cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The computer as an instructional device for the arabic writing system

Arabic, the native language of 100 million people, is also used by many more millions as the language of the Quran and Islamic Law. The script in which it is written, adapted to Persian and Urdu, is used by about 600 million people. It is therefore next in importance to the Latin alphabet in the world today. Unfortunately, total unfamiliarity with the writing system looms as a great obstacle to an English speaker who wishes to learn the language. To decipher right-to-left passages of Arabic script seems at first glance to demand weeks of dedicated toil. Assimilating the multiplicity of graphic and phonetic facts, and finding order and meaning in their arrangement, seems to be a difficult task. Students who embark on a program of study find quickly that the pace of learning for one student is poorly matched with that of another, so that the slower students are likely to be left far behind by the pace of a conventional classroom. There is thus a great need for a quicker, more efficient method which can be adapted in a unique way to individual learning, a method which will provide the student with a rapid interactive feedback. This, in turn, by decreasing the classroom time needed for supervised instruction, can free teachers to use the material taught in new and creative ways. Although programmed instruction is a step in this direction, it is limited in that its feedback, while immediate, is quite restricted in format; its branching capabilities are also limited and, where present at all, based mainly on multiple choice. The linear format and pacing features of audio tapes used in programmed instruction may not permit adequate individualization in pace or content coverage to account for extremes in the learning rates of different individuals. The position taken in this paper is that a well conceived computer-assisted instruction (CAI) program in the Arabic writing system will be a more efficient and effective method than either conventional classroom teaching or programmed instruction, and will better accommodate individual differences, especially at the lower end of the ability spectrum. While the use of a computer is important, behavioral and content analysis and design are decisive in the effectiveness of any instructional program. The one described in this report demonstrates how instructional software design provided an independent restructuring of goals, objectives, and organization, yet used computer capabilities to obtain an increase in the efficiency of instruction.
Conformational studies of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans leukotoxin: partial denaturation enhances toxicity

A 114 kDa, water-soluble, cytotoxin secreted by the Gram-negative bacterium Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) is similar in sequence to Escherichia coli alpha-hemolysin, but is non-hemolytic, killing leukocytes of select species, including humans. In this work, we investigated aspects of the water-soluble conformation of Aa toxin which relate to its biological, pore-forming activity. The toxin has five native tryptophans and fluorescence spectra were monitored in aqueous solutions in the presence of varying denaturants. Significant changes in the fluorescence spectra, without significant wavelength shifts, were induced by small additions of denaturants and changes in the temperature or pH. The fluorescence changes suggested that small perturbations in the aqueous environment resulted in structural changes in the toxin related not to a large unfolding but to more subtle conformational changes. Analytical ultracentrifugation showed the toxin to be a globular monomer in dilute aqueous solution. Circular dichroism spectroscopy showed about 25% alpha-helical structure which is largely maintained up to a temperature (65 degrees C) known to deactivate toxin activity. Changes in the cytotoxic properties of the toxin were monitored with flow cytometric analysis following preincubation of the toxin under mild conditions similar to those used in the fluorescence studies. These experiments showed that the pretreated toxin exhibited enhanced cell-killing potency on toxin-sensitive cells. The correlation of cytotoxicity with the changes in Trp fluorescence is consistent with the idea that partial unfolding of Aa toxin is an early, obligate step in toxin-induced cell kill.
Immunology: Recognition of a unique partner

The mammalian immune system can fight a myriad of pathogens. In part, this involves a superfamily of cytoplasmic receptors that dictate assembly of specific pro-inflammatory inflammasome complexes. See Letters p.592 & p.596 The inflammasomes are multiprotein complexes involved in innate immunity, and induce an immune response to pathogenic microbes by activating the caspase 1 protease. Two groups now report that the intracellular receptors known as NAIPs (NLR family, apoptosis inhibitory proteins), previously thought to have an auxiliary role in recognizing microbial proteins, are in fact central to the process. Eric Kofoed and Russell Vance, and Feng Shao and colleagues, show that different members of the NAIP family bind to different bacterial ligands, including bacterial flagellin and a conserved bacterial type III secretion system rod protein.
Elements for a Theory of Teams

Recent attempts to analyze organization problems in a scientific manner were stimulated by the classical economic theory of the firm Walrus, Marshall and by the newer theories of statistical decision functions Neymann, Wald, the theory of games von Neumann and Morgenstern, and the theory of communications Wiener, Shannon. The Office of Naval Research, and especially its Logistics Branch, has encouraged this development. The task is big and can be carried out only step by step. The first step has been to study a particularly simple form of organization which we call a team.
The effect of ion irradiation on the adherence of germanium films

Abstract Germanium films deposited under simultaneous argon ion irradiation show substantially better adherence on glass and other substrate materials than conventionally produced films. The ion bombardment leads to a strengthening of the interfacial bonding, an effect believed to be associated with a thin layer of intermediate composition produced at the substrate surface by ion knock-on processes. In addition irradiation causes a significant reduction in film stress.
Magneto-optic rotation and ellipticity of ultrathin ferromagnetic films.

