cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Poly(A) length, cytoplasmic adenylation and synthesis of poly(A)+ RNA in early mouse embryos.

The poly(A) content of early mouse embryos fluctuates widely: after a transient increase in the one-cell embryo, there is a 70% drop in the two-cell and an approximately fivefold increase between the two-cell and early blastocyst stages (L. Piko and K. B. Clegg, 1982, Dev. Biol. 89, 362-378). To shed light on the significance of these changes, we analyzed the size distribution of total poly(A) from embryos at different stages of development by gel electrophoresis and hybridization with [3H]poly(U). The number-average size of poly(A) tracts varies only slightly, from 61 to 77 nucleotides, indicating that the changes in poly(A) content are due primarily to changes in the number of poly(A) sequences, i.e., the number of poly(A)+ mRNA. From these data, the number of poly(A)+ mRNA can be estimated as follows: ovulated egg, 1.7 x 10(7); one-cell embryo, 2.4 x 10(7); late two-cell, 0.7 x 10(7); late eight-cell, 1.3 x 10(7); and early blastocyst, 3.4 x 10(7). These results suggest the elimination of the bulk of maternal poly(A)+ mRNA at the two-cell stage, to be replaced by newly synthesized mRNA derived from the embryonic genome. To study the synthesis of poly(A)+ mRNA, we cultured mouse embryos in vitro with [3H]adenosine and analyzed the labeled poly(A)+ RNA as to molecular size, length of the poly(A) tail, and relative distribution of label in poly(A) vs internal locations. We observed an active incorporation of label into large-molecular-weight (average size about 2 kb) poly(A)+ RNA at all stages from the one-cell to the blastocyst. However, in the one-cell embryo, about 70% of the label was localized in the poly(A) tail, suggesting cytoplasmic polyadenylation, and only about 30% was localized in the remainder of the molecule, suggesting the complete new synthesis of a small amount of poly(A)+ RNA. Differences in the size distribution of the labeled poly(A) as compared with the total poly(A) in the one-cell embryo indicate that the labeling is not due to a general turnover of poly(A) tails, but rather to the polyadenylation of previously nonpolyadenylated, stored RNA. Significant new synthesis of poly(A)+ RNA is evident from the two-cell stage onward and most likely accounts for the sharp rise in the number of poly(A)+ RNA molecules by the early blastocyst stage.
MENTAL AND FUNCTIONAL STATUS IN THE ELDERLY: RELATIONSHIP TO BLOOD GAS AND pH LEVELS

One hundred and five patients (age range, 47–93 years) in a New York City nursing home were studied to estimate the extent to which physical dysfunction and disorientation could be attributed to pulmonary insufficiency. Arterial blood gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide) and pH were determined on all subjects. Venous and arterial blood gases were compared and found to be variable over a wide range. Only a small percentage of the patients had respiratory insufficiency as defined on the basis of blood gas levels, and their distribution appeared to be random with regard to mental and physical function. Respiratory insufficiency was not a significant cause of disorientation and physical dysfunction in this nursing-home group. Hyperpnea and respiratory alkalosis were present in all patients. Severe hypocarbia and alkalosis appeared to affect the prognosis unfavorably.
Relaxin positively regulates matrix metalloproteinase expression in human lower uterine segment fibroblasts using a tyrosine kinase signaling pathway.

Despite the importance of relaxin to normal parturition in various species and its potential as an etiological agent in preterm delivery in women, knowledge regarding the mechanisms by which relaxin alters cervical connective tissue is extremely limited. An established in vitro model for human pregnancy cervix, human lower uterine segment fibroblasts, was used to determine the effects of relaxin as well as those of progesterone on the expression of matrix metalloproteinases and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1. The results demonstrate that relaxin is a positive regulator of matrix metalloproteinase expression, as it stimulates the expression of procollagenase protein and mRNA levels, stimulates prostromelysin-1 protein and mRNA levels, and inhibits tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 protein expression. Stimulation of procollagenase and prostromelysin-1 expression by relaxin does not involve phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate- sensitive PKCs. Relaxin-stimulated tyrosine phosphorylation of the puta...
Development and remodeling of cerebral blood vessels and their flow in postnatal mice observed with in vivo videomicroscopy.

