cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investigation of the 2016 Linux TCP Stack Vulnerability at Scale

To combat blind in-window attacks against TCP, changes proposed in RFC 5961 have been implemented by Linux since late 2012. While successfully eliminating the old vulnerabilities, the new TCP implementation was reported in August 2016 to have introduced a subtle yet serious security flaw. Assigned CVE-2016-5696, the flaw exploits the challenge ACK rate limiting feature that could allow an off-path attacker to infer the presence/absence of a TCP connection between two arbitrary hosts, terminate such a connection, and even inject malicious payload. In this work, we perform a comprehensive measurement of the impact of the new vulnerability. This includes (1) tracking the vulnerable Internet servers, (2) monitoring the patch behavior over time, (3) picturing the overall security status of TCP stacks at scale. Towards this goal, we design a scalable measurement methodology to scan the Alexa top 1 million websites for almost 6 months. We also present how notifications impact the patching behavior, and compare the result with the Heartbleed and the Debian PRNG vulnerability. The measurement represents a valuable data point in understanding how Internet servers react to serious security flaws in the operating system kernel.
Secondary minerals associated with Lassen fumaroles and hot springs: Implications for martian hydrothermal deposits

The active hot springs, fumaroles, and mud pots of the southwestern Lassen hydrothermal system include various alteration environments, which produce a range of hydrothermal mineral assemblages. Analysis of water, mineral precipitates, altered sediment, and rock samples collected at and near these features at Sulphur Works, Bumpass Hell, Little Hot Springs Valley, and Growler and Morgan Hot Springs reveals conditions ranging from ~100 °C acid-sulfate fumaroles (e.g., Sulphur Works and Bumpass Hell) to near-neutral hot springs (e.g., Growler and Morgan), and includes both oxidizing and reducing conditions. Resulting hydrothermal minerals include a wide variety of sulfates (dominated by Al-sulfates, but also including Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ , Ca, Mg, and mixed-cation sulfates), sulfides (pyrite and marcasite), elemental sulfur, and smectite and kaolinite clays. Most altered samples contain at least one silica phase, most commonly quartz, but also including cristobalite, tridymite, and/or amorphous silica. Quartz and other silica phases are not as abundant in the less altered rock samples, thus their abundance in some hydrothermally altered sediment samples suggests a detrital origin, or formation by hydrothermal alteration (either modern or Pleistocene); this requires a high degree of diagenetic (or epigenetic) maturation. These results support a previously identified model that the Lassen hydrothermal system involves the de-coupling of a vapor phase (which becomes acidic as it oxidizes near the surface, producing acid-sulfate fumaroles at higher elevations at Sulphur Works and Bumpass Hell) from the residual near neutral thermal waters that emerge as hot springs at lower elevations (Growler and Morgan). Because both acid-sulfate fumarole and near-neutral sinter-producing hot springs have been invoked to explain the silica-rich deposits observed by the Mars Exploration Rover Spirit near Home Plate in the Columbia Hills on Mars, Lassen can serve as a useful terrestrial analog for comparison.
Upper Extremity Replantation

Traumatic amputation is a severe injury that is frequently encountered in orthopedic surgery. Motor vehicle collisions are the most common mechanism of traumatic amputations followed by industrial and agricultural accidents. Amputations are classified as partial or complete. A partial amputation is when the amputated part is still attached to the body by some bone, tissues, and/or muscle. A complete amputation is when the amputated part is severed from the body. Amputations can be further classified according to the degree of soft tissue, bone, nerve, and vascular injury. Patients should be assessed according to the Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) guidelines and resuscitated as necessary. A detailed history of the injury should be obtained including comorbidities, time of injury to establish ischemia time, coexisting injuries, and condition of amputated body part. Replantation should be undertaken emergently to minimize ischemia time and maximize clinical results.
Optimization of GaSb thermophotovoltaic diodes with metallic photonic crystal front-surface filters

A promising technology for waste-heat recovery applications is thermophotovoltaics (TPVs), which use photovoltaic diodes to convert thermal energy into electricity. The most commonly used TPV diode material is gallium antimonide (GaSb). Recently, GaSb TPV diodes were fabricated with front-surface metallic photonic crystal (MPhC) filters to more optimally convert the incident spectrum. This method showed promising initial results, in part due to a shifting of the photogenerated carriers away from the front-surface and into the device. In this paper, we use the Atlas-Silvaco software package to optimize the TPV diode structure for MPhCs. We investigate the addition of an intrinsic region in the device to take advantage of the shifted photogeneration profile from the MPhCs. This design allows for a 10% improvement in internal quantum at the peak MPhC transmission wavelength.
WCIS: a prototype for detecting zero-day attacks in web server requests

