cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Level Behavior Programming

Reapplication of the same agent behavior architecture in a different domain usually requires reimplementation of the architecture framework such as its behavior management code. This requires extensive knowledge and manipulation of the native code, which is time consuming and error prone. We conjecture that it will be beneficial to separate the process of designing agent behavior architecture for high-level behaviors and incorporating the architecture to a given agent platform with implemented platformdependent atomic behaviors. Towards that goal, we provide an intuitive and flexible high-level behavior-based language (HLBL) that can be used to describe easily the architecture for an agent to facilitate the designing process, and a code generation system (B2C) to automate the integrating process.
Neuroimaging of postnatal pediatric central nervous system infections.

Pediatric neuroimaging plays an important role in the timely diagnosis of postnatal central nervous system (CNS) infections, and in some patients the imaging findings are sufficiently specific to suggest a cause. The sequela of CNS infection, including hydrocephalus, subdural collections, ischemia/infarction, cerebral abscess, demyelination, and vascular thrombosis, can be accurately depicted and serially followed with current imaging techniques. The purpose of this review is to describe the spectrum of pediatric postnatal CNS infections, emphasizing key pathological and neuroimaging features, and to outline the strengths, weaknesses, and applications of current neuroimaging technology. The prenatal and perinatal infections falling under the designation of TORCH (toxoplasmosis, other [eg, syphilis, HIV], rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes simplex II) are not covered.
Interstitialcy motion in the silver halides

Abstract Results are reported for the diffusion of Ag in single crystals of AgCl between 300 and 435°C. Diffusion coefficients are measured with radioactive tracers by the sectioning method. The correlation factor ⨍ ag is obtained by comparison to the ionic conductivity with the Einstein relation. An analysis of ⨍ ag shows that the interstitial silver ion moves by a combination of two kinds of interstitialcy jumps, with an activation energy of 0.008 eV for the collinear jump and 0.13 eV for the non-collinear jump. Earlier diffusion measurements for AgBr are also re-analyzed with more recent correlation factors and mobility data to give revised activation energies of 0.058 eV and 0.27 eV, respectively.
Electric organ morphology and function in the lesser electric ray, Narcine brasiliensis.

Abstract The lesser electric ray, Narcine brasiliensis, is a small, demersal ray capable of generating electricity through its main and accessory electric organs. Although closely related to the large piscivorous torpedo rays, it differs in size, habitat, and prey. Based on these differences, we hypothesized that the main electric organs are used for predator defense rather than feeding and that the accessory electric organs, specific to this species, are used for intraspecific communication. We found that the mass of the main and accessory electric organs were both significantly smaller in females than in males. Whereas the main electro-somatic index does not change with growth, the accessory electro-somatic index increases, providing support for the accessory electric organs’ use in intraspecific communication. We characterized the discharge properties of the main electric organ throughout ontogeny by simulating a predation attempt on the ray. Rays always responded by generating electric organ discharges (EODs) and by flexing the tail dorsoventrally and laterally. The main EOD amplitude, measured directly at the source, increased logarithmically with disc width to a maximum measured amplitude of 56 V. Minimum amplitude was more variable, but followed a positive power relationship with disc width. Neonates produced trains comprised of significantly more EODs than the adults. Over the course of the first set of discharges, all age classes showed a decrease in fundamental frequency and an increase in train duration. In contrast to these defensive responses, the rays did not generate EODs while foraging or feeding on live prey.
Hans-Lukas Teuber: a remembrance.

Hans-Lukas Teuber was one of the most influential figures in the development of modern neuroscience. It is a testimony to how rapidly the field has developed that his name is virtually unknown to the current generation of students. Even in the department that he founded at MIT students are largely unaware of his accomplishments or why the department library is named in his honor. However, until his death in a swimming accident on January 4, 1977, Teuber was a virtually legendary figure at MIT. His course, Introduction to Psychology and Brain Science, course 9.00 in the MIT curriculum, was an elective that was taken by half the entire undergraduate student body. Known as “Nine Hundred” by the students, the course was a dazzling display of Teuber’s brilliance and sense of humor. In it, he used the three prongs of the Greek symbol, Ψ, psi to symbolize the goals of the MIT Department of Psychology, which he founded in 1964. The first prong was physiological psychology or neurobiology. The second prong was general experimental psychology with a strong emphasis on perception, and the third was cognitive psychology, especially psycholinguistics with an emphasis on development and motor control. Course Nine Hundred was a life changing experience for many MIT undergraduates including myself. In the first semester of my junior year as a fledgling physics major, I took Nine Hundred and was immediately enthralled by Teuber’s quest to understand the relationship between brain and behavior. The MIT Psychology Department was housed in a just renovated, old manufacturing building, E10 (all MIT buildings have numbers). There was ample space, some of the faculty for the new program had not yet been hired, and it would be several years before the program became established with an undergraduate major. I was taking another course in psychology as well out of curiosity and the teacher mentioned me to Teuber midway during the Neuropsychol Rev (2009) 19:4–7 DOI 10.1007/s11065-009-9084-3
Abstract machines of systems biology