Changes of blood vessels in the mouse somatosensory (barrel) cortex were assessed from birth (P0) to adulthood. Surface vessel anatomy and flow were observed directly with videomicroscopy through closed cranial windows and with intravascular fluorescent tracers. Histology was used to determine the internal capillary density. At birth, arterioles had numerous anastomoses with each other, pial capillaries formed a dense surface plexus, and pial venules and veins were relatively small and irregular. Morphological changes over the next 2 weeks included (a) fewer arteriolar anastomoses, (b) formation and growth of venules, (c) more uniform diameters of all types of vascular segments, (d) increase in intraparenchymal capillary length density (Lv), and (e) decreases in superficial capillary density and diameters. A simple morphological test showed that wall shear rates at arteriolar branch points were matched on average in neonates and adults. Flow characteristics in single vessels were evaluated. In arterioles ...
The effect of a hypertension self-management intervention on diabetes and cholesterol control

Abstract Background Most patient chronic disease self-management interventions target single-disease outcomes. We evaluated the effect of a tailored hypertension self-management intervention on the unintended targets of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA 1c ) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Methods We evaluated patients from the Veterans Study to Improve the Control of Hypertension, a 2-year randomized controlled trial. Patients received either a hypertension self-management intervention delivered by a nurse over the telephone or usual care. Although the study focused on hypertension self-management, we compared changes in HbA 1c among a subgroup of 216 patients with diabetes and LDL-C among 528 patients with measurements during the study period. Changes in these laboratory values over time were compared between the 2 treatment groups using linear mixed-effects models. Results For the patients with diabetes, the hypertension self-management intervention resulted in a 0.46% reduction in HbA 1c over 2 years compared with usual care (95% confidence interval, 0.04%-0.89%; P =.03). For LDL-C, there was a minimal 0.9 mg/dL between-group difference that was not statistically significant (95% confidence interval, −7.3-5.6 mg/dL; P =.79). Conclusions There was a significant effect of the self-management intervention on the unintended target of HbA 1c, but not LDL-C. Chronic disease self-management interventions might have "spill-over" effects on patients' comorbid chronic conditions.
Automatic Generation of Graceful Programs

Traditionally, (nonmasking and masking) fault tolerance has focused on ensuring that after the occurrence of faults, the program recovers to states from where it continues to satisfy its original specification. However, a problem with this limited notion is that, in some cases, it may be impossible to recover to states from where the entire original specification is satisfied. For this reason, one can consider a fault-tolerant graceful-degradation program that ensures that upon the occurrence of faults, the program recovers to states from where a (given) subset of its specification is satisfied. Typically, the subset of specification satisfied thus would be the critical requirements. In this paper, we focus on automatically revising a given program to obtain a corresponding graceful program, i.e., a program that satisfies a weaker specification. Specifically, this step involves adding new behaviors that satisfy the given subset of specification. Moreover, it ensures that during this process, it does not remove any behavior from the original program. With this motivation, in this paper, we focus on automatic derivation of the graceful program, i.e., a program that contains all behaviors of the original program and some new behaviors that satisfy the weaker conditions. We note that this aspect differentiates this work from previous work on controller synthesis as well as automated addition of fault tolerance in that this work requires that no new behaviors are added in the absence of faults.
A Decomposition Chart Technique to Aid in Realizations with Multiplexers

Boolean functions can be realized using multiplexer elements by exploiting Shannon's expansion theorem. The cost of the realization often depends on the choice of the expansion variables versus the residue variables. A method employing Ashenhurst's decomposition charts [6] is described which assists in visualizing the residue functions. The method is effective for six variable functions or less.
Human adipose derived stromal cells heal critical size mouse calvarial defects.

Background Human adipose-derived stromal cells (hASCs) represent a multipotent cell stromal cell type with proven capacity to differentiate along an osteogenic lineage. This suggests that they may be used to heal defects of the craniofacial or appendicular skeleton. We sought to substantiate the use of undifferentiated hASCs in the regeneration of a non-healing mouse skeletal defect.
On the Acid-Base Chemistry of Permanently Charged Minerals

The acid−base properties of oxides are well described by the surface complexation model, which superposes a thermodynamic description of acid−base reactions at the oxide surface with a double-layer model of the electrostatics at the solid−solution interface. So far, however, this model has not been extended to include the effects of permanent charges such as result, for example, from isomorphic substitution in clays. Contrary to oxides, solids with permanent charge often exhibit an increasing degree of protonation with decreasing ionic strength at low pH. They also show an increase in their zero proton condition (ZPC) with decreasing ionic strength. Here we examine the influence of the pH-independent charge of a solid on its acid−base properties. We consider two simple cases: model 1 in which all the acid−base groups and pH-independent charges are distributed at the surface of a nonpenetrable solid, at the interface with the solution; Model 2 in which the solid is porous (i.e., penetrable by water and el...
Effect of Sedation and Analgesia on Postoperative Amplitude-Integrated EEG in Newborn Cardiac Patients

