cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A comparison of cocaine-dependent cigarette smokers and non-smokers on demographic, drug use and other characteristics

Cigarette smoking (n = 156) and non-smoking (n = 43) individuals seeking out-patient treatment for cocaine-dependence were compared on demographic, drug use and other variables. Smokers were younger, less educated, earned less money, began cocaine use at an earlier age, used cocaine more frequently, were more likely to inject or smoke cocaine, were more likely to report legal troubles and having harmed someone physically as consequences of their cocaine use, and had more severe employment and legal problems than non-smokers as measured by the Addiction Severity Index. Smoking remained a significant predictor of more frequent cocaine use, using more grams of cocaine per week and using cocaine via an injection or smoking route even after adjusting for demographic differences between smokers and non-smokers via regression analyses. Smoking status was not significantly related to treatment outcome. Overall, these results indicate that cocaine-dependent smokers represent a more high-risk group than non-smokers. This relationship between smoking, cocaine use, and associated problems merits further investigation.
Methods for evaluating and predicting forest growth responses to air pollution

The challenges of quantifying and characterizing recent broad-scale changes in forest growth are substantial and exciting. The implications of these declines to the future growth and stability of forests in both Europe and the United States are significant. While the role of anthropogenic pollutants in initiating or exacerbating observed changes in growth and mortality is not clearly established, the possible implications of erroneous decisions with respect to pollution abatement are enormous and call for concerted, imaginative, and multidisciplinary research to provide much needed answers in the shortest possible time frame. Proof of cause and effect in complex natural ecosystems will not be absolute; however, diverse approaches can lead cumulatively to strong inferential evidence that substantially reduces the uncertainities of such decisions.
A kinematical/numerical analysis of rotor-stator interaction noise

In this study, the unsteady, thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations are solved using a system of patched grids for a rotor-stator configuration of an axial turbine. The study examines the plurality of spinning modes that are present in such an interaction. The propagation of these modes is analyzed and appropriate grid spacing chosen in the far upstream and downstream regions to attenuate reflections from the computational boundaries. In addition, radiating boundary conditions are implemented based on the farfield acoustical behavior of the flow field. Results in the form of pressure amplitudes and the spectra of turbine tones are presented. Numerical results and experimental data are compared wherever possible. The numerical results are also shown to conform with the predictions of a kinematical analysis of the flowfield.
A Hyperbolic Two-Step Model Finite-Difference Method for Studying Thermal Deformation in a 3-D Microsphere Exposed to Ultrashort-Pulsed Lasers

The hyperbolic two-step model has attracted attention in thermal analysis of metal thin films exposed to ultrashort-pulsed lasers, because it is more suitable than the parabolic two-step model for the case when the laser pulse duration is shorter than the electron thermal relaxation time. In this article, we develop a hyperbolic two-step model numerical method for studying thermal deformation in a 3-D microsphere exposed to ultrashort-pulsed lasers. The method is illustrated by investigating thermal deformation in a gold microsphere. Results show that the change in electron temperature is very different in these two models.
Detection of changes in spatial position: Short-term visual memory or motion perception?

The limiting conditions for short-term visual memory were explored for materials which are not readily codable. Two fields of random dots were presented successively in time. On half of the observations, the second display was identical to the first, and on the other half, a fraction of the dots was displaced relative to the first display. The task of the S was to indicate if any of the dots had moved (displacement detection), and in separate tests, if any of the dots had not moved (stationarity detection). Stationarity and displacement detection are largely related to the same variables, although performance is somewhat better with displacement detection. Discrimination of small displacements is critically dependent upon the interval between displays, with maximum accuracy in the region of 64 msec for briefly presented displays. Maximum accuracy is obtained under conditions which yield good apparent motion. By contrast, displacement discrimination is, within limits, relatively independent of the number of dots displayed, of the fraction of displaced dots.
Pitfalls in the Use of Clinical Asthma Scoring

• We evaluated the correlation of the Wood-Downes-Lecks clinical asthma score (CAS) with outcome in 210 consecutive known asthmatic children presenting to an urban emergency department for treatment of acute asthma. All children received standard treatment consisting of administration of β-adrenergic agents and theophylline compounds. Clinical asthma scores were assigned before each treatment phase and before disposition from the emergency department. Ten-day follow-up information was collected on each patient by telephone. While no differences in pretreatment CASs were found between outcome groups, disposition CASs were found to be significantly higher in patients eventually admitted to the hospital as opposed to those discharged home. However, CASs were not effective in identifying either those patients who required prolonged hospitalization (>24 hours) or those who sustained ongoing disability following discharge home from the emergency department. These data indicate that the CAS alone is not a reliable Indicator of severity of acute asthma of childhood as judged by subsequent disability. ( AJDC 1988;142:183-185)
Understanding emerging disabilities

