cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tibetan Buddhism in the Digital Age: Exploring Online Buddhist Study, Practice, and Community on Ocean: The Vast Teachings of Chögyam Trungpa

This article investigates the growth of online religion through a study of Ocean: The Vast Teachings of Chogyam Trungpa. Opened to the public in the spring of 2015 with a series of courses, practices, and gatherings, Ocean describes itself as an online site of practice, study, and community dedicated to the life and teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist reincarnate teacher Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche (1939/40-1987). Closely examining Ocean’s history, design, and programs, I illustrate how Ocean exemplifies a shift from religion online primarily comprised of individuals consuming information toward the increasing presence of spaces that support more participatory, accessible, and interactive relationships among their users. I draw upon Heidi Campbell’s concept of “networked religion,” to examine Ocean as a novel space for the study and practice of Tibetan Buddhism that is both becoming entangled with users’ offline religious lives and practices and a new site for the negotiation of participation and authority.
Data Management Rubric for Video Data in Organismal Biology.

Abstract Standards-based data management facilitates data preservation, discoverability, and access for effective data reuse within research groups and across communities of researchers. Data sharing requires community consensus on standards for data management, such as storage and formats for digital data preservation, metadata (i.e., contextual data about the data) that should be recorded and stored, and data access. Video imaging is a valuable tool for measuring time-varying phenotypes in organismal biology, with particular application for research in functional morphology, comparative biomechanics, and animal behavior. The raw data are the videos, but videos alone are not sufficient for scientific analysis. Nearly endless videos of animals can be found on YouTube and elsewhere on the web, but these videos have little value for scientific analysis because essential metadata such as true frame rate, spatial calibration, genus and species, weight, age, etc. of organisms, are generally unknown. We have embarked on a project to build community consensus on video data management and metadata standards for organismal biology research. We collected input from colleagues at early stages, organized an open workshop, "Establishing Standards for Video Data Management," at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology meeting in January 2017, and then collected two more rounds of input on revised versions of the standards. The result we present here is a rubric consisting of nine standards for video data management, with three levels within each standard: good, better, and best practices. The nine standards are: (1) data storage; (2) video file formats; (3) metadata linkage; (4) video data and metadata access; (5) contact information and acceptable use; (6) camera settings; (7) organism(s); (8) recording conditions; and (9) subject matter/topic. The first four standards address data preservation and interoperability for sharing, whereas standards 5-9 establish minimum metadata standards for organismal biology video, and suggest additional metadata that may be useful for some studies. This rubric was developed with substantial input from researchers and students, but still should be viewed as a living document that should be further refined and updated as technology and research practices change. The audience for these standards includes researchers, journals, and granting agencies, and also the developers and curators of databases that may contribute to video data sharing efforts. We offer this project as an example of building community consensus for data management, preservation, and sharing standards, which may be useful for future efforts by the organismal biology research community.
Homogenization analysis of invasion dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes with differential bias and motility

Animal movement behaviors vary spatially in response to environmental heterogeneity. An important problem in spatial ecology is to determine how large-scale population growth and dispersal patterns emerge within highly variable landscapes. We apply the method of homogenization to study the large-scale behavior of a reaction–diffusion–advection model of population growth and dispersal. Our model includes small-scale variation in the directed and random components of movement and growth rates, as well as large-scale drift. Using the homogenized model we derive simple approximate formulas for persistence conditions and asymptotic invasion speeds, which are interpreted in terms of residence index. The homogenization results show good agreement with numerical solutions for environments with a high degree of fragmentation, both with and without periodicity at the fast scale. The simplicity of the formulas, and their connection to residence index make them appealing for studying the large-scale effects of a variety of small-scale movement behaviors.
Invisible near-field probes at infrared frequencies based on impedance engineering at the nanoscale