Living cells are extremely well-organized autonomous systems, consisting of discrete interacting components. Key to understanding and modeling their behavior is modeling their system organization. Four distinct chemical toolkits (classes of macromolecules) have been characterized, each combinatorial in nature. Each toolkit consists of a small number of simple components that are assembled (polymerized) into complex structures that interact in rich ways. Each toolkit abstracts away from chemistry; it embodies an abstract machine with its own instruction set and its own peculiar interaction model. These interaction models are highly effective, but are not ones commonly used in computing: proteins stick together, genes have fixed output, membranes carry activity on their surfaces. Biologists have invented a number of notations attempting to describe these abstract machines and the processes they implement. Moving up from molecular biology, systems biology aims to understand how these interaction models work, separately and together.
Effects of Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency on Coccidiosis in the Domestic Fowl

Abstract INTRODUCTION ALTHOUGH many investigations have been conducted to ascertain the influence of dietary factors on avian coccidiosis, essential fatty acid (E.F.A.) deficiencies have not been studied on this respect. The resistance of animals to various diseases is enhanced by E.F.A.-containing dietary supplements. These diseases include tuberculosis in mice (Dubos, 1955; Hedgecock, 1955), aspergillosis in chicks (Ross and Adamson, 1961), respiratory diseases in chicks (Hopkins et al., 1963), bacterial infections in mice (Nagai et al., 1961) and Escherichia coli infections in chicks (Boyd and Edwards, 1966). This study was conducted to determine susceptibility of essential fatty acid deficient chicks to coccidial infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS Experimental animals. White Plymouth Rock cockerels were obtained from a local hatchery. Birds were randomly divided into groups for dietary treatments and housed in batteries of wire-floored, electrically heated cages. They were fed their respective dietary treatments ad libitum from one day of age until they…
Bqt2p is essential for initiating telomere clustering upon pheromone sensing in fission yeast

The telomere bouquet, i.e., telomere clustering on the nuclear envelope (NE) during meiotic prophase, is thought to promote homologous chromosome pairing. Using a visual screen, we identified bqt2/im295, a mutant that disrupts telomere clustering in fission yeast. Bqt2p is required for linking telomeres to the meiotic spindle pole body (SPB) but not for attachment of telomeres or the SPB to the NE. Bqt2p is expressed upon pheromone sensing and colocalizes thereafter to Sad1p, an SPB protein. This localization only depends on Bqt1p, not on other identified proteins required for telomere clustering. Upon pheromone sensing, generation of Sad1p foci next to telomeres depends on Bqt2p. However, depletion of Bqt2p from the SPB is dispensable for dissolving the telomere bouquet at the end of meiotic prophase. Therefore, telomere bouquet formation requires Bqt2p as a linking component and is finely regulated during meiotic progression.
Pitfalls in the automated strengthening of passwords

Passwords are the most common form of authentication for computer systems, and with good reason: they are simple, intuitive and require no extra device for their use. Unfortunately, users often choose weak passwords that are easy to guess. Various methods of helping users select strong passwords have been deployed, often in the form of requirements for the minimum length and number of character classes to use. Alternatively, a site could modify a user's password in order to make it more secure; strengthening algorithms have been proposed that extend/modify a user-supplied password until achieving sufficient strength. Researchers have suggested that it may be possible to balance password strength with memorability by limiting automated changes to one or two characters while evaluating the generated passwords' strength against known cracking algorithms. This paper shows that passwords that were strengthened against the best known cracking algorithms are still susceptible to attack, provided the adversary knows the strengthening algorithm. We propose two attacks: (1) by strengthening the data sets with the known algorithm, which increases the percentage of recovered passwords by a factor of 2-5, and (2) by a brute-force attack on the initial passwords and space of possible changes, recovering all passwords produced when a sufficiently weak initial password was suggested. As a result, we find that the proposed strengthening algorithms do not yet satisfy Kerckhoffs's principle.
Sanitation Options for Managing Oak Wood Infested With the Invasive Goldspotted Oak Borer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) in Southern California

ABSTRACT Movement of invasive wood-boring insects in wood products presents a threat to forest health and a management challenge for public and private land managers. The goldspotted oak borer, Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), is a new pest in San Diego and Riverside Cos., CA, believed to have been introduced on firewood. This beetle has caused elevated levels of oak mortality since 2002. From 2009–2011, we tested several sanitation methods, applicable to large and small land parcels, to reduce or prevent goldspotted oak borer emergence from infested oak wood. In most experiments, emergence of goldspotted oak borer adults from the positive controls demonstrated that the beetle could complete development in firewood-sized pieces of cut oak wood. In 2009, adult emergence from sun-exposed oak wood began and peaked 2- to 4-wks earlier at a low elevation site than at a high elevation site (late May to late June). However, there were no significant effects of elevation or host species o...
The NADH Oxidase ENOX1, a Critical Mediator of Endothelial Cell Radiosensitization, Is Crucial for Vascular Development

