cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Greedy or not? best improving versus first improving stochastic local search for MAXSAT

Stochastic local search (SLS) is the dominant paradigm for incomplete SAT and MAXSAT solvers. Early studies on small 3SAT instances found that the use of "best improving" moves did not improve search compared to using an arbitrary "first improving" move. Yet SLS algorithms continue to use best improving moves. We revisit this issue by studying very large random and industrial MAXSAT problems. Because locating best improving moves is more expensive than first improving moves, we designed an "approximate best" improving move algorithm and prove that it is as efficient as first improving move SLS. For industrial problems the first local optima found using best improving moves are statistically significantly better than local optima found using first improving moves. However, this advantage reverses as search continues and algorithms must explore equal moves on plateaus. This reversal appears to be associated with critical variables that are in many clauses and that also yield large improving moves.
Background and Related Work

Experimental networking has evolved significantly over the last two decades, but it remains a daunting endeavor. Throughout this time, traffic generation, a key component for experimental networking, has remained a major challenge. What is traffic generation and what role does it play in empirical networking research? Consider this example: you develop a new Active Queue Management (AQM) scheme for routers on the Internet. AQM is a router-based form of congestion control wherein routers notify end-systems of incipient congestion. The common goal of all AQM designs is to keep the average queue size in routers small [17]. Before deploying this scheme in the wild (Internet), you must test it to ensure that it is better than the existing queue management schemes on your routers. You do this by running experiments using a laboratory network or a simulator.
Examples of renormalization group transformations for image sets

Using the example of configurations generated with the worm algorithm for the two-dimensional Ising model, we propose renormalization group (RG) transformations, inspired by the tensor RG, that can be applied to sets of images. We relate criticality to the logarithmic divergence of the largest principal component. We discuss the changes in link occupation under the RG transformation, suggest ways to obtain data collapse, and compare with the two-state tensor RG approximation near the fixed point.
Mindfulness Meditation for Medical Students: a Student-Led Initiative to Expose Medical Students to Mindfulness Practices

To explore the feasibility and impact of a brief mindfulness training for medical students and to learn about the perceptions, expectations, and problems associated with mindfulness practices in the context of medicine and medical education. Forty-one medical students were randomized into either an introductory mindfulness class only or an introductory mindfulness class plus an 8-week mindfulness meditation course. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected from both groups after the introductory class and again after the full course. Qualitative data was subject to close iterative reading as part of a grounded-theory-guided content analysis, generating a list of codes which were then assigned to statements and arranged into overarching themes. Mindfulness and awareness were negatively correlated with stress and depression. Students who took the full mindfulness course emerged with a greater familiarity with and willingness to utilize mindfulness modalities. There was no significant difference on wellness outcomes between the introductory-course-only group and the full-mindfulness-course group. Thematic analysis revealed student aspirations for a mindfulness alternative in medicine and medical education but also a recognition of the challenges inherent in applying such an alternative. A mindfulness course for medical students is feasible and has potential as a wellness and educational initiative. Shorter duration mindfulness interventions may increase accessibility without significantly reducing benefit. Interpretation of overarching themes derived from the grounded theory analysis illuminates the subject of mindfulness for medical students from the perspective of students themselves.
Impacts of Channel Impairments and Imperfections on OFDM System Performances

An important indicator commonly used to evaluate the quality of a communication link is Signal-to-Interference ratio (SIR). However, there are relatively few papers which deal with SIR of OFDM systems in the literature. This paper analytically investigates OFDM system performance by including major channel impediments such as excess delay spread over cyclic prefix, frequency offset, and time varying fading. We derive a closed-form expression for SIR accounting for details of the interferences. Variations of ICI and ISI with the number of subcarriers, Doppler spread are also investigated. A condition relating peak ISI and peak ICI is derived. We also analyze the leakage of power (unwanted power distributions across subcarriers) for desired subcarrier demodulation.
An Internet of Things Buttons to Measure and Respond to Restroom Cleanliness in a Hospital Setting: Descriptive Study

Background: Restroom cleanliness is an important factor in hospital quality. Due to its dynamic process, it can be difficult to detect the presence of dirty restrooms that need to be cleaned. Using an Internet of Things (IoT) button can permit users to designate restrooms that need cleaning and in turn, allow prompt response from housekeeping to maintain real-time restroom cleanliness. Objective: This study aimed to describe the deployment of an IoT button–based notification system to measure hospital restroom cleanliness reporting system usage and qualitative feedback from housekeeping staff on IoT button use. Methods: We deployed IoT buttons in 16 hospital restrooms. Over an 8-month period, housekeeping staff received real-time notifications and responded to button presses for restroom cleaning. All button presses were recorded. We reported average button usage by hospital area, time of day, and day of week. We also conducted interviews with housekeeping supervisors and staff to understand their acceptance of and experience with the system. Results: Over 8 months, 1920 requests to clean restrooms in the main hospital lobby and satellite buildings were received. The hospital lobby IoT buttons received over half (N=1055, 55%) of requests for cleaning. Most requests occurred in afternoon hours from 3 PM to midnight. Requests for cleaning remained stable throughout the work week with fewer requests occurring over weekends. IoT button use was sustained throughout the study period. Interviews with housekeeping supervisors and staff demonstrated acceptance of the IoT buttons; actual use was centered around asynchronous communication between supervisors and staff in response to requests to clean restrooms. Conclusions: An IoT button system is a feasible method to generate on-demand request for restroom cleaning that is easy to deploy and that users will consistently engage with. Data from this system have the potential to enable responsive scheduling for restroom service and anticipate periods of high restroom utilization in a hospital.
Novel Methodology for the Preparation of 5-Substituted Tetrahydro[2,3-D]pyrimidines

