cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Navigating a Post-Windsor World: The Promise and Limits of Marriage Equality

When the 2013 landmark decision in U.S. v. Windsor invalidated part of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), it was hailed as a landmark civil rights victory, but its implementation has been far from seamless. The federal government has not applied a uniform rule for marriage recognition, applying a state-of-domicile rule for some purposes (e.g., Social Security) and a broader state-of-celebration rule for others (e.g., federal tax matters). Moreover, Windsor did not directly address the state-level marriage prohibitions that remain in place in the majority of states. As a result, the United States continues to be a patchwork of marriage laws where some states allow marriage, others ban it, and others have created parallel legal categories that grant some or all of the rights of marriage (e.g., civil union, domestic partnership, reciprocal beneficiary).The post-Windsor complexity and lack of uniformity has left LGBT individuals to navigate an uncertain and rapidly changing legal landscape. With over thirty marriage cases pending in federal courts across the country, and positive decisions from many conservative federal District Courts, it seems that the U.S. is poised for nation-wide marriage equality within the next several years. Although many members of the media have already declared that the struggle for LGBT rights has been won, this article explains why these reports are not only premature, but miss the mark by conflating marriage equality with the larger LGBT rights movement. It details both the promise of marriage equality and its limitations.
Metastatic Low-Grade Gliomas in Children: 20 Years' Experience at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Background Patients with low-grade gliomas (LGG), which are the most common childhood brain tumors, have excellent long-term survival. Dissemination of LGG is rare. Robust data on the incidence, presentation, patterns of dissemination, disease behavior, outcome, and best-management approaches do not exist. We describe 20 years of follow-up of children with metastatic LGG. Procedure Data collected during the period 1990–2010 were retrospectively reviewed for the following inclusion criteria: diagnosis of metastatic LGG, age younger than 21 years at initial diagnosis, and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain and/or spine at diagnosis and/or follow-up. Patient demographics, pathology, treatment modalities, and outcome were reviewed. Results Of 599 patients with LGG, 38 (6%) had metastatic disease at either diagnosis or follow-up. Most tumors (87%) were located in the brain, and half of the patients had metastatic disease at presentation. The most common diagnosis was pilocytic astrocytoma (55%). Chemotherapy was the most common initial treatment modality. Median survival of the group was 6.2 years (range, 0.1–16.9 years). Fifteen (40%) patients died at a median of 6 years from diagnosis (range, 0.8–15 years). Overall survival at 5, 10, and 15 years was 80.7 ± 6.6%, 63.0 ± 10.2%, and 50.9 ± 16.0%, respectively. Conclusion This study describes the longest follow-up of children with metastatic LGG. LGG is underestimated and entails major morbidity and mortality. Prospective studies are needed to learn the true incidence, study the biology, and determine the best approaches to diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015; 9999:1–9. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mind the Gap: Learning to Choose Gaps for Question Generation

Not all learning takes place in an educational setting: more and more self-motivated learners are turning to on-line text to learn about new topics. Our goal is to provide such learners with the well-known benefits of testing by automatically generating quiz questions for online text. Prior work on question generation has focused on the grammaticality of generated questions and generating effective multiple-choice distractors for individual question targets, both key parts of this problem. Our work focuses on the complementary aspect of determining what part of a sentence we should be asking about in the first place; we call this "gap selection." We address this problem by asking human judges about the quality of questions generated from a Wikipedia-based corpus, and then training a model to effectively replicate these judgments. Our data shows that good gaps are of variable length and span all semantic roles, i.e., nouns as well as verbs, and that a majority of good questions do not focus on named entities. Our resulting system can generate fill-in-the-blank (cloze) questions from generic source materials.
Collaboration with the Business Career Services Office: A case study at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Abstract This article presents a case study of the collaboration between the Business Career Services Office (BCSO) and the Business and Economics Library (BEL) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The collaboration with BCSO helped BEL to become a strategic partner to both the College of Business and to graduate Business students. A survey instrument used for program assessment demonstrated that library instruction helped students to realize the benefits of using library resources for their research and to feel confident in their research skills. This article suggests that instructional collaboration with student services can be a powerful tool to demonstrate the role of academic librarian as pedagogical partner, both to classroom faculty and to other campus constituencies.
Carcinoma of the nasopharynx treated by radiotherapy alone: Determinants of local and regional control

