cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pleistocene vertebrates with boreal affinities in the Georgia Piedmont

Pleistocene alluvium along Little Kettle Creek in east-central Georgia contains a unique record of vertebrate life in the Appalachian Piedmont during a colder phase of the late Quaternary. The small fauna includes fishes and the following mammals: Synaptomys cooperi, the southern bog lemming; Clethrionomys sp., a redback vole; Mammut americanum, the American mastodon; a mammoth, Mammuthus sp.; Odocoileus cf. virginianus, a deer; and Bison sp. Both Synaptomys and Clethrionomys are primarily boreal genera of rodents which today reach their southern limits at higher elevations in the Great Smoky Mountains about 175 km north of the fossil locality. The American mastodon is also commonly associated with Pleistocene spruce bogs in eastern North America. Catfish (Ictalurus (?) sp.) vertebrae from the deposit show well-defined annual rings in contrast with the weakly marked annuli produced by fish living in the same area today. The total aspect of the fauna is one of considerably lower temperatures than those prevailing in the Georgia Piedmont now. The joint occurrence of bison and proboscideans indicates an age no older and no younger than late Pleistocene (Rancholabrean) for the assemblage. Because no pollen was found in the sediments and there was insufficient organic matter present for 14C dating, no more precise age can yet be assigned to the fauna.
The Role of Sentinel Node Biopsy in Women Undergoing Prophylactic Mastectomy

Background Sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in patients undergoing prophylactic mastectomy (PM) remains controversial. We sought to determine the incidence of finding occult cancer and the frequency of SLN positivity in patients undergoing contralateral PM. Methods Medical records of patients undergoing bilateral mastectomy at our institution from 2003 to 2008 were reviewed ( n = 115). Eight patients (6.9%) had known bilateral cancer; an additional eight patients (6.9%) underwent BPM for risk reduction. The remaining 99 patients who had ipsilateral breast cancer and underwent contralateral PM formed the cohort of interest for this study. Univariate and multivariate analyses to determine factors correlating with occult malignancy and SLN positivity in the PM specimen were performed using SPSS ver. 17 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results The median patient age was 50 y, and median ipsilateral tumor size was 1.7 cm. Occult contralateral malignancy was found in eight (8.1%); of these, six (75.0%) had DCIS only. A positive SLN was found on the prophylactic side in 2 (2.0%) patients. Both had ipsilateral inflammatory cancer, and over 15 positive ipsilateral lymph nodes post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Ipsilateral inflammatory breast cancer was correlated with the finding of invasive cancer in the contralateral PM ( P = 0.006), and both the finding of ipsilateral inflammatory breast cancer and number of positive lymph nodes correlated with the finding of a positive contralateral SLN. Conclusion The incidence of occult malignancy in PM is low (2%). However, patients with ipsilateral inflammatory cancer are at high risk of contralateral malignancy; SLN biopsy on the prophylactic side in these patients may be warranted.
Algorithms for fundamental spatial aggregate operations over regions

Aggregate operators are a useful class of operators in relational databases. In this paper, we examine spatial aggregate operators over regions. Spatial aggregates are defined to operate over a set of regions, and return a single region as a result. We systematically identify individual spatial aggregate operations by extending existing spatial operations into aggregate form. Semantic meaning for each operator is defined over a specified data model. Once defined, algorithms for computing spatial aggregates over regions are provided. We show that all proposed aggregates can be computed using a single algorithm. Furthermore, we provide serial and parallel algorithm constructions that can take advantage of vector co-processors, such as graphical processing units (GPUs), and that can be integrated into map/reduce queries to take advantage of big data-style clusters. Example queries and their results are provided.
Stem cells and neurological disorders.

Constance Holden's article “Versatile cells against intractable diseases” (News Focus, 26 July, p. [500][1]) is fascinating, but also somewhat misleading. I believe that it is important to point out that most stem cells transplanted into humans to treat neurological disorders do not develop into differentiated cells with neuronal profiles. About 90 to 98% of the initial grafts disappear over time, and those that do remain seem to migrate from the initial zone of implantation and assume glial rather than neuronal morphology. Nonetheless, it is interesting to note that in many cases, functional recovery can still be obtained and sustained over long periods of time in the absence of new neuronal circuits being formed between the host and transplanted tissue. Holden also seems to suggest that the only way to obtain functional repair is through inherent neurogenesis or by the transplantation and development of “precursor” cells into neurons. The “plasticity” of the nervous system is not “newfound” at all. Even the great neuroanatomist, Santiago Ramon y Cajal, writing at the beginning of the 20th century, was aware of the inherent capacity of the nervous system to show limited repair by axonal and dendritic collateral sprouting ([1][2]). Whether damaged nerve cells can actually develop new branches as a form of regeneration has been more controversial; nonetheless, there has been an existing literature for more than 30 years on this topic. Because there is so much financial interest in developing stem cell therapies, one has to be very careful about overinterpreting claims about their safety and efficacy. Another recent Science article (“Stem cells not so stealthy after all,” G. Vogel, News of the Week, 12 July, p. [175][3]) points out that, as they differentiate, stem cells may be rejected by patients. Under such circumstances, it seems unwise to promote stem cell therapies too vigorously. Much more needs to be known about what the cells are and what they actually do in the damaged or diseased brain. 1. [↵][4]1. S. Ramon y Cajal , Trab. Lab. Invest. Biol. VIII, 2 (1910) [as translated by F. Reinoso-Suarez, in Neuroplasticity: A New Therapeutic Tool in the CNS Pathology , R.L. Masland, A. Portera-Sanchez, G. Toffano Liviana Press, Padua, Italy 1987), pp. 31–37]. [OpenUrl][5] [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.297.5581.500 [2]: #ref-1 [3]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.297.5579.175a [4]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1 in text" [5]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DTrab.%2BLab.%2BInvest.%2BBiol.%26rft.volume%253DVIII%26rft.spage%253D2%26rft.atitle%253DTRAB%2BLAB%2BINVEST%2BBIOL%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Capturing industry experience for an effective information security assessment

