cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Predicting Web User’s Behavior: An Absorbing Markov Chain Approach

We develop a novel predictive modeling framework for Web user behavior with web usage mining (WUM). The proposed predictive model utilizes sequence-based clustering, to group Web users into clusters with similar Web browsing behavior, and absorbing Markov chains (AMC) in order to model Web users’ navigation behavior. Clustering facilitates the prediction of Web users’ navigation behavior by identifying groups of Web users showing similar browsing patterns. The use of AMC allows calculation of transition probabilities and absorbing probabilities at any given time of active user sessions, and thus leads to a better Web personalization and a more effective online advertising outcome. This research will also provide a performance evaluation framework along with the proposed model and suggest a WUM system that can improve ad placement and target marketing in a website.
The Professor-Librarian: Academic Librarians Teaching Credit-Bearing Courses

Many academic librarians have ideas or opportunities for teaching information literacy courses for the library, outside the scope of their regular positions. Some additional librarians are asked to...
Promoting Community Engagement: A Campus-Wide Approach to Applied Learning

Applied learning pedagogy has gained momentum in recent decades. Simultaneously, a call for universities to respond to the needs of local and global communities has prompted a focus on community engagement in higher education. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of the Applied Learning and Teaching Community (ALTC), an initiative designed to further integrate applied learning—including community engagement— into the identity, practice, and teaching ethos of the university. With a focus on sustainability, the ALTC has evolved into an expansive model that involves faculty, staff, students, and other supporters across campus. A discussion of the ALTC’s relevance in the context of current trends in higher education is included.
The Thomistic Doctrine on Potency

In St. Thomas’ formulation, the study of potency is one of the most important prerequisites to a study of being. And the reason for this is that the only being we have immediate experience of, is created being; and created being is necessarily potential being — i.e., in some way falling short of complete perfection, and of perfect actuality. To understand potency, therefore, is to understand the proper characteristic of created being. Even the “potency” of God is essentially related to our understanding of the potency of created being. God is “potential”, i.e., the omnipotent creator, quoad nos, only because we are potential in respect to Him, i.e., created by Him. We are moved to posit the power and superiority of God as creator, precisely because we perceive the contingent and dependent powers and capacities of creatures1. And so potency in God is neither an imperfection nor a limit, but rather the unlimited creative power of God’s essence, i.e., its perfect actuality.
The Effect of Randomness on Long-Range Order in the Two-Dimensional Half-Filled Hubbard Model

Quantum Monte Carlo simulations are used to determine the effects of disorder on magnetic, charge density wave, and superconducting correlations in the two-dimensional half-filled Hubbard model. In the repulsive case, random site energies and random intersite hybridizations destroy long range antiferromagnetic order by interfering with moment formation and by the creation of independent singlet bonds, respectively. In the attractive model, random site energies break the symmetry between charge density and pairing fluctuations in favor of the superconducting phase. Finally, we suggest a bimodal distribution of repulsive on-site interactions might allow the separation of magnetic and Mott transitions.
Transmural cellular passage in vascular sinuses of rat bone marrow.

The structure of vascular sinuses in rat bone marrow is modified as cells cross their wall. Endotoxin, by causing withdrawal of granulocytes from the circulation, induces a compensatory discharge of fresh granulocytes through the wall of sinuses. As a result the sinus wall becomes infiltrated by clusters of late-stage hematopoietic cells which appear in transmural passage. Two correlates of such infiltration are elevation of adventitial cells from the wall and the creation of adventitial spurs extending into perisinusal hematopoietic spaces. In untreated rats adventitial cells cover, on the average, about 65 per cent of the sinus wall. After 0.04 µg. endotoxin the cover is reduced, fitting a slope regressing at the rate of 0.22 per cent/min. (t = 3.1038, p =
Neutron-Spectrum Measurements in H2O and D2O*

Spatially dependent neutron-spectrum measurements have been made in both light and heavy water, using the General Atomic Linear Accelerator Facility and standard time-of-flight techniques. The meas...
Quantitative Ranking of Ligand Binding Kinetics with a Multiscale Milestoning Simulation Approach

Efficient prediction and ranking of small molecule binders by their kinetic (kon and koff) and thermodynamic (ΔG) properties can be a valuable metric for drug lead optimization, as these quantities are often indicators of in vivo efficacy. We have previously described a hybrid molecular dynamics, Brownian dynamics, and milestoning model, Simulation Enabled Estimation of Kinetic Rates (SEEKR), that can predict kon’s, koff’s, and ΔG’s. Here we demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach for ranking a series of seven small molecule compounds for the model system, β-cyclodextrin, based on predicted kon’s and koff’s. We compare our results using SEEKR to experimentally determined rates as well as rates calculated using long time scale molecular dynamics simulations and show that SEEKR can effectively rank the compounds by koff and ΔG with reduced computational cost. We also provide a discussion of convergence properties and sensitivities of calculations with SEEKR to establish “best practices” for its futur...
Research on Transient Reactive Power Characteristics of New-generation Large Synchronous Condensers and UHVDC Converter Station

