cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Endoglin (CD105) as a urinary and serum marker of prostate cancer.

We have previously shown that endoglin (CD105) is upregulated in prostatic fluid of men with large volume prostate cancer. We chose to assess endoglin levels in urine and serum from men with prostate cancer or at increased risk for the disease: Urine samples were collected after digital rectal examination (DRE) from 99 men whose cancer status was confirmed by biopsy, and serum samples were collected from 20 men without prostate cancer at low risk for the disease and from 69 men diagnosed with prostate cancer that subsequently underwent radical prostatectomy (30 pT2, 39 pT3). Endoglin levels were assessed by ELISA. Urinary endoglin was elevated in men with biopsy-positive prostate cancer compared to biopsy-negative men (p = 0.0014). Urinary endoglin levels in men with prostate cancer correlated with radical prostatectomy tumor volume. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.72 for urinary endoglin and 0.50 for serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA; sensitivity for cancer detection 73%, specificity 63%). There were no differences in serum endoglin between normal and cancer cases, but there were increases in serum endoglin in non-organ confined (NOC, pT3+) versus organ-confined (OC, pT2) cases (p = 0.0004). The area under the ROC curve was 0.75 for serum endoglin and 0.63 for PSA for predicting NOC status, with a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 80%. In conclusion, elevations in post-DRE urinary endoglin suggest there may be value in further studying endoglin as a urinary biomarker of prostate cancer. Endoglin levels in both urine and serum may aid in prostate cancer detection and prognostication. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Afferent activity to necklace glomeruli is dependent on external stimuli

Background The main olfactory epithelium (MOE) is a complex organ containing several functionally distinct subpopulations of sensory neurons. One such subpopulation is distinguished by its expression of the guanylyl cyclase GC-D. The axons of GC-D-expressing (GC-D+) neurons innervate 9–15 "necklace" glomeruli encircling the caudal main olfactory bulb (MOB). Chemosensory stimuli for GC-D+ neurons include two natriuretic peptides, uroguanylin and guanylin, and CO2. However, the biologically-relevant source of these chemostimuli is unclear: uroguanylin is both excreted in urine, a rich source of olfactory stimuli for rodents, and expressed in human nasal epithelium; CO2 is present in both inspired and expired air.
On four monostiliferous hoplonemerteans, including three new genera and species from Washington state and British Columbia

Frontonemertes serpentina, Satellitenemertes satellitensis and Sanjuannemertes willowsi new genera and species are described as three members of the order Hoplonemertea, suborder Monostilifera. In general morphology, F. serpentina is most similar to Nemertes rubrolineata in having the two layers of the body wall longitudinal musculature, no pre‐cerebral septum and retractor muscles originating in the outer longitudinal muscle layer in the cephalic region {Chernyshev (1992) proposed a new genus, Tetranemertes, for Nemertes [type species, N. antonina Quatrefages, 1846]}. Satellitenemertes satellitensis appears to be most closely related to members of the genus Amphiporus. Sanjuannemertes willowsi has a common atrium for the proboscis pore and mouth, as in some polystiliferous hoplonemerteans. The original description of Nipponnemertes bimaculata (Coe 1901) is supplemented on the basis of re‐observation of its features. The significant characters are explained and discussed.
Implementation of magic-sets in a relational database system

We describe the implementation of the magic-sets transformation in the Starburst extensible relational database system. To our knowledge this is the first implementation of the magic-sets transformation in a relational database system. The Starburst implementation has many novel features that make our implementation especially interesting to database practitioners (in addition to database researchers). (1) We use a cost-based heuristic for determining join orders (sips) before applying magic. (2) We push all equality and non-equality predicates using magic, replacing traditional predicate pushdown optimizations. (3) We apply magic to full SQL with duplicates, aggregation, null values, and subqueries. (4) We integrate magic with other relational optimization techniques. (5) The implementation is extensible.Our implementation demonstrates the feasibility of the magic-sets transformation for commercial relational systems, and provides a mechanism to implement magic as an integral part of a new database system, or as an add-on to an existing database system.
Social Connection Through Joint Action and Interpersonal Coordination

The pull to coordinate with other individuals is fundamental, serving as the basis for our social connectedness to others. Discussed is a dynamical and ecological perspective to joint action, an approach that embeds the individual’s mind in a body and the body in a niche, a physical and social environment. Research on uninstructed coordination of simple incidental rhythmic movement, along with research on goal-directed, embodied cooperation, is reviewed. Finally, recent research is discussed that extends the coordination and cooperation studies, examining how synchronizing with another, and how emergent social units of perceiving and acting are reflected in people’s feelings of connection to others.
Thermophilic Biotrickling Filtration of Ethanol Vapors

