cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Brief announcement: locality-aware load balancing for speculatively-parallelized irregular applications

Load balancing is an important consideration when running data-parallel programs. While traditional techniques trade off the cost of load imbalance with the overhead of mitigating that imbalance, when speculatively parallelizing amorphous data-parallel applications, we must also consider the effects of load balancing decisions on locality and speculation accuracy. We present two data centric load balancing strategies which account for the intricacies of amorphous data-parallel execution. We implement these strategies as schedulers in the Galois system and demonstrate that they outperform traditional load balancing schedulers, as well as a data-centric, non-load-balancing scheduler.
Osteophilic multilayer coatings for accelerated bone tissue growth

Osteophilic modular nanostructured multilayers containing hydroxyapatite nanoparticles complexed with a natural polymer chitosan create an osteoconductive surface for mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). Coupled with the sustained release of physiological amounts of osteoinductive bone morphogenetic protein over several days from degradable poly(β-amino ester) based multilayers, this single coating results in a synergistic accelerated and upregulated differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts laying down new bone tissue on orthopedic implants.
Role of electrodiagnosis in patients being considered for epidural steroid injections

Electrodiagnostic (EDX) evaluation, and, more specifically, electromyography (EMG), has a well-established role in the diagnostic confirmation of cervical and lumbar radiculopathy. The role of EMG in prognostication, however, is less established and remains a topic of debate. The purpose of this article is to evaluate the diagnostic and prognosticating role of EMG in cervical and lumbar radiculopathies, and to assess the utility of EMG in predicting outcomes after epidural steroid injections (ESI). A review of the existing literature strongly supports a prognosticating role for EDX in predicting outcomes after lumbar ESI in lumbosacral radiculopathies (LSR). Although limited research regarding outcome prediction after cervical ESI in cervical radiculopathies has been performed, no study has specifically evaluated the utility of EMG in predicting outcomes for cervical ESI, and this topic requires further investigation. An EDX evaluation can provide clinicians with accurate and reliable diagnostic information (level I or level II evidence) in the evaluation of patients with lumbosacral radiculopathies, and can provide more valid prognostic information (level I evidence) regarding potential benefits of lumbar ESI. An EDX evaluation, therefore, can enhance a clinician's ability to advise patients on the most appropriate and efficacious evaluation and management plan for the treatment of painful radiculopathies.
Control of Infectious Synovitis 5. Continuous and Intermittent Feeding of Chlortetracycline and Furazolidone

Abstract CERTAIN of the antibacterial drugs have been used with success in controlling the infectious synovitis virus. In general, their action as studied in chicks has been viristatic rather than viricidal. Therefore, the continuous medication has been expensive but more effective than medication for short periods of time. The reports by Munro et al. (1956), Shelton et al. (1956), Cosgrove and Coffin (1956), Cosgrove (1957), Cover et al. (1956), Olson et al. (1957), Olson and Shelton (1957), Shelton et al. (1958), Thayer et al. (1958) and Wills and Delaplane (1955) have contained results pertaining to the use of furazolidone in the prevention or treatment of infectious synovitis in chickens. Many of these reports contain results using chlortetracycline. A critical evaluation of the comparative efficacy of chlortetracycline and furazolidone seemed possible using an intermittent feeding program. This is a report of laboratory studies using these drugs on a continuous and intermittent basis …
Negative findings revisited: Implications for social work practice and education

This paper draws upon practice-related research experiences in both education and psychotherapy to suggest several implications and directions for efforts in evaluating social work practice. In so doing, recommendations also are developed regarding the responsibility of the social work practitioner to do research on social work practice, and the responsibility of graduate schools of social work to better prepare the practitioner to perform this research production function.
Public Participation in the Fight Against Corruption

ABSTRACT The promotion of national integrity is an integral process in successfully implementing public sector reforms, especially those targeted at minimizing corruption. Efforts to promote sustainable and equitable development are undermined if levels of integrity are not enhanced and corruption reduced. While each country and region is unique in its history and culture, political system, and stage of economic and social development, similarities in national integrity systems exist and lessons learned are often transferable. Furthermore, the promotion of a national integrity system and the fight against corruption must be as politically inclusive and citizen-friendly as circumstances allow.
Incumbent ideology, district ideology, and candidate entry in U.S. congressional elections, 1954–2008

Abstract This paper investigates the role of incumbent ideology on quality candidate entry in U.S. congressional elections. Looking at district ideology, the analysis shows that members of the House and Senate face different ideological incentives in terms of opponent quality. For officials from highly ideological districts, greater ideological extremity is advantageous as it discourages strong opponents. For members from cross pressured districts, however, greater extremity may increase the likelihood of facing a strong opponent. Although the magnitude of these findings vary by party, they illustrate that incumbents face diverging ideological motivations in terms of discouraging strong challengers based on the ideology of their district.
Supplement to a Monograph of the Lacciferidae (Tachardiinae) or Lac Insects (Homopt., Coccidae)

