cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Other Inference Methods and Concepts

R.A. Fisher introduced the concept of fiducial probability and used in to develop fiducial inference. Counterexamples though the years have lead to its lack of use in statistics.
Organizational Leadership and the Challenges in Teaching It

Although the subject of administrative leadership is not new, the teaching of it in clearly defined classes has been uncommon until the last 10 to 15 years. Now, classes on administrative leadershi...
He Did Effective-Mass Theory Too!

Walter Kohn will of course be remembered for ever for Density Functional Theory. His other contributions to physics are also well known. I will mention here the one that affected my years as graduate student at the University of Illinois (1969–73). In some sense, this is how I first “met” Walter. I was working with effective-mass theory for hydrogenic impurities in semiconductors and dug up its history. In the old engineering library I found a two-page document from 1942 stamped in red ink “TOP SECRET”, written by Hans Bethe, who articulated the basic idea of “donator” and acceptor impurities in semiconductors. Indeed, the potential of doping semiconductors was appreciated at a crucial time and led to the transistor in 1948. There were a few other early formulations of effective-mass theory. Then came Walter’s papers in the 1950’s. They offered a very thorough, rigorous, and detailed derivation with all the approximations spelled out, accompanied by careful and deep, insightful analysis. For me, those papers were a first lesson in theoretical physics. Effective-mass theory was one of the items for which Walter was awarded the APS Buckley Prize in 1961 (before DFT!).
Radical memories: an interview with John H. Moore and documents from a communist anthropologist’s past

Though American anthropologists have long engaged in radical political activities, there remains a poorly documented history of American Marxist anthropologists’ engagements with national and global socialist and communist political parties. This article draws on an interview with American anthropologist John Moore, as well as material from Moore’s FBI file, recently released under the Freedom of Information Act, with records from a 1960s Military Intelligence investigation of Moore to document and explore Moore’s involvement in communist and socialist organizations from the 1960s to the 1990s. Moore’s reflections on his political activities highlight a continuity.
Divisibility by Integers Ending in 1, 3, 7, or 9.

GAUSS is said to have remarked that mathematics is the queen of the sciences and that number theory is the queen of mathematics. Without a doubt, number theory is of unparalleled interest to many; it is a playground for both the amateur and the professional mathematician. A majority of the theorems and conjec tures in elementary number theory are easily comprehended, even though the proofs may not be obvious. However, the proofs of many theorems are easy enough if the proper technique is used. One such technique, or tool, is the theory of congruences, which was given by Gauss in his Disquisitiones Arithmeticae. This theory gained general acceptance almost immediately, and it still dominates the terminology of number theory. Just how powerful the theory of congruences is may be demonstrated in deriving tests of divisibility. A student is usually visibly pleased when he discovers a rule that tells how to test an integer for divisibility by a prime. Ordinarily he first encounters the tests for divisibility by 2 and 5. Later on he may be introduced to tests for divisibility by 3, 7, and 11. However, he seldom becomes aware of tests for divisibility by primes larger than these. In fact, he may even think that such tests are not readily avail able, since the tests for divisibility by 2, 3, 5, 7, and 11 seem to have little in com mon.
Air: Kūki ningyō/Air Doll, 2009

Based on a popular manga/comic, Kore-eda’s Kūki ningyō/Air Doll (2009) tells the “modern fairy tale” of an inflatable sex doll who comes to life to discover paradoxes of emptiness and fulness in human existence. Kore-eda’s sensitive exploration of the possibilities of connections with others, and of the mysteries of air, features a captivating performance by Korean actress Doona Bae.
Poetry Spheres, Flower Poems: A Dimensional Poetry Experience:

In a doctoral course on Narrative Inquiry, graduate students participated in an activity creating dimensional research poetry. The resulting poems, which were shaped like spheres or orbs and/or flo...
Twenty-First Century Viral Pandemics: A Literature Review of Sexual Transmission and Fertility Implications in Men.

Abstract Introduction The 21st century has seen a series of viral pandemics that have collectively infected millions of individuals. To understand factors that may contribute to viral spread and address long-term health sequelae for survivors, it is important to review evidence regarding viral presence in semen, sexual transmission potential, and possible effects on fertility. Aim To review the current literature regarding the sexual transmissibility of recent viral pandemics and their effects on semen parameters and fertility. We review evidence for the following viruses: Ebola, Zika, West Nile, pandemic influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), and SARS-corona virus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods A literature search was conducted to identify relevant studies. Titles and abstracts were reviewed for relevance. References from identified articles were searched and included, if appropriate. Main Outcome Measures The main outcome measure of this study was reviewing of peer-reviewed literature. Results Both the Ebola virus and Zika virus are present in semen, but only the Zika virus shows consistent evidence of sexual transmission. Current evidence does not support the presence of the West Nile virus, pandemic influenza, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2 in semen. The Zika virus appears to alter semen parameters in a way that diminishes fertility, but the effect is likely time limited. The West Nile virus and SARS have been associated with orchitis in a small number of case reports. Viruses that cause febrile illness, such as pandemic influenza, SARS, and SARS-CoV-2, are associated with decreased sperm count and motility and abnormal morphology. SARS and SARS-CoV-2 may interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors present in the testes, which could impact spermatogenesis. Conclusions We have reported the presence in semen, sexual transmission potential, and fertility side effects of recent viral pandemics. Overall, semen studies and fertility effects are highly understudied in viral pandemics, and rigorous study on these topics should be undertaken as novel pandemics emerge. Payne K, Kenny P, Scovell JM, et al. Twenty-First Century Viral Pandemics: A Literature Review of Sexual Transmission and Fertility Implications for Men. Sex Med Rev 2020;8:518–530.
Effects of fuel morphology on ember generation characteristics at the tree scale