Abstract A convenient, concise route for the preparation of tetrahydropyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidines functionalized at the 5-position is presented starting from acyclic aldehydes. Key steps involve a high yielding Knoevenagel condensation, 1,4 conjugate addition with an allylcuprate and a pyrimidine annulation using guanidine hydrochloride. An improved synthesis of the starting aldehyde, ethyl 4-propalbenzoate is presented.
Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis Becomes the Leading Indication for Liver Transplant Registrants Among US Adults Born Between 1945 and 1965.

Background Improved efforts in screening and treating chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are expected to reduce its burden among adults on the liver transplantation (LT) waitlist (WL). We aim to evaluate birth cohort–specific liver disease etiology trends in US adults listed for and receiving LT. Methods We evaluated 2005–2016 United Network for Organ Sharing LT registry data to evaluate birth cohort–specific trends in LT WL registrants and recipients in the US. Annual trends in etiology of liver disease at listing were compared between the 1945–1965 birth cohort and the non–1945–1965 birth cohort, were stratified by presence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC vs. non-HCC), and were focused on the four leading indications for LT in the US, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), HCV infection, alcoholic liver disease (ALD), and those with combined alcoholic cirrhosis with HCV (HCV/ALD). Results From 2005 to 2016, although HCV infection was a leading indication for LT WL registration among the 1945–1965 birth cohort patients until 2015, NASH overtook HCV infection as the leading indication in 2016. When stratified by HCC status, both ALD and NASH surpassed HCV infection as the leading indication among 1945–1965 birth cohort WL registrants without HCC, whereas HCV infection remained the leading indication among patients with HCC. When evaluating trends in patients who received LT, HCV infection remained the leading indication among the 1945–1965 birth cohort patients. Conclusion In 2016, NASH surpassed HCV infection as the leading indication for WL registration among the 1945–1965 birth cohort patients. Improved HCV screening, increased availability of effective HCV infection treatment, and rising prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease may explain changes in LT indication among this group.
Quantifying regional heterogeneity effect on drivers’ speeding behavior using SHRP2 naturalistic driving data: A multilevel modeling approach

Abstract Disparities in traffic safety among different regions and driver populations have been investigated in previous studies. These studies found significant differences in crashes between population groups and geographical locations with various socio-economic characteristics. However, driver-behavioral factors, specifically speeding behavior, which is a critical aspect of traffic safety, have received less attention in case of analyzing the impact of local characteristics on driver-behavioral choices that might increase the risk of crashes. The impact of local characteristics on various driver behaviors is getting even more important as the data from the connected and automated vehicles as well as similar second-by-second trajectory level data from naturalistic driving studies are becoming more available. In fact, neglecting mentioned impact might lead to erroneous inferences due to the disparities in socioeconomic characteristics in different regions. Therefore, this paper, for the first time, utilized multilevel logistic regression modeling approach to evaluate the effect of driver's locality-related factors on driver speeding behavior using naturalistic driving data collected from the SHRP2 project in six US states. The results showed that the geographical location of drivers accounted for about 7.7% of the variability in the likelihood of a driver driving over the posted speed, regardless of other explanatory variables. The methodology and the results from this study can pave the road for future human factor studies utilizing trajectory-level data from different geographical locations to reduce the heterogeneity and increase the transferability of the results without introducing a bias in inferences.
Super-Resolution Using Dropped-Channel PolSAR Compressive Sensing

Previous works introducing dropped-channel polarimetric synthetic aperture radar compressive sensing demonstrated the ability to reconstruct fully-polarimetric imagery from a sub-set of measured channels. In this paper, we showcase the ability of that model to perform super-resolution of images. By leveraging the basis pursuit denoising algorithm and the antenna crosstalk information, we are able to both recover a dropped channel and super-resolve the images in one step. We simulate results using both simple point targets and the GOTCHA dataset.
Applied Biophysics for Bromodomain Drug Discovery