The aim of this study is to describe the effect of sedation and analgesia on postoperative amplitude-integrated EEG (aEEG) in newborns with congenital heart disease (CHD) undergoing heart surgery. This is a consecutive series of 26 newborns with CHD of which 16 patients underwent cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) surgery and 10 patients did not. aEEG was monitored for at least 12 h preoperatively and started within the first 6 h postoperatively for 48 h. Outcome was assessed at 1 year of age. All 26 patients showed a normal preoperative continuous cerebral activity with sleep-wake cycles (SWC). The postoperative duration to return to normal background activity with SWC was similar for both groups. Independent of group assignment, patients requiring midazolam had a significantly later onset of a normal SWC than those without midazolam (p=0.03). Three patients in the CPB group and two in the non-CPB group showed continuous low voltage or flat trace after administration of fentanyl. These changes did not correlate with neurodevelopmental outcome. Sedation with midazolam has a transient effect on the background activity, whereas fentanyl can induce a severe pathologic background pattern. The significance of these changes on outcome is not yet clear. Thus, more attention should be paid to these effects when interpreting aEEG in this population.
Preoperative axillary imaging with percutaneous lymph node biopsy is valuable in the contemporary management of patients with breast cancer.

Background ACOSOG Z11 and other studies showing little benefit to axillary dissection (ALND) for early-stage breast cancers with limited nodal disease have led to questioning the value of preoperative axillary imaging ± ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (USNB). Data are lacking on the value of this approach in identifying cases that fall outside Z11 guidelines. Methods We studied 988 consecutive patients with invasive breast cancers who underwent operation including axillary surgery in 2010–2011. Results Preoperative axillary ultrasonography (AUS) was performed in 92% and breast/axillary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 51%; 82 (33.5%) of 245 patients with suspicious lymph nodes (LN) were USNB-positive. Regarding nodal status, AUS, MRI, and USNB had negative and positive predictive values of 78%, 76%, 70% and 54%, 58%, 100%, respectively. AUS/MRI visualization of one versus multiple abnormal LNs visualized predicted >2LN+ on final pathology (13.5%/15.1% % vs 30.8%/32.6%, P 2LN+, P = .001. Conclusion In our contemporary series, preoperative AUS±USNB streamlined surgical care for 29% of node-positive patients. Two-thirds of T1/T2 USNB-LN+ patients with multiple AUS-suspicious LNs had >2LN+, suggesting they should undergo ALND without SLNB. AUS±USNB helps identify node-positive breast cancer patients who fall outside Z11 guidelines.
The Relationship of Caretaker Anxiety to Children's Asthma Morbidity and Acute Care Utilization

Objectives: This study examined self-reported psychological distress in caretakers of inner-city children with asthma and examined its association to disease severity, as measured by day and night symptoms, and to acute care utilization for asthma. Method: We enrolled 193 English and Spanish-speaking caretakers (86% were mothers) of 2- to 12-year-olds who had at least one asthma hospitalization at a large urban medical center. They completed an interview asking about children's asthma symptoms and acute care utilization (provider visits, emergency department visits, hospitalizations for asthma) and a 29-item psychiatric symptom inventory. National guidelines criteria were used to classify asthma severity into three categories based on caretaker report of day and night symptoms in the past 4 weeks. These were: moderate-severe persistent (37%), mild persistent (27%), and mild intermittent (35%) asthma. Results: Caretakers of children who were reported as having moderate-severe persistent asthma symptoms exh...
Structure of sea ice in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Sea-ice cores from 11 sites in McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, were collected in 1982 and their crystallography examined. All but one were first-year sea ice. The cores, approximately 2 m long, consisted typically of a thin layer of granular or snow ice (approximately 0.1 m) followed by columnar-grained ice in the top metre and platelet ice in the bottom metre. Salinity and temperature measurements are reported. The columnar-grained ice usually had a strong preferred c-axis orientation in the horizontal plane and also showed a change in this preferred direction with depth in the ice. The mean c-axis orientation, however, usually aligned well with measured or implied currents in the Sound. The platelets were usually aligned with c axis horizontal or close to horizontal, and did not exhibit as marked a preferred orientation as the columnar-grained ice.
Acute Ileal Diverticulitis

Four cases of acute ileal diverticulitis are presented wherein early diagnosis helped avoid emergent surgery. All patients did well initially with conservative medical management. Acute ileal diverticulitis, although uncommon, should be suspected when the clinical presentation indicates an inflammatory condition of the lower right abdomen. Surgery, when required for recurrent disease, can be reserved for the interval between acute episodes.
Children's attitudes toward physically handicapped peers

Abstract The present study is a detailed exploration of children's attitudes toward physically handicapped peers. Subjects were 52 children, 26 handicapped and 26 nonhandicapped, ranging from 2nd through 8th grade. Along with 11 drawings depicting various physical impairments, children were administered an adjective checklist measure to assess affective responses toward target pictures, a preference questionnaire to assess behavioral intentions toward target pictures, a ranking task to assess perceptions of the physical capabilities of the target pictures, and a social desirability questionnaire to assess the children's desire to appear socially acceptable. In general, results indicated that older nonhandicapped children were more positive toward handicapped peers than were younger children and this was especially true for target pictures they perceived as least physically active. In addition, handicapped children held less positive attitudes toward the more “normal” target pictures than did nonhandicapped children. The present findings have important implications for the mainstreaming of physically handicapped children.
Sampled fictitious play for approximate dynamic programming

