cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Is Cancer Solvable? Towards Efficient and Ethical Biomedical Science:

Global Cumulative Treatment Analysis (GCTA) is a novel clinical research model combining expert knowledge, and treatment coordination based upon global information-gain, to treat every patient optimally while efficiently searching the vast space that is the realm of cancer research.
Modeling the Impact of Seascape Evolution on the Seismic Response of Shelf and Slope Strata

Abstract : My long-term goals are to improve our understanding of the seabed on the continental shelf and slope and its evolution over geologic time, as well as to enhance our ability to extract geologic information about the seabed from geophysical data.
Clinical and economic analysis of drug costs in a general hospital in 2014-2018

Objectives . To study the structure of drug purchases by a general hospital considering the names and costs of the purchased drugs as well as their current consumption by various clinical departments. Materials and Methods . The drug consumption was analyzed using the ABC/VEN and ATC/DDD methods with a simultaneous analysis of case histories. Results . The analysis of drug purchases in 2014-2018 and the obtained results prompted a reassessment of the drug procurement policy and readjustment of the financial resources between various groups of drugs. Conclusion . The simultaneous use of the ABC/VEN and ATС/DDD analyzes and the reevaluation of the list of prescribed medications allowed us to propose the ways to optimize the structure of drug consumption in a typical hospital.
Admission into economic PhD programs: Results of a recent study and advice from directors of graduate studies at six exemplary U.S. economics PhD programs

Each year, thousands of students from the United States and abroad apply to PhD programs in economics, vying for one of the limited number of spots at their choice institution as well as funding th...
How Does Refactoring Impact Security When Improving Quality? A Security-Aware Refactoring Approach

While state of the art of software refactoring research uses various quality attributes to identify refactoring opportunities and evaluate refactoring recommendations, the impact of refactoring on the security of software systems when improving other quality objectives is under-explored. It is critical to understand how a system is resistant to security risks after refactoring to improve quality metrics. For instance, refactoring is widely used to improve the reusability of code, however such an improvement may increase the attack surface due to the created abstractions. Increasing the spread of security-critical classes in the design to improve modularity may result in reducing the resilience of software systems to attacks. In this paper, we investigated the possible impact of improving different quality attributes (e.g. reusability, extendibility, etc.), from the QMOOD model, effectiveness on a set of 8 security metrics defined in the literature related to the data access. We also studied the impact of different refactorings on these static security metrics. Then, we proposed a multi-objective refactoring recommendation approach to find a balance between quality attributes and security based on the correlation results to guide the search. We evaluated our tool on 30 open source projects. We also collected the practitioner perceptions on the refactorings recommended by our tool in terms of the possible impact on both security and other quality attributes. Our results confirm that developers need to make trade-offs between security and other qualities when refactoring software systems due to the negative correlations between them.
Using the curriculum vitae to promote gender equity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

We commend Malisch et al. on their Opinion (1) on immediate solutions to ensure gender equity during the COVID-19 pandemic given the disproportionate burden placed on women due to childcare and household responsibilities. Given early reports showing fewer women are submitting academic papers during the pandemic (2), we encourage institutions to immediately examine how to improve gender equity in the promotion and tenure process. While Pandemic Response Committees can hold institutions accountable for ensuring gender equity, we wish to highlight a simple solution at the individual level, … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: varora{at}uchicago.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Low dose ketamine reduces pain perception and blood pressure, but not muscle sympathetic nerve activity, responses during a cold pressor test

KEY POINTS Low dose ketamine is a leading medication used to provide analgesia in pre-hospital and hospital settings. Low dose ketamine is increasingly used off-label to treat conditions such as depression. In animals, ketamine stimulates the sympathetic nervous system and increases blood pressure, but these physiological consequences have not been studied in conscious humans. Our data suggest that low dose ketamine administration blunts pain perception and reduces blood pressure, but not muscle sympathetic nerve activity burst frequency, responses during a cold pressor test in healthy humans. These mechanistic, physiological results inform risk-benefit analysis for clinicians administering low dose ketamine in humans. ABSTRACT Low dose ketamine is an effective analgesic medication. However, our knowledge of the effects of ketamine on autonomic cardiovascular regulation is primarily limited to animal experiments. Notably, it is unknown if low dose ketamine influences autonomic cardiovascular responses during painful stimuli in humans. We tested the hypothesis that low dose ketamine blunts perceived pain, and blunts subsequent sympathetic and cardiovascular responses during an experimental noxious stimulus. Twenty-two adults (10F/12M; 27 ± 6 years; 26 ± 3 kg m-2 , mean ± SD) completed this randomized, crossover, placebo-controlled trial during two laboratory visits. During each visit, participants completed cold pressor tests (CPT; hand in ∼0.4°C ice bath for 2 min) pre- and 5 min post-drug administration (20 mg ketamine or saline). We compared pain perception (100 mm visual analogue scale), muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA; microneurography, 12 paired recordings), and beat-to-beat blood pressure (BP; photoplethysmography) during the pre- and post-drug CPTs separately using paired, two-tailed t tests. For the pre-drug CPT, perceived pain (P = 0.4378), MSNA burst frequency responses (P = 0.7375), and mean BP responses (P = 0.6457) were not different between trials. For the post-drug CPT, ketamine compared to placebo administration attenuated perceived pain (P < 0.0001) and mean BP responses (P = 0.0047), but did not attenuate MSNA burst frequency responses (P = 0.3662). Finally, during the post-drug CPT, there was a moderate relation between cardiac output and BP responses after placebo administration (r = 0.53, P = 0.0121), but this relation was effectively absent after ketamine administration (r = -0.12, P = 0.5885). These data suggest that low dose ketamine administration attenuates perceived pain and pressor, but not MSNA burst frequency, responses during a CPT.
Mesenteric neovascularization during spring-mediated intestinal lengthening