This research seeks to understand social and environmental characteristics that distinguish emerging from traditional disability populations. We qualitatively analysed how emerging disabilities are understood by persons with disabilities, and used these themes with a public use data source to analyse differences between emerging and traditional disabilities. Our findings first illustrate the difficulty in diagnosing and categorizing emerging disabilities. This is true for both persons who have these conditions and medical personnel who are expected to interpret them. Compared with persons with traditional disabilities, persons with emerging disabilities had less education, greater difficulties with activities of daily living, lower income, less private insurance, more frequent medical care and were less likely to work. The picture emerges of that of an underclass within society. There is an ongoing need for a referral and support system with greater recognition and acceptance of all disabilities, especial...
Nano-Flares for mRNA Regulation and Detection

We build off the previously described concept of a nanoflare to develop an oligonucleotide gold nanoparticle conjugate that is capable of both detecting and regulating intracellular levels of mRNA. We characterize the binding rate and specificity of these materials using survivin, a gene associated with the diagnosis and treatment of cancer, as a target. The nanoconjugate enters cells and binds mRNA, thereby decreasing the relative abundance of mRNA in a dose- and sequence-dependent manner, resulting in a fluorescent response. This represents the first demonstration of a single material capable of both mRNA regulation and detection. Further, we investigate the intracellular biochemistry of the nanoconjugate, elucidating its mechanism of gene regulation. This work is important to the study of biologically active nanomaterials such as the nanoflare and is a first step toward the development of an mRNA responsive “theranostic”.
Understanding how health journalists judge public relations sources: A rules theory approach

Abstract The research presented here offers public relations practitioners and scholars insight about how health journalists ( N = 598) view practitioners and evaluate the appropriateness of public relations materials by public relations source (e.g., nonprofit, government). Also assessed are differences in journalist perceptions according to medium (e.g., newspapers, magazines) and market (e.g., national, metropolitan). Rules theory guides the analysis, allowing practitioners to discern journalists’ general and specific rules for accepting publicity materials. Findings show that health journalists are least accepting of material from businesses and federal government agencies. Newspaper and freelance health journalists are more reluctant to use public relations materials than are other journalists.
Interaction between proteases and bovine erythrocyte membranes.

1. 1. Bovine erythrocyte ghosts bind trypsin, chymotrypsin, [3H]chymotrypsin and chymotrypsinogen, while exhibiting no consequential binding of trypsinogen or totally acetylated trypsin. 2. 2. In the presence of erythrocyte ghosts, the tryptic activation of trypsinogen and the tryptic hydrolysis of benzoyl-dl-arginine-β-naphthylamide is inhibited, whereas the tryptic and chymotryptic hydrolysis of casein and the tryptic activation of chymotrypsinogen are not inhibited. 3. 3. A 2-fold increase over expected casein hydrolysis upon activation of chymotrypsinogen A by trypsin in the presence of ghosts is observed in combined supernatant and sediment fractions after centrifugation, suggesting the presence of chymotrypsin of a higher magnitude of activity than α-chymotrypsin. 4. 4. A selectivity in substrate discrimination is suggested by the ability of ghosts to preferentially bind chymotrypsinogen while having little effect on trypsinogen and by the ability of trypsin to preferentially activate chymotrypsinogen in the presence of ghosts. 5. 5. A role for the regulation of physiological events by membranes in binding proteases is suggested.
A LANGUAGE MEASURE FOR DISCRETE-EVENT AUTOMATA

Abstract This paper presents the concept and formulation of a signed real measure of regular languages for analysis of discrete-event supervisory control systems. The measure is constructed based upon the principles of language theory and real analysis for quantitative evaluation and comparison of the controlled behavior for discrete-event automata. The marked (i.e., accepted) states of finite-state automata are classified in different categories such that the event strings leading to good and bad marked states have positive and negative measures, respectively. In this setting, a controlled language attempts to disable as many bad strings as possible and as few good strings as possible. Different supervisors may achieve this goal in different ways and generate a partially ordered set of controlled languages. The language measure creates a total ordering on the performance of the controlled languages, which provides a precise quantitative comparison of the controlled plant behavior under different supervisors. The total variation of this language measure induces a norm on the vector space of sublanguages of the given regular language over the Galois field GF (2).
Array-CGH characterization and genotype-phenotype analysis in a patient with a ring chromosome 6

Background Ring chromosome 6 is a rare constitutional abnormality that generally occurs de novo. The related phenotype may be highly variable ranging from an almost normal phenotype to severe malformations and mental retardation. These features are mainly present when genetic material at the end of the chromosome is lost. The severity of the phenotype seems to be related to the size of the deletion. About 25 cases have been described to date, but the vast majority reports only conventional cytogenetic investigations.
Feature extraction and recognition of infant cries

