cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of clinically actionable PI3K pathway mutations in brain metastases from breast cancer (S41.006)

Objective: To describe the frequency of genetic alterations in the PI3K pathway identified in brain metastases from breast cancer. Background: Brain metastases are the most commonly-occurring tumor of the central nervous system. While the actual incidence of disease is unknown, most estimate that 25% of cancer patients will be diagnosed with brain metastases during the course of their disease. There have been multiple challenges to management of this disease specifically tissue characterization beyond initial diagnosis, as unlike with extracranial disease, repeat neurosurgery for sampling may be associated with high risk. In this study, we studied a cohort of patients with brain metastases from breast cancer using next generation sequencing techniques. Design/Methods: We identified matched brain metastases, primary and normal tissue from 37 patients with histologically-confirmed breast cancer. All patients provided informed consent for genetic analysis. We performed whole-exome sequencing on extracted tissue. Results: In this series, a total of 20 gene alterations were detected within the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Of the 20 alterations, 2 were detected in the clinically sampled primary tumors and 7 were found in the brain metastasis alone. There were 12 shared (between the primary and metastatic lesion). Notably, activating PIK3CA mutations, which are associated with sensitivity to PI3K inhibitors were detected in 6 cases. Conclusions: Given improved survival and tolerability of therapies for management of systemic cancers, it is expected that incidence of brain metastases will increase. Genomic characterization of the brain metastases in this cohort of patients identified alterations that have potential clinical significance. This will be informative in designing clinical trials for patients with brain metastases (historically excluded from clinical protocols) and ultimately targetable therapies for management of this disease. Disclosure: Dr. Chukwueke has nothing to disclose. Dr. Nayyar has nothing to disclose. Dr. D9Andrea has nothing to disclose. Dr. Santagata has nothing to disclose. Dr. Batchelor has received personal compensation for activities with Merck, Roche, Foundation Medicine, Proximagen/Upsher, Oxigene, and Oakstone Publishing as a presenter, consultant and lecturer. Dr. Batchelor has received personal compensation in an editorial capacity for UpToDate Inc. Dr. Cahill has nothing to disclose. Dr. Carter has nothing to disclose. Dr. Brastianos has received personal compensation for activities with Merck and Genentech.
Groundwater quality of a public supply aquifer in proximity to oil development, Fruitvale Oil Field, Bakersfield, California

Abstract Due to concerns over the effects of oil production activities on groundwater quality in California, chemical, isotopic, dissolved gas and age-dating tracers were analyzed in samples collected from public-supply wells and produced-water sites in the Fruitvale oil field (FVOF). A combination of newly collected and historical data was used to determine whether oil formation fluids have mixed with groundwater used for public supply and what the potential pathways for the migration of oil formation fluids into groundwater may be. Stable isotopes of water (δ2H and δ18O) and age dating (3H, 3Hetrit, SF6 and 14C) tracers in groundwater samples were consistent with the Kern River being the main source of recharge to aquifers. The distribution of major ion concentrations and pH with distance from the Kern River indicate that natural processes were the primary controls on groundwater salinity. Two of 14 groundwater samples had δ13C-DIC values (−2.4 to +1.9 per mil) consistent with mixtures of
A Comparison of Peer Influence Estimates from SIENA Stochastic Actor–based Models and from Conventional Regression Approaches:

The current study compares estimates of peer influence from an analytic approach that explicitly address network processes with those from traditional approaches that do not. Using longitudinal net...
Dual language learners and four areas of early childhood learning and development: what do we know and what do we need to learn?*

ABSTRACTDual language learners are a steadily growing student population in several countries, including the United States – and especially in early childhood. Consequently, any efforts to develop ...
A proposed protocol for the comparison of virtual to physical health assessments and treatment plans for patients presenting for initial vascular clinic visits

The current manuscript contains a protocol proposal for a prospective research trial comparing virtual vascular clinic visits to actual physical clinic visits. Patient dissatisfaction can increase ...
Program Design and Performance

A fourth program design criteria—performance—is described. Time performance approximates the speed of the algorithm/code while memory performance identifies excessive memory usage.
Design of Thermophotovoltaic Cells for Optimal System Efficiency, Accounting for Photon Reuse from Front and Back Contacts

We develop a model showing how reflection from both the front and back contacts of thermophotovoltaic (TPV) cells affects the system efficiency. From this foundation we determine the design rules for front grids for TPV cells, and assess the consequences of those rules on cell design and system performance. We show that these design rules are different and more complex than the corresponding design rules for solar photovoltaic (PV) cells, and can lead to substantially different grid design and system performance than if the simpler solar PV design rules were used.
The moral psychology of continuation decisions: A recipe for moral disengagement