Abstract Background Short gut syndrome, a condition characterized by inadequate absorption of nutrients owing to decreased bowel length, has minimal avenues for treatment. We have proposed spring-mediated distraction enterogenesis to lengthen bowel in porcine jejunum as a treatment for short gut. We aim to evaluate the extent of mesenteric neovascularization in segments of lengthened bowel via spring-mediated enterogenesis. Methods Female juvenile Yucatan pigs underwent laparotomy and insertion of gelatin-encapsulated compressed nitinol springs, held in place with plication sutures, into the jejunum. At surgery and sacrifice, macroscopic mesenteric blood vessels were counted between the plication sites. Histologic samples of the mesentery were obtained to evaluate microscopic vasculature. Results A statistically significant increase in macroscopic mesenteric blood vessels was seen after intestinal lengthening (before: 1.9 ± 0.7 vessels, after: 4.7 ± 1.2 vessels, p = 0.001). A statistical significance is also seen in the density of arterioles (control: 3.0 ± 3.0 vessels/mm, spring: 7.0 ± 9.0 vessels/mm, p = 0.01) and venules (control: 4.0 ± 3.0 vessels/mm, spring: 8.0 ± 8.0 vessels/mm, p = 0.003). Conclusion Intestinal segments lengthened by intraluminal springs demonstrated total greater number of macroscopic vessels and microscopic blood vessels per length of mesentery as compared to control. This suggests local changes within the mesentery to recruit blood supply to growing intestine. Level of evidence N/A Type of study Treatment study.
Assessment of Psychological Factors in Short-Stay Total Hip Arthroplasty Protocol.

Abstract Background Several variables are known to correlate with the successful completion of short-stay total hip arthroplasty (THA) protocols. The role of psychological factors remains unclear. We investigated the interaction between patient-reported measures of psychological fitness and successful completion of a short-stay THA protocol. Methods We performed a prospective cohort study of patients undergoing elective anterior total hip arthroplasty enrolled in a short-stay protocol (success defined as LOS ≤1 midnight versus failed, LOS >1 midnight). Psychological fitness was measured using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) domains for self-efficacy, depression, anxiety, emotional support, and the ability to participate in social roles. PROMIS scores, patient demographics, and surgical factors were assessed for a relationship with failure to complete short-stay protocol. Results Patients that failed to complete the short-stay protocol had higher mean pre-operative PROMIS depression scores (50.8 vs 47.1, P = .025) and anxiety scores (53.6 vs 49.2, P = .008) and higher postoperative PROMIS depression (48.19 vs 43.49, P = .003) and anxiety scores (51.7 vs 47.1, P = .01). Demographic and surgical variables did not correlate with the successful completion of the short-stay protocol. That seventy-six percent of the patients did not adhere to the short-stay protocol was due to the inability to complete a physical therapy standardized safety assessment. Conclusion Higher levels of preoperative and postoperative anxiety and depression in otherwise psychologically healthy patients, is associated with an increased risk of failure to complete a short-stay protocol following THA. Targeted interventions are needed to facilitate rapid recovery in patients with psychological barriers to early mobilization.
An analysis of the relationship between linguistic performance and general cognitive abilities in bilingual speakers

A major issue in bilingualism research is how the bilingual mind processes and reconciles two languages without apparent difficulty when trying to use only one. Research has revealed that when bilinguals produce speech, cross-linguistic competition induced by simultaneous activation of both languages is circumvented by inhibitory and selection mechanisms that allow for phonological articulation of the desired language. Such language-specificprocesses are presumed to derive from domain-general mechanisms that monitor and regulate behavior, to ensure high levels of cognitive performance. To examine the connection between language-specific and domain-general processes, performance on linguistic and nonlinguistic tasks are compared. In our study, Spanish-English participants perform linguistic tasks that induce competition, inhibition, and selection (e.g., production of translation equivalents that are phonologically similar in the two languages) as well as non-linguistic tasks that induce similar challenges (e.g., alternating between visual or auditory stimuli depending on the task requirements). A fine-grained acoustic analysis of timing and accuracy in verbal production (i.e., VOT, vowel formants, frication spectral peak) will be performed. Positive correlations between performances on the two task categories would support the theoretical view that efficient mental manipulation of two languages relies on control mechanisms that are generally involved in higher-order cognitive behavior.
Clustering Algorithms and RFM Analysis Performed on Retail Transactions

