cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
MetaGO: Predicting Gene Ontology of Non-homologous Proteins Through Low-Resolution Protein Structure Prediction and Protein–Protein Network Mapping

Homology-based transferal remains the major approach to computational protein function annotations, but it becomes increasingly unreliable when the sequence identity between query and template decreases below 30%. We propose a novel pipeline, MetaGO, to deduce Gene Ontology attributes of proteins by combining sequence homology-based annotation with low-resolution structure prediction and comparison, and partner's homology-based protein-protein network mapping. The pipeline was tested on a large-scale set of 1000 non-redundant proteins from the CAFA3 experiment. Under the stringent benchmark conditions where templates with >30% sequence identity to the query are excluded, MetaGO achieves average F-measures of 0.487, 0.408, and 0.598, for Molecular Function, Biological Process, and Cellular Component, respectively, which are significantly higher than those achieved by other state-of-the-art function annotations methods. Detailed data analysis shows that the major advantage of the MetaGO lies in the new functional homolog detections from partner's homology-based network mapping and structure-based local and global structure alignments, the confidence scores of which can be optimally combined through logistic regression. These data demonstrate the power of using a hybrid model incorporating protein structure and interaction networks to deduce new functional insights beyond traditional sequence homology-based referrals, especially for proteins that lack homologous function templates. The MetaGO pipeline is available at http://zhanglab.ccmb.med.umich.edu/MetaGO/.
Closed-Loop Active Compensation for Needle Deflection and Target Shift During Cooperatively Controlled Robotic Needle Insertion

Intra-operative imaging is sometimes available to assist needle biopsy, but typical open-loop insertion does not account for unmodeled needle deflection or target shift. Closed-loop image-guided compensation for deviation from an initial straight-line trajectory through rotational control of an asymmetric tip can reduce targeting error. Incorporating robotic closed-loop control often reduces physician interaction with the patient, but by pairing closed-loop trajectory compensation with hands-on cooperatively controlled insertion, a physician’s control of the procedure can be maintained while incorporating benefits of robotic accuracy. A series of needle insertions were performed with a typical 18G needle using closed-loop active compensation under both fully autonomous and user-directed cooperative control. We demonstrated equivalent improvement in accuracy while maintaining physician-in-the-loop control with no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05) in the targeting accuracy between any pair of autonomous or individual cooperative sets, with average targeting accuracy of 3.56 mmrms. With cooperatively controlled insertions and target shift between 1 and 10 mm introduced upon needle contact, the system was able to effectively compensate up to the point where error approached a maximum curvature governed by bending mechanics. These results show closed-loop active compensation can enhance targeting accuracy, and that the improvement can be maintained under user directed cooperative insertion.
The Benzodiazepine Receptor and Sleep

The benzodiazepines (BZs) are among the most widely prescribed drugs in the United States. Although therapeutic doses are measured in milligrams, annual consumption is measured in thousands of tons. Benzodiazepines are used as minor tranquilizers, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, and (of particular concern here) hypnotics. Indeed, for a decade or more, a single BZ, flurazepam, has been the most widely prescribed agent for sleep, comprising about two-thirds of hypnotic prescriptions in 1982 (Mellinger and Balter, 1983). Recent years have also seen the development of several short-acting BZs, currently the subject of a great deal of clinical interest (Mendelson, 1987e).
Integrating the intensive care unit safety reporting system with existing incident reporting systems.

Article-at-a-Glance Background Voluntary incident reporting systems that identify risks can be integrated into existing hospital reporting systems and can improve patient safety. Findings A voluntary and anonymous Web-based intensive care unit safety reporting system (ICUSRS) was implemented in a cohort of intensive care units (ICUs). The reporting system was integrated into hospitals' reporting systems after the adverse event reporting structures were investigated. Reporting systems were classified as mandatory or voluntary and internal or external; the extent of formal training was identified and the trajectory of completed adverse events in the existing systems were tracked. Information from reported incidents was sent back monthly to the hospital ICUs through case discussions and a quarterly newsletter. Results All seven hospitals had internal reporting systems and two also used external reporting systems. In general, the majority of incident reports were completed by registered nurses and were reported to the nursing chain of command. Many of the sites had little knowledge or understanding of their existing reporting systems. Conclusion Voluntary external reporting systems such as the ICUSRS hold promise for improving patient safety.
Transport and metabolism of phosphatidylinositol in eukaryotic cells.