Abstract To what extent are decision-makers willing to impose costs on others as they pursue their goals? The current investigation tested the hypothesis that the answer depends on whether the decision is an initial decision (whether to start) or a reassessment (whether to continue or switch from a chosen path). Decision-makers should be more likely to experience moral disengagement—to perceive lower moral standards—when contemplating continuing an option relative to choosing that option initially. They will therefore be more willing to impose costs on others for the former than for the latter. In five experiments, which tested hypothetical decisions and real decisions with material stakes, participants were more likely to impose costs on others—and believed ignoring those costs would be more morally acceptable—if they were a side effect of continuation. These results indicate that the moral psychology of continuation is marked by moral disengagement.
A framework analyzing system status and human activities: Illustrated using 2011 Fukushima nuclear power plant accident scenarios

Abstract Systematically modeling human activities and their interactions with complex systems is important in decision making processes. In order to determine appropriate human activities bringing systems to some desired status, integrated analyses combining both components are necessary. However, this can be difficult due to the complexity of the problems and the lack of adequate data. In this work, a framework capable of analyzing system status and human activities as an integrated set is proposed based upon use of a time-dependent Bayesian Network. The 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant accident scenarios are utilized in this work in order to illustrate the framework. Scenarios presented in this work are developed based upon the authors’ interviews with Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) staff who were directly engaged in Fukushima accident mitigation. In this work, we focus upon problems that TEPCO staff found challenging during the Fukushima accident. Two types of tasks, mitigation activities during ongoing accidents and preparation tasks before potential accidents, are considered. The capability of the framework for providing system status, based upon rapidly changing human activities, can enable decision-makers to select appropriate mitigation strategies for use during emergencies. The capability of the framework in comparing multiple preparation efforts can enable decision-makers to identify appropriate strategies in order to prepare for similar future situations. Beyond the examples illustrated here, the proposed framework can be applied to broader fields and support corresponding decisions as long as corresponding human activity and system models are available.
“That's Not Acting”: Feminist Mimesis in the Solo Performances of Ruth Draper

It is difficult to exaggerate the level of critical praise that American solo performer Ruth Draper received during her long career, which stretched from 1920 until her death in 1956. As one critic notes: “Very few people have ever talked very coherently about Ruth Draper. There are no standards by which to gauge her. The magic she conveys is as inexplicable as air or light or love.” Indeed, after reading the myriad panegyrics that collected during her career, words like “magic,” “genius,” “powerful,” and “consummate” begin to lose their meaning. Her critics were so adoring that by 1956, one admitted, “London has long ago worn its most extravagant adjectives, cliches, and superlatives to tatters in its attempt to cope with her achievement.”
Tobacco Treatment Guideline Use and Predictors Among U.S. Physicians by Specialty.

Introduction Physicians play a critical role in tobacco treatment, being a frequent link to smokers and a trusted source of information. Unfortunately, barriers exist that limit physicians’ implementation of evidence-based interventions. This study examines the implementation and predictors of the Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange model of tobacco treatment clinical guidelines among U.S. physicians. Methods A national sample of 1,058 U.S. physicians from 6 specialties (family medicine, internal medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, cardiology, pulmonology, and oncology) were surveyed in 2018 (51.8% response rate). Survey domains included demographics, awareness of the guidelines, tobacco treatment practices (i.e., Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange model), perceived barriers to treatment, and perceived efficacy of various treatments. Multiple logistic regression analyzed the predictors of implementing guideline activities. Results Mean age was 51.3 years, with the majority male (64.4%) and non-Hispanic White (63.9%). Nearly all physicians reported asking patients whether they smoke (95.6%) and advising them to stop (94.8%), slightly fewer assessed the readiness to quit (86.5%), and only a minority assisted with a quit plan (27.4%) or arranged a follow-up (18.6%). Only 18% reported using the U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines in clinical practice. Time-related factors were the most common barriers (53.4%), with patient factors (36.9%) and financial/resource factors (35.1%) cited less frequently. The predictors of implementing aspects of the Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, Arrange model included physician awareness and utilization of the U.S. Public Health Service Guidelines, specialty, and to a smaller degree, graduating before 1990, not reporting time as a barrier, patient barriers, sex, and higher perceived effectiveness of pharmacotherapy. Conclusions This national survey highlights the need for increased implementation of all aspects of the latest guidelines for evidence-based tobacco treatments, including community-based resources.
Mothers’ Preferences for Their Children’s Format for Return to School During the Coronavirus Disease-2019 Pandemic: Are There Differences Between Full-Time Employed Mothers and Mothers Who are Not Employed?