This work reports characteristics of embers generated by torching trees and seeks to identify the important physical and biological factors involved. The size of embers, number flux and propensity to ignite spot fires (i.e. number flux of ‘hot’ embers) are reported for several tree species under different combinations of number (one, three or five) and moisture content (11–193%). Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), grand fir (Abies grandis), western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis) and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) trees were evaluated. Embers were collected on an array of fire-resistant fabric panels and trays filled with water. Douglas-fir trees generated the highest average ember flux per kilogram of mass loss during torching, whereas grand fir trees generated the highest ‘hot’ ember flux per kilogram of mass loss. Western juniper produced the largest fraction of ‘hot’ embers, with ~30% of the embers generated being hot enough to leave char marks. In contrast, only 6% of the embers generated by ponderosa pine were hot enough to leave char marks. Results from this study can be used to help understand the propensity of different species of tree to produce embers and the portion of embers that may be hot enough to start a spot fire.
Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of meperidine after intramuscular and subcutaneous administration in horses.

Objective To describe the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of meperidine after IM and subcutaneous administration in horses. Study design prospective, randomized, blinded, crossover trial. Animals Six adult horses weighing 494 ± 33 kg. Methods Treatments included meperidine 1 mg/kg IM with saline 6 mL subcutaneously, meperidine 1 mg/kg subcutaneously with saline 6 mL IM, and saline 6 mL subcutaneously and 6 mL IM, with a 7-day washout between treatments. Plasma meperidine concentrations and pharmacodynamic values (thermal and mechanical thresholds, physiological variables, fecal production) were collected at various time points for 24 hours. Accelerometry data were obtained for 8 hours to measure locomotor activity. Data were analyzed with a mixed effects model, and α was set at .05. Results Meperidine terminal half-life (T1/2 ), maximal plasma concentrations, and time to maximal concentration were 186 ± 59 and 164 ± 56 minutes, 265.7 ± 47.2 and 243.1 ± 80.1 ng/mL at 17 ± 6, and 24 ± 13 minutes for IM at subcutaneous administration, respectively. No effect of treatment or time was observed on thermal or mechanical thresholds, heart rate, respiratory rate, locomotor activity, frequency of defecations, or fecal weight (P > .2 for all). Conclusion Maximum meperidine concentrations were achieved quickly with a short T1/2 in both treatment groups. Neither IM nor subcutaneous meperidine influenced thermal or mechanical threshold or physiological variables. Clinical significance The short half-life and lack of detectable antinociceptive effect do not support IM or subcutaneous administration meperidine at 1 mg/kg for analgesia in horses.
Arkansas and the War Between the States: Civil Unions and Same Sex Marriage

The same-sex marriage debate raises issues of Federalism similar to those of the abolition of slavery during the American Civil War. Different policies between states regarding same-sex marriages have caused confusion over the validity of a couple’s union rights when traveling interstate. Arkansas not only bars same-sex marriage, but also constitutionally forbids any legal status between same-sex couples. The Full Faith and Credit Clause guarantees interstate recognition of state court cases, but not legislation. Any rights a couple may have under one state may not be treated similarly in others. Federal legislation that binds the states on social policy invites popular opposition, as it did in 1995 when Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act. As more states, like Massachusetts and Iowa, legalize same-sex marriage, states like Arkansas will accept some kind of civil union or acknowledge the policies of their sister states. Without such changes, history will judge us just as slaveholders from the Civil War are judged today.
Vulnerability to Hospitalizations Related to SARS Cov-2: A Neural Network Perspective