The dynamic regulation of epigenetic processes is dictated by the addition, removal, and recognition of posttranslational modifications on proteins and nucleic acids. These processes further regulate how our genetic information is accessed within chromatin. The recognition of acetylated histones by bromodomain modules is one such process that has been significantly evaluated as a promising interaction to disrupt for developing epigenetic therapies. The discovery of such inhibitors has been aided by the application of a wealth of biophysical and computational tools leading to insights into the structural biology of bromodomains and potent inhibitors that are advancing in the clinic. This chapter will first provide a brief historical overview on the discovery and characterization of bromodomains, followed by several of the seminal discoveries of bromodomain inhibitors. The remainder of the chapter will provide descriptions of the experimental and computational tools that are available to scientists interested in biophysical analysis of bromodomain inhibitor discovery for developing new drugs and chemical probes. The field of chemical epigenetics is rapidly expanding, and the goal of this chapter is to help researchers keep abreast of the new methods being used to study this important epigenetic protein domain.
Stimuli-Responsive Pure Protein Organogel Sensors and Biocatalytic Materials.

Utilizing protein chemistry in organic solvents has important biotechnology applications. Typically, organic solvents negatively impact protein structure and function. Immobilizing proteins via cro...
20 – Chemical Injury

Publisher Summary A large number of chemicals used by human being are toxic to plants. This chapter discusses the most common groups of chemicals that are toxic to trees: deicing compounds, chemicals that cause spray injury, herbicides, and gases from underground pipes. Sodium chloride (NaCl) and calcium chloride (CaCl2) are the two most commonly used chemicals to melt ice and snow on sidewalks, driveways, and highways. Both of these chemicals are sometimes applied together. The exact effects of deicing salts in the soil on roots are complex, but the salts are known to make water and essential nutrients difficult to absorb by the roots. Nutrient balance in the plant can also be affected by salt in the soil. The high concentration of sodium in salt-contaminated soil makes potassium less available to the roots. Salt spray is injurious to the foliage, twigs, and buds of trees and shrubs. The symptoms caused by salt injury are varied because of the different ways by which the salt reaches plants and the different responses of plants to salt stress.
Understanding Distributions of Environmental Parameters for Thermal Comfort Study in Singapore

The National Science Experiment (NSE) is a nationwide project that began in 2015 in Singapore. As apart of this project, school students in Singapore carry the wearable device SENSg which measures environmental data such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, ambient noise, and air pressure. In this study, we analyzed NSE data collected during the year 2016 and examined how factors such as mode of transportation, location, and academic performance relate with various environmental parameters. We studied the relationships between environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity and noise with location, mode of transport, time, and student academic achievement. We studied three out of the five transportation modes, those that involved the user action in directly interacting with the corresponding settings (AC settings, humidity, etc.): not walking, walking, and traveling by car. We clustered them corresponding to a particular mode and by location in order to gauge mode specific and geographical patterns of environmental parameters in Singapore. For these first two tasks, we used the Expectation Maximization Algorithm in order to fit a n-component Gaussian Mixture Model to each of the three smaller datasets--where n was dependent on the mode of transportation or the geographical location. Finally, we compiled a list of the top 150 highest ranked secondary schools in Singapore in order to identify patterns of thermal comfort in schools with high rankings. We envision that the results of this study will provide insight into distribution of environmental conditions across Singapore.
Payments for Costs and Investments in Insurance 4.0

The management of costs and investment is essential in all organizations. Insurance is no exception. Finances are crucial for insurance companies due to the reserve’s relevance to account for future disbursements connected with the claims. Due to the structure of the distribution and assistance, most of the costs in insurance companies depend on commissions for the intermediaries and expenses for claims. Due to their relevance in both cases, careful management is essential. This chapter analyzes in detail this aspect and considers its control in the vision of insurance 4.0. The model consists on leaning and digitizing the company. The rewards from this method could be extremely relevant also in the case of the insurance companies.
Case study: Characterization of 19th century candles from maritime archaeological environments with FTIR, NMR, and GC–MS

Abstract This paper presents the characterization of 19th century candles collected from maritime archaeological contexts in the United States of America utilizing Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), and 1D Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy (1H NMR). The three artifacts characterized are a pre-Civil War era candle from the sunken steamboat Arabia as well as two Civil War era candles, one from the H.L. Hunley (1864) submarine and one from a sunken semi-submersible David torpedo boat. The characterization of the wax samples from the three different candles suggests a progression from the use of pressed animal fat candles during the pre-Civil War era to stearin during the Civil War period. Stearin is a material consisting mostly of palmitic and stearic acids, isolated from fats such as tallow through a manufacturing process designed in the 19th century.
ADELUS: A Performance-Portable Dense LU Solver for Distributed-Memory Hardware-Accelerated Systems.