Near-field probes are becoming a fundamental tool in optical imaging, for applications spanning from biology and medical research to nanophotonics. The scattering from these probes, however, perturbs the electromagnetic fields under study, distorting the resulting images. A solution to this issue was proposed based on covering the probe with suitable plasmonic materials. However, since materials having specific properties are often not available at the required frequency, we propose here an alternative general technique to suppress the probe's scattering, without the need for plasmonic or metamaterial shells. In particular, we propose to control the response of an aperture-type probing tip working at infrared frequencies by directly carving suitable slits on its aluminum cover (feasible with current nanotechnology). The slits act as transmission lines for the incident field, and allow controlling the impedance of the nano-object. Our numerical results show that this method allows drastically suppressing the dipolar polarizability, and therefore the dipolar scattering, of the probe. As a relevant example, we show that the modified tip perturbs much less the resonant fields of a nanophotonic cavity, while still being able to measure the field distribution. These results may have important practical impact for optical imaging and nano-electromagnetics.
Review: Insurgencies and Revolutions: Reflections on John Friedmann’s Contributions to Planning Theory and Practice

Insurgencies and Revolutions: Reflections on John Friedmann’s Contributions to Planning Theory and Practice offers fresh insight into Friedmann’s wide-ranging influence on planning scholarship and ...
Discovering Suburban Values through Design Review

At its October 1988 meeting, the Design Review Commission of Germantown, Tennessee, reached an impasse with the Gulf Oil Company over its proposal to construct a gasoline station and small convenience outlet on a corner site on the rapidly developing eastern edge of the city. This was not the first occasion that the commission had differed with developers over its seventeen-year life, nor was it the first time the board had dealt with the troubling issues of automobile-oriented uses. However, this case came to threaten the very existence of the board.
Hybrid HPC Cloud Strategies from the Student Cluster Competition

The value of running high performance and throughput applications on cloud or on-premises resources is a topic of increasing importance. At the annual Student Cluster Competition at the SC conference, teams race High Performance Compute (HPC) clusters for 46 hours straight to find solutions to scientific and engineering application workloads. In 2017, a cloud component was added, and students were tasked with deciding how to best to use the cloud. They had to decide which competition applications should run in the cloud versus their on-premises clusters and efficiently manage their computing budget, both in terms of on-premises power and their monetary cloud budget. Using these teams' experiences as a case study, we have a unique opportunity to examine and glean insights from the strategies, outcomes and attitudes toward using a hybrid model for HPC.
Some characteristics of fabrics for heat protective garments

Some principles of protection afforded by clothing in fire situations are reviewed briefly. Several examples of measurements of heat protective properties are given. The materials covered are single layers of fabrics appropriate for work uniforms. the same type of fabric combined with four popular underwear fabrics, and typical fire fighters' turnout coat assemblies, consisting of a shell fabric, vapor barrier, and thermal barrier. Such protective garment assemblies should not burn; they should retain their integrity, that is, not shrink, melt, or form brittle chars that break during the stresses induced by movement of the wearer; and they should provide as much insulation against heat on the fire scene as possible without interfering with the wearer's activities.
A Parallel Algorithm to Calculate an Approximation to the Order-K Voronoi Diagram using Java Streams and Thrust

A parallel algorithm to find an approximate solution to the Order-K Voronoi Diagram problem is presented. Results of parallel implementations using Java Streams and Thrust are reported.
Egg and clutch sizes of western chicken turtles (Deirochelys reticularia miaria)

Chicken turtles ( Deirochelys reticularia ) are generally characterized as having atypical reproductive characteristics relative to other sympatric emydids. However, the comparatively understudied western chicken turtle ( D. r. miaria ) has been shown to exhibit some reproductive characteristics that differ from the other subspecies. Therefore, we examined clutch and egg sizes from six D. r. miaria (13 clutches) in Oklahoma and compared the results to values that have been reported for the other two subspecies. Females nested up to three times per year, with clutches ranging from 8-13 eggs per clutch (mean = 10.9). The eggs were 19.4-25.3 mm wide (mean = 22.2 mm). These values are greater than the means reported for the other subspecies, but the differences were not statistically significant.
The (Re)birth of Inorganic Chemistry