This paper utilizes signal boundary detection and linear predictive coding coefficients (LPCC) in order to analyze and extract features from infant cry instances such that the causes of the cry can be recognized. Consistent reference signals for three separate cry pathologies (hunger, wet diaper, and a need for attention) were decomposed to generate training vectors for cry recognition. Qualitative matching was defined on the basis of similarity between unknown cry LPCC to the weighted coefficients of each of the three training vectors. The experiments show that the analysis of LPCC was a feasible method of recognizing infant cries in order to improve infant care devices.
Mythic Structure Theory: Proposing a New Framework for the Study of Political Issues

This article develops the tenets of a new political theory evolved from the discovery that there are numerous frameworks to study political issues, such as abortion, but few over-arching theories. I propose and explore the tenets and hypotheses of a new “mythic structure theory.” Mythic structure theory draws from numerous examples in literature and anthropology and treats political issues as mythical stories, referencing heavily the works of James Joyce and Joseph Campbell. The essay concludes with the specific application of mythic structure theory to the issue of abortion and an argument is made as to why mythic structure theory yields insights into the abortion debate not offered by other theoretical frameworks. The application of this concept is recommended for the study of political issues such as abortion, civil rights, the environment, and education. The idea for this work grew out of several thoughts coalescing. In recognizing the seriousness and non-ending quality of the abortion debate, for example, it appears that none of the current theoretical frameworks sufficiently explains the magnitude and complexity of the topic. In a normative sense, what is the best way to study this issue? Do the religious, legalistic, or public policy frameworks so prevalent in the literature reasonably explain the issue? What is the best way to navigate political topics in which there are numerous contested beliefs and assumptions? A “war” metaphor is often used to describe the debates over abortion, but this is too rigid to capture the nuances of the debate. After all, there are scholars in the debate who look at issues such as morality and ethics, not in terms of two sides in a “war,” but in terms of some universal concepts beyond mere earthly battles. An additional problem with the “war” metaphor is that it becomes reductive—a sort of shorthand that allows us to sidestep deeper thinking about the issue. These problems reflect what Clifford Geertz (1973), in The Interpretation of Cultures, considers common in the analysis of complex social issues: “ …one is left with a collection of anecdotes connected by insinuation, and with a feeling that though much has been touched little has been grasped” (312).
An instant and accurate size estimation method for joins and selections in a retrieval-intensive environment

This paper proposes a novel strategy for estimating the size of the resulting relation after an equi-join and selection using a regression model. An approximating series representing the underlying data distribution and dependency is derived from the actual data. The proposed method provides an instant and accurate size estimation by performing an evaluation of the series, with no run-time overheads in page faults and space, and with negligible CPU overhead. In contrast, the popular sampling methods incur run-time overheads in page faults (for sampling), CPU time and space. These overheads of sampling methods increase the response time of processing a query. The results of a comprehensive experimental study are also reported, which demonstrate that the estimation accuracy by the proposed method is comparable with that of the sampling methods which are believed to provide the most accurate estimation. The proposed method seems ideal for retrieval-intensive database and information systems. Since the overheads involved in deriving the approximating series are fairly moderate, we believe that this method is also an extremely competent method when moderate or periodical updates are present.
Gene-expression profiling in epithelial ovarian cancer

DNA-microarray technology has made it possible to simultaneously analyze the expression of thousands of genes in a small sample of tumor tissue. In epithelial ovarian cancer, gene-expression profiling has been used to provide prognostic information, to predict response to first-line platinum-based chemotherapy, and to discriminate between different histologic subtypes. Furthermore, DNA-microarray technology might permit identification of novel markers for early detection of disease and provide insights into the mechanisms of cancer growth and chemotherapy resistance. In this Review, we summarize the contributions of gene-expression profiling to the diagnosis and management of epithelial ovarian cancer and discuss ways in which this technique could become a useful tool in clinical management.
Cryptic growth within a binary microbial culture

The ability of viable cells of the species Pseudomonas putida and Hyphomicrobium sp. to metabolize the particulate and soluble cellular organic constituents of both species was studied in a series of batch experiments. Both P. putida and Hyphomicrobium sp. were grown in individual batch reactors on either the 14C-labelled soluble or the particulate debris of sonicated cells of each species derived from steady-state chemostat cultures. Cell generation times (tg)observed for P. putida cultivated on soluble organic material originating from either sonicated P. putida or Hyphomicrobium sp. cells, were tg= 2.0 h and tg= 6.3 h, respectively. Corresponding tgvalues of Hyphomicrobium sp. on soluble organic material originating from sonicated P. putida and Hyphomicrobium so. were, respectively, 11.6 h and 4.3 h. While particulate debris originating from either species was solubilized by both P. putida and Hyphomicrobium sp., no increases in cell numbers were observed for either species. The data indicate that bacteria are capable of scavenging soluble material released upon cell lysis at near maximal rates; solubilization of debris also occurred but at much slower overall rates with no observable cell replication. The results reaffirm that cryptic growth and turnover of cellular biomass can be significant under situations of low substrate flux or starvation conditions.
Nest Entrance Marking with Colony Specific Odors by the Bumble Bee Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