The present study assessed factors associated with maternal preferences for their children?s educational format (i.e., completely in-person, completely online/remote, or hybrid of in-person and online/remote) for return to school during the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these associations differed between full-time employed mothers and mothers who were not employed. Participants were 911 mothers of school-aged children from the United States (full-time employed, n = 650;not employed, n = 261). Recruitment took place online via social media during Summer 2020. Questionnaires on school modality preference, maternal work status, and demographic characteristics were filled out online through Qualtrics. Compared to mothers who were not employed, full-time employed mothers were more likely to endorse a preference for a hybrid in-person and online/remote educational format for their children and less likely to endorse a preference for a completely online/remote educational format for their children. The factor most strongly associated with maternal preferences for their children?s educational format for return to school in both groups of mothers was being worried about my child getting COVID-19 and their health being severely impacted (rs?s ranged from ?56 to ?58;p < .01). Regardless of maternal employment status, this factor continued to have the strongest association with a maternal preference for a completely online educational format in the polynomial regression analysis after controlling for relevant demographic variables (Odds Ratios ranged from 3.63 to 37.64;p < .01). These findings highlight that concerns about child health during the COVID-19 pandemic influence maternal preferences for their children?s educational format, regardless of maternal employment status.
An Exploration of Learnt Representations of W Jets.

I present a Variational Autoencoder (VAE) trained on collider physics data (specifically boosted $W$ jets), with reconstruction error given by an approximation to the Earth Movers Distance (EMD) between input and output jets. This VAE learns a concrete representation of the data manifold, with semantically meaningful and interpretable latent space directions which are hierarchically organized in terms of their relation to physical EMD scales in the underlying physical generative process. A hyperparameter $\beta$ controls the resolution at which the VAE is sensitive to structures in the data manifold. The variation of the latent space structure with $\beta$, and the scaling of some VAE properties, provide insight into scale dependent structure of the dataset and its information complexity. I introduce two measures of the dimensionality of the learnt representation that are calculated from this scaling.
Pediatric Stroke and Seizures

Stroke is an important cause of neurologic morbidity and mortality in children, with up to 75 % of survivors having residual neurologic disability. Seizures are a common occurrence in pediatric stroke, even more so than in adults with cerebrovascular disease, and may impact overall prognosis. In this chapter, we discuss pediatric stroke with an emphasis on arterial ischemic stroke. We outline the epidemiology of seizures and epilepsy in this population, the outcomes of these patients, and the specific treatment considerations in children with stroke. Furthermore, we highlight important physiologic differences between the immature and mature brain that predispose children to seizures and discuss how these may be impacted in the setting of stroke.
Influence of interstitial V on structure and properties of ferecrystalline ([SnSe] 1.15 ) 1 (V 1+x Se 2 ) n for n =1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6

Abstract A series of ferecrystalline compounds ([SnSe]1.15)1(V1+xSe2)n with n=1–6 and a thin film V1+xSe2 were synthesized utilizing the modulated elemental reactant technique. The effect of interstitial V-atoms ranging from 0.13≤x≤0.42 in different compounds on structure and electrical properties of these intergrowth compounds is reported. The presence of the interstitial V-atoms for n>1 was confirmed by Rietveld refinements as well as HAADF-STEM cross sections. The off-stoichiometry in the thin film V1.13Se2 causes a suppression of the charge density wave, similar to the effect of non-stoichiometry observed for the bulk compound. The charge density wave of ([SnSe]1.15)1(V1+xSe2)1, however, is not affected by the non-stoichiometry due to its incorporation as volume inclusions or due to the quasi 2-dimensionality of the isolated VSe2 layer. In the compounds ([SnSe]1.15)1(V1+xSe2)n with n=2–6, the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity approaches bulk-like behavior.
Optimum subsonic, high-angle-of-attack nacelles

The optimum design of nacelles that operate over a wide range of aerodynamic conditions and their inlets is described. For low speed operation the optimum internal surface velocity distributions and skin friction distributions are described for three categories of inlets: those with BLC, and those with blow in door slots and retractable slats. At cruise speed the effect of factors that reduce the nacelle external surface area and the local skin friction is illustrated. These factors are cruise Mach number, inlet throat size, fan-face Mach number, and nacelle contour. The interrelation of these cruise speed factors with the design requirements for good low speed performance is discussed.
Possible Involvement of Al-Induced Electrical Signals in Al Tolerance in Wheat

The relationship between Al-induced depolarization of root-cell transmembrane electrical potentials (Em) and Al tolerance in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) was investigated. Al exposure induced depolarizations of Em in the Al-tolerant wheat cultivars Atlas and ET3, but not in the Al-sensitive wheat cultivars Scout and ES3. The depolarizations of Em occured in root cap cells and as far back as 10 mm from the root tip. The depolarization was specific to Al3+; no depolarization was observed when roots were exposed to the rhizotoxic trivalent cation La3+. The Al-induced depolarization occurred in the presence of anion-channel antagonists that blocked the release of malate, indicating that the depolarization is not due to the electrogenic efflux of malate2-. K+-induced depolarizations in the root cap were of the same magnitude as Al-induced depolarizations, but did not trigger malate release, indicating that Al-induced depolarization of root cap cell membrane potentials is probably linked to, but is not sufficient to trigger, malate release.
An Approximate Algorithm for Evaluation of Semi-Markov Reliability Models