Since the appearance in the pages of this Journal in 1923 of the monograph above alluded to,* there has come to the attention of the author certain nomenclatorial changes, errors, additions and criticisms which seem to justify treatment in a supplementary fashion.
Static and kinetic studies of polystyrene/poly(vinylmethylether) blends

A systematic study of static and kinetic phase behavior of deuterated polystyrene/poly(vinylmethylether) blends is presented in this paper. The static properties are studied by the small angle neutron scattering techniques and the kinetics of phase decomposition are studied by the temperature jump light scattering; technique. This procedure provides detailed information about phase behavior with regard to both thermodynamics and kinetics.
Growth on and Catabolism of Pourine Degradation Intermediates by Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] Cell Suspension Cultures

Summary Soybean cell suspension cultures grown on NH 4 + /NO 3 − as nitrogen source produce the ureides, allantoin and allantoic acid. We adapted cell suspensions to grow on these ureides and the purine degradation intermediates, inosine-5′-monophosphate (IMP) and uric acid, as sole nitrogen sources. The purine degradation inhibitors, allopurinol and allantoxanamide, blocked growth of the cell suspensions on intermediates prior to, but not after, the point of inhibition in the purine degradation pathway (the enzymes xanthine dehydrogenase and uricase, respectively). Both inhibitors also blocked incorporation of label from 14 C-labelled IMP into allantoin and allantoic acid. Ureide synthesis via purine degradation in the cell suspensions is generally similar to that reported for whole plant tissues, with the exception that IMP is degraded in the culture medium directly to hypoxanthine, rather than intracellularly to xanthine. The cell cultures described may be a useful system to study plant purine metabolism.
A Finite Element Analysis of Coupling Between Water Absorption and Swelling of Foodstuffs During Soaking

Most foodstuffs are viscoelastic in nature and they experience volume change when soaked. Moisture transport affects the volume change of foodstuffs in a soaking process and vice versa. Studies of soaking of foodstuffs that involve rigorous two way coupling between simultaneous moisture transport and large viscoelastic deformation of the material are missing, to the best of the authors’ knowledge. In this article, these two important phenomena, i.e., swelling and moisture transport during a soaking process of foodstuffs are coupled non-empirically based on a fundamental mathematical model developed by Zhu et al. (Transp Porous Media 84:335–369, 2010). A finite element analysis is performed to study boiling of plane sheet pasta at 100°C. This coupling of the transport and deformation problems is carried out using a Newton scheme based on a Lagrangian description of the spatial domains. In this study, the dependence of relaxation modulus of pasta on the moisture content is investigated, starting from data in the literature, and it is found from the results that pasta can be considered as a hydro-rheologically simple viscoelastic material as analogous to a thermo-rheologically simple material. A novel theoretically determined expression of the diffusion coefficient is also used to completely separate the viscoelastic effect from diffusion. Sorption curves are calculated and the predictions agree well with experimental results obtained by Cafieri et al. (J Cereal Sci 48:857–862, 2008). Thickness change of plane sheet pasta and the stress field at different times are also calculated. The numerical model presented here can be successfully used to predict simultaneous moisture migration and swelling of viscoelastic food materials during a soaking process.
A nonelectrical incubator for developing countries

A nonelectrical human incubator for premature infants has been designed and built for use in rural areas of developing nations where electricity is not readily available. This incubator may be operated using kerosine or gas as the source of energy. The unit uses an automatic self-activating regulator which controls the flow of hot water through a simple heat exchanger; the air in the incubator is heated by natural convection, and the humidity is adjusted by water evaporation. The temperature inside the incubator can be maintained to within±0·3°C of the desired level. The unit operates for extended periods of time with little or no supervision.
Raped calculation of detectability in Bayesian SPECT

To speed up the laborious process of optimizing and comparing SPECT imaging systems, computational methods using model observers can be used to predict human performance in the context of a lesion detection task. We address the case of SPECT images reconstructed by Bayesian MAP methods and the use of a channelized Hotelling observer (CHO) for a detection task. It is possible to write a closed-form theoretical expression to evaluate an image quality figure-of-merit (FOM) for this case. The evaluation of this FOM expression is intractably computationally intensive due, it turns out, to the nature of attenuation and depth-dependent blur in SPECT. We make several approximations that make this computation tractable, and validate our new expressions using Monte-Carlo simulations.
The earliest sense of self and others: Merleau‐Ponty and recent developmental studies