Phospholipids are the major lipid component of eukaryotic cell membranes. A diversity of phospholipid structures is reflected in distributions that are unique to specific intracellular membranes, as well as the cytoplasmic and extracytoplasmic surfaces of the membrane bilayer. Matched to the spectrum of phospholipids within the cell are cytosolic phospholipid transfer proteins. As a general class of catalyst, these proteins facilitate the transport of monomeric phospholipid molecules between membrane domains (Kader et al., 1982; Wirtz, 1982; Helmkamp, 1986). Although a number of interesting and often highly suggestive catalytic activities have been demonstrated in vitro for phospholipid transfer proteins, it has proved frustratingly difficult to define any in vivo function.
Practicing What We Teach: Beyond the Lecture in a Public Administration Class

This article discusses how to apply contemporary theories of learning in a public administration classroom. It asks, do we practice what we teach? The author argues that pedagogical practices of pu...
The Convergence of the Coupled Cluster Approach for MgO

Abstract The X 1 Σ + state of MgO shows significant differences between the CCSD(T) and CCSDT results and even some significant differences between the CCSDT and CCSDTQ results. The CCSDT(Q) results for this state do not agree well with the CCSDTQ results, as has been found for other systems. Unlike the X state, the a 3 Π state, which is well described by a single configuration, shows much less dependence on level of correlation treatment. Despite the slow convergence of the valence treatment of the X state, the effect of core correlation converges rapidly with level of correlation treatment.
In-hospital outcomes of transcatheter mitral valve repair with Mitraclip in patients with pulmonary hypertension: Insights from the National Inpatient Sample.

Background Periprocedural outcomes of transcatheter mitral valve repair (TMVR) with Mitraclip in patients with pulmonary hypertension (PH) are not well studied. Methods Patients who underwent TMVR with Mitraclip between 2011 and 2015 were identified using the National Inpatient Sample (NIS). All missing variables were excluded from the analysis and therefore, complete case analysis was performed. Results A total of 1,037 patients underwent TMVR with Mitraclip between 2011 and 2015. The prevalence of PH in these patients was 32.6%. In-hospital outcomes were compared between PH group and non-PH group. Inpatient mortality after TMVR was similar between the two groups (3.2% vs. 2.1%, OR 1.57, P = 0.335). There was no statistical significance between the two groups in the rates of hemorrhage requiring transfusion (8.5% vs. 7.2%, OR 1.17, P = 0.587), cardiogenic shock (4.4% vs. 4.5%, OR 0.98, P = 0.951), acute respiratory failure (15.2% vs. 13.1%, OR 1.23, P = 0.460), postoperative sepsis (2.75% vs. 3.9%, OR 0.66, P = 0.340), postoperative deep vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism (2.7% vs. 3.9%, OR 1.98, P = 0.348). In addition, non-routine home discharge, median hospital cost and length of stay were similar between the two groups. Conclusion Pre-existing PH in patients undergoing TMVR with Mitraclip does not adversely affect in-hospital outcomes in this cohort of patients. Therefore, PH does not carry a prohibitive risk in selecting patients for Mitraclip procedure.
Scrimmage! Teaching quantitative literacy through a multidimensional simulation

Abstract Researchers and employers both herald the importance of quantitative literacy among undergraduates in business schools. Despite this, the ability to effectively train students in quantitative literacy is difficult due to its multi-disciplinary nature, everchanging accreditation recommendations, and administrative restrictions faced by today's business schools. In this paper, we explore the use of the ScrimmageSIMTM simulation in a Midwestern U.S. business school across two semesters one year apart. We demonstrate qualitatively via student comments and quantitatively via course evaluations the value of this simulation in increasing the quantitative literacy of undergraduate business students.
Influencing Commitment to BSN Completion: A Pilot Project Using Motivational Interviewing.

The 2010 Institute of Medicine’s Future of Nursing report posed recommendations to increase numbers of nurses with baccalaureate degrees or greater to 80%. This project engaged associate degree nurses in motivational interviewing focusing on finding and removing barriers to baccalaureate matriculati
Molecular host mimicry and manipulation in bacterial symbionts

It is common among intracellular bacterial pathogens to use eukaryotic-like proteins that mimic and manipulate host cellular processes to promote colonization and intracellular survival. Eukaryotic-like proteins are bacterial proteins with domains that are rare in bacteria, and known to function in the context of a eukaryotic cell. Such proteins can originate through horizontal gene transfer from eukaryotes or, in the case of simple repeat proteins, through convergent evolution. Recent studies of microbiomes associated with several eukaryotic hosts suggest that similar molecular strategies are deployed by cooperative bacteria that interact closely with eukaryotic cells. Some mimics, like ankyrin repeats, leucine rich repeats and tetratricopeptide repeats are shared across diverse symbiotic systems ranging from amoebae to plants, and may have originated early, or evolved independently in multiple systems. Others, like plant-mimicking domains in members of the plant microbiome are likely to be more recent innovations resulting from horizontal gene transfer from the host, or from microbial eukaryotes occupying the same host. Host protein mimics have only been described in a limited set of symbiotic systems, but are likely to be more widespread. Systematic searches for eukaryote-like proteins in symbiont genomes could lead to the discovery of novel mechanisms underlying host-symbiont interactions.
Imaging Obtained Up To 12 Months Preoperatively Is Adequate for Planning Fenestrated/Branched Endovascular Aortic Aneurysm Repair:

