cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Meaningless Meaning of Mean Heart Dose in Mediastinal Lymphoma in the Modern Radiation Therapy Era

Abstract Purpose Mean heart dose (MHD) correlates with late cardiac toxicity among survivors of lymphoma receiving involved-field radiation therapy (IFRT). We investigated MHD and cardiac substructure dose across older and newer radiation fields and techniques to understand the value of evaluating MHD alone. Methods and Materials After institutional review board approval, we developed a database of dosimetry plans for 40 patients with mediastinal lymphoma, which included IFRT (anterior-posterior and posterior-anterior), involved-site radiation therapy (ISRT) + 3-dimensional conformal radiation therapy (3DCRT), ISRT + intensity modulated radiation therapy, and ISRT + proton therapy plans for each patient. Each plan was evaluated for dose to the heart and cardiac substructures, including the right and left ventricles (RV, LV) and atria (RA, LA); tricuspid, mitral (MV), and aortic valves; and left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD). Correlation between MHD and cardiac substructure dose was assessed with linear regression. A correlation was considered very strong, strong, moderate, or weak if the r was ≥0.8, 0.6-0.79, 0.4-0.59, or Results A very strong correlation was observed between MHD and the mean cardiac substructure dose for each plan as follows: IFRT—LV, RV, LA, MV and LAD; ISRT + 3DCRT—LV, RV, MV, TV, and LA; ISRT + intensity modulated radiation therapy—LV and RV; ISRT + proton therapy—none. The following strong correlations were observed: IFRT—RA; ISRT + 3DCRT—LAD, RA, AV; ISRT + IMRT—LA, RA, LAD, AV, TV, and MV; ISRT + proton therapy—LV only. Conclusions In the management of mediastinal lymphoma, more conformal treatment techniques can lead to more heterogeneous dose distributions across the heart, which translate into weaker relationships between mean heart dose and mean cardiac substructure doses. Consequently, models for assessing the risk of cardiac toxicity after radiation therapy that rely on MHD can be misleading when using modern treatment fields and techniques. Contouring the cardiac substructures and evaluating their dose is important when using contemporary RT.
A Compressive Microwave Single-Pixel Imager via Binary-State Surfaces

In this work we report progress towards a single pixel microwave radiometric system implemented using a reconfigurable reflectarray of binary-state elements (BSEs). The BSEs are used to randomly modulate the incoming field prior to projecting towards a radiometer. Reconstruction of the scene is then achieved through first-order iterative convex programming algorithms. We describe the design of our modulation patterns and examine an appropriate sparsity-promoting basis using modeled brightness temperature data. Image reconstruction results of the proposed approach are then demonstrated using computational electromagnetic simulations of the reflectarray.
Transition to comfort-focused care: Moral agency of acute care nurses.

Background:Moving into the last phase of life comprises a developmental transition with specific needs and risks. Facilitating transitions is an important component of the work of nurses. When cura...
Fiberoptic Gyro Using Magneto-Optic Phase Nulling Feedback

The potential for high sensitivity in fiberoptic ring gyroscopes has been demonstrated [1], and, as a result of considerable attention to the device, many studies have been made which have advanced the state-of-the-art. This paper describes an approach to the design of a fiberoptic gyro which has the intent of producing an operational device. The objective of the design is to implement simply and effectively a closed loop phase nulling system with a minimum of encumbrance.
A motif building process for simulating random networks

Abstract A simple stochastic process is described which provides a useful basis for generating some types of random networks. The process is based on an iterative building block technique that uses a motif profile as a conditional probability model. The conditional iterative form of the algorithm insures that the calculations required to simulate an observed random network are relatively simple and does not require complicated models to be fit to an observed network. Bounds on the theoretical cohesiveness of the realized networks are established and empirical studies provide indications on more general properties of the resulting network, suggesting the types of applications where the process would be useful. The algorithm is used to generate networks similar to those observed in several examples.
Motility Matters: How CD8 + T-Cell Trafficking Influences Effector and Memory Cell Differentiation

Immunological memory is a hallmark of adaptive immunity that confers long-lasting protection from reinfections. Memory CD8+ T cells provide protection by actively scanning for their cognate antigen and migrating into inflamed tissues. Trafficking patterns of CD8+ T cells are also a major determinant of cell fate outcomes during differentiation into effector and memory cell states. CD8+ T-cell trafficking must therefore be dynamically and tightly regulated to ensure that CD8+ T cells arrive at the correct locations and differentiate to acquire appropriate effector functions. This review aims to discuss the importance of CD8+ T-cell trafficking patterns in regulating effector and memory differentiation, maintenance, and reactivation.
Outsiders (1925–1935)

This chapter introduces Bowen’s socialization into “conversation” at the Downe House boarding school, a talent that becomes the sine qua non of her friendships and relationships. After a year in art school in London, she begins writing, marries Alan Cameron, an educational administrator, and publishes a collection of short stories, Encounters, and her first novel, The Hotel. Living in Oxford, she meets an impressive group of left-wing intellectuals and writers in the Oxford Circle who contribute to her intellectual and literary education. Bowen’s caliber is revealed in her friendship and conversation with cultural outsiders: Isaiah Berlin, a brilliant historian and raconteur, Maurice Bowra, Cyril Connolly, David Cecil, and William Plomer, a talented writer and Cape editor who figures in discussions of her publications and narrative style and syntax that continues to preoccupy critics today.
Emicizumab in tolerized patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors: A single-institution pediatric cohort assessing inhibitor status.