In 1956 Ronald Nyholm proclaimed the renaissance of inorganic chemistry in his inaugural address as Professor of Inorganic Chemistry at University College London, where he had recently arrived (from Australia).
Incarceration and the Economic Fortunes of Urban Neighborhoods

New research has identified the consequences of high rates of incarceration on neighborhood crime rates, but few studies have looked beyond crime to examine the collateral effects of incarceration on the social and economic well being of the neighborhoods themselves and their residents. We assess two specific indicia of neighborhood economic well-being, household income and human capital, dimensions that are robust predictors of elevated crime, enforcement and incarceration rates. We decompose incarceration effects by neighborhood racial composition and socio-economic conditions to account for structural disadvantages in labor force and access to wealth that flow from persistent patterns of residential segregation. We use panel methods to examine the effects on incarceration on New York City census tracts over an 11 year period from 1985-1996, a period which saw crime rates rise and fall sharply, and when incarceration rates increased and remained high in concentrated areas throughout the city. We examine whether persistently high incarceration rates erode human capital and depress median household incomes, further intensifying incarceration risks and threatening to create conditions where incarceration and economic disadvantage become endogenous features of certain neighborhoods. We find distinct but overlapping effects for prisons and jails, suggesting that these are parallel processes produced by loosely coupled law enforcement priorities. Incarceration effects are greater for household income than human capital, suggesting a complex relationship between persistent poverty, residential segregation, and incarceration that reinforces a classic poverty trap. Household incomes are lower over time in neighborhoods with higher proportions of African American population, even after controlling for the effects of race on incarceration, but we find no similar effects for Hispanic populations. Spatially targeted policies such as microinvestment and housing development may be needed offset the local embeddedness of poverty and disrupt its connections to incarceration and crime, while education policy and transitional labor market networking can strengthen local human capital.
Optimization of Distributed Parameter Structures Under Dynamic Loads

Abstract : In this report, optimal design of continuous structural systems under dynamic loads is considered. An optimization technique is developed based on the generalized steepest descent method and optimal control techniques Bryson and Ho. The method is then applied to some beam and plate problems. (Author)
Searching for Light Relics with the CMB

Fluctuations in the cosmic neutrino background are known to produce a phase shift in the acoustic peaks of the cosmic microwave background (CMB). It is through the sensitivity to this effect that the recent CMB data has provided a robust detection of free-streaming neutrinos. In this chapter, we revisit the phase shift of the CMB anisotropy spectrum as a probe of new physics. The phase shift is particularly interesting because its physical origin is strongly constrained by the analytic properties of the Green’s function of the gravitational potential. For adiabatic fluctuations, a phase shift requires modes that propagate faster than the speed of fluctuations in the photon-baryon plasma. This possibility is realized by free-streaming relativistic particles, such as neutrinos or other forms of dark radiation. Alternatively, a phase shift can arise from isocurvature fluctuations. We present simple models to illustrate each of these effects and provide observational constraints from the Planck temperature and polarization data on additional forms of radiation. We also estimate the capabilities of future CMB Stage-4 experiments. Whenever possible, we give analytic interpretations and consider possible implications of our results.
Perceptions and experiences of outdoor occupational workers using digital devices for geospatial biometeorological monitoring