Objectives:Patients referred for fenestrated/branched endovascular aortic repair (F/BEVAR) often present with a previous computed tomography angiogram (CTA), but it is unknown how recent the CTA mu...
A review of carbon dioxide adsorption to unconventional shale rocks methodology, measurement, and calculation

Carbon dioxide (CO2) injection has been applied extensively in hydrocarbon reservoirs for both increasing oil recovery and CO2 storage purposes. Recently, CO2 injection has been proposed to increase oil recovery and for CO2 storage in shale reservoirs. During CO2 injection in shale reservoirs, adsorption will take place on the surface of the rock, which will impact both the oil recovery and the storage capacity. This research provides a roadmap to the different types of adsorption and the adsorption measurements and calculations with emphasis on the ones most applicable during CO2 injection in shale reservoirs. The main two types of adsorption are initially explained including physisorption and chemisorption, and the major applicable adsorption isotherms are explained and their limitations are listed. The research then focusses on physisorption and its types, and hysteresis trends since chemisorption does not occur in shale reservoirs during CO2 injection. The different methods used to measure adsorption are then illustrated and explained including volumetric, gravimetric, volumetric-gravimetric, oscillometry, and impedance spectroscopy. The different calculation methods for volumetric adsorption are then explained. Finally, the most common errors that have been observed during measurement and calculation of adsorption are listed and explained, while mentioning the method to avoid each error. This research provides a guideline to the proper and accurate measurement of CO2 adsorption on shale rock during enhanced oil recovery applications and CO2 storage operations in unconventional shale reservoirs to improve the productivity and applicability of this application.
High Dietary Advanced Glycation End Products Impair Mitochondrial and Cognitive Function.

Background Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are an important risk factor for the development of cognitive decline in aging and late-onset neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease. However, whether and how dietary AGEs exacerbate cognitive impairment and brain mitochondrial dysfunction in the aging process remains largely unknown. Objective We investigated the direct effects of dietary AGEs on AGE adducts accumulation, mitochondrial function, and cognitive performance in mice. Methods Mice were fed the AGE+ diet or AGE- diet. We examined levels of AGE adducts in serum and cerebral cortexes by immunodetection and immunohistochemistry, determined levels of reactive oxygen species by biochemical analysis, detected enzyme activity associated with mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I & IV and ATP levels, and assessed learning and memory ability by Morris Water Maze and nesting behavior. Results Levels of AGE adducts (MG-H1 and CEL) were robustly increased in the serum and brain of AGE+ diet fed mice compared to the AGE- group. Furthermore, greatly elevated levels of reactive oxygen species, decreased activities of mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes I & IV, reduced ATP levels, and impaired learning and memory were evident in AGE+ diet fed mice compared to the AGE- group. Conclusion These results indicate that dietary AGEs are important sources of AGE accumulation in vivo, resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction, impairment of energy metabolism, and subsequent cognitive impairment. Thus, reducing AGEs intake to lower accumulation of AGEs could hold therapeutic potential for the prevention and treatment of AGEs-induced mitochondrial dysfunction linked to cognitive decline.
EBSeq: improving mixing computations for multi-group differential expression analysis

EBSeq is a Bioconductor package designed to calculate empirical-Bayesian inference summaries from sequence-based gene-expression (RNA-Seq) data. It produces gene or isoform-specific scores that measure various patterns of differential expression among a set of sample groups, and is most commonly deployed to measure differential expression between two groups. Its use of local posterior probabilities from a fitted mixture model provides the data analyst a direct way to score the false discovery rate of any reported list of genes, and it is one of the only tools that can address local false discovery rates when analyzing multiple sample groups. Contemporary applications have increasing numbers of sample groups, and the algorithms deployed in EBSeq are neither space nor time efficient in this important case. We describe a version update utilizing code improvements and novel pruning and clustering algorithms in order to reduce the complexity of mixture computations. The algorithms are supported by a theoretical analysis and tested empirically on a variety of benchmark and synthetic data sets.
Calibrating Sales Forecast in a Pandemic Using Competitive Online Non-Parametric Regression

Motivated by our collaboration with Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev), a consumer packaged goods (CPG) company, we consider the problem of forecasting sales under the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Our approach combines non-parametric regression, game theory, and pandemic modeling to develop a data-driven competitive online non-parametric regression method. Specifically, the method takes the future COVID-19 cases estimates, which can be simulated via the SIR (i.e., Susceptible-Infectious-Removed) epidemic model, as an input, and outputs the level of calibration for the baseline sales forecast generated by AB InBev's offline learning algorithm. In generating the calibration level, we focus on an online learning setting, where our algorithm sequentially predicts the label (i.e., the level of calibration) of a random covariate (i.e., the current number of active cases) given past observations and the generative process (i.e., the SIR epidemic model) of future covariates. To provide robust performance guarantee for every sequence of data (each corresponds to a different market of AB InBev's), we derive our algorithm by minimizing regret, which is the difference between the squared l_2-norm associated with labels generated by the algorithm and labels generated by an adversary and the squared l_2-norm associated with labels generated by the best isotonic (non-decreasing) function in hindsight and the adversarial labels. We develop a computationally-efficient algorithm that attains the minimax-optimal regret over all possible choices of the labels. We demonstrate the performances of our algorithm on both synthetic and AB InBev’s datasets (from March 2020 to March 2021) of three different geographical regions . The AB InBev’s numerical experiments show that our method is capable of reducing the forecasting error in terms of WMAPE (i.e., weighted mean absolute percentage error) and MSE (i.e., mean squared error) by more than 49\% for the company.
Impact of the Coronavirus Pandemic on Substance Use Disorder Treatment: Findings from a Survey of Specialty Providers in California.

