cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regional and global benthic δ18O stacks for the last glacial cycle

Although detailed age models exist for some marine sediment records of the last glacial cycle (0–150 ka), age models for many cores rely on the stratigraphic correlation of benthic δ18O, which measures ice volume and deep ocean temperature change. The large amount of data available for the last glacial cycle offers the opportunity to improve upon previous benthic δ18O compilations, such as the “LR04” global stack. Not only are the age constraints for the LR04 stack now outdated but a single global alignment target neglects regional differences of several thousand years in the timing of benthic δ18O change during glacial terminations. Here we present regional stacks that characterize mean benthic δ18O change for 8 ocean regions and a volume-weighted global stack of data from 263 cores. Age models for these stacks are based on radiocarbon data from 0 to 40 ka, correlation to a layer-counted Greenland ice core from 40 to 56 ka, and correlation to radiometrically dated speleothems from 56 to 150 ka. The regional δ18O stacks offer better stratigraphic alignment targets than the LR04 global stack and, furthermore, suggest that the LR04 stack is biased 1–2 kyr too young throughout the Pleistocene. Finally, we compare global and regional benthic δ18O responses with sea level estimates for the last glacial cycle.
Long-Range Dependence as a Phase Transition

Long-range dependence in a stationary process has been understood as corresponding to a particular second-order behavior, to a particular range of the Hurst parameter, or of fractional integration.
Being the Change: A Hero’s Journey and Legacy

Holistic leaders lead from their authentic selves and touch the authentic selves of others. They set in motion certain key processes that continue to fructify long after they have passed on. It is their steadfastness and selflessness that bring enduring benevolence and leaves their footprints on the sand of time. Judged by his abiding influence on the future generations, Gandhi emerges as one of the most remarkable leaders of all time. Gandhi’s legendary legacy became the harbinger of freedom to many countries in Southeast Asia and the rest of the world.
Abstract 19724: Renoprotective Effect of Remote Ischemic Peri-conditioning During Air Medical Transport of Patients With ST-segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) manifesting as acute increase in serum creatinine is a recognized complication to cardiac catheterization. Patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) have a markedly increased risk of developing AKI. At present, there is no universally accepted strategy for prevention of AKI in the setting of primary PCI. We assessed whether remote ischemic peri-conditioning (RIPC) stimulus during ambulance transport of STEMI patient would reduce the rate of creatinine rise post primary PCI. Method: We evaluated STEMI patients transferred to two hospitals participating in the National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR) Acute Coronary Treatment Intervention Outcomes Network Registry-Get With the Guidelines (ACTION Registry-GWTG) between March, 2013 and March, 2015. Patients were transferred by an air medical critical care service utilizing RIPC as part of a standard protocol and compared to controls matc...
TFX: A TensorFlow-Based Production-Scale Machine Learning Platform

Creating and maintaining a platform for reliably producing and deploying machine learning models requires careful orchestration of many components---a learner for generating models based on training data, modules for analyzing and validating both data as well as models, and finally infrastructure for serving models in production. This becomes particularly challenging when data changes over time and fresh models need to be produced continuously. Unfortunately, such orchestration is often done ad hoc using glue code and custom scripts developed by individual teams for specific use cases, leading to duplicated effort and fragile systems with high technical debt. We present TensorFlow Extended (TFX), a TensorFlow-based general-purpose machine learning platform implemented at Google. By integrating the aforementioned components into one platform, we were able to standardize the components, simplify the platform configuration, and reduce the time to production from the order of months to weeks, while providing platform stability that minimizes disruptions. We present the case study of one deployment of TFX in the Google Play app store, where the machine learning models are refreshed continuously as new data arrive. Deploying TFX led to reduced custom code, faster experiment cycles, and a 2% increase in app installs resulting from improved data and model analysis.
Language and socioeconomics predict geographic variation in peer review outcomes at an ecology journal

Papers submitted by scientists located in western nations generally fare better in the peer review process than do papers submitted by scientists from elsewhere. This paper examines geographic variation in peer review outcomes (whether a manuscript is sent for review, review scores obtained, and final decisions by editors) for 3529 submissions over a 4.5 year period at the journal Functional Ecology. In particular, we test whether geographic variation in language and socioeconomics are adequate to explain most or are all of this variation. There was no relationship between the geographic regions of handling editors and the decisions to send papers for review or invite revision, but there was substantial variation among author geographic locations; generally papers from first authors located in Oceania, the United States, and the United Kingdom fared better, and papers from first authors located in Africa, Asia, and Latin America fared worst. Language and the Human Development Index (HDI) explained the geographic variation in the proportion of papers sent for review, but socioeconomics alone (HDI) was the best predictor of mean review scores obtained by papers and whether authors were invited to submit a revision. Though we cannot exclude a role for editor and reviewer biases against authors based on their geographic location, variation in socioeconomics and language explain much of the variation in manuscript editorial and peer review outcomes among authors from different regions of the world.
Stable isotope analysis of the dietary habits of a Greek community in Archaic Syracuse (Sicily): a pilot study