This work presents theWeb Classifying Immune System (WCIS) which is a prototype system to detect zero-day attacks against web servers by examining web server requests. WCIS is intended to work in conjunction with more traditional intrusion detection systems to detect new and emerging threats that are not detected by the traditional IDS database. WCIS is at its core an artificial immune system, but WCIS expands on the concept of artificial immune systems by adding a classifier for web server requests. This gives the system administrator more information about the nature of the detected threat which is not given by a traditional artificial immune system. This prototype system also seeks to improve the efficiency of an artificial immune system by employing back-end, batch processing so that WCIS can detect threats on higher capacity networks. This work shows that WCIS is able to achieve a high rate of accuracy at detecting and classifying attacks against web servers with very few false positives.
Duplication for the Sake of Producing More of the Same

The discussions presented in Part 2 revealed the true character of natural selection. It is not so much an advocator or mediator of heritable changes, but rather it is an extremely efficient policeman which conserves the vital base sequence of each gene contained in the genome. As long as one vital function is assigned to a single gene locus within the genome, natural selection effectively forbids the perpetuation of mutations affecting the active sites of a molecule. In the case of the enzyme locus, tolerable mutations might change the kinetic property such as pH optimum and Michaelis constant of the enzyme, but never the basic character. Therefore, the dihydro-orotase locus would forever remain the dihydro-orotase locus, and the β-galactosidase locus would remain the β-galactosidase locus.
Regeneration After Injury: Activation of Stem Cell Stress Response Pathways to Rapidly Repair Tissues

Stem cells play key roles in the development of tissues and maintain tissue homeostasis. Because of these properties a great deal of research is focused on exploiting tissue stem cells as a means to treat degenerative diseases. In fact recent advances in the derivation of tissue stem cell populations from embryonic stem (ES) cells or induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells hold great promise for the development of new therapies. Unfortunately much of this promise has not been fulfilled. An alternative approach is to examine the mechanisms by which tissues respond to injury and regenerate. In this chapter, we will discuss a number of different strategies that stem cells use to repair injured tissue that differ from the mechanisms that regulate homeostatic maintenance of the tissue. Although this discussion only touches on a few examples, each situation has direct implications for therapy development, which would suggest that tissue regeneration may be more complicated than transplanting ES- or iPS-derived stem cells into patients.
Recent Advances in the Thin-Layer Chromatography of Pesticides: A Review

Advances in the applications of thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance TLC for the separation, detection, identification, and determination of pesticides, other agrochemicals, and related compounds are reviewed for the period 2000-2002. Analyses are described for a variety of samples, such as food, biological, and environmental samples, and for residues of pesticides of various types, including insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides, belonging to different chemical classes. References are included for residue analysis, hydrophobicity studies, and the use of TLC and thin-layer radiochromatography for studies of pesticide metabolism, degradation, uptake, and related topics.
Transformational Learning in Higher Education Settings: A Case Study of “Teaching Teachers to Teach”

Transformational learning (TL) theory posits that adult students experience a disorienting dilemma and then engage in critical self-reflection (Mezirow, 1997). University faculty are often not pursuant toward improving andragogy skills, including utilizing TL. The purpose of this study is to determine if student achievement would increase if higher education faculty were trained to be better teachers in addition to being experts in their chosen field.
Lipid-Lowering Agents and Their Effects on Osteonecrosis: Pros and Cons

Osteonecrosis is a debilitating disease with many causes. It has been linked to processes that affect vascular perfusion to the bone. Systemic steroid use is a significant risk factor for the development of osteonecrosis. It is postulated that prolonged steroid use produces a hyperlipidemic state in patients and puts them at risk for osteonecrosis. The idea is that steroid use increases the fat content within the bone (most commonly the femoral head), resulting in increased intracortical pressure that may lead to sinusoidal collapse and osteonecrosis. Statins are lipid-lowering agents that dramatically reduce lipid levels in blood and tissues. They are widely used to prevent cardiovascular disease and have been shown to reduce the adverse effects of steroids on lipid metabolism as will be outlined in this chapter. As a result, the effect of lipid-lowering agents on the development and progression of osteonecrosis has been an interesting area of research.
Fast measurement of reflection matrix for deep imaging in highly scattering media based on optical coherence tomography (Conference Presentation)

Due to the multiple scattering of light in biomedical tissue, the imaging depth of conventional optical coherence tomography is limited to 1-2 millimeters. In this research, a reflection-matrix-method-based optical coherence tomography has been developed to extend the imaging depth into scattering medium. After obtaining the matrix, singular value decomposition and imaging reconstruction are carried out in the post-process to recover the target image beneath turbid media. Specifically, in order to speed up the matrix measurement and reduce the phase noises during the acquisition process, wide-field heterodyne detection is adopted in our system by using a high-speed lock-in camera.
Lower limb muscle activation and kinematics modifications of young healthy adults while pushing a variable resistance sled