An Information System (IS) security programme consists of several essential security controls. In order to verify and maintain the effectiveness of an IS security programme, it is pertinent to identify how security controls are compared to each other in terms of their practical implications. This study reports the results from an experience survey to offer insights of the roles of security controls in IS security programmes. Four clusters of security controls were identified with technical security controls (such as authentication and confidentiality) being high on respondents' perceived importance. An approach to develop SAI with weighted security controls is explained to help security administrators conduct security assessments. The results of this study contribute to IS security budget planning and resource allocation. Managerial implications are also reported.
Reconstructing cortical current density by exploring sparseness in the transform domain

In the present study, we have developed a novel electromagnetic source imaging approach to reconstruct extended cortical sources by means of cortical current density (CCD) modeling and a novel EEG imaging algorithm which explores sparseness in cortical source representations through the use of L1-norm in objective functions. The new sparse cortical current density (SCCD) imaging algorithm is unique since it reconstructs cortical sources by attaining sparseness in a transform domain (the variation map of cortical source distributions). While large variations are expected to occur along boundaries (sparseness) between active and inactive cortical regions, cortical sources can be reconstructed and their spatial extents can be estimated by locating these boundaries. We studied the SCCD algorithm using numerous simulations to investigate its capability in reconstructing cortical sources with different extents and in reconstructing multiple cortical sources with different extent contrasts. The SCCD algorithm was compared with two L2-norm solutions, i.e. weighted minimum norm estimate (wMNE) and cortical LORETA. Our simulation data from the comparison study show that the proposed sparse source imaging algorithm is able to accurately and efficiently recover extended cortical sources and is promising to provide high-accuracy estimation of cortical source extents.
Fast dynamos in spherical boundary-driven flows

We numerically demonstrate the feasibility of kinematic fast dynamos for a class of time-periodic axisymmetric flows of conducting fluid confined inside a sphere. The novelty of our work is in considering the realistic flows, which are self-consistently determined from the Navier-Stokes equation with specified boundary driving. Such flows can be achieved in a new plasma experiment, whose spherical boundary is capable of differential driving of plasma flows in the azimuthal direction. We show that magnetic fields are self-excited over a range of flow parameters such as amplitude and frequency of flow oscillations, fluid Reynolds (Re) and magnetic Reynolds (Rm) numbers. In the limit of large Rm, the growth rates of the excited magnetic fields are of the order of the advective time scales and practically independent of Rm, which is an indication of the fast dynamo.
Effective Rigidity of Robot Structures: Analysis and Enhancement

Analysis of effective compliance breakdown between various structural subsystems as well as a novel concept of stiffness enhancement for robot manipulators are considered. Compliance breakdown shows a relatively insignificant role of linkage compliance (2-20% of the overall compliance depending on design) as well as domination of the break-down by one component. A combination link concept allows to reduce end-of-arm displacement as well as necessary driving torque, and increase structural natural frequency. Optimization of the combination link is performed for various combinations of joint-link compliances as well as for various preloads.
On the noise transmission and control for a cylindrical chamber core composite structure

The vibroacoustic properties, sound transmission behavior, and noise transmission control of a novel chamber core composite cylinder are studied. An approximate uniform shell model of the sandwich cylindrical chamber core structure is developed to aid in the calculation of the ring frequency and external critical frequency. Acoustic modal parameters are analytically and experimentally obtained. The structural modal parameters are identified from measured data. The coupling between structural and acoustic modes is investigated. The sound transmission into the cylindrical chamber core is experimentally characterized, where the stiffness-, cavity resonance-, mass-, and coincidence-controlled zones are identified. Finally, the addition of fills to the wall chambers of the chamber core is investigated as a part of passive control study, which also serves to corroborate the model development.
Culture-negative endocarditis caused by Bartonella henselae