Abstract Recent studies in developmental psychology have found evidence to suggest that there exists an innate system that accounts for the possibilities of early infant imitation and the existence of phantom limbs in cases of congenital absence of limbs. These results challenge traditional assumptions about the status and development of the body schema and body image, and about the nature of the translation process between perceptual experience and motor ability. Merleau‐Ponty, who was greatly influenced by his study of developmental psychology, and whose phenomenology of perception was closely tied to the concept of the body schema, accepted these traditional assumptions. They also informed his philosophical conclusions concerning the experience of self and others. We re‐examine issues involved in understanding self and others in light of the more recent research in developmental psychology. More specifically our re‐examination challenges a number of Merleau‐Ponty's conclusions and suggests, in contrast...
Control of nanosilver sintering attained through organic binder burnout

Control of the low-temperature sintering of nanosilver particles was attained by dispersing and stabilizing nanosilver particles into a paste form using the selected organic binder systems. As demonstrated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), with the existing binder systems, undesirable premature coalescence of nanosilver particles was prevented and the metastable structure was retained until the binder burned out at relatively higher temperatures. Enhanced densification was achieved upon the binder burnout because at the relatively higher temperatures the densification mechanisms, e.g., grain-boundary or lattice diffusion, become more dominant. We propose that the onset of sintering, extent of densification, and final grain size can be controlled by either the size of the initial nanosilver particles or the binder systems with different burnout characteristics.
Analysis of reorganization overhead in log-structured file systems

In a log-structured file system (LFS), in general each block written to disk causes another disk block to become invalid data, resulting in one block of free space. Over time free disk space becomes highly fragmented, and a high level of dynamic reorganization may be required to coalesce free blocks into physically contiguous areas that subsequently can be used for logs. By consuming available disk bandwidth, this reorganization can degrade system performance. In a segmented disk LFS organization, the copy-and-compact reorganization method reads entire segments and then writes back all valid blocks. Other methods, suggested by earlier work on reduction of storage fragmentation for non-LFS disks, may access far fewer blocks (at the cost of increased CPU time). An analytic model is used to evaluate the effects on available disk bandwidth of dynamic reorganization, as a function of the read/write ratio, storage utilization, and degree of data movement required by dynamic reorganization for steady-state operation. It is shown that decreasing reorganization overhead can have dramatic effects on available disk bandwidth. >
Direct Planetary Perturbations of the Moon (The Adams Prize Paper)

Brown gave his full account of the derivation of the direct planetary perturbations of the Moon, not in his Theory of the Motion of the Moon, but in a separate treatise entitled The Inequalities in the Motion of the Moon due to the Direct Action of the Planets.
Lasting recognition of threatening people by wild American crows

While many domestic and laboratory animals recognize familiar humans, such ability in wild animals is only anecdotally known. Here we demonstrate experimentally that a cognitively advanced, social bird, the American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, quickly and accurately learns to recognize the face of a dangerous person and continues to do so for at least 2.7 years. We exposed wild crows to a novel ‘dangerous face’ by wearing a unique face mask as we trapped, banded and released 7–15 birds at five sites near Seattle, WA, U.S.A. After trapping, crows consistently used harsh vocalizations to scold and mob people of different sizes, ages, genders and walking gaits who wore the dangerous mask, even when they were in crowds. In contrast, prior to trapping, few crows scolded people who wore the dangerous mask. Furthermore, after trapping, few crows scolded trappers who wore no mask or who wore a mask that had not been worn during trapping. In a fully crossed, balanced experiment in which each site had a unique trapping (dangerous) mask and five neutral masks, crows scolded and mobbed a mask more when it was the dangerous mask at that site than when it was a neutral mask at another site. When simultaneously presented with a person in the dangerous mask and a person in the neutral mask, crows typically ignored the neutral mask and followed and scolded the person wearing the dangerous mask. Risky, aggressive scolding by crows was sensitive to variable costs across study sites; aggression was less where people persecuted crows most. We suggest that conditioned and observational learning of specific threats may allow local bird behaviours to include aversions to individual people.
Bacille Calmette-Guérin Vaccination for the Prevention of Tuberculosis in Health Care Workers

For 60 years vaccination with bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) has been used for the prevention of tuberculosis in health care workers. In 1988 the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices removed the category of health care worker from the list of persons for whom vaccination with BCG should be considered. Nosocomial epidemics of tuberculosis, especially those caused by multidrug-resistant strains, have led to the reconsideration of vaccination with BCG for this population. We review the available studies of the efficacy of BCG vaccine in health care workers. Although the studies had too many methodological flaws to be combined in a quantitative meta-analysis, they suggest that vaccination with BCG is effective in reducing the incidence of tuberculosis among health care workers.
Practical Subgrade Model for Improved Soil-Structure Interaction Analysis: Model Development

This note outlines the theoretical development of a new subgrade model with inherent spring coupling called the modified Kerr-Reissner (MK-R) model. The MK-R model is a novel hybrid that synergistically combines the advantages of mechanical and simplified-continuum subgrade models with the specific objective of producing a model that is straightforward to implement in routine practice.
Recent Results from the K2K Experiment

