cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooling energy savings potential of reflective roofs for residential and commercial buildings in the United States

Abstract We make quantitative estimates of the impact of roof reflectivity on cooling and heating energy use for buildings in the US. Prototypical buildings are simulated with reflective (light in color) and absorptive (dark in color) roofs. Differences of annual cooling and heating energy use and peak electricity demand between dark and light roofs yield the savings. The DOE-2 building energy simulation program is used for these calculations. Monetary savings are calculated using local utility rates. Savings are estimated for 11 US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) in a variety of climates. The total savings for all 11 MSAs are: annual electricity savings, 2.6 terawatt hours (TWh); net annual savings, $194 M; and peak electricity demand savings, 1.7 gigawatt (GW). Extrapolating the savings from the 11 MSAs to the entire United States, we estimate annual electricity savings of about 10 TWh and a net savings of about $750 M in annual energy payments. Peak electricity power reduction is estimated to be about 7 GW.
Portable lactate analyzer for measuring lactate in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma – method-comparison evaluations

Increased plasma lactate levels can indicate the presence of metabolic disorders in HIV infected individuals. Objective: To determine whether a portable analyzer is valid for measuring cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma lactate levels in HIV infected individuals. Method: CSF and plasma were collected from 178 subjects. Samples tested by the Accutrend® portable analyzer were compared to those tested by a reference device (SYNCHRON LX® 20). Results: The portable analyzer had in plasma sensitivity of 0.95 and specificity 0.87. For CSF the specificity was 0.95; the sensitivity 0.33; the negative predictive value was 95% and the positive predictive value 33%. Conclusions: These findings support the validity of the portable analyzer in measuring lactate concentrations in CSF that fall within the normal range. The relatively poor positive predictive value indicates that a result above the reference range may represent a “false positive test”, and should be confirmed by the reference device before concluding abnormality.
Detection of soft X-ray emission from SMC X-1

The observation of 0.25-keV X-rays from SMC X-1 by a soft X-ray experiment aboard OSO 8 is reported. The variable soft X-ray source observed is identified with the hard X-ray source SMC X-1 on the basis of a rather abrupt ending to the emission (fall time about 2.5 hr) at the time SMC X-1 was expected to enter eclipse. A source luminosity of about 5 x 10 to the 38th erg/s in the 0.18-0.28-keV range is derived by assuming a distance of 68 kpc and correcting for attenuation by 3.4 x 10 to the 20th H atoms per sq cm of intervening galactic gas; this luminosity is shown to be about a factor of 40 greater than the observed coincident luminosity in the 0.8-3-keV band. The soft X-ray intensity upon emergence from eclipse is found to be reduced by a factor of at least 20 from the peak intensity prior to eclipse. It is suggested that this asymmetry may reflect a geometry in which the soft X-ray source trails the compact star as in an accretion-stream model.
Modular ellipsometric approach for mining structural information from nonlinear optical polarization analysis

An ellipsometric approach is described for interpreting polarization information in surface second harmonic generation (SHG). The general applicability of nonlinear optical ellipsometry (NOE) was demonstrated in SHG measurements of uniaxial films under resonant, near-resonant, and nonresonant conditions. The modularity inherent in the instrumental design allows the same basic mathematical formalism to be used to describe a diverse array of optical configurations for polarization analysis. This methodology is particularly useful in spectroscopic and resonance-enhanced SHG and SFG measurements, in which intensity-based methods are generally not applicable. In one application, SHG polarization measurements were used for what is believed to be the first time to measure ratios of the dominant elements of the tensor describing two-photon absorption.
Detecting Curves with Unknown Endpoints and Arbitrary Topology Using Minimal Paths

Existing state-of-the-art minimal path techniques work well to extract simple open curves in images when both endpoints of the curve are given as user input or when one input is given and the total length of the curve is known in advance. Curves which branch require even further prior input from the user, namely, each branch endpoint. In this work, we present a novel minimal path-based algorithm which works on much more general curve topologies with far fewer demands on the user for initial input compared to prior minimal path-based algorithms. The two key novelties and benefits of this new approach are that 1) it may be used to detect both open and closed curves, including more complex topologies containing both multiple branch points and multiple closed cycles without requiring a priori knowledge about which of these types is to be extracted, and 2) it requires only a single input point which, in contrast to existing methods, is no longer constrained to be an endpoint of the desired curve but may in fact be ANY point along the desired curve (even an internal point). We perform quantitative evaluation of the algorithm on 48 images (44 pavement crack images, 1 catheter tube image, and 3 retinal images) against human supplied ground truth. The results demonstrate that the algorithm is indeed able to extract curve-like objects accurately from images with far less prior knowledge and less user interaction compared to existing state-of-the-art minimal path-based image processing algorithms. In the future, the algorithm can be applied to other 2D curve-like objects and it can be extended to detect 3D curves.
Localization of a Myelin Layer within the Hippocampal Formation: MRI and Histologic Correlation