Wearable devices have the potential to track and monitor a wide range of biometeorological conditions (e.g., temperature, UV, air quality) and health outcomes (e.g., mental stress, physical activity, physiologic strain, and cognitive impairments). These sensors provide the potential for personalized environmental exposure information that can be harnessed for at-risk populations. Personalized environmental exposure information is of particular importance for populations that are continuously exposed to hazardous environmental conditions or with underlying health conditions. Yet, for these devices to be effective, individuals must be willing to monitor their health and, if prompted, adhere to warnings or notifications. To date, no study has examined the perceptions and use of digital devices and wearable sensors among vulnerable outdoor working populations. This study evaluated digital device use and perceptions among a population of groundworkers in three diverse geographic sites in the southeastern USA (Boone, NC, Raleigh, NC, and Starkville, MS). Our results demonstrate that biometeorological health interventions should focus on smartphone technology as a platform for monitoring environmental exposure and associated health outcomes. It was encouraging to find that those study participants were very likely to wear sensors and utilize global positioning system technology despite potential privacy issues. In addition, 3 out of 4 workers indicated that they would change their behavior if given a personalized heat preventive warning. Future development of wearable sensors and smartphone applications should integrate personalized weather warnings and ensure privacy to facilitate the use of these technologies among vulnerable populations.
Intergenerational Coresidence and Mothers' Body Weight at Midlife.

Midlife mothers report their children returning to the maternal home after departing (i.e., boomerang children) and remaining in the maternal home longer (i.e., never-left children) than the past half century. Over the same time period, the percent of Americans considered overweight and obese have increased. Yet, we know very little about how such delays affect the body weight of mothers. The current study uses the National Survey of Youth 1979 (NLSY79) and its corresponding young adult sample (NLSY79-YA) across 20 consecutive years (N = 7197) to determine if extended coresidence with an adult child is associated with midlife mothers’ body weight changes. Results from multilevel regression models show that compared to mothers whose young adult children left home and never returned (“gone-for-good”), mothers of the “never-left” had higher body weight at 40, but similar body weight at 50. Mothers of the boomerangers had higher body weight relative to mothers of the “gone-for-good” across midlife. Mothers of the boomerangers and mothers of the “never-left” had similar weight at age 40, but the former group had more weight gain across midlife. These findings lend new insight into how different patterns of mother-young adult coresidence likely affect the health of mothers and suggest that the effects of recent demographic trends such as “failure to launch” on family formation and functioning should be viewed holistically with a more inclusive sociological lens.
CIF2WAN: A Tool to Generate Input Files for Electronic Structure Calculations with Wannier90

The generation of input files for density functional theory (DFT) programs must often be manually done by researchers. If one wishes to produce a maximally localized wannier functions (MLWFs) the calculation consists of several separate files that must be formatted correctly in order for the program to work properly. Many of the inputs are repeated throughout the files and can be easily automated. In this work, a program is presented to generate all of the input files needed to produce wannier functions with Wannier90 starting from open source DFT programs such as Quantum Espresso, Abinit, and Siesta. In addition, the input files for WannierTools are also included for those that wish to produce surface green's functions for the generation of surface state bands. The program presented allows for users new to DFT to use the programs with minimal understanding of parameters needed to produce good results, in addition, this program allows for researchers who are advanced DFT users to utilize this program for high throughput wannier calculations.
When the Interest Rate on the National Debt Is a Policy Variable (and “Printing Money” Does Not Apply)

Modern Monetary Theory (MMT) argues that the interest rate on the national debt for a monetary sovereign is a policy variable, not subject to whether bond markets “accept” or “reject” it. This paper defines measures of the components of the standard analysis of fiscal sustainability. It then methodically describes the Federal Reserve's operations relevant for understanding why interest rates on government debt in the United States have been and continue to be driven by monetary policy. A corollary that emerges—“printing money,” as economists usually understand it—is not applicable and has never been advocated by MMT.
Best Practices for Including Individuals With Dementia as Research Participants