Abstract The K2K experiment has collected approximately half of its allocated protons on target between June of 1999 and July of 2001. These proceedings give a short introduction to the experiment and summarize some of the recent results.
Elicitation of Cooperation by Retaliatory and Nonretaliatory Strategies in a Mixed-Motive Game

The relative effectiveness of pacifistic and retaliatory strategies in eliciting cooperating in a mixed-motive game is unclear due to confounded manipulations of these strategies and inadequate experimental designs in earlier research. In an attempt at clarification, subjects in the present studies were exposed to opponents programmed with one of three strategies: nonretaliatory (pacifist), low retaliatory, or high retaliatory. A multivariate analysis of repeated measures in experiment 1 revealed an effect of strategies and an interaction of strategies by trial blocks. The low retaliatory strategy elicited the most cooperative behavior, the high retaliatory next, and the nonretaliatory least, these differences increasing over trials.
Dissociation of GLUT4 Translocation and Insulin-Stimulated Glucose Transport in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing GLUT1 in Skeletal Muscle

Overexpression of the human GLUT1 glucose transporter protein in skeletal muscle of transgenic mice results in large increases in basal glucose transport and metabolism, but impaired stimulation of glucose transport by insulin, contractions, or hypoxia (Gulve, E. A., Ren, J.-M., Marshall, B. A., Gao, J., Hansen, P. A., Holloszy, J. O. , and Mueckler, M. (1994) J. Biol. Chem. 269, 18366-18370). This study examined the relationship between glucose transport and cell-surface glucose transporter content in isolated skeletal muscle from wild-type and GLUT1-overexpressing mice using 2-deoxyglucose, 3-O-methylglucose, and the 2-N-[4-(1-azi-2,2, 2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl]-1,3-bis(D-mannos-4-yloxy)-2-propyl amine exofacial photolabeling technique. Insulin (2 milliunits/ml) stimulated a 3-fold increase in 2-deoxyglucose uptake in extensor digitorum longus muscles of control mice (0.47 +/- 0.07 micromol/ml/20 min in basal muscle versus 1.44 micromol/ml/20 min in insulin-stimulated muscle; mean +/- S.E.). Insulin failed to increase 2-deoxyglucose uptake above basal rates in muscles overexpressing GLUT1 (4.00 +/- 0.40 micromol/ml/20 min in basal muscle versus 3.96 +/- 0.37 micromol/ml/20 min in insulin-stimulated muscle). A similar lack of insulin stimulation in muscles overexpressing GLUT1 was observed using 3-O-methylglucose. However, the magnitude of the insulin-stimulated increase in cell-surface GLUT4 photolabeling was nearly identical (approximately 3-fold) in wild-type and GLUT1-overexpressing muscles. This apparently normal insulin-stimulated translocation of GLUT4 in GLUT1-overexpressing muscle was confirmed by immunoelectron microscopy. Our findings suggest that GLUT4 activity at the plasma membrane can be dissociated from the plasma membrane content of GLUT4 molecules and thus suggest that the intrinsic activity of GLUT4 is subject to regulation.
Multidisciplinary teaming model sensitivity to curriculum revisions

The sensitivity of a fine-grid model for assessing the ABET outcome of multidisciplinary teaming experiences is evaluated with respect to curriculum revisions resulting in changes both in course content and student majors in a senior controls class. This paper describes improvement for this outcome even when two underlying model assumptions have been varied in the fourth year of the study. The fine-grid model itself features five levels of possible accomplishments for each of the five components of project selection, use of skill sets, team dynamics, faculty mentoring, and project reporting. The five levels range from very limited activity (Level 1) to a highly developed capability (Level 5) similar to the ABET chart used to assess the overall continuous improvement process. The contributions of this paper are determining the model sensitivity to changes in course content and student majors, identifying the model attributes and experiences, and describing procedures that show continuous improvement.
Attitudes Toward Bisexual Women and Men: Current Research, Future Directions

Abstract This article describes research on attitudes toward bisexual women and men. The authors describe types of attitudes toward bisexual individuals in terms of heterosexism, questions of authenticity, focus on sexuality, concerns about loyalty, and positive attitudes. Empirical research pertaining to these attitudes is summarized, and the results of survey, psychometric, experimental, and analogue studies are described. Recommendations for future research on attitudes regarding bisexuality are identified in the areas of conceptualization and measurement of attitudes, attitudes in communities and interpersonal relationships, and interventions designed to change attitudes. The authors conclude by discussing ways in which research on attitudes toward bisexual women and men can benefit from and extend knowledge gained through research on attitudes toward lesbians and gay men.
Presurgical Language Mapping