This paper investigates how clustering algorithms and Recency, Frequency, and Monetary value (RFM) analysis can be performed on online transactions to provide strategies for customer purchasing behaviors. Along with performing RFM analysis on the retail dataset, clustering algorithms such as Mean-shift, Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN), Agglomerative Clustering, and K-Means were utilized. By comparing these clustering algorithms, we have found valuable customer groups based on RFM values.
Optimization of sulfobutyl-ether-β-cyclodextrin levels in oral formulations to enhance progesterone bioavailability.

Abstract Progesterone oral dose regimens are indicated for the treatment of luteal phase deficiency and estrogen dominance. The poor aqueous solubility of progesterone leads to erratic oral absorption, resulting in suboptimal or excessive plasma levels. Developing a formulation to enhance the solubility of progesterone in the gastrointestinal tract would be beneficial to decrease drug absorption variability and increase bioavailability. The solubility of progesterone at 400 mM sulfobutyl-ether-β-cyclodextrin (SBE-β-CD) concentration was ~7000-fold greater than its intrinsic solubility, aided by the formation of SBE-β-CD–progesterone complex. The complex was characterized using differential scanning colorimeter, Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy techniques. FTIR and NMR studies of the complex confirm the interaction between functional groups of SBE-β-CD and progesterone to form an inclusion complex. Molecular modeling studies demonstrated progesterone binding poses with four probable SBE-β-CD isomers and these results matched with NMR and FTIR data. The progesterone oral formulations were optimized by increasing the levels of SBE-β-CD in the formulation to prevent the displacement of progesterone from the complex by gastrointestinal contents. The oral bioavailability of progesterone in rats was increased 5-fold when administered with the optimized formulation compared to administration with progesterone API capsules. Studies demonstrated that the optimized formulation prevents precipitation of progesterone in the intestinal tract and increases progesterone oral bioavailability in rats.
Implications of neuroendocrine tumor and diabetes mellitus on patient outcomes and care: a matched case–control study

Aim: We aimed to determine the impact of diabetes mellitus (DM) on survival of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) and of NETs on glycemic control. Patients & methods: Patients with newly di...
Foundational Knowledge and Skills in Community Development: A Comparison of Educator Perspectives:

The challenges metropolitan regions, cities and towns, neighborhoods, and villages face require community development skills that address complex community problems, engage multiple publics, and pu...
Building the cytokinetic contractile ring in an early embryo: initiation as clusters of myosin II, anillin and septin, and visualization of a septin filament network

Abstract The cytokinetic contractile ring (CR) was first described some 50 years ago, however our understanding of the assembly and structure of the animal cell CR remains incomplete. We recently reported that mature CRs in sea urchin embryos contain myosin II mini-filaments organized into aligned concatenated arrays, and that in early CRs myosin II formed discrete clusters that transformed into the linearized structure over time. The present study extends our previous work by addressing the hypothesis that these myosin II clusters also contain the crucial scaffolding proteins anillin and septin, known to help link actin, myosin II, RhoA, and the membrane during cytokinesis. Super-resolution imaging of cortices from dividing embryos indicates that within each cluster, anillin and septin2 occupy a centralized position relative to the myosin II mini-filaments. As CR formation progresses, the myosin II, septin and anillin containing clusters enlarge and coalesce into patchy and faintly linear patterns. Our super-resolution images provide the initial visualization of anillin and septin nanostructure within an animal cell CR, including evidence of a septin filament network. Furthermore, Latrunculin-treated embryos indicated that the localization of septin or anillin to the myosin II clusters in the early CR was not dependent on actin filaments. These results highlight the structural progression of the CR in sea urchin embryos from an array of clusters to a linearized purse string, the association of anillin and septin with this process, and provide, for the first time, the visualization of septin filament higher order structure in an animal cell CR.
Mothers’ Sources and Strategies for Managing COVID-19 Uncertainties during the Early Pandemic Months