Sampled fictitious play (SFP) is a recently proposed iterative learning mechanism for computing Nash equilibria of non-cooperative games. For games of identical interests, every limit point of the sequence of mixed strategies induced by the empirical frequencies of best response actions that players in SFP play is a Nash equilibrium. Because discrete optimization problems can be viewed as games of identical interests wherein Nash equilibria define a type of local optimum, SFP has recently been employed as a heuristic optimization algorithm with promising empirical performance. However, there have been no guarantees of convergence to a globally optimal Nash equilibrium established for any of the problem classes considered to date. In this paper, we introduce a variant of SFP and show that it converges almost surely to optimal policies in model-free, finite-horizon stochastic dynamic programs. The key idea is to view the dynamic programming states as players, whose common interest is to maximize the total multi-period expected reward starting in a fixed initial state. We also offer empirical results suggesting that our SFP variant is effective in practice for small to moderate sized model-free problems.
Design highlights of CABAL: a compiler-compiler

The advantages offered by compilers over machine or assembly coding are well known to all of us. The personal satisfaction and minimal execution time of optimally perfect code rarely outweigh compiler language implementations which are implemented and debugged quicker and cheaper. The returns from readability and machine independence further unbalance the scales.
Stimulating research on motor cortex

A recent paper concludes that motor cortex represents a map of spatial locations to which movements are directed, but the use of high stimulation intensities complicates its interpretation.
Optimizing UPC programs for multi-core systems

The Partitioned Global Address Space (PGAS) model of Unified Parallel C (UPC) can help users express and manage application data locality on non-uniform memory access (NUMA) multi-core shared-memory systems to get good performance. First, we describe several UPC program optimization techniques that are important to achieving good performance on NUMA multi-core computers with examples and quantitative performance results. Second, we use two numerical computing kernels, parallel matrix-matrix multiplication and parallel 3-D FFT, to demonstrate the end-to-end development and optimization for UPC applications. Our results show that the optimized UPC programs achieve very good and scalable performance on current multi-core systems and can even outperform vendor-optimized libraries in some cases.
Vapor entraining magnetic mixer for reaction and equilibrium applications

Abstract Mixing of fluids is a central component to innumerable operations in chemical processing on the plant floor and also in many laboratory operations. Most mixing applications simply require the efficient blending of fluids present in a single phase, such as the mixing of the individual components of a liquid. For these applications, magnetic stirrers often provide a convenient and efficient blending without creating ambient air entertainment into the liquid. This is especially true of fluid mixing operations done in the laboratory. There are many other applications, however, in which the entertainment of a vapor phase with a liquid is specifically desired. Examples of these applications include mixing in two-phase reaction vessels and in apparatus to measure vapor–liquid equilibrium. These mixing operations are difficult to accommodate with magnetic stirrers because the vast majority of such stirrers are designed not to entrain vapor. In this brief paper, we present a novel design of a mixing rotor that efficiently mixes the liquid phase and also achieves entrainment of vapor in the liquid.
People Sensemaking and Relationship Building on an Enterprise Social Network Site

This paper describes a social network site designed to support employees within an enterprise in connecting and learning about each other through personal and professional sharing. We introduce the design concepts and provide a detailed account of the first three months of usage, involving nearly 300 users. Our findings suggest that employees find the site particularly useful as a way to perform people sensemaking of individuals and to connect and maintain relationships with others on the site.
Electoral institutions and growth volatility: Theory and evidence

What accounts for the substantial variation in the temporal volatility of economic growth rates in democratic regimes? We claim that institutional differences between the majoritarian and proportional representation (PR) electoral systems explain why growth volatility is high in some democracies, but not others. Specifically, we suggest that unlike PR democracies, the pronounced career concerns of policymakers in majoritarian systems give them incentives to use their discretionary spending power to alter government spending levels sharply, which generates higher spending volatility in these countries. As a result, policymakers in majoritarian systems cannot credibly commit themselves to stabilizing spending levels. This causes uncertainty among economic actors about future spending levels and leads to unstable investment patterns that generate a higher volatility of growth rates in majoritarian democracies. Results from statistical models provide robust statistical support for our theoretical predictions.
Petrous apex cholesterol granulomas: endonasal versus infracochlear approach.