Neurosurgical procedures for tumors or intractable epilepsy are often accompanied by risk to postoperative cognitive function; surgery in the left temporal or frontal lobes, for example, can place language functions at risk. Hence, prior to tissue extraction, one common surgical goal is to attempt to identify frontal and temporal regions that should be spared in order to preserve language function. We describe how basic research on false memory for word lists has led to a novel approach for identifying such language-related regions in healthy controls. That is, rapid presentation of semantically related words (e.g., bed, rest, awake) and phonologically related words (e.g., peep, weep, heap) with instructions to attend to relations among the words elicits activity in underlying language networks. Furthermore, it is often possible to identify the neural underpinnings of these networks in an individual person in about an hour of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) scanning. We conclude by suggesting...
Microsatellite DNA markers for kinship analysis and genetic mapping in red drum, Sciaenops ocellatus (Sciaenidae, Teleostei)

Thirty-eight nuclear-encoded microsatellites were isolated from the marine fish Sciaenops ocellatus (red drum). The species is of economic importance in the southeastern United States, and declines in abundance have led to augmentation of the ‘wild’ fishery with hatchery-raised fingerlings. The microsatellites will be useful for studies designed to assess larval/juvenile recruitment of hatchery-raised individuals at varying spatial and temporal scales and for assessment of genetic components contributing to variation in performance and survival of hatchery-produced fingerlings in the wild. The microsatellites also will prove useful as ‘anchor’ loci in constructing a genetic map.
Tagging and searching: Search retrieval effectiveness of folksonomies on the World Wide Web

Many Web sites have begun allowing users to submit items to a collection and tag them with keywords. The folksonomies built from these tags are an interesting topic that has seen little empirical research. This study compared the search information retrieval (IR) performance of folksonomies from social bookmarking Web sites against search engines and subject directories. Thirty-four participants created 103 queries for various information needs. Results from each IR system were collected and participants judged relevance. Folksonomy search results overlapped with those from the other systems, and documents found by both search engines and folksonomies were significantly more likely to be judged relevant than those returned by any single IR system type. The search engines in the study had the highest precision and recall, but the folksonomies fared surprisingly well. Del.icio.us was statistically indistinguishable from the directories in many cases. Overall the directories were more precise than the folksonomies but they had similar recall scores. Better query handling may enhance folksonomy IR performance further. The folksonomies studied were promising, and may be able to improve Web search performance.
The multi-dimensionality of computer-based monitoring in the workplace

Computer-based monitoring involves using computer systems to collect performance information on employees. Most accounts of monitoring in early empirical investigations treat it undimensionally. In a multiple-case study, it was found that monitoring is more beneficially viewed as a multidimensional practice. Different companies implement it differently, and each company uses the information it gathers through monitoring in a different way in the formal performance evaluation process. These differences appear to be related to how employees feel about monitoring and whether productivity or customer service is more important in their jobs. >
Corrosion product identification and relative rates of corrosion of candidate metals in an irradiated air-steam environment

The US Department of Energy, through its Office of Civilian Radioactive Waste Management, is conducting the Yucca Mountain Project. The purpose of this project is to determine the suitability of Yucca Mountain, in southern Nevada, as a location for a high level nuclear waste repository. Previously reported work by others indicates that dicopper trihydroxide nitrate, Cu{sub 2}NO{sub 3}(OH){sub 3}, forms on copper and copper alloys subjected to irradiated moist air near room temperature. The authors have performed experiments over a range of temperature and humidity, and have found that this species is formed at temperatures up to at least 150C if low to intermediate relative humidities are present. At 150C and 100% relative humidity, only Cu{sub 2}O and CuO were observed. The relative general corrosion rates of the copper materials tested in 1-month experiments at dose rates of 0.7 and 2.0 kGy/h were Cu > 70/30 Cu-Ni > Al-bronze. High-nickel alloy 825 showed no observable corrosion.
A systematic error analysis of robotic manipulators: application to a high performance medical robot

A systematic methodology to calculate the end-effector position and orientation errors of a robotic manipulator is presented. The method treats the physical error sources in a unified manner during the system's design so that the effect they have on the end-effector positioning accuracy can be compared and the dominant sources identified. Based on this methodology, a computer program has been developed that can perform the error analysis on any serial link manipulator. This methodology and the software are applied here to the error analysis of a six degree of freedom high performance medical manipulator, for positioning in proton therapy.
Novel catheter positioning technique for atretic pulmonary valve perforation

Percutaneous pulmonary valve perforation in selected neonates with pulmonary valve atresia and intact ventricular septum has been well established as a therapeutic option. Pulmonary valve perforation is associated with significant risks including perforation of the right ventricle. Optimal catheter positioning is crucial to the success of the procedure. This report describes a novel technique for accurate positioning of a guiding catheter during perforation of an atretic pulmonary valve. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Comparing health system performance in OECD countries. Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

We present data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the World Health Organization on the performance of the health care systems in twenty-nine industrialized countries in 1998. We also compare the performance of the United States with the other industrialized countries for selected indicators in 1960, 1980, and 1998. On most indicators the U.S. relative performance declined since 1960; on none did it improve.
A classification model for allergic contact dermatitis