A 4-year-old girl presented with clinical evidence of infective endocarditis involving her aortic valve, but blood cultures were sterile. Serologic studies and analysis of resected valve by immunohistochemistry and polymerase chain reaction established the diagnosis of Bartonella henselae endocarditis. Clinicians should be aware that B. henselae can cause apparent culture-negative endocarditis in children.
Optical validation of acoustic displacement underestimation in ARFI ultrasound using a clinical imaging system

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is an elastography technique that uses ultrasonic pulses to both displace and track tissue motion. Previous modeling studies have shown that ARFI displacements are susceptible to underestimation due to lateral and elevational shearing that occurs within the tracking resolution cell. In this study, optical tracking was utilized to experimentally measure the displacement underestimation achieved by acoustic tracking using a clinical ultrasound system. Two optically translucent phantoms of varying stiffness with embedded microspheres were created, and ARFI excitation pulses with F/1.5 or F/3 lateral focal configurations were transmitted from a standard linear array to induce phantom motion. Displacements were tracked using confocal optical and acoustic methods, with an acoustic tracking focal configuration of F/1.5 laterally. Acoustic displacement underestimation was observed for both excitation focal configurations; the maximum underestimation error was 51% of the optically measured displacement for the F/1.5 excitation pulse. This work experimentally demonstrates limitations of ARFI implemented on a clinical scanner using a standard linear array and sets up a framework for future displacement tracking validation studies.
Trade and factor‐market effects of New Zealand's reforms

International trade protectionism is frequently supported on the assumption that importables provide more jobs for unskilled labour than does the exportable sector. This contention is questioned here by reference to the factor intensity of New Zealand trade. Exportables are found to be more intensive in the use of unqualified labour services, especially females. The paper examines these issues before and after the recent reforms with their associated trade changes and analyses these effects on the sectoral employment of labour, capital and land.
Abstract 3658: The association of mitochondrial DNA content with bladder cancer risk and outcome

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Mitochondrion plays essential role in energy production and apoptosis process from the initiation to regulation of apoptosis. Many studies have showed the association of dys-regulated mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) with the development and progression of cancer, aging and longevity, and neurodegenerative diseases. In this study, we will test the hypothesis that variation in mtDNA content (also called mtDNA copy number) may be associated with individual's bladder cancer risk and clinical outcome in a case-control study of 1026 bladder cancer patients and 980 healthy-controls. We will also assess the association of mtDNA content with progression/recurrence in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) patients and overall survival in muscle invasive and metastatic bladder cancer (MIMBC) patients. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction in peripheral blood lymphocytes was used to measure mtDNA content. We observed significantly lower mtDNA content in bladder cancer patients (mean = 1.05, SD = 0.36) than controls (mean = 1.11, SD = 0.39) with P value < 0.001. When we categorized the mtDNA content using the quartile distribution in controls, Lower mtDNA content (less than 1st quantile) was associated with 1.69-fold increased risk of bladder cancer (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17 to 1.68), compared to those who have higher mtDNA content (greater than 4th quartile). In patients with MIMBC, we also observed the significant association of lower mtDNA content with poor survival. After categorizing the mtDNA content using quartile distribution in patients who were alive, there is a significantly increased risk of death for patients with lower mtDNA content (hazard ratio = 1.75, 95% CI = 1.11 to 2.77). There is also a significantly reduced median survival time (44.5 months vs 25.4 months, log-rank P = 0.004). However, there is no significant association of mtDNA content with progression/recurrence in NMIBC patients. In conclusion, low mtDNA content is associated with significantly increased risk of bladder cancer risk and poor survival. The resulted from our study will contribute to personalized risk prediction and may also become potential molecular targets for prevention. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3658. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3658
Identification of influential marketing scholars and their institutions using social network analysis

This article uses measures of centrality from social network theory to identify influential marketing scholars and their institutions, who can serve as potential change agents for the field. It also develops interactive visualizations of two networks, one of marketing scholars and another of their institutions.
In Vitro Stability of Sapropterin Dihydrochloride From Crushed Tablets Mixed in Applesauce, Pudding, and Infant Formula

Sapropterin is approved to reduce blood phenylalanine levels in patients with hyperphenylalaninemia due to tetrahydrobiopterin-responsive phenylketonuria. The current Food and Drug Administration—a...
The Determinants of AIDS Mortality: Evidence from a State-Level Panel

This paper relies on a panel of state-level data to address the socio-economic determinants of AIDS mortality in the United States. We find that male and female AIDS mortality rates are dependent on a number of factors, including per capita income, physician supply, per capita prescription drug expenditure, and race. The role of prescription drug expenditure is found to be sensitive to its level of aggregation, with the absolute value of the prescription drug expenditure elasticity lower when AIDS drug assistance program (ADAP) expenditures are utilized. Also, for the ADAP expenditure regressions, the prescription drug expenditure elasticity is highest in absolute value for males.
More Electric Aircraft: Review, Challenges, and Opportunities for Commercial Transport Aircraft