Reliability models of fault tolerant control systems (FTCS) are described by semi-Markov models when sequential tests are used for failure detection and identification (FDI). The transient analysis of these semi-Markov chains are of interest because the steady state behaviour is trivial. The relatively rare occurence of the failure events compared to the fast decisions by the FDI tests allow time-scale decomposition of these models. This leads to an aggregated state model which is approximately Markovian in character in the limit when the failure rates approach zero. An aggregate non-homogeneous Markov model is considered over the transient period of interest and an algorithm to compute the transition rates from the aggregated states is described. From the aggregated model, the state probability distribution of the original semi-Markov model can be derived by a disaggregation step.
Glycosidases in the nervous system. I. Assay, some properties, and distribution of beta-galactosidase, beta-glucoronidase, and beta-glucosidase.

Abstract An intensive study of glycosidases in nervous tissue was done. An existing method, utilizing 4-methylumbelliferyl-β-d-glycosides, was modified to permit the assay of a given glycosidase in as little as 1 µg of nervous tissue. The distribution of β-galactosidase, β-glucuronidase, and β-glucosidase was studied by this method in various discrete regions of the nervous system. The relative distributions of β-galactosidase and β-glucuronidase were the same in cerebellar layers, the granular layer having the highest activity. In contrast, the molecular layer exhibited the greatest activity for β-glucosidase. All three enzymes showed a maximal concentration in the 12,000 and 18,000 x g sediments in sucrose homogenates with only 5 to 10% of their activities in the microsomes and cell sap. β-Galactosidase and β-glucuronidase were 50% soluble in aqueous media, whereas β-glucosidase was less than 10% soluble. The two former enzymes were completely active after homogenization in water, whereas treatment with a detergent almost doubled the total activity of β-glucosidase. The pH optima were lower for β-galactosidase and β-glucuronidase (4.0 in monkey and 3.75 in rat for the former, and 3.3 to 3.75 in both species for the latter) than for β-glucosidase (5.4 in both species). At high inhibitor concentrations each aldonolactone inhibited its corresponding enzyme without affecting the other two, further indicating that in nervous tissue these are at least three separate and distinct enzymes.
Finite local consistency characterizes generalized scoring rules

An important problem in computational social choice concerns whether it is possible to prevent manipulation of voting rules by making it computationally intractable. To answer this, a key question is how frequently voting rules are manipulable. We [Xia and Conitzer, 2008] recently defined the class of generalized scoring rules (GSRs) and characterized the frequency of manipulability for such rules. We showed, by examples, that most common rules seem to fall into this class. However, no natural axiomatic characterization of the class was given, leaving the possibility that there are natural rules to which these results do not apply. In this paper, we characterize the class of GSRs based on two natural properties: it is equal to the class of rules that are anonymous and finitely locally consistent. Generalized scoring rules also have other uses in computational social choice. For these uses, the order of the GSR (the dimension of its score vector) is important. Our characterization result implies that the order of a GSR is related to the minimum number of locally consistent components of the rule. We proceed to bound the minimum number of locally consistent components for some common rules.
Comparative platelet binding and kinetic studies with normal and variant factor IXa molecules.

Abstract We have recently shown that thrombin-stimulated human platelets have specific, saturable receptors for factor IXa, occupancy of which promotes factor X activation (Ahmad, S. S., Rawala-Sheikh, R., and Walsh, P. N. (1989) J. Biol. Chem. 264: 3244-3251, 20012-20016; Rawala-Sheikh, R., Ahmad, S. S., and Walsh, P. N. (1990) Biochemistry 29, 2606-2611). To study the structural requirements for factor IXa binding to platelets, equilibrium binding studies and kinetic studies of factor X activation were carried out with normal factor IXa and with two variant proteins: factor IXaAlabama (FIXaAL; Asp47----Gly substitution) and factor IXaChapel Hill (FIXaCH; Arg145----His substitution). In the absence of factors VIIIa and X, there were 331 binding sites/platelet for FIXaCH (Kdapp = 2.8 nM), and 540 sites/platelet for FIXaAL (Kdapp = 3.2 nM), compared with 540 sites/platelet (Kdapp = 2.3 nM) for normal factor IXa. The addition of factors VIIIa and X, both at saturating concentrations, had no effect on the number of binding sites for either normal or variant factor IXa, resulted in a decrease in the Kd for normal factor IXa to 0.67 nM, resulted in a suboptimal decrease in Kd for FIXaAL (1.4 nM), and had no effect on the Kd for FIXaCH. Kinetic studies of factor X activation at variable factor IXa concentration confirmed these values of Kd in the presence of factors VIIIa and X. Determination of rates of factor X activation at variable substrate concentrations yielded normal values of catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km) for the variant proteins, thereby indicating that the abnormally low rates of factor X activation obtained were a consequence of the low affinity binding of FIXaAL and FIXaCH to thrombin-activated platelets in the presence of factors VIIIa and X. These studies suggest that the presence of Asp47 and the cleavage of factor IX at Arg145-Ala146 are important structural features required for specific, high affinity factor IXa binding to platelets in the presence of factors VIIIa and X.
Application of Scratchpad to Problems in Special Functions and Combinatorics