A classification model based on 36 compounds inducing allergic contact dermatitis and 36 non-allergens was developed by the discriminant technique of two-value multiple regression analysis. One outlier was observed and several of the compounds fell in the indeterminate region between the classes. Based on variable results of clinical data (human and animal), some overlap in the model was considered more reasonable than perfect separation. The descriptors in this model clearly imply intercellular transport (LogP derived) and various forms of binding (London forces [MR] and hydrogen-bonding [HBA, HBD]) as part of the allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) response mechanism. In addition, substructure descriptors related to the epidermal reactivity of the ACD inducers were statistically important. These include directly reactive functional groups from haptens and metabolizable precursor groups of prohaptens. The model was developed from carefully selected compounds of diverse structure, representing a broad range of hapten and prohapten substructures without undue molecular complexity. Validation of the model is in progress on a broad range of molecular structures far beyond those used in construction.
It is time to revise our approach to registering antimicrobial agents for health care settings

• In this manuscript, we provide a critical assessment of the process that is currently used by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to register antimicrobial products and focus on the recent registration of copper and copper alloys as antimicrobial surfaces.
STIMULATION OF HEPATIC ACETALDEHYDE UPTAKE IN PERFUSED RAT LIVER BY FRUCTOSE

Uptake of acetaldehyde in the perfused liver was linear at acetaldehyde concentrations between 0.08 and l. O mM. The intramitochondrial pyridine nucleotide redox state increased as a function of the rate of acetaldehyde uptake. Fructose stimulated acetaldehyde uptake proportionally to the basal rate of acetaldehyde uptake. Concomitantly, fructose accelerated glucose synthesis and oxygen uptake. These results indicate that addition of fructose increased hepatic acetaldehyde metabolism by increasing the availability of NAD+. This is similar to the mechanism described for the stimulation of hepatic ethanol metabolism by fructose (9). Thus, acetaldehyde metabolism by liver is limited, at least in part, by the concentration of acetaldehyde, and by the rate at which pyridine nucleotides are reoxidized.
Reply to Wiebe et al.

The intent of our 2014 article titled “Moving Through MOOCs: Understanding the Progression of Users in MOOCs” was to present evidence and to stimulate evidence-based discussion about the progression of users through MOOCs. It is then a pleasure to respond to those who reacted to the article. Most attention in our response is given to the fit between questions that are asked and the limitations on data that are available to address them, and to the analytic strategies that one might adapt to understand the data and its implications.
Field drying plant material collected for chemical and biological screening. I. Portable facility for sun drying

A 16 × 35-ft tarpaulin supported by rope and posts is used to protect drying plant samples from rain and dew. The tarpaulin can be quickly lowered in place when showers threaten and provide space below for circulation of air.
Trauma Theory and Biblical Studies

Since the early 2000s, several scholars have explored the use of trauma theory as an interpretive lens to understand some of the most difficult and painful texts in the Bible. The use of trauma the...
Effects of induced parturition and early obstetrical assistance in beef cattle.

Pregnant crossbred beef females (33 second-calf cows and 73 primiparous heifers) bred to a single Hereford sire were assigned to a 2(3) factorial study involving age of dam, natural (NP) or induced (IP) parturition and late emergency (LA) or forced early (EA) obstetrical assistance. Parturition was induced with 10 mg flumethazone given i.m. between 1400 and 1600 on d 272 of gestation; EA was given when the cervix and birth canal were fully dilated. Average IP occurred 39.6 h postinjection, and 95.3% of the treated dams responded within 60 h postinjection; gestation was shortened 2.9 d (P approximately equal to .07). Dystocia score (from 1 = no assist to 4 = major traction required and 5 = abnormal presentation) was 1.12 vs 2.40 for LA and EA, respectively (P less than .01), and 11% of LA vs 84% of EA were assisted. Calf vigor score (1 = normal to 3 = severely depressed or dying) at birth was 1.3 for NP and 1.1 for IP (P approximately equal to .06) and 1.3 for EA and 1.1 for LA (P less than .05). This effect of EA was due to reduced vigor of calves experiencing abnormal presentation. Birth weights (BW) and weaning weights (WW) of calves from cows exceeded those from heifers (32.6 vs 30.8 kg, P less than .05; 210.9 vs 156.3 kg, P less than .01, respectively). Differences due to IP and EA in BW, WW, postpartum interval and conception rate were not significant, but weight gain of calves from EA dams tended (P approximately equal to .09) to be greater than weight gain of calves from LA dams.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Community Mapping As A Solution To Digital Equity

The digital divide is the gap between those who can effectively use informa¬tion and communication tools, such as the Internet, and those who cannot (Benton Foundation 2003). The drive for digital equity is inspired by the need to close this gap and to improve access for those who are “digitally divorced” or excluded.
A Query Processing Framework for Array-Based Computations