Objectives/Hypothesis: The aim of this study was to investigate and compare the surgical anatomy of two different routes to access and drain petrous apex (PA) cholesterol granulomas: the expanded endonasal approach (EEA) and the transcanal infracochlear approach (TICA). Study Design: Anatomic and radiologic study. Methods: The EEA and TICA to the PA were performed in 11 anatomic specimens with the assistance of imaging guidance. The PA was categorized into three zones: superior PA, anterior-inferior PA, and posterior-inferior PA. The maximum drainage window achieved by each approach was calculated using the imaging studies of each anatomic specimen. Results: The EEA was able to reach superior PA and anterior-inferior PA in all specimens and posterior-inferior PA in 90%. The TICA did not provide access to superior PA in any case. The TICA was suitable to reach anterior-inferior PA in 80% of specimens and posterior-inferior PA in 60%. Based on the radiologic study, the EEA provided a drainage window three times larger than the TICA. Conclusions: The transnasal approach provides reliable access to the PA when combined with internal carotid artery exposure and allows for large drainage window. The transcanal approach is less versatile and more limited than the transnasal approach but provides access to the most posterior and inferior portion of the PA without Eustachian tube transection. Here we propose a new surgical classification that may help to decide the most suitable approach to the PA according to the location and extension of the lesion. Laryngoscope, 2012
Computer vision classification of automotive control arm bushings

Control arm bushings, made with rubber of different hardness or resilience, are clas sified by a notch code. During the assembly process, the bushings are manually inspected to ensure that the correct type of bushing has been inserted into the control arm. A computer vision system to automatically classify bushings using the standard notch code has been developed. The program first determines the shape of the outer boundary of the bushing which is circular except for notch indenta tions. Next it determines the location of each notch and the type of notch. Finally, it compares the observed notch pattern with several models and thereby classifies the bushing.
When Prejudice Does Not Pay Effects of Interracial Contact on Executive Function

This study examined the influence of interracial interaction on the cognitive functioning of members of a dominant racial group. White participants had a brief interaction with either a White or a Black confederate, and then completed an ostensibly unrelated Stroop color- naming test. Prior to the interaction, participants' racial attitudes re- garding Whites and Blacks were measured via the Implicit Association Test. Racial attitudes were predictive of impairment on the Stroop test for individuals who participated in interracial interactions, but not for those who participated in same-race interactions. The results are con- sistent with recently proposed resource models of self-regulation and ex- ecutive control in that interracial interaction, a particularly taxing exercise of self-regulation for highly prejudiced individuals, negatively affected performance on a subsequent, yet unrelated, test of executive function. Prejudice is a ubiquitous social phenomenon for which interper- sonal, intergroup contact may be the only viable antidote (Allport,
An Introduction to Thick Film Resistor Trimming by Laser

Thick film resistors cannot be printed and fired to their final value because of the large number of processing variables involved. Resistors are "trimmed" to value by removing material from the conducting path. In the last decade the YAG laser has become the most important production tool for this operation. The trimming process is described, available equipment reviewed, and a procedure is described for optimizing the parameters.
Trends in high performance computing and using numerical libraries on clusters

In this talk we will look at how High Performance computing has changed over the last 10-year and look toward the future in terms of trends with a focus on cluster computing. We will also looks at an approach for deploying numerical libraries on clusters, called LAPACK for Clusters (LFC). The LFC software intends to allow users to dynamically link against an archived library of executable routines. The user is assumed to call one of the LFC routines from a single processor on the cluster. The intent is to possibly leverage the parallel computing power of the cluster to solve the problem on the user’s behalf. The software accounts for the details required for parallelizing the user’s problem such as resource discovery and selection, and mapping the data onto and off of the process grid in addition to executing the parallel library routine itself.
Roles of Low-Molecular-Weight Penicillin-Binding Proteins in Bacillus subtilis Spore Peptidoglycan Synthesis and Spore Properties

The peptidoglycan cortex of endospores of Bacillus species is required for maintenance of spore dehydration and dormancy, and the structure of the cortex may also allow it to function in attainment of spore core dehydration. A significant difference between spore and growing cell peptidoglycan structure is the low degree of peptide cross-linking in cortical peptidoglycan; regulation of the degree of this cross-linking is exerted by D,D-carboxypeptidases. We report here the construction of mutant B. subtilis strains lacking all combinations of two and three of the four apparent D, D-carboxypeptidases encoded within the genome and the analysis of spore phenotypic properties and peptidoglycan structure for these strains. The data indicate that while the dacA and dacC products have no significant role in spore peptidoglycan formation, the dacB and dacF products both function in regulating the degree of cross-linking of spore peptidoglycan. The spore peptidoglycan of a dacB dacF double mutant was very highly cross-linked, and this structural modification resulted in a failure to achieve normal spore core dehydration and a decrease in spore heat resistance. A model for the specific roles of DacB and DacF in spore peptidoglycan synthesis is proposed.
Thoracic Ultrasonography for the Pulmonary Specialist