Background The majority of patients with hemophilia A with inhibitors who undergo immune tolerance induction (ITI) achieve successful tolerance and transition to factor VIII (FVIII) prophylaxis. A portion of these patients have switched to emicizumab for bleeding prevention. However, the risk of inhibitor relapse on emicizumab is unclear. Objective To evaluate the inhibitor status of patients with hemophilia A and inhibitors who achieved successful/partial tolerance after ITI and transitioned from FVIII prophylaxis to emicizumab. Methods This is a single-institution, retrospective review of pediatric patients with severe hemophilia A who have completed ITI with FVIII and switched to emicizumab. Results/conclusions Seven successfully tolerized and five partially tolerized patients were identified. Three patients continued intermittent FVIII infusions on emicizumab at 50-70 IU/kg twice weekly, once weekly, or every other week due to concerns for inhibitor relapse or loss of recent FVIII tolerance by the treating provider. Eleven of 12 patients (92%) maintained negative inhibitor titers at a mean follow-up of 14.2 ± 6.1 months. One individual had an inhibitor relapse with a peak titer of 2.5 BU/mL. Five of the 11 patients (45%) with negative inhibitor titers had detectable nonneutralizing anti-FVIII IgG4 antibodies, but none of the patients had detectable IgG1 antibodies. There were no inhibitor recurrences in a subset of six patients after FVIII re-exposure for bleeding events or surgery. Given that the presence of an inhibitor significantly impacts factor product choice for bleeding management, ongoing inhibitor monitoring in tolerized patients with hemophilia A who transition to emicizumab is strongly recommended.
Theatre of and About the German Occupation of France and the French Resistance

This chapter deals with the French Resistance and discusses plays that were performed during the German Occupation, often with hidden messages, as well as those written after liberation that dramatized the efforts of the Resistance. Plays by Jean-Paul Sartre, Jean-Claude Grumberg, Henry de Montherlant, Claude Vermorel, Gilles Segal, and Charlotte Delbo are discussed. Plays performed during the Occupation bring up the interesting question of audience reception, enabling historians to ponder whether their alleged Resistance messages were understood by audiences or whether their authors’ claims to have included subversive messages were legitimate. My own play is based on the letters and prison writings of the Resistance fighter and surrealist artist Claude Cahun, which are kept on the Isle of Jersey where she and her partner Marcel Moore were imprisoned during the war.
Identification and verification of frequency-domain models for XV-15tilt-rotor aircraft dynamics in cruising flight

Frequency-domain methods are used to extract the open-loop dynamics of the XV-15 tilt-rotor aircraft from flight test data for the cruise condition (F=170 knots). The frequency responses are numerically fitted with transfer-function forms to identify equivalent modal characteristics. The associated handling quality parameters meet or exceed level II, category A requirements for fixed-wing military aircraft. Step response matching is used to verify the time-domain fidelity of the derived transfer-function models. The transient responses of the model and aircraft are in close agreement in all cases, except for the normal acceleration response to elevator deflection in cruise. This discrepancy suggests that center-of-rotation corrections in the normal acceleration model are highly sensitive to small changes in flight condition and input form, and should be omitted if a robust model is desired. The utility of the frequency-domain approach for dynamics identification and analysis is clearly demonstrated.
Abstract 11268: Fasting Low Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol (LDL-C) Levels Stratified by Fasting Time Do Not Have Significant Improvement in Prognostic Value versus Non-fasting LDL-C

Introduction: National guidelines recommend patients obtain fasting lipid panels for risk stratification. No studies have examined whether specific fasting time cut-points provide better prognostic ability for cardiovascular (CV) events in a national sample. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that fasting and non-fasting prognostic ability for all-cause and CV mortality is different within groups stratified by length of fast definition (4, 8, or 12 hours). Methods: 16,161 individuals enrolled in the National Health and Nutrition Survey III linked to the National Death Index were stratified based on fasting status (<4 hours vs. ≥4 hours, <8 hours vs. ≥8 hours, <12 hours vs. ≥12 hours). CV and all-cause mortality were assessed after a mean of 14.0 (+/- 0.22) year follow-up. Risk of outcomes as a function of LDL-C and fasting status were stratified by cut-point and assessed using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Propensity score matching was performed after controlling for covariables in the 8 hour cut-point. Results: For cardiovascular mortality, fasting LDL-C with a cut-point of 4 hours yielded similar prognostic value as that of non-fasting LDL-C (C statistics = 0.62 [95% CI 0.60-0.64] vs. C statistics = 0.65 [95% CI 0.59-0.70]; P=0.34), as did a cut-point of 8 hours (C-statistics = 0.62 [95% CI 0.60-0.64] vs. 0.62 [95% CI 0.59-0.64]; P=0.8) and 12 hours (C statistics = 0.61 [95% CI 0.59-0.63] vs. C statistics = 0.63 [95% CI 0.61-0.65]; P=0.27). Similar results were seen for the primary outcome for all cut-points. Propensity score matched models failed to reveal a significant difference between fasting and non-fasting cohorts. Conclusions: This study shows similar prognostic value of fasting vs. non-fasting LDL-C on long-term mortality in a nationally representative U.S. cohort. National and international agencies should consider re-evaluating the recommendation that patients fast before obtaining a lipid panel. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The Constant Junction