The study and reconstruction of ancient dietary habits has become a very significant topic in archaeological research. Most chemical analysis studies for diet at Greek sites are limited to prehisto...
Neural basis of trigeminal chemo- and thermonociception in brown treesnakes, Boiga irregularis (Squamata: Colubridae)

To elucidate the nociceptive system of the brown treesnake, Boiga irregularis, we exposed isolated brown treesnake trigeminal neurons to thermal and chemical stimulation. We measured responses as changes in intracellular calcium using ratiometric fluorescent calcium imaging. Responses to aversive thermal and chemical identified several classes of putative nociceptors. Compounds that were aversive excited many trigeminal neurons, putative chemonociceptors. Identification as nociceptors was further supported by lack of activation by compounds that were not aversive. Brown treesnake neurons had thermal thresholds ranging from 32 to 49 °C. The distribution was discontinuous, with a population of thresholds from 32 to 45 °C and a population with thresholds > 48 °C. Thermal stimulation of 48 °C has been shown to be strongly aversive to brown treesnakes, is lethal, and suggests the presence of thermonociceptors. Thermal sensitivity of brown treesnake trigeminal neurons greatly overlaps with chemical sensitivity; only 1.1% of neurons were sensitive to only thermal stimulation. 50% of brown treesnake trigeminal neurons tested with both > 48 °C and cinnamaldehyde responded to both stimuli, identifying putative polymodal nociceptors. Although a previous study found brown treesnakes insensitive to capsicum extract containing capsaicin, brown treesnake trigeminal neurons responded to capsaicin. These findings are of evolutionary interest as well as providing potential insights into managing this significant pest species.
Golden Retriever Muscular Dystrophy: Monitoring for Success

There are many phenotypic features that can be monitored to, in the end, assess the success of any form of treatment for muscular dystrophy (Table 1). Of course, in this setting, we are speaking principally of myoblast transplantation.
Contemporary Issues in Latino Communities

Latinos are a heterogeneous group with regard to nationality, immigration status, and language preference and proficiency. Latinos constitute the largest minority group in the United States. The bulk of the literature on Latinos places emphasis on Latino cultural characteristics (i.e., heavy emphasis on the family), yet this group faces many unique contemporary issues in this country. This chapter provides an extensive discussion on the contemporary issues that this group faces. These include issues regarding immigration status, acculturation, self-identification, language, poverty, discrimination, and access to healthcare.
Little evidence of reduced global tropical cyclone activity following recent volcanic eruptions

The impact of volcanic aerosols on recent global tropical cyclone (TC) activity is examined in observations, reanalysis, and models (the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project phase 5 - CMIP5 multi-model, and one single model large ensemble). In observations, we find a reduction of TC activity only in the North Atlantic following the last three strong volcanic eruptions; that signal, however, cannot be clearly attributed to volcanoes, as all three eruptions were simultaneous with El Nino events. In reanalyses, we find no robust impact of volcanic eruptions on potential intensity (PI) and genesis indices. In models, we find a reduction in PI after volcanic eruptions in the historical simulations, but this effect is significantly reduced when differences between the model environment and observations are accounted for. Morever, the CMIP5 multi-model historical ensemble shows no effect of volcanic eruptions on a TC genesis index. Finally, there is no robust and consistent reduction in recent TC activity following recent volcanic eruptions in a large set of synthetic TCs downscaled from these simulations. Taken together, these results show that in recent eruptions volcanic aerosols did not reduce global TC activity. Past volcanic eruptions did not reduce the intensity or number of tropical cyclones globally. Volcanic aerosols cool sea surface temperatures and warm the lower stratosphere, thereby weakening the vertical temperature gradient that, in theory, governs the development and intensification of tropical cyclones. Suzana Camargo and Lorenzo Polvani from Columbia University systematically examine observations, atmospheric reanalyses, and climate models and show that — contrary to prior work — there is no clear evidence that eruptions reduce the occurrence or strength of tropical cyclones. The differing results arise because the researchers assessed the global, rather than the North Atlantic only response. Furthermore, the reduction of North Atlantic hurricane activity could not be separated from the response to simultenous El Nino events. Climate models do suggest that eruptions can potentially weaken tropical cyclones. But these model-based conclusions are inconsistent with observations and mainly arise from model biases in simulations of both surface and stratospheric temperatures.
Synthesis of aryl-substituted 2-methoxyphenol derivatives from maltol-derived oxidopyrylium cycloadducts through an acid-mediated ring contraction cascade