Magneto-optic rotation phi' and ellipticity phi'' values are reported as a function of thickness for 0--400 A of bcc Fe(100) epitaxially deposited on Au(100) for both s- and p-polarized He-Ne laser light. The values are derived from a formula that connects phi' and phi'' with our recently reported longitudinal Kerr-effect measurements of phi/sub m/ = (phi'/sup 2/+phi''/sup 2/)/sup 1/2/ and the parameters of two optical compensators that are used to convert ellipticity to rotation. The measurements were made in situ through an ultrahigh-vacuum window; our approach eliminates the effect of the window birefringence. The dominant contribution to phi/sub m/ reverses from being phi'' in the ultrathin limit to being phi' in the thick-film limit. Also, in the 0--30 A range, the rotation remains near zero while the ellipticity increases linearly.
Boiling‐slurry reactor: Feasible operation and stability

In this study the feasible operation and stability of a special boiling-slurry reactor (BSR), in which a single exothermic chemical reaction occurs, are determined. Its feed consists of a nonvolatile liquid reactant dissolved in an inert solvent and gaseous reactants, while the effluent consists only of gaseous components. The BSR attains a unique steady state within a bounded range of operating conditions, the boundaries of which are defined by simple algebraic expressions. While the unique steady states are usually locally stable, they are not always globally stable. For example, when the start-up temperature is too low, the reactor may not reach the steady state and instead reach a “fill-up” state. In that state the liquid volume continuously increases, while the concentrations and temperature remain essentially constant. For some sets of start-up temperatures two distinct fill-up states may exist. When the start-up liquid volume and temperature are very high, a “dry-up” state may exist so that the liquid continuously decreases, while the reactor temperature and concentration remain essentially constant. This state eventually will shift the reactor to the unique steady state. Dry-up, fill-up, and a steady state coexist in some parts of the feasible operation region, thus requiring a special start-up procedure. The BSR may exhibit sustained oscillations for some parameter sets.
RUNWAY BEHAVIOR OF LIZARDS TO HEAT AND LIGHT REINFORCEMENT.

Summary.-Four groups of the common iguana (Iguana iguana) were trained in a G-ft. runway. All groups were run in a cool, darkened room. Groups I, 11, 111, and IV receivei light, heat, heat and light, and neither heat nor light, respectively, as the goal box condition. All groups, except Group IV, demonstrated runway acquisition. The groups were then given extinction training during which the goal box condition was that of neither heat nor light. Although no significant differences were found, resistance to extinction was greatest in Groups I, 11, and 111, respectively, with the performance of Group IV unchanged. Reptiles are poikilothermic and are thus dependent upon exterior sources of heat for maintenance of body temperature. Studies of maze learning in water snakes have demonstrated that they will swim from cold water to a warm dry spot (Kellogg & Pomeroy, 1936) bot not from a heated dry runway to a pan of cool water (Wolfle & Brown, 1940). There is no comparable research on lizards, although a preliminary study (Crawford & Alkov, 1964) has demonstrated that iguanas will run down a rlrnway from a cool, dark location to a goal box heated and illuminated by a heat lamp. Typical extinction of the response occurred when the lamp was turned off. The present study was carried out to investigate the separate effects of heat, light, and their combination, upon the acquisition and extinction of a runway response in the lizard.
Lamotrigine in pregnancy: Clearance, therapeutic drug monitoring, and seizure frequency

Objective: To characterize the magnitude and course of alterations in total and free lamotrigine (LTG) clearance (Cl) during pregnancy and the postpartum period, to assess the impact of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) on seizure frequency, to determine the ratio to individual target LTG concentration that is associated with increased seizure risk, and to evaluate maternal postpartum toxicity. Methods: A cohort of women were enrolled before conception or during pregnancy in this prospective, observational study. Visits occurred every 1 to 3 months with review of seizure and medication diaries, examination, and blood sampling. Total and free LTG Cls were calculated. Individualized target concentrations were used for TDM. The ratio to target concentration (RTC) was compared between patients with and without increased seizures. A receiver operating characteristic curve determined the threshold RTC that best predicts increased seizure frequency. Results: Analysis of 305 samples in 53 pregnancies demonstrated increased total and free LTG Cl in all trimesters above nonpregnant baseline ( p p p p Conclusions: These novel data contribute to a rational treatment plan and dosing paradigm for lamotrigine use during pregnancy, parturition, and the postpartum period.
Connecting k-16 curriculum & policy: making computer science engaging, accessible, and hospitable for underrepresented students

In this paper, a K-16 computer science reform effort is described as an effort that depends on curriculum development, professional development, and collaborative policy strategies.
High-Speed Schlieren Imaging of Disturbances in a Transitional Hypersonic Boundary Layer.