Solving dense systems of linear equations is essential in applications encountered in physics, mathematics, and engineering. This paper describes our current efforts toward the development of the ADELUS package for current and next generation distributed, accelerator-based, high-performance computing platforms. The package solves dense linear systems using partial pivoting LU factorization on distributed-memory systems with CPUs/GPUs. The matrix is block-mapped onto distributed memory on CPUs/GPUs and is solved as if it was torus-wrapped for an optimal balance of computation and communication. A permutation operation is performed to restore the results so the torus-wrap distribution is transparent to the user. This package targets performance portability by leveraging the abstractions provided in the Kokkos and Kokkos Kernels libraries. Comparison of the performance gains versus the state-of-the-art SLATE and DPLASMA GESV functionalities on the Summit supercomputer are provided. Preliminary performance results from large-scale electromagnetic simulations using ADELUS are also presented. The solver achieves 7.7 Petaflops on 7600 GPUs of the Sierra supercomputer translating to 16.9% efficiency.
Bone Quality in Chronic Kidney Disease Patients: Current Concepts and Future Directions – Part II

Background Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) have an increased risk of osteoporotic fractures, which is due not only to low bone volume and mass but also poor microarchitecture and tissue quality. The pharmacological and nonpharmacological interventions detailed, herein, are potential approaches to improve bone health in CKD patients. Various medications build up bone mass but also affect bone tissue quality. Antiresorptive therapies strikingly reduce bone turnover; however, they can impair bone mineralization and negatively affect the ability to repair bone microdamage and cause an increase in bone brittleness. On the other hand, some osteoporosis therapies may cause a redistribution of bone structure that may improve bone strength without noticeable effect on BMD. This may explain why some drugs can affect fracture risk disproportionately to changes in BMD. Summary An accurate detection of the underlying bone abnormalities in CKD patients, including bone quantity and quality abnormalities, helps in institution of appropriate management strategies. Here in this part II, we are focusing on advancements in bone therapeutics that are anticipated to improve bone health and decrease mortality in CKD patients. Key Messages Therapeutic interventions to improve bone health can potentially advance life span. Emphasis should be given to the impact of various therapeutic interventions on bone quality.
Bone marrow adipose tissue content in Latino adolescents with prediabetes and obesity.

OBJECTIVE This study aimed to examine whether total, regional, and organ fat predicts bone marrow adipose tissue (BMAT) fat content and to explore whether BMAT fat content differs by sex among Latino youth. METHODS Latino youth (n = 86; age 13.6 [1.4] years, 62% male) with obesity (BMI percentile = 98.5% [1.2%]) underwent a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry scan to assess body composition and a magnetic resonance imaging scan to determine abdominal adiposity, liver fat, and vertebral BMAT fat content in the thoracic (average of T8-T12) and lumbar (average of L1-L5) spine. RESULTS Male youth exhibited significantly greater thoracic (male youth = 30.8% [1.4%] vs. female youth = 24.5% [2.1%], p = 0.027) and lumbar (male youth = 36.3% [1.5%] vs. female youth = 30.2% [2.2%], p = 0.038) BMAT fat content compared with female youth. Visceral adipose tissue was a significant predictor of thoracic (β = 0.434, t[86] = 3.016, p = 0.003) and lumbar (β = 0.389, t[86] = 2.677, p = 0.009) BMAT fat content, explaining 8.9% and 6.9% of the variance, respectively. Liver fat was a significant predictor of both thoracic (β = 0.487, t[86] = 4.334, p < 0.001) and lumbar (β = 0.436, t[86] = 3.793, p < 0.001) BMAT fat content, explaining 17.6% and 13.8% of the variance, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Male youth had significantly greater thoracic and lumbar BMAT fat content than female youth. Greater BMAT fat content is associated with greater liver fat and visceral adipose tissue among youth with obesity. Further investigation of the mechanistic underpinnings of BMAT may help to differentiate its metabolic and bone-related functions.
Creating Learning Objects to Enhance the Educational Experiences of American Sign Language Learners: An Instructional Development Report

Little attention has been given to involving the deaf community in distance teaching and learning or in designing courses that relate to their language and culture. This article reports on the design and development of video-based learning objects created to enhance the educational experiences of American Sign Language (ASL) hearing participants in a distance learning course and, following the course, the creation of several new applications for use of the learning objects. The learning objects were initially created for the web, as a course component for review and rehearsal. The value of the web application, as reported by course participants, led us to consider ways in which the learning objects could be used in a variety of delivery formats: CD-ROM, web-based knowledge repository, and handheld device. The process to create the learning objects, the new applications, and lessons learned are described.
A Review of High-Resolution NMR Studies of Vulcanized Elastomers

Recent advances are reviewed concerning the application of high-resolution NMR solid-state spectroscopy to the characterization of network structures and vulcanization chemistry for elastomers. Included are several vulcanization systems cured with sulfur, peroxides or radiation, with and without accelerators and cure activators. The major findings are the type, number and distribution of crosslinks and main-chain modifications induced by the vulcanization reactions. Contributions to an understanding of the vulcanization mechanisms are reported.
Lymphocyte and polymorphonuclear enzymes in stress. IV. Changes associated with an acute bacterial infection with Diplococcus pneumoniae.