Background:As the coronavirus pandemic public health emergency begins to ebb in the United States, policymakers and providers need to evaluate how the addiction treatment system functioned during t...
Estimating the capacity of Chamaecrista fasciculata for adaptation to change in precipitation.

Adaptation through natural selection may be the only means by which small and fragmented plant populations will persist through present day environmental change. A population's additive genetic variance for fitness (VA (W)) represents its immediate capacity to adapt to the environment in which it exists. We evaluated this property for a population of the annual legume Chamaecrista fasciculata through a quantitative genetic experiment in the tallgrass prairie region of the Midwest USA, where changing climate is predicted to include more variability in rainfall. To reduce incident rainfall, relative to controls receiving ambient rain, we deployed rain exclusion shelters. We found significant VA (W) in both treatments. We also detected a significant genotype-by-treatment interaction for fitness which suggests that the genetic basis of the response to natural selection will differ depending on precipitation. For the trait specific leaf area, we detected maladaptive phenotypic plasticity and an interaction between genotype and environment. Selection for thicker leaves was detected with increased precipitation. These results indicate capacity of this population of C. fasciculata to adapt in situ to environmental change. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Examining and Understanding the Current State of Trust in the United States

This chapter will serve as an overview of trust in the United States, with a particular consideration of how the social phenomenon can be understood within the nation’s cultural context. Broadly speaking, culture can informally be thought of as members’ agreement on “the way things are done” in their particular society. Such a common framework and understanding of culture are essential for members to effectively communicate and operate (Hofstede, Hofstede, & Minkov, 2010); without it, conflict, if not chaos, would result from misinterpretations and confusion as to what is acceptable or not. Likewise, trust is essential for people to function in a society. Without trust, people would be unwilling or unable to put their faith in others which would diminish not only the quality of relationships but also the productive benefits that only operating together can bring.
Boom and Bust: A Global History of Financial Bubbles. By William Quinn, and John D. Turner,. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2020. Pp. 3296. $24.95, hardcover

The end of the bicycle mania and the dot-com bubbles simply solidified the hold of leading companies in the technology that sparked the bubble, but the railway mania ended with an over-extended network that plagues the efficiency of the British rail system to this day, in the authors’ opinion, at least. (An American reviewer has a different perspective, it has to be said!) Government-inspired bubbles, unfortunately, can have long-term, deleterious consequences, as was the case for Australia’s land boom at the end of the nineteenth century, the Wall Street crash worldwide in the 1930s, the lost decade of growth for Japan in the 1980s, and the sub-prime crisis, which they extend beyond the United States to include Ireland, Spain, and Greece. By contrast, they find that the government-initiated, and propelled, stock market bubbles in China have, at least to date, ended with only minor consequences due to effective management of the effects by an increasingly authoritarian government.
Autonomic Related Gastrointestinal Manifestations of Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (P3.6-063)

Objective: Describe and analyze autonomic dysfunction related gastrointestinal manifestations in Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC). Background: Many disorders of the central and autonomic nervous system lead to gastrointestinal symptoms. AHC manifests as recurrent episodes of paralysis, dystonia and autonomic dysfunction. However, gastrointestinal symptoms have not previously been recognized to be a significant problem in AHC. Design/Methods: We studied a cohort of 15 sequential AHC patients seen during a 6 month period in our AHC clinic and analyzed the data entered in our IRB-approved AHC database. Gastrointestinal symptom severity was scored (no symptoms=1, reported symptoms but no intervention needed=2, medication intervention=3, surgical intervention=4) then correlated with previously established and published measures of AHC CNS disease severity scores: paroxysmal index scores, non-paroxysmal index scores, severity of intellectual disability scores, and Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) scores. Results: All 15 patients exhibited gastrointestinal symptoms related to autonomic dysfunction that warranted medical attention. These included: vomiting (10), constipation (10), anorexia resulting in weight loss/failure to thrive(9), dysphagia (9), diarrhea (5), aspiration (4), nausea (4), abdominal distension (3), sialorrhea (3), and abdominal pain (2). Specific diagnoses included GERD (9), swallowing difficulty (9), and gastroparesis (2). Medication management was needed in 13 patients. Surgical interventions included gastrostomy tubes in 7 (due to poor PO intake in 5/7 and recurrent aspirations in 2/7) and Nissen Fundoplication due to GERD (2/7). Additionally, botulinum toxin injections to the pylorus due to gastroparesis (1) and botulinum toxin injections to salivary glands due to excessive sialorrhea (1) were performed. Correlations between gastrointestinal symptom severity and non-paroxysmal index scores, severity of intellectual disability scores, and GMFCS scores were: r=.419, .279, and .347, respectively. Conclusions: Gastrointestinal problems are common, are occasionally severe, and correlate with disease severity in patients with AHC. Awareness of these problems and anticipatory guidance should help in planning appropriate medical and surgical interventions. Disclosure: Dr. Pratt has nothing to disclose. Dr. Prange has nothing to disclose. Dr. McLean has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mikati has nothing to disclose.
Koyré’s Études galiléennes: Critical Reasoning vs. A Priori Rationalism