A white matter layer within the hippocampal formation can be reliably identified in fixed brain specimens with high resolution MR imaging. Correlation with histologic specimens indicates that the myelin layer is located within the stratum moleculare and lacunosum. This myelin layer might be called either the internal medullarly lamina or the internal myelin layer.Identification of this internal layer of white matter is the initial step in radiologically evaluating the internal architecture of the hippocampal formation since it has different signal characteristics from the surrounding gray matter in the hippocampus and dentate gyrus.The ability of MRI to detect subtle atrophic abnormalities in the internal myelin layer has been limited by its ability to resolve small structures. Recent evolution in MRI technology has resulted in improved gradient coils (25mT/m) and imaging sequences (T2 weighted fast spin echo). Further improvements have also been made through the use of either surface or phase array coils...
Modelling Radon Entry into Houses with Basements: Model Description and Verification

We model radon entry into basements using a previously developed three-dimensional steady-state finite difference model that has been modified in the following ways: first, cylindrical coordinates are used to take advantage of the symmetry of the problem in the horizontal plane, thereby increasing resolution and computing eficiency without signifiant loss of generality; second, the configuration of the basement has been made m e realistic by incorporating the concrete fmtm which sup ports the basement walls and floor; third, a quadratic relationship between the pressure and flow in the L-shaped gap between slab, footer, and wall has been employed; and fourth, the natural convection of the soil gas which follows from the heating of the basement in winter has been taken into account. The temperature field in the soil is determined fiom the equation of energy consmation, using the basement, surface, and deep-soil temperatures as boundary conditions. The pressure field is determined from Darcy's law and the equation of mass conservation (continuity), assuming that there is nofIow across any boundary except the soil surface (atmospheric pressure) and the opening in the basement shell (fixed pressure), Since the energy conservation equation includes both heat advection and conduction, the temperature and pressure equations must be coupled. After the pressure and temperature fields have been obtained, the velocity field is found fiom Darcy's h. Finally, the radon concentration field is found from the equation of mass-transport, assuming that diffusive entry through openings may be neglected. The convective radon entry rate through the opening or openings is then calculated. In this paper we describe the modified model, compare the predicted radon entry rates with and without the consideration of thermal convection, and compare the predicted rates with rates determined from data from seven houses in the Spokane River valley of Washington and Idaho. Although the predicted rate is much lower than the mean of the rates determined from measurements, er-TOTS in the measurement of soil permeability and variations in the permeability of the area immediately under the basement slab, which has a signifiant influence on the pressure field, can account for the range of entry rates inferredfiom the data.
Experimental demonstration of the roles of bacteria and bacterivorous protozoa in plankton nutrient cycles

We have used a model food chain composed of a natural bacterial assemblage, a pennate diatom and a bacterivorous microflagellate to investigate the factors controlling the relative importance of bacteria and protozoa as sources for regenerated nitrogen in plankton communities. In bacterized diatom cultures in which diatom growth was nitrogen-limited, the carbon:nitrogen (C:N) ratio of the bacterial substrate greatly affected which population was responsible for the uptake of nitrogen. When nitrogen was added as NH4+ and the cultures were supplemented with glucose, the bacteria competed successfully with the algae for NH4+ and prevented the growth of algae by rapidly assimilating all NH4+ in the cultures. Bacterivorous protozoa inoculated into these cultures grazed the bacterial population and remineralized NH4+, thus relieving the nitrogen limitation of algal growth and allowing an increase in algal biomass. In contrast, bacteria in cultures supplemented with the amino acid glycine (C:N = 2) were major remineralizers of nitrogen, and the influence of protozoan grazing was minimal. We conclude that the relative importance of bacteria and protozoa as nutrient regenerators in the detrital food loop is dependent largely on the overall carbon:nutrient ratio of the bacterial substrate. The role of bacterivorous protozoa as remineralizers of a growth-limiting nutrient is maximal in situations where the carbon:nutrient ratio of the bacterial substrate is high.
Transesophageal Echocardiographic Detection of Sinus of Valsalva Dissection

We describe a left sinus of Valsalva dissection diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography and confirmed at surgery. A dissection of the left sinus of Valsalva has not been previously reported.
A historic name-trail service

We consider the mobility of personal online identifiers. People change the identifiers through which they are reachable online as they change jobs or residences or Internet service providers. This kind of personal mobility makes reaching people online error-prone. As people move, they do not always know who or what has cached their now obsolete identifiers so as to inform them of the move. Use of these old identifiers can cause delivery failure of important messages, or worse, may cause delivery of messages to unintended recipients. For example, a sensitive email message sent to my now obsolete work address at a former place of employment may reach my unfriendly former boss instead of me. We describe HINTS, a historic name-trail service. This service provides a persistent way to name willing participants online using today's transient online identifiers. HINTS accomplishes this by connecting together the names a person uses along with the times during which those names were valid for that person. A correspondent who wishes to reach a mobile person can use an obsolete online name for that person, qualified with a time at which the online name was successfully used; HINTS resolves this historic name to a current valid online identifier for the intended recipient, if that recipient has chosen to leave a name trail in HINTS.
A Note on Changes in REIT Liquidity: The Role of 'New REITs'