Introduction: The XPO Trainer used in this research is a novel device which provides low rolling resistance at low speeds with an immediate and automatic proportional increase in resistance with increased speed. Purpose: To examine the impact of using the XPO Trainer on gait and neuromuscular activation at low and high speeds in young, seemingly healthy adults. Materials and Methods: This work consisted of 48 healthy adults (age: 25.07 ± 3.46 years, weight: 148.2 ± 25.96 lbs, height: 66.57 ± 4.14 inches). Each participant wore accelerometers/gyroscopes sensors around each wrist and ankle, chest, and low back and surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes on their dominant leg over the quadriceps (QUAD), hamstring (HAM), anterior tibialis (TA), and gastrocnemius (GA). To initiate the tasks, participants walked then ran 40 feet with and without the XPO Trainer sled. Subjects did a total of 3 trials per tasks (total of 12) with one minute of rest between tasks to reduce fatigue factor. The data from the EMG and Mobility Lab sensors were then processed and compared through the SPSS 24 system for a repeated-measures ANOVA. Results: EMG- The QUAD muscle exhibited a significantly higher muscle activation (p ≤ .05) between walk (45.39 ± 24.43) and walk push (74.40 ± 56.73) tasks. Gait Parameters- There was a significant modification (p ≤ .05) between the different gait variables and tasks, including cadence, gait speed, stride length and trunk velocity while pushing the sled. Conclusion/Clinical Relevance: With the XPO Trainer being a novel device, it is important to understand how it affects the activation and response for muscles during different activities before using it as a training tool. Understanding the effect this particular sled can provide on the different components of the (temporospatial) gait parameters and muscle activation is valuable for a clinically appropriate application to specific populations.
Guideline for paste extrusion 3D printing of slump-free ferrite inductor cores

Abstract Ceramic paste extrusion 3D printing has the potential to fabricate novel designs of ferrite inductors which could lead to size reduction of power electronic devices. An important requirement of paste feedstock is the ability to retention its shape under gravity after it is printed. To reduce time and energy consumption of a 3D printing process, it is useful to know the minimum required yield stress of feedstock to retain its shape. Due to lack of reported models that link the minimum required yield stress of feedstock to the target dimension of the feedstock, we explored slumping models in concrete industry for deciding the dimension-dependent minimum yield stress of the ferrite feedstock for UV-assisted 3D printing ferrite inductors. In this study, yield stress of the feedstock was affected by UV-curing time during 3D printing. With the selected model and the characterized relationship between yield stress and UV-curing time, a guideline was developed that prescribes the shortest UV curing time per print-layer from target dimensions of a slump-free ferrite core. Feasibility of the guideline was tested on two common commercial ferrite core structures.
High genetic diversity can contribute to extinction in small populations

Abstract Human-driven habitat fragmentation and loss has led to a proliferation of small and isolated plant and animal populations that may be threatened with extinction by genetic factors. The prevailing approach for managing these populations is to maintain high genetic diversity, which is often equated with fitness. Increasingly, this is being done using genetic rescue, where individuals from populations with high genetic diversity are translocated to small populations with high levels of inbreeding. However, the potentially negative consequences of this approach have recently been highlighted by the demise of the gray wolf population on Isle Royale, which only briefly recovered after genetic rescue by a migrant from the large mainland wolf population and then declined to the brink of extinction. Here, we use ecologically-motivated population genetic simulations to show that extinction risk in small populations is often increased by maximizing genetic diversity but is consistently decreased by minimizing deleterious variation. Surprisingly, we find that small populations that are founded or rescued by individuals from large populations with high genetic diversity have an elevated risk of extinction due to the high levels of recessive deleterious variation harbored by large populations. By contrast, we show that genetic rescue or founding from small or moderate-sized populations leads to decreased extinction risk due to greater purging of strongly deleterious variants. Our findings challenge the traditional conservation paradigm that focuses on genetic diversity in assessing extinction risk in favor of a new view that emphasizes minimizing deleterious variation. These insights have immediate implications for managing small and isolated populations in the increasingly fragmented landscape of the Anthropocene.
Development of Global Land Surface Phenology Product from Time Series of VIIRS Observations

Vegetation phenology is a sensitive indicator of biological responses to environmental change, and is readily observable and understandable to the public. Land Surface Phenology (LSP) derived from satellite data quantifies the seasonal dynamics of vegetation activity including phenological transition timing and greenness magnitude in vegetation communities. This paper presents the development of a global LSP product at a spatial resolution of 500m from daily observations of Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS). This product produces seven metrics of phenological timings and five metrics of phenological greenness. Spatial examination indicates that global VIIRS LSP reveals clear regular and irregular pattern across different geographical regions, ecosystems, and climate regimes. This VIIRS LSP product provides the continuity of MODIS land cover dynamics product.
Changing the Flow