Including individuals with dementia as participants in research studies can be a challenge given the cognitive symptoms experienced, including difficulties with attention, memory, language, and executive functioning and behavioral symptoms, such as agitation and frustration. Researchers, however, have begun to include individuals with dementia as more active participants in the research process. Specifically, individuals with dementia have provided self-report information about their illness experience, including how they cope and manage with their illness and how illness-related strains are related to psychosocial outcomes. Researchers also have starting using self-report data collection protocols instead of proxy-report measures to assess the impact of non-pharmacological interventions developed for individuals with dementia on well-being outcomes such as depressive symptoms, unmet needs, and relationship strain. To date, however, there are no clear guidelines or ‘best practices’ to assist researchers in developing study protocols that facilitate the inclusion and participation of individuals with dementia. This poster will present findings from a systematic literature review of studies that have successfully included individuals with dementia as research participants. Key areas examined include: 1) the focus and type of research question studied; 2) the use and type of cognitive screening tools for determining study eligibility; 3) implementation of qualitative versus quantitative research designs; 4) objective versus subjective measures; 5) data collection tools; 6) psychometric evidence of data obtained; and 7) how data have been analyzed. Findings highlight the importance of collecting data directly from individuals with dementia to further understand the illness experience and assess the impact of non-pharmacological interventions.
Low-Profile Machined-Metal Array Radiator for Ka-Band

A simple implementation of the Frequency-scaled Ultra-wide Spectrum Element (FUSE) antenna aperture was developed for manufacturing as a self-supporting metallic structure using either subtractive or additive technologies (or a hybrid combination). This low-profile ultra-wideband array aperture is shown to be precisely built for operation from roughly 10 GHz to 40 GHz with VSWR below 2.0 for 45-degree scans in all planes for an optimally-sampled square lattice. Modeling predictions are validated with measured results.
It's Time to Expand Chlamydia Treatment for Gay and Bisexual Men.

Expedited partner therapy involves prescribing sexually transmitted infection (STI) treatment for a patient’s partner(s) without seeing the partner. It is approved for heterosexual partners of patients with chlamydia in most states. However, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends against expedited partner therapy in men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM), citing limited data in this population and concerns that expedited partner therapy could discourage comprehensive STI testing, thereby driving increased HIV transmission. In this piece, we describe the case of a 33-year-old gay man on HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) whose cycle of chlamydia reinfection might have been prevented by expedited partner therapy. His case highlights how new HIV prevention strategies—including PrEP and Treatment as Prevention—challenge the assumption that all MSM with chlamydia are at risk for HIV. Until more data on expedited partner therapy in MSM are available, clinicians should incorporate characteristics of patients’ sexual networks in weighing the risks and benefits of expedited partner therapy.
Automated method to compute orbital reentry trajectories with heating constraints

An algorithm is presented that is designed to compute reentry trajectories for unpowered lifting reusable launch vehicles. The algorithm uses self-contained trajectory simulation and root finding techniques to determine the appropriate control sequences for solving reentry problems. For orbital reentries, the solution process breaks the trajectory into two distinct parts. The first part begins where the deorbited vehicle first encounters substantial atmosphere and can exercise trajectory control through the manipulation of aerodynamic lift. This phase of the flight is governed by an analytical, constant heat-rate following, bank angle control law. The second and final part of the trajectory begins where heat-rate control is no longer desired. During this time trajectory control is used to meet terminal range and altitude targets and is governed by a linear bank angle control law. The planning algorithm determines the value of the individual trajectory control parameters that shape the reentry. The planned trajectory is then used by a profile following guidance algorithm during actual flight. Test results for a variety of orbital and suborbital missions are shown.
Micrometrology in pursuit of quantum radiation standards

Abstract With the recent redefinition of the SI base units in terms of constants of nature, the race is on to maximize achievable precision by developing primary standards based on quantum metrology, thereby to realize the Quantum SI. For the becquerel (Bq) and gray (Gy), the derived SI units for activity and absorbed dose, respectively, this is especially challenging because production and detection of ionizing radiation is difficult to manage at the atomic scale, and quantum coherences are easily lost in the cascade of inelastic processes that accompany the slowing of energetic particles in matter. This would not preclude a secondary role for quantum metrology in the pursuit of single-event detection and resolution of radiation effects at microscopic scales, where we are beginning to apply new transition-edge sensors, silicon photonics, and link to quantum electrical standards. Here we summarize recent results for microcalorimetry in activity and dosimetry measurements and discuss their potential as next-generation standards.
Visual, auditory, sensory, and motor impairments in long-term survivors of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed in childhood