In order to meet the higher demand of dynamic reactive power support is put forward in the Ultra High Voltage Direct Current(UHV DC) power transmission project, the new-generation synchronous condensers are applied in the UHV DC-AC. However, in order to provide bidirectional transient reactive power characteristics during AC and DC grid fault condition, especially to reduce the commutation failure phenomenon at the inverter station, there are great changes in the main body and excitation control system of the new-generation synchronous condensers compared with the same-capacity generators. In this paper, the limiting model of excitation system for the new-generation synchronous condensers under low excitation and strong excitation conditions are established. Then, the expression of sub-transient reactive power for the new-generation synchronous condenser is derived and the reactive power characteristics considering the influence of excitation regulation are also obtained. In addition, the transient reactive power demand of the high-voltage direct current(HVDC) transmission system is also analyzed. Finally, the simulation model of the new-generation synchronous condensers access to UHV DC power grids are built based on the PSCAD software. The simulation results verify the support effect of the new-generation synchronous condensers on DC transient reactive power.
“Producing Human Capital”: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Title II of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA):

Historical and legislative evolutions of education policy have repurposed federally funded adult education programs in the United States. The 2014 passage of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunit...
The Current Status of Dorsal Column Stimulation for Relief of Pain

The concept of stimulation of the dorsal column of the spinal cord for relief of intractable pain was introduced in 1966. At that time, laboratory data on cats and monkeys suggested that this was potentially a feasible method for relieving pain. In the spring of 1967, the first patient was done. Since that time and to the time of this abstract, we have done fifteen patients in which a bipolar stimulating electrode is attached just inside the dura at some level of the spine well above the pain input. We are now able to report the effects of stimulation in patients up to three years and by the time of this conference, we will have reports up to three and one-half years with a minimum follow up on the fifteen patients of six months. At the present time, it would appear that dorsal columnstimulation is effective in relief of organic pain about 75 percent of the time. The problems of the procedure are primarily those of selecting the proper patient and avoiding surgery on those patients who are emotionally crippled by their pain or in whom the pain is a result of severe psychiatric disturbance.
Data-Driven Discovery of Coarse-Grained Equations

Abstract Statistical (machine learning) tools for equation discovery require large amounts of data that are typically computer generated rather than experimentally observed. Multiscale modeling and stochastic simulations are two areas where learning on simulated data can lead to such discovery. In both, the data are generated with a reliable but impractical model, e.g., molecular dynamics simulations, while a model on the scale of interest is uncertain, requiring phenomenological constitutive relations and ad-hoc approximations. We replace the human discovery of such models, which typically involves spatial/stochastic averaging or coarse-graining, with a machine-learning strategy based on sparse regression that can be executed in two modes. The first, direct equation-learning, discovers a differential operator from the whole dictionary. The second, constrained equation-learning, discovers only those terms in the differential operator that need to be discovered, i.e., learns closure approximations. We illustrate our approach by learning a deterministic equation that governs the spatiotemporal evolution of the probability density function of a system state whose dynamics are described by a nonlinear partial differential equation with random inputs. A series of examples demonstrates the accuracy, robustness, and limitations of our approach to equation discovery.
Chapter 43 – Nanoparticulates

This chapter describes the toxicologic pathology of nanoparticulates, the tools which can help toxicologic pathologists evaluate nanoparticulate studies, and emphasizes unique features occurring in nanoscale dimensions. Nanoparticulates are particulates with at least one dimension less than 100 nm. The number and complexity of nanoparticulates is rapidly increasing due to improvements in nanotechnology, the technology that allows engineering in the nanoscale, and often from the atom up. Many products are in current use for diverse commercial purposes, with an estimated economic impact expanding into trillions of dollars in the near future. Recently, nanotechnology has expanded to include medical products, and the new products of nanomedicine include nanopharmaceuticals. Nanotoxicology, the study of the toxic effects of the new products of nanotechnology, lags far behind developments in nanotechnology and nanomedicine. Even fewer studies have investigated the toxicologic pathology of the products of nanotechnology. Nanoparticulates are generally more toxic on a mass basis than larger particles with the same composition. Nanoscaling of particulates increases surface area and thereby increases the dissolution rate of soluble particulates and increases inflammation associated with poorly soluble particulates. Nanosizing also facilitates movement between tissues and across intracellular barriers. In particular, nanoscaling permits extracellular transport in lymphatics, retrograde neuronal transport, and the use of nanoscale endocytic pathways for cell entry and intracellular transport. NPs are similar in size to subcellular structures, including components of the mitotic spindle, permitting critical interactions with these subcellular structures that are not possible with larger particulates. However, some of these unique features can be harnessed for new therapeutic and diagnostic products that allow targeted drug delivery and advanced imaging. Toxicologic pathologists will increasingly evaluate the safety of these new products of nanotechnology. An understanding of the toxicologic pathology of nanoparticulates plays a critical role in the safe development of nanotechnology.
Mathematical poetic structures: The sound shape of collaboration