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented challenges and uncertainties for families. Guided by uncertainty management theory, this study qualitatively explored mothers’ sources of COVID-related ...
The Impact of Combat Ocular Trauma and Traumatic Brain Injury on Vision- and Health-Related Quality of Life Among U.S. Military Casualties.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to assess visual and health-related quality of life (QOL) among U.S. military service members who sustained combat ocular trauma (COT) with or without associated traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods This was a single-center, prospective observational study of U.S. service members (n = 88) with COT who were treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Participants completed the National Eye Institute Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) at enrollment and at follow-up (>1 year) and supplemental surveys: Neurobehavioral Symptom Inventory, the Medical Outcomes 36-item Short Form Survey (SF-36), and Mayo-Portland Adaptability Inventory. Results Initial and follow-up VFQ-25 showed a statistically significant increase in median scores for near activities (initial: 75.0, follow-up 83.3; P = .004) and peripheral vision (initial: 50.0, follow-up: 75.0; P = .009) and in composite scores (initial: 79.5, follow-up: 79.8; P = .022). Comparing those who did (n = 78) and did not (n = 8) have a TBI history, there were no significant differences in median change in VFQ-25 composite scores (with TBI: 2.3 vs. no TBI: 10.7; P = .179). Participants with a TBI history had a significantly lower median SF-36 General Health score (with TBI: 67.5 vs. no TBI: 92.5; P = .009). Conclusions Vision-related QOL of COT patients is generally good in the long term. However, those with both COT and a history of TBI conditions showed significantly worse functioning in several domains than those without TBI. As TBI is a common finding in COT, this association is an important factor impacting this population's overall clinical presentation and daily functions.
Nietzsche Against Marx on the Causes of Suffering

Marx and Nietzsche, the two lodestars of modern philosophical anthropology, differ most interestingly not in their moral outlooks — which are indeed contradictory--but in their explanatory methods. Marx has, as it were, no psychology, only an anthropology and economics, while Nietzsche relies almost exclusively on explanation in terms of individual psychology, appearing at times willfully blind to social and economic causes. This difference is most apparent in their contrasting approaches to human suffering. Marx understands suffering to be primarily a consequence of socio-economic circumstances, while Nietzsche traces it primarily to defects in individual psychology and physiology (the latter manifesting themselves at the psychological level). To put it crudely, for Nietzsche, most people are by nature “sick” and thus disposed to suffer, regardless of socio-economic circumstances, while for Marx, people’s suffering is an artifact of their socio-economic circumstances, and thus amenable to amelioration. I consider various kinds of evidence for Nietzsche’s thesis — including the existence of religious orthodoxy among the affluent; the social phenomenon of “aggrievement hunters”; and the prevalence of ascetic moralities and of non-guilty means for assuaging suffering — concluding that it does not clearly support Nietzsche’s explanation for suffering against Marx’s. Along the way, I show that Nietzsche (like Marx) views religion as an “opiate,” but (unlike Marx) he deems it a necessary one given the socio-economic prerequisites for great culture. I also examine Nietzsche’s opposition to blame for suffering. I conclude with a diagnosis of Nietzsche’s own antipathy towards the “sick” as a kind of Freudian reaction formation.
Hungarian Jewish Stories of Origin: Samuel Kohn, the Khazar Connection and the Conquest of Hungary

At the turn of the twentieth century, the Khazar ancestry of European Jewry was a popular idea that particularly resonated throughout the discourse surrounding Hungary’s national origin and belonging. One of this discourse’s critical questions concerned whether Magyars and Jews were divided or united by ethnicity or religion: this paper demonstrates how Samuel Kohn (1841-1920), an important rabbi-scholar of the time, participated in this discussion by arguing for a common origin of the two groups. Kohn asserted that the Khazar ancestry of Hungarian Jews comprises both an ethnic and a religious connection. He considered two complementary questions: whether Hungarians and Jews possessed common ethnic origins and thereby belonged to the same race, and whether Magyars converted to Judaism during the Khazar era, i.e., the belief that Hungarians and Jews shared a common religion in the past. The contemporary political atmosphere magnified the significance of Kohn’s contribution.
Marketing Archaeology

In the 19th century, ‘scientific archaeologists’ split from their antiquarian colleagues over the role that provenience (context) plays in the value of an artifact. These archaeologists focus on documenting an artifact’s context when they remove it from its original location. Archaeologists then use this contextual information to place these artifacts within a particular larger assemblage, in a particular time and space. Once analyzed, the artifacts found in a site or region can be used to document, to understand, and explain the past. Given the central place of context for archaeological excavation, archaeologists have done everything in their power to combat the black market. Hoping to stem the tide, archaeologists have leveled attacks on those who excavate these materials, those who traffic in them, and those who purchase them. Unfortunately, despite decades of argument and legal wrangling, archaeologists have been unable to stop the black market. The purpose of this paper is to analyze this failure from the supply side (what archaeologists call looting) and to suggest better ways to engage other stakeholders to the benefit of most, if not all.
Communicating a History of Sexual Trauma: Partner Responses to Women's Disclosure.