Oxidopyrylium cycloadducts derived from maltol and aryl acetylenes undergo acid-mediated rearrangements to generate aryl-substituted 2-methoxyphenol (guaiacol) derivatives. Specifically, the cycloadducts react with boron trichloride to form 2-methoxy-5-arylphenol molecules, and with methane sulfonate to form 2-methoxy-4-aryl-6-methylphenol molecules.
The child life challenges scale (Clcs): Associations of a single-item rating of global child adversity with children’s total life stressors and parents’ childhood adversity

Background: Although many existing measures tabulate specific risk factors to yield cumulative risk indices, there is a need for low-burden strategies to estimate general adversity exposure. Aims and Methods: This study introduces a brief, new measure of lifetime adversity, the Child Life Challenges Scale (CLCS), and examines its validity in a sample of parents and children residing in emergency housing. The CLCS comprises a single global item for rating cumulative life challenges utilizing either a paper-pencil scale or a sliding scale on a tablet. Parents are provided with anchor examples of mild and extreme challenges and asked to mark a location along the scale reflecting number and severity of challenges in their children’s lives to date. Study participants included 99 parents and their 3- to 6-year-old children. Results: CLCS scores were moderately associated with children’s parent-reported total life stressors, and these associations were robust to controls for parental history of adversity, parental distress, and family demographics. Control variables also did not moderate associations between CLCS scores and total life stressors, suggesting that the CLCS functions similarly across a range of sociodemographic risk. Paper-pencil and tablet versions showed similar convergent validity. Conclusion: The CLCS shows promise as an efficient measure for estimating children’s lifetime adversity with minimal parent or administrator burden.
No Association Between DAA Treatment for HCV Infection and Herpes Zoster Infection in Analysis of Data From 37 Clinical Trials

Background and Aims Recent case series and retrospective studies have raised concerns that patients who receive direct-acting antiviral (DAA) treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are at increased risk of developing varicella-zoster virus infection (VZV reactivation). We investigated the relationship between DAA treatment and VZV reactivation by analyzing pooled participant-level data from 37 clinical trials of DAA agents. Methods We obtained demographic, adverse event, and laboratory data from 13,816 participants in 37 clinical trials submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for approval of DAA agents for treatment of HCV infection. Participants received DAAs (n = 12,249), placebo (n = 997), pegylated interferon (n = 243), or a combination of DAAs and pegylated interferon (n = 327). Occurrence of VZV reactivation was identified using systematically reported adverse event data. HCV virologic response was evaluated by measurement of HCV RNA. Results VZV reactivation occurred in 9.9 cases per 1000 person-years of DAA treatment (95% CI, 6.8–14.0 per 1000 person years) and 13.8 cases per 1000 person-years of placebo (95% CI, 3.5–37.5 per 1000 person years). No participants in the pegylated interferon or combination DAA and pegylated interferon groups experienced VZV reactivation. Within the placebo-controlled trials there was no significant difference in VZV reactivation between DAA treatment and placebo. VZV reactivation was associated with age older than 40 years, female sex, and HIV coinfection. We did not find an association between time of virologic response and time to VZV reactivation. Conclusion In an analysis of data from 37 trials, we found no evidence for an association between DAA treatment for HCV infection and increased risk of VZV reactivation.
Parametric finite-volume method for Saint Venant’s torsion of arbitrarily shaped cross sections

Abstract We extend our recent finite-volume based approach to the solution of Saint Venant’s torsion problems of bars and beams comprised of rectangular sections to enable analysis of arbitrary cross sections characterized by curved boundaries. This is accomplished by incorporating parametric mapping based on transfinite grid generation to enable discretization of the bar cross section by quadrilateral rather than rectangular subvolumes employed in the original version. The construction of the local stiffness matrix that relates the surface-averaged subvolume warping functions to the corresponding tractions is carried out in the reference plane such that the subvolume equilibrium in the physical plane is satisfied in a surface-averaged sense. This produces explicit expressions for the stiffness matrix elements that may be readily coded. Orthotropic subvolumes are intrinsic in the method’s construction so that bars with heterogeneous and composite microstructures may be analyzed. The convergence and accuracy of the parametric finite-volume method are assessed and verified upon comparison with exact elasticity solutions for cross sections with convex and concave boundaries. Examples involving structural applications of prismatic bars with curved boundaries illustrate the utility of the developed methodology. These include cross sections that resemble biological constructs with homogeneous and graded regions aimed at enhancing torsional rigidities, as well as homogeneous and graded elliptical cross sections with orthotropic shear moduli aimed at reducing and eliminating warping. We demonstrate for the first time that by laminating an elliptical cross section with alternating stiff and soft isotropic layers in a manner that mimics the required orthotropic moduli at the homogenized level, warping can be practically eliminated with sufficient microstructural refinement.
Volunteerism and Social Capital in Policy Implementation: Evidence from the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program