How the neuromuscular junction (where a nerve cell meets muscle) maintains its high density of acetylcholine receptors in the postsynaptic muscle membrane has been a matter of conjecture. In her Perspective, [Miriam Salpeter][1] discusses new findings showing that nerve activity regulates the stability of acetylcholine receptors ([ Akaaboune et al .][2]). [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/286/5439/424 [2]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/286/5439/503
The Constitution of History and Memory

Almost twenty years ago, the historian Pierre Nora wrote about the growing number of “lieux de memoire” - museums, monuments, and memorials - where post-modern society situates public memory of traumatic or triumphant events. Yet he devoted little sustained attention to what may be the quintessential “lieu de memoire” today, the courtroom or truth commission hearing room. Traces of our contemporary obsession with the encounter among law, history and memory are everywhere. And so are lawyers: writing new constitutions for new republics, staffing international tribunals for war criminals, taking testimonies for truth commissions. Yet much of the enthusiasm for legal strategies to “come to terms with” the past draws on individual psychoanalytic metaphors for collective “traumas,” and relatively simplistic theories of historical practice, law, and narrative - whether that personal narrative will humanize law, or that justice will be secured by the search for historical truth. This essay discusses efforts by scholars of law and the humanities to address law’s relationship to history and collective memory, often through the lens of literature or literary theory. It draws together the theoretically sophisticated work on trials of twentieth-century mass atrocities - the Holocaust and South African apartheid in particular - with the relatively under-theorized literature on the memory of slavery and the slave trade. And it puts the new law and humanities scholarship in the context of the much greater body of work by sociologists, anthropologists, political scientists, and historians on collective memory, as well as the work of legal scholars on the role of trials and truth commissions in undoing historical injustice.
The Escherichia coli visA gene encodes ferrochelatase, the final enzyme of the heme biosynthetic pathway.

Abstract An Escherichia coli mutant with a disrupted visA gene was defective in ferrochelatase activity but expressed wild-type levels of protoporphyrinogen oxidase activity. The visA coding region was placed under the transcriptional control of T7 RNA polymerase in an E. coli expression system, and the product was expressed as a 38-kDa protein. The overexpressed protein was purified to near homogeneity and was found to contain ferrochelatase activity. The data show that the visA gene encodes ferrochelatase, and we propose that it be renamed hemH to reflect that conclusion.
Microservice-based architecture for the NRDC

The NSF EPSCOR funded Solar Nexus Project is a collaborative effort between scientists, engineers, educators, and technicians to increase the amount of renewable solar energy in Nevada while eliminating its adverse effects on the surrounding environment and wildlife, and minimizing water consumption. The project seeks to research multiple areas, including water usage at power plants, the effect of power plant construction on the surrounding ecology, alternative wastewater methods to maintain solar panels, and interdisciplinary solutions to improve solar energy in Nevada. In order to organize and analyze this data to produce effective change, Nexus needs a centralized database to store collected data. To this end the Nevada Research Data Center is designed to collect, format, and store data for scientists to view and consider. This paper presents a new architecture solution for the NRDC. Based in microservices, the solution aims to ensure scalability, reliability, and maintainability of this data center. Background on NRDC is provided in the paper, together with details on the proposed solution's software specification, design, and prototype implementation. A discussion of the microservice-based architecture's benefits and an outline of planned directions of future work are also included.
Observations on fetal heart rate and fetal biochemistry

Abstract One hundred thirty-nine fetuses were studied during labor by continuous FHR monitoring and uterine contraction recording. Five hundred and ninety-one fetal base deficit samples were obtained. The fetal base deficit values were correlated with the FHR patterns present during the 30 minutes immediately preceding the sampling time. Correlations were established between specific FHR patterns and fetal base deficit levels: (a) normal FHR and early deceleration had low fetal base deficit values; (b) mild and moderate variable deceleration and mild late deceleration were associated with an increase in fetal base deficit; (c) severe variable, moderate, and severe late deceleration patterns were associated with more pronounced increases in fetal base deficit.
Optical parallel compare-and-exchange module based on HPT/VCSEL smart pixels