This essay is an attempt to determine the adequacy of the technique of error analysis characteristic of Alexander Koyre’s historiography, and more specifically to determine the soundness of his interpretation of Galileo; thus, the essay focuses on the part of Koyre’s Etudes galileennes that criticizes the basic logic underlying Galileo’s Dialogue on the Two Chief World Systems, Ptolemaic and Copernican. The essay finds little value in the technique of error analysis as such, but it also illustrates the importance of applied logic and of logical analysis in the history of science, since inadequate logic turns out to be Koyre’s own central flaw. Furthermore, new insight is gained into the true philosophical significance of Galileo’s work, since it turns out that Galileo’s skills in logical analysis can be appreciated simultaneously with the disclosure of Koyre’s confusions; these involve primarily the failure to distinguish between rationalism in the sense of reasoning or argumentation and rationalism in the sense of apriorism or speculation.
Foundations of Fuzzy Logic and Semantic Web Languages (Open Access)

Managing vagueness/fuzziness is starting to play an important role in Semantic Web research, with a large number of research efforts underway. Foundations of Fuzzy Logic and Semantic Web Languages provides a rigorous and succinct account of the mathematical methods and tools used for representing and reasoning with fuzzy information within Semantic Web languages. The book focuses on the three main streams of Semantic Web languages: Triple languages RDF and RDFS Conceptual languages OWL and OWL 2, and their profiles OWL EL, OWL QL, and OWL RL Rule-based languages, such as SWRL and RIF Written by a prominent researcher in this area, the book is the first to combine coverage of fuzzy logic and Semantic Web languages. The first part of the book covers all the theoretical and logical aspects of classical (two-valued) Semantic Web languages. The second part explains how to generalize these languages to cope with fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic. With an extensive bibliography, this book provides in-depth insight into fuzzy Semantic Web languages for non-fuzzy set theory and fuzzy logic experts. It also helps researchers of non-Semantic Web languages get a better understanding of the theoretical fundamentals of Semantic Web languages.
Ground arthropod communities in paddy fields during the dry period: Comparison between different farming methods

Abstract The ground arthropod communities in paddy fields during the dry period and the effects of different farming methods adopted during the cropping season on these communities were evaluated. Pitfall traps were used in six conventional, two herbicide-only, and four organic paddy fields in early November and early May at two sites in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. A total of 202 ground arthropods belonging to 18 taxa were collected, with eight taxa identified at the species level. The most abundant taxa were two predator groups, spiders and carabid beetles. Farming methods did not affect taxon richness, total abundance, abundance of individual taxa, or species composition, but the site marginally affected the abundance of some taxa. These results suggest that during the dry period paddy fields contained abundant predatory arthropods, and that the communities were not affected by the use of pesticides during the cultivation period. Because these predators are important natural enemies of rice pests, management strategies should be focused on both the cultivation period and the uncropped, dry period to enhance predator populations.
Finding the key: Using personal futures planning in the homeownership process

As professionals and policymakers gain a clearer understanding of the critical role choice and control play in people’s lives, homeownership is increasingly being considered a desirable community housing option for people with disabilities. Personal futures planning (PFP) supports an individual’s lifestyle choices and control. In addition, it is a grassroots planning and community-building effort that emphasizes team action planning to achieve desired outcomes. Because of these values and practices, PFP is a frequently proposed approach to working through the homeownership process with people with disabilities. This article uses a PFP framework to identify the steps, activities and key questions to be explored by interested homebuyers with the support and assistance of a team of their allies.
Projecting Physician Requirements for Child Health Care—1990