Bhasin, Cole, and Kiely (1997) document significant increases in REIT liquidity from 1990 to 1994 as measured by a narrowing of the percentage bid-ask spread. However, they measure the average spread in each year across all firms in the industry. In this article, I demonstrate that when the comparison is restricted to the panel of REITs operating in both time periods (1990 and 1994) rather than to all firms, percentage spreads widened rather than narrowed. I reconcile these seemingly contradictory results by showing that the narrowing of industry-wide spreads previously reported was driven by the spreads of REITs that went public during 1991-94. Hence, I contribute to the growing number of papers that differentiate the more recently established REITs from their predecessors.
Differential-Private Data Publishing Through Component Analysis

A reasonable compromise of privacy and utility exists at an 'appropriate' resolution of the data. We proposed novel mechanisms to achieve privacy preserving data publishing PPDP satisfying e-differential privacy with improved utility through component analysis. The mechanisms studied in this article are Principal Component Analysis PCA and Linear Discriminant Analysis LDA. The differential PCA-based PPDP serves as a general-purpose data dissemination tool that guarantees better utility i.e., smaller error compared to Laplacian and Exponential mechanisms using the same "privacy budget". Our second mechanism, the differential LDA-based PPDP, favors data dissemination for classification purposes. Both mechanisms were compared with state-of-the-art methods to show performance differences.
SURGICAL MANAGEMENT OF AMBIGUOUS GENITALIA IN THE INFANT AND CHILD

Abstract Proper gender assignment to a neonate born with ambiguous genitalia is a social emergency of the newborn period. Once an appropriate sex assignment has been made, the next critical step is performance, if needed, of a reconstructive procedure in a timely fashion. In an attempt to evaluate our experience with this unique group of patients, we have retrospectively reviewed the course of 69 children with ambiguous genitalia managed surgically at this institution between 1974 and 1989. This series consists of 32 genotypic females with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), 10 children with mixed gonadal dysgenesis (MGD), 10 male pseudohermaphrodites, 3 true hermaphrodites, 8 genotypic females with urogenital sinus anomalies (UGS), and 6 genotypic males with bilateral undescended testes and penoscrotal hypospadius. All newborns initially seen at this institution received proper sex assignment within the first week of life. Prior to 1980, 17 of the children with CAH underwent clitorectomy and vaginoplasty and three underwent clitoral recession and vaginoplasty. After 1980, 10 patients with CAH were managed with clitoral recession and vaginoplasty and 2 with vaginoplasty alone. Eight of 10 cases of MGD were given a female sex assignment and all 8 underwent gonadectomy due to the high risk of gonadoblastoma; the other 2 children were raised as males. There were 3 true hermaphrodites of which 2 were assigned female gender roles and were managed with a clitoral recession and vaginoplasty. All 10 male pseudohermaphrodites were raised as females and all underwent bilateral orchidectomy. The 8 children with UGS were raised as females and underwent vaginal reconstruction. Six genotypic males with penoscrotal hypospadius and bilateral undescended testes were raised as males and underwent hypospadius repair and bilateral orchidopexy. This retrospective review underscores the complexities of assessment and management of ambiguous genitalia in infants and children. It also reconfirms the data from other series showing that the vast majority of infants born with the four most common forms of ambiguous genitalia (CAH, MGD, male pseudoher-maphroditism, and true hermaphroditism) must be raised as females because of inadequacy of the phallus.
Differential expansion of zinc-finger transcription factor loci in homologous human and mouse gene clusters.

Mammalian genomes carry hundreds of Kruppel-type zinc finger (ZNF) genes, most of which reside in familial clusters. ZNF genes encoding Kruppel-associated box (KRAB) motifs are especially prone to this type of tandem organization. Despite their prevalence, little is known about the functions or evolutionary histories of these clustered gene families. Here we describe a homologous pair of human and mouse KRAB-ZNF gene clusters containing 21 human and 10 mouse genes, respectively. Evolutionary analysis uncovered only three pairs of putative orthologs and two cases where a single gene in one species is related to multiple genes in the other; several human genes have no obvious homolog in mouse. We deduce that duplication and loss of ancestral cluster members occurred independently in the primate and rodent lineages after divergence, yielding substantially different ZNF gene repertoires in humans and mice. Differences in expression patterns and sequence divergence within the DNA binding regions of predicted proteins suggest that the duplicated genes have acquired novel functions over evolutionary time. Since KRAB-ZNF proteins are predicted to function as transcriptional regulators, the elaboration of new lineage-specific genes in this and other clustered ZNF families is likely to have had a significant impact on species-specific aspects of biology.
Simulation and Analysis for Typical Package Assembly Manufacture