In this paper, we put forth a novel perspective to measure the vulnerability of the population within the US to hospitalizations due to COVID-19. The current indices that are being used tend to separate the health perspective from that of the community and demographics. Besides, the Social, Community and Pandemic vulnerability indices use either a straight forward method of weighted averages or utilize Correlation and/or Bayesian approaches. We have focused on using a Deep Learning technique that tends to outperform other methods when the data is limited or has missing values.
Giant abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Abstract Giant abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) are defined as AAAs >10 to 13 cm in the maximum transverse diameter. We have described a case of a patient who had presented for open repair of an 18-cm AAA and a review of reported cases of giant AAAs >10 cm in the maximum transverse diameter. Forty cases were compiled. The average maximum AAA diameter was 14.5 ± 4.1 cm. The AAA was ruptured on presentation in 12 patients (30%). Of the 40 cases, 34 (85%) were repaired with open surgery. The reported mortality was 15%. Despite the case complexity, five endovascular repairs were attempted.
Pasteurella Cerebral Mycotic Aneurysm: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Pasteurella species (spp.) are pleomorphic, Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic bacilli commonly found in the upper respiratory tract and oral cavities of wild and domesticated animals such as dogs and cats. Pasteurella spp. infections in humans are typically caused by animal bites or scratches, or other inadvertent exposure of an open skin lesion to oral secretions of the animal. While skin and soft tissue infections are relatively common, respiratory infections, endocarditis, osteomyelitis, meningitis, and mycotic aneurysms have also been documented. To date, nine cases of mycotic aneurysms caused by Pasteurella spp. have been reported. However, only one of those cases has involved a cerebral mycotic aneurysm, and it had a fatal outcome. This report describes a successfully managed Pasteurella cerebral mycotic aneurysm that had occurred as a complication of underlying mitral valve endocarditis.
Sensor Fusion-based GNSS Spoofing Attack Detection Framework for Autonomous Vehicles

In this study, a sensor fusion based GNSS spoofing attack detection framework is presented that consists of three concurrent strategies for an autonomous vehicle (AV): (i) prediction of location shift, (ii) detection of turns (left or right), and (iii) recognition of motion state (including standstill state). Data from multiple low-cost in-vehicle sensors (i.e., accelerometer, steering angle sensor, speed sensor, and GNSS) are fused and fed into a recurrent neural network model, which is a long short-term memory (LSTM) network for predicting the location shift, i.e., the distance that an AV travels between two consecutive timestamps. We have then combined k-Nearest Neighbors (k-NN) and Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) algorithms to detect turns using data from the steering angle sensor. In addition, data from an AV's speed sensor is used to recognize the AV's motion state including the standstill state. To prove the efficacy of the sensor fusion-based attack detection framework, attack datasets are created for three unique and sophisticated spoofing attacks turn by turn, overshoot, and stop using the publicly available real-world Honda Research Institute Driving Dataset (HDD). Our analysis reveals that the sensor fusion-based detection framework successfully detects all three types of spoofing attacks within the required computational latency threshold.
Flint—The Material of Evolution

This chapter starts by describing how a sedimentary rock with a structure consisting of microscopic quartz crystals that was formed millions of years ago enabled the creation of our first engineered materials. Hunting and butchering meat using sharp hard-wearing flint tools was key to our evolutionary success. As flintknappers were shaping tools that were more and more refined, flint found additional uses as a means to start a fire an application that would eventually lead to a new type of deadly weapon, the flintlock. Even with the increasing use of metals with their better durability and ease of shaping flint remained an important material over an enormous period of history.
A Kinematic Error Controller for Real-Time Kinematic Error Correction of Industrial Robots

Abstract Industrial robots are being used more and more for manufacturing applications that require accuracy beyond what can be obtained from joint measurement. While offline calibration techniques such as volumetric error compensation can be used to correct robot kinematic error, these methods are unable to compensate for robot deformations caused by changing tool loads during the manufacturing operation. This paper explores the use of a real-time robot kinematic error compensation technique where an external high-precision feedback sensor (in this case a laser tracker) directly measures the robot kinematic error and corrections are implemented during processing. A robot kinematic error model is constructed to describe the difference between the programmed trajectory of the robot’s last link and the actual trajectory based on the laser tracker measurement of the 6DoF sensor attached to the last link of the robot. The compensation scheme developed in this paper requires the synchronization of the robot encoder and laser tracker sensor measurements, which is accomplished in the Robot Operating System (ROS). The previously developed kinematic error observer is briefly discussed and a kinematic error compensation that adjusts the robot’s reference path in real time is created in this paper. A discussion of the system (i.e., Yaskawa/Motoman MH180 industrial robot and Automated Precision Inc. laser tracker) hardware components and the software architecture utilized in the experiments conducted in this paper are provided. Initial experimental studies are conducted to determine delays in the feedback measurement, which was 30 ms, explore the effects of controller gain on the system performance, and characterize the noise in the feedback measurement. The controller had an overdamped response with a settling time of 8.758 s. Subsequent experiments investigated the effect of robot velocity on tracking and the ability of the controller to reject a constant force disturbance. It was found that the kinematic error increased linearly as the robot velocity increased, and the controller was able to reject a constant force disturbance of 45 lb within the designed settling time.
Keynote 2 — SpaceCube — A family of reconfigurable hybrid on-board science data processors