BACKGROUND Because of treatment-related toxicity, research is increasingly being focused on long-term sequelae secondary to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in survivor populations. METHODS This study describes the incidence of auditory, sensory, motor, and visual impairments, including cataracts, among 235 individuals who were treated with HSCT during childhood or adolescence. Outcomes were compared with 705 siblings of childhood cancer survivors. Participants completed a survey with questions on posttransplant organ system impairments. Approximately half of survivors were transplanted when younger than 10 years of age. The median length of followup was 11 years. RESULTS The cumulative incidence of cataracts was 36% at 15 years post-HSCT, although cataracts occurred only in those who received total body irradiation as an HSCT conditioning agent or head irradiation before transplant. Persistent pain was reported by 21% of survivors. Loss of hearing in one or both ears, and legal blindness in one or both eyes, each occurred after transplant in 2% of survivors. Occurrences were uncommon, but survivors were 4.3 times (95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.0–9.4) more likely to report coordination problems, 7.7 times (95% CI: 3.2–18.5) more likely to report chewing or swallowing problems, and 3.5 times (3.5; 95% CI: 1.6–7.9) more likely to report muscle weakness than those in the comparison group. Muscle weakness was strongly associated with positive history of chronic graft-versus-host disease. CONCLUSIONS Increased risks were found for motor impairments, hearing loss, vision loss, and persistent pain among study participants. Cataracts were a frequent adverse effect, suggesting that close monitoring with appropriate intervention for preservation of vision, particularly among those who received total body irradiation, should be a primary goal in survivors of HSCT performed in childhood. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
Fluid Film Lubrication: Theory and Design

Preface 1. Introduction 2. Basic equations 3. Thick film lubrication 4. Dynamic properties of lubricant films 5. Effects of fluid inertia 6. Flow stability and transition 7. Turbulence 8. Elastohydrodynamic lubrication 9. Thermal effects 10. Lubrication with non-Newtonian fluids 11. Gas lubrication Index.
A THRESHOLD MODEL OF ANTIGEN ANTIBODY DYNAMICS WITH FADING MEMORY

Publisher Summary This chapter describes a threshold model of antigen antibody dynamics with fading memory. Thresholds play an important role in most views of the immune response and are mathematically difficult to model. Waltman and Butz, borrowing from the mathematical theory of epidemics, proposed the use of an integral threshold to mark the onset of B-cell proliferation. Such a constraint leads to functional rather than ordinary differential equations. Gatica and Waltman enlarged the class of allowable threshold functions. The model described in the chapter continues the integral threshold approach but allows more complicated dynamics. Specifically, it allows for the reversible binding of antigen to B-cell receptors. The integral constraint can then be interpreted as an averaging of the effect of the number of bound surface receptors. The model allows this average to be weighted—perhaps in favor of more recent bindings and, hence, allows memory to fade. Both modifications make the model more realistic.
Evaluation of melatonin receptor 1a as a candidate gene influencing reproduction in an autumn-lambing sheep flock.

Abstract The effect of the melatonin receptor 1a (MTNR1A) gene on fertility and litter size in autumn lambing was studied with 373 ewes from a population of sheep selected for 10 yr for fertility in May and June matings. Animals were from a composite line of 50% Dorset, 25% Rambouillet, and 25% Finnsheep. Two restriction fragment length polymorphisms were present in the population, with allelic frequencies of 0.42 and 0.58 for an MnII polymorphism (alleles M and m, respectively) and of 0.34 and 0.66 for an RsaI polymorphism (alleles R and r, respectively). Genotypic frequencies for the polymorphisms were not independent, suggesting an association between them in foundation animals. Effects of MTNR1A genotype on fertility and litter size were evaluated using mixed linear model or REML procedures, but were not significant for matings involving ewes of all ages. However, in adult ewes (3 yr old and older), fertility of ewes of genotype mm was 10.0 (mixed model; P < 0.09) to 11.2% (REML; P = 0.03) less than that of other ewes. Genotypic effects associated with MTNR1A in adult ewes accounted for 23.8% of the estimated total additive genetic variance in fertility. Litter size was not significantly associated with MTNR1A genotype; adult ewes of genotype mm had approximately 0.11 fewer lambs per ewe lambing than ewes of other genotypes. Fertility in autumn lambing is lowly heritable, expressed only in females, and manifested relatively late in life and only in some management systems. Access to genetic markers would thus be advantageous in selection programs.
Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center: Community Mobilization Efforts to Reduce and Prevent Youth Violence