Similar to the efforts to move toward electric vehicles, much research has focused on the idea of a more electric aircraft (MEA). The motivations for this research are similar to that for vehicles and include goals to reduce emissions and decrease fuel consumption. In traditional aircraft, multiple systems may use one type or a combination of types of energy, including electrical, hydraulic, mechanical, and pneumatic energy. However, all energy types have different drawbacks, including the sacrifice of total engine efficiency in the process of harvesting a particular energy, as with hydraulic and pneumatic systems. The goal for future aircraft is to replace most of the major systems currently utilizing nonelectric power, such as environmental controls and engine start, with new electrical systems to improve a variety of aircraft characteristics, such as efficiency, emissions, reliability, and maintenance costs. This paper provides an in-depth look into how the systems have—or will be—changed. Future aircraft capabilities such as electric taxi and gas–electric propulsion for aircraft are also included for discussion. Most recent commercial transport aircrafts are described as the current state-of-the-art electric aircraft system. Future goals, including those of NASA, are presented for future advances in MEA.
Use of a multitarget fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to diagnose bladder cancer in patients with hematuria.

Purpose: We evaluated the multitarget UroVysion™ fluorescence in situ hybridization assay for the diagnosis of bladder cancer in patients with hematuria and no history of bladder cancer.Materials and Methods: A multicenter, blinded trial was performed to compare the sensitivity of the fluorescence in situ hybridization assay to that of voided cytology in patients with gross or microscopic hematuria. Confirmation of hematuria was required. Voided urine was sent to a central laboratory for each study before cystoscopy. Suspicious lesions on cystoscopy were biopsied or resected. A centrally reviewed histopathological interpretation was used to confirm cancer and assign grade and stage.Results: A total of 497 patients were enrolled at 23 centers and in 473 (95.2%) fluorescence in situ hybridization and cytology results were interpretable. Bladder cancer was diagnosed histologically in 50 patients (10.1%) and ureteral cancer was diagnosed in 1. Fluorescence in situ hybridization assay detected 69% of cases and...
Benzene-Induced Uncoupling of Naphthalene Dioxygenase Activity and Enzyme Inactivation by Production of Hydrogen Peroxide

Naphthalene dioxygenase (NDO) is a multicomponent enzyme system that oxidizes naphthalene to (+)- cis -(1 R ,2 S )-1,2-dihydroxy-1,2-dihydronaphthalene with consumption of O 2 and two electrons from NAD(P)H. In the presence of benzene, NADH oxidation and O 2 utilization were partially uncoupled from substrate oxidation. Approximately 40 to 50% of the consumed O 2 was detected as hydrogen peroxide. The rate of benzene-dependent O 2 consumption decreased with time, but it was partially increased by the addition of catalase in the course of the O 2 consumption by NDO. Detailed experiments showed that the total amount of O 2 consumed and the rate of benzene-induced O 2 consumption increased in the presence of hydrogen peroxide-scavenging agents, and further addition of the terminal oxygenase component (ISP NAP ) of NDO. Kinetic studies showed that ISP NAP was irreversibly inactivated in the reaction that contained benzene, but the inactivation was relieved to a high degree in the presence of catalase and partially relieved in the presence of 0.1 mM ferrous ion. Benzene- and naphthalene-reacted ISP NAP gave almost identical visible absorption spectra. In addition, hydrogen peroxide added at a range of 0.1 to 0.6 mM to the reaction mixtures inactivated the reduced ISP NAP containing mononuclear iron. These results show that hydrogen peroxide released during the uncoupling reaction acts both as an inhibitor of benzene-dependent O 2 consumption and as an inactivator of ISP NAP . It is proposed that the irreversible inactivation of ISP NAP occurs by a Fenton-type reaction which forms a strong oxidizing agent, hydroxyl radicals ( · OH), from the reaction of hydrogen peroxide with ferrous mononuclear iron at the active site. Furthermore, when [ 14 C]benzene was used as the substrate, cis -benzene 1,2-dihydrodiol formed by NDO was detected. This result shows that NDO also couples a trace amount of benzene to both O 2 consumption and NADH oxidation.
Scanning electrochemical microscopy of metallic biomaterials: reaction rate and ion release imaging modes.