Abstract Leukocytes, in particular, the lymphocytes from the top of a 1.060 specific gravity dextran gradient, can serve as early, sensitive indicators of exposure to bacterial infection. Protein concentrations in these cells of rabbits infected with D. pneumoniae increased rapidly and remained elevated throughout the infection. Increase in protein concentration of C1 type lymphocytes of more than 250% of a previously established mean can offer suggestive evidence of an exposure to a bacterial agent. LDH concentration in these cells did not always rise in proportion to the protein elevations. However, where excessive increases in C1 LDH also occur, it might serve to sustain the judgment of an exposure to a bacterial agent.
Electron microscopy of microtubule-based cytoskeletal machinery.

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on electron microscopy-based methods to assess the structural and functional aspects of kinesins and dyneins in complex with microtubules. It describes two fundamentally different approaches for the study of motor–microtubule complex structure in three dimensions (3D). Both methods have been applied very successfully in the past, but further refinement is needed to generate a comprehensive model of the intracellular transport machinery at near-atomic resolution. The more established and older 3D reconstruction methods apply averaging of image elements to regenerate a 3D data set from many different projections of apparently identical particles. More recently advances in image recording technology and the availability of dramatically increased computing power has initiated new approaches that now apply tomographic 3D reconstruction to essentially any type of molecular and cellular structure without the need for averaging. The chapter describes 3D cryoelectron microscopy (cryo-EM) methods that create structural data in a resolution range of 1 to 4 nm, which is suitable for a detailed interpretation in conjunction with X-ray and electron crystallography or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.
Psychologists on the March: Applied Human Relations: The Utility of Social Psychology

Three months after the creation of the Emergency Committee in Psychology in August 1940, the National Research Council sponsored a Conference on Psychological Factors in Morale. Twenty-five psychologists attended the two-day meeting, held in Washington. Gordon Allport, a social psychologist at Harvard who served as APA president in 1939, chaired the sessions. Organizational problems dominated the agenda, particularly the relation of the Emergency Committee to morale work. Discussion revealed a generational split, with younger members of the conference expressing some misgivings about organizing under the wing of the newly formed Emergency Committee. Allport thought the issue of morale merited wide consideration: “is not morale so gigantic a problem that it ought to feature large in the work of the NRC and not be located as a tail to the Emergency Committee's kite?” He argued that it might be best to “assemble a mixed group of social scientists” as a subcommittee. Allport, slightly senior to the younger group of social psychologists, was well aware of his role as a representative of their interests in the psychological establishment. In addition to his prominent Harvard perch, he had been the first APA president to be identified with the field of social psychology. Before the conference, he had been involved in the Committee for National Morale, a civilian initiative organized by Arthur Upham Pope, a Persian art expert who had been active in similar efforts during the First World War.
Transient nonlinear spectroscopy and Rabi oscillations of single quantum dots

Summary form only given. Direct observations of the dynamics of single excitonic quantum dots require the use of transient optical spectroscopy. Measurements of the lifetimes of single QD states, Rabi oscillations, biexciton formation and decay, and the development of quantum logic gates are examples of dynamical effects in quantum dots most easily studied through transient nonlinear spectroscopy, but are extremely challenging at the single dot level. We report here the first observation of transient differential transmission from single quantum dots as well as evidence of Rabi oscillations in single quantum dots.Under investigation are quantum dots naturally formed by interface fluctuations in a 42 /spl Aring/ GaAs/Al/sub 0.3/Ga/sub 0.7/As quantum well. Excitons in isolated QD's are probed through 500 nm apertures in an Al mask laid directly onto the sample's surface.
Courting the President: How Circuit Court Judges Alter Their Behavior for Promotion to the Supreme Court

We examine whether circuit court judges sacrifice policy purity for career goals. We compare the behavior of contender judges–those most likely to be elevated to the Supreme Court–during vacancy periods with their behavior outside vacancy periods. We also examine the behavior of noncontender judges during those same times. The data show that during vacancy periods, contender judges are more likely to vote consistently with the president's preferences, to rule in favor of the United States, and to write dissenting opinions. Noncontender judges fail to evidence such behavior. These findings provide empirical support for the argument that federal judges adapt their behavior to specific audiences, and provide new avenues for research into judges' goals and the role of audiences in judicial decision making.
Whole Cell Immunomagnetic Enrichment of Environmental Microbial Consortia Using rRNA-Targeted Magneto-FISH