We present a parallel optical compare and exchange (C and E) module that compares all the bits of two words in parallel. The implementation of the parallel C and E module utilizes smart pixel arrays based on the hybrid integration of heterojunction phototransistors (HPTs) and vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs). This paper describes the design of the parallel C and E modules. >
Unit roots, random walks and the sources of business cycles: a survey

The issue of dccomposing output fluctuations into permanent (trend) and transitory (cyc1es) components has received much attention in the recent literature. The traditional practice until the early 1980s was to fit a deterministic polynomial trend to the data and interpret the residuais as cyc1es. However, the pathbreaking work of Nelson and Plosser (1982) revealed that such a procedure was not appropriate since real GNP as well as several other macroeconomic variables appears to have an autoregressive unit root, and this implies that this series is integrated (or difference stationary) and hence has a stochastic trend. Nonetheless, once a stochastic trend is allowed myriad possible decompositions can be obtained depending on the process attributed to the trend component. A wide field of research was then opened and many interesting
A Scale to Identify Impulsive Behavior in Children

(1959). A Scale to Identify Impulsive Behavior in Children. The Journal of Genetic Psychology: Vol. 95, No. 2, pp. 211-216.
Properties of a high specific activity, (Na+-K+)-stimulated ATPase from rat intestinal mucosa.

Abstract A high specific activity, membrane-bound, (Na + -K + )-stimulated ATPase, isolatable in good yield from rat intestinal mucosal cells was examined for its enzymatic properties. The stimulated enzyme activity required the combined presence of Na + and K + in physiological concentrations and exhibited high sensitivity to K + and an absolute requirement for Na + . A Mg 2+ /ATP ratio of 1.0 was necessary for optimal activity and the K m for ATP was 0.1 mM. ATP was the only nucleotide triphosphate hydrolyzed. The effect of amino acids, pH, ouabain, phloridzin and fluoride ion on the enzymatic activity was also examined.
Revenue Sharing Distortions and Vertical Integration in the Movie Industry

I analyze how variation in firm boundaries affect economic outcomes in the movie industry. Specifically, I focus on movie distributors and their contracts with exhibitors to show their movies on their screens. I argue that vertical integration solves the distortion on movie run length created by the revenue sharing contracts used in the industry. Since I observe the same movie showing in the same period under different organizational forms in the Spanish market, I use a difference on different approach to exploit this variation and study differences in outcomes across organizational forms. I show that integrated theaters run their own movies longer than other movies, and longer than nonintegrated theaters do. This effect is stronger for movies of more uncertain demand due to higher contractual complexity. I also find that integrated distributors specialize in the movies of higher demand uncertainty. (JEL L14, L22, L82) The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Yale University. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org, Oxford University Press.
Effect of catalyst pretreatment on the oxidation of carbon monoxide over coprecipitated gold catalysts

Abstract Au/Co3O4, Au/Fe2O3 and Au/CuO and the corresponding silver containing catalysts were prepared by coprecipitation and subjected to various heat and oxygen pretreatments prior to being used to pro-mote carbon monoxide oxidations. The most active catalysts were those which were heated in oxygen before use. The relative activities of these catalysts depended on the degree of heating and oxygen exposure before use. Reduction of the gold containing precipitates with formaldehyde gave species with markedly diminished activities. The unreduced gold containing catalysts were more active than the silver species. These catalysts were also subjected to alternate pulses of O2, CO and O2 at varying temperatures to determine the type of interaction taking place on the catalyst surface. These data indicate that carbon monoxide oxidation takes place primarily by the interaction of carbon monoxide with adsorbed oxygen and to a lesser extent by the reverse.
Maternal death in the emergency department from trauma

Purpose Trauma during pregnancy is among leading causes of non-pregnancy-related maternal death (MD). This study describes risk factors for MD from trauma during pregnancy in a large urban population.
Patient satisfaction with physician assistants (PAs) in an ED fast track

The study objective was to determine patient satisfaction with physician assistants (PAs) in an emergency department (ED) fast track (FT). An additional goal was to determine if patients would be willing to wait longer to be seen primarily by an emergency physician (EP) rather than a PA. The study was conducted between March 1, 1999 and May 1, 1999 at a community hospital with an annual ED census of 48,644 patients; 18% are seen in the ED FT. All patients were seen primarily by a PA. An anonymous survey was given to patients at time of discharge. Patients rated their degree of satisfaction by placing an X on a 100 millimeter visual analogue scale. Patients also indicated if they would be willing to wait longer to be seen primarily by an EP rather than a PA. A total of 111 surveys were analyzed, for a response rate of 11%. Sixty-two patients (56%) were women and 49 men (44%), with a mean age of 28 years. Twenty-seven patients (24%) were younger than 18 years and required a legal guardian to complete the survey. The mean patient satisfaction score was 93 (95% CI: 90.27 to 95.73). Only 13 patients (12%) indicated they would be willing to wait longer to be seen primarily by an EP rather than a PA. Patients seen in an ED FT are very satisfied with the care rendered by a PA. Few patients would be willing to wait longer in such a setting to be seen primarily by an EP.
Solution structure and antiestrogenic activity of the unique C-terminal, NR-box motif-containing region of MTA1s.

