cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CLT for Fluctuations of Linear Statistics in the Sine-beta Process

We prove, for any $\beta >0$, a central limit theorem for the fluctuations of linear statistics in the Sine-$\beta$ process, which is the infinite volume limit of the random microscopic behavior in the bulk of one-dimensional log-gases at inverse temperature $\beta$. If $\phi$ is a compactly supported test function of class $C^4$, and $\mathcal{C}$ is a random point configuration distributed according to Sine-$\beta$, the integral of $\phi(\cdot / \ell)$ against the random fluctuation $d\mathcal{C} - dx$, converges in law, as $\ell$ goes to infinity, to a centered normal random variable whose standard deviation is proportional to the Sobolev $H^{1/2}$ norm of $\phi$ on the real line. The proof relies on the DLR equations for Sine-$\beta$ established by Dereudre-Hardy-Maida and the author, the Laplace transform trick introduced by Johansson, and a transportation method previously used for $\beta$-ensembles at macroscopic scale.
Sub-Terahertz and mmWave Penetration Loss Measurements for Indoor Environments

Millimeter-wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) spectrum can support significantly higher data rates compared to lower frequency bands and hence are being actively considered for 5G wireless networks and beyond. These bands have high free-space path loss (FSPL) in line-of-sight (LOS) propagation due to their shorter wavelength. Moreover, in non-line-of-sight (NLOS) scenario, these two bands suffer higher penetration loss than lower frequency bands which could seriously affect the network coverage. It is therefore critical to study the NLOS penetration loss introduced by different building materials at mmWave and THz bands, to help establish link budgets for an accurate performance analysis in indoor environments. In this work, we measured the penetration loss and the attenuation of several common constructional materials at mmWave (28 and 39 GHz) and sub-THz (120 and 144 GHz) bands. Measurements were conducted using a channel sounder based on NI PXI platforms. Results show that the penetration loss changes extensively based on the frequency and the material properties, ranging from 0.401 dB for ceiling tile at 28 GHz, to 16.608 dB for plywood at 144 GHz. Ceiling tile has the lowest measured attenuation at 28 GHz, while clear glass has the highest attenuation of 27.633 dB/cm at 144 GHz. As expected, the penetration loss and attenuation increased with frequency for all the tested materials.
Coulomb-assisted cold fusion

When taking into account the energy-momentum exchange with a catalyzing lattice nucleus, the Coulomb barrier penetrability for the fusing nuclei becomes of order unity.
Government Insurance Against Natural Disasters: An Application to the ECCU

This paper estimates insurance requirements against natural disasters (NDs) in the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) using an insurance layering framework. The layers include a government saving fund, as well as market instruments. Each layer is calibrated to cover estimated fiscal cost of NDs according to intensity and expected damage. The results indicate that ECCU countries could target saving fund stocks for relativelly smaller and more frequent events in the range of 6-12 percent of GDP, enough to cover 95 percent of NDs' fiscal costs. To ensure financially-sustainable saving funds with a low probability of depletion, this requires annual budget savings in the range os 0.5 to 1.9 percent of GDP per year. Additional coverage could be obtained with market instruments for large and less frequent events, albeit at a significant cost.The results are based on a Monte-Carlo experiment that simulates natural disaster shocks and their impact on output and government finances.
Nanopore sequencing reveals full-length Tropomyosin 1 isoforms and their regulation by RNA-binding proteins during rat heart development

Alternative splicing (AS) contributes to the diversity of the proteome by producing multiple isoforms from a single gene. Although short-read RNA-sequencing methods have been the gold standard for determining AS patterns of genes, they have a difficulty in defining full-length mRNA isoforms assembled using different exon combinations. Tropomyosin 1 (TPM1) is an actin-binding protein required for cytoskeletal functions in non-muscle cells and for contraction in muscle cells. Tpm1 undergoes AS regulation to generate muscle versus non-muscle TPM1 protein isoforms with distinct physiological functions. It is unclear which full-length Tpm1 isoforms are produced via AS and how they are regulated during heart development. To address these, we utilized nanopore long-read cDNA sequencing without gene-specific PCR amplification. In rat hearts, we identified full-length Tpm1 isoforms composed of distinct exons with specific exon linkages. We showed that Tpm1 undergoes AS transitions during embryonic heart development such that muscle-specific exons are connected generating predominantly muscle-specific Tpm1 isoforms in adult hearts. We found that the RNA-binding protein RBFOX2 controls AS of rat Tpm1 exon 6a, which is important for cooperative actin binding. Furthermore, RBFOX2 regulates Tpm1 AS of exon 6a antagonistically to the RNA-binding protein PTBP1. In sum, we defined full-length Tpm1 isoforms with different exon combinations that are tightly regulated during cardiac development and provided insights into the regulation of Tpm1 AS by RNA-binding proteins. Our results demonstrate that nanopore sequencing is an excellent tool to determine full-length AS variants of muscle-enriched genes.
Low-dose hyperoxia primes airways for fibrosis in mice after influenza A infection.