We assess the link between a program's volunteer support and state social capital in the case of the joint implementation of the federal Long-Term Care (LTC) Ombudsman Program by state and federal authorities. This program, which is designed to prevent elder abuse and ensure quality care in long-term facilities, is implemented at the state and local levels and relies heavily on volunteer staff. First, we find that volunteerism is vital to the efficacy of the program's monitoring and investigative functions. Second, we find that volunteerism in this program is tied to broader level conditions of a state's social capital. Last, we discuss the implications of our findings for volunteer-based programs devolved to the states.
Avoidance of vertical displacement events in DIII-D using a neural network growth rate estimator

Abstract Robust disruption avoidance techniques are critical for the development of reliable fusion reactor devices. A viable reactor will require non-disruptive, long pulse operation where simply shutting down a discharge is undesirable. To achieve such performance, the plasma must be controlled to continuously avoid hazardous regimes instead of asynchronously aborting. A recent experiment on DIII-D demonstrated for the first time real-time control of proximity to a disruptive instability boundary. In particular, the vertical growth rate, an eigenvalue that characterizes the degree of instability of the plasma's vertical position, was regulated so as not to exceed DIII-D's vertical controllability limit. The open-loop growth rate was estimated in real time on the DIII-D plasma control system using a neural network model trained with tens of thousands of DIII-D shots. The model was trained to replicate the results of RZRIG [1] , a rigid displacement code for calculating the growth rate. Once trained, producing an estimate using the neural network is multiple orders of magnitude faster than RZRIG, thereby making the calculation suitable for real-time execution. The control system regulated the estimated growth rate by adjusting plasma elongation and distance to the inner wall of the vessel, and this regulation was shown to reliably avoid vertical displacement event disruptions (i.e. uncontrolled vertical oscillations) of the plasma. This work presents these experimental results, including the dynamic performance and the effectiveness of the control technique. Details are presented on the training of the neural network model, including concerns such as hyperparameter tuning and uncertainty quantification. Additionally, the methodology for embedding the neural network into the control system is discussed.
Many-Body Theory of Proton-Generated Point Defects for Losses of Electron Energy and Photons in Quantum Wells

Unlike everyday applications on the ground, electronics in space are exposed to damaging radiation, and could misbehave unpredictably. This study employs atomistic molecular-dynamics simulations and many-body theory to analyze the effects of radiation-induced defects in semiconductors on the performance of satellite-borne optoelectronic devices. This technical approach, spanning initial material damage to final performance degradation, is important for space applications, as it allows the prediction of lifetime for space-based imaging technologies.
First-in-human experience of the Bashir Endovascular Catheter in the treatment of iliocaval deep vein thrombosis.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a common disorder affecting approximately 900,000 new patients in the United States each year. Although the mainstay of treatment of DVT patients is therapeutic antico...
The Use of Long-Acting Lipoglycopeptides for the Treatment of Serious, Off-label Infections: a Review of the Literature

The standard of care for serious Gram-positive bacterial infections, such as osteomyelitis and infective endocarditis, has traditionally required prolonged durations of intravenous antibiotics. Recent literature has suggested that oral antibiotics are non-inferior in certain patient populations. Despite these advancements, there are still patients with practical implications that render oral antimicrobial therapy unappealing, including history of medication non-adherence or lack of a suitable oral option given organism isolation. As a result, long acting lipoglycopeptides (dalbavancin and oritavancin) are an attractive alternative therapy to mitigate these concerns. The purpose of this focused review is to summarize the use of these antibiotic therapies for off-label indications and their associated clinical outcomes. Here, we discuss the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, published literature evaluating the treatment of bone and joint infections and infective endocarditis, and clinical utility of dalbavancin and oritavancin. Long-acting lipoglycopeptides have been evaluated as primary and secondary treatments of serious Gram-positive infections. Providers may be motivated to prescribe these agents more often based on unfavorable patient-specific characteristics and to facilitate early hospital discharge. Careful clinical consideration is warranted to optimize treatment success and limit inappropriate use of these novel medications.
Do Bond Mutual Funds Destabilize the Corporate Bond Market

Corporate bond mutual funds engage in liquidity transformation, raising concerns among academics and policymakers that correlated redemptions will destabilize the corporate bond market. However, estimating regressions that focus within issuer-quarter, I find little evidence that redemptions or resulting sell-offs push corporate bond prices below fundamental values. To reconcile my finding with contrasting findings for equity funds, I analyze both investor flows and portfolio management strategies. While bond fund investors demonstrate bank-run like behavior, bond fund managers hold a significant amount of liquid assets, allowing them to manage redemptions without excessively liquidating corporate bonds, even during the financial crisis.
Generation of Specifications Forms through Statistical Learning for a Universal Services Marketplace