The manufacturing process for package assembly is a key to assuring the reliability and quality of the semiconductor products. There are a significant number of challenging mechanics problems in assembly manufacturing process that may lead to the failure of die, delamination and package cracking. Identifying potential root causes of quality and reliability problems during the development of an assembly process and during package design is very important; it can reduce scrap during manufacturing, save development time, as well as help insure the product meets the requirements of customers. Simulation can find the root cause quickly and accurately, leading to reduced time and cost. It enables experiments that are too costly to be done by empirical methods. Using simulation we can find the conditions that optimize cost, performance and reliability under different sets of conditions. This paper focuses on modeling and simulation for typical package assembly manufacture processes which have large impact to the product quality and reliability. A finite element framework is developed to simulate the assembly package manufacturing process utilizing the ANSYS software platform. The framework tools are utilized to maximize the robustness of the assembly process in order to eliminate reliability issues, fast run time and minimize costs in development and from manufacturing scrap
Shared Decision Making in Oncology Practice: What Do Oncologists Need to Know?

Background. There is growing interest by patients, policy makers,andcliniciansinshareddecisionmaking(SDM)as a means to involve patients in health decisions and translate evidence into clinical practice. However, few clinicians feel optimally trained to implement SDM in practice, and many patients report that they are less involved than they desire to be in their cancer care decisions. SDM might help address the wide practice variation reported for many preference-sensitive decisions by incorporating patient preferences into decision discussions. Methods.Thispaperprovidesaperspectiveonhowtoincorporate SDM into routine oncology practice to facilitate patient-centered communication and promote effective treatment decisions. Oncology practice is uniquely positioned to lead the adoption of SDM because of the vast number of preference-sensitive decisions in which SDM can enhance the clinical encounter.
Practically formal methods

The use of formal methods in software engineering need not imply that one is committed to formal specification, derivation, and verification of all programs. Formal methods encompass a spectrum of tools and techniques; some may be more appropriate than others in a given application. In order to bring formal specifications and reuse into the mainstream of software development, we have incorporated an introduction to formal specification and design for reuse in our sophomore-level data structures course. The specification, representation and implementation of abstract data structures present the ideal opportunity to introduce students to these techniques. We present our approach to the informal, practical use of specifications as a guide to implementation, increasing both the quality of documentation and confidence in the correctness of implementation of data structures.
Cluster analysis of genes with significant change in expression in cells conditioned to survive TBOOH

Abstract Immortal murine lens epithelial cells, αTN4-1 have been conditioned to survive H2O2, H cells, or TBOOH, T cells, at concentrations that will cause cataract in vitro. Since H cells are killed by TBOOH but T cells survive H2O2, it is of interest to examine the gene expression of these cell lines. We now report the results of cluster analysis of genes whose expression is significantly changed by TBOOH. The analysis has revealed a small group of antioxidative defense genes that contribute to the survival of T and H cells when exposed to oxidative stress.
Vortex simulation of the intake flow in a planar piston-chamber device

A numerical scheme based on the application of the vortex method to update the vorticity field and the implementation of the finite element method to satisfy the normal velocity boundary condition inside a complex time-dependent geometry is applied to simulate the flow produced by a piston sliding out of a chamber equipped with single or multiple intakes. This unsteady confined vortex flow is of interest in many applications. We use the idealization that the flow is incompressible, two-dimensional and planar and we analyse the results to study the flow during the intake process inside a model of an engine cylinder. The chamber top is fitted with an inlet channel, an inlet port or an inlet valve. In all cases when the intake channel axis coincides with that of the chamber, the flow in each side of the chamber consists essentially of two large counter-rotating eddies of almost the same size. The computed structures of these flows resemble qualitatively those which have been observed experimentally. The fluid motion is also computed for the case of a chamber equipped with an intake whose axis is not aligned with the chamber axis. In this case the flow at the end of the stroke is dominated by a single large eddy produced by the merging of the two eddies forming on the sides of the port.
Schedule-induced alcohol and water intakes in rats on a FFI-60-sec. schedule.

4 food-deprived, female albino rats were exposed to baseline and free-reinforcement schedule conditions in which either water or alcohol solution were concurrently available or the alcohol solution was available alone. The results replicate previous findings but are not explicable by current motivational or reinforcement theoretical notions. Practical and theoretical considerations with regard to these data are discussed.
Sexual variation in assimilation efficiency: its link to phenotype and potential role in sexual dimorphism