It is well known that supplemental oxygen used to treat preterm infants in respiratory distress is associated with permanently disrupting lung development and the host response to influenza A virus...
Dynamic Stall over a Pitching Natural-Laminar-Flow Airfoil

High-fidelity large-eddy simulations are performed to study the unsteady boundary layer sensitivity of a natural-laminar-flow airfoil (NLF-0414) undergoing dynamic stall in comparison to two tradit...
Contrasting Public Perceptions of Government versus Certified Public Accounting Firm Oversight of Relief Packages

This study examines public perceptions of potential overseers charged with ensuring that relief packages are distributed to the intended audience. In an experiment, we assess perceptions of trustworthiness and fraud reduction ability between government and public accounting firm employees in the context of relief package oversight. While actual ability is important, public perceptions of overseer ability is also essential for relief packages to be fully effective. We find that people, regardless of their political party affiliation, rate public accounting firm employees as more trustworthy and better able to reduce fraud than government employees. For government oversight, participant political party affiliation influences perceptions of employee ability and is mediated by general trust in government. These findings suggest public accounting firms are a viable alternative to increase public perceptions that relief packages are distributed effectively. Initial evidence suggests educating the public on the role of career government employees may raise public opinion.
Octonionic Brownian Windings

We define and study windings along Brownian paths on octonionic, Euclidean, projective, and hyperbolic spaces which are isometric to 8-dimensional Riemannian model spaces. In particular, the asymptotic laws of these windings are shown to be Gaussian for flat and spherical geometries while the hyperbolic winding exhibits different long-time behavior.
Towards improving the predictive capability of computer simulations by integrating inverse Uncertainty Quantification and quantitative validation with Bayesian hypothesis testing

Abstract The Best Estimate plus Uncertainty (BEPU) approach for nuclear systems modeling and simulation requires that the prediction uncertainty must be quantified in order to prove that the investigated design stays within acceptance criteria. A rigorous Uncertainty Quantification (UQ) process should simultaneously consider multiple sources of quantifiable uncertainties: (1) parameter uncertainty due to randomness or lack of knowledge; (2) experimental uncertainty due to measurement noise; (3) model uncertainty caused by missing/incomplete physics and numerical approximation errors, and (4) code uncertainty when surrogate models are used. In this paper, we propose a comprehensive framework to integrate results from inverse UQ and quantitative validation to provide robust predictions so that all these sources of uncertainties can be taken into consideration. Inverse UQ quantifies the parameter uncertainties based on experimental data while taking into account uncertainties from model, code and measurement. In the validation step, we use a quantitative validation metric based on Bayesian hypothesis testing. The resulting metric, called the Bayes factor, is then used to form weighting factors to combine the prior and posterior knowledge of the parameter uncertainties in a Bayesian model averaging process. In this way, model predictions will be able to integrate the results from inverse UQ and validation to account for all available sources of uncertainties. This framework is a step towards addressing the ANS Nuclear Grand Challenge on “Simulation/Experimentation” by bridging the gap between models and data.
A VLP-based vaccine targeting ANGPTL3 lowers plasma triglycerides in mice.

Abstract Elevated triglycerides (TGs) are an important risk factor for the development of coronary heart disease (CHD) and in acute pancreatitis. Angiopoietin-like proteins 3 (ANGPTL3) and 4 (ANGPTL4) are critical regulators of TG metabolism that function by inhibiting the activity of lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which is responsible for hydrolyzing triglycerides in lipoproteins into free fatty acids. Interestingly, individuals with loss-of-function mutations in ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 have low plasma TG levels, have a reduced risk of CHD, and are otherwise healthy. Consequently, interventions targeting ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4 have emerged as promising new approaches for reducing elevated TGs. Here, we developed virus-like particle (VLP) based vaccines that target the LPL binding domains of ANGPTL3 and ANGPTL4. ANGPTL3 VLPs and ANGPTL4 VLPs are highly immunogenic in mice and vaccination with ANGPTL3 VLPs, but not ANGPTL4 VLPs, was associated with reduced steady state levels of TGs. Immunization with ANGPTL3 VLPs rapidly cleared circulating TG levels following an oil gavage challenge and enhanced plasma LPL activity. These data indicate that targeting ANGPTL3 by active vaccination is a potential alternative to other ANGPTL3-inhibiting therapies.
Parameter inference from event ensembles and the top-quark mass