The treatment of ethanol vapors in biotrickling filters for air pollution control was investigated. Two reactors were operated in parallel, one at ambient temperature (22 °C) and one at high temperature (53 °C). After a short adaptation phase, the removal of ethanol was similar in both reactors. At a bed contact time of 57 s, the elimination capacity exceeded 220 g m-3 h-1 at both temperatures. The experiments performed revealed that the process was most likely limited by biodegradation in the biofilm. The high-temperature biotrickling filter exhibited a higher degree of ethanol mineralization to CO2 (60 vs 46% at ambient temperature); hence, a lower rate of biomass accumulation was observed. Plating and cultivation of biofilm samples revealed that the high-temperature biotrickling filter hosted a process culture composed of both mesophilic and thermotolerant or thermophilic microorganisms, whereas the ambient-temperature reactor lacked microorganisms capable of growing at high temperature. Consequently, ...
The Determination of 4-Aminoquinoline Antimalarials: Revaluation of the Induced Fluorescence Method, with Specific Application to Hydroxychloroquine Analysis

Various technical aspects of the procedure of Brodie, et al., for the determination of 4-aminoquinoline antimalarials in biological materials have been re-examined. Although it has not been possible to achieve any noteworthy increase in precision over that claimed by the original authors, the method has been materially shortened and simplified, thereby reducing the likelihood of technical errors. Specific procedures for the analysis of hydroxychloroquine are presented; the present widespread use of this compound in antimalarial therapy makes desirable the availability of an exact method for its determination in biological materials.
Chaotic sequences for spread spectrum: an alternative to PN-sequences

A new class of signature sequences for use in direct sequence spread spectrum (DS/SS) communication systems is proposed. In arriving at these new sequences, the theory of chaos has been used. The correlation properties of these chaotic sequences are similar to random white noise. Their noise-like characteristics are explained. The numbers and lengths of chaotic sequences are not restricted like m-sequences. The performance of chaotic sequences in multiple-access communication is shown to be similar to that of PN-sequences. Furthermore, due to their noise-like appearance, chaotic sequences outperform PN-sequences in low probability of intercept (LPI). A method for generating chaotic sequences suitable for use in DS/SS system has been proposed. In this method, the spreading sequences change from one bit to the next in a very random-like fashion, causing undesired interception to be very difficult. >
Optical layer survivability for single and multiple service classes

This paper considers capacity provisioning for service and restoration in a WDM optical network which provides lightpaths to higher layer networks. An optical network will likely serve several client networks with different protection requirements from the optical layer. In this paper, a framework is developed for jointly assigning wavelengths to service and restoration paths for all failures, for traffic patterns with single or multiple classes of protection. For various restoration methods, the problem is reduced to a vertex coloring problem in a graph. We present routing and wavelength assignment algorithms for service and restoration with varying capacity/restoration time tradeoffs, and evaluate their performance through simulations. We consider three different kinds of traffic patterns in terms of protection requirement: 100% protected traffic, mixed protected/unprotected traffic, and mixed protected/low-priority traffic. We quantify the capacity cost of protection in mixed traffic patterns as a function of the proportion A of the protected traffic in the mix, and identify the range of A where protection can be provided at low capacity penalties. This is important for assessing the economical feasibility of providing protection to a class of connections at the expense of reducing the amount of traffic that could be served without protection guarantees.
Mechanisms Driving the Time-Dependent Salt Flux in a Partially Stratified Estuary*

The subtidal salt balance and the mechanisms driving the downgradient salt flux in the Hudson River estuary are investigated using measurements from a cross-channel mooring array of current meters, temperature and conductivity sensors, and cross-channel and along-estuary shipboard surveys obtained during the spring of 2002. Steady (subtidal) vertical shear dispersion, resulting from the estuarine exchange flow, was the dominant mechanism driving the downgradient salt flux, and varied by over an order of magnitude over the spring–neap cycle, with maximum values during neap tides and minimum values during spring tides. Corresponding longitudinal dispersion rates were as big as 2500 m 2 s 1 during neap tides. The salinity intrusion was not in a steady balance during the study period. During spring tides, the oceanward advective salt flux resulting from the net outflow balanced the time rate of change of salt content landward of the study site, and salt was flushed out of the estuary. During neap tides, the landward steady shear dispersion salt flux exceeded the oceanward advective salt flux, and salt entered the estuary. Factor-of-4 variations in the salt content occurred at the spring–neap time scale and at the time scale of variations in the net outflow. On average, the salt flux resulting from tidal correlations between currents and salinity (tidal oscillatory salt flux) was an order of magnitude smaller than that resulting from steady shear dispersion. During neap tides, this flux was minimal (or slightly countergradient) and was due to correlations between tidal currents and vertical excursions of the halocline. During spring tides, the tidal oscillatory salt flux was driven primarily by oscillatory shear dispersion, with an associated longitudinal dispersion rate of about 130 m 2 s 1 .
Evolution, body composition, insulin receptor competition, and insulin resistance.