A high-speed schlieren system was developed for the Sandia Hypersonic Wind Tunnel. Schlieren images were captured at 290 kHz and used to study the growth and breakdown of second-mode instabilities into turbulent spots on a 7 ◦ cone. At Mach 5, wave packets would intermittently occur and break down into isolated turbulent spots surrounded by an otherwise smooth, laminar boundary layer. At Mach 8, the boundary layer was dominated by second-mode instabilities which would break down into larger regions of turbulence. Second-mode waves surrounded these turbulent patches as opposed to the smooth laminar flow seen at Mach 5. Detailed pressure and thermocouple measurements were also made along the cone at Mach 5, 8 and 14, in a separate tunnel entry. These measurements give an average picture of the transition behavior that complements the intermittent behavior captured by the schlieren system. At Mach 14, the boundary-layer remained laminar so the transition process could not be studied. However, the first measurements of second-mode waves were made in HWT-14.
Stabilizing Bit-Rate of Disturbed Event Triggered Control Systems

Abstract Event triggering is a sampling method where sampling occurs only if data 'novelty' exceeds a threshold. Prior work has demonstrated that event triggered systems have longer average sampling periods than periodic sampled systems with comparable system performance. Based on this fact, it is claimed that event triggered systems make more efficient use of communication resources than periodic sampled systems. If, however, we account for the number of bits in each sample and the maximum acceptable delay of this sample, it is possible that the bit-rates generated by event triggered systems are greater than that of periodic sampled systems. Our prior work in Li et al. [2012] has established, in noise-free cases, the condition under which the stabilizing bit-rates for quantized event-triggered systems converge asymptotically to a finite rate as the system approaches its equilibrium point. In some cases, this limiting bit-rate was shown to be 0. This paper extends that earlier work to quantized event-triggered systems with essentially bounded disturbances. Conditions on triggering event, quantization error and maximum delay are established to assure the input-to-state stability (ISS). The stabilizing bit-rate is, then, shown to be always bounded by a continuous, positive definite, increasing function with respect to the norm of the state. Since the system is ISS, the stabilizing bit-rate can be bounded from above by a function of time. This result provides a guide on how to assign communication resource to the control system. If we set external disturbance to be 0, the results in Li et al. [2012] are recovered.
Chemisorption of H2 on W(100): Absolute sticking probability, coverage, and electron stimulated desorption

Measurements of both the absolute sticking probability near normal incidence and the coverage of H2 adsorbed on W(100) at ~ 300K have been made using a precision gas dosing system; a known fraction of the molecules entering the vacuum chamber struck the sample crystal before reaching a mass spectrometer detector. The initial sticking probability S0 for H2/W(100) is 0.51 ± 0.03; the hydrogen coverage extrapolated to S = 0 is 2.0 × 1015 atoms cm−2. The initial sticking probability S0 for D2/W(100) is 0.57 ± 0.03; the isotope effect for sticking probability is smaller than previously reported. Electron stimulated desorption (ESD) studies reveal that the low coverage β2 hydrogen state on W(100) yields H+ ions upon bombardment by 100 eV electrons; the ion desorption cross section is ~ 1.8 × 10−23 cm2. The H+ ion cross section at saturation hydrogen coverage when the β1 state is fully populated is ⪡ 10−25 cm2. An isotope effect in electron stimulated desorption of H+ and D+ has been found. The H+ ion yield is ≳ 100 × greater than the D+ ion yield, in agreement with theory.
Infrared absorption and ion content of moist atmospheric air

Abstract New measurements have been made of anomalous i.r. absorption in moist air using a White cell and optical path lengths of 56.4 and 94.0 m. Simultaneous measurements were made of the ion content of the moist air, which was humidified by boiling water in a recirculating system. Data are presented for absorption cross section, self-broadening coefficient and ion content as functions of humidity. The results show that the i.r. absorption is proportional to the ion content of moist air, and that the observed behavior is consistent with the theory that ions are formed by the dissociation of huge populations of large neutral clusters that are formed by evaporation and that are responsible for much of the i.r. continuum absorption. Other theoretical aspects and projected work are discussed briefly.
Impact of prospective peer review on pacemaker implantation rates in Massachusetts

Abstract Preapproval of elective permanent pacemaker insertions in Medicare patients is now mandatory for reimbursement. Of 1,860 requests for approval of an initial pacemaker implant in Massachusetts, 1,494 (80.3%) met strict Medicare guidelines and were approved by a nurse reviewer, and 366 (19.7%) were referred to an independent physician because of a question of appropriateness of indication or type of pacemaker. Only five requests (0.27%) were denied because of an inappropriate indication for pacing. On a second review of these records, an additional eight pacemaker insertions (0.43%) were deemed to have been inappropriately approved. Comparison of the annualized number of pacemaker requests for the study period with those of the 3 years before mandatory approval revealed a reduction of only 3.7%. Thus, contrary to previous findings in other areas of the country, in Massachusetts, inappropriate pacemaker insertions are rare and the effect of the prior approval process is minimal.
Reproductive toxicity of cyclophosphamide in the C57BL/6N mouse: 2. Effects on uterine structure and function