SpaceCube is a family of Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) based on-board science data processing systems developed at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The goal of the SpaceCube program is to provide 10× to 100× improvements in on-board computing power while lowering relative power consumption and cost. SpaceCube is based on the Xilinx Virtex family of FPGAs, which include processor, FPGA logic and digital signal processing (DSP) resources. These processing elements are leveraged to produce a hybrid science data processing platform that accelerates the execution of algorithms by distributing computational functions to the most suitable elements. This approach enables the implementation of complex on-board functions that were previously limited to ground based systems, such as on-board product generation, data reduction, calibration, classification, event/feature detection, data mining and real-time autonomous operations. The system is fully reconfigurable in flight, including data parameters, software and FPGA logic, through either ground commanding or autonomously in response to detected events/features in the instrument data stream.
Diagrammatic approach to classical coherent two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy

The authors develop a diagrammatic theory for the classical description of nonlinear response functions of anharmonic oscillators. Based on the theory, the authors demonstrate that the third-order response of a weakly anharmonic system can be qualitatively described using classical dynamics, clarifying the boundary of classical and purely quantum phenomena in relation to observations of molecular coherence.
Gene regulation by DNA methylation is contingent on chromatin accessibility during transgenerational plasticity in the purple sea urchin

Abstract Epigenetic processes are proposed to contribute to phenotypic plasticity. In invertebrates, DNA methylation commonly varies across environments and can correlate or causally associate with phenotype, but its role in transcriptional responses to the environment remains unclear. Maternal environments experienced by the sea urchin Strongylocentrotus purpuratus induce 3 – 6x greater differential CpG methylation in offspring larvae relative to larval developmental environments, suggesting a role for DNA methylation in transgenerational plasticity (TGP). However, a negligible association has been observed between differentially methylated and differentially expressed genes. What gene regulatory roles does invertebrate DNA methylation possess under environmental change, if any? We quantified DNA methylation and gene expression in S. purpuratus larvae exposed to different ecologically relevant conditions during gametogenesis (maternal conditioning) or embryogenesis (developmental conditioning). We modeled differential gene expression and differential splicing under maternal conditioning as functions of DNA methylation, incorporating variables for genomic feature and chromatin accessibility. We detected significant interactions between differential methylation, chromatin accessibility, and genic architecture associated with differential expression and splicing. Observed transcriptional responses to maternal conditioning were also 4 – 13x more likely when accounting for interactions between methylation and chromatin accessibility. Our results provide evidence that DNA methylation possesses multiple functional roles during TGP in S. purpuratus, but its effects are contingent upon other genomic and epigenomic states. Singularly unpredictive of transcription, DNA methylation is likely one cog in the epigenomic machinery contributing to environmental responses and phenotypic plasticity in S. purpuratus and other invertebrates.
Laminar distribution and arbor density of two functional classes of thalamic inputs to primary visual cortex.

Summary Motion/direction-sensitive and location-sensitive neurons are the two major functional types in mouse visual thalamus that project to the primary visual cortex (V1). It is under debate whether motion/direction-sensitive inputs preferentially target the superficial layers in V1, as opposed to the location-sensitive inputs, which preferentially target the middle layers. Here, by using calcium imaging to measure the activity of motion/direction-sensitive and location-sensitive axons in V1, we find evidence against these cell-type-specific laminar biases at the population level. Furthermore, using an approach to reconstruct axon arbors with identified in vivo response types, we show that, at the single-axon level, the motion/direction-sensitive axons project more densely to the middle layers than the location-sensitive axons. Overall, our results demonstrate that motion/direction-sensitive thalamic neurons project extensively to the middle layers of V1 at both the population and single-cell levels, providing further insight into the organization of thalamocortical projection in the mouse visual system.
Lavender Aromatherapy to Reduce Anxiety During Intrauterine Insemination: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundInfertility is a global public health issue. Therapies such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) are effective but may be associated with considerable anxiety. Preliminary data suggest that...
Risk of large for gestational age births at early, full and late term in relation to pre-pregnancy body mass index: Mediation by gestational diabetes status.

BACKGROUND Maternal pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) is strongly associated with infant birthweight and the risk differs in pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes (GDM). OBJECTIVES To examine the risk of large for gestational age (LGA) (≥97th percentile) singleton births at early term, full term and late term in relation to maternal pre-pregnancy BMI status mediated through GDM. METHODS We analysed data from the 2018 U.S. National Vital Statistics Natality File restricted to singleton term births (N = 3,229,783). In counterfactual models for causal inference, we estimated the total effect (TE), natural direct effect (NDE) and natural indirect effect (NIE) for the association of pre-pregnancy BMI with subcategories of LGA births at early, full and late term mediated through GDM, using log-binomial regression and adjusting for race/ethnicity, age, education, parity and infant sex. Proportion mediated was calculated on the risk difference scale and potential unmeasured confounders were assessed using the E-value. RESULTS Overall, 6.4% of women had GDM, and there were 3.6% LGA singleton term births. The highest prevalence of GDM was among pre-gestational overweight/obesity that also had the highest rates of LGA births at term. The TE estimates for the risk of LGA births were the strongest across women with higher pre-pregnancy BMI compared to women with normal pre-pregnancy BMI. The NDE estimates were higher than the NIE estimates for overweight/obese BMI status. The proportion mediated, which answers the causal question to what extent the total effect of the association between pre-pregnancy BMI and LGA births is accounted for through GDM, was the highest (up to 16%) for early term births. CONCLUSIONS Term singleton births make up the largest proportion in a cohort of newborns. While the percentage mediated through GDM was relatively small, health risks arising from pre-pregnancy overweight, and obesity can be substantial to both mothers and their offspring.
Analysis of Mutant Constructs of Human BIK and their Interaction with KSHV vBCL-2