The Scanning Electrochemical Microscope (SECM) is a nonoptical scanning microscopic instrument capable of imaging highly localized electrical currents associated with charge transfer reactions on metallic biomaterials surfaces. The SECM operates as an aqueous electrochemical cell under bipotentiostatic control with a microelectrode and sample independently biased as working electrodes. Microelectrode current and position is recorded as it is scanned very near a metallurgically polished planar sample surface. To date, the SECM has imaged metallic biomaterials surfaces in oxygen reaction rate imaging (ORRI) and ion release and deposition imaging (IRDI) modes. In ORRI, sample and microelectrode are biased at sufficiently negative potentials to reduce absorbed oxygen. As the microelectrode scans areas of active oxygen reduction, localized diffusion fields with decreased oxygen solution concentrations are encountered and resultant decrements in microelectrode current are observed. In IRDI mode the sample is positively biased and the microelectrode is negatively biased. The microelectrode detects anodic dissolution products with highest currents being observed over the most active areas. Performance of the SECM has been evaluated on Ni minigrids, γ-1 Hg-Ag dental amalgam crystals, and sintered beads of Co-Cr-Mo alloy which represent significantly different geometries and corrosion processes to help demonstrate the potential of this instrument. The SECM is a valuable tool for imaging microelectrochemical processes on the surfaces of metallurgically polished metallic biomaterials samples and a wide variety of other surfaces of biological interest where charge transfer reactions occur. The SECM allows selective biasing of metallic biomaterials surfaces and Faradaic reactions can be selectively imaged while the surface is in the active, passive, or transpassive state. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Benign hereditary chorea

Benign hereditary chorea is an uncommon inherited form of childhood chorea that can be mistaken for much more serious disorders, such as Huntington disease. The clinical manifestations of this condition are reviewed, emphasizing the differential diagnosis, treatment modalities, and evaluation of childhood chorea.
Influence of Sympathetic Nerve Stimulation on Ventricular Function in the Newborn Lamb

Cardiac responses to supramaximal electrical stimulation of postganglionic sympathetic nerve fibers were studied in 17 lambs, 10 hours to 3 days of age. In all lambs left ventricular contractility increased within 3 seconds and was unaltered by atropine, ganglionic blockade, or nerve sectioning proximal to the stimulating electrodes but was abolished by beta-receptor blockade. The responses were repeatedly demonstrated in two lambs subjected to bilateral adrenalectomy. Acidemia (pH 6.9) produced by lactic acid infusion failed to diminish the inotropic responses. Intravenous or leftatrial injections of tyramine produced chronotropic and inotropic responses comparable to sympathetic nerve stimulation. Glucagon, 50 to 200 µg/kg, failed to elicit cardiac responses in lambs from 1 to 60 days of age. It is concluded that sympathetic neural mechanisms may strongly influence myocardial contractility in the newborn lamb and that these responses are independent of adrenal medullary release of catecholamines. These findings further suggest that the lamb possesses a myocardial adenyl cyclase system that responds only to catecholamines and may be blocked with propranolol.
Measurement of the thermal conductivity anisotropy in polyimide films

Polymer films are playing an important role in the development of micromachined sensors and actuators, fast logic circuits, and organic optoelectronic devices. The thermal properties of polyimide films govern the temporal response of many micromachined thermomechanical actuators, such as ciliary arrays. This work develops three experimental techniques for measuring both the in-plane and the out-of-plane thermal conductivities of spin-coated polyimide films with thicknesses between 0.5 and 2.5 /spl mu/m, which are common in MEMS. Two of the techniques use transient electrical heating and thermometry in micromachined structures to isolate the in-plane and out-of-plane components. These techniques establish confidence in a third, simpler technique, which measures both components independently and uses IC-compatible processing. The data illustrate the anisotropy in the thermal conductivity of the polyimide films investigated here, with the in-plane conductivity larger by a factor between four and eight depending on film thickness and temperature. The anisotropy diminishes the time constants of thermal actuators made from polyimide films.
A Proposed System for Multi-Cycle Injection of Positrons and Electrons into the 6-GeV Cambridge Electron Accelerator

The design of a system for accumulating counter-rotating beams of positrons and electrons, up to 0.1 A, in the CEA ring is discussed. Beams of this intensity are required if the CEA is to be used successfully as a colliding beam facility. Repeated, single turn, off-axis injection will be used at a repetition rate of 60 c/s. After each injection at 135 Mev, all particles will be accelerated to an energy in the 2 to 3 GeV range and then decelerated back to the injection energy. During the cycle, sufficient radiation damping of betatron and synchrotron oscillations is achieved to allow more particles to be injected without losing a large fraction of the particles injected in preceding cycles. Incoming particles are inflected by a septum magnet located off the equilibrium orbit while the path of the circulating beam is displaced towards the septum throughout the interval required for single turn injection. The current that can be accumulated depends on the number of particles injected per cycle and the lifetime of the circulating beam. Injection of a positron beam is more difficult than injection of an electron beam because of the smaller current and larger emittance associated with the source. When the horizontal phase space is used for injection, the half-life of the circulating beam is estimated to be 90 s if the average gas pressure is 5.108 torr. The positron source is expected to deliver 0.4 mA with an energy spread of 2.5 MeV aid an emittance of (2.
A scalable architecture for SIP infrastructure using content addressable networks

Session initiation protocol (SIP) provides call establishment functions for VoIP. These functions are highly CPU-intensive and hence need to be distributed over multiple servers in order to support the peak workload. Existing approaches to this problem are unfortunately not scalable or fault-tolerant, incurring high maintenance overheads or introducing a single point of failure. This paper presents a proof-of-concept design and analysis of a scalable, robust architecture for SIP infrastructures using a content addressable network (CAN) model, called CASIP (CAN-based SIP). The performance study of CASIP using real implementation of a SIP stack and NS-2 shows that the proposed system distributes the SIP processing (both update and lookup) load over multiple nodes very effectively without incurring much routing and maintenance overhead.
Evaluation of patients with pulmonary nodules: when is it lung cancer?: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines (2nd edition).