ENOX1 is a highly conserved NADH oxidase that helps to regulate intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide levels in many cell types, including endothelial cells. Pharmacologic and RNA interference (RNAi)–mediated suppression of ENOX1 impairs surrogate markers of tumor angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, providing support for the concept that ENOX1 represents an antiangiogenic druggable target. However, direct genetic evidence that demonstrates a role for ENOX1 in vascular development is lacking. In this study, we exploited a zebrafish embryonic model of development to address this question. Whole-mount in situ hybridizationcoupledwithimmunofluorescenceperformedonzebrafishembryosdemonstratethatenox1messageand translated protein are expressed in most tissues, and its expression is enriched in blood vessels and heart. Morpholino-mediated suppression of Enox1 in Tg(fli1-eGFP) and Tg(flk1-eGFP) zebrafish embryos significantly impairs the development of vasculature and blood circulation. Using in vivo multiphoton microscopy, we show thatmorpholino-mediatedknockdownofenox1increasesNADHlevels,consistentwithlossofenzyme.VJ115isa small-moleculeinhibitorofEnox1 0 soxidaseactivityshowntoincreaseintracellularNADHinendothelialcells;we used VJ115 to determine if the oxidase activity was crucial for vascular development. We found that VJ115 suppressed vasculogenesis in Tg(fli1-eGFP) embryos and impaired circulation. Previously, it was shown that suppression of ENOX1 radiosensitizes proliferating tumor vasculature, a consequence of enhanced endothelial cell apoptosis. Thus, our current findings, coupled with previous research, support the hypothesis that ENOX1 represents a potential cancer therapy target, one that combines molecular targeting with cytotoxic sensitization. Cancer Res; 74(1); 38–43. � 2013 AACR.
The effect of incident angle on the C(60) bombardment of molecular solids.

Abstract The effect of incident angle on the quality of SIMS molecular depth profiling using C 60 + was investigated. Cholesterol films of ∼300 nm thickness on Si were employed as a model and were eroded using 40 keV C 60 + at an incident angle of 40° and 73° with respect to the surface normal. The erosion process was characterized by determining at each angle the relative amount of chemical damage, the total sputtering yield of cholesterol molecules, and the interface width between the film and the Si substrate. The results show that there is less molecule damage at an angle of incidence of 73° and that the total sputtering yield is largest at an angle of incidence of 40°. The measurements suggest reduced damage is not necessarily dependent upon enhanced yields and that depositing the incident energy nearer the surface by using glancing angles is most important. The interface width parameter supports this idea by indicating that at the 73° incident angle, C 60 + produces a smaller altered layer depth. Overall, the results show that 73° incidence is the better angle for molecular depth profiling using 40 keV C 60 + .
Simulations of Damage, Crack Initiation, and Propagation in Interlayer Dielectric Structures: Understanding Assembly-Induced Fracture in Dies

Performance enhancement by lowering the dielectric constant of interlayer dielectric (ILD) materials often compromises the mechanical integrity of the dielectric stack. At the present time, fracture in the ILD stacks induced by assembly to either an organic substrate or a die stack (3-D) is an important reliability consideration. These interactions include what is popularly referred to as the chip-package interactions. In this paper, we develop insights on the potential crack initiation site within the ILD, die-substrate geometrical parameters that cause most damage, as well as insights on the manufacturing process that is critical to failure. Towards this end, we utilize analytical models based on classical elasticity theory as well as sophisticated numerical techniques that are capable of nucleating and propagating cracks at arbitrary locations within the structure without remeshing. Specifically, we analytically estimate the strength of singularities at all the possible multimaterial corners in the ILD stack to provide insight on the likely damage nucleation sites for various material configurations in the ILD stack. Two novel numerical approaches are used for fracture simulation. In the first, cracks are modeled as discontinuous enrichments over an underlying continuous behavioral approximation. In the second approach, the underlying material description is enriched with a cohesive damage description whose stiffness is evolved according to a prescribed damage law. Multilevel finite-element models are used to determine the load imposed on the ILD structure by the substrate. Maximum damage induced in the ILD stack by the above load is used as an indicator of the reliability risk. Parametric simulations are conducted by varying ILD material, die size, die thickness, as well as the solder material. Through analytical models of bonded assemblies, we identify groups of relevant dimensionless parameters to relate the numerically estimated damage in ILD stacks to the die/substrate material and geometrical parameters. We demonstrate that the damage in the ILD stack is least when the flexural rigidity of the die is matched to that of the assembled substrate. We also demonstrate that ILD damage is only weakly correlated to shear deformation on the die surface due to assembly. We generalize the above observations into mathematical fits (for use as design rules) relating damage in ILD stacks to ILD material choice, relative substrate flexural rigidity, and die size.
One step forward or two steps back? Unilateralism and Israel's Gaza disengagement in the eyes of the world