Abstract This paper outlines a new method of mathematical discourse analysis focused on identifying poetic structures in students’ mathematical conversations. Following the linguistic anthropology tradition inspired by Roman Jakobson, poetic structures refer to any conversational repetition of sounds, words or syntax; this repetition draws attention to the form of the message. In mathematical conversations, poetic structures can express patterns, rhythms, similarities or dissimilarities associated with a task. Methodological dilemmas associated with identifying and representing poetic structures and pragmatic responses are highlighted. An analysis of a nine minute algebraic problem-solving conversation revealed eight types of mathematical poetic structures that collectively assisted all of the students’ vital mathematical insights. The paper aims to demonstrate that poetic analysis of mathematical conversations can bridge the illusory distinction between mathematical discourse and mathematical reasoning.
Robust Classification Under &#120001; 0 Attack for the Gaussian Mixture Model.

It is well-known that machine learning models are vulnerable to small but cleverly-designed adversarial perturbations that can cause misclassification. While there has been major progress in designing attacks and defenses for various adversarial settings, many fundamental and theoretical problems are yet to be resolved. In this paper, we consider classification in the presence of $\ell_0$-bounded adversarial perturbations, a.k.a. sparse attacks. This setting is significantly different from other $\ell_p$-adversarial settings, with $p\geq 1$, as the $\ell_0$-ball is non-convex and highly non-smooth. Under the assumption that data is distributed according to the Gaussian mixture model, our goal is to characterize the optimal robust classifier and the corresponding robust classification error as well as a variety of trade-offs between robustness, accuracy, and the adversary's budget. To this end, we develop a novel classification algorithm called FilTrun that has two main modules: Filtration and Truncation. The key idea of our method is to first filter out the non-robust coordinates of the input and then apply a carefully-designed truncated inner product for classification. By analyzing the performance of FilTrun, we derive an upper bound on the optimal robust classification error. We also find a lower bound by designing a specific adversarial strategy that enables us to derive the corresponding robust classifier and its achieved error. For the case that the covariance matrix of the Gaussian mixtures is diagonal, we show that as the input's dimension gets large, the upper and lower bounds converge; i.e. we characterize the asymptotically-optimal robust classifier. Throughout, we discuss several examples that illustrate interesting behaviors such as the existence of a phase transition for adversary's budget determining whether the effect of adversarial perturbation can be fully neutralized.
Physical Function and Pain Interference Levels of Hallux Rigidus Patients Before and After Synthetic Cartilage Implant vs Arthrodesis Surgery.

Background:Hallux rigidus is a common and painful degenerative condition of the great toe limiting a patient’s physical function and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to investigate pr...
Spread of Misinformation About Face Masks and COVID-19 by Automated Software on Facebook.

This cross-sectional study examines the spread of misinformation regarding the Danish Study to Assess Face Masks for the Protection Against COVID-19 Infection on Facebook.
Approximation of the Ankle-Brachial Index in the Setting of Medial Arterial Calcific Sclerosis.

Abstract The presence of medial arterial calcific sclerosis is known to cause inaccuracy in the interpretation of noninvasive vascular testing. This substantially limits the utility of an important baseline diagnostic test for peripheral arterial disease. Therefore, the objective of this investigation was to derive a method to effectively factor out calcification in the interpretation of the ankle and digital brachial indices. The noninvasive vascular testing results of 160 subjects were stratified into the absence of calcification, mild calcification, moderate calcification, and severe calcification based on plain film radiographic findings of the infrageniculate vessels. Measurements were then performed of the pulse volume recording (PVR) waveforms at brachial, ankle and digital anatomic levels to include PVR wavelength and PVR upstroke length, with a calculation of the ratio of PVR upstroke length to PVR wavelength. These measurements were compared between groups and then correlated to the ankle and digital brachial indices. A significant difference was observed in the PVR upstroke ratio between the 3 anatomic levels (0.1818 vs 0.2622 vs 0.3191; p
Speculations on the Origin of Low Frequency Arctic Ocean Noise