One of the key tasks of any particle collider is measurement. In practice, this is often done by fitting data to a simulation, which depends on many parameters. Sometimes, when the effects of varying different parameters are highly correlated, a large ensemble of data may be needed to resolve parameter-space degeneracies. An important example is measuring the top-quark mass, where other physical and unphysical parameters in the simulation must be profiled when fitting the top-quark mass parameter. We compare four different methodologies for top-quark mass measurement: a classical histogram fit similar to one commonly used in experiment augmented by soft-drop jet grooming; a 2D profile likelihood fit with a nuisance parameter; a machine-learning method called DCTR; and a linear regression approach, either using a least-squares fit or with a dense linearly-activated neural network. Despite the fact that individual events are totally uncorrelated, we find that the linear regression methods work most effectively when we input an ensemble of events sorted by mass, rather than training them on individual events. Although all methods provide robust extraction of the top-quark mass parameter, the linear network does marginally best and is remarkably simple. For the top study, we conclude that the Monte-Carlo-based uncertainty on current extractions of the top-quark mass from LHC data can be reduced significantly (by perhaps a factor of 2) using networks trained on sorted event ensembles. More generally, machine learning from ensembles for parameter estimation has broad potential for collider physics measurements.
Multireference Algebraic Diagrammatic Construction Theory for Excited States: Extended Second-Order Implementation and Benchmark.

We present an implementation and benchmark of new approximations in multireference algebraic diagrammatic construction theory for simulations of neutral electronic excitations and UV/vis spectra of strongly correlated molecular systems (MR-ADC). Following our work on the first-order MR-ADC approximation [J. Chem. Phys.2018, 149, 204113], we report the strict and extended second-order MR-ADC methods (MR-ADC(2) and MR-ADC(2)-X) that combine the description of static and dynamic electron correlation in the ground and excited electronic states without relying on state-averaged reference wave functions. We present an extensive benchmark of the new MR-ADC methods for excited states in several small molecules, including the carbon dimer, ethylene, and butadiene. Our results demonstrate that, for weakly correlated electronic states, the MR-ADC(2) and MR-ADC(2)-X methods outperform the third-order single-reference ADC approximation and are competitive with the results from equation-of-motion coupled cluster theory. For states with multireference character, the performance of the MR-ADC methods is similar to that of an N-electron valence perturbation theory. In contrast to conventional multireference perturbation theories, the MR-ADC methods have many attractive features, such as a straightforward and efficient calculation of excited-state properties and a direct access to excitations outside of the frontier (active) orbitals.
Adaptive dose-response studies to establish proof-of-concept in learning-phase clinical trials.

In learning-phase clinical trials in drug development, adaptive designs can be efficient and highly informative when used appropriately. In this article, we extend the multiple comparison procedures with modeling techniques (MCP-Mod) procedure with generalized multiple contrast tests (GMCTs) to two-stage adaptive designs for establishing proof-of-concept. The results of an interim analysis of first-stage data are used to adapt the candidate dose-response models and the dosages studied in the second stage. GMCTs are used in both stages to obtain stage-wise p -values, which are then combined to determine an overall p -value. An alternative approach is also considered that combines the t -statistics across stages, employing the conditional rejection probability principle to preserve the Type I error probability. Simulation studies demonstrate that the adaptive designs are advantageous compared to the corresponding tests in a nonadaptive design if the selection of the candidate set of dose-response models is not well informed by evidence from preclinical and early-phase studies.
The limits of information revelation in multilateral negotiations: A theory of treatymaking:

States negotiate over the specific terms of multilateral treaties because those terms determine states’ willingness to ratify the treaty. In some cases, a state might decline to ratify a treaty it ...
Point-cloud deep learning of porous media for permeability prediction

We propose a novel deep learning framework for predicting the permeability of porous media from their digital images. Unlike convolutional neural networks, instead of feeding the whole image volume as inputs to the network, we model the boundary between solid matrix and pore spaces as point clouds and feed them as inputs to a neural network based on the PointNet architecture. This approach overcomes the challenge of memory restriction of graphics processing units and its consequences on the choice of batch size and convergence. Compared to convolutional neural networks, the proposed deep learning methodology provides freedom to select larger batch sizes due to reducing significantly the size of network inputs. Specifically, we use the classification branch of PointNet and adjust it for a regression task. As a test case, two and three dimensional synthetic digital rock images are considered. We investigate the effect of different components of our neural network on its performance. We compare our deep learning strategy with a convolutional neural network from various perspectives, specifically for maximum possible batch size. We inspect the generalizability of our network by predicting the permeability of real-world rock samples as well as synthetic digital rocks that are statistically different from the samples used during training. The network predicts the permeability of digital rocks a few thousand times faster than a lattice Boltzmann solver with a high level of prediction accuracy.
A fully resolved multiphysics model of gastric peristalsis and bolus emptying in the upper gastrointestinal tract