Metastasis tumor-associated 1 short form (MTA1s) is a naturally occurring, alternatively spliced variant of MTA1 that functions as a repressor of estrogen receptor (ER) α transcriptional functions, at least in part by binding and sequestering ERα in the cytoplasm. A unique C-terminal 33-amino acid region containing a nuclear receptor (NR)-box motif (-LRILL-) mediates binding of MTA1s with ERα and is indispensable in this interaction. Here, we elucidated the solution structure of this 33-amino acid region by NMR spectroscopy. We found a predominance of the α-helical region toward the N-terminal region, which includes the NR-box motif. In silico docking and comparison studies showed similarities between the NR-box motif of MTA1s and a similar motif of coregulators, both in structure and mode of ERα binding. In MCF-7 breast cancer cells, the MTA1s peptide effectively repressed ERα transactivation function, as evidenced by the estrogen response element-luc assay and down-regulation of estrogen-induced genes. In mechanistic studies, we found that the antiestrogenic effects of the MTA1s peptide were due to its ability to compete with the coactivator recruitment to ERα. Furthermore, the peptide efficiently repressed estrogen-induced proliferation and anchorage-independent growth of MCF-7 cells. In addition, the MTA1s peptide blocked the progression of tumors formed by MCF-7 cells overexpressing an ERα coactivator in a xenograft-based assay. In brief, the characterization of structure and antiestrogenic activity of MTA1s peptide highlight its therapeutic potential.
Disparities in treatment and survival of white and Native American patients with colorectal cancer: a SEER analysis.

Background Minority groups with colorectal cancer have not experienced the decline in incidence and mortality that has been reported in whites. We sought to determine whether differences exist in treatment and survival between white and Native American patients with colorectal cancer because little has been written about this specific minority group. Study Design The Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database for colorectal cancer was used to compare treatment and survival in whites (colon, n=137,949; rectum, n=46,843) and Native Americans (colon, n=872; rectum, n=316). Cox proportional hazards models were used to compare cancer-specific survival in Native Americans with whites, adjusted for stage, sex, age and year of diagnosis, socioeconomic status, and treatment. Results Native Americans presented at younger ages than whites for both colon and rectal cancer (p 0.05). Native Americans with rectal cancer were more likely to receive radiation than whites (p Conclusions Compared with whites, Native Americans with colon cancer have worse cancer-specific survival.
β-Adrenergic receptor binding in lymphocytes from patients with asthma

Beta-adrenergic receptor binding in membranes derived from lymphocytes of asthmatic and matched normal control subjects has been investigated with the ligand (−)[3H]dihydroalprenolol. Binding studies were performed with 12 nM concentration of ligand. At this concentration a significant decrease (32–35%) in receptor binding was observed in the lymphocyte membranes from the asthmatic subjects. This decrease was equally apparent in asthmatic patients receiving no adrenergic bronchodilators as in those receiving such drugs. In patients with “inactive” asthma, however, there were not statistically significant changes when compared with the control group. The data suggest that alternations in beta-adrenergic receptor binding may contribute to the previously demonstrated abnormalities in beta-adrenergic responsiveness in lymphocytes from asthmatic patients.
Homoleptic Nickel(II) Complexes of Redox-Tunable Pincer-type Ligands

Different synthetic methods have been developed to prepare eight new redox-active pincer-type ligands, H(X,Y), that have pyrazol-1-yl flanking donors attached to an ortho-position of each ring of a diarylamine anchor and that have different groups, X and Y, at the para-aryl positions. Together with four previously known H(X,Y) ligands, a series of 12 Ni(X,Y)2 complexes were prepared in high yields by a simple one-pot reaction. Six of the 12 derivatives were characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, which showed tetragonally distorted hexacoordinate nickel(II) centers. The nickel(II) complexes exhibit two quasi-reversible one-electron oxidation waves in their cyclic voltammograms, with half-wave potentials that varied over a remarkable 700 mV range with the average of the Hammett σ(p) parameters of the para-aryl X, Y groups. The one- and two-electron oxidized derivatives [Ni(Me,Me)2](BF4)n (n = 1, 2) were prepared synthetically, were characterized by X-band EPR, electronic spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction (for n = 2), and were studied computationally by DFT methods. The dioxidized complex, [Ni(Me,Me)2](BF4)2, is an S = 2 species, with nickel(II) bound to two ligand radicals. The mono-oxidized complex [Ni(Me,Me)2](BF4), prepared by comproportionation, is best described as nickel(II) with one ligand centered radical. Neither the mono- nor the dioxidized derivative shows any substantial electronic coupling between the metal and their bound ligand radicals because of the orthogonal nature of their magnetic orbitals. On the other hand, weak electronic communication occurs between ligands in the mono-oxidized complex as evident from the intervalence charge transfer (IVCT) transition found in the near-IR absorption spectrum. Band shape analysis of the IVCT transition allowed comparisons of the strength of the electronic interaction with that in the related, previously known, Robin-Day class II mixed valence complex, [Ga(Me,Me)2](2+).
A technique for the effective and automatic reuse of classical compiler optimizations on multithreaded code