We investigated the ability of naturally foraging female bumble bees (Bombus occidentalis) to recognize their nest entrance in the field. In a blind binary-choice paradigm, females discriminated between nest entrances tipped with caps from their own nest entrances and entrances tipped with caps previously associated with foreign heterospecific or foreign conspecific colonies. Washing caps in organic solvents eliminated the manifestation of this nest-entrance recognition and significantly decreased the episodes of antennating caps. These results indicate that bees deposit colony-specific chemicals on nest entrances that are later perceived via contact chemoreception. Females treated foreign heterospecific and foreign conspecific caps similarly, suggesting that bees may not assess or respond to the degree of similarity between their own colony odor and a foreign colony odor.
The Teaching of Intonation in Modern Foreign Languages, with Special Reference to French

Author's Summary— Proper intonation is essential and deserves the teacher's careful attention. It can be taught successfully without interfering with the students' accomplishments in other phases of language study; on the contrary, it supplements them. A few practical suggestions are made in this article.
Surgical experience with left ventricular free wall rupture

Abstract Background . Autopsy studies reveal that left ventricular free wall rupture (LVFWR) accounts for 7% to 24% of deaths after myocardial infarction. The condition occurs up to 10 times more often than papillary muscle or interventricular septal rupture. A high index of suspicion must be maintained to differentiate LVFWR from infarct extension, cardiogenic shock, pulmonary embolus, and even Dressler's syndrome. Methods . Since 1980, we have operated on 18 patients with LVFWR. Fourteen patients had experienced "blow-out" rupture associated with cardiogenic shock. Four patients had "stuttering" ruptures, a less spectacular occurrence. Echocardiography was the most important diagnostic tool. Repair was performed, usually using infarctectomy and direct suture closure. Results . Eleven patients (61%) died after operation, 4 patients as a result of rerupture 1 to 12 hours after operation. Recently, we have used a "patch/glue" technique to repair ruptures in 2 patients. We believe this technique is superior to direct suture closure in preventing rerupture. There have been 7 long-term survivors (39%) from 6 months to 15 years. Conclusions . Left ventricular free wall rupture is not always sudden and dramatic. Yet, the operating staff must be willing to race to the operating room even with the patient in full resuscitation. Echocardiography is the most sensitive and efficient diagnostic tool. All rupture sites should be aggressively repaired, possibly combining direct suture and patch/glue techniques.
Alpha-2 agonists in neuroanesthesia

The primary action of alpha-2 adrenoreceptor agonists is the inhibition of norepinephrine release that causes an attenuation of excitation in the central nervous system (CNS). Activation of these receptors in the CNS produces dose-dependent sedation, anxiolysis, and analgesia (involving spinal and supraspinal sites) without respiratory depression. Alpha-2 agonists have also reduced anesthetic requirements and afford hemodynamic stability during intraoperative period. These clinical characteristics make it a potentially attractive adjunct for neuroanesthesia. When a new drug is introduced into neuroanesthesia practice, however, several considerations must be addressed. A principal concern is a drug’s ability to preserve intracranial homeostasis, to offer a smooth and hemodynamically stable induction, a compatibility with neurophysiologic monitoring, and to assure rapid emergence to a level of consciousness that permits neurologic assessment in the operating room. Additional desirable properties include a reduction of cerebral blood volume, which would minimize brain retraction during the operation, an optimization of oxygen supply/demand relationship, and neuroprotection. This review will discuss pharmacology, current clinical applications, central nervous system effects, and the therapeutic role of clonidine and dexmedetomidine (DEX) (currently available alpha-2 agonists for use in anesthetic practice) in patients undergoing neurosurgical procedures.
Zero-order release of aspirin, theophylline and atenolol in water from novel methylcellulose glutarate matrix tablets.