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's unilateral disengagement from the Gaza Strip was a pivotal event not only in the development of the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, but also in Israel's domestic political discourse. Yet the act of withdrawal, which is seen by some in Israel as a misguided attempt to advance peace, or at least separation, is interpreted very differently abroad. This article evaluates the various narratives that emerged about the motives for disengagement, seeking to understand why diverging narratives arose. It also addresses broader theoretical questions about the use of unilateralism, particularly in the context of conflict resolution.
Closed-Form Vibration Response of a Special Class of Spinning, Cyclic Symmetric Rotor-Bearing-Housing Systems

Vibration of a spinning, cyclic symmetric rotor supported by flexible bearings and housing is governed by a set of ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients. As a result, analytical solutions of such systems are generally not available. This paper is to prove that closed-form solutions are available for such systems if the following two conditions are met. First, the rotor has a rigid hub and the rest of the rotor is flexible. Second, elastic mode shapes of the rotor's flexible part only present axial displacement. Under these two conditions, the periodic coefficients will only appear between repeated modes of the spinning rotor and vibration modes of the stationary housing. This unique structure enables a coordinate transformation to convert the governing ordinary differential equations with periodic coefficients into a set of ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients, whose closed-form solution is readily available. Moreover, the coordinate transformation can be derived explicitly. Finally, we demonstrate the closed-form solution through a benchmark numerical model that consists of a spinning rotor, a stationary housing, and two elastic bearings. In particular, the rotor is a circular disk with four evenly spaced radial slots and a central rigid hub. The housing is a square plate with a central rigid shaft and is fixed at four corners. The two elastic bearings connect the rotor and the housing between the hub and shaft. Numerical results confirm that the original equation of motion with periodic coefficients and the closed-form solutions predict the same vibration response.
Demographic transitions and childrens resources: Bonus or divergence?

How do fertility transitions affect childrens resources? Existing perspectives provide two seemingly different answers: "Dilution" arguments focusing on family size predict growth in average resources while "divergence" arguments focusing on family structure predict increased inequality. We suggest that these two perspectives are complementary and reconcilable within an integrated framework. Under this expanded framework fertility transitions affect both average resource levels and inequality and these effects depend on both the quantum and locus of fertility change as well as on accompanying changes in family structure. Failure to consider these various characteristics of transitions and their interactions can bias estimation of transition-related changes in childrens outcomes. We illustrate with data from Cameroon. (authors)
Accounting for Intangible Assets: There is Also an IncomeStatement

Accounting is often criticized for omitting intangible assets from the balance sheet. With value in firms of today flowing less from tangibles assets and more from so-called intangibles – brands, distribution systems, supply chains, “knowledge capital,” “organization capital” – accounting is seen as remiss, with high price-to-book ratios as evidence. The remedy often proposed involves booking these intangible assets to the balance sheet.This paper makes the point that accounting is not necessarily deficient in omitting intangible assets from the balance sheet: there is also an income statement, and the value of intangible (and other) assets can be ascertained from the income statement. For example, although The Coca-Cola Company does not report its brand asset on its balance sheet (and trades about five time book value), earnings from the brand flows through its income statement. Thus the firm is readily valued from its earnings; the income statement remedies the deficiency in the balance sheet. Accordingly, accounting that calls for the recognition of “intangible assets” on the balance sheet may be misconceived.The paper explores the case where the income statement perfectly corrects for a deficient balance sheet, and the case where it does not. It then explores whether, in the latter case, accounting in the balance sheet – by capitalization and amortization of intangible assets or carrying them at fair value – could remedy the deficiency in the income statement (or makes it worse). The investigation involves an analysis and valuation of Microsoft Corporation and Dell, Inc., two companies presumed to possess a good deal of “intangibles assets.”The paper is instructive, not only to those concerned with accounting issues, but also to analysts attempting to value firms with assets missing from the balance sheet. It shows how to handle the accounting information in valuation and how to deal with the perceived deficiencies, real or imagined, with respect to intangible assets. In the case of Microsoft and Dell, the reader can observe at how close one comes to their market valuation by using valuation techniques that use accounting information currently provided by GAAP.
Information disclosure in credit markets when banks costs are endogenous.

Abstract In this paper we develop a model of information disclosure among banks based on an endogenous interest rate for externally placed debt. Banks with private credit information are given an opportunity to disclose information prior to competing for borrowers. While disclosure eliminates a bank’s information advantage over its competitors, disclosing information creates a new advantage for the bank in terms of a lower cost of external funds. We find that the incentive for a bank to disclose information is inversely related to the bank’s capital ratio and positively related to the number of other banks that disclose information.
Carotid Endarterectomy versus Carotid Artery Stenting: No Difference in 30-Day Postprocedure Readmission Rates.