Thoracic ultrasonography is a noninvasive and readily available imaging modality that has important applications in pulmonary medicine outside of the ICU. It allows the clinician to diagnose a variety of thoracic disorders at the point of care. Ultrasonography is useful in imaging lung consolidation, pleural-based masses and effusions, pneumothorax, and diaphragmatic dysfunction. It can identify complex or loculated effusions and be useful in planning treatment. Identifying intrathoracic mass lesions can guide sampling by aspiration and biopsy. This article summarizes thoracic ultrasonography applications for the pulmonary specialist, related procedural codes, and reimbursement. The major concepts are illustrated with cases. These case summaries are enhanced with online supplemental videos and chest radiograph, chest CT scan, and ultrasound correlation.
Lazy tree splitting

Nested data-parallelism (NDP) is a declarative style for programming irregular parallel applications. NDP languages provide language features favoring the NDP style, efficient compilation of NDP programs, and various common NDP operations like parallel maps, filters, and sum-like reductions. In this paper, we describe the implementation of NDP in Parallel ML (PML), part of the Manticore project. Managing the parallel decomposition of work is one of the main challenges of implementing NDP. If the decomposition creates too many small chunks of work, performance will be eroded by too much parallel overhead. If, on the other hand, there are too few large chunks of work, there will be too much sequential processing and processors will sit idle.Recently the technique of Lazy Binary Splitting was proposed for dynamic parallel decomposition of work on flat arrays, with promising results. We adapt Lazy Binary Splitting to parallel processing of binary trees, which we use to represent parallel arrays in PML. We call our technique Lazy Tree Splitting (LTS). One of its main advantages is its performance robustness: per-program tuning is not required to achieve good performance across varying platforms. We describe LTS-based implementations of standard NDP operations, and we present experimental data demonstrating the scalability of LTS across a range of benchmarks.
Academic Librarians and the Pursuit of Tenure: The Support Group As a Strategy for Success

Faculty status with the accompanying quest for tenure is a fact of life for three out of four academic librarians, and achieving tenure is a tough proposition. Most librarians have not received extensive training in research methodology, their work schedules lack flexibility, and they usually have limited access to research funds. Given these constraints, the support and assistance of colleagues is crucial, and the establishment of an informal tenure support group can provide a mechanism for discussing common concerns and channeling efforts toward finding effective solutions.
Exploring the dynamics of the shadow economy across US states

This article examines the dynamics of the shadow economy using data for 50 US states over the period 1998–2008. Using a panel VAR model, we analyse the impulse response of the shadow economy to an orthogonal shock in capital tax rates, educational attainment, union participation and gross state product. We find evidence of significant dynamics underlying the relationship between the shadow economy and its determinants. The results remain robust to alternate measures of the determinants of the shadow economy, alternate causal ordering of the variables in the system and conditioning on the level of income in each state.
Spectral reflectance and water quality of Adirondack mountain region lakes

The reflectance properties of lakes in the Adirondack mountain region are described. Five distinct types of reflectance spectra are identified and related to differcnccs in water quality. No relationship was found between reflectance and acidification status. A reflectance model based on literature absorbance and scattering cross-sections of water, plant pigments, dissolved organic carbon (DOC), and suspended inorganic matter is used to generate reflectance spectra of each reflectance type. Use of a variable Q factor during the conversion of remotely sensed reflectance to irradiance reflectance improves the correspondence between measured and modeled irradiance reflectance spectra. Comparison of measured reflectance with model reflectance also demonstrates the importance of small concentration changes as well as the interactive influence of plant pigments, DOC, and suspended material on lake color. Correlograms depict the wavelength-dependent relationships between reflectance and water quality. Plant pigments, DOC, and suspended material are negatively correlated with reflectance from 400 to 600 nm and positively correlated from 600 to 750 nm; parameters associated with lake acidification, pH, alkalinity, and aluminum concentrations are poorly correlated with reflectance. Adirondack lakes exhibit a high degree of covariance between pigment, DOC, and suspended matter concentrations. Regression models predicting total pigments and DOC are developed which suggest that these parameters can be estimated remotely in these lakes, but remote estimation of pH, alkalinity, and aluminum is not possible with reflectance measures. A regression model estimating total pigments from the reflectance ratio of 525 : 554 nm is similar in slope and accuracy to one derived for the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) for coastal marine waters. However, neither of the “recommended” CZCS pigment algorithms perform best with the Adirondack lake reflectance and pigment
Iron isotope fractionation between liquid and vapor phases of iron pentacarbonyl