Background Pulmonary nodules are spherical radiographic opacities that measure up to 30 mm in diameter. Nodules are extremely common in clinical practice and challenging to manage, especially small, "subcentimeter" nodules. Identification of malignant nodules is important because they represent a potentially curable form of lung cancer. Methods We developed evidence-based clinical practice guidelines based on a systematic literature review and discussion with a large, multidisciplinary group of clinical experts and other stakeholders. Results We generated a list of 29 recommendations for managing the solitary pulmonary nodule (SPN) that measures at least 8 to 10 mm in diameter; small, subcentimeter nodules that measure Conclusion Patients with pulmonary nodules should be evaluated by estimation of the probability of malignancy, performance of imaging tests to characterize the lesion(s) better, evaluation of the risks associated with various management alternatives, and elicitation of patient preferences for treatment.
Extra-pair paternity in birds: review of the genetic benefits

Question: How well are genetic benefits hypotheses for extra-pair paternity supported by empirical evidence?
Phase II study of neoadjuvant docetaxel, vinorelbine, and trastuzumab followed by surgery and adjuvant doxorubicin plus cyclophosphamide in women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-overexpressing locally advanced breast cancer.

Purpose To evaluate the combination of docetaxel, vinorelbine, and trastuzumab as neoadjuvant therapy for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) –overexpressing breast cancer. Patients and Methods Patients with stage IIB or III breast cancer, including inflammatory disease, and HER2 overexpression (determined by fluorescent in situ hybridization) were treated with six cycles of docetaxel 60 mg/m2 and vinorelbine 45 mg/m2 administered every 14 days with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and quinolone prophylaxis. Trastuzumab was administered as a 4 mg/kg loading dose followed by 2 mg/kg weekly for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was pathologic complete response (pCR) in the breast. Results Of 31 enrolled patients, 68% had T3 or T4 tumors and 90% were clinically node positive. Twelve patients (39%; 95% CI, 21.6% to 55.9%) achieved pCR in the breast and lymph nodes and 14 patients (45%; 95% CI, 27.6% to 62.7%) achieved pCR in the breast alone, and 19 patients (61%; 95% CI, 44.1% to 78.4...
Choice of allocation granularity in multipath source routing schemes

Multipath source routing schemes can be distinguished by their choice of allocation granularity. The schemes proposed in the literature advocate a per-connection allocation wherein all the packets of a connection are constrained to follow the same path. The authors believe that a smaller allocation granularity permits a finer control to be exerted and would result in improved performance, especially in the presence of bursty traffic sources. A simple two-node network is used to compare the performance of both allocation schemes. An analytical model is developed to compute the resequencing delay distribution for the per-packet allocation. It is observed that as the burstiness of the arrival process increases, the per-packet allocation is able to accommodate bursts in a more graceful fashion, resulting in better performance. The per-packet allocation also permits a more equitable distribution of network resources than the per-connection. >
Relevance weighting for query independent evidence

A query independent feature, relating perhaps to document content, linkage or usage, can be transformed into a static, per-document relevance weight for use in ranking. The challenge is to find a good function to transform feature values into relevance scores. This paper presents FLOE, a simple density analysis method for modelling the shape of the transformation required, based on training data and without assuming independence between feature and baseline. For a new query independent feature, it addresses the questions: is it required for ranking, what sort of transformation is appropriate and, after adding it, how successful was the chosen transformation? Based on this we apply sigmoid transformations to PageRank, indegree, URL Length and ClickDistance, tested in combination with a BM25 baseline.
A Probabilistic Framework for Multi-modal Multi-Person Tracking

In this paper, we present a probabilistic tracking framework that combines sound and vision to achieve more robust and accurate tracking of multiple objects. In a cluttered or noisy scene, our measurements have a non-Gaussian, multi-modal distribution. We apply a particle filter to track multiple people using combined audio and video observations. We have applied our algorithm to the domain of tracking people with a stereo-based visual foreground detection algorithm and audio localization using a beamforming technique. Our model also accurately reflects the number of people present. We test the efficacy of our system on a sequence of multiple people moving and speaking in an indoor environment.
Hair Suitability and Selection During Oviposition by Hypoderma lineatum (Diptera: Oestridae)

