes of both reagents to give discrete and clearly delineated h and m precipitin lines identified by their position relative to the serum and antigen wells. The reagents were similarly tested by five laboratories using macroimmunodiffusion procedures. When the lyophilized histoplasmin was stored at 5°C for two years, the h antigen showed no loss of relative potency, whereas the m antigen showed a 20% loss. All of the ten participating laboratories recommended that both the candidate serum and candidate histoplasmin be accepted as World Health Organization (W.H.O.) International Reference Reagents for the identification of h and m precipitin lines. Eight of the ten recommended that the described microimmunodiffusion test be accepted as the W.H.O. Reference Method for the use of these reagents.
Effect of signal-to-noise radio and number of data points upon precision in measurement of peak amplitude, position and width in Fourier transform spectrometry

Abstract Chen, L., Cottrell, C.E. and Marshall, A.G., 1986. Effect of signal-to-noise ratio and number of data points upon precision in measurement of peak amplitude, position and width in Fourier transform spectrometry. Chemometrics and Intelligent Laboratory Systems , 1: 51–58. The theoretical precision in determining experimental spectral peak parameters (height, width, and position) should depend in a calculable way upon the peak shape, signal-to-noise ratio, and number of data points per line width. Expressions for precision in peak position and width for absorption-mode Lorentzian and Gaussian line shapes have been derived previously. We have extended the theory to include absorption-mode sinc as well as magnitude-mode Lorentzian and sinc line shapes, and have computed the predicted precision in peak amplitude as well as in position and width. Experimental (Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry and Fourier transform nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry) precision for each of these parameters is found to be significantly poorer (e.g., factor of 5) than the theoretical predictions. The present results provide a direct test of the nature of noise (e.g., vertical vs. horizontal) in Fourier transform spectra, and suggest that experimental measurements of Fourier transform spectral line shape parameters may be much less precise than previously suspected.
Outcomes of Pregnancy Following Surgery for Stress Urinary Incontinence: A Systematic Review

Purpose: Although few data have been published on the safety of childbearing after surgery for stress urinary incontinence, a large proportion of physicians recommend that women wait to complete childbearing before pursuing surgical treatment for stress urinary incontinence. We systematically reviewed the available literature to examine the safety of pregnancy after stress urinary incontinence surgery, and to measure the effect of such pregnancy on continence outcomes.Materials and Methods: The review was conducted according to the recommendations of the MOOSE (Meta-Analysis of Observational Studies in Epidemiology) group. We performed a systematic review to identify articles published before January 2011 on pregnancy after incontinence surgery. Databases searched include PubMed®, EMBASE® and the Cochrane Review. Our literature search identified 592 titles, of which 20 articles were ultimately included in the review.Results: Data were tabulated from case reports, case series and physician surveys. The fin...
Effect of varied fringe width on measured profile in structured line projection method

In industry, there are needs to accurately measure the 3-D profile of edges parts in order to evaluate edge condition. Optical methods are increasingly used for this purpose due to its advantages such as being non-contact, fast, accurate, and easy to integrate with software for data acquisition and feature analysis. We utilized structured line projection technology to measure edge's profile. In this method a structured light distribution, created by the transmission of a sinusoidal grating, was projected onto the inspected parts at a certain incidence angle. The projected light lines were deformed due to the depth change on the edge surface. A CCD camera sitting at a different angle was used to record the deformed fringes. From the deformed fringes the 3D surface profile was extracted based on triangulation principal. Because the projected grating pattern can be interpreted as an interference pattern, we used the spatial carrier phase shifting and phase unwrapping method as in classic interferometry to extract the phase information from the intensity distribution of fringes. Due to the limited depth-of-range of the fringe image and depth-of-focus of the imaging lens on the CCD camera, the observed deformed fringes have different widths and frequencies at different depth. According to the definition of depth-of-focus, the fringe width out of focus can be on the order of the square root of 2 wider than that which is in focus. The width change can also be due to a tilt across the object. This width change affects the accuracy of the spatial carrier phase shifting and subsequently the accuracy of extracted profile. In this paper, we proposed to monitor the change of the fringe width with imaging depth. According to the width of the fringes, we defined a parameter called compressing rate, to use in computing the edge profile. For different edge types, the compressing rate was optimized in order to get the profile that can match the results from traditional the methods. By using this method, the system repeatability can be improved significantly.
Visible-Light-Mediated TiO2 Photocatalysis of Fluoroquinolone Antibacterial Agents