One critical and ongoing challenge of groundwater management in Chino Basin has been balancing on one hand the need and desire to avoid excessive groundwater depletion and, on the other hand, the need to avoid exporting excessive and/or poor quality water from the basin and creating negative impacts on the Santa Ana River and water users downstream. Groundwater quality throughout the watershed is regulated by the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board. In the 2000s, Chino Basin parties, led by the Chino Basin Watermaster and Inland Empire Utilities Agency, negotiated with the Regional Board to design a new approach to basin management known as Hydraulic Control. This management concept involved adjusting groundwater levels within the basin to limit the outflow of poorer quality groundwater, increasing the extraction, treatment, and reuse of degraded groundwater, and enlarging the reuse of treated urban wastewater for groundwater recharge. Building, financing, and expanding the groundwater treatment facilities – known as “desalters” – and reaching agreement among the Chino Basin parties about how to lower groundwater levels in part of the basin, maintain groundwater levels in the rest of the basin, and allocate the costs and benefits of the new management approach led to the negotiation and adoption of “Peace II,” a set of additional agreements added to the earlier Peace Agreement.
John 'Jack' Gofman. Researcher and Social Activist.: 'Fair-haired Boy' and 'Enemy Within'.

John “Jack” Gofman's research career was characterized by skills across disciplines that gave him unique insights and opportunities. He was able to choose the research strategy–laboratory, clinical, or epidemiological–most suited to the state of the problem. But Gofman's curiosity and intensity, his integrity and courage, led to dual reputations–one as a “fair-haired boy,” another as a “troublesome crank”—first in atomic science, then in cardiovascular medicine, and finally in radiation energy and health policy. Gofman's earliest success was in the 1940s as a University of California-Berkeley graduate student in physical chemistry with Glenn Seaborg. Using simple laboratory methods he innovated the isolation of radioactive elements ultracentrifugally and determined their fission rates. In 1943 he produced the single milligram of plutonium needed urgently by J. Robert Oppenheimer to confirm its candidacy to power the atomic device that would implode over Nagasaki. As a young medical researcher in the 1950s, Gofman was the first to successfully isolate blood lipoprotein (LP) fractions by simply adding saline solution to serum. This increased its density such that all the LP present would float, then separate into discrete fractions on ultracentrifugation. In pioneer serial studies, Gofman and colleagues explored serum LP distributions in healthy and patient populations, LP responses to contrasting diets, and LP power to predict coronary heart disease risk (CHD). Their findings formed the platform for Brown and Goldstein's Nobel Prize discovery of hepatic low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptors, and thus, the mechanism of lipid transport between blood and tissues. Together these provided fuller understanding of the pathogenesis and possible prevention of atherosclerosis. From the 1960s, Gofman reengaged with nuclear science in mutidisciplined studies that found cell damage and health effects of ionizing radiation were proportionate to the dosage. His conclusion that there was “no safe level” of exposure conflicted with “safe levels” recommended by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Eventually, his findings, persistent questioning of policy, and effective advocacy against U.S. atomic energy programs resulted in the loss of both his AEC research funding and his leading national position in radiation and public health. He came to be viewed as “the enemy within.” Gofman's research and activism were central to subsequent systemic reviews and constraints to what he called “U.S. adventurism:” in atom bomb testing, with “land engineering” using hydrogen bombs, and in the rapid build-up of nuclear energy for the U.S. electrical grid. Eventually, his body of evidence and recommendations about radiation effects on health were largely corroborated by the National Academy of Sciences and other authorities. They still influence planning for “clean energy” in today's global climate crisis.
Systematic Design and Optimization of Large DC Distribution Architectures Using Simulated Annealing

Electronics applications often require DC distribution architectures capable of producing multiple DC outputs from a single input using a collection of single-input, single-output dc-dc converters. Prior work has described exhaustive-search based optimization and design techniques that can produce high quality distribution architectures when the number of required outputs is low. However, the design space becomes intractable when the number of outputs increases beyond single digits. Presented in this work is a technique that can efficiently optimize large systems without the use of design space heuristics. Test cases show that the optimization algorithm, which is based on simulated annealing, can increase system figure of merit by more than 18 % compared to a heuristic for a system with 22 outputs and reduce solution time by 63 % compared to an exhaustive-search approach for a system with eight outputs.
A Conspiracy of Data: QAnon, Social Media, and Information Visualization:

Seeing is believing, so goes the cliche. In our extremely online world, the particular nexus between visual information and political belief has become one of the thorniest challenges to truth. We ...
CLL-376: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes of Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL), 80 Years of Age or Older