Abstract Objective Better understanding of the relationships between body composition and insulin resistance. Results Average human adiposity and sarcopenia have attained unprecedented levels and the resultantly abnormal body composition distorts insulin receptor balance. Compared to evolutionary norms we now have too many adipocyte insulin receptors (in adipose tissue and liver) and too few myocyte insulin receptors. The body's insulin receptors can be conceptualized as competing for insulin molecules released from the pancreas. When an insulin molecule docks on an adipocyte receptor, substantially fewer glucose molecules are cleared from the blood than when an insulin molecule docks on a myocyte insulin receptor. Populational insulin receptor imbalance would seem to parallel the secular rise in insulin resistance and offers an attractive pathophysiological explanation for the accompanying type 2 diabetes epidemic. Conclusion An evolutionary perspective regarding body composition, insulin receptor imbalance, and the consequent impact on carbohydrate metabolism should enhance public acceptance of recommendations to increase physical activity.
Sex Differences in Facial Scanning: Similarities and Dissimilarities Between Infants and Adults

When face processing studies find sex differences, male infants appear better at face recognition than female infants, whereas female adults appear better at face recognition than male adults. Both female infants and adults, however, discriminate emotional expressions better than males. To investigate if sex and age differences in facial scanning might account for these processing discrepancies, 3-4-month-olds, 9-10-month-olds, and adults viewed faces presented individually while an eye tracker recorded eye movements. Regardless of age, males shifted fixations between internal and external facial features more than females, suggesting more holistic processing. Females shifted fixations between internal facial features more than males, suggesting more second-order relational processing, which may explain females' emotion discrimination advantage. Older male infants made more fixations than older female infants. Female adults made more fixations for shorter fixation durations than male adults. Male infants and female adults' greater encoding of facial information may explain their face recognition advantage.
Addressing Cache/Memory Overheads in Enterprise Java CMP Servers

As we enter the era of chip multiprocessor (CMP) architectures, it is important that we explore the scaling characteristics of mainstream server workloads on these platforms. In this paper, we analyze the performance of two significant enterprise Java workloads (SPECjAppServer2004 and SPECjbb2005) on CMP platforms -present and future. We start by characterizing the core, cache and memory behavior of these workloads on the newly released Intel core 2 Duo Xeon platform (dual-core, dual-socket). Our findings from these measurements indicate that these workloads have a significant performance dependence on cache and memory subsystems. In order to guide the evolution of future CMP platforms, we perform a detailed investigation of potential cache and memory architecture choices. This includes analyzing the effects of thread sharing and migration, object allocation and garbage collection. Based on the observed behavior, we propose architectural optimizations along three dimensions: (a) data-less cache line initialization (DCLI), (b) hardware-guided thread collocation (HGTC) and (c) on-socket DRAM caches (OSDC). In this paper, we will describe these optimizations in detail and validate their performance potential based on trace-driven simulations and execution-driven emulation. Overall, we expect that the findings in this paper will guide future CMP architectures for enterprise Java servers.
Subjetividad y aparato psíquico: acerca de quietudes e in-quietudes

The present work discusses social-political occurrences which could indicate a process of transformation of subjectivity. In order to comprehend this change, it is necessary to investigate how subjectivity is built, that is, how concrete, imaginary and simbolic modes of doing, thinking, feeling, speaking and fantasizing are constructed. We depart from the conviction that the subject is a social historical being crossed by need and desire. Such configuration indicates the undeceivable task of comprehending the social system in which the subjectivity unfolds, since it is in it and from the territorialities present in it that the possibilities of its realization are met or not. The capistalist mass production brings about the merchandise 'fetishization' (dynamics under which the worker is regarded as a material thing) and the reification of capital. One consequence of its empire is the reduction of the social historical being into individual alienation. It is suggested that the desire (of changing the structures of domination and exploitation) is a determinant factor and perhaps prior to the conscience of opression. Hence, the root of all revolutionary act lies in poetry, in word, in that which awakes the desire for transformation.
Effects of Dietary Energy on Semen Production, Fertility, Plasma Testosterone, and Carcass Composition of Broiler-Breeder Males in Cages

Abstract One hundred-fifty broiler breeder males were raised to 17 wk of age in floor pens using standard procedures. The males were placed in individual cages at 18 wk of age in an environmentally controlled house and fed for recommended BW to 29 wk of age. At 30 wk of age, birds were randomly assigned to one of five dietary treatments. Diets consisted of 10% CP and 1,600, 2,000, 2,400, 2,800, or 3,200 kcal ME/kg feed (Groups 1600, 2000, 2400, 2800, and 3200, respectively). Birds were ejaculated twice weekly; semen characteristics, BW, and serum testosterone (T) were determined every 4 wk. Fertility determinations were made at 38 and 48 wk. At the end of the experiment (60 wk of age), body composition was measured. The percentage of body fat was reduced in Groups 1600, 2000, and 2400. Body weight, percentage of males producing semen, semen weight (SW), total spermatozoa per ejaculate (TS), and T were all reduced in Groups 1600 and 2000; semen concentration (SC) was reduced in Group 1600, compared to the other treatments. Group 2400 had the highest percentage of carcass protein; Groups 1600 and 3200, the lowest percentage. Body weight, percentage of protein, and percentage of fat were quadratically related to dietary energy. The T, SW, SC, and TS were linearly and positively related to the energy level.
Low-Power Far-Field Wireless Powering for Wireless Sensors