Abstract Over the past few decades, in silico modeling of organ systems has significantly furthered our understanding of their physiology and biomechanical function. In spite of the relative importance of the digestive system in normal functioning of the human body, there is a scarcity of high-fidelity models for the upper gastrointestinal tract including the esophagus and the stomach. In this work, we present a detailed numerical model of the upper gastrointestinal tract that not only accounts for the fiber architecture of the muscle walls, but also the multiphasic components they help transport during normal digestive function. Construction details for 3D models of representative stomach geometry are presented along with a simple strategy for assigning circular and longitudinal muscle fiber orientations for each layer. We developed a fully resolved model of the stomach to simulate gastric peristalsis by systematically activating muscle fibers embedded in the stomach. Following this, for the first time, we simulate gravity-driven bolus emptying into the stomach due to density differences between ingested contents and fluid contents of the stomach. Finally, we present a case of retrograde flow of fluid from the stomach into the esophagus, resembling the phenomenon of acid reflux. This detailed computational model of the upper gastrointestinal tract provides a foundation for future models to investigate the biomechanics of acid reflux and probe various strategies for gastric bypass surgeries to address the growing problem of obesity.
Idiosyncratic but not Arbitrary: Learning Idiolects in Online Registers Reveals Distinctive yet Consistent Individual Styles

An individual’s variation in writing style is often a function of both social and personal attributes. While structured social variation has been extensively studied, e.g., gender based variation, far less is known about how to characterize individual styles due to their idiosyncratic nature. We introduce a new approach to studying idiolects through a massive cross-author comparison to identify and encode stylistic features. The neural model achieves strong performance at authorship identification on short texts and through an analogy-based probing task, showing that the learned representations exhibit surprising regularities that encode qualitative and quantitative shifts of idiolectal styles. Through text perturbation, we quantify the relative contributions of different linguistic elements to idiolectal variation. Furthermore, we provide a description of idiolects through measuring inter- and intra-author variation, showing that variation in idiolects is often distinctive yet consistent.
Certified Robustness to Programmable Transformations in LSTMs

Deep neural networks for natural language processing are fragile in the face of adversarial examples—small input perturbations, like synonym substitution or word duplication, which cause a neural network to change its prediction. We present an approach to certifying the robustness of LSTMs (and extensions of LSTMs) and training models that can be efficiently certified. Our approach can certify robustness to intractably large perturbation spaces defined programmatically in a language of string transformations. Our evaluation shows that (1) our approach can train models that are more robust to combinations of string transformations than those produced using existing techniques; (2) our approach can show high certification accuracy of the resulting models.
IBM-HBCU Quantum Center: A model for industry-academic partnerships to advance the creation of a diverse, quantum aware workforce

The IBM-HBCU Quantum Center is a first-of-a-kind collaboration between IBM and a consortium of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) that seeks to address the lack of Black representation and build a diverse and aware workforce in quantum information science and engineering (QISE). Key pillars of the Center are focused on 1) building community and fostering a sense of belonging, 2) strengthening relationships internally and with the broader quantum community, and 3) providing funding to support undergraduate, graduate, and faculty research at HBCUs. As a part of the program, students and faculty are invited to participate in grant development workshops, a QISE invited speaker series, community hack-a-thons, and other opportunities to build competencies in the growing field of QISE. Since its launch, the IBM-HBCU Quantum Center has engaged a community of over 400 students, faculty, and researchers and will continue to establish a research presence in QISE and increase opportunities for research and workforce development.
Defending a Perimeter from a Ground Intruder Using an Aerial Defender: Theory and Practice

The perimeter defense game has received interest in recent years as a variant of the pursuit-evasion game. A number of previous works have solved this game to obtain the optimal strategies for defender and intruder, but the derived theory considers the players as point particles with first-order assumptions. In this work, we aim to apply the theory derived from the perimeter defense problem to robots with realistic models of actuation and sensing and observe performance discrepancy in relaxing the first-order assumptions. In particular, we focus on the hemisphere perimeter defense problem where a ground intruder tries to reach the base of a hemisphere while an aerial defender constrained to move on the hemisphere aims to capture the intruder. The transition from theory to practice is detailed, and the designed system is simulated in Gazebo. Two metrics for parametric analysis and comparative study are proposed to evaluate the performance discrepancy.
CHAPTER 10 – Tracer Selection Summary

The development of new radiopharmaceuticals for human brain positron emission tomography (PET) imaging involves many steps. Autoradiography, performed either in vitro or ex vivo, is a powerful tool for visualizing radiotracer distribution into specific binding sites. The combination of in vitro and ex vivo autoradiography can identify both encouraging radiotracers and obviously poor possibilities. Although autoradiography is an excellent method for determining radiotracer distributions, sometimes with great spatial resolution, it essentially provides only a snapshot of radiotracer distribution at one point in time. Construction of a kinetic curve would then require repetition of the experiment at various different times, which can be costly in both time and animals. Several groups presented data showing that PET scanners can be used successfully to detect changes in radiotracer distributions in an animal brain. PET imaging provide information on the distribution of radioactivity following peripheral administration of a radiotracer. Interpretation of the meaning of this distribution requires, at the least, an understanding of the chemical nature of the radioactivity being detected. Thus, with the proper knowledge of radiotracer metabolism and using any one of several methods of in vivo radiotracer distribution measurement, one can obtain in vivo data from which estimates are made of radiotracer binding sites densities.
Constraints on asthenospheric flow from the depths of oceanic spreading centers: The East Pacific Rise and the Australian‐Antarctic Discordance