Sex-specific variation in morphology (sexual dimorphism) is a prevalent phenomenon among animals, and both dietary intake and resource allocation strategies influence sexually dimorphic traits (e.g., body size or composition). However, we investigated whether assimilation efficiency (AE), an intermediate step between dietary intake and allocation, can also vary between the sexes. Specifically, we tested whether sex-based differences in AE can explain variation in phenotypic traits. We measured morphometric characteristics (i.e., body length, mass, condition, and musculature) and AE of total energy, crude protein, and crude fat in post-reproductive adult Children’s pythons (which exhibit a limited female-biased sexual size dimorphism) fed both low and high dietary intakes. Meal size was negatively related to AE of energy. Notably, male snakes absorbed crude protein more efficiently and increased epaxial (dorsal) musculature faster than females, which demonstrates a link between AE and phenotype. However, females grew in body length faster but did not absorb any nutrient more efficiently than males. Although our results do not provide a direct link between AE and sexual size dimorphism, they demonstrate that sexual variation in nutrient absorption exists and can contribute to other types of sex-based differences in phenotype (i.e., sexual dimorphism in growth of musculature). Hence, testing the broader applicability of AE’s role in sexually dimorphic traits among other species is warranted.
Analysis of a Recurrence Arising from a Construction for Nonblocking Networks

Define $f$ on the integers $n>1$ by the recurrence $f(n) = \min\{ n, \min_{m \mid n} 2f(m) + 3f(n/m) \}.$ The function $f$ has $f(n) = n$ as its upper envelope, attained for all prime $n$. The goal of this paper is to determine the corresponding lower envelope. It is shown that this has the form $f(n) \sim C(\log n)^{1+1/\gamma}$ for certain constants $\gamma$ and $C$, in the sense that for any $\epsilon>0$, the inequality $f(n) \le (C+\epsilon)(\log n)^{1+1/\gamma}$ holds for infinitely many $n$, while $f(n) \le (C-\epsilon)(\log n)^{1+1/\gamma}$ holds for only finitely many. In fact, $\gamma = 0.7878\ldots$ is the unique real solution of the equation $2^{-\gamma} + 3^{-\gamma} = 1$, and $C = 1.5595\ldots$ is given by the expression $C = {\gamma\, (2^{-\gamma} \log 2^{\gamma} + 3^{-\gamma} \log 3^{\gamma})^{1/\gamma} \over (\gamma+1) \left(15^{-\gamma} \log^{\gamma+1} {5\over 2} + 3^{-\gamma} \sum_{5\le k\le 7} \log^{\gamma+1} {k+1 \over k} + \sum_{8\le k\le 15} \log^{\gamma+1} {k+1 \over k}\right)^{1/\gamma}}.$ This paper also considers the function $f_0$ defined by replacing the integers $n>1$ with the reals $x>1$ in the above recurrence: $f_0(x) = \min\{x, \inf_{1 < y < x} 2f_0(y) + 3f_0(x/y) \}.$ We shall show that $f_0(x) \sim C_0 (\log x)^{1+1/\gamma}$, where $C_0 = 1.5586\ldots$ is given by $C_0 = 6e\, (2^{-\gamma} \log 2^{-\gamma} + 3^{-\gamma} \log 3^{-\gamma})^{1/\gamma} \left({\gamma \over (\gamma+1)}\right)^{1+1/\gamma}$ and is smaller than $C$ by a factor of $0.9994\ldots\,$.}
Depth optimal incremental mapping for field programmable gate arrays

In this paper, we study the incremental technology mapping problem for lookup-table (LUT) based Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) under incremental changes. Given a gate-level networks, a mapping solution associated with it, and a sequence of changes to the original network, we compute a new mapping solution by modifying the existing one. Moreover, we assume that the given mapping solution is depth-optimal and we are required to come up with a modified mapping solution that maintains the depth optimality. The objective of our incremental mapper is to maintain depth-optimality with very high efficiency while minimizes the modifications to the existing mapping solution. We revealed a set of sufficient conditions for maintaining depth optimal mapping solution after a sequence of incremental changes. Based on these results, we developed a very fast incremental technology mapping algorithm, called IncFlow, that runs up to 300 x faster than the well-known depth-optimal FlowMap algorithm [1](with an average of 14x speedup) while achieves the same depth-optimal mapping quality.
Immune function during space flight

It is very likely that the human immune system will be altered in astronauts exposed to the conditions of long-term space flight: isolation, containment, microgravity, radiation, microbial contamination, sleep disruption, and insufficient nutrition. In human and animal subjects flown in space, there is evidence of immune compromise, reactivation of latent virus infection, and possible development of a premalignant or malignant condition. Moreover, in ground-based space flight model investigations, there is evidence of immune compromise and reactivation of latent virus infection. All of these observations in space flight itself or in ground-based models of space flight have a strong resonance in a wealth of human pathologic conditions involving the immune system where reactivated virus infections and cancer appear as natural consequences. The clinical conditions of Epstein-Barr-driven lymphomas in transplant patients and Kaposi's sarcoma in patients with autoimmune deficiency virus come easily to mind in trying to identify these conditions. With these thoughts in mind, it is highly appropriate, indeed imperative, that careful investigations of human immunity, infection, and cancer be made by space flight researchers.
Susceptibility of gnotobiotic transgenic mice (Tgε26) with combined deficiencies in natural killer cells and T cells to wild-type and hyphal signalling-defective mutants of Candida albicans