Cyclophosphamide-induced uterine weight loss was evaluated to determine whether it was a function of primary toxicity to the uterus or a secondary response to ovarian toxicity, that is, antral follicle destruction. C57BL/6N mice treated with cyclophosphamide exhibited a reduction in uterine weight concurrent with a decrease in plasma estradiol (E2) concentrations, thereby indicating toxicity to the ovary. However, when E2 concentrations recovered, uterine weight still remained depressed, suggesting that cyclophosphamide also impaired uterine function. Further investigation revealed that cyclophosphamide altered the normal uterotropic response to E2, significantly diminishing the uterine weight gain associated with E2 treatment. We conclude that effects of cyclophosphamide on the uterus involve two components: 1) decreased uterine weight in response to decreased plasma E2 resulting from ovarian toxicity, and 2) an altered response to E2 due to direct uterine toxicity.
The Wave & Probe Communication Mechanisms

This paper is motivated by the modifications recently suggested to enhance TCP performance over wireless channels. We argue that TCP end-to-end error-control mechanism lacks the functionality to respond appropriately in situations where errors vary in nature, frequency, or duration. As a result, this mechanism could, under some circumstances, yield zero throughput achievements at high energy-cost, or degrade throughput performance without conserving energy. This incompetent behavior with respect to the energy/throughput tradeoff puts in question TCP's suitability as a universal, reliable transport protocol of choice, especially for battery-powered mobile devices for which energy is a critical resource and congestion is not the exclusive cause of errors. We propose “Wave” and “Probing” communication and control mechanisms that permit end-to-end protocols to detect congestion without necessarily experiencing packet drops, to distinguish random and burst errors from congestion, and, as conditions vary, to rapidly adjust the transmission window upwards or downwards depending on the nature of the error. We report extensively on the performance of these new mechanisms to demonstrate their energy-conserving and high-throughput capabilities.
On the advantages of task motion multigraphs for efficient mobile manipulation

This paper addresses the problem of computing the sequence of motion plans necessary for a mobile manipulator to execute a given task. In our previous work, we have demonstrated that computational advantages can be obtained when solving this problem by using the notion of a task motion multigraph (TMM). TMMs represent the state spaces that correspond to various hardware components of the robot, and they convey this information to the motion planning level. In this paper, we present and evaluate an algorithm that further exploits TMMs and explores multiple state spaces simultaneously. Since tasks to be performed by mobile manipulators often allow solutions that use only a subset of the robot's hardware components, motion plans can be found in lower dimensional state spaces. The resulting solutions tend to be shorter, more natural and faster to compute. We show that when planning under geometric constraints only, information gained while exploring lower dimensional spaces can be reused to obtain solutions in higher dimensional spaces, if necessary. The reuse of information implicitly provides the ability to compute decoupled motion plans. If solutions are not found while planning in a decoupled fashion, the algorithm resorts to planning in the robot's full state space. Our experiments indicate speedups of 200% and solutions up to four times shorter when compared to an analogous approach that does not employ TMMs.
Fatal child cervical spine injuries in motor vehicle collisions: Analysis using unique linked national datasets

Aim: To improve insight into fatal child cervical spine injuries (CSI) caused by motor vehicle collisions. Method: Two large national mortality datasets were linked at the level of the individual decedent to analyse and compare anatomical injuries and vehicle crash characteristics for fatally injured child occupants. Results: Cervical spine injury was identified among 176 of 6065 child (age 0–15 years) motor vehicle occupant fatalities. Presence compared with absence of CSI had significant association with female gender, traumatic brain injury and seat restraint, but not with age, vehicle model, year or type, exposure to airbag, severe vehicle intrusion, collision speed or direction, drivability of the vehicle or seating position. Conclusions: Cervical spine injury, which was uncommon in the studied subset of child decedents, was associated with female gender, the use of passenger restraints and the presence of traumatic brain injury. 2009 Published by Elsevier Ltd.
Using bayesian priors to combine classifiers for adaptive filtering

An adaptive information filtering system monitors a document stream to identify the documents that match information needs specified by user profiles. As the system filters, it also refines its knowledge about the user's information needs based on long-term observations of the document stream and periodic feedback(training data) from the user. Low variance profile learning algorithms, such as Rocchio, work well at the early stage of filtering when the system has very few training data. Low bias profile learning algorithms, such as Logistic Regression, work well at the later stage of filtering when the system has accumulated enough training data.However, an empirical system needs to works well consistently at all stages of filtering process. This paper addresses this problem by proposing a new technique to combine different text classification algorithms via a constrained maximum likelihood Bayesian prior. This technique provides a trade off between bias and variance, and the combined classifier may achieve a consistent good performance at different stages of filtering. We implemented the proposed technique to combine two complementary classification algorithms: Rocchio and logistic regression. The new algorithm is shown to compare favorably with Rocchio, Logistic Regression, and the best methods in the TREC-9 and TREC-11 adaptive filtering tracks.
Roughness and structural motifs on the Si(1 0 3) surface