This study reports on the photocatalytic transformation of fluoroquinolone antibacterial agents (ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, norfloxacin, and flumequine) in aqueous titanium dioxide (TiO2) suspensions irradiated with ultraviolet (UV; λ > 324 nm) or visible light (λ > 400, > 420, or > 450 nm). Visible-light-mediated fluoroquinolone degradation is unexpected from direct photolysis or established TiO2 band gap photoexcitation mechanisms, which both require UV light. Visible-light-mediated photocatalysis requires an appropriate conduction band electron acceptor (e.g., O2, BrO3-), but is not dependent upon hydroxyl radical, superoxide, or other reactive oxygen species generated upon TiO2 band gap excitation. The process slows considerably when fluoroquinolone adsorption is inhibited. Whereas fluoroquinolone decomposition in UV-irradiated TiO2 suspensions is accompanied by mineralization, no changes in dissolved organic carbon occur during visible-light-photocatalyzed degradation. Results are consistent with a...
The role of NF-κB in hepatocarcinogenesis: Promoter or suppressor?

Deletion of NEMO/IKKγ in liver parenchymal cells causes steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma. Luedde T, Beraza N, Kotsikoris V, van Loo G, Nenci A, De Vos R, Roskams T, Trautwein C, Pasparakis M. The IκB kinase (IKK) subunit NEMO/IKKγ is essential for activation of the transcription factor NF-κB, which regulates cellular responses to inflammation. The function of NEMO in the adult liver remains elusive. Here we show that ablation of NEMO in liver parenchymal cells caused the spontaneous development of hepatocellular carcinoma in mice. Tumor development was preceded by chronic liver disease resembling human non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Antioxidant treatment and genetic ablation of FADD demonstrated that death receptor-mediated and oxidative stress-dependent death of NEMO-deficient hepatocytes triggered disease pathogenesis in this model. These results reveal that NEMO-mediated NF-κB activation in hepatocytes has an essential physiological function to prevent the spontaneous development of steatohepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma, identifying NEMO as a tumor suppressor in the liver. [Abstract reproduced by permission of Cancer Cell 2007;11:119–132]
Photophysical and Nonlinear Optical Properties of [60]Fullerene Derivatives†

A systematic spectroscopic study of a series of C60 derivatives with different cage functionalizations is reported. The absorption spectra and absorptivities of the derivatives in solution were measured and compared. By recording the fluorescence spectra using a near-infrared-sensitive emission spectrometer (extending to 1200 nm), fluorescence quantum yields of the derivatives were determined quantitatively. Fluorescence lifetimes of the derivatives were obtained using the time-correlated single photon counting technique. The results show that both fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes are rather similar for the different classes of C60 derivatives. The nonlinear absorptive properties of the derivatives were evaluated by optical limiting measurements in solution and in polymer film using the second harmonic of a Q-switched Nd:Yag laser at 532 nm. Effects of different fullerene cage functionalizations on the photophysical properties and optical limiting responses of the C60 derivatives are discussed.
Bone-breaking cancer treatment.

A drug used to counteract low white blood cell counts in individuals with breast cancer may also be inducing bone metastases ( pages 26 – 27 ).
Deformed one-quasiparticle states in covariant density functional theory

Abstract Systematic investigation of the accuracy of the description of the energies of deformed one-quasiparticle states has been performed in covariant density functional theory in actinide and rare-earth mass regions. The sources of the discrepancies between theory and experiment are analyzed. Although some improvements in the description of ground state configurations and one-quasiparticle spectra can be achieved by better parametrization of the relativistic mean field Lagrangian, the analysis suggests that spectroscopic quality of their description can be achieved only in theoretical framework which takes into account particle–vibration coupling.
Separate and Combined Effects of Surface Roughness and Turbulence Intensity on Vane Heat Transfer

A research and development program has been undertaken to ascertain the effects of surface roughness levels on vane external heat transfer, with varied conditions of inlet freestream turbulence intensity and vane Reynolds number. A transonic linear vane cascade was constructed to operate at a nominal overall pressure ratio of 1.86. Airfoil heat transfer distributions are measured using a thin-walled stainless steel airfoil having imbedded thermocouples. The methodology incorporates a thin-foil surface heater to provide a known heat flux condition, with room temperature mainstream air at approximately 5 atm pressure. Heat transfer is characterized for uniform surface average roughness levels of 0.4, 1.85, and 4.5 micrometers, with inlet turbulence intensity levels from 4 to 13%. Airfoil Reynolds number based on axial chord length and exit velocity ranges from 2.2 to 4.8 · 106. Results show consistent individual and combined effects of Reynolds number, turbulence, and surface roughness changes. Higher roughness levels tend to dominate turbulence effects in most regions except the leading edge.Copyright © 1997 by ASME
Spring Migration and Summer Destinations of Northern Pintails from the Coast of Southern California