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) is a skin cancer caused by a gamma- herpesvirus.The virus is a “tumor” transforming virus and thus often leads to cancer in the infected patient. Its association with AIDS over the past two decades has brought increased attention to the roll viral infection plays in the evolution of cancer. KSHV has been shown to interfere in one major pathway that controls cell growth, the apoptotic pathway, important for the maintenance of normal growth and development. Viruses require a live cell for survival and have evolved a mechanism to interfere with apoptosis to create immortal cell hosts. The virus expresses a protein, vBCL-2 that interferes with pro-apoptotic proteins and promotes tumor growth. This viral protein is a functional homology of the human Bcl2 protein and has been shown to interact with several BH3 domain containing family members. Previously we had identified an interaction between the KSHV vBcl2 protein and the human BH3 domain containing protein, BIK...
The OTC global derivatives markets: An expositional analysis

Emm and Gay (2005) have put forward an academic paper that merits a response because of its own strength and the misunderstandings of the economic and risk implications of the existence of high concentration ratios in the OTC dealer derivatives markets. This study suggests that their analysis is incorrect. In addition, this paper states that high dealer concentration ratios in the OTC financial markets do not indicate derivative markets that are not competitive and vulnerable to the financial sector weaknesses.
Purification and properties of phloroglucinol reductase from Eubacterium oxidoreducens G-41.

Abstract Phloroglucinol reductase was purified 90-fold to homogeneity from the anaerobic rumen organism Eubacterium oxidoreducens strain G-41. The enzyme is stable in the presence of air and is found in the soluble fraction after ultracentrifugation of cell extract. Ion-exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and affinity chromatography were used to purify the enzyme. The native Mr is 78,000, and the subunit Mr is 33,000 indicating an alpha 2 homodimer. The enzyme is specific for phloroglucinol and NADPH. The Km and Vmax are 600 microM and 640 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for phloroglucinol, and 6.7 microM and 550 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 6.8) for NADPH; the Km and Vmax for the reverse direction are 290 microM and 140 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for dihydrophloroglucinol, and 27 microM and 220 mumol min-1 mg-1 (pH 7.2) for NADP. Temperature and pH optima are 40 degrees C and 7.8 in the forward direction. The pure enzyme is colorless in solution and flavins are absent. Analysis for cobalt, manganese, molybdenum, vanadium, tungsten, selenium, copper, nickel, iron, and zinc indicated that these metals are not components of the phloroglucinol reductase. Cupric chloride, n-ethylmaleimide, and p-chloromercuribenzoate are potent inhibitors of enzyme activity. The properties of phloroglucinol reductase indicate that it functions in the pathway of anaerobic degradation of trihydroxybenzenes by catalyzing reduction of the aromatic nucleus prior to ring fission.
Thinking Out of Bounds: A Critical Analysis of Academic and Human Rights Writings on Migrant Deaths in the U.S.-Mexico Border Region

The number of unauthorized immigrants who have died attempting to cross the U.S. southern boundary from Mexico has grown to alarming levels. It is conservatively estimated that between January 1995 and September 2003—a time of an intensified enforcement strategy along the U.S.-Mexico boundary—there were over 2,600 documented deaths of unauthorized migrants in the border region (see CRLAF, 2003). These deaths have received critical attention by academics, policy analysts, and human rights advocates and monitors alike (see, among others, ACLU and CRLAF, 2001; Bustamante, 2001; Cornelius, 2001; Esbach et al., 2001; Hing, 2001; and Reyes et al., 2002).1
Accounting Accruals and Tests of Earnings Management

The success of the Jones model has inspired a long line of research on learnings management that utilizes it. In this paper, I augment the Jones and performance-adjusted Jones models by incorporating three measures from financial statements: abnormal beginning non-cash working capital, working capital intensity, and historical depreciation rates. In a number of scenarios including loss avoidance and seasoned equity offerings, I show that unexpected accruals based on the proposed model evince less bias and higher power in testing earnings management compared to those based on the existing models. The proposed accruals model displays the advantages of both the cross-sectional and the time-series Jones models, but overcomes their shortcomings.
A tree-partitioning technique with applications to expression evaluation and term matching