Magneto-FISH, in combination with metagenomic techniques, explores the middle ground between single-cell analysis and complex community characterization in bulk samples to better understand microbial partnerships and their roles in ecosystems. The Magneto-FISH method combines the selectivity of catalyzed reporter deposition– fluorescence in situ hybridization (CARD–FISH) with immunomagnetic capture to provide targeted molecular and metagenomic analysis of co-associated microorganisms in the environment. This method was originally developed by Pernthaler et al. (Pernthaler et al., 2008; Pernthaler & Orphan, 2010). It led to the discovery of new bacterial groups associated with anaerobic methane-oxidizing (ANME-2) archaea in methane seeps, as well as provided insight into their physiological potential using metagenomics. Here, we demonstrate the utility of this method for capturing aggregated consortia using a series of nested oligonucleotide probes of differing specificity designed to target either the ANME archaea or their Deltaproteobacteria partner, combined with 16S rRNA and mcrA analysis. This chapter outlines a modified Magneto-FISH protocol for largeand small-volume samples and evaluates the strengths and limitations of this method predominantly focusing on (1) the relationship between FISH probe specificity and sample selectivity, (2) means of improving DNA yield from paraformaldehyde-fixed samples, and (3) suggestions for adapting the Magneto-FISH method for other microbial systems, including potential for single-cell recovery.
Control of chlorophyll production in rapidly greening bean leaves.

Chlorophyll production control by light in rapidly greening bean leaves, discussing nucleic acid and protein synthesis involvement
On contexts of information seeking

While surprisingly little has been written about context at a meaningful level, context is central to most theoretical approaches to information seeking. In this essay I explore in more detail three senses of context. First, I look at context as equivalent to the situation in which a process is immersed. Second, I discuss contingency approaches that detail active ingredients of the situation that have specific, predictable effects. Third, I examine major frameworks for meaning systems. Then, I discuss how a deeper appreciation of context can enhance our understanding of the process of information seeking by examining two vastly different contexts in which it occurs: organizational and cancer-related, an exemplar of everyday life information seeking. This essay concludes with a discussion of the value that can be added to information seeking research and theory as a result of a deeper appreciation of context, particularly in terms of our current multi-contextual environment and individuals taking an active role in contextualizing.
Extracapsular cataract extraction with placement of a posterior chamber lens in patients with diabetic retinopathy.

Purpose: The authors evaluated factors that might influence the outcome of extracapsular cataract extraction with placement of a posterior chamber lens in patients with diabetic retinopathy. The factors included patient age and sex, severity of the retinopathy, preoperative laser photocoagulation, vitrectomy, and posterior capsulotomy. Methods: The records of 109 patients who had been examined by the authors before cataract surgery were retrospectively reviewed. Results: The final visual acuity in only 48% of the eyes was 20/40 or better, and 28% had 20/200 or worse visual acuity. Only 65% had an improvement in visual acuity of two or more Snellen lines. Eyes with preoperative macular edema had a poorer visual outcome than eyes without. Macular edema and ischemia accounted for 70% of the eyes with a final visual acuity of 20/50 or worse. The authors found that age was a strong predictor of final visual acuity and chances of improvement. In patients 63 years of age and younger, 58% had 20/40 or better and 81 % had improved visual acuity. In patients 64 years of age and older, only 38% had 20/40 or better and only 54% were improved. Supplementary panretinal photocoagulation was required in 37% of patients who had received it preoperatively. Neovascularization of the iris developed in 6% of patients. Posterior capsulotomy did not cause an increased incidence of neovascularization of the iris or in the development or progression of proliferative retinopathy or macular edema. Conclusions: The prognosis of patients with diabetic retinopathy about to undergo cataract surgery, even extracapsular cataract extraction with placement of a posterior chamber lens, is guarded.
Ultrashort pulse generation in semiconductor lasers

Techniques to generate picosecond optical pulses from semiconductor lasers are reviewed. Experimental methods and results of theoretical analysis of active modelocking are presented. It is shown that modelocking will achieve the shortest pulses; but the use of a cumbersome external cavity will probably limit its practical use. Short pulses produced by direct modulation such as gain switching are considerably broader than those obtained by passive modelocking. However, no external cavity is needed; and the simplicity of this method makes it important to be explored further. Recent experimental results are discussed where picosecond pulses from a buried heterostructure laser diode with ultrashort current pulses obtained from a comb generator are generated. Also, 28 ps pulses were obtained at 2.5 GHz repetition frequency, using the gain switching method. An analytical analysis based on the rate equations shows qualitative agreement with our experimental results.
Diode laser absorption sensor system for measurements of combustion pollutants

A diode-laser sensor system has been applied to measure the concentrations of NO, N 2 O, CO, and CO 2 in combustion gases using absorption spectroscopy and fast extraction-sampling techniques. Measured survey spectra of the NO 3v band (R branch) and H 2 O lines from the v 2 + v 3 band in the spectral region from 5556 cm -1 to 5572 cm' l were recorded and compared to calculated spectra to select optimum transitions for NO detection. Similarly, measured survey spectra of the N 2 0 3 v 3 band from 6535 cm -1 to 6600 cm -l were used to identify optimum transitions for N 2 O detection. High-resolution NO absorption measurements (R 2 (7.5) and R i (7.5) lines) were recoded in a fast-flow multipass cell containing probe-sampled combustion gases to determine NO concentrations in a laminar, premixed CHJair flame, seeded with NH 3 . For fuel-lean conditions, the measured NO mole fractions corresponded to 68% of the injected NH 3 . For fuel-rich conditions, the fraction of NH 3 converted to NO decreased with increasing equivalence ratio. In additional experiments, CO and CO 2 absorption measurements (R(13) line of the 3v band and R(16) line of the 2 v i +2v) + v 3 band, respectively) were used to determine species concentrations above a laminar, premixed CH 4 lair flame. Good agreement was found between measured CO and CO 2 concentrations and calculated chemical equilibrium values.
The influence of particle size on microbial hydrolysis of protein particles in activated sludge.