In a few business sectors, there exist marketplace sites that provide the consumer with specifications forms, which the consumer can fill out to learn and compare the service terms of multiple service providers. At HP Labs, we are working towards building a universal marketplace site, i.e., a marketplace site that covers thousands of sectors and hundreds to thousands of providers per sector. We automatically generate the specifications forms for the sectors through a statistical clustering algorithm that utilizes both business directories and web forms from service provider sites.
Feminist theory as practice

Abstract There is much less disagreement within Italian, as contrasted with Anglo-American, feminism as to the relative responsibility of the political versus the cultural roots for women's subordination. Most Italian feminists tend to consider political elements as intimately connected with the cultural. This consensus is due both to the origins of the modern women's movement in Italy — in struggles in labor unions and political parties — and to Italian feminists' greater awareness of the internalization of conflicts within women's psyche. As a consequence, Italian feminists do not see individual efforts as separable from collective ones. I situate the writings of contemporary Italian feminists Teresa de Lauretis and Dacia Maraini within this context. De Lauretis claims that poststructuralist (mostly male) feminist theories permit a representation only of hypothetical women, while a feminist theory must “constantly come back to a collective reflection on practice, on experience, on the personal as political and the politics of subjectivity.” Maraini's popular writing illustrates this consciousness that “the micropolitical practices of daily life and resistance afford both agency and sources of power.” Feminist theories, according to both of these writers and to today's Italian feminist consensus, must be based on women in their material and historical specificity.
Bonded orthotropic strips with cracks

In this paper the elastostatic problem for a nonhomogeneous plane which consists of two sets of periodically arranged dissimilar orthotropic strips is considered. It is assumed that the plane contains a series of collinear cracks perpendicular to the interfaces and is loaded in tension away from and perpendicular to the cracks. First the problem of cracks fully imbedded into the homogeneous strips is considered. Then the singular behavior of the stresses for two special crack geometries is studied in some detail. The first is the case of a broken laminate in which the crack tips touch the interfaces. The second is the case of cracks crossing the interfaces. An interesting result found from the analysis of the latter which may have an important bearing on a possible delamination fracture initiation at stress-free boundaries in bonded orthotropic materials is that for certain orthotropic material combinations the stress state at the point of intersection of a crack and an interface may be bounded whereas in isotropic materials at this point stresses are always singular. A number of numerical examples are worked out in order to separate the primary material parameters influencing the stress intensity factors and the powers of stress singularity, and to determine the trends regarding the influence of the secondary parameters. Finally, some numerical results are given for the stress intensity factors in certain basic crack geometries and for typical material combinations.
Knowledge based EM-ANN models for the design of wide bandwidth CPW patch/slot antennas

Knowledge based electromagnetically-trained artificial neural network (EM-ANN) models have been developed for the design of wide bandwidth CPW patch/slot antennas fed at the radiating edge. The knowledge based EM-ANN modeling technique is aimed at improving the accuracy of an existing model or improving/extending the existing model in some way. Existing models are used as prior knowledge in order to reduce the complexity of the new model to be developed. An existing first order model for the CPW patch/slot antenna has previously been developed using a segmentation approach in order to reduce computation time. This paper utilizes knowledge based ANN modeling techniques to enhance the existing CPW patch/slot antenna model by including second order effects, such as coupling between segmented pieces, and to alter the antenna feed structure for improved impedance matching. A wide-bandwidth antenna design has been carried our near 5.4 GHz. The developed modeling approach is general and can be used for modeling other antenna structures as well.
Rational Design of Biobetters with Enhanced Stability

Biotherapeutics are the fastest growing class of pharmaceutical with a rapidly evolving market facing the rise of biosimilar and biobetter products. In contrast to a biosimilar, which is derived from the same gene sequence as the innovator product, a biobetter has enhanced properties, such as enhanced efficacy or reduced immunogenicity. Little work has been carried out so far to increase the intrinsic stability of biotherapeutics via sequence changes, even though, aggregation, the primary degradation pathway of proteins, leads to issues ranging from manufacturing failure to immunological response and to loss of therapeutic activity. Using our spatial aggregation propensity tool as a first step to a rational design approach to identify aggregation-prone regions, biobetters of rituximab have been produced with enhanced stability by introducing site-specific mutations. Significant stabilization against aggregation was achieved for rituximab with no decrease in its binding affinity to the antigen.
Has Federal Student Aid Contributed to Equality in Higher Education

. TO analyze the effect of federal student aid on the structure of the higher educational system, an index of inequality of access is developed It measures the differences in the distribution of income of entering students, as compared to the U S distribution of income at thirteen different categories of institutions Its application shows that structural inequality exists in the nation's system of higher education and that while some improvements occurred in the 1970s, especially at the bottom of the system, by 1986 most of these gains had been eliminated When these indices were regressed against per capita federal student financial aid, relative student costs, and variables reflecting changes in the larger economy, using time series data, the aid variables show little or no statistical effect on the structural inequality of the nation's system of higher education, as measured by the index of inequality On the other hand, the cost variable generally has strong effect The general economic variables occasionally have significant effect
Fiber, sex, and colorectal adenoma: results of a pooled analysis