In 1976 the Secretary of the Department of Health, Education and Welfare appointed the Graduate Medical Education National Advisory Committee (GMENAC) with the charge to advise the Secretary on five national health planning objectives, including estimates of the numbers of physicians required to meet the health care needs of the nation, recommendations regarding the most appropriate specialty distribution of these physicians, and development of strategies to achieve the recommendations formulated by the committee. GMENAC evaluated projected supply and requirements for all major specialties, including child health care, for 1990, and recommended strategies to bring supply and requirement into reasonable balance. Despite the range of error of the methodology used, these data represent the most detailed scientific study to date on this subject. Pediatrics, the portion of child health care accruing to the pediatrician in 1990 was projected to be in "near balance" for supply/requirement ratio. Inasmuch as GMENAC recommended that larger surpluses be created deliberately in the three primary care fields, it is unlikely that the numbers of pediatric residency training programs will be decreased. As several hundred pediatric residency positions are unfilled each year, a concomitant decrease in residency offerings in oversupplied fields would be required to accomplish the recommended subspecialty distribution.
Oxidation of Single‐Crystal Silicon Carbide Part II . Kinetic Model

The oxidation of single‐crystal in dry oxygen (10−3‐1 atm and 1200°–1500°C) followed parabolic kinetics. The oxygen partial pressure dependence of the oxidation rate of the (0001) carbon face decreased with increasing temperature (from 0.6 at 1200°C to 0.3 at 1500°C). A kinetic model based on parallel transport of oxidants through the oxide via molecular and ionic oxygen diffusion mechanisms fits the observed oxidation behavior. Both diffusivity and activation energy values for oxidants permeating through the oxide derived from the model using the experimental data are similar to those for molecular oxygen permeating through vitreous . Ionic oxygen diffusion inward via the lattice presumably via a vacancy mechanism becomes more important when oxidation takes place at higher temperatures and at low oxygen partial pressures. Both diffusivity and activation energy values for the ionic oxidant diffusion derived from the model using the experimental data are similar to those values for the diffusion of oxygen through silica reported in the literature.
Combining CTL, Trace Theory and Timing Models

A system that combines CTL model checking and trace theory for verifying speed-independent asynchronous circuits is described. This system is able to verify a large and useful class of liveness and fairness properties, and is able to find safety violations after examining only a small fraction of the circuit's state space in many cases. An extension has been implemented that allows the verification of circuits that are not speed-independent, but instead rely on assumptions about the relative delays of their components for correct operation. This greatly expands the class of circuits that can be automatically verified, making the verifier a more useful tool in the design of asynchronous circuits. The system is demonstrated on several fair mutual exclusion circuits, including a speed-independent version that is verified correct. It is also shown that given quite weak assumptions about the relative delays of components, the problem of designing a fair mutual exclusion circuit using a potentially unfair mutual exclusion element becomes almost trivial.
The Department of Communication at Michigan State University as a Seed Institution for Communication Study

A seed institution is an organization that plays a dominant role in a new scholarly field by shaping intellectual directions for theory and research. The Department of Communication at Michigan State University was a seed institution in defining the new field of communication study in the 1960s because (1) of its focus on an integrated perspective of communication, emphasizing commonalities across mass and interpersonal communication, (2) of its quantitative focus, (3) of its internationalization and intercultur‐alism, and (4) of its considerable resources devoted to research and doctoral training. We focus here on how Wilbur Schramm ‘s vision for communication study was implemented and modified by David K. Berlo and his colleagues at Michigan State University.
Ultrastructure of the full-term shark yolk sac placenta. III. The maternal attachment site.

During mid- and late gestation, the uterus of sandbar sharks possesses specialized sites for exchange of metabolites between the mother and fetus. Attachment sites are highly vascular, rugose elevations of the maternal uterine lining that interdigitate with the fetal placenta. The maternal epithelium remains intact and there is no erosion. The attachment site consists of a simple, low columnar juxtaluminal epithelium underlain by an extensive vascular network. Juxtaluminal epithelial cells possess branched microvilli, saccular invaginations of the apical surface, and coated pits. They contain numerous coated vesicles, lipid-like inclusions, a prominent rough endoplasmic reticulum, and many free ribosomes. Tight junctions join the luminal aspect of adjacent cells. Lateral cell boundaries are highly folded and interdigitated. Capillaries are closely apposed to the basal cell surfaces. The endothelium is pinocytotically active. Comparison with the uterine epithelium of non-placental sharks, mammalian epitheliochorial placentae, and selected transporting epithelia reveals that the structure of the maternal shark placenta is consistent with its putative multiple functions, viz: (1) nutrient transfer; (2) transport of macromolecules, e.g., immunoglobulins; (3) respiration; and (4) osmotic and ionic regulation.
Radiative lifetime of the 5S2 metastable state of N

The radiative lifetime of metastable N(+)(5S2) has been measured to be 4.2 + or - 0.6 msec, a value generally in agreement with theory, by direct monitoring of the spontaneous emission from approximately 1,000,000 ions stored in a radio-frequency ion trap. Additional measurements were made of the quenching rate coefficient (2.5 x 10 to the -9th cu cm/sec) and the production cross section (greater than or equal to 10 to the -18th sq cm) of N(+)(5S2) in N2. This work supports the interpretation of the 2145-A feature in the spectrum of aurorae as being due to N(+)(5S2) emission.
Proceedings of the sixth international workshop on the ACL2 theorem prover and its applications