The study aimed to understand how women who experienced sexual trauma but are now in a healthy relationship perceive their partners’ responses to their disclosure of sexual trauma. Forty-one women ...
Extending CPM for Multiform Project Time - Cost Curves

The time-cost phase of CPM is extended with Integer Linear Programming techniques. Using the mathematical models developed, it is possible to determine the minimum project cost for each feasible project duration irrespective of the types of duration-cost relationships associated with the operations in the project. The types of operation duration-cost relationships that are considered are: (1) Non-increasing, bounded, piece-wise linear, continuous, and non-convex; (2) bounded but defined only at discrete points; and (3) bounded but discontinuous. An example project composed of nine operations is included to demonstrate that the formulations describing these relationships can be combined in any number of ways to describe any conceivable operation, duration-cost relationship. The formulations of the example are solved using a large scale computer, and the results are presented and analyzed. The conclusions indicate that while the models developed are sound and completely general, the required computer solution process needs a considerable degree of development. Present (1965) computer programs are capable of solving only projects with less than 50 operations.
Elucidating microbial codes to distinguish individuals

Studies of the human microbiome have revealed that both site specificity and individuality play a role in shaping the microbial communities of healthy individuals (1). Longitudinal studies have determined that bacterial strains remain stable over time (2, 3), suggesting that microbial signatures may distinguish individuals. In PNAS, Franzosa et al. evaluate whether this variation within the human microbiome is sufficient to distinguish individuals in a large population (4).
Differential logic for reasoning about hybrid systems

We propose a first-order dynamic logic for reasoning about hybrid systems. As a uniform model for discrete and continuous evolutions in hybrid systems, we introduce hybrid programs with differential actions. Our logic can be used to specify and verify correctness statements about hybrid programs, which are suitable for symbolic processing by calculus rules. Using first-order variables, our logic supports systems with symbolic parameters. With dynamic modalities, it is prepared to handle multiple system components.
Sex attractant pheromone of the red-shouldered stink bug Thyanta pallidovirens: a pheromone blend with multiple redundant components.

The male-produced sex pheromone of the red-shouldered stink bug, Thyanta pallidovirens (Stal) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) consists of a blend of methyl (E2,Z4,Z6)-decatrienoate (E2,Z4,Z6–10:COOMe), and the sesquiterpenes (+)α-curcumene, (−)-zingiberene, and (−) -β-sesquiphellandrene. In laboratory bioassays, sexually mature males attracted sexually mature females but not males, and females did not attract either sex. Extracts of volatiles collected from sexually mature males contained compounds not present in extracts from females or sexually immature males, and male-produced extract was attractive to females. Biological activity was lost when the extract was fractionated, indicating that the pheromone consisted of at least two components having different chemical properties. Individually, pheromone components were not attractive to females, but E2,Z4,Z6–10:COOMe in combination with at least one of the three male-produced sesquiterpenes was attractive. The presence of more than one sesquiterpene in the blend did not increase attraction, indicating redundancy in the pheromone signal. Male extract was as attractive as a blend reconstructed from synthesized compounds, indicating all biologically active components had been identified. In bioassays conducted at dusk in a 1- × 1- × 1-m screen field cage, females were attracted to synthetic pheromone lures. In field trials, adult female T. pallidovirens were attracted to pheromone-baited traps in relatively low numbers. The profile of volatiles released by sexually mature males of a congeneric species, Thyanta accerra custator McAtee, was remarkably similar to that of male T. pallidovirens, with the exception that the former species produced (E)-2-decenal, a compound that was not found in T. pallidovirens extracts.
Mass-losing peculiar red giants - The comparison between theory and observations

The mass loss from evolved red giants is considered. It seems that red giants on the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) are losing between 0.0003 and 0.0006 solar mass/sq kpc yr in the solar neighborhood. If all the main sequence stars between 1 and 5 solar masses ultimately evolve into white dwarfs with masses of 0.7 solar mass, the predicted mass loss rate in the solar neighborhood from these stars is 0.0008 solar mass/sq kpc yr. Although there are still uncertainties, it appears that there is no strong disagreement between theory and observation.
Studies on polynucleotides. LXXXII. Yeast phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid: partial digestion with ribonuclease T-1 and derivation of the total primary structure

Abstract Large oligonucleotide fragments obtained by partial digestion of yeast phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid with ribonuclease T1 have been separated and characterized. The information provided by these analyses and those described in the preceding paper has permitted the derivation of the total sequence of phenylalanine transfer ribonucleic acid.
Enhancing spectrum utilization through cooperation and cognition in wireless systems