Background: Evidence for an association between dietary fiber and colorectal neoplasia has been equivocal, and some data suggest that there may be sex differences in response to fiber. Objective: We sought to determine whether fiber affects colorectal adenoma recurrence differently in men and women by combining the study populations of 2 large clinical intervention trials: the Wheat Bran Fiber Trial and the Polyp Prevention Trial. Design: Data from 3209 participants combined from 2 trials were analyzed with logistic regression models to examine the effect of a dietary intervention on colorectal adenoma recurrence in the pooled population as a whole and by sex. Results: The adjusted odds ratio for adenoma recurrence for those in the intervention group of either the Wheat Bran Fiber Trial or the Polyp Prevention Trial was 0.91 (95% CI: 0.78, 1.06). For men, the intervention was associated with statistically significantly reduced odds of recurrence with an odds ratio of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.67, 0.98); for women, no significant association was observed. Using a likelihood-ratio test, we found a statistically significant interaction between intervention group and sex (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The results of the current analyses indicate that men may experience more benefit from dietary fiber than do women and may help to explain some of the discrepant results reported in the literature.
A time-dependent neutron transport method of characteristics formulation with time derivative propagation

A new time-dependent Method of Characteristics (MOC) formulation for nuclear reactor kinetics was developed utilizing angular flux time-derivative propagation. This method avoids the requirement of storing the angular flux at previous points in time to represent a discretized time derivative; instead, an equation for the angular flux time derivative along 1D spatial characteristics is derived and solved concurrently with the 1D transport characteristic equation. This approach allows the angular flux time derivative to be recast principally in terms of the neutron source time derivatives, which are approximated to high-order accuracy using the backward differentiation formula (BDF). This approach, called Source Derivative Propagation (SDP), drastically reduces the memory requirements of time-dependent MOC relative to methods that require storing the angular flux. An SDP method was developed for 2D and 3D applications and implemented in the computer code DeCART in 2D. DeCART was used to model two reactor transient benchmarks: a modified TWIGL problem and a C5G7 transient. The SDP method accurately and efficiently replicated the solution of the conventional time-dependent MOC method using two orders of magnitude less memory.
Covering Treebanks with GLARF

This paper introduces GLARF, a framework for predicate argument structure. We report on converting the Penn Treebank II into GLARF by automatic methods that achieved about 90% precision/recall on test sentences from the Penn Treebank. Plans for a corpus of hand-corrected output, extensions of GLARF to Japanese and applications for MT are also discussed.
Leadership in Sport: The Situational Leadership Theory

(1984). Leadership in Sport: The Situational Leadership Theory. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 55, No. 1, pp. 15-16.
Relationship between temperature and stimulation frequency in conduction block of amphibian myelinated axon

The temperature–frequency relationship in nerve conduction block induced by high-frequency, biphasic electrical current was investigated by computer simulation using an amphibian myelinated axon model based on Frankenhaeuser–Huxley (FH) equations. For an axon of diameter 10 μm, the minimal blocking frequency was changed from 6 to 3 kHz as the temperature was decreased from 37°C to 15°C. The maximal blocking temperature below which the axon could be blocked was increased from 22°C to 37°C as the stimulation frequency was increased from 4 to 8 kHz. The maximal blocking temperature was not influenced by axon diameter. Simulation analysis also revealed that activation of potassium channels might determine the temperature–frequency relationship. This study indicates that temperature might be one of the factors that cause the frequency discrepancy as reported in previous animal studies.
Few centimeter single mode fiber lasers generating several Watts output power at 1535 nm

Using high concentration Er/Yb co-doped phosphate fiber, we generated 6.6 W output from a 7.0-cm long fiber laser with M2 of 3.5. 4W emission was obtained from a 7.1-cm single-mode fiber laser with diffraction-limited output.
Detection of CCN (x 2 π r ) in IRC+10216: Constraining Carbon-chain Chemistry