Arctic ambient noise research has both macrolevel and microlevel aspects. Correlation of average noise with gross environmental parameters, and elucidation of ice source mechanisms from observation of individual acoustic events, are important and mutually supportive. In this review I concentrate on low frequency noise in the central Arctic. I summarize previous papers which show that such noise, on average, correlates highly with environmental moments and forces acting on the ice, and that individual noise events can be aggregated over the entire Arctic basin to yield the average noise. The moments and forces are thus reasoned to relate directly to individual ice source mechanisms. Models of ice motion are proposed as noise sources. Ice cracking and transient unloading at a ridge in response to moments, and ice-block creation and oscillation at an overthrusting site in response to horizontal forces, are shown to be plausible. The models predict the right order of stress in the ice, radiation in the proper frequency range, event signatures such as observed, and the observed source strengths.
Predictive software models

A predictive software model (PSM) is any model extracted from software engineering data that can be readily used to make a prediction regarding some aspect of a software system. In this paper, we present some well known applications of predictive software models, and propose new potential applications for PSMs. We also introduce the promise software engineering repository of public datasets. The purpose of this repository is to promote repeatable, verifiable and refutable research in the area of predictive software models. We conclude the paper with our observations about the software engineering datasets used in building PSMs
A hybrid digital computer-Hopfield neural network CDMA detector for real-time multi-user demodulation

Proposes a hybrid digital computer-neural network multi-user detector whose small computational complexity makes it attractive for real-time CDMA detection. Theoretical results on the nature of the local minima of the optimal multi-user detector (OMD) objective function are summarized, and a method that leads to a significant reduction on the size of the optimization problem to be solved is outlined. The preprocessing problem size reduction stage is followed by a Hopfield neural network employed to solve the irreducible (residual) problem. The performance of the proposed detector is evaluated via simulations and it is shown to exceed that of other suboptimal schemes at a much lower computational cost. >
Investor Response to Sell-Side Analyst Revisions in IPO Recommendations: Do They Correct Expectations?

This paper tests for investor optimism in IPO firms by examining excess returns around sell-side-analyst revisions of recommendations. I pose the corrections hypothesis and the learning hypothesis. According to the corrections hypothesis, if investors correct their initially optimistic expectations, they should react more negatively to analyst upgrades and downgrades of IPO firms relative to benchmark non-IPO firms. A competing hypothesis is the learning hypothesis, which posits that investors should respond more positively to upgrades and more negatively to downgrades of IPO firms relative to benchmark non-IPO firms, because they learn more from all information events about new, immature firms. Examining benchmark performance-adjusted-excess-returns around all revisions issued in the first 3 years after IPO issue, I find that investors do learn more from analyst revisions for IPO firms. However the magnitude of the response to upgrades and downgrades is asymmetric. The negative response around downgrades dominates the positive response around upgrades. Overall, the abnormal return in the 3-days around all revisions is -1.80%. This correction is economically significant, and contributes 15.67% to the long-run underperformance of IPO firms. This result is robust to different specifications of benchmark firms.
Group sequence detection for the asynchronous Gaussian code-division multiple-access channel

The problem of coherently detecting S out of K simultaneously transmitting users of an asynchronous Gaussian CDMA channel is considered under the constraint that the signal amplitudes of the interfering users are unknown. A maximum generalized likelihood detector (MGLD) that achieves optimum values of group near-far resistance (the worst-case asymptotic efficiency over the unknown signal amplitudes) is obtained. Unfortunately, the MGLD is practically unimplementable because, for M-ary signalling, it has a time complexity per symbol (TCS) of O(M/sup SN//SN), N being the packet length. A group sequence detector (GSD) is proposed as an alternative, and it consists of a bank of K matched filters for a front-end, followed by a cascade of a K-input S-output group decorrelating filter and a multiuser variant of the Viterbi algorithm with a TCS of O(M/sup S//S). The high SNR performance of the GSD is characterized through its asymptotic multiuser efficiency and the conditions under which the GSD closely tracks the performance of the MGLD are discussed. When S=1, the GSD reduces to the decorrelating detector with optimum near-far resistance, and when S=K, the GSD coincides with the maximum likelihood sequence detector with optimum asymptotic efficiency. A parallel bank of GSDs can also be used, one for detecting users in each group of a partition of all users to be detected, thereby providing the designer the flexibility of trading performance for reduced implementational complexity.
Lorentz Covariant Theory of Precise Doppler Mea- surements

On leave: Astro Space Center, FIAN, Moscow, RussiaKopeikinS@missouri.eduReceived 15 November 1999, accepted dd.mm.yyyy by ueAbstract. The Lorentz covariant theory of precise Doppler measurements (PDM) basedon the retarded Li´enard-Wiechert solution of the Einstein equations is described. An exactsolution of equations of light propagation in the ﬁeld of arbitrary moving bodies, whichdrastically extends the range of applicability of the new theory of PDM, is obtained. Anexplicit formula for the gravitational shift of frequency is given in analytic form. The limitingcases of the Doppler observations in gravitational lensing and of the spacecraft’s Dopplertracking are described in more detail. We also present the post-Newtonian theory of thePDM developed for searching relativistic eﬀects in close optical binaries and massive planetarysystems.Keywords: General Relativity, the Doppler eﬀect, AstrometryPACS: 04.20.Cv, 04.25.-g, 04.80.-y
Particle-hole symmetry numbers for nuclei