Context: Nearly 20% patients are ≥80 years of age at CLL diagnosis. Increased comorbidities often accompany advanced age. However, clinical trials enroll a disproportionally low number of people this age, providing limited evidence for guidance. Objective: To determine clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients ≥80 years of age at the time of CLL diagnosis. Design: Retrospective. Setting: Academic. Patients or Other Participants: Between 1/1995–3/2020, we identified previously untreated CLL patients from the Mayo Clinic CLL Database ≥80 years of age at the time of CLL diagnosis and seen within 3 years of diagnosis. Main Outcomes Measures: Baseline characteristics, treatments, and time-to-first-treatment (TFT) were analyzed for all patients. Overall survival (OS) was measured from diagnosis date in all patients and separately from treatment date for treated patients. Time-to-next-treatment (TTNT) was measured in treated patients from the first treatment date to the date of second treatment or last known treatment. TFT and TTNT were analyzed accounting for competing risk of death. Cox multivariable regression models were used to determine which factors were associated with OS and TTNT. Results: Among 213 patients identified, the median age was 83 years (range 80–97). The median number of medical comorbidities among all patients was 4 (range 0–8). Fifty-six patients received treatment; median TFT 6.7 years. Treatment approaches included monoclonal antibody alone (n=17), chemotherapy alone (n=17), chemoimmunotherapy (n=14), novel agents (n=3), and multi-agent Richter’s transformation regimens (n=5). Twenty-two of 56 treated patients received second-line therapy (median TTNT 2.8 years). Median OS among all 213 patients was 4.6 years. Standardized mortality ratio was 1.2 (p=0.008), excluding patients with Richter’s transformation. In univariable analyses, receipt of therapy (HR 3.92, 95%CI 2.11–7.28; p Conclusions: Survival was similar across the 25-year span of this study; however, patients treated with novel agents were underrepresented and warrant additional evaluation. The 20% higher risk of death compared to an age- and sex-matched population emphasize the need for ongoing efforts to improve clinical outcomes for CLL patients in this growing demographic.
Physical Activity and Aging: Exploring Motivations of Masters Swimmers

Physical activity benefits the health of older adults (e.g., lowering risk of cardiovascular disease, depression, dementia, and falls). However, less than one in four Americans meets guidelines for...
Democracy, reputation for resolve, and civil conflict:

There is a long-running disagreement about how regime type affects a country’s ability to project resolve. Specifically, there is an open question about whether being a democracy helps or hurts a c...
Three Attitudinal Factors of Native American Purchase Behavior: a Study of the Plains Indian Consumer of North Dakota

The Native American population receives only a fraction of the attention devoted toward other minorities. However, their purchasing power, attitudes, and consumption patterns are extremely important to those serving their market. Presently, little research has been directed toward the consumer behavior of Native Americans. The present study was exploratory and investigated Native Americans in North Dakota and their attitudes toward price, brand choice, and advertising. Results indicate Native American consumers are more attentive to price, have a propensity to purchase generic brands, and are subject to family influence.
LQG-/spl alpha/ control and its simulations for structural benchmark problems against winds and earthquakes

This paper develops an LQG-/spl alpha/ control with adjustable gain and various relative stabilities for MIMO systems. By introducing a relative stability vector and a gain parameter, the proposed active control methodology provides the property through an LQG design. The flexible relative stability of LQG-/spl alpha/ control systems is derived. It not only controls a guaranteed settling time for the system but also increases the control system robustness. The simulations of the LQG-/spl alpha/ control for both wind-excited building and earthquake-excited building benchmark problems are provided, in which ten different levels of earthquake data from four real earthquakes are used. The simulations show the good results of LQG-/spl alpha/ control with respect to the various evaluation criteria and robustness.
Reconnection at the Earth's Magnetopause: Magnetic Field Observations and Flux Transfer Events

Theoretical models of plasma acceleration by magnetic-field-line reconnection at the earth magnetopause and the high-resolution three-dimensional plasma measurements obtained with the ISEE satellites are compared and illustrated with diagrams, graphs, drawings, and histograms. The history of reconnection theory and the results of early satellite observations are summarized; the thickness of the magnetopause current layer is discussed; problems in analyzing the polarization of current-layer rotation are considered; and the flux-transfer events responsible for periods of patchy reconnection are characterized in detail. The need for further observations and refinements of the theory to explain the initiation of reconnection and identify the mechanism determining whether it is patchy or steady-state is indicated.
Biofluidics Study in Digestive System with Thermal Conductivity of Shape Nanosize H2O+Cu Nanoparticles

In the present article, peristaltic transport of copper nano fluid in a curved channel with complaint walls is studied. Shape effects of nanosize particles are discussed. The mathematical formulation encompasses momentum and heat conservation equations with appropriate boundary conditions for compliant walls. Sophisticated correlations are employed for thermal conductivity of the nanoparticles. The nonlinear boundary value problem is normalized with appropriate variables and closed-form solutions are derived for stream function, pressure gradient and temperature profile. A detailed study is performed for the influence of various nanoparticle geometries (bricks, cylinders and platelets). With greater curvature value, pressure gradient is enhanced for various nanoparticle geometries. Temperature is dramatically modified with nanoparticle geometry and greater thermal conductivity is achieved with brick shaped nanoparticles in the fluid.
New Approaches for Immunization and Therapy Against Human Metapneumovirus