Purpose: This retrospective study was conducted to review the results of treatment and to identify prognostic factors for local and regional control in a population of 378 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas treated in a single institution by radiation therapy alone. Methods and Material: All patients were treated at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between 1954 and 1992 following a consistent treatment philosophy but with evolving technique. There were 286 males and 92 females with a median age of 52 years (range: 16-86 years). The majority of the patients were Caucasian (282 patients, 75%). Thirty-two patients (8%) had one or more cranial nerve deficits. Three-fourths of the patients presented with AJCC Stage IV disease (T4, N0-3, 118 patients; T1-3, N2-3 164 patients). Histologically, 193 tumors (51%) were squamous cell carcinomas, 154 (41%) lymphoepitheliomas, and 31 (8% ) unclassified carcinomas. Average total dose varied with T-stage and ranged from 60.2 to 72.0 Gy. Median follow-up time was 10 years. Results: For the entire population the 5-, 10-, and 20-year actuarial survival rates were 48, 34, and 18%, respectively, with 184 patients (49%) dying of nasopharyngeal cancer. Actuarial control rates at 5, 10, and 20 years were 71, 66, and 66% for the primary site and 84, 83, and 83% for the neck. A total of 100 patients (26%) ) had local failures and 51 patients (13%) had regional failures with a median time to recurrence of 8.2 months and 13 months, respectively. Advanced T-stage, squamous histology, and presence of cranial nerve deficits were poor prognostic factors for local control in both univariate and multivariate analyses. N-stage and tumor histology were significant factors for neck control. Treatment year, total dose within the ranges used, and duration of treatment did not have any significant effect on local or regional control. The actuarial incidence of Grade 3-5 late complications was 16, 19, and 29% at 5, 10, and 20 years, respectively. Twelve patients (3%) died of treatment-related complications; all but one fatal complication occurred before 1971 and the other in 1976. Conclusions: This study shows very good long-term local and regional control rates for nasopharyngeal carcinomas after definitive radiotherapy and establishes a benchmark for newer treatment strategies. Improvements in treatment technique over the years have dramatically reduced the frequency of severe late complications. Patients with advanced stage tumors and differentiated squamous histology have a relatively poor prognosis when treated with conventional radiotherapy and are candidates for dose escalation or combined modality studies.
A NEW NONCONFORMING MIXED FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR LINEAR ELASTICITY

We have developed new nonconforming mixed finite element methods for linear elasticity with a pure traction (displacement) boundary condition based on the Hellinger–Reissner variational principle using rectangular elements. Convergence analysis yields an optimal (suboptimal) convergence rate of for the L2-error of the stress and for the displacement in the pure traction (displacement) boundary problem. However, numerical experiments have yielded optimal-order convergence rates for both stress and displacement in both problems and have shown superconvergence for the displacement at the midpoint of each element. Moreover, we observed that the optimal convergence rates are still valid for large λ.
Transfer of inorganic mercury to milk of goats.

ALTHOUGH poisoning due to mercury in foodstuffs is well established1, little is known about the transit of the food web by mercury compounds. Because of the importance of milk in the human diet, we have investigated how lactating animals metabolize mercury, not by administration of gram quantities of mercury as was done before2,3 but at environmental levels.
Exploration of How Spanish and English Noneliciting Questions Affect the Novel Vocabulary Acquisition of Hispanic Dual Language Learners Enrolled in Head Start.

Novel word learning in the context of shared storybook reading has been primarily investigated with monolingual children, while experiments with Hispanic dual language learners (DLLs) are less prevalent. This exploratory study investigated the extratextual stylistic behaviors of storybook reading that promote novel word learning in DLL preschoolers enrolled in Head Start. Using monolingual studies for methodological support, we examined vocabulary noneliciting questions and noneliciting labels as well as the impact of English and Spanish conditions. Results from our home language survey showed that Spanish was the only adult language spoken in most children’s homes. The present study’s findings revealed that Spanish vocabulary noneliciting questions promoted expressive novel word learning. Implications for adults working with Hispanic DLL children in Head Start and future avenues for research are discussed.
The Five Dimensions of Pay Satisfaction in a Maquiladora Plant in Mexico

We examined the dimensionality of pay satisfaction using a Spanish language questionnaire and a sample of 236 maquiladora workers in Mexico. A confirmatory factor analysis indicated that a five-factor solution has the best fit compared to alternative models. Thus, blue-collar Mexican workers were able to distinguish five distinct facets of pay satisfaction: pay level, pay raises, benefits, pay structure/administration, and bonuses. This study replicates the five-factor structure of pay satisfaction in a Spanish-speaking sample of production workers in a maquiladora plant in Mexico. Nous avons examine la satisfaction relative au salaire en utilisant un questionnaire en langue espagnole sur un echantillon de 236 travailleurs d’une industrie maquiladora au Mexique. Une analyse factorielle confirmatoire a indique qu’une solution a cinq facteurs semble etre le meilleur ajustement compare aux alternatives possibles. Ainsi, les cols bleus mexicains sont capables de distinguer cing facettes de satisfaction relative au salaire: le niveau de salaire, son augmentation, sa gestion/son administration et les primes. Cette etude reproduit la structure en cinq facteurs de la satisfaction relative au salaire sur un echantillon hispanophone de travailleurs a la production d’une usine maquiladora au Mexique.
The role of well-defined patterned substrata on the regeneration of DRG neuron pathfinding and integrin expression dynamics using chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans

Injured neurons intrinsically adapt to and partially overcome inhibitory proteoglycan expression in the central nervous system by upregulating integrin expression. It remains unclear however, to what extent varying proteoglycan concentrations influence the strength of this response, how rapidly neurons adapt to proteoglycans, and how pathfinding dynamics are altered over time as integrin expression is modulated in response to proteoglycan signals. To investigate these quandaries, we created well-defined substrata in which postnatal DRG neuron pathfinding dynamics and growth cone integrin expression were interrogated as a function of proteoglycan substrata density. DRGs responded by upregulating integrin expression in a proteoglycan dose dependent fashion and exhibited robust outgrowth over all proteoglycan densities at initial time frames. However, after prolonged proteoglycan exposure, neurons exhibited decreasing velocities associated with increasing proteoglycan densities, while neurons growing on low proteoglycan levels exhibited robust outgrowth at all time points. Additionally, DRG outgrowth over proteoglycan density step boundaries, and a brief β1 integrin functional block proved that regeneration was integrin dependent and that DRGs exhibit delayed slowing and loss in persistence after even transient encounters with dense proteoglycan boundaries. These findings demonstrate the complexity of proteoglycan regulation on integrin expression and regenerative pathfinding.
Exact computation of Feynman-type integrals involving Gaussian random fields

We calculate explicitly some expectations (integrals over Hilbert spaces) of functionals of Gaussian random fields. Our work is inspired by the formulas for the harmonic oscillator. We also show how to do similar calculations by considering continuum limits of sequences of coupled harmonic oscillators. The results obtained in this work have applications in the study of random media, renormalization and scaling, and in engineering perturbation analysis.
Engaging Critical Issues in Social Inquiry by Mixing Methods

Across the methodological spectrum, social inquirers today are challenged by a set of critical issues. These include the complexity of human phenomena, the location of context in human action, the ...
Subharmonic resonance and chaos in forced excitable systems.

Forced excitable systems arise in a number of biological and physiological applications and have been studied analytically and computationally by numerous authors. Existence and stability of harmonic and subharmonic solutions of a forced piecewise-linear Fitzhugh-Nagumo-like system were studied in Othmer ad Watanabe (1994) and in Xie et al. (1996). The results of those papers were for small and moderate amplitude forcing. In this paper we study the existence of subharmonic solutions of this system under large-amplitude forcing. As in the case of intermediate-amplitude forcing, bistability between 1 : 1 and 2 : 1 solutions is possible for some parameters. In the case of large-amplitude forcing, bistability between 2 : 2 and 2 : 1 solutions, which does not occur in the case of intermediate-amplitude forcing, is also possible for some parameters. We identify several new canonical return maps for a singular system, and we show that chaotic dynamics can occur in some regions of parameter space. We also prove that there is a direct transition from 2 : 2 phase-locking to chaos after the first period-doubling bifurcation, rather than via the infinite sequence of period doublings seen in a smooth quadratic interval map. Coexistence of chaotic dynamics and stable phase-locking can also occur.
A model for simulating deep water oil and gas blowouts - Part II: Comparison of numerical simulations with “Deepspill” field experiments

A companion paper (Part I-Zheng et al., 2003) presents the development and the module tests of a model, CDOG, developed to simulate the behavior of oil and gas accidentally released from deepwater. CDOG model incorporates the phase changes of gas. associated changes in thermodynamics and its impact on the hydrodynamics of the jet/plume. Hydrate formation, hydrate decomposition, gas dissolution, non-ideal behavior of the gas, possible gas separation from the main plume due to strong cross currents are integrated with the jet/plume hydrodynamics and thermodynamics. In this paper. CDOG model is used to numerically simulate the large-scale and unique field experiments conducted in Norway. The field experiments consisted of two oil and methane gas releases and one methane gas only release from a deepwater location (844 m water depth). Comparisons between the simulations and observations are discussed in detail. The comparisons between the simulations and the observations are good.
Effects of electrochemical process parameters on the synthesis and properties of polypyrrole coatings on steel

Polypyrrole coatings have been successfully formed on low carbon steel by aqueous electrochemical process. The effects of electrochemical process parameters such as pH of the reaction medium, applied current density and initial monomer and electrolyte concentrations on the formation process of polypyrrole coatings were systematically investigated. The composition and morphology of the coatings were studied by FT-IR, elemental analysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Our results show that passivation of the steel, electropolymerization of pyrrole, the morphology and properties of the coatings were all dependent on the electrochemical process parameters. By proper choice of the electrochemical process parameters, the passivation of the steel could be established within a short time and smooth, uniform, strongly adherent coatings could be formed on the steel substrate.
Analysis of the tobacco chloroplast DNA replication origin (oriB) downstream of the 23 S rRNA gene.