Two new numbers, $$\nu $$ and $$\zeta $$ , inspired by particle-hole symmetry are introduced. These numbers have extreme values at a closed shell and vanish mid-shell. A combination of even powers of these numbers has been used to model experimentally measured quantities such as $$R_{4/2}=E(4_1^+)/E(2_1^+)$$ and the “microscopic” contribution to binding energies. A binding energy fit consisting of a total of six fit coefficients, including one new shell term, reproduces the experimental binding energies of 2353 nuclei with an r.m.s. standard deviation of 1.55 MeV. The difference between the experimental and fit values of observables, specifically the $$R_{4/2}$$ , provides an indication of where shell closure features are less pronounced and where sub-shells closures occur.
Survival in Acute Non-Lymphocytic Leukaemia following Breast Cancer:

Acute non-lymphocytic leukaemia (ANLL) occurs with increased frequency in women with previously diagnosed breast cancer. Adjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy are related to this increase. We studied the interrelationships among age at breast cancer diagnosis, interval to ANLL diagnosis, and survival in 54 women of whom 11 were from Kansas and 43 were from two other published series. Median age at breast cancer diagnosis was 50.5 years, median interval to ANLL diagnosis was 4.8 years, and median survival after ANLL diagnosis was 2.2 months. Increasing age was associated with a decrease of the interval to ANLL diagnosis just short of statistical significance (P = 0.0591). There was no association of survival with either age or the interval to ANLL diagnosis. With an increase in the use of adjuvant therapy in breast cancer there is a need to identify women at greatest risk of subsequently developing ANLL, at present not possible.
Spectrum based fraud detection in social networks

Social networks are vulnerable to various attacks such as spam emails, viral marketing and the such. In this paper we develop a spectrum based detection framework to discover the perpetrators of these attacks. In particular, we focus on Random Link Attacks (RLAs) in which the malicious user creates multiple false identities and interactions among those identities to later proceed to attack the regular members of the network. We show that RLA attackers can be filtered by using their spectral coordinate characteristics, which are hard to hide even after the efforts by the attackers of resembling as much as possible the rest of the network. Experimental results show that our technique is very effective in detecting those attackers and outperforms techniques previously published.
Toll-like receptors and their role in host resistance to Toxoplasma gondii

Toxoplasma gondii and other apicomplexan parasites are widely distributed obligate intracellular protozoa. A critical host mediator produced in response to T. gondii infection is IL-12. This cytokine is synthesized by dendritic cells, macrophages and neutrophils and plays a pivotal role in the production of IFN-gamma, which in turn activates anti-microbial effector cells. In the past several years, many of the receptors and signaling pathways that link pathogen detection to induction of IL-12 have been identified and characterized. Among these receptors the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family can recognize all classes of pathogens and induce different types of immune responses. In the following review, I summarize the evidence for specific TLR function in host resistance to T. gondii.
The “New Deal”: Politics and Policies of the Hu Administration

The recently held Sixteenth Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and the Tenth National People's Congress signified a shift in power to the so-called fourth generation of Chinese leaders. With the declining trend of strong-man politics, Chinese politicians have been increasingly concerned about coalition-building, political compromise, and factional negotiation. The norm in Chinese elite politics has transformed from the zero-sum games of the past to an emerging pattern of power-sharing among competing factions, regions, and social groups. Prominent leaders are willing to cooperate-not because they are motivated by democratic ideals, but because they recognize their own limitations and thus the need to cut a new deal between factions. The new leadership also signifies new policies. President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao have outlined a new vision and a New Deal (xinzheng) for China's future. The New Deal is an economic and socio-political program that incorporates three interrelated aspects: first, more balanced regional economic development to reduce regional disparity, increase employment, and stimulate the domestic market; second, increased concern for social justice, fairness, and the need to create a social safety net; and third, greater political transparency and institutionalization.
Adwiki: Socio-Technical Design for Mananging Advising Knowledge in a Higher Education Context