Abstract Si(1 0 3) is a stable nominal orientation of silicon crystals which was shown experimentally to be rough and disordered on the atomic scale. In this paper, we investigate 2 × 2 structures of the Si(1 0 3) surface retrieved via a genetic algorithm optimization. We have found a number of atomic scale structural motifs that are common to most of the 2 × 2 low-energy reconstructions. These reconstructions are assemblies of motifs with different types, numbers, and relative positions within the 2 × 2 surface unit cell. This analysis leads to the idea that the disorder on Si(1 0 3) could stem not only from the presence of several reconstructions with similar surface energies and diverse morphologies, but also from the fact that the structural motifs can be assembled together in variety of configurations apparently without incurring large energetic penalties and without having to form periodic patterns. This result is supported by molecular dynamics simulations of large-area Si(1 0 3) systems which show that the structural motifs can be retrieved individually (rather than in the prescribed combinations such as those retrieved by the genetic algorithm) at temperatures around 1000 K.
Salicylate Inhibition of Extracellular Signal-Regulated Kinases and Inducible Nitric Oxide Synthase

Abstract —The expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) is a characteristic response to inflammation and can be inhibited with sodium salicylate. We used the cytokine-induced iNOS induction in cardiac fibroblasts as a model system in which to test the hypothesis that effects on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) may explain the mechanism by which salicylate exerts its anti-inflammatory effects. Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) alone can induce extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), p38 MAPK, and c-Jun N-terminal kinase activity in a rapid and transient manner, whereas interferon-γ (IFN-γ) can induce only ERK. The inhibition of either the ERK pathway or p38 MAPK activity with selective inhibitors blocked cytokine-induced iNOS protein and nitrite production. Salicylate treatment inhibited iNOS expression induced by TNF-α and IFN-γ and attenuated the phosphorylation of ERK by TNF-α and IFN-γ either alone or in combination. Salicylate had no obvious effect on the activation of p38 MAPK or c-Jun N-terminal kinase. The results showed that salicylate inhibited the phosphorylation of ERK and iNOS expression induced by cytokines in a dose-dependent manner and suggested that salicylate exerts its anti-inflammatory action in part through inhibition of the ERK pathway and iNOS induction.
The Average Investment Performance Index

In this paper, which is the first step in our efforts to produce an objective standard for use in measuring the investment performance of any portfolio of securities over some period of time, we introduce the average investment performance index AIPI. The AIPI measures the average return which could have been realized during a particular time period from some specified universe of securities. Our reasons for constructing the AIPI are presented in Section I, where we also formally define the AIPI and discuss the random portfolios which conceptually underlie it. Section II is a mathematical development of the AIPI's properties. We find that the AIPI is equivalent to an unweighted arithmetic average of all actual returns in the given universe of securities, we show how to compute the variance of returns from all possible random portfolios, and we develop a method for linking the values of the AIPI across successive time periods. The use of the AIPI and the variance of random portfolio returns for rating the investment results achieved by portfolio managers is discussed and illustrated in Section III. We feel that the objective evaluations which are the basis of our illustrations should allow the reader to assess the applicability and implications of using the AIPI as a measure of investment performance.
Accumulation of GC donor splice signals in mammals

: The GT dinucleotide in the first two intron positions is the most conserved element of the U2 donor splice signals. However, in a small fraction of donor sites, GT is replaced by GC. A substantial enrichment of GC in donor sites of alternatively spliced genes has been observed previously in human, nematode and Arabidopsis, suggesting that GC signals are important for regulation of alternative splicing. We used parsimony analysis to reconstruct evolution of donor splice sites and inferred 298 GT > GC conversion events compared to 40 GC > GT conversion events in primate and rodent genomes. Thus, there was substantive accumulation of GC donor splice sites during the evolution of mammals. Accumulation of GC sites might have been driven by selection for alternative splicing. Reviewers: This article was reviewed by Jerzy Jurka and Anton Nekrutenko. For the full reviews, please go to the Reviewers' Reports section.
Software risk management: requirements-based risk metrics

There are several problems associated with current approaches to requirements-based risk metrics for software risk management. For example, the approaches are qualitative and limit risk considerations to probability of occurrence and severity of impact. They also do not take into account the relative size of the requirements category of which they are a part, i.e. the development effort needed to implement that requirements category. Finally, quantitative factors are not used. The advanced integrated requirements engineering system (AIRES) provides automated support for the quantitative identification and extraction of requirements-based software risk metrics throughout the requirements engineering life cycle. The AIRES risk assessment framework and techniques for the integrated application of both semantic and syntactic rules provide for effective, efficient, and comprehensive identification of requirements at risk in large complex multiple segment systems. A review of a portion of the requirements for a Navy Gun Mount System is included to provide an example of the use of AIRES to support the development of requirements-based risk metrics. >
Unsupervised software categorization using bytecode