In this brief survey, we have illustrated some of the uses of computer algebra. It might be objected that our work could well be carried out in almost any computer language; so why bother with SCRATCHPAD? The answer, of course, lies in the naturalness and simplicity of computer algebra approaches to these problems. Expressions like (2.2), (3.1) and (4.1) can be coded in SCRATCHPAD in one line exactly as they are written. They can then be studied with minimal thought about the computer and maximal concentration on what is happening. Often mathematical research consists of sifting low grade ore, and when such sifting requires ingenious programming skills it is likely not to be carried out.
Noncollective communicator creation in MPI

MPI communicators abstract communication operations across application modules, facilitating seamless composition of different libraries. In addition, communicators provide the ability to form groups of processes and establish multiple levels of parallelism. Traditionally, communicators have been collectively created in the context of the parent communicator. The recent thrust toward systems at petascale and beyond has brought forth new application use cases, including fault tolerance and load balancing, that highlight the ability to construct an MPI communicator in the context of its new process group as a key capability. However, it has long been believed that MPI is not capable of allowing the user to form a new communicator in this way. We present a new algorithm that allows the user to create such flexible process groups using only the functionality given in the current MPI standard. We explore performance implications of this technique and demonstrate its utility for load balancing in the context of a Markov chain Monte Carlo computation. In comparison with a traditional collective approach, noncollective communicator creation enables a 30% improvement in execution time through asynchronous load balancing.
Thermal impedance of pressed contacts at temperatures below 4 K

Abstract Enhancement of thermal resistance at mechanical contacts between cryogenic components by using a thin plate of sapphire is described.
THE NEW ORLEANS INMATE SURVEY: A TEST OF GREENWOOD'S PREDICTIVE SCALE*

Analysis of face-to-face interviews with 200 male inmates incarcerated in New Orleans, using a modified version of the Rand instrument used in California, Michigan, and Texas, showed the same highly skewed offense-rate distribution but generally lower median offense frequencies. These lower rates are attributed to an improved instrument and method of administration and to Louisiana's much higher incarceration rate. A search for a prediction model for the New Orleans inmate offense rates yielded the same seven-variable model developed by the Rand researchers and the same predictive efficiency as well. The results suggest the generalizability of the seven-item scale, at least to the prediction of inmates' self-reported offense rates.
Aluminum-induced neuropathology : Transient changes in microtubule-associated proteins

In susceptible species, aluminum induces cytoskeletal changes in which neurofilaments accumulate in neuronal cell bodies and proximal axonal enlargements. To determine if microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) are altered in this model, we examined the spinal cords of aluminum- and saline-treated control rabbits at several time points after treatment. Transient decreases in tau and MAP2 immunoreactivity in neurons in aluminum-intoxicated rabbits were demonstrated with immunocytochemistry. An antibody directed against Alzheimer's disease paired helical filaments labeled neurons in aluminum-treated rabbits but not controls. MAP5 immunoreactivity in the cell body cytoplasm was displaced by aluminum-induced tangles. The transient decreases in MAP2 and tau immunoreactivity did not reflect alterations in protein levels measured using immunoblotting. The transient antigenic changes in tau and MAP2 may reflect conformational changes in these cytoskeletal proteins. Aluminum-induced pathology provides a model for studying perturbations in MAPs and neurofilament proteins that are characteristic of many human neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, diffuse Lewy body disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Polymer Dispersed Liquid Crystals Incorporating Isotropic Dyes

Colored polymer dispersed liquid crystal, PDLC, shutters are formed by the inclusion of isotropic dyes in the epoxy resin and liquid crystal used to make the shutter. Upon curing, the dye is dissolved in both the epoxy binder and the liquid crystal droplets. The shutters are highly colored and scattering in the absence of an aligning electric field, OFF state. Application of an electric field across the film aligns the director of the liquid crystal in the droplets, switching the shutter to a lightly colored, transparent, ON state. In the ON state, light passes through the film unscattered and its path length is essentially equal to the thickness of the cell. In the scattering, OFF, state the path length of light is increased due to Rayleigh-Gans and multiple scattering. The optical density, OD, of the shutter is directly proportional to the path length of the light. The shutter OD is measured in both the ON and OFF states using a LTV-visible spectrophotometer equipped with an integrating sphere and an undyed PDLC shutter used as a reference. The ratio of the OD in the OFF to the ON state is a direct measure of the scattering efficiency of the shutter. Using this ratio, it is possible to calculate the dye concentration that will maximize the change in percent transmission through the film between the ON and OFF states. High contrast, colored displays have been made using isotropic dye containing PDLC films and complementary colored backgrounds.
An interactive approach to teaching steady-state simulation of chemical processes