Educational institutions worldwide are undergoing significant transformation in response to the changing economic scenario which is pressuring them to be innovative while reassessing their allotment of resources. As a result, many institutions are moving towards large-scale use of information technology IT to manage knowledge at different organizational levels. The authors present findings from a case study of an action research project undertaken to design and implement a web-based advising system for managing and sharing knowledge required by first-year engineering students. The primary users of the system were faculty members who advised students, as well as the students themselves. By following a participatory action research approach in combination with a socio-technical framework, the designed and implemented system-AdWiki-improved the use of existing advising resources as well as created new advising practices by integrating IT and organizational processes. In addition to socio-technical design literature their findings corroborate and extend the Socio-Technical Systems Engineering STSE framework. They provide evidence that 'sensitization and awareness' and 'constructive engagement', two core activities proposed in the STSE framework, can be effectively applied in practice to integrate organizational process and technological possibilities for managing knowledge. Findings from the case study also extend the socio-technical approach by incorporating components of action research into the framework and demonstrating the use of methods that allowed for virtual participation in systems development.
Island morphology and adatom energy barriers during homoepitaxy on Cu(001)

Abstract Island morphologies and island separations were determined from the two-dimensional diffraction patterns measured with high-resolution low-energy electron diffraction during sub-monolayer homoepitaxy on the Cu(001) surface. In the temperature range considered, islands were found to have square shapes with edges along the [110] direction indicating a low energy-barrier for diffusion along close packed step edges. By measuring the temperature dependence of the average island separation in the diffusion limited steady-state growth regime, the energy barrier for adatom diffusion and the binding energy for small islands were determined.
Observations on Feeding Tung Oil to Laying Hens with a Note on Identification of Elaeostearic by GLC

Abstract CRUDE tung oil at levels as low as 0.5% in the ration caused slow growth of young chicks, and higher levels (2.0% to 5%) caused high mortality in experiments reported by Edwards (1964). This same report presented evidence indicating that the conjugated fatty acids of tung oil were not the toxic materials, and that the toxic materials were destroyed by the saponification procedure employed. It was postulated from these results that the toxic factor may be the toxin from tung nuts described as soluble in fat solvents by Lee and Watson (1953) and later characterized chemically and physically by Holmes and O’Conner (1961). Studies by Reiser (1951) and Reiser et al. (1951) showed no toxicity of tung oil when it was fed to laying hens. Also Melnick and Duel (1954) did not indicate any toxicity of tung oil when it was fed to rats. The experiments presented in this communication …
Testosterone-induced suppression of autoimmune disease in lacrimal tissue of a mouse model (NZB/NZW F1) of Sjögren's syndrome.

The current investigation was designed to examine whether androgen administration might suppress autoimmune disease in lacrimal glands of a mouse model (NZB/NZW F1) of Sjogren's syndrome. Autoimmune, female mice were treated with vehicle or varying concentrations of testosterone for 0, 17, 34, or 51 days, and tears, lacrimal glands, as well as submandibular tissue, were collected from killed mice after androgen exposure. Glands were histologically processed and evaluated with a computer-assisted image analysis system. Results showed that testosterone administration induced a significant, time-dependent decrease in the extent of lymphocytic accumulation in the lacrimal gland. After 34-51 days of androgen therapy, the magnitude of lymphocyte infiltration had been suppressed 22- to 46-fold, compared with that in placebo-treated tissue. This hormone effect was associated with significant reductions in the number of focal infiltrates, the area of individual foci, and the total quantity of lymphocyte infiltration per lacrimal section. Testosterone exposure also stimulated an increase in lacrimal gland weight and a rise in tear volumes, relative to those measured in the same mice before treatment. In addition, androgens significantly diminished the extent of lymphocyte accumulation in submandibular tissue. In summary, our results demonstrate that androgen administration may inhibit the progression of autoimmune disease in lacrimal and submandibular glands of NZB/NZW F1 mice.
A Cholecystokinin-releasing Factor Mediates Ethanol-induced Stimulation of Rat Pancreatic Secretion

The mechanisms by which short-term ethanol administration alters pancreatic exocrine function are unknown. We have evaluated the effects of ethanol administration on pancreatic secretion of digestive enzymes. In our studies, anesthetized as well as conscious rats were given ethanol at a rate sufficient to cause the blood ethanol concentration to reach levels associated with clinical intoxication. Ethanol was administered over a 2-h period during which blood ethanol levels remained stably elevated. We report that intravenous administration of ethanol results in a transient increase in pancreatic amylase output and plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) levels. The ethanol-induced increase in amylase output can be completely inhibited by the CCK-A receptor antagonist L-364,718 and partially inhibited by the muscarinic cholinergic antagonist atropine. The ethanol-induced rise in amylase output can be completely prevented by instillation of trypsin into the duodenum or by lavage of the duodenum with saline during ethanol administration. Furthermore, the intraduodenal activity of a CCK-releasing factor is increased by infusion of ethanol. These studies indicate that administration of ethanol causes rat pancreatic exocrine secretion to increase. This phenomenon is mediated by a trypsin-sensitive CCK-releasing factor which is present within the duodenal lumen. These observations lead us to speculate that repeated CCK-mediated ethanol-induced stimulation of pancreatic digestive enzyme secretion may play a role in the events which link ethanol abuse to the development of pancreatic injury.
Silicides and local interconnections for high-performance VLSI applications