A novel hydrocolloidal polymer, methylcellulose glutarate (MC-GA), was prepared by esterifying methylcellulose with glutaric anhydride. The formation of ester was confirmed by FTIR and NMR spectroscopy, DSC and elemental analysis. The physicochemical properties such as, rate of swelling in water, viscosity and hygroscopicity of MC-GA were determined and compared with those of methycellulose A (MC). Aspirin, theophylline and atenolol tablets were compacted on a Carver press using the wet granulation method. Each tablet contained: 200 mg active, 80 mg anhydrous lactose, 8 mg povidone, 4 mg magnesium stearate, 4 mg talc, 50 mg MC or MC-GA (drug-to-polymer ratio, 4:1). Contrary to the first-order release profile of all the drugs from the MC matrix tablets, a zero-order release was obtained from the MC-GA matrix tablets in water.
Design practices for controlling spacecraft charging interactions

A design guidelines handbook prepared to provide criteria for assessing and minimizing spacecraft charging interactions is described. An evaluation philosophy of analyzing specific satellite designs in a substorm environment specification with NASCAP is proposed. Criteria for possible discharges are given and a technique for computing the discharge transients is outlined. The charging of a three axis stabilized satellite is examined to illustrate the philosophy. Possible discharge locations are found and transients computed. The effect of changing selected surface coatings is evaluated and found to substantially reduce charging levels.
Radio emission from supernova remnants in a cloudy interstellar medium

The van der Laan (1962) theory of SNR radio emission is modified in light of the inhomogeneity of the interstellar medium, and in order to allow for particle acceleration in shock fronts. It is proposed that most of the radio emission in 10-20 pc radius SNRs originates in cold interstellar clouds that have been crushed by the high pressure hot gas within the expanding remnant. Under these circumstances, simple reacceleration of ambient interstellar cosmic ray electrons can account for the surface brightness-diameter distribution of observed remnants, with the additional, relativistic particle energy compensating for the decreased filling factor of the radio-emitting regions. Warm interstellar gas, at about 8000 K, may also be compressed within very large SNRs (of radius of 30-100 pc) and account for both the giant radio loops, when these SNRs are seen individually, and the anomalously bright galactic nonthermal radio background, which may be the superposition of a number of such features.
The Relationship of Treatment Adherence to the Risk of Death After Myocardial Infarction in Women

Objective. —To examine the relationship between adherence to a medical regimen and mortality following a myocardial infarction in women. Design. —Analysis of the female cohort entered into a randomized double-blind multicenter trial. Setting. —National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute β-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Participants. —The 602 women, aged 30 to 69 years, enrolled in the β-Blocker Heart Attack Trial. Intervention. —Random assignment to propranolol hydrochloride or placebo 5 to 21 days following a myocardial infarction. Measurements. —Adherence for each patient was calculated as the mean of all quarterly adherence estimates during the course of the trial (median follow-up, 26 months). Adherence was classified as good (taking ≥75% of medication) or poor (taking Results. —Adherence data were available on 505 women, of whom 32 (6.3%) died. Death occurred in 13.6% of poor adherers compared with 5.6% of good adherers (relative risk, 2.4; 95% confidence interval, 1.1 to 5.6). The effect of adherence on mortality remained undiminished after adjustment for treatment category (propranolol or placebo), age, severity of myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure, smoking history, marital status, educational level, and race (adjusted relative risk of death for poor adherers, 2.5 to 3.0;P≤.02). Conclusions. —The independent effect of adherence on mortality following a myocardial infarction in women is clinically substantial, statistically significant, and similar in magnitude to that reported earlier for men. (JAMA. 1993;270:742-744)
How important is anticipation of divorce in married women's labor supply decisions? An intercohort comparison using NLS data

Abstract I compare two birth-cohorts of married women and find that divorce-risk plays a significantly smaller role in the recent cohort’s labor supply decision. This suggests that any decline in America’s divorce rates will not substantially reduce married women’s labor supply.
The Evolution of the Sperm Transport Complex in Male Plethodontid Salamanders (Amphibia, Urodela, Plethodontidae)

Based on previous literature, male salamanders of the genus Eurycea possess sperm transport ducts that are homogenous (in terms of histology) along their entire length; i.e., a transverse tubule. Considering this structural homogeneity is unique among salamanders, this feature could potentially be a synapomorphy for Spelerpinae. We tested this hypothesis by re-evaluating the histology of the sperm transport ducts of multiple members of Spelerpinae (Eurycea longicauda, E. lucifuga, and E. multiplicata) and compared our results with representatives from all subfamilies of Plethodontidae (Bolitoglossinae, Hemidactylinae, and Plethodontinae). We reject the findings of previous work that spelerpine salamanders possess homogenous sperm transport ducts along their entire length. Discrete regions are present along the sperm transport ducts of Spelerpinae that include, from proximal to distal, a vas efferens, genital kidney proximal tubule, genital kidney distal tubule, and genital kidney collecting tubule. A dist...
A new stereotaxic X-ray system

A new stereotaxic X-ray machine has been developed which is light, portable, accurate and relatively inexpensive.
Risk profile characteristics associated with outcomes of hospital-acquired pressure ulcers: a retrospective review.