A multimedia module for instruction in a process design course has been developed and tested by seniors in chemical engineering. We merged 120 pages of text with animation, voice, and video, providing the benefits described here. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Measuring Function of the First Legs of Araneus Diadematus Cl

Spiders deprived of one first leg or two front legs on the same side built webs changed in specific ways and never recovered. Web components were changed from control values to a statistically significant degree as follows: angle regularity and the number of radii decreased, the median central angle increased in size; the number of spiral turns and, in some cases, the spiral regularity decreased; the spiral area decreased relative to frame and central areas; the thread length decreased. No change could be detected in web shape or in the position of the hub. It is concluded that the first leg has a measuring as well as a locomotor function, that the second leg can partly substitute for that measuring function. Web changes following delegging reflect loss of normal adequacy in both of these functions. No evidence of right-left differences in leg function were found. All adaptation to the absence of one or two legs had occurred in the first web after the operation. The variation in control webs and the differential severity in reaction to delegging require evaluation of several animals and many webs; such extensive evaluation is made feasible by computer analysis of an array of points defining a web.
Management support systems for multinational business

Abstract Domestic and multinational firms face competitive pressures and must adopt strategies from a global perspective in order to gain and hold competitive advantages. Information technology offers the crucial resource for supporting global strategy formulation activities. This paper describes the characteristics and fundamental requirements of management support systems for multinational business strategies and operations. Aspects of data support, decision support, and executive support systems for multinational businesses are described, along with illustrations of the application of information technology in an international business environment. Business that have taken the lead in the use of information technology in managing multinational business are already reaping strategic and competitive advantages. These are the firms that are most likely to be the hardy survivors in a global environment that is becoming increasingly competitive.
Lunar zirkelite - A uranium-bearing phase.

Zirkelite (simplified CaZrTiO5) containing 7-17 wt % oxides of trivalent elements (largely yttrium and the rare earths) and minor amounts of U, Th, and Pb is described from an Apollo 12 feldspathic peridotite (12036,9) and two KREEP-type norite lithic fragments separated from Apollo 14 loose fines (14163,39 and 14257,3). Quantitative electron microprobe analyses indicate that this lunar phase conforms more closely to the zirkelite formula than the zirconolite formula.
Two-dimensional eddy currents in foils for high-frequency power applications

The increase in resistance at higher frequencies in rectangular conductors has been studied for microwave applications. Low-frequency approximations are also available. To bridge the gap between the two ends, microwave techniques (conformal mapping), along with asymptotic matching, are used to obtain formulae suitable for power foils used in switching converters. The development shows very high accuracy, not only in the intermediate range where switching frequencies lie, but over the entire frequency spectrum. Accuracy is assessed against numerical calculations and experimental measurements. More fundamentally, the basic procedures for using conformal mapping techniques in power electronics are stated.
Activation detectors for 2.50-MeV pulsed neutron sources

Abstract Activation detectors employing the 207 Pb(n,n′) 207 Pb m and the 90 Zr(n,n′) 90 Zr m reactions have been calibrated for 2.50-MeV neutrons. The calibration was affected by saturating the activities with neutrons from an accelerator employing the 2 H(d,n) 3 He reaction at 200 keV. The neutron production rate was calculated from the measured proton production rate due to the associated 2 H(d,p) 3 H reaction. The results show that the Zr detector is slightly more efficient than the Pb detector, but that neither is useful for 2.50-MeV pulsed neutron sources yielding less than about 2 × 10 7 neutrons per pulse.
Supersonic/Hypersonic Flutter and Postflutter of Geometrically Imperfect Circular Cylindrical Panels

A theoretical investigation of the flutter and postflutter of infinitely long thin-walled circular cylindrical panels in a supersonic/hypersonic flowfield is presented. In this context, third-order piston theory and shockwave aerodynamics are used in conjunction with the geometrically nonlinear shell theory to obtain the pertinent aeroelastic governing equations. The effects of in-plane edge restraints and small initial geometric imperfections are also considered in the model. The objective is twofold: 1) to analyze the implications of nonlinear unsteady aerodynamics and structural nonlinearities on the character of the flutter instability boundary and 2) to outline the effects played, in the same respect, by a number of important geometrical, physical, and aerodynamic parameters characterizing the aeroelastic system. As a by-product of this analysis, the implications of these parameters on the linearized flutter instability behavior of the system are captured and emphasized. The behavior of the aeroelastic system in the vicinity of the flutter boundary is studied via the use of an encompassing methodology based on the Lyapunov first quantity. Numerical illustrations, supplying pertinent information on the implications of geometric and aerodynamic nonlinearities, as well as of other effects, such as curvature and thickness ratios, on the flutter instability and on the character of the flutter boundary are examined, and pertinent conclusions are outlined.
Quantile regression with sample selection: Estimating women's return to education in the U.S.