Abstract We have mapped the origin of DNA replication (ori B) downstream of the 23 S rRNA gene in each copy of the inverted repeat (IR) of tobacco chloroplast DNA between positions 130,502 and 131,924 (IRA) by a combination of approaches. In vivo chloroplast DNA replication intermediates were examined by two-dimensional agarose gel electrophoresis. Extended arc patterns suggestive of replication intermediates containing extended single-stranded regions were observed with the 4.29 kb Ssp I fragment and an overlapping Eco RI fragment from one end of the inverted repeat, while only simple Y patterns were observed with a 3.92 kb BamHI-KpnI fragment internal to the SspI fragment. Other restriction fragments of tobacco chloroplast DNA besides those at the ori A region also generated only simple Y patterns in two-dimensional agarose gels. Several chloroplast DNA clones from this region were tested for their ability to support in vitro DNA replication using a partially purified chloroplast protein fraction. Templates with a deletion of 154 bp from the SspI to the BamHI sites near the end of the inverted repeat resulted in a considerable loss of in vitro DNA replication activity. These results support the presence of a replication origin at the end of the inverted repeat. The 5′ end of nascent DNA from the replication displacement loop was identified at position 130,697 for IRA (111,832 for IRB) by primer extension. A single major product insensitive to alkali and RNase treatment was observed and mapped to the base of a stem-loop structure which contains one of two neighboring BamHI sites near the end of each inverted repeat. This provides the first precise determination of the start site of DNA synthesis from ori B. Adjacent DNA fragments containing the stem-loop structure and the 5′ region exhibit sequence-specific gel mobility shift activity when incubated with the replication protein fraction, suggesting the presence of multiple binding sites.
Surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) voltage sensor with improved sensitivity

The sensitivity of a surface-acoustic-wave (SAW) voltage sensor can be increased by reducing the thickness of the substrate across which the voltage is applied. Voltage sensitivity of 95 Hz/V has been obtained in a 77-MHz SAW oscillator fabricated on a 71-µm-thick, 728° Y-X LiNbO 3 substrate.
Acute hemiplegia in glycogen storage disease, type 1.

Summary A 21-month-old girl with GSD, Type 1 developed acute hemiplegia with homonymous hemianopsia following a prolonged hypoglycemic seizure. There was gradual improvement in motor function. However, the patient had subsequent episodes of transient blindness with and without seizure activity which were unrelated to hypoglycemia. Serial EEG findings suggested that the hemiplegia resulted from a vascular accident and led to neural dysfunction causing subsequent transient blindness.
Detecting edge segments

The performances of three classes of edge operators are evaluated. The three are conventional 3×3 operators with a connectivity test, sequential edge detectors using both edge strength and direction information, and edge detectors using large masks. Implementations of the sequential edge operators using both the edge strength and direction information to detect edge segments with smoothly varying edge direction and physical length are discussed. Results of applying these edge detectors to real-world images are also presented.
The balanced-projective dimension of p-local abelian groups

Abstract By generalizing Hill's theorem giving a necessary and sufficient condition for an isotype subgroup of a totally projective p -group to be itself totally projective, we are able to give a condition which will determine the balanced-projective dimension of an arbitrary p -local abelian group when that dimension is finite. We rely on our recent third axiom of countability characterization for p -local balanced projectives and are able to carry over almost routinely the arguments given recently by Fuchs and Hill which were used to determine the balanced-projective dimension of an arbitrary abelian p -group. We are then able to prove that the balanced-projective dimension of any countable p -local abelian group and of any p -local Warfieid group is less than or equal to 1.
On the area of a semi-circle

A widespread view often encountered in historical studies is that ideas, or customs, pr ctices, and beliefs, are the spontaneous reactions of the human mind to environing conditions. The notion is, of course, an assumption, often tacitly held. It is tself probably not spontaneous, b t a p rt of the Greek rationalist ideology, of our Greek ratio alist heritag . In mathematics this view takes the following form: Mathe atics arises from the ac ivities of daily life ; it is practical a d has its origin in obvious practical appli ations. The Greeks invented proof, so it i gene ally held: before that mathematics was "empirical", whatever that means. Opposed o this is the view that id as are the products of certain special circumstances. A corollary is that any id a as a single (cultural) origin. This v ew is not a dogma, but a theory to be built up inductively. One techn que is to exam ne a complex of ideas for parts having no inherent con c ion. If such fe tures can be found, a cultural, nd not merely logical, connection is indicated. At the ame time, the c idental features ay give a c ue to the special circumstances of orig n. To illustrate: I 1877 M. Cantor began a comparative study of Greek and Ind an m he atics, and i particular studied G. Thibaut's pap r o the Sulv sutras, an Indian sacred wo k o altar constructions.1 Cantor notes (following Thib ut) th t fo the Indians, he Theo em of Pythagoras is not so much a theorem on triangles as a theorem on rectangles: "The cord stretched in the di gonal of an oblong ", writes Baudhayana, "produces both (areas) w ich cords forming the longer and s orter side of an blong produce separately". Cantor compares this with the fact that Hero employs the Theor m of Pyt agoras to compute t e dia onal of a rectangle before taking up the triangle. Moreover, the Sulvasutras give the t eorem s parately for a square and for an oblong; and Heron, in the place m ntioned, gives two successive problems: one 1 " Grako-indische Studi n/' Zeit. f. Math. u. Phys. (Hist.-lit. Abt.), vol. 22 ( 877); "On the Sulvasutras," /. Asiatic Soc. Bengal, vol. 44, 1 (1875).
Hydrogen production via the direct cracking of methane over silica-supported nickel catalysts