A tree-partitioning technique is proposed and applied to expression evaluation and term matching. It was shown recently that the problem of evaluating an arithmetic expression is in NC/sup 1/, and an O(log N)-depth, O(N/sup 2/ log N)-size circuit for this problem was described. The size is reduced to O(N log/sup k/ N) while O(log N) depth is maintained. An O(log N)-time, O(N)-processor CREW (concurrent read, exclusive write) algorithm for term matching, which improves the previous O(log N)-time, N/sup 2/-processor algorithm, is also presented. >
Interleukin-10 polymorphisms influence the neonatal immune response and may be a risk factor for childhood allergic disease and wheeze

Background: The interleukin-10 gene ( IL10 ) encodes the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, which is crucial for the development of immune tolerance and T cell regulation. IL-10 polymorphisms were proposed to influence the asthma phenotype including pulmonary function. We studied the influence of IL-10 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) early in life on Th1/Th2 lineage fate, T regulatory cells and pro-inflammatory cytokines. Furthermore, the effect of the SNPs on allergic diseases and wheeze was examined at 3 years of age. Methods: Cord blood of 200 healthy neonates was genotyped for 8 SNPs and one deletion in IL-10. CBMCs were cultured unstimulated or following stimulation [Lipid A, peptidoglycan, phytohemagglutinin, house dust mite (Derp1), Derp1+Lipid A]. Treg-marker mRNA expression (FOXP3, GITR, LAG3), Th1/Th2-cytokines, TNF-α and GM-CSF were assessed. A follow-up regarding allergic diseases and wheeze was performed (3ys). Results: The majority of IL-10 SNP carriers showed a similar pattern of cytokine secretion and Treg-marker expression with increased IFN-γ secretion (Th1), reduced IL-5 (Th2), pro-inflammatory TNF-α and GM-CSF and reduced Treg-marker expression. The effects were primarily observed after innate and allergic stimulation. Carriers of five IL-10 SNPs and the IL-10 deletion showed increased risk for wheeze or atopic symptoms. Conclusions: Polymorphisms in IL-10 influence primarily Th1/Th2 cytokine secretion and Treg-marker expression after innate and allergic stimulation early in life. This may be relevant for immune maturation and potentially for childhood atopy and wheeze.
A Libertarian Analysis of “BrokenWindow” Policing

Abstract. “Broken window” policing refers to the practice of stopping small relatively unimportant crimes (windows broken by hooligans) so that more serious ones will decrease. If the windows are allowed to be broken, criminals will get the message there is little or nothing to stop them from breaking more serious laws. The present paper looks at this practice from a libertarian point of view, and finds some of it justified, some of it not. Keywords. Libertarianism, Crime, Safety, Policing. JEL. H0, K14.
It Ain't My World

It seems we have some obligation to aid some others, but it's unclear why, to whom, and to what extent. Many consequentialists claim that we are obligated to help everyone to the marginal utility point but they do so without examining why we are obligated to aid others at all. I argue that we must investigate the basis of our duty to aid others in order to determine the nature and extent of our obligation. Although some consequentialists, notably, Kagan, Singer and Unger, present arguments intended to justify some of consequentialism's most counter-intuitive demands, they take the less counter-intuitive demands for granted and justify the steeper demands on the basis of their relevant similarity to the more palatable ones. The result of this strategy is that many of consequentialism's steeper demands free-ride on a superficial similarity with less taxing demands. This allows consequentialism to broaden our obligations beyond the reach of justification. I examine three possible explanations of our duty to aid others, namely, intuition, fairness and self-interest, and argue that none of them justify consequentialism's runaway demands.
Deuterium Contents of Storm Inflow and Hailstone Growth Layers

Abstract The deuterium content (δ) of the water vapor in the air entering thunderstorms has been measured, along with that of the growth layers of hailstones from the same storms. δ may vary importantly with position as well as time in the inflow of large, multicell storms, and there is some evidence for important variation with time in a simpler storm. It appears that the potential for drawing firm, quantitative deductions from hailstone deuterium or 018 profiles is quite limited. Nevertheless, the present results and previous deuterium results agree in placing most hailstone growth in the −10 to −25°C temperature range, and in indicating surprisingly narrow altitude ranges of growth for most individual hailstones. It therefore seems probable that liquid water is usually substantially depleted above the −25°C level in hailstorms and that hailstones usually fall out of the updraft above the −10°C level. Hailstone embryo formation is usually at ii lower level than the growth of the bulk of the hailstones.
Derivative estimates for eigenfunctions with accessible boundaries and application to diffustions

We consider an eigenvalue problem on a bounded interval and establish some uniform bounds on the first derivatives of the L2-normalized eigenfunctions in terms of the eigenvalues. Such bounds are established for singular boundaries of regular type and most cases of exit type, according to Feller's boundary classification. Implications of such bounds for diffusion semigroups are discussed and an appli¬cation is made to a nronertv of conditional diffusions.
Vitamin D Deficiency and Risk for Cardiovascular Disease