Welcome to ACL2 2006, the Sixth International Workshop on the ACL2 Theorem Prover and its Applications. The ACL2 workshops provide the major technical forum for researchers to present and discuss improvements and extensions to the theorem prover, comparisons of ACL2 with other systems, and applications of ACL2 in industry, government, and academia.
Optical Signals: Changes in Membrane Structure, Recording of Membrane Potential, and Measurement of Calcium

Publisher Summary The squid giant axon has had a critical role in the introduction of optical methods for monitoring membrane potential and for monitoring intracellular free calcium using metallochromic indicator dyes. The chapter discusses different kinds of optical signals that have been examined on squid axons. First, changes in the intrinsic optical properties of axons have been measured in an attempt to study the alterations in axon structure that generate or accompany the action potential. Second, absorption and fluorescence changes from axons stained with a variety of dyes, referred to as “extrinsic signals,” allow the optical measurements of membrane potential when the electrode measurements of potential are difficult or impossible. Third, both intrinsic and extrinsic signals have been found whose time course far outlasts the time course of the action potential. These include light scattering, birefringence, and absorption of stained axons. The chapter describes the biological use of metallochromic indicator dyes to measure changes in the concentration of intracellular free calcium.
Gastrointestinal and metabolic effects of amylase inhibition in diabetics

A partially purified amylase inhibitor given with a single meal causes maldigestion of carbohydrate, increases delivery of carbohydrate to the ileum, and reduces postprandial plasma glucose. To determine the effect of more prolonged administration of the inhibitor on gastrointestinal function and carbohydrate tolerance, we studied 6 non-insulin-dependent diabetics (3 previously treated with oral agents and 3 treated with diet alone) for 3 wk while they ate a weight-maintenance diet. Patients taking oral agents continued them during the first week. During the second week, 4-6 g of the inhibitor was given with each meal. Capillary blood glucose concentration was measured before each meal and 90 min postprandially. On the last day of each week venous blood samples for glucose, hormones, and lactic acid analysis and a quantitative stool culture were obtained. Total carbohydrate absorption was estimated by comparing postprandial breath hydrogen on study days 7, 14, and 21 with breath hydrogen after ingesting 15 g of lactulose on days 0, 15, and 22. There 24-h stools were collected and weighed at the end of each week and analyzed for carbohydrate, lactic acid, short-chain fatty acids, pH, dry matter, amylase, and fat. The inhibitor significantly (p less than 0.05) reduced postprandial plasma glucose, C-peptide, insulin, and gastric inhibitory polypeptide concentrations, significantly increased (p less than 0.05) breath hydrogen excretion, and caused carbohydrate malabsorption. Diarrhea occurred the first day the inhibitor was ingested, but thereafter cessation of diarrhea was associated with changes in the metabolism of carbohydrate by colonic flora. As the amylase inhibitor improves carbohydrate homeostasis and is not associated with continuing diarrhea, it may be a useful adjuvant in the treatment of patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
Measurement of Rayleigh wave Attenuation in Granite Using Laser Ultrasonics

The use of ultrasonic waves to characterize a material requires the measurement of a variety of wave attributes such as phase velocity and attenuation. For example, experimentally measured phase velocities can be used to calculate elastic constants (such as the Lame constants λ and μ), while attenuation results can be used to characterize the distribution).
Screening for Significant Behavior Problems in Diverse Young Children Living in Poverty

The development and use of first line screening instruments is an essential first step in assessing behavior disorders in very young children. The Early Childhood Behavior Screen (ECBS) is a parent-report measure for behavior disorders and is normed on young children (1–5 years old) living in poverty. The current study presents psychometric support for the discriminative validity of the ECBS’s 10-item Challenging Behavior Scale (CBS) as a first-line screener for externalizing behavior problems for preschool aged-children in poverty. The study’s sample included 673 participants (M age years = 2.81; 63.2 % male; 65.8 % African American) that all met the federal definitional standard for living in poverty. A confirmatory factor analysis was run to provide support for the ECBS factor structure. Receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analyses were used to test the CBS’s ability to distinguish between 428 clinic-referred children and 245 non-clinic-referred children. Results showed an acceptable fit model for the ECBS, providing further evidence of its construct validity. Optimal cut-scores by child age derived from the ROC curve analyses were provided with corresponding levels of sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values. Sensitivity rates for cut scores ranged from 0.76 to 0.83 and specificity rates ranged from 0.88 to 0.95. Acceptable test–retest reliability and good internal consistency also was observed. The CBS quickly identifies young children from low-income, urban, diverse populations that may be at-risk for developing significant behavior disorders and should be considered by health care professionals who work with very young children.
T. H. Morgan at Caltech: A Reminiscence

AT the urging of Professor G. M. McKinley, who taught genetics at the University of Pittsburgh, I applied for graduate school at Caltech, was accepted, and arrived in Pasadena for the opening of the fall term of 1936. It would never have occurred to me to go to a school so far away—3 days by train
Resource management for a multi-arm robotic assembly cell