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) is a paramyxovirus discovered in 2001 in the Netherlands. Studies have identified HMPV as an important causative agent of acute respiratory disease in infants, the elderly, and immunocompromised individuals. Clinical signs of infection range from mild upper respiratory illness to more serious lower respiratory illness, including bronchiolitis and pneumonia. There are currently no licensed therapeutics or vaccines against HMPV. However, several research groups have tested vaccine candidates and monoclonal antibodies in various animal models. Several of these approaches have shown promise in animal models. This minireview summarizes the current therapies used to treat HMPV infection as well as different approaches for immunization.
The Use of Interferons in the Treatment of Cutaneous T-Cell Lymphoma.

Interferons are polypeptides that naturally occur in the human body as a part of the innate immune response. By harnessing these immunomodulatory functions, synthetic interferons have shown efficacy in combating various diseases including cutaneous T-cell lymphoma. This article closely examines the qualities of interferon alfa and interferon gamma and the evidence behind their use in the 2 most common types of cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, namely, mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.
Levinas and Kierkegaard: The Akedah, the Dao, and Aporetic Ethics

In this article, Kierkegaard’s depiction of the teleological suspension of the ethical is contrasted with Levinas’s articulation of the emergence of the ethical in the Akedah narrative drawing on Jewish, Christian, and Chinese philosophical and religious perspectives. The narrative of Abraham’s binding of Isaac illustrates both the distance and nearness between Kierkegaard and Levinas. Both realize that the encounter with God is a traumatic one that cannot be defined, categorized, or sublimated through ordinary ethical reflection or the everyday social-moral life of a community. For Kierkegaard, the self is forced back upon itself, exposed to the otherness of its singular unfathomable source; in Levinas a traumatic exposure and delivery over to the Other occurs. It leads to an inescapable ethical responsibility more fundamental than either religious faith or theoretical cognitive knowledge. The rupture and aporia of Abraham’s sacrifice appears to destroy the categories of the ethical. Yet it might suggest something other than the nihilistic or voluntaristic destruction of ethics. It indicates instead a different modality of the ethical; an aporetic and paradoxical ethics that resonates in part with classical Chinese Daoist sources such as the Daodejing and the Zhuangzi. I. The Akedah and the Dao In this article, by focusing on Emmanuel Levinas’s alternative to Soren Kierkegaard, I bring a crosscultural and comparative perspective—drawing on Jewish, Christian, and Chinese sources—to bear on Kierkegaard’s depiction of the suspension of the ethical through his reading of the narrative Abraham’s binding of Isaac in Fear and Trembling in relation to Levinas’s contrasting articulation of the provocation of the ethical. 1 Their respective analysis of the Akedah—which is the older transliteration of Aqedah used by the authors under discussion—narrative of Abraham’s binding and near
CUPV—a visualization tool for generated parsers

Compiler projects frequently use parser generators to help students design and construct non-trivial translators. Unfortunately, the code and data structures produced by such generators, and hence the overall parser, can be difficult to understand and debug. In this paper, we present an extendible and flexible tool for visualizing the operation of generated parsers. The objective of this tool is to provide students with a deeper understanding of parsing algorithms, data structures and techniques.
Plant and soil responses to field-applied flue gas desulfurization residue

Abstract The objective of this study was to document the availability of flue gas desulfurization (FGD) residue-borne boron (B), sulfur (S), and molybdenum (Mo) for alfalfa ( Medicago sativa L.) uptake when applied at agronomic rates to marginally B deficient soils. The FGD residue was applied at rates of 0, 0.46 and 3.75 Mg ha −1 on a silt loam soil immediately prior to alfalfa seeding. Alfalfa yields were unaffected by these rates of residue applications, but shoot concentrations of B and S in the second cutting, and B, S, and Mo in the third cutting were increased by residue applications. Hence, FGD residue is a readily available B source, particularly later in the growing season when native soil B availability decreased.
Multi-dimensional signalling

Abstract The seller's strategy in a class of environments in which product quality can be signalled by price advertising and other observable attributes is studied. The optimal seller's strategy sufficient to preclude profitable imitation by lower qualities is characterized.
Infrared absorption and rotational dynamics of OH- and OD- defects in cesium halides.