Background In the United States, ischemic stroke is a major cause of morbidity and mortality, precipitated by carotid artery stenosis in 1 of every 5 individuals who suffer a stroke. Carotid endarterectomy (CEA) and carotid artery stenting (CAS) are 2 proven means of intervening on this disease process, with similar patient outcomes. Little is known about the burden of readmission after each of these procedures. We hypothesized that no difference in readmission rates within 30 days would exist for these 2 procedures, in spite of baseline differences that might exist between the 2 patient populations. Methods Using the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council database, we identified 4,319 people who underwent CEA (n = 3,640) or CAS (n = 679) in Pennsylvania in 2011. Univariate analyses were performed to compare patient characteristics and outcomes, including reasons for readmission, between patients who underwent CEA and those who underwent CAS. Logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of intervention on 30-day readmission, after controlling for potential confounders. Time to readmission was analyzed using the Kaplan–Meier method. Results Patients who underwent CEA and CAS differed in a few notable ways, including age, race, admission type, and comorbid conditions such as congestive heart failure, hemiplegia and paraplegia, and renal disease. The unadjusted rate of 30-day readmission was 9.37% for CEA and 10.75% for CAS (P = 0.26). After controlling for patient and procedure characteristics, differences between 30-day readmission rates were still not statistically significant (odds ratio = 1.13; P = 0.39). Finally, time to readmission was similar for those who underwent CEA and those who underwent CAS (P = 0.19). Complications associated with surgery comprised less than 10% of primary readmission diagnoses for both groups. Conclusions Readmission rates after CEA and CAS for carotid artery stenosis are approximately 10%. In spite of differences between patients with carotid stenosis who are selected for endarterectomy and stenting, the choice of procedure does not appear to be associated with different readmission rates or time to readmission, even after controlling for patient characteristics.
Oral Immunization with Attenuated Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium Encoding Cryptosporidium parvum Cp23 and Cp40 Antigens Induces a Specific Immune Response in Mice

Attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium vaccine strain SL3261 was used as an antigen delivery system for the oral immunization of mice against two Cryptosporidium parvum antigens, Cp23 and Cp40. Each antigen was subcloned into the pTECH1 vector system, which allows them to be expressed as fusion proteins with highly immunogenic fragment C of tetanus toxin under the control of the anaerobically inducible nirB promoter. The recombinant vector was introduced into Salmonella Typhimurium vaccine strain SL3261, and the stable soluble expression of the chimeric protein was evaluated and confirmed by Western blotting with polyclonal C. parvum antisera. Mice were inoculated orally with a single dose of SL3261/pTECH-Cp23 or Cp40, respectively, and plasmid stability was demonstrated both in vitro and in vivo. Specific serum immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies against the Cp23 or Cp40 antigen were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay 35 days after immunization. Also, serum IgA and mucosal (feces) IgA antibodies were detected in 30% of the mice immunized with Cp23. In addition, prime-boosting with Cp23 and Cp40 DNA vaccine vectors followed by Salmonella immunization significantly increased antibody responses to both antigens. Our data show that a single oral inoculation with recombinant S. Typhimurium SL3261 can induce specific antibody responses to the Cp23 or Cp40 antigen from C. parvum in mice, suggesting that recombinant Salmonella is a feasible delivery system for a vaccine against C. parvum infection.
Reducing set-associative cache energy via way-prediction and selective direct-mapping

Set-associative caches achieve low miss rates for typical applications but result in significant energy dissipation. Set-associative caches minimize access time by probing all the data ways in parallel with the tag lookup, although the output of only the matching way is used. The energy spent accessing the other ways is wasted Eliminating the wasted energy by performing the data lookup sequentially following the tag lookup substantially increases cache access time, and is unacceptable for high-performance L1 caches. In this paper, we apply two previously-proposed techniques, way-prediction and selective direct-mapping, to reducing L1 cache dynamic energy while maintaining high performance. The techniques predict the matching way and probe only the predicted way and not all the ways, achieving energy savings. While these techniques were originally proposed to improve set-associative cache access times, this is the first paper to apply them to reducing cache energy. We evaluate the effectiveness of these techniques in reducing L1 d-cache, L1 i-cache, and overall processor energy. Using these techniques, our caches achieve the energy-delay of sequential access while maintaining the performance of parallel access. Relative to parallel access L1 i- and d-caches, the techniques achieve overall processor energy-delay reduction of 8%, while perfect way-prediction with no performance degradation achieves 10% reduction. The performance degradation of the techniques is less than 3%, compared to an aggressive,.1-cycle, 4-way, parallel access cache.
Diagnostic Radiopharmaceutical Exposure of Nurses in Health Care Units at a Large Research Hospital