The authors describe the resource management strategy for a multi-arm robotic assembly cell under development at the Electrical Engineering Department of the University of Ottawa. Conceived to support an object-oriented programming language, this assembly cell has a flexible architecture integrating several functional blocks: a task-scheduler, one or more object presentation units, two or more assembly processors, one or more assembly fixtures, and a free-space manager. The architecture and communication aspects are based upon the natural properties of a distributed real-time robotic system. The advantages of such a system are modularity, flexibility, and the ability to exploit the parallelism inherent in complex robot assembly operations. The authors introduce the idea of considering the physical space within which the system operates as a resource that can be managed as an independent entity within the distributed architecture of the robotic system. >
Real and Potential Applications of Amorphous Metal Ribbons

Both the United States and Japan have programs underway to exploit the large scale use of amorphous metals in distribution transformers. The background, current status and potential of these programs are described. A variety of smaller magnetic devices made from amorphous metal ribbons are now for sale in commercial equipments. These devices and their impact are briefly described. A final group of potential applications of amorphous alloys, which have been reported on in the technical literature, are mentioned.
Titanium exposure and yellow nail syndrome

Yellow nail syndrome is a rare disease of unclear etiology. We describe a patient who develops yellow nail syndrome, with primary nail and sinus manifestations, shortly after amalgam dental implants. A study of the patient's nail shedding showed elevated nail titanium levels. The patient had her dental implants removed and had complete resolution of her sinus symptoms with no change in her nail findings. Since the patient's nail findings did not resolve we do not believe titanium exposure is a cause of her yellow nail syndrome but perhaps a possible relationship exists between titanium exposure and yellow nail syndrome that requires further studies.
Formation of α-Hydroxyglutaric Acid by Aspergillus glaucus

Aspergillus glaucus, cultured on sodium propionate-mineral salts medium, incorporates (14)C-glyoxylate into labeled alpha-hydroxyglutaric acid within 30 sec. Mycelial extracts retain this biosynthetic capacity, which is destroyed by heating. Propionyl-2-(14)C-coenzyme A also in incorporated into labeled alpha-hydroxyglutaric acid by these mycelial extracts, but to a more limited extent. (14)CO(2) evolution studies, employing differentially labeled (14)C-propionate, indicate C-1 is oxidized by the mold before C-2, and C-2 before C-3. These findings suggest the involvement of alpha-hydroxyglutaric acid in the catabolism of propionic acid by A. glaucus.
Calibrating an Altimeter: How Many Tide Gauges Is Enough?

The dominant contributor to the random error of an altimetric satellite system is the long wavelength uncertainty in the orbital radius. It is shown that calibration by a comparatively modest tide gauge system can drastically reduce the overall error in global estimates of large-scale oceanic variability. The procedure used is a form of optimal estimation. Absolute (time average) altimetric calibration is much more difficult because it requires absolute calibration of the tide gauge positions (in three dimensions) but the error reduction process would be the same.
Providing resource allocation and performance isolation in a shared streaming-media hosting service

The trend toward media content hosting is seeing a significant growth as more rich media is used in the enterprise environment and as it becomes mission critical for businesses. A shared media hosting service supports the illusion that each hosted service has its own media server, when, in reality, multiple "logical hosts" may share one physical host. For such a shared media hosting service, the ability to guarantee a specified share of server resources to a particular hosted service is very important. We present SharedMediaGuard - a shared media hosting infrastructure that can efficiently allocate the predefined shares of server resources to the hosted media services. The proposed solution is based on a unified cost function that uses a single value to reflect the combined resource requirement such as CPU, bandwidth and memory necessary to support a particular media stream depending on the stream bit rate and type of access (memory file access or disk file access). Our evaluation of SharedMediaGuard compared to the traditional, disk-based allocation strategy that assumes all content must be served from disk reveals a factor of two improvement in server throughput while providing performance isolation and QoS guarantees among the hosted services.
Politics Out of History. By Wendy Brown. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2001. 193p. $45.00 cloth, $14.95 paper.

Wendy Brown argues that the metanarratives of modernity stories of the historical march of reason, the rule of truth, the fruits of expanding freedom, the benevolence of growing equality, and the prospect of endless peace and progress have been undermined by the experiences of our times. These narratives once provided banisters for political thought and staircases for political life. They are now left in tatters, and there are no viable replacements. Politics Out of History explores the deformities of politics in these times. Despite the heralded triumph of liberal capitalism, the world does not appear to be blessed with an overabundance of stable, just, pluralistic societies in which poverty, environmental degradation, and social cleavages are but faint memories. Confronted with enduring problems and denied consoling ideals, denizens of the postmodernity are left to their own devices. They must negotiate a world where power is without logic, political life is deprived of teleology, nature has become contested terrain, and conviction often appears as a retreat to the indefensible.