Background Hospital-acquired pressure ulcers are a common problem. Although a number of risk factors have been identified, relationships among risk profile characteristics and pressure ulcer outcomes have not been described in hospitalized patients. Objectives To describe patients' characteristics and risk factors associated with pressure ulcer outcome. Methods A retrospective chart review was used to collect data on 87 patients in whom hospital-acquired pressure ulcers developed from May 2007 to November 2008. All pressure ulcers were staged by a certified wound nurse. Relationships among risk profile characteristics and pressure ulcer outcomes were determined via bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression. Results High severity of illness was present in patients with hospital-acquired pressure ulcers; 89% were intensive care patients. Vasopressor infusion, spinal cord injury, and age 40 or greater conferred risk for nonhealing pressure ulcers. Among pressure ulcer stages, suspected deep tissue injury ulcers were less likely to heal. Conclusions Identification of characteristics and risk factors associated with development of nonhealing hospital-acquired pressure ulcers will allow nurses to recognize patients at risk for nonhealing and to take aggressive preventative measures.
Sofosbuvir A Nucleotide NS5B Inhibitor for the Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C Infection

Objective: To review the use of sofosbuvir for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV). Data Sources: Review and nonreview articles were identified through MEDLINE (1996-April 2014), citations of articles, and meeting abstracts using keywords, including NS5B polymerase inhibitor, GS-7977, sofosbuvir, direct-acting antiviral (DAA), and others. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Phase 1, 2, and 3 studies describing dose-ranging potential, pharmacokinetics, efficacy, safety, and tolerability of sofosbuvir were identified. Data Synthesis: Sofosbuvir is an NS5B polymerase inhibitor that was approved for use by the Food and Drug Administration in December 2013 for the treatment of chronic HCV in combination with pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin (RBV) for genotype 1. Additionally, it has been evaluated with other oral DAAs, such as simeprevir and others in the pipeline. It is not recommended as monotherapy because of lower sustained virological response (SVR) rates in clinical studies. Mos...
Defining and assessing ecological integrity: Beyond water quality

Emphasis in environmental protection is shifting from primary attention to human health to a more balanced consideration of human and ecological health. This shift provides opportunities and challenges to the scientific community. For example, success depends on development of operational definitions of ecological health and programs to measure that health. Ecological health is inextricably tied to concepts such as biological diversity and biological integrity. Water chemistry and toxicity testing have dominated water-quality programs for decades. Success in protecting the ecological health of water resources depends on the author's ability to supplement those methods with ecologically robust approaches. Existing definitions and approaches for measuring the quality of water resources provide a template to guide development of procedures to assess ecological health. Critical components of successful monitoring programs should include evaluations relative to regional expectations, use multimetric indexes that reflect the multivariate nature of biological systems, and include index components (metrics) that evaluate conditions from individual, population, assemblage, and landscape perspectives.
Regulating a Video Revolution

In the past five years the medium of videotape has grown tremendously.1 Movies can be rented on videotape from a diverse and ever increasing number of sources, including convenience stores,2 supermarkets,3 and even automatic vending machines.4 Home video earns nearly three times as much annual revenue as the theatrical movie industry,5 and the video rental market has grown an average of 25% per year.6 Some estimate that by 1990 videocassette recorders (VCRs) will be in 78% percent of American homes7 and that 50% of all households will own two VCRs.8 Home viewing of major productions is now commonplace in America with the typical VCRowning family renting more than six videotapes each month.9 The impact of this developing entertainment forum on everyday life has not gone unnoticed by state and local legislatures.10 Concerns that children may now have access to the corrupting influences of ultraviolent or sexually indecent movies by patronizing the neighborhood video rental store have led to pressures on legislatures to regulate which videotapes may be distributed and to whom.
Architecture-adaptive range limit windowing for simulated annealing FPGA placement

Previous research has shown both theoretically and practically that simulated annealing could greatly benefit from the incorporation of an adaptive range limiting window to control the acceptance ratio of swaps during placement. However, the implementation of such a system is not necessarily obvious. Existing range limiting techniques have several fundamental shortcomings when dealing with both standard island-style FPGAs and more exotic architectures. In this paper the authors discussed the nature of these problems and presented a new algorithm that attempts to deal with these issues.
Evolutionary game theory and the normative theory of institutional design: Binmore and behavioral economics:

In this article, I critically respond to Herbert Gintis's criticisms of the behavioral-economic foundations of Ken Binmore's game-theoretic theory of justice. Gintis, I argue, fails to take full account of the normative requirements Binmore sets for his account, and also ignores what I call the ‘scale-relativity’ considerations built into Binmore's approach to modeling human evolution. Paul Seabright's criticism of Binmore, I note, repeats these oversights. In the course of answering Gintis's and Seabright's objections, I clarify and extend Binmore's theory in a number of respects, integrating it with Kim Sterelny's and Don Ross's recent (respective) work on the evolution of people as cultural entities. The account also yields a novel basis for choosing between socialism (broadly conceived) and what Binmore calls ‘whiggery’ as normative political programs.
Mineral formation during simulated leaks of Hanford waste tanks