We have seen a proliferation of wireless technologies and devices in recent years. The resulting explosion of wireless demand has put immense pressure on available spectrum. Improving spectrum utilization is therefore necessary to enable wireless networks to keep up with burgeoning demand. 1bis dissertation presents a cognitive and cooperative wireless architecture that significantly enhances spectrum utilization. Specifically, it introduces four new systems that embody a cross-layer design for cognition and cooperation. The first system, SWIFT, is a cognitive cross technology solution that enables wideband devices to exploit higher layer network semantics to adaptively sense which portions of the spectrum are occupied by unknown narrowband devices, and weave the remaining unoccupied spectrum bands into a single high-throughput wideband link. Second, FARA is a cooperative system that enables multi-channel wireless solutions like 802.11 to dynamically use all available channels for all devices in a performance-aware manner by using information from the physical layer and allocating to each link the frequency bands that show the highest performance for that link. SourceSync, the third system, enables wireless nodes in last-hop and wireless mesh networks to cooperatively transmit synchronously in order to exploit channel diversity and increase reliability. Finally, MegaMIMO enables wireless throughput to scale linearly with the number of transmitters by enabling multiple wireless transmitters to transmit simultaneously in the same frequency bands to multiple wireless receivers without interfering with each other. The systems in this dissertation demonstrate the practicality of cognitive and cooperative wireless systems to enable spectrum sharing. Further, as part of these systems, we design several novel primitives—adaptive spectrum sensing, time alignment, frequency synchronization, and distributed phase-coherent transmission, that can serve as fundamental building blocks for wireless cognition and cooperation. Finally, we have implemented all four systems described in this dissertation, and evaluated them in wireless testbeds, demonstrating large gains in practice. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, libraries.mit.edu/docs - [email protected])
Will Quantum Cryptography ever become a successful technology in the marketplace

We assess the potential of quantum cryptography as a technology. We highlight the fact that academia and real world have rather different perspectives and interests. Then, we describe the various real life forces (different types of users, vendors of crypto-systems, conventional cryptographers, governments) behind the decision of the adoption (or rejection) of quantum cryptography and their different interests. Various roadblocks to the widespread application of quantum cryptography are discussed. Those roadblocks can be fundamental, technological, psychological, commercial or political and many of them have nothing to do with the security of quantum key distribution. We argue that the future success of quantum cryptography as a technology in the marketplace lies in our ability to appreciate and to overcome those roadblocks and to answer real world criticisms on the subject.
Computer simplification of engineering systems formulas

The three most popular commercial computer algebra systems are Mathematica, Maple, and MACSYMA (the 3 M's), but they are weak in the area of noncommutative operations. This article reports on applications of a powerful tool: a noncommutative version of the Grobner basis algorithm. The commutative version of this algorithm is implemented on each of the 3 M's. It has many applications ranging from solving systems of equations to computations involving polynomial ideals. Our application to the simplification of expressions which occur in systems theory is unique. We describe the Grobner basis for several elementary situations which arise in systems theory. These give a "complete" set of simplifying rules for formulas which arise in these situations. We have found that this process elucidates the nature of simplifying rules and provides a practical means of simplifying some types of complex expressions. The research required the use of software suited for computing with noncommuting symbolic expressions. This system uses a new approach to the development of mathematical software. It provides the flexibility needed for experimentation with algorithms, data representation, and data analysis. In another direction, NCAlgebra packages for Mathematica extend many of Mathematica's commands to symbolic expressions in noncommutative algebras. We have incorporated in these packages some of the results on simplification described in this paper. >
A rapid and sensitive immunoassay for the detection of gasoline and diesel fuel in contaminated soil

Abstract An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) was developed using a monoclonal antibody (MAb) reagent that detects gasoline and diesel fuel. Xylene and toluene derivatives, which are common components of gasoline, were synthesized with various types of spacers and conjugated to either bovine serum albumen or bovine thyroglobulin. A total of 16 different hapten conjugates were used for immunizing both Balb/c and Swiss Webster mice. A panel of MAbs were produced that recognized xylene and toluene in a competitive EIA. An enzyme‐hapten conjugate was prepared for the MAb (F12–3C8) that demonstrated the most suitable characteristics for sensitivity, cross‐reactivity, and compatibility with extraction buffers. The resulting EIA gave ED50 values for m‐xylene of less than 1 ppm and values of less than 500 ppb for gasoline. Diesel fuel was also detected, with ED30 values in the range of 300 ppb. When samples of gasoline were tested, the EIA gave consistent ED30 values that were independent of manufacturer or octane rating....
Effects of in vivo and in vitro administered thyroxine on substrate metabolism of isolated rabbit ventricle mitochondria. 3. Substrate effects on pyridine nucleotide reduction, on the reversal of electron transport, and on the "respiratory control by ATP".

Ventricle mitochondria have been isolated and assayed from normal and from thyroxine-treated, initially normal rabbits (20 μg T4 administered sc per 100 g body wt per day, for 1, 4, or 14 consecutive days). Repeated T4 treatment in vivo generally increased the net rate and degree of “succinate-linked” NAD reduction, as it did the QO2 of controlled and active states in the presence of succinate. After 4–14 T4 injections in vivo, the “succinate-linked” controlled state showed neither ATP requirement for NAD reduction nor respiratory inhibition by ATP, whereas both these phenomena were observed prior to hormone treatment. Nevertheless, in the succinate-linked active state, ATP inhibited the QO2 and augmented the NAD reduction, unaffected by T4 treatment. Rotenone inhibited the “succinate-linked” NAD reduction in all preparations. D( + ) Malate inhibited the “succinatelinked” NAD reduction irrespective of T4 treatment. Ninety second preincubation of euthyroid mitochondria with cysteine sulfinate, pyruvate, or...
Syria and Iraq —the geopathology of a relationship