Objective: At large research hospitals a substantial number of inpatients receive diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals (DRPs). Our goal was to document the inventory of DRP assignments and to determine the radiation exposure received by nurses assigned to health care units containing a concentration of these patients. Methods: Whole-body exposures were recorded (film badge) along with DRP type over a typical five-week period for 34 nurses assigned to the coronary care unit (CCU) and urology clinic. The number of DRP patients assigned hospital wide was compared to the total number of beds-in-service over the five-week study period. Comparison was made to the annual whole-body radiation exposure received by attending nuclear medicine technologists. Results: The urology clinic and CCU had 9 and 10 patients who received diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals over the five-week study period. Bone (urology) and cardiac (CCU) DRPs dominated. Whole-body badges read M for all 34 nurses monitored. Hospital-wide, the percentage of beds/day occupied by a radiodiagnostic inpatient was 7000 DRP studies. Conclusion: The assignment of inpatients who have received DRPs at a large research hospital does not warrant the routine radiation badge monitoring of nursing personnel. This is further supported by the current trend to reduce inpatient hospital days as well as an increased scrutiny of DRP use.
Establishment of a rapamycin-resistant cell line that retains sensitivity to PI3 kinase inhibitors.

5067 Mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) has emerged as an important therapeutic target for cancer treatment because of its critical role in promoting cell proliferation and its frequent activation in many types of human cancers. It is known that mTOR functions downstream of PI3 kinase (PI3K)/Akt. However, our recent work has shown that the mTOR inhibitor rapamycin rapidly activates Akt and eIF4E survival pathways while inhibiting mTOR signaling (Sun et al, Cancer Res, 2005), which may result in cell resistance to mTOR-targeted cancer therapy. To better understand the relationship between mTOR and Akt and rapamycin resistance, we have established a cell line (A549-RR) that is resistant to rapamycin after chronic exposure to increased concentrations of rapamycin over a 6 month period of time. A549-RR is over 10,000 fold more resistant than its parent line, A549-P, to rapamycin as well as other mTOR inhibitors. Thus, A549-RR cells are able to be routinely cultured in the presence of 1 μM rapamycin. Withdrawal of rapamycin from medium for a month partially restored A549-RR’s sensitivity to rapamycin, suggesting that the resistance is partially reversible. Compared with A549-P, A549-RR cells expressed very high basal levels of phospho-Akt (p-Akt), which was not further increased upon rapamycin treatment. Thus, our data clearly indicate that chronic rapamycin exposure does not result in p-Akt reduction, thus suggesting that long-term exposure to rapamycin does not inhibit the activity of the rapamycin-insensitive mTOR/rictor complex. Importantly, A549-RR cells were still sensitive to the PI3K inhibitor LY294002, suggesting that the mechanism of rapamycin resistance is distinct from that underlying cell resistance to PI3K/Akt inhibitors. Moreover, our results also suggest an effective strategy to overcome rapamycin resistance by combination of an mTOR inhibitor and PI3K inhibitor, which appears to have immediate clinical gain and translational significance. In conclusion, the establishment of the rapamycin-resistant cell line provides a powerful tool to study the mTOR axis and rapamycin resistance. (Supported in part by WCI faculty start-up research fund, GCC Distinguished Cancer Scholar award and DOD IMPACT grant W81XWH-05-0027).
The computer program to analyzing type of curve automatically and to be able to paint

This program combines diagram and text,and has strong intuitionistic.Moreover,the curve imitating model's to introduce constant k can increase accuracy above a hundredfold,which makes it even suit simulating and analyzing physics and chemistry characteristic or curvilinear in theory.
Branch Impedance Margin Index for Power System Static Voltage Stability

According to the inherent defects of load margin index(LMI) for power system static voltage stability(SVS),branch impedance margin index(BIMI),based on the nearest collapse point in the branch impedance parameter space,is proposed and validated on 12 test systems with bus number range from 3 to 3012 in this paper.By contrastive analysis,this paper argues that BIMI,shown a complementary with LMI,not only remedies the defects of LMI to some extent,but also has a promising application prospect in indicating SVS critical branches and approximating SVS after N-1 contingency.
Failure Tolerant Rational Secret Sharing

In existing rational secret sharing protocols, players follow a strategy that causes them to abort the protocol as soon as even a single player does not send its share. Such secret reconstruction protocols run over several rounds and it may be reasonable for a party to fail or not send its share by mistake sometimes. In practical situations, where failures (such as network failure, power outage, low battery power for mobile devices etc.) are common, this would lead to diminished chances of reconstructing the secret due to the unforgiving nature of the strategy followed. In this work, we introduce a forgiving strategy based on ostracism for one round. Here, a player that defects, i.e., does not send a share, is punished for a single round after its defection and is allowed to rejoin the game in the subsequent round. In this sense, we propose a failure-tolerant rational secret sharing protocol in the simultaneous channel model. Of course, we tolerate only occasional failures, mistakes and even intentional silence within a reasonable limit. Our protocol is suitable for a scenario where the reconstruction of the secret is absolutely necessary and failures are common.
Yo, el Supremo as the Singular

This chapter is about the seminal Paraguayan allegory of dictatorship, Yo, el Supremo (1973), by Augusto Roa Bastos and the development through literature of dictatorship as a singular discourse. Through an allegorical connection of Paraguay’s eighteenth-century dictator Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia with Adolfo Stroessner, Roa Bastos’ novel articulates the unique capacity of dictatorship to singularize all the discursivity that it touches, through the creation of an autoimmanent speech.
Gas, Plume, and Thermal Monitoring