The CCN radical (X 2Πr) has been detected for the first time in the interstellar medium. The molecule was observed at the 1-2 mK level toward the circumstellar envelope of IRC+10216, using the facilities of the Arizona Radio Observatory (ARO). Lambda doublets of the J = 4.5 → 3.5 and the J = 6.5 → 5.5 transitions at 106 GHz and 154 GHz in the Ω = 1/2 ladder were measured with the ARO 12 m telescope, as well as the J = 9.5 → 8.5 lines near 225 GHz, using the ARO Sub-Millimeter Telescope (SMT). In the two lower frequency transitions, the e component of the doublet was partially blended with other lines, while emission from the f component was uncontaminated. The lambda doublet of the 1 mm transition is collapsed and appears adjacent to an unidentified line. Modeling of the spectra, using the new radiative transfer code ESCAPADE, indicates that CCN arises from a shell in the outer envelope centered at r ~ 3 × 1016 cm, with a peak fractional abundance of f 0 ~ 6 × 10–8. The column density of the radical is ~4 × 1013 cm–2, in agreement with that derived from a rotational diagram analysis. Modeling was also conducted for spectra of CN, C3N, and HC3N, obtained with the SMT in the ARO 1 mm survey. CCN, C3N, and HC3N appear to originate from adjacent shells in the envelope, suggesting they are chemically related. The [CN]/[CCN]/[C3N] abundance ratio was found to be ~500:1:50.
Finite difference reaction diffusion equations with nonlinear boundary conditions

This article is concerned with numerical solutions of finite difference systems of reaction diffusion equations with nonlinear internal and boundary reaction functions. The nonlinear reaction functions are of general form and the finite difference systems are for both time-dependent and steady-state problems. For each problem a unified system of nonlinear equations is treated by the method of upper and lower solutions and its associated monotone iterations. This method leads to a monotone iterative scheme for the computation of numerical solutions as well as an existence-comparison theorem for the corresponding finite difference system. Special attention is given to the dynamical property of the time-dependent solution in relation to the steady-state solutions. Application is given to a heat-conduction problem where a nonlinear radiation boundary condition obeying the Boltzmann law of cooling is considered. This application demonstrates a bifurcation property of two steady-state solutions, and determines the dynamic behavior of the time-dependent solution. Numerical results for the heat-conduction problem, including a test problem with known analytical solution, are presented to illustrate the various theoretical conclusions. © 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Knowledge Discovery in Spatial Data

Knowledge Discovery in Spatial Data, Yee Leung, Springer, Berlin (2009). xxix + 360 pp. €129.95, US$179.00 (hbk). ISBN: 978-3-642-02663-8. In the current information and knowledge age, the importan...
Keynote address: the role of the computer programmer in society

It is, of course, a fleeting role. Things happen so quickly around here. I notice in the program that I'm listed as President of the Association for Computing Machinery. Since this was printed, I have been booted out. The term expired on May 31st, so it's a pleasure to speak to you as Past President.
Wavelength‐dependent fragmentation in resonance‐enhanced multiphoton ionization mass spectrometry

Wavelength-dependent effects in the resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/fragmentation mass spectra of p-chloroaniline and diphenyl ether are presented. For both molecules, the formation of low-energy fragments can be discriminated against in favor of higher-energy fragments by using ‘low’-energy radiation (290 nm region) for ionization/fragmentation. The same low-energy fragments become dominant when higher-energy radiation (266 nm) is used. This unique behavior is explained in terms of the narrow distribution of parent ion internal energies created through resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization/fragmentation and the competing kinetic processes accessed by the parent ion as it absorbs each successive photon.
Three-Rooted Mandibular First Permanent Molars and the Question of American Indian Origins

Three-rooted mandibular first molars (3RM1) are characteristic of Asian and Asian-derived populations, particularly Aleuts (whose 3RM1 frequency is the highest in the world) and Eskimos. Similarities in the frequency of these teeth between American Indians and contemporary peoples of southeastern Asia indicate a closer relation between these groups than between American Indians and Aleut-Eskimos. Three-rooted mandibular first molar frequency does not differ significantly in males and females except in Aleut-Eskimos. Bilateral asymmetry of 3RM1 is relatively frequent in both sexes and all groups. All American Indian groups examined have a low frequency of 3RM1 pointing to a single Asian origin, except Athabaskan-speaking Arizona Navajos, whose 3RM1 frequency approaches that of Aleut-Eskimos. There is no evidence at present of any significant local microevolution of 3RM1 in two testable prehistoric American Indian groups, although genetic drift had possibly occurred in a few series of 3RM1-deficient southwestern U. S. prehistoric Western Pueblo Indians. No adaptive value can be found for 3RM1 in Indians. In prehistoric western U. S. Indians geographic frequency variation is only slightly greater than the very slight (and non-significant) testable temporal variation. Three migrations from Asia seem best to explain New World 3RM1 frequency variation.
Evidence of photosymbiosis in fossil taxa? Ontogenetic stable isotope trends in some Late Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera

Abstract Stable isotope analyses were performed on ontogenetic dissections of four taxa of low latitude Late Cretaceous planktonic foraminifera from DSDP Hole 390A. The species studied include Planoglobulina acervulinoides, Planoglobulina multicamerata, Pseudoguembelina palpebra, and Racemiguembelina fructicosa. δ18O and δ13C data indicate a deeper surface water paleohabitat for P. multicamerata than the other three taxa, and ontogenetic increases in δ18O values suggest all these taxa underwent vertical migrations from shallow to deeper surface waters. Changes in δ13C values through ontogeny include sharp increases in δ13C composition in the juvenile size intervals, a decrease in the rate of δ13C change through intermediate size intervals, and reversals to a negative trend in δ13C values in terminal size intervals. The intermediate and terminal growth changes in δ13C signals are similar to ontogenetic trends observed in some extant and Paleogene planktonic foraminifera and may result from decreasing metabolic rates through ontogeny or endosymbiont digestion prior to gametogenesis. The ontogenetic δ13C increases of 1.04‰, 0.76‰, 0.83‰, and 0.77‰ in R. fructicosa, P. palpebra, P. acervulinoides, and P. multicamerata, respectively, may indicate the presence of photosymbionts. However, our review and critique of the current literature discussing photosymbiont effects on stable isotope values in living and fossil planktonic foraminifera suggests that conclusions regarding the presence of photosymbionts in fossil taxa may be more equivocal than previously thought.
Up or Out—or Stay Put? Product Positioning in an Evolving Technology Environment

When the development cycle for a product is longer than the development cycle for a core technology that is embedded in it, designers may need to modify the products design to avail of upgrades in this core technology. We model optimal product positioning with regard to technology choice in this setting, using a stochastic dynamic programming framework. Under fairly general assumptions, we find that there are three possible optimal actions: to abandon the project, to maintain the current technology, or to reposition so as to use the best technology currently available. We characterize the optimal positioning sequence in different design environments, discussing throughout the practical implications of our model. Previous research and conventional wisdom suggest early finalization of product specifications if design flexibility is decreasing over time. In contrast, we find that in some design environments, repositioning late in the development cycle can be optimal.
Integer goal programming model for urban renewal planning

THE PROBLEM of allocating scarce resources within the urban renewal setting has attracted considerable attention. In recent years as government expenditures have come under closer scrutiny, attempts have been made to allocate these funds more efficiently through the use of various quantitative decision models. The pioneering work in this area was done by Mao [18], in which he proposed the use of an internal rate of return criterion for the selection of urban renewal projects. This work was later refined through the introduction of linear programming by Stuart [28], Laidlaw [12], and Heroux & Wallace [IO]. Unfortunately, while these efforts have done much to make the process of urban renewal planning more efficient, the problem of multiple and conflicting goals complicated by indivisibility of inputs has yet to be dealt with adequately. While the existence of multiple and conflicting goals within the urban renewal setting is well documented. the precise goals and their priority rankings is still in debate [12, p. 1111. Mao [tS, p. 313 for example, identifies three basic goals or benefits of urban renewal.
Expression of altered ribonucleotide reductase activity associated with the the replication of the epstein-barr virus

Abstract The expression of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome can be regulated in the epithelial/Burkitt hybrid (D98/HR-1) cell line and Raji lymphoblastoid nonproducer cell line by induction with 5-iododeoxyuridine (IUdR) or by superinfection with EBV. Extracts of control and induced D98/HR-1 and Raji cells were assayed for ribonucleotide reductase activity in the presence and absence of hydroxyurea (HU). Enzyme activity of control D98/HR-1 and Raji cells was inhibited by greater than 70%, by HU at both low (2 × 10−4 M) bot high (5 × 10−4 M) concentrations; however, the reductase activities of IUdR-induced D98/HR-1 cells, superinfected Raji cells, and IUdR-induced Raji cells were resistant to both levels of HU, and enzyme activities of 85 to +100% of control values were obtained in all cases. Under conditions that allowed only partial expression of the EBV genome (before removal of IUdR; early time after superinfection), very significant levels (70–85°k) of HU-resistant enzyme activity were obtained in the presence of 2 × 10−4 M HU, whereas only 30 to 45% of control reductase activity was observed at the high HU concentration. Mixing experiments employing combinations of various D98/HR-1 control and induced cell extracts indicated that the HU-resistant reductase activity present in induced 1)98/HR-1 cells was due to the presence of an altered enzyme activity and not due to some nonenzymatic factor(s). Additional experiments, in which HU was preincubated with control and induced cell extracts, showed that the HU-resistant ribonucleotide reductase in extracts of induced D98/HR-1 cells was not due to inactivation of the inhibitor by an enzyme or factor present in these cells. These findings of an altered ribonucleotide reductase activity associated with EBV replication, considered in light of similar findings for equine herpesvirus type 1 and herpes simplex virus types 1 and 2, suggest that alteration of this enzyme activity may be a feature of herpesvirus replication.
Effect of feeding soybeans of formaldehyde-treated soybeans on lipid metabolism in ruminants.

Abstract Three lactating fistulated goats were used in a 3 × 3 Latin Square design comparing control, formalin-treated, and untreated soybean rations. The concentrate-to-roughage ratio was 2:1. Milk yield was depressed (P