Tethered females of the common cattle grub, Hypoderma lineatum (Villers), were allowed to oviposit on Hereford calves. The diameters of hairs selected for oviposition were compared with the diameters of randomly sampled hairs from the back of each animal. Also, the number of eggs attached to a hair was compared with the diameter of the hair to which they were attached. The mean diameter of hairs selected for oviposition was 0.07 ± 0.002 mm, whereas the mean diameter of randomly sampled hairs was 0.04 ± 0.001 mm. These means were significantly different, demonstrating that H. lineatum females rejected the more abundant narrow diameter hairs in favor of the relatively scarce larger diameter hairs during oviposition. The number of eggs deposited per hair increased linearly with increasing hair diameter, again demonstrating a propensity for selection of large diameter hairs during oviposition. Measurements of the circular area formed by the opposing, concave, hair grasping surfaces of the 9th sternites and 10th tergites resulted in a mean diameter of 0.10 ± 0.01 mm, conforming to the diameter of the largest hairs selected during oviposition. The possible selective advantages driving hair selection by H. lineatum are discussed as well as characteristics related to hair suitability and ovipositor tip morphology.
An Evaluation of the Marginal Seal of Amalgam Using S.I.A

The Selective Interfacial Amalgamation (S.I.A.) amalgam liner system was evaluated for its ability to reduce marginal leakage in freshly placed amalgam restorations. Leakage was evaluated in extracted and restored human molars which had been submerged in methylene blue dye for seven days at 37 C.The results shows a statistically significant difference (P <0.01) in the leakage of teeth restored using the S.I.A. liner and amalgam as compared to Copalite and amalgam restorations with the S.I.A. restoration proving to be superior.
Expression of the human immunodeficiency virus-Tat gene in lymphoid tissues of transgenic mice is associated with B-cell lymphoma.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) Tat gene, a potent transactivator of viral and cellular genes, has been proposed as a key agent in the pathogenesis of acquired immune deficiency syndrome related disorders, including nonHodgkin’s lymphoma. In cultured cells, the HIV-1 Tat protein can induce the expression of the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-10, which are known to induce proliferation and differentiation of lymphoid cells. Such alterations in cytokine expression, together with a secondary genetic event, are thought to ultimately lead to oncogenic transformation. To address the influence of Tat on lymphoid development in the context of the whole organism, we produced several transgenic mouse lines that express the Tat gene under the control of an actin promoter. We show here that this promoter directs expression to a variety of sites, including spleen, bone marrow, and lymph nodes. Approximately 25% to 30% of the Tat-transgenic population developed enlarged spleens within 1 year after birth. On histological examination, a significant number of spleens from Tat-transgenic mice exhibited malignant lymphoma of B-cell origin. IgG heavy chain rearrangement confirmed the clonal B-cell nature of these lymphoproliferations. In contrast, T-cell receptor genes exhibited a germline (unrearranged) structure. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analysis of transgenic spleens revealed that mRNA encoding cytokines IL-6 and IL-10 was upregulated, suggesting a possible mechanism for the B-cell expansion in vivo.
Implied Returns and the Value Premium

Superior returns of value firms are consistent with rational expectations under costly reversibility and the countercyclical price of risk through examination of expected rates of return (k) and market risk premiums (MRP) over time. With increases in the book-to-market (B/M) ratio, both the expected rate of return (k) and expected market risk premium (MRP) generally increase. This upward trend in k and MRP appear justified as ROE (book) steadily declines with increasing B/M. Consistent with the countercyclical price of risk, k and MRP during contractions are greater than those of non-contractions. Consistent with costly reversibility, growth firms with low B/M and FATA purchase more fixed assets during both contractions and non-contractions than value firms with high B/M and FATA. Inconsistent with costly reversibility, value firms purchase more fixed assets during contractions than non-contractions
Kinship Life Cycle and Education in Lusaka

Fluid kin relations remain deeply important Zambian society. With the exception of the top elites who invest their surplus incomes in commercial farms and retail businesses ultimately most Zambians have only blood relatives for security. The importance of the blood tie is reinforced by the transience of the marital bond and the absence of state welfare. When womens personal goals are to achieve economic independence they make use of strategies that change their relationship to their famlies from childhood dependence to early adult independence to mature interdependence when they sponsor the potential upward mobility of kin. In contrast women who are not able to overcome obstacles to the achievement of economic autonomy remain lifelong dependents who while possibly contributing in important ways toward household production receive no reward for their labor remain vulnerable to control by others and contribute little to the upward mobility of kin. In the limited sense of the importance of blood ties the heritage of contemporary Zambia remains strong despite the massive social economic and demographic changes of the past 50 to 60 years. The strength of Zambias heritage of kinship ties allows the central government to channel its limited national resources to areas other than housing and welfare. It would seem rather likely that the significance of kinship will remain a paramount feature of Zambian culture and society. (Summaries in ENG FRE SPA)
Steidl: Printer, Publisher, Alchemist: The Field of Luxury Production in Germany