Abstract Volcanoes emit gases and particles and generate heat both during and between eruptions. Monitoring of volcanic emissions of gases, ash and heat therefore plays a key role in volcano surveillance, and is also crucial for assessment of volcanic impacts on climate, atmospheric chemistry, aviation, health and the environment. This chapter reviews currently used techniques for volcanic gas, plume and thermal monitoring, including in-situ and remote sensing (ground-based, airborne and satellite) methods. Recent improvements in remote sensing technology for volcanic gas measurements and detection of volcanic thermal anomalies are a major focus, including the plethora of operational satellite instruments currently available for volcano monitoring and websites for dissemination of satellite data and observations. Expected future developments in the field over the next decade are also reviewed.
A Curry---Howard View of Basic Justification Logic

In this paper we suggest reading a constructive necessity of a formula $$\Box A$$ as internalizing a notion of constructive truth of A a proof within a deductive system I and validity of A a proof under an interpretation $$[\![{A}]\!]_{J}$$ within some system J. An example of such a relation is provided by the simply typed lambda calculus as I and its implementation in SK combinators as J. We utilize justification logic to axiomatize the notion of validity-under-interpretation and, hence, treat a "semantical" notion in a purely proof-theoretic manner. We present the system in Gentzen-style natural deduction formulation and provide reduction and expansion rules for the $$\Box $$ connective. Finally, we add proof-terms and proof-term equalities to obtain a corresponding calculus Jcalc $$^{-}$$ that can be viewed as an extension of the Curry---Howard isomorphism with justifications. We provide standard metatheoretic results and suggest a programming language interpretation in languages with foreign function interfaces FFIs.
Sintering and mechanical properties of TiB2-TiC-Ni using submicron borides and carbides

Abstract A series of TiB2-TiC-Ni composites were prepared to develop materials with enhanced mechanical properties for structural application. Submicron TiB2-TiC powders were synthesized using a patented carbon coated precursor method. The composites had about 99% relative density after sintering at a temperature of 1550 °C in flowing argon. TiB2-TiC-Ni composites showed superior sintering and mechanical properties comparing with monolithic TiB2 and TiC counterparts because of the enhanced microstructures. Phases, grain morphologies, pores sizes, sintering behaviors, and mechanical properties were correlated with the ratio of TiB2/TiC and Ni content. The plate like TiB2 grains were observed in the composites. Toughening mechanism was determined as metallic binder plastics deformation, bridging, and debonding of the TiB2/TiC interface. TiB2-TiC-Ni composites have good combinations of hardness and fracture toughness as 24.23 GPa, 7.41 MPa m1/2, and 21.85 GPa, 8.44 MPa m1/2, with Ni content of 5 and 10 wt%, respectively.
Do distracting activities increase tolerance for an infant cry

Professionals recommend parents engage in distracting activities to mitigate negative effects of inconsolable infant crying (e.g., Deyo, Skybo, & Carroll, 2008; Goulet et al., 2009). We evaluated the availability of alternative activities on six undergraduates’ tolerance for a recorded infant cry; three students tolerated the cry longer when distracting activities were available. Our results show that distracting activities could decrease the aversiveness of inconsolable infant crying for some individuals; additional research in natural caregiving situations will help determine the generality and social validity of this finding.
De Sitter Structured Connection and Gauge Translations

A local gauge field description of space-time is discussed using fiber bundle techniques as a theoretical framework. The basic idea is to endow ordinary Minkowski space, M4, with a somewhat richer structure than that implied by relativity by attaching to each position x ∈ M4 a copy of a four-dimensional micro-space of constant curvature characterized by an elementary subatomic length parameter R of the order of a Fermi, thus allowing for additional internal degrees-of-freedom. Therefore, two sets of variables are introduced: (i) the usual space-time variables x which determine an element of M4 and (ii) a second set ξ which are elements of an internal space F (which is identified with the fiber of a bundle constructed over M4).
Track Support Measurements for Improved Resiliency of Railway Infrastructure

Track support is necessary for reliable, resilient railroad track infrastructure. Ability to recover quickly from adversity is a hallmark of the railway industry, and ability to rapidly restore track to service is a main element contributing to resilience of rail service. Poor track support conditions can increase dynamic and impact loading on track superstructure components that can accelerate deterioration of track components, potentially inhibiting the resilience of railroad track. As track components deteriorate or material properties continue to degrade in an area, affected ties become poorly supported and shed their load to better-supported ties. Various problems develop owing to increased tie load, rail stress, and ballast stress, leading to ballast degradation and track or tie vibrations. These problems can be avoided if proper track support is uniformly provided so that no area is overstressed. Several measurement techniques are discussed for evaluating track support: modulus and transient displa...
The construct validity of general and specific dimensions of personality pathology.