The rotational degrees of freedom of substitutional ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{OD}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ defects in CsCl, CsBr, and CsI have been studied between 2 and 300 K using infrared absorption in the range of the 2.7 and 3.7-\ensuremath{\mu}m stretching absorption. In CsCl the first direct evidence for quasi-free-rotational behavior of ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ in alkali-metal halides is found in the form of a vibration-rotation spectrum above 45 K, corresponding to a reorientational barrier of \ensuremath{\sim}30 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$. The small rotational constant of B=1 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}1}$ without ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$-${\mathrm{OD}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ isotope shift, derived from the temperature dependence of the rotational P and R branches, indicates a considerably increased moment of inertia for ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and possibly off-center motion of the molecule around the H ion. High-frequency librational sidebands observed below and above 45 K and their isotope shifts indicate radial and angular modes superimposed on the rotational motion and can be explained with a simple double-librator model. In CsBr and CsI doped with ${\mathrm{OH}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$ and ${\mathrm{OD}}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}}$, high-frequency sidebands and isotope shifts expected from a harmonic-librator model for center-of-mass libration in high barrier potentials are found. The observed second harmonic of the stretching absorption in CsCl and CsBr allows determination of the mechanical and electrical anharmonicity parameters.
Mean field study of effects of longitudinal flow on nematic polymer solutions

Abstract The effect of steady longitudinal flow on nematic polymer systems is investigated using a simple mean-field approximation. Employing a connection between the shear rate and polymer chain extension we find that as the shear rate is increased in the nematic phase, the consequent chain extension significantly modifies the orientational order of the nematic monomers. In particular if a continuous (discontinuous) coil-stretch transition occurs above a critical shear rate in an ordered comb-like nematic polymer system, the birefringence changes sign continuously (discontinuously). We also examine the effect of pretransitional nematic ordering on the entropic elastic constant for chain extension in small shear flow.
Power limitations in fiber-optic frequency-division multiplexed systems

Abstract Launch power is limited to the milliwatt level by stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) in a single-channel, coherent fiber-optic network. Increasing the number of frequency-division multiplexed channels causes the power limit to decrease quickly to submilliwatt levels due to three-wave intermodulation to keep the signal-to-noise ratio from deteriorating significantly. As the number of channels increases, stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) begins to dominate. If a maximum of 0.5–dB depletion in the highest-frequency channel is allowed, SRS dominates when the number of multiplexed channels reaches about 300. Generally, the launch-power-limiting phenomenon is dependent on the number of channels being multiplexed.
Assurance of Learning in an MBA Program: Exploration of the Value Added by the Graduate Major Field Test in Business

The use of standardized tests as a piece of outcomes assessment has risen in recent years in order to satisfy external accrediting bodies such as the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International. The authors explore the value added by the Graduate Major Field Test in Business (GMFT-B) for assurance of learning in a master of business administration (MBA) program. The results indicate that the GMFT-B can be considered a valuable tool for outcome assessment because it provides enough unique information above that of MBA grade point average and GMAT scores. However, the GMFT-B should be used in conjunction with other assessment methods because it had little relationship to the competencies associated with effective management.
Who Are the Experts? A Commentary on Nursing Diagnosis Validation Studies

Viewpoint provides a forum for scholarly discussion about the theoretical, philosophical, and practical issues related to nursing language and classification systems. The sometimes controversial views are intended to stimulate readers' comments and perspectives. We welcome brief, informal responses to published viewpoints. If you have a viewpoint you want to submit, or if you want to discuss it beforehand, contact the column editor: judithwilkins@att.net; 913.631.1089.
Coculture of Astroglial and Vascular Endothelial Cells as Apposing Layers Enhances the Transcellular Transport of Hypoxanthine

: In brain, astrocytes and endothelial cells are a major site of adenosine degradation. These two cell types, found in close apposition, constitute the wall of the brain's capillaries and serve as a site of hypoxanthine production and degradation. Both cell types possess the hypoxanthine salvage pathway and can incorporate hypoxanthine into nucleotides. This suggests that the endothelial-astrocyte anatomical complex might play an important role in the brain's purine homeostasis. To test this hypothesis, cocultures of monolayers of vascular endothelial cells and astrocytes were grown over a porous membrane, in close apposition to one another, and studies on hypoxanthine transport and metabolism to uric acid were performed. The flux of hypoxanthine across the cell layers was simultaneously determined and compared with the flux of sucrose, as a probe of passive diffusion. Our results show that in endothelial, glial, and endothelial-glial cell layers the hypoxanthine flux was greater than that of sucrose, and that the flux of hypoxanthine, but not of sucrose, was inhibited by adenine or by lowering the temperature. These results suggest that hypoxanthine moves across endothelial, glial, and endothelial-glial cell layers by a transport process. Furthermore, we found that hypoxanthine transport is enhanced when glial and endothelial cells are cocultured compared with that in glial or endothelial monolayers. In addition the coculture also resulted in a depression of xanthine oxidase activity.
Estimating direct and indirect rebound effects for U.S. households with input–output analysis Part 1: Theoretical framework