We have investigated the catalytic cracking of methane as an alternative route for the production of hydrogen from natural gas. Nickel supported on silica was found to be active for this reaction producing stoichiometric amounts of hydrogen and carbon. SEM and TEM characterization of the spent catalyst indicated that carbon deposits on the catalyst in the form of hollow cylindrical filaments, with a nickel particle located on the tip of each filament. As a result, deactivation due to carbon deposition does not occur until the carbon filaments begin to interfere with each other and the silica surface, due to the spatial limitations of the pore structure of the catalyst. The deactivated catalyst can be fully regenerated by either oxidation in air or steam gasification of the deposited carbon. Additional hydrogen is produced during the steam regeneration process.
Evaluating Social Media's Capacity to Develop Engaged Audiences in Health Promotion Settings: Use of Twitter Metrics as a Case Study

Use of social media in health promotion and public health continues to grow in popularity, though most of what is reported in literature represents one-way messaging devoid of attributes associated with engagement, a core attribute, if not the central purpose, of social media. This article defines engagement, describes its value in maximizing the potential of social media in health promotion, proposes an evaluation hierarchy for social media engagement, and uses Twitter as a case study to illustrate how the hierarchy might function in practice. Partnership and participation are proposed as culminating outcomes for social media use in health promotion. As use of social media in health promotion moves toward this end, evaluation metrics that verify progress and inform subsequent strategies will become increasingly important.
Time resolved thermodynamics of ligand binding to heme proteins

Understanding the thermodynamics of ligand binding in metallo-proteins is of critical importance in probing the underlying energetic basis for the reaction mechanism. However, many kinetic events occurring subsequent to ligand binding/release are on a time scale outside of that accessible using traditional calorimetric techniques thus making the construction of thermodynamic profiles for early kinetic events difficult. Photothermal methods have enjoyed considerable success in probing photo-triggered reactions on timescales ranging from ∼ns to >ms. These techniques, including photoacoustic calorimetry (PAC) and photothermal beam deflection (PBD), have been applied to obtain both molar volume and enthalpy changes for a wide range of biological processes including ligand binding to metallo-proteins. Here we review the progress made to date in utilizing photothermal methods (PAC and PBD) to probe the thermodynamics of small molecule binding to heme proteins ranging from simple globin-type proteins to the more complex heme/copper oxidases.
Distributed Bayesian signal detection

The signal detection problem is considered for the case in which distributed sensors are used and a global decision is desired. Local decisions from the sensors are fed to a data fusion center, which yields a global decision based on a fusion rule. A Bayesian formulation of the problem is considered, and a person-by-person optimization of the overall system is carried out. The special case of identical detectors with independent observations is considered as well. An illustrative example is presented. >
Searching strategies and equipment

How do we use systems to find information? What equipment is employed? This paper reviews the basic storage modes used, some of the past developments in this area, our current status in strategies for searching, the output forms for information, the different types of equipment in use, and presents an outline of needed developments.
Stiffness characteristics of twisted cords for cord-rubber composites

Abstract A finite element model is presented to predict the stiffness characteristics of twisted cords by treating them as structures and considering the stiffness couplings due to extension-bending-torsional deformations. The axial, bending, and torsional stiffnesses are calculated for both the aramid-cord and steel-cord, and compared to an approximate expression with good agreement where applicable. To illustrate the stiffness behavior, all the three stiffnesses are presented with variations in the number of twists per unit length, the surrounding rubber modulus and the thickness. The stiffness couplings among the extension, bending, and twisting deformations are presented for aramid-cords with varying number of twists per unit length and rubber thickness. The results illustrate that stiffness characteristics are strongly dependent upon the number of twists per unit length, type of cord, surrounding rubber layer thickness and modulus. The stiffness coupling presented illustrate the mechanisms of load transfer, which are important for understanding failure mechanisms of cords, and cord-rubber composites.
Personal reflections on Jackson Pollock's fractal paintings

The art world changed forever when Jackson Pollock picked up a can and poured paint onto a vast canvas rolled across the floor of his windswept barn. Fifty years on, art theorists recognize his patterns as being a revolutionary approach to aesthetics. A significant step forward in understanding Pollock's aesthetics occurred in 1999 when my scientific analysis showed that his paintings are fractal. Fractals consist of patterns that recur at finer and finer magnifications, building up shapes of immense complexity. Significantly, many natural patterns (for example, lightning, clouds, mountains, and trees) are also fractal. In this essay, I will present some personal reflections on this relationship between the fractal patterns of Pollock and those of nature, and also on the interactions between art and science as the project evolved.
Observation of X-ray eclipses from LMC X-4