This paper discusses far-field wireless powering for low-power wireless sensors, with applications to sensing in environments where it is difficult or impossible to change batteries and where the exact position of the sensors might not be known. With expected radio-frequency (RF) power densities in the 20-200- μW/cm2 range, and desired small sensor overall size, low-power nondirective wireless powering is appropriate for sensors that transmit data at low duty cycles. The sensor platform is powered through an antenna which receives incident electromagnetic waves in the gigahertz frequency range, couples the energy to a rectifier circuit which charges a storage device (e.g., thin-film battery) through an efficient power management circuit, and the entire platform, including sensors and a low-power wireless transmitter, and is controlled through a low-power microcontroller. For low incident power density levels, codesign of the RF powering and the power management circuits is required for optimal performance. Results for hybrid and monolithic implementations of the power management circuitry are presented with integrated antenna rectifiers operating in the 1.96-GHz cellular and in 2.4-GHz industrial-scientific-medical (ISM) bands.
Usability Evaluation of a Paratransit Mobile Application

TransitMobile is a mobile application that provides logistic information to drivers in Oklahoma community-based paratransit operations. Passenger reservation information is transferred from the hom...
Inflation targeting as a way of precommitment

This paper considers an institutional arrangement in which the government assigns a publicly-announced inflation target to an instrument-independent central bank, but retains the discretion to revise the inflation target after wages have been set. We argue that since this arrangement is transparent, it solves Canzonen's private information problem, ensures perfect monitoring of the government, and makes reputauonal forces more effective Cases are characterized in which, for this reason, inflation targeting mitigates the inflationary bias of monetary policy.
Key Outstanding Questions in Social Sciences

This short piece outlines some of the topics I see as part of the “Grand Challenges” for the social sciences over the next 10-20 years. I have focused on three areas where I see the policy agenda being particularly constrained by the lack of high-quality research.
Existence of periodic solutions in neutral nonlinear difference systems with delay

We use Krasnoselskii's fixed point theorem to show that the nonlinear neutral system of difference equation with functional delay has a periodic solution. Also, inverting the mapping and then using the notion of fundamental matrix solution we are able, using the contraction mapping principle, to show that the periodic solution is unique.
Organizational self-design in semi-dynamic environments

Organizations are an important basis for coordination in multiagent systems. However, there is no best way to organize and all ways of organizing are not equally effective. Attempting to optimize an organizational structure depends strongly on environmental features including problem characteristics, available resources, and agent capabilities. If the environment is dynamic, the environmental conditions or the problem task structure may change over time. This precludes the use of static, design-time generated, organizational structures in such systems. On the other hand, for many real environments, the problems are not totally unique either: certain characteristics and conditions change slowly, if at all, and these can have an important effect in creating stable organizational structures.Organizational-Self Design (OSD) has been proposed as an approach for constructing suitable organizational structures at runtime. We extend the existing OSD approach to include worth-oriented domains, model other resources in addition to only processor resources and build in robustness into the organization. We then evaluate our approach against the contract-net approach and show that our OSD agents perform better, are more efficient, and more flexible to changes in the environment.
"How is smoking handled in your home?": agreement between parental reports on home smoking bans in the United States, 1995-2007.

INTRODUCTION Home smoking bans significantly reduce secondhand smoke exposure among children, but parents may offer discordant reports on whether there is a home smoking ban. The purpose of this study was to examine national trends in (a) parental discordance/concordance in the reporting of home smoking bans and (b) correlates of discordant/concordant reports among two-parent households with underage children from 1995 to 2007. METHODS Data from the 1995/1996, 1998/1999, 2001/2002, 2003, and 2006/2007 Tobacco Use Supplement of the U.S. Current Population Survey were used to estimate prevalence rates and multinomial logistic regression models of discordant/concordant parental smoking ban reports by survey period. RESULTS Overall, the percentage of households in which the 2 parents gave discordant reports on a complete home smoking ban decreased significantly from 12.7% to 2.8% from 1995 to 2007 (p < .001). Compared with households where both parents reported a complete smoking ban, discordant reports were more likely to be obtained from households with current smokers (p < .01) across survey periods. Compared with households where both parents reported the lack of a complete home smoking ban, discordant reports were more likely among households with college graduates, no current smokers, and parents with Hispanic ethnicity (p < .05). CONCLUSIONS Parental concordance on the existence of a home smoking ban increased from 1995 to 2007. This suggests estimates of home smoking bans based on just one parent may be more reliable now than they were in the past. Interventions to improve the adoption and enforcement of home smoking bans should target households with current smoker parents.
Multilateralism: America’s insurance policy against loss