Abstract Iron isotope fractionation between liquid and vapor iron pentacarbonyl was measured in a closed system at ∼0 and ∼21 °C to determine if Fe isotope analysis of iron pentacarbonyl vapor is viable using electron-impact, gas-source mass spectrometry. At the 2σ level, there is no significant Fe isotope fractionation between vapor and liquid under conditions thought to reflect equilibrium. Experiments at ∼0 °C indicate iron pentacarbonyl vapor is ∼0.05 per mil (‰) greater in 56Fe/54Fe than liquid iron pentacarbonyl, which is just resolvable at the 1σ level. Partial decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl vapor or liquid to an iron oxide or iron metal shows that significant isotopic fractionation occurs, where the decomposed product has a lower 56Fe/54Fe ratio as compared to the starting iron pentacarbonyl. It follows that methods to decompose iron pentacarbonyl must be quantitative to obtain accurate isotope values.
Using ASM Podcasts to Excite Undergraduate Students about Current Microbiological Research

Innovative technology is often used as a mechanism to engage students in and out of the classroom and can be used to increase critical thinking skills. Podcasts are an excellent way to introduce students to current topics and research in microbiology. The American Society for Microbiology (ASM) produces three podcasts that are microbiologically focused: This Week in Microbiology (TWiM), This Week in Parasitology (TWiP), and This Week in Virology (TWiV). These podcasts are usually presented in a manner similar to a journal club, as the presenters regularly invite guests to discuss current research papers. Since students often find reading scientific literature difficult and get bogged down in the details rather than seeing the over-arching purpose of a paper, these podcasts have been used in a General Microbiology course to introduce recent research articles. The students were first assigned an original research article to read and review, and they were asked to generate questions pertaining to things they did not understand. Next, students listened to the corresponding podcast that discussed the article and used it to answer their questions. This was followed by a classroom discussion of the article and the podcast. The ASM podcast helped to demystify original research by providing details of the experimental design and presentation of the results in a language that is more casual and relatable. Students demonstrated greater critical thinking and comprehension of microbiology literature after listening to the podcast. This activity can be used in a variety of courses in the biology curriculum.
Chronic insufficient sleep and diet quality: Contributors to childhood obesity.

Objective To examine associations of chronic insufficient sleep with diet and whether diet explains the sleep-adiposity relationship. Methods In Project Viva, 1,046 parents reported children's sleep duration at 6 m and annually until midchildhood (7 y). The main exposure was a sleep curtailment score (6 m-7 y) ranging from 0 (maximal curtailment) to 13 (adequate sleep). In mid-childhood, parents reported children's diet; researchers measured height/weight. Multivariable linear regression assessed associations of sleep with diet (Youth Healthy Eating Index [YHEI]); sleep with BMI z-score adjusting for YHEI; and, secondarily, joint associations of sleep and YHEI with BMI. Results Mean (SD) sleep and YHEI scores were 10.21 (2.71) and 58.76 (10.37). Longer sleep duration was associated with higher YHEI in mid-childhood (0.59 points/unit sleep score; 95% CI: 0.32, 0.86). Although higher YHEI was associated with lower BMI z-score (−0.07 units/10-point increase; 95% CI: −0.13, −0.01), adjustment for YHEI did not attenuate sleep-BMI associations. Children with sleep and YHEI scores below the median (<11 and <60) had BMI z-scores 0.34 units higher (95% CI: 0.16, 0.51) than children with sleep and YHEI scores above the median. Conclusions While parent-reported diet did not explain inverse associations of sleep with adiposity, both sufficient sleep and high-quality diets are important to obesity prevention.
Why Turn Away Free Money? Spurring the Economic Independence of Not For Profit Organizations

The size of the not for profit industry is often overlooked by the public and private sectors, but remains a vital third component of the domestic and global economies. Sharing characteristics of both, not for profits like charities and social service organizations remain tied to public sector funding and operation practices which continue to mute their growth potential. This paper seeks out the caveats in the finance structure of current not for profits. It will also take a closer look at the problems most common in 501(c)(3) organizations, along with practical solutions. I use examples that draw upon my experience with the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Chester County, Pennsylvania.
Hybrid Molecular Brushes with Chitosan Backbone: Facile Synthesis and Surface Grafting

We developed a facile route toward amphiphilic hybrid molecular brushes (HMB) with chitosan backbone and concurrently grafted chains of poly(acrylamide) and polystyrene. The grafting occurs through amino groups of chitosan; no extra modification of chitosan is required. The kinetic and molecular weight characteristics of the primary molecular brush CHI-graft-PAAm are studied. The second step is grafting of PS by emulsion polymerization. The resulting HMB CHI-graft-PAAm-graft-PS form very stable emulsions. We attached the HMB on solid substrates using chitosan backbone by the “grafting to” approach. Thin films of the immobilized HMB of 3–11 nm thickness completely cover the surface. Being amphiphilic by nature, the immobilized HMB reveal the ability to adapt to the medium, which results in shifting of the hydrophobic/hydrophilic balance over a wide range.
Determination of hexavalent chromium in foods

Objective:To establish a determination of chromium in foods.Methods: After the samples were microwave extraction,passing the ion exchange column,then detect the chromium content indirectly by Graphite furnace Atomic Absorption method.Results: Of samples with good effect of microwave extraction,ion-exchange column can effectively separate trivalent and hexavalent chromium,Graphite furnace atomic absorption method for testing stability,and hexavalent chromium in Determination of response did not differ.The limit of detection 0.38 μg/L,test the linear range 2 μg/L～12 μg/L,recoveries of 96%～101% and relative standard deviation of 2.1%.Conclusion: This method with accurate determination of hexavalent chromium in foods is feasible.
Fractional Ostrowski and Grüss Inequalities Using Several Functions

Using Caputo fractional left and right Taylor formulae we establish mixed fractional Ostrowski and Gruss type inequalities involving several functions.
Acute perineal infection: diagnosis and management.