AbstractToday, anyone with adequate financial means can participate in the world of luxury through consumption. Yet, production of luxury remains concentrated in a few specific geographic locations, mostly in Europe. France and Italy are preeminent luxury producers because of production processes and legal frameworks that guarantee products of the finest quality and craftsmanship and set in place several centuries ago. Countries’ competitive advantage in the marketplace, and the luxury sector in particular, is the result of philosophical and political frameworks established at the dawn of modernity. Germanic culture, for example, has placed greater emphasis on scientific and engineering discoveries, which might explain why these fields still determine the type of superior products manufactured in Germany today (cars, engines of any type, laboratory instruments, photographic cameras etc.). A case study on German publishing house Steidl Verlag is presented with the aim to articulate key ideas on luxury busi...
Abstract LB-174: Enhanced prostate tumorigenesis in TgAPT121 mice lacking prostatic VDR expression

Population and cell-based work support the hypothesis that vitamin D has anti-cancer effects. We have previously reported that dietary vitamin D deficiency increases prostate epithelial cell proliferation and reduces apoptosis in wild-type mice and leads to more advanced prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) lesions in a transgenic mouse model (TgAPT 121 ) of early-stage prostate cancer. Vitamin D action depends upon signaling through the vitamin D receptor (VDR) and we have recently discovered that the prostate VDR mRNA and protein levels are elevated in TgAPT 121 PIN lesions. To determine the importance of VDR in prostate cancer prevention we deleted the VDR gene in TgAPT 121 mice and examined the impact on cancer development. Two different models were used to delete the VDR gene. In study 1, we made a triple transgenic mouse line with prostate epithelial cell-specific deletion of VDR: TgAPT 121 ; VDR flox/flox ; probasin-Cre +/− (PS-VDR KO, n = 32) and TgAPT 121 ; VDR flox/flox ; probasin-Cre −/− controls (n = 33). In study 2, we crossed TgAPT 121 mice with global VDR knockout mice whose abnormal calcium metabolism was corrected by intestinal-specific expression of human VDR (HV2) to generate the TgAPT 121 ; HV2 +/− , VDR −/− mice (HV2-VDR KO, n = 23) and TgAPT 121 ; HV2 +/− , VDR +/− controls (n = 27). HV2-VDR KO mice lack VDR in all cells of the prostate. Mice in both studies were provided with 1000 IU vitamin D 3 /kg diet from weaning until 6.5-mo of age at which time the prostates were harvested and processed for histology. HE p = 0.012). Similar results were found in Study 2 where HV2-VDR KO mice had higher Ad incidence, more Ad foci, and larger Ad focus size, as well as higher mean disease score than controls (31.8 vs. 29.9, p = 0.027). In addition, more PINIV and Mic foci were found in HV2-VDR KO mice than controls (p 121 mice, supporting the hypothesis that VDR is essential for vitamin D-mediated prostate cancer prevention. Supported by NIH Award CA101113 (JCF and SKC), NCI Cancer Prevention Interdisciplinary Education Program (YL), and Purdue Center for Cancer Research (JCF). Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr LB-174. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-LB-174
Optical Navigation and Fuel-Efficient Orbit Control Around an Irregular-Shaped Asteroid

As space exploration missions become increasingly complex, there is a growing need for autonomous operation capabilities to support stringent mission requirements. For long-duration asteroid exploration missions, a key concern is how to reliably and efficiently keep the spacecraft around a target asteroid. Given the large distance from the Earth, ground commands for navigation and guidance cannot be issued in real time and are not a practical solution. Fuel-efficient feedback control can be used to stabilize an arbitrary orbit about an asteroid provided on-board estimates of the spacecraft’s position and velocity vectors with respect to the asteroid center of mass. This paper demonstrates fuel-efficient orbit control, and investigates methods to estimate these relative navigation state vectors using a combination of optical cameras and LIDAR technologies for an autonomous orbit control implementation.
Some Properties of Iterated Languages

A special kind of substitution on languages called iteration is presented and studied. These languages arise in the application of semantic automata to iterations of generalized quantifiers. We show that each of the star-free, regular, and deterministic context-free languages are closed under iteration and that it is decidable whether a given regular or determinstic context-free language is an iteration of two such languages. This result can be read as saying that the van Benthem/Keenan `Frege Boundary' is decidable for large subclasses of natural language quantifiers. We also determine the state complexity of iteration of regular languages.
Are Tests a Measure of Memorization or Knowledge

One might first consider the question, "What is the purpose of tests?" Is it to objectively measure the level of material remembered from the last semester, or is it a summary of the knowledge gained over some longer period? Of course, it may be simply an easy way to compute a grade for the student! The whole subject of tests and test taking has occupied many experts over the years, and there are still both sides of the discussion continuing today. If it could be agreed upon that tests do provide some measure of knowledge gain, then the argument would still swirl around the type of tests being given and the interpretation of the results.