Highly-alkaline waste solutions have leaked from underground tanks at the US DOE Hanford Site, Washington, causing mineral dissolution and re-precipitation upon contact with subsurface sediments. The main mineral precipitation and transformation pathways were studied in solutions mimicking tank leak conditions at the US DOE Hanford Site. In batch experiments, Si-rich solutions, representing dissolved silicate minerals, were mixed with caustic tank simulants. The tank wastes encompass a large range of chemical compositions. The e! ect of the following factors on mineral transformations were investigated: temperature (22, 50 and 80 ! C), concentration of NaOH (from 0 to 16 M), 6 types of common inorganic anions in the tank supernatant, concentration of NaNO3 (the most abundant electrolyte in the tanks), and the Si/Al ratio in the starting solutions. Precipitates were characterized by X-ray di! raction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. A general mineral transformation pathway was observed: poorly crystalline aluminosilicate ! Linde Type A (LTA) zeolite ! cancrinite/sodalite. Cancrinite and sodalite were the two stable mineral phases. The concentration of NaOH and the type of anion played the determinative roles in mineral formation and transformation. Increasing NaOH concentration and temperature favored the formation of cancrinite and sodalite. Cancrinite formed in the presence of NO ! or SO 2!
Photoperiodic regulation of testis function in rats: mediation by a circadian mechanism.

Laboratory rats traditionally are classified as nonphotoperiodic because variations in daylength have little or no effect on their gonadal function. After olfactory bulbectomy, however, rats show clear evidence of photoperiodic regulation of the gonads. The present study demonstrates, by means of resonance experiments, that the testicular response to daylength in rats is mediated by a circadian photoperiodic time measurement system similar to that of photoperiodic rodents. Olfactory-bulbectomized rats were maintained in fixed photoperiods in which a 6 h light period was coupled with dark periods of 18, 30, 42, or 54 h (6L:18D, 6L:30D, etc.); a fifth group was maintained in a 14L:1OD photoperiod. Rats from the 6L:30D, 6L:54D and 14L:100 photoperiods had testes and seminal vesicle weights, plasma testosterone titers and spermatogenesis indices indicative of functional reproductive status. Rats exposed to the 6L: 180 and 6L:42D photoperiods had reduced testicular and seminal vesicle weights, lower testosterone levels and reduced spermatogenesis. We hypothesize that photo- and nonphotoperiodic rodent species use similar mechanisms for distinguishing long from short photoperiods, but differ in the extent to which discrimination of short daylengths is transduced into altered gonadal activity.
Inactivation-Deficient Human Skeletal Muscle Na + Channels (hNav1.4-L443C/A444W) in Stably Transfected HEK-293 Cells

After transient transfection of an hNav1.4-L443C/A444W mutant clone, HEK-293 cells exhibited large inactivation-deficient Na+currents. We subsequently established a stable cell line expressing robust inactivation-deficient Na+currents. Persistent late Na+currents were far more sensitive to block by class 1 anti-arrhythmic flecainide, mexiletine, propafenone, and amiodarone at 10 microM than peak Na+currents. Such results support a hypothesis that persistent late Na+currents are in vivo targets for class 1 anti-arrhythmic drugs at their therapeutic plasma concentrations. Stably transfected HEK-293 cells expressing robust inactivation-deficient Na+currents will likely be suitable for screening novel drugs that target persistent late Na+currents selectively.
Using image processing projects to teach CS1 topics

As Computer Science educators, we know that students learn more from projects that are fun and challenging, that seem "real" to them, and that allow them to be creative in designing their solutions. When we have students beating down our office doors wanting to show us what they've done, we know we have designed a project that truly meets its pedagogical goals. In CS1 courses, it is often difficult to come up with large, real-world programming projects that are at an appropriate level and that really excite students. This is particularly true in the first half of the course when students are learning basic programming and problem solving skills. We found that assignments based on image processing are an effective way to teach many CS1 topics. Because students enjoy working on the projects, they come away with a solid understanding of the topics reinforced by the projects. In this paper, we discuss many ways in which image processing could be used to teach CS1 topics. As an example, we present two image processing projects that we use in our CS1 course. These large, real-world programs are designed so that students can successfully master them early in their first semester of programming. Even though our CS1 course is taught using the C programming language, these projects could easily be used by a CS1 course in C, C++, or Java. We provide starting point code for Java and C versions of the projects, and provide sample assignment write-ups on our project webpage [12].
Reconciling Biodiversity with Fishing: A Holistic Strategy for Pacific Sea Turtle Recovery