Abstract This is the first part of a two-part paper providing an analytical model of the indirect rebound effect, given a direct rebound estimate, that integrates consumer demand theory with the embodied energy of household spending from environmentally-extended input–output analysis. The second part applies the model developed in part one to simulate the direct and indirect rebound for the average U.S. household in terms of primary energy, CO2e, NOx, and SO2 emissions and for energy efficiency investments in electricity, natural gas, or gasoline services. Part one provides a critical review of the largely independent economic and industrial ecology literatures on the indirect rebound. By studying the two-goods case and the n-goods case, we demonstrate that the indirect rebound is bounded by the consumer budget constraint, and inversely related to the direct rebound. We also compare the common proportional spending and income elasticity spending assumptions with our model of cross-price elasticities including both substitution and income effects for the indirect rebound. By assuming zero incremental capital costs and the same embodied energy as conventional technologies for efficient appliances, we model an upper bound of the indirect rebound. Future work should also consider the increase in consumer welfare possible through the rebound effect.
A study of the characteristics of “P” and “Q” strains of Trichoderma virens to account for differences in biological control efficacy against cotton seedling diseases

Abstract Strains of Trichoderma virens belonging to the “P” group are ineffective as biocontrol agents of seedling disease in cotton, and they are pathogenic to susceptible seed lots. Those strains belonging to the “Q” group are effective biocontrol agents of cotton seedling disease, and they are not pathogenic to cotton. To account for these behavioral differences, comparative assays were made of “P” and “Q” strains for production of phytotoxin, for cellulase, polygalacturonase and protease activity, for induction of phytoalexin synthesis in cotton roots, and for metabolism of pathogen germination stimulants. The results showed little difference in phyotoxin production or enzyme activity between the two groups, and that “P” strain mutants deficient for viridiol production were still pathogenic to cotton. There was also no difference between strains in their ability to metabolize pathogen germination stimulants. HPLC analyses of extracts from roots treated with “P” or “Q” strains, however, showed that “Q” strains induced high levels of phytoalexin synthesis, while “P” strains did not. Treatment of seeds or seedling radicles with combination “P” + “Q” seed coat preparations or cultures filtrates, respectively, ameliorated seedling kill, and increased phytoalexin production in treated roots. These results indicate that an inability by “P” strains to induce high levels of phytoalexins in cotton, not only makes them ineffective as biocontrol agents, but renders them pathogenic to susceptible cultivar seed lots. Induction by “Q” strains of high levels of phytoalexin synthesis in cotton makes them effective biocontrol agents, and it inhibits their development in cotton roots which might lead to pathogenesis.
Laboratory scale production of winged bean curd.

Procedures for the preparation of 100% winged bean or mixed winged bean-soybean curd employing the essential steps of soy curd production have been developed and optimized. Use of magnesium chloride, gluconodelta lactone, acetic acid and calcium sulfate as coagulants was investigated. The results showed that while curd formation was not facilitated by acetic acid, sticky and less cohesive curds could be formed with magnesium chloride and gluconodelta lactone. Calcium sulfate precipitation resulted in a semi-solid and appreciably cohesive curd from winged bean. Winged bean curd had very low hardness value in comparison to soy tofu. Curd products prepared from five ratios of winged bean-soybean mixtures indicate that 50:50 and 25:75 winged bean-soybean combinations by weight resulted in satisfactory products.
Randomized trials and registries: a computer simulation to study the impact of surgeon/patient factors on outcomes.

Abstract Background context Patient factors (diabetes, osteoporosis, cardiopulmonary problems, previous surgery, smoking, worker's compensation, litigation) and surgeon factors (operative experience, patient selection, technical skill, setting) are known to significantly impact outcomes of spinal surgery. The impact of these factors is difficult to assess clinically given the volume of patients required to obtain statistically significant information, the costs involved, and ethical/equipoise considerations. Computer simulation offers a viable and useful alternative. Purpose To establish a computer simulation for randomized trials (randomized controlled clinical trials)/registries and to examine the impact of surgeon and patient factors on surgical outcomes. Study design Computer simulation of randomized controlled trials and nonrandomized trials (registries). Methods On the basis of an extensive review of the literature regarding surgical outcomes (lumbar disectomy and decompression) and patient/surgeon factors affecting such outcomes, hazard functions were developed to model the distribution of relative outcome as a function of the risk profile of individual patients and surgeons. An iterative algorithm was used to randomly or nonrandomly pair patients and surgeons to create simulated randomized controlled clinical trials/registries encompassing 10,000 performed procedures per run. Results When fully randomized, outcomes were as expected with 80% of patients obtaining a satisfactory result. When the best surgeons were paired with the best patients, success rates approached 98%; and when the worst surgeons were paired with the worst patients, success rates dropped to 53%. Other nonrandom combinations were also assessed. Conclusions The computer simulation obtains expected outcomes for randomized controlled clinical trials and closely mirrors the range of outcomes seen in available case-series/registry data—a very useful model allowing assessment of the impact of patient/surgeon factors on surgical outcomes. Multiple patient/surgeon combinations are assessed and the implications of findings discussed.