[1] The fastest spreading center, the East Pacific Rise (EPR), is consistently deeper than most other spreading centers. Its average depth along the ∼5000 km length is ∼3100 m, while the mean depth along the adjacent, slower spreading Pacific-Antarctic Rise (PAR) is ∼2700 m. The deepest spreading center is the ∼4000 m deep, ∼1000 km long Australian Antarctic Discordance (AAD). Analytic and numerical models show that dynamic thinning of asthenosphere can explain the magnitude and wavelength of the depth anomalies along the EPR and AAD. Previous models did not show such significant depth anomalies along spreading centers because the equations used to describe flow of thin viscous asthenosphere were linearized. At the EPR, fast plate divergence thins the asthenosphere by both sequestering it into diverging lithosphere and dragging it with the plates in contrast to the slower spreading but faster migrating PAR. The AAD asthenosphere is starved because of the restriction of asthenospheric flow due to nearby thick continental lithospheric roots combined with a moderately fast spreading rate. A narrow range of asthenospheric properties explains observed depth anomalies for both the AAD and EPR. If the asthenosphere is ∼100°C hotter, and so ∼10 kg/m3 less dense than the underlying asthenosphere, then the model requires an average asthenospheric thickness of ∼250 km and a viscosity of ∼1019 Pa s. Thinner asthenosphere works in the model if it has a lower density and lower viscosity. Although the source of the asthenosphere is not critical to our models, we assume that it is supplied by upwelling of depleted mantle plumes in contrast to enriched plumes that feed oceanic island basalts.
Building Evidence for Evidence-Based Policy Making

With declining high-school graduation rates and comparatively high rates of adolescent violence and problem behavior in this country, we are in a moment of great need for effective federal and state policy to prevent juvenile delinquency. Leading intellectuals in the field, including Ron Haskins (Haskins and Baron, 2011), Jon Baron (Baron and Haskins, 2011), and Steve Barnett, have recently called for adoption of a technocracy: They have asked policy makers to use the science of prevention to guide policy making and funding. Haskins and Baron (2011) wrote persuasive essays arguing that if policy and funding decisions were made based on evidence of what works, then we would experience better population-level outcomes in education, crime, and child well-being; furthermore, we would save costs and solve the deficit crisis. Faith in technocracy has won the day (mostly) in health care: It is virtually impossible to enter a hospital with a disease and not have both patients and physicians call up data on its prevalence, course, and treatment. Insurance providers make reimbursement decisions based (mostly) on evidence. We can point to improvements in the population-level health of our citizenry that result. One might quibble with the validity of the empirical evidence, but we cannot quibble that as public policy we have accepted the technocratic philosophy that empirical evidence should rule the day in medicine. The same can be said about energy, the environment, and the economy. But in matters affecting children, we are a long way from a technocratic culture. Jon Baron (2007) summed up the contrast well: In medicine … rigorous evaluations are common, and often drive policy and practice. By contrast, in education and most other areas of social policy, such studies are relatively rare. In these areas, policy and practice tend to be driven more by advocacy studies and anecdote than by rigorous evidence, costing billions of dollars yet often failing to produce meaningful improvements in educational achievement, employment and earnings, or rates of substance abuse and criminal behavior. (p. 32)
Attitudes Towards PrEP and Anticipated Condom Use Among Concordant HIV-Negative and HIV-Discordant Male Couples

Abstract Since the July 2012 approval by the FDA of emtricitabine/ tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (Truvada) for use as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) against HIV, its feasibility and acceptability has been under study. HIV-discordant couples are likely targets for PrEP but little is known about how this new prevention tool impacts relationships. We examined, among gay male couples, the acceptability of individual and partner use of PrEP and intentions to use condoms with primary and outside partners in the context of PrEP use. Data are from two independent samples of couples recruited in the San Francisco bay area and New York City—a qualitative one (N=48 couples) between March and November, 2011, and a quantitative one (N=171 couples) between June, 2012 and May, 2013. Data were categorized by couple HIV status and general linear models; chi-square tests of independence were used to examine condom-use intentions with primary and outside partners, by sexual risk profile, and race. Almost half of the HIV-ne...
A Founder: Aaron Wildavsky and the Study of Public Policy

During the decade of the 1960s a new social science discipline was created. Aaron Wildavsky, along with a small number of other scholars, began focusing their research on public policy studies and the analysis of governmental policy. This article discusses Professor Aaron Wildavsky's original interest in this field, how he institutionalized it by creating a Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley, and his major contributions to the emerging field. Aaron Wildavsky was one of the preeminent social scientists of the twentieth century, and this article is intended to explain why.
NERD: Network Event Recording Device: an automated system for network anomaly detection and notification

The Network Event Recording Device is an automated, real-time system for monitoring and detecting network anomalies, as well as providing timely notification to network managers of significant network events. The NERD system allows for continuous monitoring of system and security logs, easily configurable notification options and a central, secure data collection point for distributed system logs. >
Introduction to the special issue on practical functional electrical stimulation.