Recovery of sea turtle populations requires addressing: multiple sources of mortality; nonmarket, diffuse benefits with costs localized on the poor; and a transboundary resource with incomplete jurisprudence, markets, and institutions. Holistic recovery strategies include: beach conservation protecting nesting females, their eggs, and critical breeding habitat to maximize hatchling production; enhanced at-sea survival of turtles on the high seas and in commercial coastal fisheries; and reduced artisanal coastal fisheries mortality of turtles. The traditional approach of focusing long-term sustained conservation efforts on the nesting beaches has by itself led to increases in several sea turtle populations. However, current conservation is inadequate to reverse declines in other cases such as the critically endangered leatherback populations in the Pacific. This article discusses policy instruments comprising a holistic recovery strategy that reconciles fishing with biodiversity conservation.
Variance-based global sensitivity analysis via sparse-grid interpolation and cubature

The stochastic collocation method using sparse grids has become a popular choice for performing stochastic computations in high dimensional (random) parame- ter space. In addition to providing highly accurate stochastic solutions, the sparse grid collocation results naturally contain sensitivity information with respect to the input random parameters. In this paper, we use the sparse grid interpolation and cubature methods of Smolyak together with combinatorial analysis to give a computationally efficient method for computing the global sensitivity values of Sobol'. This method al- lows for approximation of all main effect and total effect values from evaluation of f on a single set of sparse grids. We discuss convergence of this method, apply it to several test cases and compare to existing methods. As a result which may be of independent interest, we recover an explicit formula for evaluating a Lagrange basis interpolating polynomial associated with the Chebyshev extrema. This allows one to manipulate the sparse grid collocation results in a highly efficient manner.
SCH9, a putative protein kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, affects HOT1 -stimulated recombination

HOT1 is a mitotic recombination hotspot derived from yeast rDNA. To further study HOT1 function, trans-acting H OT1 recombination mutants (hrm) that alter hotspot activity were isolated. hrm2-1 mutants have decreased HOT1 activity and grow slowly. The HRM2 gene was cloned and found to be identical to SCH9, a gene that affects a growth-control mechanism that is partially redundant with the cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. Deletion of SCH9 decreases HOT1 and rDNA recombination but not other mitotic exchange. Although high levels of RNA polymerase I transcription initiated at HOT1 are required for its recombination-stimulating activity, sch9 mutations do not affect transcription initiated within HOT1. Thus, transcription is necessary but not sufficient for HOT1 activity. TPK1, which encodes a catalytic subunit of PKA, is a multicopy suppressor of the recombination and growth defects of sch9 mutants, suggesting that increased PKA activity compensates for SCH9 loss. RAS2 val19, which codes for a hyperactive RAS protein and increases PKA activity, suppresses both phenotypic defects of sch9 mutants. In contrast to TPK1 and RAS2 val19, the gene for split zinc finger protein 1 ( SFP1) on a multicopy vector suppresses only the growth defects of sch9 mutants, indicating that growth and HOT1 functions of Sch9p are separable. Sch9p may affect signal transduction pathways which regulate proteins that are specifically required for HOT1-stimulated exchange.
Bayesian Inference and Computer Simulations

We give an introductory discussion on the methods of Bayesian statistical inference and a brief review of their use in the problem of analytically continuing imaginary-time data produced in quantum Monte Carlo simulations to real frequency information. We also discuss several other applications of these methods might be proved useful in the analysis of computer simulations.
Incorporation of rare earth elements in titanite; stabilization of the A2/a dimorph by creation of antiphase boundaries

The atomic arrangement of a natural rare-earth-rich titanite and two synthetic rare-earth-doped titanites have been refined in space group A2/a, and the atomic arrangement of an undoped P2 1 /a synthetic titanite was also refined for comparison. Previous work has shown that titanite possesses a domain structure, with domains formed of like-displaced Ti atoms in the [100] octahedral chains. P2 1 /a titanite results when the crystal is formed of a single domain, but as Ti-reversal sites occur in the octahedral chain the apparent A2/a structure results from the average of antiphase domains. Antiphase boundaries occur at O1, which is alternately overbonded or underbonded at the boundaries, depending on the displacement of the neighboring Ti atoms. Type 2 antiphase boundaries exist where two Ti atoms are displaced away from the intervening O1 atom and are energetically unfavorable because of underbonding of that O1 atom. However, substitution of a trivalent rare earth element in the adjacent Ca (super 2+) site relieves that under-bonding, favoring the creation of type 2 antiphase boundaries and stabilization of the A2/a dimorph. The results of high-precision crystal structure analyses demonstrate that rare earth substituents for Ca stabilize the A2/a dimorph at lower substitution levels than required for octahedral substitutions.