Automatic software categorization is the task of assigning software systems or libraries to categories based on their functionality. Correctly assigning these categories is essential to ensure that relevant software can be easily retrieved by developers from large repositories. State of the art approaches either rely on the availability of the source code, or use supervised machine learning approaches, which require a set of already labeled software as training data. These restrictions make current approaches fail when such information is not available. We propose a novel approach, which overcomes these limitations by using semantic information recovered from byte code and an unsupervised algorithm to assign categories to software systems. We evaluated our approach in a study on the Apache Foundation Repository of Java libraries and the results indicate that our approach is able to correctly identify a correct category for 86% of the libraries.
The virtual M&S Lyceum: a consortium for modeling and simulation technology

This paper addresses the opportunity to put into place a virtual consortium for modeling and simulation. While periodic conferences such as the Winter Simulation Conference are tremendously vital to the continued growth of modeling and simulation research, they do not offer the day-to-day technical exchange that can now be made possible with matured collaborative technologies. We call this Web-based meeting place Virtual MS where young Athenian students were imparted great knowledge and insight by the great minds of the time. It is in the spirit of this "hall of learning" that we try to create a place-albeit a virtual one-in which great minds can once again impart knowledge and insight to the masses.
Cold Blood-Potassium Cardioplegia

A technique is described for providing myocardial protection utilizing oxygenated blood that is drawn from the pump oxygenator and passed through two disposable cardioplegic cooling coils, which are joined in series and submerged in ice slush. A potassium-containing cardioplegic solution is run into the oxygenated blood at the level of the cooling coils. The amount of blood used in the blood-potassium cardioplegic mixture is controlled using a screw clamp. This method has been used with excellent results in 150 consecutive patients undergoing aortocoronary saphenous vein bypass grafting.
Performance modeling and optimization framework for space-time adaptive processing (STAP)

Summary form only given. Fully-adaptive space-time adaptive processing (STAP) is an optimal but impractical radar processing algorithm due to the overwhelming number of operations required. Hence, many different heuristic approaches are sought to approximate the optimal method with fewer number of operations. We introduce a framework for prototyping various STAP methods on a parallel system: describing STAP methods, building execution time models for basic building blocks, and using these models to automatically optimize performance of the algorithms. We also present the performance results from a COTS PC cluster.
A universal structure for artificial neural networks

An approximation procedure, named successive linearization, is introduced for unified implementation of a large class of neural networks. A nonlinear neural model with dynamic sensitivity is presented. It is modular and has rapid learning schemes. Arbitrary nonlinear functions with memory which are commonly used for modeling dynamical systems, as well as static nonlinear classification boundaries, can both be implemented equally well. Fast learning algorithms for the universal structure are presented. >
Just Cause for War

The central contention of this essay is that a just cause for war is a wrong that is of a type that can make those responsible for it morally liable to military attack as a means of preventing or rectifying it. This claim has many implications that conflict with assumptions of the currently orthodox theory of the just war. Among the implications explored in the text are that the requirement of just cause is logically and morally prior to all the other requirements of a just war, that this requirement governs all phases of a war and not just the resort to war, that it is thus impermissible to continue to fight a war once the just cause or causes have been achieved, that it is impermissible to fight at all in a war that lacks a just cause, that just cause is a restriction on the type of aim that may be pursued by means of war and is not a matter of scale, that a war that lacks a just cause may be morally justified even if it is not just, and that a belligerent can pursue both just and unjust causes in the same war, which may then have elements or phases that are just and other elements or phases that are unjust.
Local Connectivity, Kleinian Groups and Geodesics on the Blowup of the Torus

Let N = H 3 / be a hyperbolic 3-manifold with free fundamental group π1(N) ∼ ∼ h A, Bi , such that (A, B) is parabolic. We show that the limit setof N is always locally connected. More precisely, letbe a compact surface of genus 1 with a single boundary component, equipped with the Fuchsian action of π1(�) on the circle S 1 1 . We show that for any homotopy equivalence f : � → N, there is a natural continuous map
Changing everyday health behaviors through descriptive norm manipulations

We conducted an observational study to examine the effects of descriptive norm information on daily health behaviors. For 3 weeks, in three university campus locations, we counted the number of people who used an elevator versus stairs to go up one or two floors. Signs posted near two of the elevators during the second week stated either that most people used the stairs or that taking the stairs was a good way to get some exercise. In the location with the norm information sign, the number of individuals who used the elevator versus the stairs dropped by 46% between the first and second week. This lower rate of elevator use was also found the week after the sign had been removed. No significant change in elevator use was seen either at the location with the sign encouraging exercise or at the location with no sign. The findings are consistent with the focus theory of normative conduct and suggest avenues for improving everyday health behaviors.
Thyrocalcitonin activity in hypercalcemia produced by calcium salts, parathyroid hormone and vitamin D.