(1992). Introduction to the Special Issue on Practical Functional Electrical Stimulation. Assistive Technology: Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 1-3.
End-User Programmers and their Communities: An Artifact-based Analysis

End-user programmers outnumber professionals programmers, write software that matters to an increasingly large number of users, and face software engineering challenges that are similar to their professionals counterparts. Yet, we know little about how these end-user programmers create and share artifacts as part of a community. To gain a better understanding of these issues, we perform an artifact-based community analysis of 32,000 mashups from the Yahoo! Pipes repository. We observed that, like with other online communities, there is great deal of attrition but authors that persevere tend to improve over time, creating pipes that are more configurable, diverse, complex, and popular. We also discovered, however, that end-user programmers employ the repository in different ways than professionals, do not effectively reuse existing programs, and in most cases do not have an awareness of the community. We discuss the implications of these findings.
Predicting Tobacco Sales in Community Pharmacies Using Population Demographics and Pharmacy Type

Objective: To determine whether the population demographics of the location of pharmacies were associated with tobacco sales in pharmacies, when controlling for pharmacy type. Design: Retrospective analysis. Setting: Iowa. Participants: All retailers in Iowa that obtained tobacco licenses and all pharmacies registered with the Iowa Board of Pharmacy in 2003. Main Outcome Measure and Interventions: Percentage of pharmacies selling tobacco (examined by pharmacy type using chi-square analysis); median income and distribution of race/ethnicity in the county for pharmacies that did or did not sell tobacco (t tests); predictors of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco (logistic regression using the independent variables county-level demographic variables and pharmacy characteristics). Results: County gender composition, race/ethnicity make-up, and income levels were different for tobacco-selling and -nonselling pharmacies. Logistic regression showed that whether a pharmacy sold tobacco was strongly dependent on the type of pharmacy; compared with independent pharmacies (of which only 5% sold tobacco products), chain pharmacies were 34 times more likely to sell tobacco products, mass merchandiser outlets were 47 times more likely to stock these goods, and grocery stores were 378 times more likely to do so. Pharmacies selling tobacco were more likely to be located in counties with significantly higher numbers of multiracial groups. Conclusion: The best predictor of whether an Iowa pharmacy sells tobacco products is type of pharmacy. In multivariable analyses, population demographics of the county in which pharmacies were located were generally not predictive of whether a pharmacy sold tobacco.
Continuous coaxial cable sensors for monitoring of RC structures with electrical time domain reflectometry

This study was aimed at developing and validating a new type of coaxial cable sensors that can be used to detect cracks or measure strains in reinforced concrete (RC) structures. The new sensors were designed based on the change in outer conductor configuration under strain effects in contrast to the geometry-based design in conventional coaxial cable sensors. Both numerical simulations and calibration tests with strain gauges of a specific design of the proposed cables were conducted to study the cables' sensitivity. Four designs of the proposed type of sensors were then respectively mounted near the surface of six 3-foot-long RC beams. They were tested in bending to further validate the cables' sensitivity in concrete members. The calibration test results generally agree with the numerical simulations. They showed that the proposed sensors are over 10~50 times more sensitive than conventional cable sensors. The test results of the beams not only validate the sensitivity of the new sensors but also indicate a good correlation with the measured crack width.
A research view of supply chain management: Developments and topics for exploration

There have been advances in the understanding of supply chain management (SCM) since its inception in the early-1980s. However, there are still some basic issues of SCM that remain unresolved. Much of the research that has been conducted takes one or more of the following three perspectives: (1) development of methods and techniques to study SCM and its components/processes; (2) developing solutions or answers to specific supply chain-related problems or challenges; and/or (3) measuring the results or outcomes of supply chain strategies and tactics. Each of these three perspectives is briefly examined, with selected examples from the literature cited to illustrate the type of research that has been conducted. Some potential areas of research exploration are presented. The areas examined include: theory development, and SCM processes and functions.
Position and time specify the migration of a pioneering population of olfactory bulb interneurons

We defined the cellular mechanisms for genesis, migration, and differentiation of the initial population of olfactory bulb (OB) interneurons. This cohort of early generated cells, many of which become postmitotic on embryonic day (E) 14.5, differentiates into a wide range of mature OB interneurons by postnatal day (P) 21, and a substantial number remains in the OB at P60. Their precursors autonomously acquire a distinct identity defined by their position in the lateral ganglionic eminence (LGE). The progeny migrate selectively to the OB rudiment in a pathway that presages the rostral migratory stream. After arriving in the OB rudiment, these early generated cells acquire cellular and molecular hallmarks of OB interneurons. Other precursors--including those from the medial ganglionic eminence (MGE) and OB--fail to generate neuroblasts with similar migratory capacity when transplanted to the LGE. The positional identity and migratory specificity of the LGE precursors is rigidly established between E12.5 and E14.5. Thus, the pioneering population of OB interneurons is generated from spatially and temporally determined LGE precursors whose progeny uniquely recognize a distinct migratory trajectory.
Scaling Up DNA Computation