This study uses quantile regression techniques to analyze changes in the returns to education for women. The data used is the March Current Population Survey for the years 1968, 1973, 1979, 1986 and 1990. The first step in estimating the single (linear) index selection equation uses Ichimura’s (1993) semiparametric procedure. To correct for an unknown form of a sample selection bias in the quantile regression, the second step incorporates a nonparametric method, using an idea similar to one developed by Heckman (1980) and Newey (1991) for mean regression, and Buchinsky (1998) for quantile regression.
Kirtland's Warbler Habitats: A Possible Early Indicator of Climatic Warming

Abstract If the projections of global climate models are correct, jack pine Pinus banksiana forests in central Michigan, managed as the primary nesting habitat for the endangered species Kirtland's warbler Dendroica kirtlandii, will soon be growing at a significantly slower rate than they have in the recent past. As a result, these forests may become unsuitable as habitat for the warbler within 30–60 years. This projection is based on results from a global climate model applied to a forest growth model. The robustness of these predictions is discussed. Measurement of tree growth in these forests could provide some of the earliest evidence of biological effects of climatic warming due to an increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
Dimensions of Self-Report about Everyday Memory in Young and Older Adults.

This study investigated the relationship between several aspects of memory self-report, objective memory, attitude toward intellectual aging, self-rated health, and self-rated depression in young and older adults. Participants completed a self-report depression scale, and then rated their discomfort with eight categories of everyday forgetting and their attitudes toward intellectual aging. One week later, they rated how frequently they experience the same categories of forgetting, and then completed a battery of objective memory tests analogous to those categories. Ten days later, they rated their willingness to participate in both memory improvement classes and nonmemory classes. Older adults reported significantly more frequent failures but less discomfort with the failures than the young adults. Frequency, discomfort, and self-reported depression were all positively correlated in the older group, but not the young group. Young and old adults were equally positive about participating in memory classes, which both age groups preferred to nonmemory classes; the correlation between willingness to participate in memory classes and objective memory approached significance in the young, but not in the old. Attitude toward intellectual aging was correlated with frequency of and discomfort with forgetting in the older group.
Assessing the Obama Standard for Interrogations: An Analysis of Army Field Manual 2-22.3

On 22 January 2009, President Barack Obama issued an executive order that banned harsh interrogations and restricted legal methods to those listed in Army Field Manual 2-22.3. However, there remain concerns that the field manual may fail to prevent the continued abuse and torture of detainees. This study reexamines the leading social–psychological explanations for torture at Abu Ghraib to determine whether the manual appears sufficient to prevent future torture. Findings suggest that it has significantly curtailed future risks; however, in order to help ensure that U.S. soldiers’ treatment of foreign detainees is consistently humane, additional steps should be taken.
Humor and the Limits of Incongruity

ABSTRACT Humor often plays an important role in creativity and, contrary to the widely held belief that groups interfere with creativity, groups often facilitate humor. This article argues that the Incongruity Theory (IT) of humor comprehension is unable to account for a broad range of humorous events. This argument is supported by detailing the inability of IT to successfully explain a case involving a lack of humor response to a purported incongruity. The notion of the joke-transaction is used as a starting point for an investigation into the psychology and biology of laughter and humor. The findings offer an accurate definition of portions of the joke-transaction concept and contribute to our understanding of creativity in groups.
Water soluble diphosphine ligands based on 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA-PR2): Synthesis, coordination chemistry, and ruthenium catalyzed nitrile hydration

Abstract Two chiral chelating 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) derivatives were synthesized, in racemic form, by addition of ClPiPr2 or ClP(NiPr)2(CH2)2 to lithiated PTA. PTA-PiPr2 (1) and PTA-P(NiPr)2(CH2)2 (2) were isolated in good yield, 73% and 56% respectively, and fully characterized by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography. PTA-PiPr2 is highly air sensitive, but stable and somewhat soluble in degassed water. PTA-P(NiPr)2(CH2)2 (2) is air-stable, but decomposes in water over the course of hours. Two tungsten tetracarbonyl complexes were prepared by addition of the PTA-PR2 to [W(CO)4(pip)2] and characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopies and X-ray crystallography in the case of [W(CO)4(PTA-PiPr2)]. Based on IR spectroscopy PTA-PiPr2 (1) is more electron donating than PTA-P(NiPr)2(CH2)2 (2) or the previously published PTA-PPh2. Products isolated from the reaction of [(η6-toluene)RuCl2]2 with two equivalents of 1 were found to contain monodentate (κ1), bidentate (κ2), and possibly bridging coordination modes of PTA-PiPr2. These ruthenium complexes were explored as catalysts for aqueous phase nitrile hydration. Of the ruthenium complexes explored [(η6-toluene)RuCl2(κ1-PTA-PiPr2)] (7) was the most active towards nitrile hydration. In the presence of air at 100 °C 7 converted various nitriles to the respective amides with 43–99% conversions in 7 h.
Spatially and spectrally resolved multipoint coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering from N(2) and O(2) flows.