Abstract The influence of particle size on hydrolysis rates was evaluated in batch respirometers using protein particles derived from hard-boiled egg whites and activated sludge. It was found that initial hydrolysis rates for large particles were low but increased over time, contradicting commonly used mathematical modeling approaches to describe hydrolysis. A modified mathematical model was proposed based on particle breakup that described the observed hydrolysis kinetics for small and large protein particles. In the particle breakup model, hydrolysis results both in the release of readily biodegradable substrate and, at the same time, breakup of larger aggregates resulting in an increase of the specific surface area available for hydrolysis. Using this model, initial specific hydrolysis rates were calculated for the small and large particles, and ranged from 0.038 to 0.24 d −1 and 0.19 to 0.98 d −1 for large and small particles, respectively. The specific hydrolysis rate at the point of maximum overall hydrolysis rate ranged from approximately 2 to 3 d −1 for all particles.
Regressive events in neurogenesis

The development of most regions of the vertebrate nervous system includes a distinct phase of neuronal degeneration during which a substantial proportion of the neurons initially generated die. This degeneration primarily adjusts the magnitude of each neuronal population to the size or functional needs of its projection field, but in the process it seems also to eliminate many neurons whose axons have grown to either the wrong target or an inappropriate region within the target area. In addition, many connections that are initially formed are later eliminated without the death of the parent cell. In most cases such process elimination results in the removal of terminal axonal branches and hence serves as a mechanism to "fine-tune" neuronal wiring. However, there are now also several examples of the large-scale elimination of early-formed pathways as a result of the selective degeneration of long axon collaterals. Thus, far from being relatively minor aspects of neural development, these regressive phenomena are now recognized as playing a major role in determining the form of the mature nervous system.
Infrared Spectra and Density Functional Calculations for OMCO, OM−(η2-CO), OMCO+, and OMOC+ (M = V, Ti) in Solid Argon

Laser-ablated V and Ti atoms react with CO2 molecules to give primarily the insertion products, OMCO and O2M(CO)2, which have been isolated in a solid argon matrix. Photoisomerization of OMCO molecules to form the side-bonded OM−(η2-CO) isomers and photoionization to give the OMCO+ and OMOC+ cations proceed upon mercury arc photolysis. The product absorptions were identified by isotopic substitution and density functional calculations of isotopic frequencies.
Synthesis and biological evaluation of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives as eEF-2K inhibitors

A small molecule library of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine-2,4-dione derivatives 6-16 was synthesized from 6-amino-1,3-disubstituted uracils 18, characterized, and screened for inhibitory activity against eukaryotic elongation factor-2 kinase (eEF-2K). To understand the binding pocket of eEF-2K, structural modifications of the pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine were made at three regions (R(1), R(2), and R(3)). A homology model of eEF-2K was created, and compound 6 (A-484954, Abbott laboratories) was docked in the catalytic domain of eEF-2K. Compounds 6 (IC50=420nM) and 9 (IC50=930nM) are found to be better molecules in this preliminary series of pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogs. eEF-2K activity in MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells is significantly reduced by compound 6, to a lesser extent by compound 9, and is unaffected by compound 12. Similar inhibitory results are observed when eEF-2K activity is stimulated by 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DOG) treatment, suggesting that compounds 6 and 9 are able to inhibit AMPK-mediated activation of eEF-2K to a notable extent. The results of this work will shed light on the further design and optimization of novel pyrido[2,3-d]pyrimidine analogs as eEF-2K inhibitors.
Applying syntactic similarity algorithms for enterprise information management

For implementing content management solutions and enabling new applications associated with data retention, regulatory compliance, and litigation issues, enterprises need to develop advanced analytics to uncover relationships among the documents, e.g., content similarity, provenance, and clustering. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of four syntactic similarity algorithms. Three algorithms are based on Broder's "shingling" technique while the fourth algorithm employs a more recent approach, "content-based chunking". For our experiments, we use a specially designed corpus of documents that includes a set of "similar" documents with a controlled number of modifications. Our performance study reveals that the similarity metric of all four algorithms is highly sensitive to settings of the algorithms' parameters: sliding window size and fingerprint sampling frequency. We identify a useful range of these parameters for achieving good practical results, and compare the performance of the four algorithms in a controlled environment. We validate our results by applying these algorithms to finding near-duplicates in two large collections of HP technical support documents.
HEAT TRANSFER IN A VERTICAL, LIQUID-FULL SCRAPED-SURFACE HEAT EXCHANGER. APPLICATION OF THE PENETRATION THEORY AND WILSON PLOTS MODELS