A large body of data-flow analyses exists for analyzing and optimizing sequential code. Unfortunately, much of it cannot be directly applied on parallel code, for reasons of correctness. This paper presents a technique to automatically, aggressively, yet safely apply sequentially-sound data-flow transformations, without change, on shared-memory programs. The technique is founded on the notion of program references being "siloed" on certain control-flow paths. Intuitively, siloed references are free of interference from other threads within the confines of such paths. Data-flow transformations can, in general, be unblocked on siloed references.The solution has been implemented in a widely used compiler. Results on benchmarks from SPLASH-2 show that performance improvements of up to 41% are possible, with an average improvement of 6% across all the tested programs over all thread counts.
Tunneling current through a quantum dot with strong electron-phonon interaction

The tunneling current through a quantum dot(QD) in the presence of local electron-phonon interaction (EPI) and intradot Coulomb repulsion is studied theoretically for arbitrary strength of EPI. It is found that the renormalization of the intradot Coulomb repulsion and QD level position leads to intriguing effects on the tunneling current. The interplay of Coulomb blockade and phonon-assisted tunneling processes gives rise to a rich variety of tunneling current behavior.
Cooperative R&D ventures: Strategic behavior versus transactional efficiency

This paper examines a sample of 48 cooperative R&D ventures announced in the period 1983–1990 to determine their impact on the stock price of the announcing firms. It finds that the venturing firms earn statistically significant positive abnormal returns over periods surrounding the announcement date. These gains are greater than those that result from announcements of increases in expenditures on in-house R&D. The cross-sectional analysis reveals that abnormal returns to the venturing firms are independent of industry concentration, larger in international ventures than in domestic ventures, and equal in cooperative agreements and equity joint ventures. These results support the transactional efficiency perspective of cooperative R&D ventures and suggest that the relaxation of antitrust laws as they apply to cooperative R&D ventures in 1984 is a welfare-improving policy.
Human Embryonic Stem Cells Have Constitutively Active Bax at the Golgi and Are Primed to Undergo Rapid Apoptosis

Human embryonic stem (hES) cells activate a rapid apoptotic response after DNA damage but the underlying mechanisms are unknown. A critical mediator of apoptosis is Bax, which is reported to become active and translocate to the mitochondria only after apoptotic stimuli. Here we show that undifferentiated hES cells constitutively maintain Bax in its active conformation. Surprisingly, active Bax was maintained at the Golgi rather than at the mitochondria, thus allowing hES cells to effectively minimize the risks associated with having preactivated Bax. After DNA damage, active Bax rapidly translocated to the mitochondria by a p53-dependent mechanism. Interestingly, upon differentiation, Bax was no longer active, and cells were not acutely sensitive to DNA damage. Thus, maintenance of Bax in its active form is a unique mechanism that can prime hES cells for rapid death, likely to prevent the propagation of mutations during the early critical stages of embryonic development.
The critical patient who refuses treatment: An ethical dilemma☆

In clinical practice, emergency physicians must often make decisions in their patients' best interests when the patients are unable to do so themselves. The usual requirement for informed consent stems from recognizing individuals' autonomy and their right to make decisions affecting their bodies. Abandoning a requirement for consent is an emergency exception to the ethical and legal principles and comes into play only when a person lacks decision-making capacity. In some instances, it may be unclear whether a patient has this capacity, confounding the physician's management decisions. How should emergency physicians assess a patient's decision-making capacity? When may they ethically and legally override a patient's expressed desire for treatment or nontreatment? These issues are discussed in the context of an actual case.
Local domestication of lactic acid bacteria via cassava beer fermentation

Cassava beer, or chicha, is typically consumed daily by the indigenous Shuar people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. This traditional beverage made from cassava tuber (Manihot esculenta) is thought to improve nutritional quality and flavor while extending shelf life in a tropical climate. Bacteria responsible for chicha fermentation could be a source of microbes for the human microbiome, but little is known regarding the microbiology of chicha. We investigated bacterial community composition of chicha batches using Illumina high-throughput sequencing. Fermented chicha samples were collected from seven Shuar households in two neighboring villages in the Morona-Santiago region of Ecuador, and the composition of the bacterial communities within each chicha sample was determined by sequencing a region of the 16S ribosomal gene. Members of the genus Lactobacillus dominated all samples. Significantly greater phylogenetic similarity was observed among chicha samples taken within a village than those from different villages. Community composition varied among chicha samples, even those separated by short geographic distances, suggesting that ecological and/or evolutionary processes, including human-mediated factors, may be responsible for creating locally distinct ferments. Our results add to evidence from other fermentation systems suggesting that traditional fermentation may be a form of domestication, providing endemic beneficial inocula for consumers, but additional research is needed to identify the mechanisms and extent of microbial dispersal.
Footprint Clues in Hominid Evolution and Forensics: Lessons and Limitations