Abstract To examine pathways, timing, and destinations during migration in spring, we attached satellite-monitored transmitters (platform transmitting terminals) to 10 northern pintails (Anas acuta) during February 2001, at Point Mugu, Ventura County, California. This is a wintering area on the southern coast of California. We obtained locations from five adult males and three adult females every 3rd day through August. Average date of departure from the wintering area was 15 March (SE = 3 days). We documented extended stopovers of ≥30 days for several northern pintails that could have accommodated nesting attempts (San Joaquin Valley, southwestern Montana, southern Alberta, north-central Nevada) or post-nesting molt (eastern Oregon, south-central Saskatchewan, northern Alaska, central Alberta). Wintering northern pintails from the southern coast of California used a wide range of routes, nesting areas, and schedules during migration in spring, which was consistent with the larger, wintering population ...
Theoretical aspects of coal washer performance

Abstract This paper presents a theoretical analysis of the performance of ideal float-and-sink type coal washing devices. Included are studies of single washer performance, single washer with bypass, multiple washers in parallel and multiple washers in series. A maximum yield principle is developed for the cases of a single washer with bypass and multiple washers in parallel. The results of numerical calculations for actual washers are also presented and compared with the theoretical predictions for multiple washers in parallel and multiple washers in series.
Wavelet denoising of displacement estimates in elastography.

Abstract Wavelet shrinkage denoising of the displacement estimates to reduce noise artefacts, especially at high overlaps in elastography, is presented in this paper. Correlated errors in the displacement estimates increase dramatically with an increase in the overlap between the data segments. These increased correlated errors (due to the increased correlation or similarity between consecutive displacement estimates) generate the so-called “worm” artefact in elastography. However, increases in overlap on the order of 90% or higher are essential to improve axial resolution in elastography. The use of wavelet denoising significantly reduces errors in the displacement estimates, thereby reducing the worm artefacts, without compromising on edge (high-frequency or detail) information in the elastogram. Wavelet denoising is a term used to characterize noise rejection by thresholding the wavelet coefficients. Worm artefacts can also be reduced using a low-pass filter; however, low-pass filtering of the displacement estimates does not preserve local information such as abrupt change in slopes, causing the smoothing of edges in the elastograms. Simulation results using the analytic 2-D model of a single inclusion phantom illustrate that wavelet denoising produces elastograms with the closest correspondence to the ideal mechanical strain image. Wavelet denoising applied to experimental data obtained from an in vitro thermal lesion phantom generated using radiofrequency (RF) ablation also illustrates the improvement in the elastogram noise characteristics. (E-mail: tvarghese@wisc.edu )
Inverse relationship between steroid concentration and volume in preovulatory follicles of the golden hamster

Abstract In order to investigate variations in the microenvironment of oocytes within a cohort of maturing follicles the follicular volumes as well as the intrafollicular concentrations of oestradiol (E 2 ) and progesterone (P) were measured in the golden hamster. At 10 h before ovulation the follicular volumes varied from 0.009 to 0.037mm 3 (mean ± SD: 0.0187 ± 0.0071 mm 3 ; n = 36). Large follicles (> 0.025 mm 3 ; n = 8) contained statistically significantly lower E 2 and P levels (30.1 ± 10.4 and 517 ± 113 μmol/l, respectively) than the medium sized group ( 0.015 mm 3 ; n = 20): 46.9 ± 16.0 ( P P 3 ) showed the highest steroid levels: 97.0 ± 33.3 and 1590 ± 517 μmol/l for E 2 and P ( P 2 and −0.612 for P ( P 2 and P concentrations in the follicles was found: r = 0.655 ( P 3 in the case of E 2 and about 17 × 10 3 in the case of P. These results clearly show that there is an inverse relationship between follicular volume and intrafollicular steroid concentrations. The presence of a fine regulatory mechanism for a collective maturation of follicles is hypothesized.