The decision by Syria to support the anti-Iraq coalition during the Gulf War has to be understood within the wider political geographic and historical regional context. While the two states have many common characteristics, such as the respective power of the Ba'th Party in each country, mutual feelings of territorial injury in the demarcation of the states' territory and centrifugal forces threatening the continued integrity of the state, intense ideological and territorial disputes have resulted in bitter inter-state enmity. Disputes have arisen over Syrian closure of Iraqi oil pipelines, the allocation of water flowing from the Euphrates and Syrian support of Iran during the Iraq-Iran war. The collapse of Syria's superpower ally, the Soviet Union, resulted in Syria supporting the anti-Iraq international coalition during the 1991 Gulf War, in an attempt to regain wider international legitimacy.
Spectroscopic Identification and Dynamics of Adsorbed Cetyltrimethylammonium Bromide Structures on TiO2 Surfaces

Infrared spectroscopy is used to identify the aggregated structures of adsorbed cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) on negatively charged TiO2 surfaces. In particular, there are abrupt changes in the intensity of the symmetric bending mode of the CTAB headgroup, and these abrupt changes have been correlated to different aggregated structures along the adsorption isotherm. Furthermore, by measuring spectra as a function of time, it is possible to obtain information on the dynamics of the formation of aggregated CTAB structures on the surface. It is shown that aggregated hemimicellar, admicellar, and micellar structures initially adsorb through intermediate structures that have a higher percentage of CTAB molecules bound directly to charged sites on the surface. Above the critical micelle concentration (cmc), the CTAB exists as micelles on the surface when exposed to a bare TiO2 surface or to a TiO2 surface already covered with hemimicellar/admicellar adsorbed structures. In the latter case, the existing ...
Short-term power purchases considering uncertain prices

In deregulated systems, utilities have partial knowledge of the price and amount of power available in the market. Other variables such as forecasted load in utility and fuel availability may also be uncertain. In the paper, an optimisation procedure that models uncertainties using fuzzy numbers is presented. The proposed method defines the range of control variables (local generations and imports) for satsifying operational constraints with a total operation cost lower than a predefined goal. Price of imported power, local generation as well as line flows and loads are defined as linguistic variables and represented with fuzzy numbers. The fuzzy optimisation is transformed into a classical (crisp) optimisation problem by considering a degree of acceptance for each constraint. The problem is formulated with a linear objective function and nonlinear constraints. An iterative procedure is used to compute the minimum operation cost. An example system is used to show applications of the proposed method in the decision-making process inherent in uncertain environments.
Fire Risk Assessment and Management in Nuclear Power Plants

A methodology for the assessment of risk due to fires in nuclear power plants is presented. This methodology integrates the important elements of a comprehensive approach, namely: 1. engineering knowledge of the response of the plant when a specified set of components is damaged; 2. statistical analysis of the available data regarding the occurrence of fires and their detection and suppression; 3. physical modeling of the thermal hazards (temperatures and heat fluxes) in a compartment fire; and 4. probabilistic modeling of the competition between fire growth time and detection and suppression time, as well as the propagation of uncertainties through the COMPBRN code, which calculates the thermal hazards. The use of the methodology in risk management is also discussed through an example.
Substructure and fatigue fracture in aluminum

Abstract Fatigue induced substructure has been studied in polycrystalline aluminum (99.99 per cent) cycled at constant strain amplitude. X-ray and transmission electron microscope techniques were used. At low strains (3 × 10 −4 ) large concentrations of dislocation loops are often formed near subgrain boundaries, and the average subgrain volume is much larger than that found at higher strain amplitudes. The limiting subgrain volume was determined as a function of strain amplitude. Above ∼2 × 10 −3 , this volume is constant at approximately 9 cubic microns. A consistent model is proposed to account for the variability of substructure with strain amplitude and crystal orientation. It is concluded that the strain concentration near a fatigue crack is always sufficient to insure that propagation of the crack will occur in material which is strongly subdivided. The mechanism of fracture in thin foils containing many fatigue-induced subgrains was investigated using a tensile stage in the electron microscope. Although the fracture mode in thin films is quite different from that which must occur in bulk material under alternating stress, the behavior of sharp notches in the vicinity of subgrain boundaries provides a clue to possible fatigue fracture mechanisms in aluminum.
Coulomb interaction between a 1D channel and a quantum dot

We investigate the influence of current flow through a one dimensional (1D) channel defined by a quantum point contact (QPC) on the equilibrium transport characteristics of an adjacent quantum dot. As the DC current in the 1D channel is increased, changes in the height, position and width of the Coulomb blockade oscillations of the quantum dot are observed.
GOVERNMENT CONTRACTING AND PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT IN HUMAN SERVICES