Observations made with the Rotation Modulation Collimator system (RMC) have revealed that X-ray source X-4 in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC X-4) is most likely part of a binary system. An analysis of the star's coordinates is presented, with attention given to orbital period and flux intensity variations. Stellar mass and orbital inclination angle are estimated for both X-4 and its companion star.
Rely-guarantee approach to reasoning about aspect-oriented programs

Over the last few years, the question of reasoning about aspect-oriented programs has been addressed by a number of authors. In this paper, we present a rely-guarantee approach to such reasoning. The rely-guarantee approach has proven extremely successful in reasoning about concurrent and distributed programs. We show that some of the key problems encountered in reasoning about aspectoriented programs are similar to those encountered in reasoning about concurrent programs; and that the rely-guarantee approach, appropriately modified, helps address these problems. We illustrate our approach with a simple example.
Notes on the biology of Larinus minutus Gyllenhal (Col., Curculionidae), an agent for biological control of diffuse and spotted knapweeds.

: The weevil, Larinus minutus oviposits in open flowers of diffuse and spotted knapweed [Centaurea diffusa and C. maculosa (Asteraceae)] and the larvae feed on developing achenes. The species is univoltine and overwinters as an adult in soft soil or among debris near the host plant. Overwintered adults appear on plants by mid-May. Oviposition begins at the end of June and the new generation starts to emerge by the end of July. Up to 130 eggs per female were laid in C. diffusa flowers in cages. One larva destroys 100% of the seeds in an infested seedhead. During the warm hours of the day (over 30°C) the adults hide under flowers or other parts of the plants and remain inactive.
Distributed and Collaborative Node Mobility Management for Dynamic Coverage Improvement in Hybrid Sensor Networks

With recent advances in deploying sensor nodes mounted on mobile platforms, node mobility is becoming an attractive alternative to improve network coverage dynamically in sensor networks. However, due to energy constraints, it may not be cost effective to deploy a large number of mobile nodes for continuous movements. It might be more desirable to allow only a certain number of nodes to be mobile depending on the affordable cost and desired performance levels. This paper proposes an efficient distributed mobility protocol for mobile node navigation in a hybrid sensor network consisting of both static and mobile nodes to provide efficient time-varying coverage after the initial deployment. In the proposed scheme, mobile nodes collaborate with neighboring static nodes to find their candidate locations to move at each movement step in order to maximize the coverage time of the area not covered by static nodes. We also develop an efficient sequential algorithm to find the exposure in a hybrid network, which reflects the best path for a target to traverse the sensing region without being detected. By simulations, we show the effectiveness of the proposed mobility protocol in terms of the presence probability matrix and coverage time and show its suitability at the worst-case target exposure.
Manifestation of Kohn Anomaly in 1/f Fluctuations in Metallic Carbon Nanotubes

Low-frequency noise in metallic single walled carbon nanotubes is shown to be strongly dependent on the Fermi level position and the applied electric field across the nanotube. Resonance-like enhancement observed near optical phonon energy only when the Fermi level lies near the Dirac point is correlated to Raman G-band softening and broadening. The results suggest that the competition between zone-center and zone-boundary phonon scattering is the underlying origin of the large enhancement and resonance-like behavior of 1/f noise.
Intraoperative diagnosis of facial nerve schwannoma at parotidectomy.

Abstract Objective Our objective was to provide a diagnostic algorithm for facial nerve schwannomas presenting as a parotid mass. Study design The study is a case report and literature review. Methods A clinical case of a patient with an asymptomatic parotid mass diagnosed as a facial nerve schwannoma intraoperatively is presented. The patient's presentation and the diagnostic algorithm and surgical rationale are discussed. A review of the literature on facial nerve schwannomas is presented. Conclusions Intraparotid facial nerve schwannomas are an extremely rare entity and are rarely diagnosed preoperatively. Most of these benign lesions can be managed conservatively with the goal of preserving facial nerve function. Intraoperatively, fine-needle aspiration and/or conservative biopsy in a nonstimulating portion of the lesion can be used to make the diagnosis.
The coseismic geodetic signature of the 1999 Hector Mine earthquake