As the minimum VLSI feature size continues to scale down to the 0.1–0.2-µm regime, the need for low-resistance local interconnections will become increasingly critical. Although reduction in the MOSFET channel length will remain the dominant factor in achieving higher circuit performance, existing local interconnection materials will impose greater than acceptable performance limitations. We review the state-of-the-art salicide and polycide processes, with emphasis on work at IBM, and discuss the limitations that pertain to future implementations in high-performance VLSI circuit applications. A brief review of various silicide-based and tungsten-based approaches for forming local interconnections is presented, along with a more detailed description of a tungsten-based “damascene” local interconnection approach.
Microbial transformations of arsenic: mobilization from glauconitic sediments to water

In the Inner Coastal Plain of New Jersey, arsenic (As) is released from glauconitic sediment to carbon- and nutrient-rich shallow groundwater. This As-rich groundwater discharges to a major area stream. We hypothesize that microbes play an active role in the mobilization of As from glauconitic subsurface sediments into groundwater in the Inner Coastal Plain of New Jersey. We have examined the potential impact of microbial activity on the mobilization of arsenic from subsurface sediments into the groundwater at a site on Crosswicks Creek in southern New Jersey. The As contents of sediments 33-90 cm below the streambed were found to range from 15 to 26.4 mg/kg, with siderite forming at depth. Groundwater beneath the streambed contains As at concentrations up to 89 μg/L. Microcosms developed from site sediments released 23 μg/L of As, and active microbial reduction of As(V) was observed in microcosms developed from site groundwater. DNA extracted from site sediments was amplified with primers for the 16S rRNA gene and the arsenate respiratory reductase gene, arrA, and indicated the presence of a diverse anaerobic microbial community, as well as the presence of potential arsenic-reducing bacteria. In addition, high iron (Fe) concentrations in groundwater and the presence of iron-reducing microbial genera suggests that Fe reduction in minerals may provide an additional mechanism for release of associated As, while arsenic-reducing microorganisms may serve to enhance the mobility of As in groundwater at this site.
Advanced Passive Radiator for Spaceborne Cryogenic Cooling

A novel design to improve the cooling capability of spaceborne cryogenic passive radiators is described. The design is based on the use of lightweight angled radiation shields, low-conductance structural supports, and a separate detachable launch-support system to reduce the parasitic heat leaks from the warm spacecraft to the cold radiator. The effectiveness of this design is demonstrated by thermal-vacuum-chamber experiments which indicate that the angled-radiation-shield assembly has an effective emittance that is an order of magnitude lower than that of the best multilayer insulation used in flight. Performance predictions based on the experiments and analytical model indicate that an advanced passive-radiator design based on this technology would be between 10 and 57 percent of the size and 10 and 36 percent of the mass of the best state-of-the-art passive radiators and would make lower temperatures (less than 60 K) and larger heat loads practical. The cooling requirements of many new spaceborne instruments could be accommodated by application of this new passive-radiator design.
The carbohydrate content of control and virus-transformed cells.

The levels of carbohydrates were measured in cells before and after transformation with DNA and RNA-containing oncogenic virus. The most consistent finding was a markedly lower content of L-fucose in all transformed cells relative to their normal counterpart. The cell pellet from a line of Chinese hamster cells transformed with polyoma or SV-40 viruses showed a marked decrease in the level of carbohydrates. However, when the carbohydrate levels were calculated for the whole system (cells plus wash) the transformed cells except for L-fucose had almost the same amount of carbohydrate as the controls. The levels of various carbohydrates in cells transformed by Rous sarcoma virus were the same or were elevated above the controls. Here consideration of the washes did not alter the results. Possible explanations for the results and causes of error in these comparative studies are discussed.
Population biology of Dyopedos monacanthus (Crustacea: Amphipoda) on estuarine soft-bottoms : importance of extended parental care and pelagic movements