When the United States faces loss or defeat in war, it is often loath to negotiate, make concessions to its adversary, and cut its losses. But the presence of allies and international organizations in the US coalition can help to correct this bias against compromise through a combination of simple bargaining, complex bargaining, and political cover. The costs of multilateralism can be considered a premium that is paid when operations are successful, so that the United States has an insurance policy to minimize loss in times of failure. The article contributes to a number of major debates over the costs and benefits of multilateralism and the impact of less powerful allies and international organizations on US foreign policy.
Design and analysis of collaborative diversity protocols for wireless sensor networks

We consider wireless sensor networks where all the sensor nodes share the same channel and transmit collaboratively in a quasi-static Rayleigh fading environment. Intuition suggests that collaborative communication can achieve a higher diversity gain than traditional SISO systems. Based on a decode-and-forward approach, we propose spectrally efficient variable-rate two-phase protocols that can achieve full diversity and analyze the effect of node geometry on their performance in terms of the outage probability of mutual information. Numerical results show that, provided the collaborator node is close to the source node, full diversity gain can he readily achieved without loss of bandwidth efficiency.
A randomized trial of therapies for type 2 diabetes and coronary artery disease.

At 5 years, rates of survival did not differ significantly between the revascularization group (88.3%) and the medical ­ therapy group (87.8%, P = 0.97) or between the in­ sulin ­ sensitization group (88.2%) and the insulin ­ provision group (87.9%, P = 0.89). The rates of freedom from major cardiovascular events also did not differ signifi­ cantly among the groups: 77.2% in the revascularization group and 75.9% in the medical ­ treatment group (P = 0.70) and 77.7% in the insulin ­ sensitization group and 75.4% in the insulin ­ provision group (P = 0.13). In the PCI stratum, there was no sig­ nificant difference in primary end points between the revascularization group and the medical ­ therapy group. In the CABG stratum, the rate of major cardiovascular events was significantly lower in the revascularization group (22.4%) than in the medical ­ therapy group (30.5%, P = 0.01; P = 0.002 for interaction between stratum and study group). Adverse events and serious adverse events were generally similar among the groups, although severe hypoglycemia was more frequent in the insulin ­ provision group (9.2%) than in the insulin ­ sensitization group (5.9%, P = 0.003). Conclusions Overall, there was no significant difference in the rates of death and major cardio­ vascular events between patients undergoing prompt revascularization and those undergoing medical therapy or between strategies of insulin sensitization and in­ sulin provision. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00006305.)
Reactivity patterns in the base hydrolysis of coordinated aromatic nitriles

Abstract Two new aromatic organonitrile complexes of pentaamminecobalt(III) have been synthesized, the complexes of 2- and 4-nitrobenzonitrile. The kinetics of their base hydrolysis to coordinated carboxamides have been measured and found to follow a simple second order rate law with rate constants of 180 ± 4 M−1 s−1 and 510 ± 90 M−1 s−1 at 25°C and ionic strength 1.0 for the ortho and para isomers respectively. Rate constants for the hydrolysis of eleven coordinated substituted aromatic nitriles have been found to follow a Hammett type correlation where log k = 1.93σ + 1.30 at 25 °C and ionic strength 1. Carbon-13 NMR studies indicate that the variation in the slope of these Hammett plots for free and coordinated nitrile hydrolysis rates is a transition state effect rather than a ground state phenomenon.
Arabidopsis KANADI1 Acts as a Transcriptional Repressor by Interacting with a Specific cis-Element and Regulates Auxin Biosynthesis, Transport, and Signaling in Opposition to HD-ZIPIII Factors

The formation of leaves and other lateral organs in plants depends on the proper specification of adaxial-abaxial (upper-lower) polarity. KANADI1 (KAN1), a member of the GARP family of transcription factors, is a key regulator of abaxial identity, leaf growth, and meristem formation in Arabidopsis thaliana. Here, we demonstrate that the Myb-like domain in KAN1 binds the 6-bp motif GNATA(A/T) and that this motif alone is sufficient to squelch transcription of a linked reporter in vivo. In addition, we report that KAN1 acts as a transcriptional repressor. Among its targets are genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, auxin transport, and auxin response. Furthermore, we find that the adaxializing HD-ZIPIII transcription factor REVOLUTA has opposing effects on multiple components of the auxin pathway. We hypothesize that HD-ZIPIII and KANADI transcription factors pattern auxin accumulation and responsiveness in the embryo. Specifically, we propose the opposing actions of KANADI and HD-ZIPIII factors on cotyledon formation (KANADI represses and HD-ZIPIII promotes cotyledon formation) occur through their opposing actions on genes acting at multiple steps in the auxin pathway.
The Logic of Mainstreaming A Development Evaluation Perspective