Single-shot spectrally resolved broadband rotational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) from multiple points along a line intersecting a flow has been observed for N2 and O2. A large-angle phase-matching configuration was used to achieve spatial resolution of 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm x 0.1 mm for each of 20 points in the interaction volume. Single-shot multipoint CARS of N2 at different temperatures and of several species in a coflowing jet was observed.
Resonant electron-impact excitation of vibrational modes in polyatomic molecules

Measured differential cross sections (DCSs) for electron-impact excitation of bending vibrational modes involving an odd number of vibrational quanta in by 4 eV incident energy electrons display a strong trend to zero for forward and backward scattering which is characteristic of `symmetry-forbidden' transitions. This DCS behaviour is postulated here to be produced by a Feshbach resonant mechanism involving a low-lying bent excited state of . The model described here identifies three additional low-lying bent excited states of which could also be parent states for core-excited Feshbach resonances, one of which may play a role in dissociative attachment in this 3.5 - 5.0 eV energy region. The resonant vibrational excitation mechanism proposed here is also believed to be operative in other polyatomic molecules and could be investigated by performing selected electron energy-loss measurements within the lowest energy resonance regions of the molecules and .
Interaction of signal discriminability and task type in vigilance decrement

The results of recent studies suggest that perceptual sensitivity may decline over time in highevent-rate vigilance tasks either (1) when signals require successive, rather than simultaneous, discrimination or (2) when signals are difficult to discriminate from nonsignals. The joint effects of these two factors were examined in the present study. Two groups of subjects performed simultaneous- and successive-discrimination vigilance tasks requiring the discrimination of differences in line lengths at each of three levels of signal discriminabilitylow, moderate, and high. Both tasks lasted 30 min and had a high nonsignal-event rate. Perceptual sensitivity was assessed, using both parametric and nonparametric indices. For moderately or highly discriminable signals, sensitivity declined over time for the successive-discrimination task but not for the simultaneous-discrimination task. For low-discriminability signals, however, a sensitivity decrement was obtained for both tasks. These findings point to the role of the cumulative demand on attentional capacity in determining sensitivity decrement. The results are discussed in terms of attention allocation processes in high-event-rate vigilance tasks.
Shtukas and Jacobi sums

We show how the analogues of Jacobi sums, in the context of function fields, introduced and studied in [T1, T2, T3] can be obtained from shtukas introduced and studied in [D2, D3, M]. We apply this to obtain some results on the prime factorization of analogues of Gauss sums and to prove an analogue of the Gross-Koblitz formula for general function field, generalizing the results in [T2]. For this purpose, we also introduce and interpolate a new analogue of gamma function.
Social status and social change

The two models of social change presented in this paper are intended for rather different purposes. Roughly speaking, there are three issues: (1) the mechanisms of social mobility; (2) the amount of social interaction of persons in a given system; and (3) the increasing or decreasing rigidity of class boundaries over time. The first model considers the first two issues, and is designed to predict the future status distribution of a population under fixed social mobility conditions. But these conditions do change, and they change at least partly as a result of transitions between social classes. Therefore, a second model is proposed which takes into account the ability of people in a social class to influence the processes which govern transitions to or from that class.
Potential Energy Surfaces for Chemical Reactions: An Analytical Representation from Coarse Grained Data with an Application to Proton Transfer in Water

In this paper we address the issue of how to represent the potential energy surfaces that arise in chemical reactions from coarse grained electronic structure calculations. Using a reductionistic method based on the reaction surface model, we develop a computational protocol which combines tensor product spline fitting with bivariate interpolation. This approach is particularly useful when one wishes to retain a high degree of accuracy for a few special degrees of freedom. An application of the procedure has been developed for the transfer of a proton between two water molecules. Starting from MP2/6-311G** calculations on H5O2+ dimer, we construct the global potential energy surface governing the proton transfer as well as the pattern of charge distributions. In order to study large reactive systems embedded in an external medium, we show how a less demanding procedure can be implemented. It rests on a minimum coupling approach of second-order Taylor expansions of the potential about quasi-stationary poin...