The suspension-feeding amphipod Dyopedos monacanthus (Metzger, 1875) is a common epibenthic amphipod that lives on self-constructed ''mud whips'' (built from filamentous algae, detritus and sediment particles) in estuaries of the northern North Atlantic Ocean. The population biology of D. monacanthus at a shallow subtidal site in the Damariscotta River Estuary (Maine, USA) was examined between July 1995 and July 1997. The resident population at the study site was dominated by adult females during most months of the year. High percentages of subadults were found in late summer/early fall. Often, between 10 and 20% of the adult females were paired with males, and the percentage of ovigerous females varied between 40 and 100%, in- dicating continuous reproduction. The percentage of parental females varied between 40 and 80% during most months, but dropped to levels below 20% during summer/early fall. The average size of amphipods on their own mud whips was4 mm during the summer/ early fall, after which it increased continuously to >7.0 mm in March or April, and then dropped again. In March and April, the average number of eggs and juveniles female )1 was100 eggs and 55 juveniles, while during the summer/early fall the average number of eggs female )1 was 1.4 mm) on their mothers' whips in winter/early spring but not in the summer/fall. The average number of amphipods at the study site was low in late summer/early fall ( 3000 individuals m )2 in April 1996 (>1600 individuals m )2 in May 1997), after which densities decreased again. The decrease of the D. monacanthus population at the study site coincided with a strong increase of amphipods found pelagic in the water column. This behavioural shift occurred when temperatures increased and benthic predators became more abundant and active on shallow soft-bottoms, suggesting that D. monacanthus at the study site is strongly aAected by predation. The eAects are direct (by predation on amphipods) and indirect (by reducing du- ration of extended parental care and enhancing pelagic movements). Both extended parental care and pelagic movements are important behavioural traits of D. mon- acanthus (and other marine amphipods), and signifi- cantly aAect its population dynamics.
Obesity and Physical Frailty in Older Adults: A Scoping Review of Lifestyle Intervention Trials

Many frail older adults are thin, weak, and undernourished; this component of frailty remains a critical concern in the geriatric field. However, there is also strong evidence that excessive adiposity contributes to frailty by reducing the ability of older adults to perform physical activities and increasing metabolic instability. Our scoping review explores the impact of being obese on physical frailty in older adults by summarizing the state of the science for both clinical markers of physical function and biomarkers for potential underlying causes of obesity-related decline. We used the 5-stage methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley to conduct a scoping review of randomized trials of weight loss and/or exercise interventions for obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m(2)) in older adults (aged >60 years), examining the outcomes of inflammation, oxidative stress, and lipid accumulation in muscle, as well as direct measures of physical function. Our initial search yielded 212 articles; exclusion of cross-sectional and observational studies, cell culture and animal studies, disease-specific interventions, and articles published before 2001 led to a final result of 21 articles. Findings of these trials included the following major points. The literature consistently confirmed benefits of lifestyle interventions to physical function assessed at the clinical level. Generally speaking, weight loss alone produced a greater effect than exercise alone, and the best outcomes were achieved with a combination of weight loss and exercise, especially exercise programs that combined aerobic, resistance, and flexibility training. Weight loss interventions tended to reduce markers of inflammation and/or oxidative damage when more robust weight reduction was achieved and maintained over time, whereas exercise did not change markers of inflammation. However, participation in a chronic exercise program did reduce the oxidative stress induced by an acute bout of exercise. Weight loss interventions consistently reduced lipid accumulation in the muscle; however, in response to exercise, 3 studies showed an increase and 2 a decrease in muscle lipid infiltration. In summary, this scoping review identified strong clinical evidence that weight reduction and/or exercise interventions can improve physical function and biomarkers of physical dysfunction among overweight/obese older adults, supporting the suggestion that excessive adiposity contributes to physical frailty. However, the evidence also suggests a complexity of metabolic influences, both systemically and within muscle, which has not been elucidated to date. Considerable further study is needed to examine the mechanisms by which lifestyle interventions influence physical frailty before the net impact of such interventions can be fully understood.
Bamba: audio and video streaming over the internet

The World Wide Web has become a primary means of disseminating information, which is being presented increasingly through multiple media. The ability to broadcast audio and video information is becoming a reality with the advent of new media-streaming technologies. Most of the emerging streaming systems require high-bandwidth connections in order to deliver audio and video of suitable quality. In this paper we present a media-streaming system, called Bamba, that delivers audio and video over low-bandwidth modem connections with the use of standard compression technologies. Bamba offers high-quality audio and video over low-bit-rate connections and can operate using a standard HTTP server. The Bamba video is enhanced with special provisions for reducing the effect of errors in a Iossy-network environment. Bamba adheres to existing standards wherever possible. Finally, Bamba has been fully implemented and deployed both internally at IBM and externally.
Minimizing Complications: Sedation and Monitoring

Serious adverse events are fortunately quite rare for procedural sedation. Current physiologic monitoring recommendations are therefore either based on "softer" outcomes, such as transient hypoxemia, or on expert opinion. Pulse oximetry and supplemental oxygen are recommended for the reduction of hypoxemia. Outcomes-based data for extended monitoring are just starting to emerge, and one of these technologies may become a recommended component of patient monitoring. With data on more than 150,000 patients published in the literature, propofol is the most studied sedative agent for gastrointestinal endoscopy. In this author's opinion, its safety and efficacy have been established.