The rationale for evaluation mainstreaming is straightforward: evaluation creates value only when lessons are drawn and incentives encourage institutional learning. Accountability as well as organizational adaptation are facilitated by the incorporation of evaluation processes in policy formation and program administration. This article is about the `what, why and how' of evaluation mainstreaming; it does not dwell on the `whether'. First, mainstreaming is defined and its prominence in the policy-making discourse is explained. Second, a theory of mainstreaming is suggested and its relevance to the development process in poor countries is highlighted. Third, the process of evaluation mainstreaming within organizations is examined, using the World Bank as an example.
Feasibility of Using Multiwavelength Lidar Measurements to Measure Cloud Condensation Nuclei

Abstract This paper addresses the feasibility of using mulliwavelength lidar measurements to differentiate both qualitatively and quantitatively between the relative concentrations of hygroscopic and nonhygroscopic aerosol particles. The proposed technique utilizes the fact that hygroscopic particles undergo a size increase and refractive-index change with increasing relative humidity and that different wavelengths respond to these changes in different ways. The lidar wavelengths considered are 0.289, 0.355, 0.532, 0.694, 1.064, and 2.02 µm and the 9–11.5-µm range. It is shown that under certain conditions, a judicious choice of lidar wavelengths can provide a differential backscatter, sufficient to provide information on the size and percentage number concentration of the hygroscopic aerosol and, consequently, cloud condensation nuclei concentration. The presence of a mode of coarse particles (median radius greater than 0.3 µm) produces ambiguous results and limits application of the technique to regions...
A Nonparametric Comparison Of The Per Capita Yearly Economic Needs For The Water Supply In The USA-Mexico Border Region

Based on demographic and economic information, this research paper evaluates a nonparametric comparison of the per capita yearly economic needs for water supply of two international regions conformed by 100 cities and/or communities (localities) along the border of United States and Mexico, from which 57 are located on the American side and 43 on the Mexican side; part of the discrepancy exhibited by both borders about the per capita yearly economic needs for water supply is explained as a reflection of the demographic-gap among adjacent localities of the common border region; we present confirmatory evidence of discrepancies. The per capita yearly economic needs estimate should be considered in order to increase the sustainability for water supply. The United States-Mexico border in terms of water supply needs should be interpreted as an issue of national security. If the accelerated rate of population growth on both sides of the border between United States and Mexico continues including the area around the water river basins, this could produce a dramatic scenery in the future (for year2020): An expected percentage of population growth of 108 % accompanied with a long-term economic needs volume of $ 3,393,870,000.00
Memory access buffering in multiprocessors

In highly-pipelined machines, instructions and data are prefetched and buffered in both the processor and the cache. This is done to reduce the average memory access latency and to take advantage of memory interleaving. Lock-up free caches are designed to avoid processor blocking on a cache miss. Write buffers are often included in a pipelined machine to avoid processor waiting on writes. In a shared memory multiprocessor, there are more advantages in buffering memory requests, since each memory access has to traverse the memory- processor interconnection and has to compete with memory requests issued by different processors. Buffering, however, can cause logical problems in multiprocessors. These problems are aggravated if each processor has a private memory in which shared writable data may be present, such as in a cache-based system or in a system with a distributed global memory. In this paper, we analyze the benefits and problems associated with the buffering of memory requests in shared memory multiprocessors. We show that the logical problem of buffering is directly related to the problem of synchronization. A simple model is presented to evaluate the performance improvement resulting from buffering.
Survey of Emergency Medicine Pharmacy Education Opportunities for Students and Residents

BackgroundPharmacy services in the emergency department (ED) have been shown to decrease medication adverse events and improve patient outcomes. Anecdotally, there has been expansion of emergency m...
A program encouraging healthy behavior, nature exploration, and recreation through history in an urban national park unit.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: This paper describes Timucan Preserve Health Through History, Nature, and Recreation, an educational and outdoor recreational program carried out during the spring and summer of 2012 by the Resource Education Division of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, a unit of the National Park Service. Funded by a National Park Foundation grant and carried out by National Park Service staff collaborating with a nonprofit entity (Eastern National), local public schools and classroom teachers. The program has provided over 1,350 elementary school students with an experience promoting outdoor healthy behavior while learning about local Northeast Florida history and nature. The program was conducted at Fort Caroline National Memorial, part of the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve in Jacksonville, Florida. The overall goals of the program were to provide opportunities for school children from disadvantaged communities to experience the park, culture and history of the Timucuan people; experience and learn about nature and basic ecology; and to appreciate and understand the benefits of physical activities through recreational and educational experiences in a National Park unit. The students were equipped with pedometers to measure their physical activity level. Leadership, cooperation and team work were also elements of the program in addition to the physical activity. Through this healthy history and nature program, the children gained a deeper understanding of the importance of natural resources for human survival, local history and the benefits of outdoor physical activity that can be challenging and fun. The successes and challenges of the program and future opportunities are discussed.
Altered expression of the chicken homeobox-containing genes GHox-7 and GHox-8 in the limb buds of limbless mutant chick embryos