Germfree transgenic epsilon 26 mice (Tgϵ26), deficient in natural killer cells and T cells, were colonized (alimentary tract) with Candida albicans wild-type or each of two hyphal transcription factor signalling mutant strains (efg1/efg1, efg1/efg1 cph1/cph1). Each Candida strain colonized the alimentary tract, infected keratinized gastric tissues to a similar extent, and induced a granulocyte-dominated inflammatory response in infected tissues. Both wild-type and mutant strains formed hyphae in vivo and were able to elicit an increase in cytokine [tumour necrosis factor alpha, interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-12] and chemokine (KC and macrophage inflammatory protein-2] mRNAs in infected tissues; however, administration of the wild-type strain was lethal for the Tgϵ26 mice, whereas the mice colonized with the mutant strains survived. Death of the Tgϵ26-colonized mice appeared to be due to occlusive oesophageal candidiasis, and not to disseminated candidiasis of endogenous origin. In contrast, the mutant strains exhibited a significantly reduced capacity to infect (frequency and severity) oro-oesophageal (tongue and oesophagus) tissues. Therefore, the two hyphal signalling-defective mutants were less able to infect oro-oesophageal tissues and were non-lethal, but retained their ability to colonize the alimentary tract with yeast and hyphae, infect keratinized gastric tissues, and evoke an inflammatory response in orogastric tissues.
Boundless-range optical phase modulator for high-speed frequency-shift and heterodyne applications

Optical phase modulators are used for many applications in optical communication systems and signal processing, but they are fundamentally limited in the amount of a monotonic phase change that can be induced due to practical physical limits on the drive-signal magnitude. In this paper, the necessary drive conditions are derived to achieve a boundless monotonic phase change on the output while keeping the drive inputs within practical physical bounds, i.e., comparable to an amplitude modulator. A simulation of a three-section modulator with two distinct drive signals is provided whereby a continuous phase change on the output is achieved with only a maximum phase shift of /spl pi//2 created in any individual section. The architecture has two outputs, therefore a design tradeoff can be made in choosing the power splitting ratio between the outputs. The amplitudes are kept constant as the phase is modulated. The other output is not frequency shifted and may provide a convenient heterodyne signal for subsequent coherent processing.
PHM-based residual life computation of electronics subjected to a combination of multiple cyclic-thermal environments

Electronic assemblies deployed in harsh environments may be subjected to multiple thermal environments during the use-life of the equipment. Often the equipment may not have any macro-indicators of damage such as cracks or delamination. Quantification of thermal environments during use-life is often not feasible because of the data-capture and storage requirements, and the overhead on core-system functionality. There is need for tools and techniques to quantify damage in deployed systems in absence of macro-indicators of damage without knowledge of prior stress history. The presented PHM framework is targeted towards high reliability applications such as avionic and space systems. In this paper, Sn3.0Ag0.5Cu alloy packages have been subjected to multiple thermal cycling environments including −55 to 125C and 0 to 100C. Assemblies investigated include area-array packages soldered on FR4 printed circuit cards. The methodology involves the use of condition monitoring devices, for gathering data on damage pre-cursors at periodic intervals. Damage-state interrogation technique has been developed based on the Levenberg-Marquardt Algorithm in conjunction with the microstructural damage evolution proxies. The presented technique is applicable to electronic assemblies which have been deployed on one thermal environment, then withdrawn from service and targeted for redeployment in a different thermal environment. Test cases have been presented to demonstrate the viability of the technique for assessment of prior damage, operational readiness and residual life for assemblies exposed to multiple thermo-mechanical environments. Prognosticated prior damage and the residual life show good correlation with experimental data, demonstrating the validity of the presented technique for multiple thermo-mechanical environments.
Selective recording of the canine hypoglossal nerve using a multicontact flat interface nerve electrode

A flat-interface nerve electrode (FINE) is presented as a potential solution for using multifascicle nerve recordings as part of a closed-loop control system. To investigate the ability of this electrode to achieve selective recordings at physiological signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a finite-element model (FEM) of a beagle hypoglossal nerve with an implanted FINE was constructed. Action potentials (AP) were generated at various SNR levels and the performance of the electrode was assessed with a selectivity index (0/spl les/SI/spl les/1; ability of the electrode to distinguish two active sources). Computer simulations yielded a selective range (0.05/spl les/SI/spl les/0.76) that was 1) related to the interfiber distance and 2) used to predict the minimum interfiber distance (0.23 mm/spl les/d/spl les/1.42 mm) for selective recording at each SNR. The SI was further evaluated using recorded compound APs elicited from electrically activating the branches of the beagle hypoglossal nerve. For all experiments (n=7), the selectivity (SI=0.45/spl plusmn/0.16) was within the range predicted by the FEM. This study suggests that the FINE can record the activity from a multifasciculated nerve and, more importantly, distinguish neural signals from pairs of fascicles at physiologic SNR.
Regularity of boundary wavelets