Heat transfer characteristics of a scraped-surface heat exchanger (Contherm Model 6 × 2) were evaluated at ultra high temperatures using water and soybean water extracts as model systems. The resistance equation was used to calculate internal (scraped-side) heat transfer coefficients (hi) from the overall heat transfer coefficient, the wall coefficient and the external (steam-side) coefficient (calculated from the Nusselt Theory using an iteration procedure). The Penetration Theory of Harriot (1958) predicted hi values quite well at low axial mass flow rates, where laminar flow conditions prevail. However, turbulent axial flow resulted in experimental higreater than predicted by the theory. A correction factor based on Prandtl number suggested by Trommelen et al. (1971) did not improve the prediction. The Wilson Plots method was useful for explicitly accounting for axial and rotational velocity effects, both of which significantly affected heat transfer, especially at high values of either variable.
MO-D-108-01: Cloud-Based Monte Carlo Patient-Specific Quality Assurance (QA) Method for Volumetric-Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT): Clinical and Educational Impacts

Purpose: Patient‐specific QA for VMAT is labor‐intensive,especially in cases which tend to be associated with severe heterogeneities or small aperture beams. We developed a robust cloud‐based Monte Carlo method as an independent QA tool or backup for commercial dosimeters. It is also educationally innovative because it helps physicists to comprehend the underlying physics of complex VMAT procedures. Methods: The workflow of the cloud‐based voxel Monte Carlo method(cVMC++) developed here is the following: (1) After a VMAT plan is approved by the physician, a dose verification plan is created and delivered to the phantom using the Varian Trilogy™ or TrueBeam™ system. (2) Actual delivery parameters (i.e., dose fraction, gantry angle, and MLC leaf position) are extracted from dynamic log or trajectory files. (3) Based on the delivery parameters, a new phase space is constructed for each control point. The 3D dose distribution in the phantom containing the detector array (e.g., Delta 4 from ScandiDos) are then recomputed using cVMC++. (4) Comparison and Gamma index analyses are then conducted to evaluate the agreement between measured, recomputed, and planned dose distributions. To enhance the educational function, we are developing visualization and animation modules to display the intermediate processes such as leaf movement, dose distribution and DVH accumulation with each control point. The software has been wrapped as a web‐based service so that it can readily be used by physicists via a browser. To test the robustness of this system, we examined several representative VMAT treatments. Results: For all cases, agreement between measured, recomputed and planned doses was examined with the gamma criterion of >90% of the points satisfying <3% of relative dose difference and <3 mm of distance to agreement. Conclusion: The proposed method offers a robust patient specific QA tool for VMAT treatments and provides a valuable educational tool for physicists. NIH (1R01 CA133474) and Department of Radiation Oncology of Stanford University Seed Grant
Derivations on a C∗-algebra and its double dual

Abstract Let A be a C∗-algebra and X a Banach A-module. The module action of A on X gives rise to module actions of A ∗∗ on X ∗ and X ∗∗ , and derivations of A into X (resp. X ∗ ) extend to derivations of A ∗∗ into X ∗∗ (resp. X ∗ ). If A is nuclear, and X is a dual Banach A-module with X ∗ weakly sequentially complete, then every derivation of A into X is inner. Under the same hypothesis on A, the extension to the finite part of A ∗∗ of any derivation of A into any dual Banach A-module is inner, as are all derivations of A into A ∗ . Every derivation of a semifinite von Neumann algebra into its predual is inner.
Formas de evaluación e intervención de las normas de un grupo escolar

En este trabajo se evalua la normativa de un curso de E.G.B. Concretamente se constata hasta que punto los habitos de estudio, la disciplina y los comportamientos que favorecen la integracion social son estandares de curso. Una vez evaluada la normativa se procede a intervenir sobre ella. La mayor o menor aceptacion de la norma en el curso determina la estrategia a seguir en el proceso de intervencion.
Bombesin-like peptides in rat spinal cord: Biochemical characterization, localization and mechanism of release

Abstract Bombesin-like peptides were characterized in rat spinal cord by radio-immunoassay. The density of bombesin-like peptides was eight-fold greater in the dorsal than ventral horn or white matter of the spinal cord. Using high pressure liquid chromatography fractionation techniques, the main peak of immunoreactivity coeluted with synthetic bombesin. Also, the mechanism of release spinal cord peptides was determined. K+ and veratridine stimulated release of immunoreactive bombesin in a Ca++-dependent mechanism. These data indicate that bombesin-like peptides may function as a unique class of neuroregulatory agents in mammalian spinal cord.