Vitamin D is an important prohormone for optimal intestinal calcium absorption for mineralization of bone. Because the vitamin D receptor is present in multiple tissues, there has been interest in evaluating other potential functions of vitamin D, particularly, in cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Cross-sectional studies have reported that vitamin D deficiency is associated with increased risk of CVD, including hypertension, heart failure, and ischemic heart disease. Initial prospective studies have also demonstrated that vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of developing incident hypertension or sudden cardiac death in individuals with preexisting CVD. Very few prospective clinical studies have been conducted to examine the effect of vitamin D supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes. The mechanism for how vitamin D may improve CVD outcomes remains obscure; however, potential hypotheses include the downregulation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, direct effects on the heart, and vasculature or improvement of glycemic control. This review will examine the epidemiologic and clinical evidence for vitamin D deficiency as a cardiovascular risk factor and explore potential mechanisms for the cardioprotective effect of vitamin D.
Contaminated Stethoscopes Revisited

Background: Because of their universal use by medical professionals, stethoscopes can be a source of nosocomial infections. Objective: To determine the frequency of contamination of stethoscopes with bacteria and fungi. Methods: Cultures were obtained from 200 stethoscopes from four area hospitals and outpatient clinics in Houston, Tex. The frequency of stethoscope contamination in different groups of hospital personnel and medical settings was determined. We also measured the frequency of antimicrobial resistance of the staphylococcal strains that were isolated. Results: One hundred fifty-nine (80%) of the 200 stethoscopes surveyed were contaminated with microorganisms. The majority of organisms that were isolated were gram-positive bacteria, primarily Staphylococcus species. Fifty-eight percent of the Staphylococcus species that were isolated, including four (17%) of 24 Staphylococcus aureus isolates, were resistant to methicillin. Physicians' stethoscopes were contaminated more often than those of other medical personnel groups ( P =.02). Stethoscopes used only in designated areas were contaminated less frequently than stethoscopes belonging to individual medical personnel ( P =.01). Although stethoscopes were contaminated in all areas, stethoscopes from the pediatric medical setting were contaminated less frequently than those from other hospital areas ( P =.009). Conclusions: Stethoscope use may be important in the spread of infectious agents, including antimicrobialresistant strains, and strategies to reduce the contamination of stethoscopes should be developed. We recommend disinfection of stethoscopes or regular use of disposable stethoscope covers. (Arch Intern Med. 1996;156:82-84)
Application of cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy to thin-film-transistor failure analysis

The locations of process-induced defects in hydrogenated amorphous silicon thin-film transistors (a-Si:H TFTs), which are used as elements of active-matrix liquid crystal displays, were investigated by combining focused ion beam (FIB) techniques with cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (X-TEM). The FIB technique is applied to TFT failure-analysis problems which require very localized etching without inducing mechanical stress. We demonstrate how these techniques are used to characterize TFT defects such as thin layers formed from etching residue, microvoids in the multilayers, fragile aluminum whisker protrusions on the electrodes, or portions of the TFT multilayer damaged by mechanical stress.
New therapies for glaucoma: are they all up to the task?

This review summarises the patenting activity in the anti-glaucoma field for the period 2001 – 2004. The various patents are classified based on the targeted mechanism of claimed drugs. New drugs, especially in the area of neuroprotection, are covered. Whereas some of the patent applications represent new areas in the treatment of glaucoma, others represent improved or modified classes of current anti-glaucoma drugs given to patients. However, most of the patent applications lack clinical data and some even lack data supporting their glaucoma efficacy claims. The authors have attempted to highlight, where possible, a number of promising drugs for the treatment of glaucoma. These are not all inclusive and represent the authors bias in selection. Some areas that were not included (e.g., calcium channel blockers, K+ channel agents, etc) are still equally important.
Time-domain studies of very-large-angle magnetization dynamics excited by spin transfer torques

We describe time-domain measurements which provide information about the large-angle nonlinear dynamics of nanomagnets excited by spin-transfer torque from a spin-polarized current. Sampling-oscilloscope measurements, which average over thousands of experimental time traces, show that the mean reversal time for spin-transfer-driven magnetic switching has a steplike dependence on magnetic field, consistent with simulations which predict that the reversal trajectories differ by integer numbers of precession cycles. Storage-oscilloscope measurements of individual experimental traces reveal nonperiodic large-amplitude resistance variations at values of magnetic field and current in a crossover region between the regimes of spin-transfer-driven switching and steady-state precession. We also observe directly the existence of time-dependent switching, on the nanosecond scale, between different precessional modes and between a precessional mode and a static state, at particular values of magnetic field and current bias.
Absolute total electronically elastic differential e − - H 2 scattering cross-section measurements from 1 to 19 eV

Absolute ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-${\mathrm{H}}_{2}$ total electronically elastic differential scattering cross sections have been determined from relative scattered-electron angular distribution measurements in the energy range from 1 to 19 eV by comparison to absolute ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-He elastic differential scattering cross sections measured in the same apparatus. Integrated total cross sections have been determined as well. Absolute differences as large as 50% between the present results and some previous results have been found, although the agreement as to shape is quite good in many cases. The present results are generally in excellent agreement with recent full rovibrational laboratory-frame close-coupling calculations.
Transforming growth factor-β2 and TGF-β3 regulate fetal rat cranial suture morphogenesis by regulating rates of cell proliferation and apoptosis