It has been suggested that the reciprocal expression of the chicken homeobox-containing genes GHox-8 and GHox-7 by the apical ectodermal ridge and subjacent limb mesoderm might be involved in regulating the proximodistal outgrowth of the developing chick limb bud. In the present study the expression of GHox-7 and GHox-8 has been examined by in situ and dot blot hybridization in the developing limb buds of limbless mutant chick embryos. The limb buds of homozygous mutant limbless embryos form at the proper time in development (stage 17/18), but never develop an apical ectodermal ridge, fail to undergo normal elongation, and eventually degenerate. At stage 18, which is shortly following the formation of the limb bud, the expression of GHox-7 is considerably reduced (about 3-fold lower) in the mesoderm of limbless mutant limb buds compared to normal limb bud mesoderm. By stages 20 and 21, as the limb buds of limbless embryos cease outgrowth, GHox-7 expression in limbless mesoderm declines to very low levels, whereas GHox-7 expression increases in the mesoderm of normal limb buds which are undergoing outgrowth. In contrast to GHox-7, expression of GHox-8 in limbless mesoderm at stage 18 is quantitatively similar to its expression in normal limb bud mesoderm, and in limbless and normal mesoderm GHox-8 expression is highly localized in the anterior mesoderm of the limb bud. In normal limb buds, GHox-8 is also expressed in high amounts by the apical ectodermal ridge.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A More Expressive 3D Region Connection Calculus

Spatial qualitative analysis in 3D provides engineers with the ability to visually evaluate interference between parts, complicated geometric features, required tolerances, mechanism motion, and various aspects of assembly structure. Yet, despite the fact that 3D technology has been well developed for several years, many mechanical engineering designers currently do not use 3D CAD technology, and research in qualitative spatial reasoning continues to focus on 2D perspectives of 3D objects. In part, this is due to human cognitive limitations and the increased computational complexity of 3D modeling. However, given the greater wealth of information that can be obtained when additional dimensions are considered, and the enormous amount of 3D image data that are available, research efforts in this area should continue. Herein we present an extension of our previous work to combine quantitative and qualitative reasoning in 3D. The enhanced model is more expressive in that it now distinguishes several types of obscuration. Further, it differs from other region connection calculi used for qualitative spatial reasoning in that it determines the composite (topological plus obscuration) relation between two objects in 3D, not 2D. Keywords-qualitative spatial reasoning; region connection calculus; 3D
Vertically Tapered Adiabatic Waveguide Mode Converters Fabricated with Digital Projection Photochemical Etching

We combine conventional planar semiconductor processing with gray-scale topography created by digital projection photochemical etching to fabricate adiabatic waveguide mode converters. Applications include efficient coupling to fiber or between planes of multi-layer photonic integrated circuits.
Nanoscale mechanics guides cellular decision making

This study used novel, force-limited nanoscale tension gauges to investigate how force and substrate stiffness guide cellular decision-making during initial cell attachment and spreading on deformable substrates. The well-established dependence of cell traction and spreading on substrate stiffness has been attributed to levels of force exerted on molecular components in focal contacts. The molecular tension gauges used in this study enabled direct estimates of threshold, pico Newton forces that instructed decision-making at different stages of cell attachment, spreading, and adhesion maturation. Results show that the force thresholds controlling adhesion and spreading transitions depend on substrate stiffness. Reported findings agree qualitatively with a proposed model that attributes rigidity-dependent differences in cell spreading to stiffness-dependent rates of competing biochemical processes. Moreover, estimated magnitudes of force thresholds governing transitions in cell attachment and spreading, based on these in situ measurements, were in remarkable agreement with prior less direct measurements.
The Calculus According to Leibniz

In the century of Kepler, Galileo, Descartes, Pascal, and Newton, the most versatile genius of all was Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz. He was born at Leipzig, entered the university there at the age of fifteen, and received his bachelor’s degree at seventeen. He continued his studies in logic, philosophy and law, and at twenty completed a brilliant thesis on the historical approach to teaching law. When the University of Leipzig denied his application for a doctorate in law because of his youth, he transferred to the University of Altdorf in Nuremberg, and received his doctorate in philosophy there in 1667.
Schlüssel im Elektrokardiogramm