Current scientific applications must analyze enormous amounts of array data using complex mathematical data processing methods. This paper describes a distributed query processing framework for large-scale scientific data analysis that captures array-based computations using SQL-like queries and optimizes and evaluates these computations using state-of-the-art parallel processing algorithms. Instead of providing a library of concrete distributed algorithms that implement certain matrix operations efficiently, we generalize these algorithms by making them parametric in such a way that the same efficient implementations that apply to the concrete algorithms can also apply to their generic counterparts. By specifying matrix operations as generic algebraic operators, we are able to perform inter-operator optimizations, such as fusing matrix transpose with matrix multiplication, resulting to new instantiations of the generic algebraic operators, without having to introduce new efficient algorithms on the fly. We evaluate the effectiveness of our framework by measuring the performance improvement of matrix factorization when evaluated with inter-operator optimization.
Cardiac Ultrasound in Acute Coronary Syndromes

Acute coronary syndrome (ACS) presents a diagnostic, management, and prognostic challenge to even the most experienced clinicians. The role of cardiac ultrasound in ACS also changes frequently, with two distinct modalities used to assist in diagnosis and management of ACS—transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) and focused cardiac ultrasound (FoCUS). We will review the latest updates in both the cardiology and emergency medicine literature regarding the role of cardiac ultrasound in ACS as well as how to perform basic FoCUS. The American College of Cardiology (ACC) and American Heart Association (AHA) most recent guidelines released in 2014 reaffirm the role of TTE in diagnosis and management of ACS at all stages. FoCUS has been traditionally limited to excluding other causes of suspected ACS (pulmonary embolism, aortic dissection, cardiac tamponade). However, recent studies have demonstrated that emergency medicine physician-performed FoCUS can evaluate systolic and diastolic function and regional wall motion abnormalities. Cardiac ultrasound in ACS has a myriad of roles with diagnostic, management, and prognostic implications. Both comprehensive TTE performed and interpreted by cardiology and FoCUS performed by the ED clinician have a place in medical decision-making. The current role of FoCUS is to assist in ruling out other causes of suspected ACS. Further research will be needed to delineate if FoCUS can effectively take on more advanced diagnostic and therapeutic roles that are performed by TTE.
Thinking Like a Lawyer: An Introduction to Legal Reasoning (Chapter 5)

This is Chapter Five of the second edition of "Thinking Like a Lawyer: An Introduction to Legal Reasoning," which updates the first edition published in 1996. The goal of the book is to describe in a systematic and rigorous way the process by which lawyers use rules, policies, and facts to construct arguments about the rights and duties that they believe a court would find to exist in a given situation. It also considers how a court might evaluate these arguments. The book may be used in connection with a law school legal methods course or a course in legal reasoning offered at the undergraduate or graduate level.Chapter Five describes the process by which lawyers use deduction and analogy to apply the law to facts. It builds on earlier chapters, which discuss identifying the applicable law, analyzing statutes and cases, synthesizing the law into a structure of rules, and researching the facts. Later chapters describe a systematic approach to making policy arguments, including discussions of the choices between formalism and instrumentalism, naturalism and positivism, and the individual and the community, and they place contemporary mainstream legal reasoning in a historical context. An Appendix offers law students advice on briefing cases, participating in a Socratic dialogue, outlining a course, and taking a law school exam – linking each of these tasks to the larger discussion in the text.Although the essential approach of the book remains unchanged from that taken in the first edition published 18 years ago, the chapters have been reorganized and new sections have been added on contemporary schools of legal thought, the role of cognitive bias in decision making, and the mechanics of both the legislative and the judicial process.
Purification of Mycoplasma-Like Organisms from Lettuce Affected with Aster Yellows Agent

A technique was developed to partially purify the mycoplasma-like organisms (MLOs) associated with the aster yellows disease (AY). Young lettuce plants were inoculated with AY by the vector leafhopper (Macrosteles fascifrons) and kept in the greenhouse. Symptomatic diseased plants were harvested and the leaf veins were isolated and homogenized in an isolation medium consisting of mannitol, MOPs and PVP buffer, and followed by a low and high speed centrifugation. The pellet was resuspended and laid on a discontinuous density gradient which contained sucrose, percoll and MOPs. After centrifugation at 14,000 x g for 25 min, the AY-MLO fraction was collected. Removal of percoll was carried out by centrifuging the fraction at 100,000 × g for 2 h. Electron microscopy of the purified preparation showed high density of MLOs with well preserved cellular organelles identical to those observed in the phloem of diseased plants. This purification method, which permitted rapid separation of AY-MLO from plant materials under isoosmotic and low viscosity condition, may also be adapted for the purification of other plant MLOs.
VISUAL AND ANATOMICAL OUTCOMES AFTER DIABETIC TRACTION AND TRACTION-RHEGMATOGENOUS RETINAL DETACHMENT REPAIR.