Cranial vault sutures are the major intramembranous bone growth sites during rapid expansion of the neurocranium. To function as bone growth sites, sutures need to remain patent, while allowing rapid bone formation at the edges of the bone fronts. Premature osseous obliteration of sutures (craniosynostosis) by fusion of bone fronts across the suture site prevents further bone formation at this site, often leading to severe facial dysmorphology. Although several growth factor receptor and transcription factor mutations have been implicated in craniosynostosis, the underlying mechanisms leading to sutural obliteration remain unclear. Previous studies have shown that dura secreted soluble factors responsible for maintaining suture patency and that suture fusion observed in the absence of dura was preceded by elevated levels of DNA synthesis and collagen production in the suture region. The use of neutralizing antibodies in a fetal calvarial culture model further demonstrated that removal of transforming growth factor (TGF) -beta 3 activity induced premature sutural obliteration, whereas removal of TGF-beta 2 activity prevented sutural obliteration. Data presented here demonstrate that suture obliteration induced by removal of TGF-beta 3 activity was preceded by elevated levels of DNA synthesis, similar to that seen upon removal of the dura. Addition of exogenous TGF-beta 3 to calvaria cultured without dura both prevented suture obliteration and reduced DNA synthesis to levels comparable to those seen with intact dura. Addition of exogenous TGF-beta 2 to calvarial cultures induced sutural fusion accompanied by elevated levels of cell proliferation. However, sutures rescued from obliteration by removal of TGF-beta 2 activity did not have decreased levels of cell proliferation, but rather appeared to be due to inhibited differentiation. In all calvaria in which sutures remained patent in culture, numbers of apoptotic cells were high within the suture, whereas in sutures destined to fuse, numbers of apoptotic cells were low. Results indicate that one of the critical regulators of suture patency is cell number. Alterations in cell number can trigger premature differentiation of cells, resulting in sutural obliteration. Furthermore, a complex interplay between closely related molecules is required to maintain cranial vault sutures in an unossified state, while allowing new bone to be formed at the edges of the bone fronts.
Evaluation of long-term (1960-2010) groundwater fluoride contamination in Texas.

Groundwater quality degradation is a major threat to sustainable development in Texas. The aim of this study was to elucidate spatiotemporal patterns of groundwater fluoride (F) contamination in different water use classes in 16 groundwater management areas in Texas between 1960 and 2010. Groundwater F concentration data were obtained from the Texas Water Development Board and aggregated over a decadal scale. Our results indicate that observations exceeding the drinking water quality threshold of World Health Organization (1.5 mg F L) and secondary maximum contaminant level (SMCL) (2 mg F L) of the USEPA increased from 26 and 19% in the 1960s to 37 and 23%, respectively, in the 2000s. In the 2000s, F observations > SMCL among different water use classes followed the order: irrigation (39%) > domestic (20%) > public supply (17%). Extent and mode of interaction between F and other water quality parameters varied regionally. In western Texas, high F concentrations were prevalent at shallower depths ( 50 m) and were correlated with HCO and chloride anions. A spatial pattern has become apparent marked by "excess" F in western Texas groundwaters as compared with "inadequate" F contents in rest of the state. Groundwater F contamination in western Texas was largely influenced by groundwater mixing and evaporative enrichment as compared with water-rock interaction and mineral dissolution in the rest of the state.
Helix 69 in 23S rRNA modulates decoding by wild type and suppressor tRNAs.

Helix 69 of 23S rRNA forms one of the major inter-subunit bridges of the 70S ribosome and interacts with A- and P-site tRNAs and translation factors. Despite the proximity of h69 to the decoding center and tRNAs, the contribution of h69 to the tRNA selection process is unclear: previous genetic analyses have shown that h69 mutations increase frameshifting and readthrough of stop codons. However, a complete deletion of h69 does not affect the selection of cognate tRNAs in vitro. To address these discrepancies, the in vivo effects of a range of single- and multi-base h69 mutations in Escherichia coli 23S rRNA on various translation errors have been determined. While a majority of the h69 mutations examined here affected readthrough of stop codons and frameshifting, the ΔA1916 single base deletion mutation uniquely influenced missense decoding. Different h69 mutants had either increased or decreased levels of stop codon readthrough. The h69 mutations that decreased UGA readthrough also decreased UGA reading by a mutant, near-cognate tRNATrp carrying a G24A substitution in the D arm, but had far less effect on UGA reading by a suppressor tRNA with a complementary anticodon. These results suggest that h69 interactions with release factors contribute significantly to termination efficiency and that interaction with the D arm of A-site tRNA is important for discrimination between cognate and near-cognate tRNAs.
Pulmonary Cavity in a Patient with Nephrotic Syndrome and Renal Vein Thrombosis

La biopsie montre une embolie pulmonaire du lobe inferieur gauche avec infarctus pulmonaire cavitaire