Computation is increasingly pervasive. Silicon-based computing devices are embedded in a wide variety of manufactured goods and appliances, increasing functionality, communication, and control. An analogous development of molecular-scale computing devices could allow similar advantages at vastly smaller scale. For example, embedding molecular-scale computing devices in biological materials such as serum, cells, or tissues could be used to detect, and possibly treat, disease. On page 1196 of this issue, Qian and Winfree ( 1 ) show how such molecular-scale computing devices might be engineered.
Ionic currents in morphogenesis

Morphogenetic fields must be generated by mechanisms based on known physical forces which include gravitational forces, mechanical forces, electrical forces, or some combination of these. While it is unrealistic to expect a single force, such as a voltage gradient, to be the sole cause of a morphogenetic event, spatial and temporal information about the electrical fields and ion concentration gradients in and around a cell or embryo undergoing morphogenesis can take us one step further toward understanding the entire morphogenetic mechanism. This is especially true because one of the handful of identified morphogens is Ca2+, an ion that will not only generate a current as it moves, but which is known to directly influence the plasma membrane's permeability to other ions, leading to other transcellular currents. It would be expected that movements of this morphogen across the plasma membrane might generate ionic currents and gradients of both electrical potential and intracellular concentration. Such ionic currents have been found to be integral components of the morphogenetic mechanism in some cases and only secondary components in other cases. My goal in this review is to discuss examples of both of these levels of involvement that have resulted from investigations conducted during the past several years, and to point to areas that are ripe for future investigation. This will include the history and theory of ionic current measurements, and a discussion of examples in both plant and animal systems in which ionic currents and intracellular concentration gradients are integral components of morphogenesis as well as cases in which they play only a secondary role. By far the strongest cases for a direct role of ionic currents in morphogenesis is the polarizing fucoid egg where the current is carried in part by Ca2+ and generates an intracellular concentration gradient of this ion that orients the outgrowth, and the insect follicle in which an intracellular voltage gradient is responsible for the polarized transport from nurse cell to oocyte. However, in most of the systems studied, the experiments to determine if the observed ionic currents are directly involved in the morphogenetic mechanism are yet to be done. Our experience with the fucoid egg and the fungal hypha ofAchlya suggest that it is the change in the intracellular ion concentration resulting from the ionic current that is critical for morphogenesis.
Basket submandibular gland suspension.

Background:Correction of a ptotic submandibular gland is a considerable challenge in neck rejuvenation. The procedures available to treat this condition either provide only short-term success or carry perceived risk of significant postoperative morbidities. The authors describe a new technique, bask
Facies, outcrop gamma ray and C O isotopic signature of exposed Miocene subtropical continental shelf carbonates, North West Cape, Western Australia

Abstract Exposed, uplifted Miocene carbonate sequences of the Cape Range, North West Cape, Western Australia, provide outcrop analogues of seismic sequences from offshore parts of the shelf. Facies include deep shelf marls (very fine and fine packstone), larger foram wackestone, floatstone and muddy rudstone, foram-coralline algal skeletal fragment packstone–wackestone (shallow seagrass facies), lagoonal wackestone–mudstone with scattered corals, and tidal flat laminites. The exposed Early Miocene units include the Mandu highstand, a sequence in the Tulki and one in the Middle Miocene Trealla Limestone. Sequences contain decameter scale (5–20 m thick), 4th-order parasequences evident on gamma ray logs and by facies stacking, that shallow and coarsen up; they appear to be due to eccentricity driven sea-level changes which may have been up to 50 m. Higher frequency meter-scale parasequences of deep water marl up into larger foram rudstone/floatstone (perhaps precession/obliquity) are evident at the base of the exposed Mandu section. These parasequences are not merely random storm deposits. This is indicated by the covariance of C and O isotopes, with the lighter values associated with deepening and deposition of deep shelf marls, and the heavier values being associated with shallowing and deposition of larger foram facies. The uplifted Miocene continental shelf sediments of the North West Cape preserve a record of eustasy, paleoclimate and paleoceanography and thus provide a window into factors affecting the shelf, that can be compared with coeval, better studied deep sea cores.
chicanos look to the 1980s

Book reviewed in this article: The Chicanos: As We See Ourselves. ARNULFO D. TREJO, ed. The Chicano Experience. STANLEY A. WEST and JUNE MACKLIN, eds. Westview Special Studies in Contemporary Social Issues. La Chicana: The Mexican-American Woman. ALFREDO MIRANDE and EVANGELINA ENRIQUEZ. Race and Class in the Southwest: A Theory of Racial Inequality. MARIO BARRERA.
Single molecule study of Rhodamine/ATO nanoparticle junctions