ABSTRACT Government contracting with third party service providers has increased during the past decade. The contracts purport to hold these service providers accountable for the services delivered. A review of 46 contracts providing a variety of human services reveals that accountability is spoken of but not necessarily achieved. The study reviews the accountability methods in each contract, how performance is measured, how data are collected for the annual report forms required by each contract and whether accountabil ity is established. The results indicate that more work needs to be done in order to establish what constitutes accountability, what performance should be measured and how that performance is measured.
Acute Toxicity and Some Hematological Changes in Grass Carp Exposed to Diquat

Abstract For the herbicide diquat dibromide, the concentration (based on active ingredient) that was lethal to 50% of the grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella exposed to this chemical for 96 h (96-h LC50) was 53.0 mg/L. Exposure of grass carp to 2.0 mg diquat/L for up to 168 h or to 53.0 mg diquat/L for up to 48 h resulted in significant increases (P < 0.05) over control hematocrit values throughout the exposure period. However, neither of these diquat treatment concentrations resulted in significantly different hemoglobin concentrations at any time during the 168-h experiment.
The NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center program in gamma-ray burst astronomy

The research program in gamma-ray burst astronomy at the NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center is described. Large-area scintillation detector arrays have been flown on high-altitude balloons, and an array is being developed for the Gamma-Ray Observatory. The design of these detectors is described along with results obtained from previous balloon flights.
Ten Years of Top Picks

This column discusses the process of choosing articles from the computer architecture conferences of 2012 for the Top Picks issue.
Magill forceps extraction of upper esophageal coins.

Abstract Background/Purpose: This study demonstrates a minimally invasive technique for upper esophageal coin extraction. Methods: A retrospective review was conducted of 36 children who had upper esophageal coins extracted using a Magill forceps. Results: All coins were removed without complication in approximately 45 seconds (33 on the first attempt, 3 on the second attempt). Conclusions: This technique minimizes instrumentation of the esophagus and is highly successful at removing coins lodged at or immediately below the level of the cricipharyngeus muscle. J Pediatr Surg 38:227-229. Copyright 2003, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Structure and variation of the Nucleolus Organizer Region in turtles

Differential staining techniques were used to study the structure and variation of the NORs of 27 species of cryptodiran turtles. No species or individuals had more than a single pair of NORs. Extensive variation in NOR structure and chromosomal location was found among higher taxa and individual variation in NOR size was common. Thirty eight percent of all individuals studied were heterozygous for the size of the NOR. However, interspecific variation in chromosomal location and structure of the NOR within major taxa was relatively rare. It is concluded that ( I ) the pattern of variation of NORs is consistent with patterns of chromosomal evolution in turtles; (2) Turtles have only a single pair of NORs whereas other animals, such as some mammals, possess numerous NORs; (3) The heterochromatin associated with the NOR is involved in the structure of the nucleolus.
Image-guided interstitial photodynamic therapy for squamous cell carcinomas: Preclinical investigation ☆

Objective Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a clinically approved minimally invasive treatment for cancer. In this preclinical study, using an imaging-guided approach, we examined the potential utility of PDT in the management of bulky squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs).
Effect of Coolant Temperature and Mass Flow on Film Cooling of Turbine Blades

A three-dimensional Navier Stokes code has been used to study the effect of coolant temperature, and coolant to mainstream mass flow ratio on the adiabatic effectiveness of a film-cooled turbine blade. The blade chosen is the VKI rotor with six rows of cooling holes including three rows on the shower head. The mainstream is akin to that under real engine conditions with stagnation temperature = 1900 K and stagnation pressure = 3 MPa. Generally, the adiabatic effectiveness is lower for a higher coolant temperature due to nonlinear effects via the compressibility of air. However, over the suction side of shower-head holes, the effectiveness is higher for a higher coolant temperature than that for a lower coolant temperature when the coolant to mainstream mass flow ratio is 5% or more. For a fixed coolant temperature, the effectiveness passes through a minima on the suction side of shower-head holes as the coolant to mainstream mass flow, ratio increases, while on the pressure side of shower-head holes, the effectiveness decreases with increase in coolant mass flow due to coolant jet lift-off. In all cases, the adiabatic effectiveness is highly three-dimensional.
In vivo 13C NMR assessment of brain glycogen concentration and turnover in the awake rat.

Brain glycogen metabolism was recently observed in vivo and found to be very slow in the lightly alpha-chloralose anesthetized rat [J. Neurochem. 73 (1999) 1300]. Based on that slow turnover, the total glycogen content in the awake rat brain and its turnover time were assessed after administering 13C-labeled glucose for 48 h. Label incorporation into glycogen, glucose, amino acid, and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) resonances was observed. The amount of 13C label incorporated into glycogen was variable and did not correlate with that in glutamate (r=-0.1, P>0.86). However, the amount of 13C label incorporated into glycogen was very similar to that in NAA (r=0.93), implying similar turnover times between brain glycogen and NAA (approximately 10 h). Absolute quantification of the total concentration of brain glycogen in the awake, normoglycemic rat yielded 3.3+/-0.8 micromol/g (n=6, mean+/-S.D.).