To investigate the relation between the hypocalcemic activity of thyrocalcitonin and the rate of bone resorption, the quantitative effect of exogenous thyrocalcitonin was studied in rats in which the rate of bone resorption was altered by thyroparathyroidectomy and by the administration of calcium salts, parathyroid extract or vitamin D3. In sham-operated rats made hypercalcemic by the oral administration of CaCl3, thyrocalcitonin had no significant hypocalcemic activity. In thyroparathyroidectomized rats given oral CaCl2, a full Hypocalcemic response to thyrocalcitonin, of 1.49 mEq/1, occurred. In sham-operated and thyroparathyroidectomized rats made hypercalcemic by the administration of parathyroid extract, thyrocalcitonin caused mean decreases in the plasma concentration of calcium of 0.83 and 1.47 mEq/1, respectively. In hypercalcemia produced by the administration of a single dose of 105 USP U of vitamin D3, sham-operated and thyroparathyroidectomized rats showed mean decreases in the plasma concent...
Nonparametric Bayes estimation of a distribution under nomination sampling

Nomination sampling is a sampling process in which every observation is the maximum of a random sample from some distribution. If the data are ((Y/sub i/, K/sub i/), i=1, . . ., n) where K/sub i/ is the size of sample i, and Y/sub i/ is the maximum of a random sample of size K/sub i/ from an unknown Cdf, F; the Bayes estimator of F is derived by discretizing F over a fixed finite partition of the support of F and taking a Dirichlet distribution as the prior for the probabilities of the partitioning intervals. For the flood data of the Nidd River considered by R.A. Boyles and F.J. Samaniego (J. Am. Stat. Assoc., vol.81, p.1039-45, 1986), the plots of the Bayes estimator of F are obtained for several sets of values of the parameters of the Dirichlet distribution. >
TRAIL-expressing CD8+ T cells mediate tolerance following soluble peptide-induced peripheral T cell deletion

Peripheral tolerance controls the action of self-reactive T cells that escape thymic deletion. We showed previously that deletion of Ag-specific CD4+ T cells induced a CD8+ T(reg) population that maintained tolerance by deleting T cells with the same Ag specificity. The present study explored the mechanism of action of these CD8+ T(reg). Following OT-II T cell deletion by soluble OVA₃₂₃₋₃₃₉, B6 mice were unresponsive to challenge after CFA/OVA immunization, and Trail⁻/⁻ or Dr5⁻/⁻ mice were immune, although all strains displayed similar OT-II peripheral deletion. Interestingly, B6 mice remained tolerant to OVA even after a second infusion of OT-II T cells. Tolerance could be transferred to naive recipients using CD8+ T cells from B6 or Dr5⁻/⁻ mice that experienced peptide-induced peripheral OT-II deletion but not from Trail⁻/⁻ mice. Subsequent investigation found that the mechanism of action of the CD8+ T(reg) was TRAIL-mediated OT-II T cell deletion in a TCR-specific manner. Furthermore, the tolerance was transient, as it was established by 14 days after peptide injection but lost by Day 56. Together, these data provide evidence to suggest that the mechanism behind transient peripheral tolerance induced following T cell deletion is the cytotoxic activity of TRAIL-expressing CD8+ T(reg).
Clustering and synchronizing multi-camera video via landmark cross-correlation

We propose a method to both identify and synchronize multi-camera video recordings within a large collection of video and/or audio files. Landmark-based audio fingerprinting is used to match multiple recordings of the same event together and time-synchronize each file within the groups. Compared to prior work, we offer improvements towards event identification and a new synchronization refinement method that resolves inconsistent estimates and allows non-overlapping content to be synchronized within larger groups of recordings. Furthermore, the audio fingerprinting-based synchronization is shown to be equivalent to an efficient and scalable time-difference-of-arrival method using cross-correlation performed on a non-linearly transformed signal.
Ring resonator in a Sagnac loop

A study of a ring resonator in a Sagnac loop is presented. The results of a theoretical analysis based on Jones calculus are confirmed by experiments. Comparison of a ring resonator in a Sagnac loop with a ring only is performed, and the advantages of our scheme are pointed out. The scheme can be used to increase the measurement sensitivity to small birefringence and associated polarization mode dispersion and to decrease the threshold for Sagnac-loop-based nonlinear switching and laser mode locking.
Recent Developments in International Management Research: A Review of 20 Top Management Journals

This review analyzes recent trends in the international management (IM) literature from 1996 to 2000. The 271 articles located in 20 top management (and management related) journals are categorized into 12 distinct topics: (1) the global business environment; (2) internationalization; (3) entry mode decisions; (4) international joint ventures; (5) foreign direct investment (FDI); (6) international exchange; (7) transfer of knowledge; (8) strategic alliances and networks; (9) multinational enterprises; (10) subsidiary-headquarters relations; (11) subsidiary and multinational team management; and (12) expatriate management. Research in each of these areas is presented and linkages between the areas are reviewed. Concluding thoughts are offered relating to the pervasiveness, methodologies, and levels of analysis of IM research, as well as potential areas for future research.
Finite amplitude cellular convection induced by surface tension