In 1978 and 1979 at Laetoli, Northern, Tanzania, Mary D. Leakey and assistants excavated the most compelling evidence for the existence of bipedalism in Pliocene (3.5 Ma) hominids. They have stimulated controversy over the extent to which the three individuals had feet and gaits that are like those of humans versus having ape-like features and gaits. A short trail of bipedal tracks discovered in 1977 at Laetoli site A are probably not those of a hominid and more closely resemble the prints of bears. One of the original researchers on the Laetoli prints claimed that she could identify individual modern humans from their footprints, partial footprints and shoe prints because each individual has distinctive foot morphology on a par with the individuality of fingerprints. Courts of law should not have allowed her unproven (and now discredited) method to be used forensically prior to thorough review by scientific peers.
Design and evaluation of 3D selection techniques based on progressive refinement

Issues such as hand and tracker jitter negatively affect user performance with 3D selection techniques based on the ray-casting metaphor. This makes it difficult for users to select objects that have a small visible area, since small targets require high levels of precision. We introduce an approach to address this issue that uses progressive refinement of the set of selectable objects to reduce the required precision of the task. We present three exemplar techniques (sphere-casting refined by QUAD menu (SQUAD), discrete zoom, and continuous zoom) and derive a preliminary design space for progressive refinement from their characteristics. We explore the trade-offs between progressive refinement and immediate selection techniques in two studies: first comparing SQUAD to ray-casting; and second comparing the zooming techniques to ray-casting. In both studies, an analytical evaluation based on a distal pointing model and an empirical evaluation demonstrates that progressive refinement selection can provide significant benefits compared to immediate techniques. In the first study, SQUAD was much more accurate than ray-casting, and SQUAD was faster than ray-casting with small targets and less cluttered environments. The issue with SQUAD, however, is that it requires all selectable objects to be visually distinct. The zooming techniques address this issue by exploring other areas of the progressive refinement design space. They allow users to use the spatial relationships among objects as criteria for selection and to increase precision without requiring precision in pointing. The results of the second study show that while the zooming techniques were significantly slower than ray-casting, accuracy was much higher. Additionally, depending on the size of the target, users chose not to use zoom and, therefore, performed as fast as with ray-casting.
Retrospectives: Guinnessometrics: The Economic Foundation of "Student's" t

In economics and other sciences, "statistical significance" is by custom, habit, and education a necessary and sufficient condition for proving an empirical result. The canonical routine is to calculate what's called a t-statistic and then to compare its estimated value against a theoretically expected value of it, which is found in "Student's" t table. A result yielding a t-value greater than or equal to about 2.0 is said to be "statistically significant at the 95 percent level." Alternatively, a regression coefficient is said to be "statistically significantly different from the null, p ≤ .05." Canonically speaking, if a coefficient clears the 95 percent hurdle, it warrants additional scientific attention. If not, not. The first presentation of "Student's" test of significance came a century ago in 1908, in "The Probable Error of a Mean," published by an anonymous "Student." The author's commercial employer required that his identity be shielded from competitors, but we have known for some decades that the article was written by William Sealy Gosset (1876-1937), whose entire career was spent at Guinness's brewery in Dublin, where Gosset was a master brewer and experimental scientist. Perhaps surprisingly, the ingenious "Student" did not give a hoot for a single finding of "statistical" significance, even at the 95 percent level of significance as established by his own tables. Beginning in 1904, "Student," who was a businessman besides a scientist, took an economic approach to the logic of uncertainty, arguing finally that statistical significance is "nearly valueless" in itself.
Losartan reduces ethanol intoxication in the rat

Results of a previous study showed that ethanol inhibition of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) induction was mediated by angiotensin II (AII) and the AT1 subtype receptor because it was blocked by losartan, a specific AT1 antagonist. Because LTP is an important hippocampal function involved in the memory process and other behaviors, it is possible that losartan might block some of the directly observable ethanol-induced changes in rat behavior. Results demonstrate that losartan can effectively block some of the intoxicating effects of low doses of ethanol, 2 g/kg PO or IP. However, even a high dose of losartan 20 mg/kg IP, did not reduce significantly any of the intoxicating effects of the higher dose of 4 g/kg administered by gavage. Higher doses of ethanol might be more difficult to block because of a direct effect on the post synaptic membrane.
The Ingredients of Successful IT Management and Governance

Successful employees are the foundation of successful companies, but what blend of experiences and backgrounds are required to help promote such a positive experience?
Necessary and sufficient conditions for finiteness of lifetime

We give a geometric characterization for the finiteness of conditioned Brownian motion for a general class of simply connected domains, extending previous results and exhibit some new examples of domains with infinite area and finite lifetime.
Fossil Sirenia of the West Atlantic and Caribbean Region. XI. Callistosiren boriquensis, gen. et sp. nov.