Background Modern personality disorder (PD) theory and research attempt to distinguish transdiagnostic impairments common to all PDs from constructs that explain varied PD expression. Bifactor modeling tests such distinctions; however, the only published PD criteria bifactor analysis focused on only 6 PDs and did not examine the model's construct validity. Methods We examined the structure and construct validity of competing PD criteria models using confirmatory and exploratory factor analytic methods in 628 patients who completed structured diagnostic interviews and self-reports of personality traits and impairment. Results Relative to alternative models, two bifactor models - one confirmatory model with 10 specific factors for each PD (acceptable fit) and one exploratory model with four specific factors resembling broad personality domains (excellent fit) - fit best and were compared via connections with external criteria. General and specific factors related meaningfully and differentially to personality traits, internalizing symptoms, substance use, and multiple indices of psychosocial impairment. As hypothesized, the general factor predicted interpersonal dysfunction above and beyond other psychopathology. The general factor also correlated strongly with many pathological personality traits. Conclusions The present study supported the validity of a model with both a general PD impairment dimension and separate individual difference dimensions; however, it also indicated that currently prominent models, which assume general PD impairments and personality traits are non-overlapping, may be misspecified.
Two-Phonon Deformation Potentials, Second Order Raman Scattering, and Superconductivity in Degenerate Semiconductors

In the initial magneto-optical studies [1] of carrier-two-phonon interactions, henceforth referred to as I, strong coupling between electrons and two non-polar optical (NPO) or TO phonons was observed in InSb. Magneto-optical resonant carrier-phonon(s) coupling effects in the two optical phonon energy region bear clear evidence that 2NP0 phonon interaction occurs with significant strength in InSb. In this work, several other examples are given that corroborate the physical importance of two-phonon deformation interaction in semiconductors. Our main purpose is to show that two phonon-induced intravalley, and/or in-tervalley electron-electron interaction is an important mechanism for superconductivity in low-carrier-density systems such as degenerate semiconductors.
The small-x gluon distribution in centrality biased pA and pp collisions

Abstract The nuclear modification factor R p A ( p T ) provides information on the small-x gluon distribution of a nucleus at hadron colliders. Several experiments have recently measured the nuclear modification factor not only in minimum bias but also for central pA collisions. In this paper we analyze the bias on the configurations of soft gluon fields introduced by a centrality selection via the number of hard particles. Such bias can be viewed as reweighting of configurations of small-x gluons. We find that the biased nuclear modification factor Q p A ( p T ) for central collisions is above R p A ( p T ) for minimum bias events, and that it may redevelop a “Cronin peak” even at small x. The magnitude of the peak is predicted to increase approximately like 1 / A ⊥ ν , ν ∼ 0.6 ± 0.1 , if one is able to select more compact configurations of the projectile proton where its gluons occupy a smaller transverse area A ⊥ . We predict an enhanced Q p p ( p T ) − 1 ∼ 1 / ( p T 2 ) ν and a Cronin peak even for central pp collisions.
Selectins and chemokines use shared and distinct signals to activate β2 integrins in neutrophils

Rolling neutrophils receive signals while engaging P- and E-selectin and chemokines on inflamed endothelium. Selectin signaling activates β2 integrins to slow rolling velocities. Chemokine signaling activates β2 integrins to cause arrest. Despite extensive study, key aspects of these signaling cascades remain unresolved. Using complementary in vitro and in vivo assays, we found that selectin and chemokine signals in neutrophils triggered Rap1a-dependent and phosphatidylinositol-4-phosphate 5-kinase γ (PIP5Kγ90)-dependent pathways that induce integrin-dependent slow rolling and arrest. Interruption of both pathways, but not either pathway alone, blocked talin-1 recruitment to and activation of integrins. An isoform of PIP5Kγ90 lacking the talin-binding domain (PIP5Kγ87) could not activate integrins. Chemokines, but not selectins, used phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase γ (PI3Kγ) in cooperation with Rap1a to mediate integrin-dependent slow rolling (at low chemokine concentrations), as well as arrest (at high chemokine concentrations). High levels of chemokines activated β2 integrins without selectin signals. When chemokines were limiting, they synergized with selectins to activate β2 integrins.
What the fishing boats have in common: a classroom experiment

Pluralism in the economics classroom should be effectively supported by active learning exercises. This paper describes a classroom experiment that involves students in an incentivised common goods environment in a context familiar to students from diverse backgrounds: overfishing. This exercise can provide a learning moment that draws from the varied experiences and world-views of the participants and varied theoretical approaches including those outside mainstream economics. In each round of the game, students individually choose between fishing aggressively and conservatively. Fishing aggressively depletes a school of fish to such an extent that it will not replenish. Students are rewarded with points in proportion to their catch to simulate the returns to private fishing boats. The result is an effective and engaging learning opportunity particularly suitable to undergraduate economics courses. This exercise is an example of how pluralism can be incorporated in pedagogy.