SUMMARY Most perineal infections can be remedied with simple diagnostic determinations followed by appropriate drainage procedures. However, infections with nebulous origin or extensive involvement demand astute perception of anatomic structure and a cautious, thorough approach using well established surgical principles. Additional methods of perioperative preparation and postoperative management are available to the surgeon. Familiarity with these varied concepts can provide the necessary capability to overcome the multiple challenges of perineal infection.
MGMT methylation status correlates with temozolomide-mediated radiosensitization in a panel of GBM orthotopic xenografts

1509 Background: Lack of MGMT methylation in GBM tumors is associated with a worse outcome with combined radiation (RT) and temozolomide (TMZ) therapy, and it is unclear whether non-methylated tumo...
Quantifying visual similarity in clinical iconic graphics.

Objective: The use of icons and other graphical components in user interfaces has become nearly ubiquitous. The interpretation of such icons is based on the assumption that different users perceive the shapes similarly. At the most basic level, different users must agree on which shapes are similar and which are different. If this similarity can be measured, it may be usable as the basis to design better icons. Design: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a novel method for categorizing the visual similarity of graphical primitives, called Presentation Discovery, in the domain of mammography. Six domain experts were given 50 common textual mammography findings and asked to draw how they would represent those findings graphically. Nondomain experts sorted the resulting graphics into groups based on their visual characteristics. The resulting groups were then analyzed using traditional statistics and hypothesis discovery tools. Strength of agreement was evaluated using computational simulations of sorting behavior. Measurements: Sorter agreement was measured at both the individual graphical and concept-group levels using a novel simulation-based method. “Consensus clusters” of graphics were derived using a hierarchical clustering algorithm. Results: The multiple sorters were able to reliably group graphics into similar groups that strongly correlated with underlying domain concepts. Visual inspection of the resulting consensus clusters indicated that graphical primitives that could be informative in the design of icons were present. Conclusion: The method described provides a rigorous alternative to intuitive design processes frequently employed in the design of icons and other graphical interface components.
SU-F-J-20: Commissioning and Acceptance Testing of the C-Rad CatalystHD Surface Imaging System

Introduction: With the increasing use of surface-based, nonionizing image-guided radiotherapy (IGRT) systems, a comprehensive set of clinical acceptance and commissioning procedures are needed to ensure correct functionality and proper clinical integration. Although TG-147 provides a specific set of parameters, measurement methodologies have yet to be described. The aim of this study was to provide a comprehensive overview of the commissioning and acceptance analysis performed for the C-Rad CatalystHD imaging system. Methods and Materials: Methodology for the commissioning and acceptance of the C-Rad CatalystHD imaging system was developed using commercially available clinical equipment. Following TG-147 guidelines, the following tests were performed: integration of peripheral equipment, system drift, static spatial reproducibility and localization accuracy, static end-to-end analysis, static rotational accuracy, dynamic spatial accuracy, dynamic temporal accuracy, dynamic radiation delivery and a comprehensive end-to-end analysis. Results: The field of view (FOV) of the CatalystHD was 105×109×83 cm3 in the lateral, longitudinal and vertical directions. For thermal equilibrium and system drift, a thermal drift of 1.0mm was noted. A 45 min warmup time is recommended if the system has been shut off an extended period of time (>24 hours) before the QA procedure to eliminate any thermal drift. Spatial reproducibility was found to be 0.05±0.03 mm using a rigid phantom. For the static localization accuracy, system agreement with couch shifts was within 0.1±0.1 mm and positioning agreement with kV-CBCT was 0.16±0.10 mm. For static rotational accuracy, system agreement with a high precision rotational stage (0.01 deg precision) was within 0.10±0.07 deg. Dynamic spatial and temporal localization accuracy was found to be within 0.2±0.1 mm. Conclusion: A comprehensive commissioning and acceptance study was performed using commercially available phantoms and in-house methodologies to provide a performance evaluation of the CatalystHD imaging system.
The Timing of Partisan Media Effects during a Presidential Election

This article examines when partisan media effects occur during presidential campaigns. I argue that partisan media are most likely to influence candidate impressions early in the election cycle, wh...