ABSTRACTHere we describe a new taxon of late Oligocene dugongine from the Western Atlantic and Caribbean region. Known from cranial and postcranial material, Callistosiren boriquensis, gen. et sp. nov., differs from other members of the group by displaying the following unique combination of characters: nasal process of premaxilla tapering but thickened; supraorbital process of frontal dorsoventrally thin (<2 cm) and well developed with recurved, bluntly pointed posterolateral corner; ventral rim of orbit not overhanging the lateral surface of the jugal; pterygoid fossa tall; tusks large, lozenge- or kite-shaped in cross-section, and with enamel confined to the medial side; lacrimals with thin, elongated dorsal process that is wedged between the premaxilla and frontal; and osteosclerotic but minimally pachyostotic ribs and vertebrae. A phylogenetic analysis places Callistosiren as one of the more basal members of the Dugonginae, but we note that the relationships and taxonomy of more derived members are i...
Feminist justice and the case of undocumented migrant women and children: a critical dialog with Benhabib, Nussbaum, Young, and O'Neill

In recent years, scholars and researchers have discovered a new trend in the migration of unauthorized people into the United States: while the total numbers of unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border have grown exponentially in the past few years, human rights violations against migrant women have also increased significantly. This unfortunate trend is not unrelated to the intensifying border militarization and the criminalization of all unauthorized migrants. This paper attempts to provide an ethical solution to the political conundrum of undocumented migration by engaging a critical discourse with major feminist theorists of justice, including Seyla Benhabib, Martha Nussbaum, Iris Marion Young, and Onora O'Neill. I develop an argument in the paper that the US government's political appropriation of forgiveness is the most justifiable and practical solution for resolving the precarious situation of undocumented migrant women and children.
A sampling approach for XML query selectivity estimation

As the Extensible Markup Language (XML) rapidly establishes itself as the de facto standard for presenting, storing, and exchanging data on the Internet, large volume of XML data and their supporting facilities start to surface. A fast and accurate selectivity estimation mechanism is of practical importance because selectivity estimation plays a fundamental role in XML query optimization. Recently proposed techniques are all based on some forms of structure synopses that could be time-consuming to build and not effective for summarizing complex structure relationships. In this research, we propose an innovative sampling method that can capture the tree structures and intricate relationships among nodes in a simple and effective way. The derived sample tree is stored as a synopsis for selectivity estimation. Extensive experimental results show that, in comparison with the state-of-the-art structure synopses, specifically the TreeSketch and Xseed synopses, our sample tree synopsis applies to a broader range of query types, requires several orders of magnitude less construction time, and generates estimates with considerably better precision for complex datasets.
A continuous membrane column model incorporating axial diffusion terms

Abstract A newly developed model for capillary gas permeators which includes the diffusion term is extended to simulate a continuous membrane column. It has been tested successfully to interpret a series of experimental data including three cases which the plugflow model failed to simulate. The sensitivity of the numerical solution to the perturbation of feed condition is also studied. The optimal feed location is found to be the point where the feed composition matches to that of the tube-side stream. The present model is numerically stable and can be solved with any combination of operating conditions. Therefore, it is very convenient for the design purpose and optimization of a continuous membrane column.
Two and a Half Cheers for Conscious Capitalism

In recent years, the idea of conscious capitalism has emerged as an important alternative approach to the problems confronting American capitalism. Embraced by a number of corporations and prominent business leaders, it represents a new strategy for reconciling business and social and environmental objectives. While this movement is an inspiring one and worthy of admiration, we believe the assumptions that underlie it suffer from a number of important limitations that make it unlikely for the movement to achieve the ambitious promises of its proponents. In fact, it is often difficult to do well by doing good and few firms have been able to sustain superior social performance over the long run. Moreover, reconciling the interests of all the firm's stakeholders is often hard to achieve in practice. Most importantly, the adherents of conscious capitalism overlook the critical role that governments must play in reconciling corporate interests with broader public objectives.
Randomization, derandomization and antirandomization: three games

Abstract Three games are given between two players, Paul and Carole, with a common theme. In each round Paul does a split and Carole chooses. Random play by Carole allows a bound for the game value. Through derandomization this becomes a deterministic strategy for Carole minimizing a weight function. Paul can use that same weight function to give a bound for the game value in the other direction.
Reply to Sheldon

Sheldon (1968) advanced several criticisms of the interpretation of an experiment that I carried out (Lester, 1967a). In that experiment, rats on elevated mazes were as orderly in their exploration as rats in enclosed mazes but were less active as measured by the number of arms that they entered. Rats in elevated mazes tended significantly to repeat choices initially in the maze more than did rats in enclosed mazes. Let me consider Sheldon’s criticisms in order.
Evidence on the Demographic Transition

Abstract This paper finds that fertility responds to productivity differently depending on the economy's stage of development. At low levels of development, productivity increases will increase fertility, while at the more advanced stages of development, productivity increases lower fertility. During the process, there may be important interaction effects between productivity and education demand. Increases in secondary education demand generate fertility declines regardless of the stage of development.