A non-linear analysis of cellular convection driven by surface tension in a semi-infinite liquid layer heated from below has been made. The purpose is to determine whether or not one can predict the emergence of the hexagonal flow pattern from the interaction of a certain large class of important disturbances. The principal conclusion is that, compared with gravity driven convection, there is generally a much greater band of imposed temperature difference associated with hexagonal convective patterns. Partial results for the more realistic assumption of finite depth support this conclusion.
Involvement of calcitonin gene-related peptide in control of human fetoplacental vascular tone

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), one of the most potent endogenous vasodilators known, has been implicated in vascular adaptations and placental functions during pregnancy. The present study...
Letting Rivals Come Close or Warding Them Off? The Effects of Substitution Threat on Imitation Deterrence

A resource-based theory postulate is that firms must defend their resources against imitation to sustain competitive advantage. However, by deterring imitation, firms may induce rivals to create su...
Consequence Analysis for Used Fuel Extended Storage

Early identification and evaluation of security issues related to the extended storage of used nuclear fuel is critical. A breach in a dry fuel storage container has the possibility of external gas from the atmosphere interacting with the used fuel rods at high temperatures, resulting in rapid oxidation and possibly the ignition of a zirconium fire. In support of this idea, the current work aims to develop a computational model of heat transfer and fluid flow in and through a breached dry fuel storage cask to determine if the resulting flow conditions are likely to result in a fire.
Analysis of the ways of enhancing target strength based on innovative co-production function

The co-innovation production function was built on the basis of Douglas production function.The same capacity curve was used to describe the innovative target,and the DEA method was used to analyze the way and the method of realizing and enhancing innovation target.Finally,an empirical analysis was conducted in view of the specific circumstances of the six central provinces.
High-voltage Dielectric Loss Measurement for Current Transformer on Site

The insulation condition of current transformer can be reflected sensitively by the high-voltage dielectric loss.When the tanδ exceeds standard or other insulation defect is suspected in the preventive test,it is necessary to measure the tanδ under high-voltage,and pay attention to the capacitance variation.The series-compensated method is an effective method to measure high-voltage dielectric loss in field test.Attention should be paid to the influence of the high-voltage leading wire and the electric field interference on the field test.Moreover,comprehensive analysis of measurement results should be conducted.
156 MECHANISMS AFFECTING T-CELL PRIMING AND DIFFERENTIATION IN THE ELDERLY.

Purpose The ability to mount primary immune responses is severely compromised with age. Although thymic production of new T cells dwindles early during adulthood, size and repertoire contraction of na•ve T cells explain defective immunocompetence only after the age of 75 years. We have hypothesized that cellular defects in aged na•ve T cells impair their ability to respond and to clonally expand to activation stimuli. Methods Purified na•ve CD45RA+CD4+ T cells from young (20 to 31 years, n = 10) and old (65 to 81 years, n = 10) were co-cultured with myeloid dendritic cells and the superantigen TSST-1 to mimic in vitro priming. The system allows for separately examining high-affinity (Vb2+ T cells) and low-affinity (Vb22 T cells) T-cell responses. Dendritic cells were derived from a young donor. Cell cycle entry and progression were monitored by CSFE staining. Cell activation and differentiation were assessed by gene array and flow cytometry. Results T-cell activation was intact in aged na•ve T cells, even after low-affinity interaction. In the young, 87.7 6 8.8% of high-affinity and 10.5 6 3.8% of low-affinity T cells entered the cell cycle compared to 87.3 6 11.8 and 9.7 6 4.3 in the old. T cells after high-affinity activation showed a more rapid cell cycle progression; however, again, there was no age-dependent difference. Flow cytometric studies of chemokine receptors documented differentiation of primed T cells, irrespective of the age of the donor. Gene array studies allowed the identification of several differentiation pathways that were intact in the elderly. However, there was a selective defect in the regulation of several thiol systems, which was confirmed by real-time PCR in a second independent cohort of young and old individuals. Conclusions In sharp contrast to murine studies, human na•ve T cells in the elderly are able to respond to high- and low-affinity T-cell receptor ligands, enter the cell cycle, and proliferate without significant delay in cell cycle progression, suggesting effective compensation for telomere loss. The abnormal induction of selected antioxidant thiols is a promising target to understand age-dependent immune defects.
Transplantation of Skin

Foreign skin continues to represent the most useful method of reducing fluid, protein, heat, and energy loss, controlling infection, and protecting underlying structures in large open wounds. Patient selection, xenografts or allografts, immunosuppression, and temporary skin allografting are considered.