Abstract The conventional way of constructing boundary functions for wavelets on a finite interval is by forming linear combinations of boundary-crossing scaling functions. Desirable properties such as regularity (i.e. continuity and approximation order) are easy to derive from corresponding properties of the interior scaling functions. In this article we focus instead on boundary functions defined by recursion relations. We show that the number of boundary functions is uniquely determined, and derive conditions for determining regularity from the recursion coefficients. We show that there are regular boundary functions which are not linear combinations of shifts of the underlying scaling functions.
How Gender and Religion Influence Alcohol Use in Elderly Korean Immigrants

This study examined the effects of religion and gender on drinking behaviors among a sample of 148 older Korean immigrants living in a metropolitan area in Canada. Face-to-face interviews were cond...
Who Were the Gilders? And Other Seldom-Asked Questions about Business, Technology, and Political Economy in the United States, 1877-1900

Historians of the United States have for many decades termed the late nineteenth century the “Gilded Age.” No consensus exists as to when this period began and ended, or how it might best be characterized. Most textbook authors place the origins of the Gilded Age around 1877 and its demise around 1900. Few would deny that this period witnessed a host of epochal innovations that included the rise of the modern industrial corporation, the building of large-scale technical systems, including the electric power grid, and the creation of governmental institutions that were conducive to rapid industrialization. Yet the significance of these innovations remained a matter of dispute.
Time-based manufacturing improves business performance—results from a survey

Abstract Manufacturers face the question of how to manage and organize their operations to compete successfully in a rapidly changing external environment. To examine this question, data from 224 manufacturers were collected and divided along two dimensions: (1) levels of time based manufacturing practices and (2) stable versus turbulent external environments. Results indicate that firms with high levels of time-based manufacturing practices have higher performance regardless of the external environment. When time-based manufacturing practices are examined individually, the results indicate that high-performing firms operating in turbulent markets emphasize different time-based practices than high-performing firms operating in stable markets.
Multiple Roles for Saccharomyces cerevisiae Histone H2A in Telomere Position Effect, Spt Phenotypes and Double-Strand-Break Repair

Telomere position effects on transcription (TPE, or telomeric silencing) are nucleated by association of nonhistone silencing factors with the telomere and propagated in subtelomeric regions through association of silencing factors with the specifically modified histones H3 and H4. However, the function of histone H2A in TPE is unknown. We found that deletion of either the amino or the carboxyltails of H2A substantially reduces TPE. We identified four H2A modification sites necessary for wild-type efficiency of TPE. These "hta1tpe" alleles also act as suppressors of a delta insertion allele of LYS2, suggesting shared elements of chromatin structure at both loci. Interestingly, we observed combinatorial effects of allele pairs, suggesting both interdependent acetylation and deacetylation events in the amino-terminal tail and a regulatory circuit between multiple phosphorylated residues in the carboxyl-terminal tail. Decreases in silencing and viability are observed in most hta1tpe alleles after treatment with low and high concentrations, respectively, of bleomycin, which forms double-strand breaks (DSBs). In the absence of the DSB and telomere-binding protein yKu70, the bleomycin sensitivity of hta1tpe alleles is further enhanced. We also provide data suggesting the presence of a yKu-dependent histone H2A function in TPE. These data indicate that the amino- and carboxyl-terminal tails of H2A are essential for wild-type levels of yKu-mediated TPE and DSB repair.
Achieving fast and bandwidth-efficient shared-path protection

Dynamic provisioning of restorable bandwidth guaranteed paths is a challenge in the design of broad-band transport networks, especially next-generation optical networks. A common approach is called (failure-independent) path protection, whereby for every mission-critical active path to be established, a link (or node) disjoint backup path (BP) is also established. To optimize network resource utilization, shared path protection should be adopted, which often allows a new BP to share the bandwidth allocated to some existing BPs. However, it usually leads the backup paths to use too many links, with zero cost in term of additional backup bandwidth, along its route. It will violate the restoration time guarantee. In this paper, we propose novel integer linear programming (ILP) formulations by introducing two parameters (/spl epsi/ and /spl mu/) in both the sharing with complete information (SCI) scheme and the distributed partial information management (DPIM) scheme. Our results show that the proposed ILP formulations can not only improve the network resource utilization effectively, but also keep the BPs as short as possible.
Entertainment arts and engineering(or how to fast track a new interdisciplinary program)

The Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE) program is a unique, new undergraduate interdisciplinary program at the University of Utah bringing together the School of Computing and the Division of Film Studies in an effort to teach both video game development and computer animation. Students pursuing a film or computer science degree may enroll in the program as a means of focusing their education on digital arts and entertainment. The key characteristic of the program is the shared classes where students from both Computer Science and Fine Arts study together and cooperate on game and animation projects. The program is highlighted by a yearlong capstone course in which the students work together to make a video game or animated short from scratch. This paper chronicles our efforts starting the EAE program and demonstrates how to create an interdisciplinary program that not only attracts students to CS, but also equips them for careers or research in video games and animation.
The Residual Effect of Fertilizer

Publisher Summary The residual effect of fertilizer commonly refers to the favourable response of crops to the major nutrients applied to a previous crop. In addition, certain secondary and minor nutrients may remain and bring about beneficial results. Legumes and other crop residues grown as a result of previously applied fertilizer may decompose to effect increases in the yield of currently growing crops. Residual effects of soluble nitrogen fertilizers come about largely through this means. As fertilizer applications are increased, in expectation of high yields, the chances of unbalance and other injurious effects increase. Changes in fertilizer carriers are reducing the possibility of secondary nutrient benefits or of injurious effects from secondary nutrients and accompanying ions, such as chlorides. This chapter draws attention to some of these commonly disregarded effects of heavy applications of present-day high-grade fertilizers.
Improved versions of greenwood estimators under koziol-green model

ABSTRACTIt is well known that the Greenwood estimators underestimate the variances of the Nelson-Aalen estimator and the Kaplan-Meier estimator. In this article, we reveal some “improved” versions of the Greenwood estimators under the Koziol-Green model.
Analysis of Three-Layer Viscoelastic Half-Space

The analysis of a three-layer linear viscoelastic half-space under a uniformly distributed circular load is presented. Such an analysis is an essential step in the development of a rational method of design for flexible pavements since such pavement systems respond in a markedly viscoelastic (time-dependent) fashion. The solution is obtained for the normal stress, radial stress, shear stress, vertical deflection and radial displacement, at any point within the half-space. These solutions are obtained by replacing the elastic constants in the elastic solution by integral operators derived from the hereditary form of the linear viscoelastic constitutive equations. This substitution results in integral equations involving multiple convolution integrals of the time-dependent quantities. The multiple convolution integrals are evaluated for a series representation of the creep functions, and then an associated technique is used for numerical solution of the integral equations. Sample numerical results are presented. The techniques used in this analysis were selected for their ease of application and because they allow realistic representations of the viscoelastic behavior of real materials over broad time intervals.
Transcriptomic Determinants of Scrapie Prion Propagation in Cultured Ovine Microglia.

Susceptibility to infection by prions is highly dependent on the amino acid sequence and host expression of the cellular prion protein (PrPC); however, cellular expression of a genetically susceptible PrPC is insufficient. As an example, it has been shown in cultured cells that permissive and resistant sublines derived from the same parental population often have similar expression levels of PrPC. Thus, additional cellular factors must influence susceptibility to prion infection. The aim of this study was to elucidate the factors associated with relative permissiveness and resistance to scrapie prions in cultured cells derived from a naturally affected species. Two closely related ovine microglia clones with different prion susceptibility, but no detectable differences in PrPC expression levels, were inoculated with either scrapie-positive or scrapie-negative sheep brainstem homogenates. Five passages post-inoculation, the transcriptional profiles of mock and infected clones were sequenced using Illumina technology. Comparative transcriptional analyses identified twenty-two differentially transcribed genes, most of which were upregulated in poorly permissive microglia. This included genes encoding for selenoprotein P, endolysosomal proteases, and proteins involved in extracellular matrix remodeling. Furthermore, in highly permissive microglia, transforming growth factor β–induced, retinoic acid receptor response 1, and phosphoserine aminotranspherase 1 gene transcripts were upregulated. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis identified proteolysis, translation, and mitosis as the most affected pathways and supported the upregulation trend of several genes encoding for intracellular proteases and ribosomal proteins in poorly permissive microglia. This study identifies new genes potentially involved in scrapie prion propagation, corroborates results from other studies, and extends those results into another cell culture model.
Clonal Abundance of Tumor-Specific CD4+ T Cells Potentiates Efficacy and Alters Susceptibility to Exhaustion

Current approaches to cancer immunotherapy aim to engage the natural T cell response against tumors. One limitation is the elimination of self-antigen-specific T cells from the immune repertoire. Using a system in which precursor frequency can be manipulated in a murine melanoma model, we demonstrated that the clonal abundance of CD4(+) T cells specific for self-tumor antigen positively correlated with antitumor efficacy. At elevated precursor frequencies, intraclonal competition impaired initial activation and overall expansion of the tumor-specific CD4(+) T cell population. However, through clonally derived help, this population acquired a polyfunctional effector phenotype and antitumor immunity was enhanced. Conversely, development of effector function was attenuated at low precursor frequencies due to irreversible T cell exhaustion. Our findings assert that the differential effects of T cell clonal abundance on phenotypic outcome should be considered during the design of adoptive T cell therapies, including use of engineered T cells.