Das Elektrokardiogramm in seiner heutigen Ausfuhrung und Auswertung kann man als eine grose Hilfe in der Herzdiagnostik betrachten. Als die Elektrokardiographie vor ungefahr vierzig Jahren in die Klinik eingefuhrt wurde, hatte sie eigentlich noch wenig Bedeutung. Sie diente nur dazu, Rhythmusstorungen zu klaren. Zweifellos ist das Elektrokardiogramm dazu immer noch sehr nutzlich, aber in anderer Hinsicht hat es sich inzwischen zu einem mindestens zehnmal so wichtigen diagnostischen Hilfsmittel entwickelt. In diesem Kapitel soll das Elektrokardiogramm nach allen Seiten daraufhin untersucht werden, welche Schlussel fur die Herzdiagnostik sich daraus entnehmen lassen. Bezuglich einer eingehenden Beschreibung der elektrokardiographischen Technik sowie der Grundprinzipien der Auswertung sei der Leser auf Spezialwerke verwiesen.
Comparison of Organic Acid Salts for Clostridium botulinum Control in an Uncured Turkey Product.

Health concerns have led consumers toward purchasing nitrite-free, low salt meat and poultry products. Lacking these barriers to control growth of bacterial pathogens, such products carry heightened risks for botulism, especially if temperature abused. To address this threat, five organic acid salts were evaluated as potential antibotulinal agents. Ground turkey breast was formulated with 1.4% NaCl, 0.3% sodium pyrophosphate, 0-6% organic acid salts, 10% ice, and 500 spores per g of a 6-strain mixture of proteolytic Clostridium botulinum . Vacuum-packaged product (10 g) was heated in 75°C water for 20 min, cooled, and incubated for up to 18 d at 28°C. Botulinal neurotoxin was detected by mouse bioassay at 2 d in samples which lacked any of the test compounds. Samples containing 2% acid salt developed neurotoxin, which was detected at 2, 2, 4, 5, and 5 d for pyruvate, citrate, lactate, acetate, and propionate, respectively. With 6% acid salt additions, samples remained neurotoxin free until 7 d with pyruvate, 18 d with citrate, and >18 d for the remaining compounds. Monocarboxylic acid salts exhibited antibotulinal activity related to their dissociation constants (pKa) Citrate did not fit this pattern, however, suggesting a different mechanism of action. This study reveals that a variety of organic acid salts possess activity that can be used alone or possibly in combination to enhance the safety of nitrite-free turkey products.
Profiting from Poverty: The Competition between For-Profit and Non-Profit Developers for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits

This article introduces the idea that for-profit entities compete against nonprofit organizations for limited governmental incentives offered to promote the privatization of social services. This competitive dynamic can adversely affect the intended beneficiaries of social policy to the extent that for-profit social service providers threaten to overpower valuable nonprofit participation in outsourced programs. This article identifies and explores this competition through an analysis of how it has affected the shape and operation of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) – the largest federal subsidy for affordable housing. It maintains that this competition impacts the tax credit program in a way that could harm tenants who live in tax credit housing. Accordingly, it calls for statutory protection of nonprofit participation in the LIHTC.
A Novel Multi-Scale Domain Overlapping CFD/STH Coupling Methodology for Multi-Dimensional Flows Relevant to Nuclear Applications.

Abstract A novel multi-scale domain overlapping coupling methodology designed to couple a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code with a system thermal hydraulic (STH) code was developed and its performance was investigated. The methodology has been implemented in the coupling infrastructure code Janus, developed at the University of Michigan, providing methods for the on-the-fly data transfer through memory between the commercial CFD code STAR-CCM+ and the US NRC best-estimate thermal hydraulic system code TRACE. Coupling between these two software packages is motivated by the desire to extend the range of applicability of TRACE to scenarios in which local momentum and energy transfer are important, such as three-dimensional mixing of localized slugs of deborated or cold water in the downcomer and lower plenum of a reactor pressure vessel. The intra-fluid shear forces necessary to correctly capture these effects are neglected in the TRACE equations of motion, but are readily calculated from CFD solutions. CFD/STH coupling implementations therefore have applications in reactor transients such as boron dilution scenarios, Anticipated Transient Without SCRAM (ATWS) and Main Steam Line Break (MSLB). The proposed method is based on aliasing all spatial sources and sinks of momentum in the CFD domain as frictional losses in the system code domain. The internal velocity fields and, consequently, the inertial component of the pressure field are maintained consistent between the CFD and STH domains through a complementary velocity-matching interface. In this paper, coupled simulations are performed on Cartesian and cylindrical geometry with emphasis on consistency, convergence, and stability during transient scenarios. Results show that the presented domain overlapping coupling method is capable of adjusting pressure and velocity profiles of multi-dimensional system code solutions to match CFD solutions accurately. Important characteristics of transient simulations were found to include the background flow rate, specifically the stabilizing effect of viscous forces, as well as the time derivative of the flow rate. Under certain adverse conditions, the basic coupling method is found to produce unstable behavior. A stabilization method for adjusting CFD data is laid out and found to significantly improve the method’s performance under the most challenging conditions. Recommendations are laid out for further improving the coupling via advanced time stepping methods.