Single rhodamine B (RhB) molecule-Sb:SnO 2 (ATO) nanoparticle junctions were studied using two-photon excitation single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. For each molecule-nanoparticle junction, fluorescence decay of RhB was found to be single exponential, indicating a static heterogeneous distribution of junction properties. The measured fluorescence lifetime is shorter than RhB on inert substrates but longer than that expected on ATO based on ensemble averaged electron transfer rates. Possible origins for the shorten single molecule lifetimes and distribution are discussed.
Fluvial response to Late Quaternary climatic and environmental change, Edwards Plateau, Texas

Abstract Radiocarbon-controlled late Pleistocene to modern stratigraphic frameworks for fluvial systems that drain the Edwards Plateau, westcentral Texas, coupled with reconstruction of climatic and environmental changes, permit development of a model for the evolution of fluvial landscapes during the past 20,000 years. During this time, large valleys of the Edwards Plateau were characterized by channel aggradation and sediment storage from 20 to 14,000 yrs B.P., deep excavation of bedrock valleys from ca. 14 to 11,000 yr B.P. and deposition of extensive and complex valley fills during the last 11,000 yr. Valley fills contain three distinct unconformity-bounded allostratigraphic units representing episodes of channel aggradation and floodplain construction during the early to middle (ca. 11,000–5000 yr B.P.) and late Holocene (ca. 5000–1000 yr B.P.), and development of the incised channels and associated narrow floodplains of the last 1000 years. Early to middle Holocene alluvial deposits were derived from proximal sources within the respective drainage basins, whereas late Holocene deposits include sediments derived from distal sources. Sediment supply to major valleys axes has been extremely limited during the last 1000 years. Alluvial sequences of the Edwards Plateau record fluvial responses to climatically-driven changes in discharge regimes and the concentration of sediments along valley axes. Allostratigraphic units define time periods when the concentration of sediment exceeded stream power, resulting in sediment storage, whereas unconformities record widespread morphological and sedimentary adjustments. Unconformities between late Pleistocene alluvium and Holocene valley fills record bedrock valley incision in response to decreased sediment loads associated with slope stability in the uplands. By contrast, unconformities within the Holocene valley fill record floodplain abandonment accompanied by continued channel migration and sediment storage, but little additional bedrock valley cutting. Episodes of floodplain abandonment occurred as a result of decreased flood magnitudes following shifts to drier climatic conditions at ca. 5000 and 1000 yr B.P. Fluvial responses to climatic change were conditioned by a progressive degradation of upland soils that caused increases through time in the flashiness of flood events, which in turn led to changes in processes of floodplain construction. Flood events on late Pleistocene and early to middle Holocene rivers were, for the most part, contained within channel perimeters, and floodplains were constructed by lateral migration. By contrast, late Holocene rivers were characterized by deep overbank flooding and floodplain construction by vertical accretion. High magnitude floods were most significant from ca. 2500 to 1000 yr B.P. when large chute channels were cut and filled on floodplain surfaces, and soils developed on previously stable terrace surfaces were buried by up to 2 m of fine sands and muds.
Interaction between equine semen and the endometrium: the inflammatory response to semen.

Insemination of mares with bacteria-free equine spermatozoa results in an influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) into the uterine lumen. In vitro studies have demonstrated that equine spermatozoa activate complement, resulting in cleavage of factors C5a and C3b. Since uterine secretion is rich in complement, it is likely that an interaction between spermatozoa and uterine secretion results in C5a-mediated chemotaxis and migration of PMNs into the uterine lumen. Once in the uterine lumen, the PMNs phagocytize bacteria and spermatozoa, which is an important part of sperm elimination from the reproductive tract. It is not clear how the spermatozoa are opsonized, or if phagocytosis of equine spermatozoa is a selective or non-selective process. Breeding-induced endometritis appears to be both up and down regulated by seminal components. A modulatory role on the inflammation has been suggested for equine seminal plasma. Seminal plasma suppressed complement activation, PMN-chemotaxis and phagocytosis in vitro. Preliminary in vivo experiments also support a suppressive role of seminal plasma in breeding-induced endometritis. The duration but not the magnitude of the PMN-influx into the uterine lumen was shortened when seminal plasma was included in an insemination dose. The presence of PMNs in the uterus affects the motion characteristics of spermatozoa in vitro. Both progressive motility and mean path velocity were impaired when spermatozoa were incubated in uterine secretion from mares with ongoing breeding-induced endometritis. The binding of spermatozoa to PMNs was prominent in all samples collected from mares with an ongoing endometritis. The motility remained impaired, but the binding of the spermatozoa to PMNs was reduced when the spermatozoa were incubated in uterine secretion in the presence of seminal plasma. Preliminary characterization of the immune-suppressive component in seminal plasma suggests that it is one or more molecule(s) with a molecular weight between 50 and 100 kDa, partially inactivated by charcoal stripping and partially heat-inactivated at 95 °C for 45 min.