PURPOSE To evaluate visual and anatomical outcomes of diabetic tractional retinal detachment repaired with pars plana vitrectomy. METHODS Operative records were used to retrospectively identify all patients with tractional retinal detachments secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy surgically repaired with pars plana vitrectomy between November 1, 2009, and January 1, 2015 at the LAC + USC (Los Angeles County + University of Southern California) Medical Center. RESULTS A total of 403 eyes with diabetic tractional retinal detachment in 359 patients were included. Successful reattachment of the retina was achieved in 87.6% of eyes after one surgery and 92.6% of eyes at the final follow-up. Best-corrected visual acuity at the final follow-up improved two or more lines in 56.3% of eyes, was stable in 23.8% of eyes, and decreased two or more lines in 19.9% of eyes. Eyes repaired with 23-gauge and 25-gauge vitrectomy systems had similar success rates as eyes treated with 20-gauge instrumentation (P = 0.73). Eyes receiving silicone oil tamponade had lower single-surgery reattachment rates (77.6% vs. 87.6%; P = 0.013), lower reattachment rates at the final follow-up (85.7% vs. 92.6%; P = 0.048), and higher rates of vision loss (34.7% vs. 19.9%; P < 0.0001) but were more likely to have concurrent rhegmatogenous detachment (47.0% vs. 21.3%; P < 0.0001) and macula involving detachment (74.5% vs. 60.0%; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION In this large, single-center retrospective study of patients with advanced diabetic tractional retinal detachment, vitrectomy achieved excellent anatomical outcome and improved or stabilized vision in 80.1% of eyes. Smaller gauge vitrectomy systems were found to have similar outcomes to 20-gauge instrumentation.
Transmission of Puccinia carduorum by the Musk Thistle Herbivores, Cassida rubiginosa (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Trichosirocalus horridus and Rhinocyllus conicus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

An autoecious rust fungus, Puccinia carduorum Jacky (Uredinales), imported from Turkey has been introduced for the biological control of musk thistle in Virginia. Studies were conducted to determine if this rust can be transmitted by the three thistle herbivores, Cassida rubiginosa Muller (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), Trichosirocalus horridus (Panzer), and Rhinocyllus conicus Froelich (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Fifty adults of each species were introduced to diseased plants and subsequently transferred to healthy test plants. Fifty adults introduced on and transferred to rust-free plants served as control. Spore dispersal by adults of the three coleopteran species was confirmed. Under greenhouse conditions, pustules developed within two weeks on some test plants where spore-carrying insects were introduced. Most of the urediniospores were observed on setae of legs of all adults.
Adaptive Fault Detection In Multi-tenancy Saas Systems

This chapter discusses combinatorial testing in multi-tenancy Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) system. SaaS often uses multi-tenancy architecture (MTA) where tenant developers compose their applications online using the components stored in the SaaS database. Tenant applications need to be tested, and combinatorial testing can be used. While numerous combinatorial testing techniques are available, most of them produce static sequence of test configurations and their goal is often to provide sufficient coverage such as 2-way interaction coverage. But the goal of SaaS testing is to identify those compositions that are faulty for tenant applications. In this chapter, it proposes an adaptive test configuration generation algorithm called adaptive reasoning (AR) that can rapidly identify those faulty combinations so that those faulty combinations cannot be selected by tenant developers for composition. Whenever a new component is submitted to the SaaS database, the AR algorithm can be applied so that any faulty interactions with new components can be identified to continue to support future tenant applications.
On the goodput of flows in heterogeneous mobile networks

Abstract In practice heterogeneous networks comprising of diverse nodes need to operate efficiently under a wide range of node mobility and link quality regimes. In this paper, we propose algorithms to determine the goodput of flows in heterogeneous mobile networks. We consider a scenario where some network nodes operate as routers while others operate as flooders, based on the underlying forwarding policy. When a node operates as a router, it forwards packets based on the routing table as determined by the underlying routing algorithm and when it operates as a flooder, it broadcasts packets to all its neighbors. We begin with the case of a single network flow and demonstrate that the problem of determining the goodput is challenging even for this simple setting. We construct a Bayesian network, and propose an algorithm based on the sum-product algorithm to determine the exact goodput. We extend the proposed Bayesian network model for exact goodput calculation to feed forward networks with multiple flows. For a general network with multiple flows, the problem becomes more challenging. The difficulty of the problem stems from the fact that node pairs can forward traffic to one another, resulting in cyclical dependencies. We propose a fixed-point approximation to determine the goodput in this case. Finally, we present an application scenario, where we leverage the fixed-point approximation to design a forwarding strategy adaptive-flood that adapts seamlessly to varying networking conditions. We perform simulations and show that adaptive-flood can effectively classify individual nodes as routers/flooders, achieving performance equivalent to, and in some cases significantly better than that of network-wide routing or flooding alone.