The M = 7.1 Hector Mine earthquake ruptured the Lavic Lake fault near Twentynine Palms, CA at 09:46 UTC October 16, 1999. Because it occurred near the eastern edge of the Southern California Integrated GPS Network (SCIGN), a network of permanent, continuously recording GPS receivers for measuring the crustal deformation field around Los Angeles, CA, it was possible to determine the deformation associated with the earthquake with unprecedented speed and reliability. Thirty-four stations recorded displacements over the 3-sigma level. The displacements measured with GPS can be modeled by a fault 46.2±2.6 km long, 8.2±1.0 km wide, striking 330°, dipping 84° east, with 301±36 cm right lateral strike-slip, and 145±36 cm of east-up dip-slip, yielding a potency of 1.3 km³ and geodetic moment of 3.8 × 1026 dyne-cm. The trace and dip of the model fault is consistent with the observed ground rupture and seismic focal mechanisms.
Identification of Acan125 as a Myosin-I-binding Protein Present with Myosin-I on Cellular Organelles of Acanthamoeba

We have discovered the first protein to bind to a nonfilamentous myosin, aside from actin. This protein, Acan125, is a 125-kDa protein from Acanthamoeba that associates with the SH3 domain of Acanthamoeba myosin-IC and not the SH3 domain of human fodrin. Antibodies raised against Acan125 recognize a single protein of 125 kDa from a whole cell lysate of Acanthamoeba; antibodies to myosin-I (M1.7 and M1.8) do not recognize Acan125 on the same blot. Double labeling of Acanthamoeba show Acan125 and myosin-I to be present on the same intracellular organelle, most likely amoebastomes. Immunoprecipitation with either anti-myosin-I or anti-Acan125 antibodies coprecipitates both Acan125 and myosin-I from a lysate of Acanthamoeba, demonstrating that Acan125 interacts with native myosin-I.
Optimal Methods to Screen Men and Women for Intimate Partner Violence: Results From an Internal Medicine Residency Continuity Clinic

Contradictory data exist regarding optimal methods and instruments for intimate partner violence (IPV) screening in primary care settings. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal method and screening instrument for IPV among men and women in a primary-care resident clinic. We conducted a cross-sectional study at an urban, academic, internal medicine residency continuity clinic in Connecticut among English or Spanish speaking adult patients. One group of patients ( n = 340) received a self-administered questionnaire (SAQ) containing the partner violence screen (PVS) and the Hurt, Insulted, Threatened or Screamed at Questionnaire (HITS). A second group (n = 126) was screened with PVS and HITS by their primary care providers during face-to-face (FTF) clinical encounters. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to determine the association between IPV prevalence and screening method (SAQ or FTF) after adjusting for socio-demographic effects. The overall IPV prevalence was 17.3% using...
Lipid and carbohydrate parameters in children with chronic hepatitis C

ABSTRACT Purpose HCV chronic infection still presents a very serious epidemiological and clinical problem. Apart from its cytopathic effect on liver parenchyma, its detrimental effect on lipid and carbohydrate metabolism has recently been emphasized. The aim of the study was to assess lipid and carbohydrate parameters in children with chronic HCV-related hepatitis. Material/Methods The study comprised 41 children with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) aged between 7 and 18 years, and 30 healthy controls. The anthropometric measurements of the subjects were taken, and, after overnight fasting, serum glucose, insulin, total bilirubin, AST, ALT, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels were investigated. The HOMA IR insulin resistance index was also calculated. Results The values for mean body mass index (BMI), glucose, insulin, bilirubin, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL/C index and HOMA IR levels did not differ significantly between the two groups. AST and ALT were significantly higher in the control group. The serum levels of cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol showed a tendency toward lower values in the control group. We found positive correlation between serum levels of insulin and HOMA IR with staging (respectively r=0.336, P Conclusions In children with CHC and a relatively short duration of the disease, lipid and glucose disorders are not observed. Correlations between insulin and HOMA IR with staging suggest the ability of HCV to contribute to fibrosis through interference with glucose metabolism.
Timing of Photoperiodic Flowering: Light Perception and Circadian Clock

Flowering symbolizes the transition of a plant from vegetative phase to reproductive phase and is controlled by fairly complex and highly coordinated regulatory pathways. Over the last decade, genetic studies in Arabidopsis have aided the discovery of many signaling components involved in these pathways. In this review, we discuss how the timing of flowering is regulated by photoperiod and the involvement of light perception and the circadian clock in this process. The specific regulatory mechanisms on CONSTANS expression and CONSTANS stability by the circadian clock and photoreceptors are described in detail. In addition, the roles of CONSTANS, FLOWERING LOCUS T, and several other light signaling and circadian-dependent components in photoperiodic flowering are also highlighted.
Protoplast plasma membrane glycoproteins in two species of entomophthoralean fungi

The entomophthoralean fungi Entomophaga maimaiga and E. aulicae show host preferential infection in lepidopterous insects. These fungi grow as protoplasts within the haemocoel of the infected insect. We investigated differences in protoplast plasma membrane glycoproteins. The plasma membrane proteins from E. maimaiga and E. aulicae were isolated and assessed for enrichment based on H + -translocating ATPases which show membrane specific pH optima and specific inhibition sensitivities. Of the glycoproteins tested for, major differences in the pattern, type and magnitude of mannose glycosylation were observed in plasma membrane proteins from the two fungi. E. maimaiga plasma membrane proteins showed greater levels of glycosylation with mannose in relative comparison to plasma membrane proteins isolated from E. aulicae . In contrast to the differences observed with mannose glycosylation, both fungi showed a single molecular mass protein that was glycosylated with sialic acid as well as with galactose β(1–4) linked to N -acetyl- d -glucosamine. Addition of tunicamycin to culture media reduced the level of mannose glycosylation of plasma membrane proteins. The results are discussed with reference to alteration of plasma membrane glycoproteins aiding in avoidance of insect immune responses.
EXPERIMENTS AND MODELS OF ANHYDROUS, BASALTIC OLIVINE-PLAGIOCLASE-AUGITE SATURATED MELTS FROM 0.001 TO 10 KBAR

A new method for modeling fractional crystallization processes that involve olivine (ol), plagioclase (plag) and augite (aug) is presented. This crystallization assemblage is the major control on the chemical variations in mid-ocean ridge basalts. The compositional and temperature variations in ol-plag-aug saturated basalts over a range of pressures are described using empirical expressions. A data base of 190 experiments in natural and basalt-analog chemical systems is used to describe temperature, Al, Ca and Mg molar fractions as functions of Si, Fe, Na, Ti and K molar fractions and pressure. Increases in the abundances of Na and K cause Ca and Mg abundances to decrease and Al abundance to increase in ol-plag-aug saturated melts. The equations can be used to predict pressure and temperature and thus provide a useful thermobarometer. A model is described to calculate ol-plag-aug fractional crystallization as a function of pressure and melt composition, using melt and augite models developed here, combined with existing models for olivine-melt and plagioclase-melt equilibria. We compare the fractional crystallization sequence of ALV-2004-3-1 predicted from the models presented in this paper, Langmuir et al. (1992) modified by Reynolds (1995), Ghiorso and Sack (1995) and Ariskin et al. (1993) at 0.001 and 4 kbar. As an example the model is applied to estimate pressure of crystallization of glasses from the east flank of the East Pacific Rise at 11°45′N.
Hydrocortisone receptors of hormone-responsive and irresponsive embryonic chick retina

The activated cytoplasmic hydrocortisone-receptor complexes from both hormoneinsensitive (irresponsive to induction of glutamine synthetase by hydrocortisone) 7-day retina and hormone-sensitive (responsive to induction of glutamine synthetase by hydrocortisone) 12-day retina have been fractionated and identified by chromatography on phosphocellulose columns. The sedimentation patterns of these complexes are similar and indistinguishable from their nuclear counterparts. The retention pattern, salt extractability and the sedimentation properties of the nuclear complexes from both 7-day and 12-day retina also appear to be very similar. These results strongly suggest that the majority of the hydrocortisone receptors involved in the interaction with the nuclear acceptor sites are common to both the 7-day and the 12-day retina and that the factors controlling the age-related response of the retina to hydrocortisone lie at a step beyond the receptor-acceptor interaction.
Invasive vaginal carcinoma : analysis of early-stage disease

From 1960 through 1987, 89 patients with stage I (44 patients) or II (45 patients) vaginal carcinoma (excluding melanomas) were treated primarily at the Mayo Clinic. Treatment consisted of surgery alone in 52 patients, surgery plus radiation in 14, and radiation alone in 23. The median duration of follow-up was 4.4 years. The 5-year survival (Kaplan-Meier method) was 82% for patients with stage I disease and 53% for those with stage II disease (p = 0.009). Analysis of survival according to treatment did not show statistically significant differences. This report is consistent with previous studies showing that stage is an important prognostic factor and that treatment can be individualized, including surgical treatment for primary early-stage vaginal cancer.
Training minimal invasive approaches in hepatopancreatobilliary fellowship: the current status

Background There has been an increasing role of advanced minimally invasive procedures in hepatopancreatobilliary (HPB) surgery. However, there are no set minimum laparoscopic case requirements.
Everglades restoration science and decision-making in the face of climate change: a management perspective.

Managers were invited to attend the two-day “Predicting Ecological Changes in the Florida Everglades in a Future Climate Scenario” workshop and to participate in discussion and panel sessions. This paper provides a management perspective on the technical presentations presented at the workshop, identifying information of particular interest to Everglades restoration decision-making. In addition, the paper highlights the points related to science and decision-making that emerged from the discussion sessions and provides thoughts for future discussion in a follow-up forum. Particular focus is dedicated to the importance of and challenges associated with integrating science and decision-making. In addition, the paper offers a management perspective on the uncertainties of climate science and the implications they have for influencing Everglades restoration decision-making. The authors propose that on the one hand, even given uncertainties associated with predicting the ecological response to climate change, there remains a scientific consensus that Everglades restoration is generally on the right track. On the other hand, uncertainty can be a significant barrier to climate science influencing the implementation of restoration and adaptive management programs.