Although youth violence is a serious concern in the United States, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) youth have generally been neglected as a demographic group for scholarly inquiry or community mobilization efforts. This lack of attention in the violence prevention field is indicative of two perceptual impediments with which AAPI communities have struggled for decades: (1) That AAPIs represent a relatively small portion of the United States population, and (2) That AAPIs are stereotyped as "model minorities" who do not encounter serious social obstacles and who lack ethnic heterogeneity. This paper challenges these concerns, and describes two community mobilization efforts to prevent youth violence in AAPI communities. Both of these efforts were carried out from 2000 to 2003 by the University of Hawaii, Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center. Findings from these mobilization efforts highlight the need for long-term university-community commitments, in which university entities take a leadership role in disaggregating AAPI juvenile justice data. Another critical need is to work with previously marginalized ethnic groups within the AAPI population.
Treatment of tardive dyskinesia with vitamin E.

Objective Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol), a free-radical scavenger, has been reported to improve symptoms of tardive dyskinesia. The authors attempted to replicate this finding under more controlled conditions in a larger study group. Method Fifteen inpatients and six outpatients with tardive dyskinesia received up to 1600 IU/day of vitamin E for 6 weeks in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Abnormal Involuntary Movement Scale (AIMS) examinations of these patients were videotaped and rated independently by two trained raters. Levels of neuroleptic medication and vitamin E were measured during both treatment periods. Eighteen patients who demonstrated high blood levels of vitamin E were included in the data analysis. Results Vitamin E levels were significantly higher while the patients were receiving vitamin E than while they were receiving placebo. For all 18 patients, there were no significant differences between AIMS scores after receiving vitamin E and AIMS scores after receiving placebo. In agreement with previous studies, however, the nine patients who had had tardive dyskinesia for 5 years or less had significantly lower AIMS scores after receiving vitamin E than after receiving placebo. There were no changes in neuroleptic levels during vitamin E treatment. Conclusions Vitamin E had a minor beneficial effect on tardive dyskinesia ratings in a selected group of patients who had had tardive dyskinesia for 5 years or less. This effect was not due to an increase in blood levels of neuroleptic medications.
Learning Automation Policies for Pervasive Computing Environments

If current trends in cellular phone technology, personal digital assistants, and wireless networking are indicative of the future, we can expect our environments to contain an abundance of networked computational devices and resources. We envision these devices acting in an orchestrated manner to meet users' needs, pushing the level of interaction away from particular devices and towards interactions with the environment as a whole. Computation will be based not only on input explicitly provided by the user, but also on contextual information passively collected by networked sensing devices. Configuring the desired responses to different situations will need to be easy for users. However, we anticipate that the triggering situations for many desired automation policies will be complex, unforeseen functions of low-level contextual information. This is problematic since users, though easily able to perceive triggering situations, will not be able to define them as functions of the devices' available contextual information, even when such a function (or a close approximation) does exist. In this paper, we present an alternative approach for specifying the automation rules of a pervasive computing environment using machine learning techniques. Using this approach, users generate training data for an automation policy through demonstration, and, after training is completed, a learned function is employed for future automation. This approach enables users to automate the environment based on changes in the environment that are complex, unforeseen combinations of contextual information. We developed our learning service within Gaia, our pervasive computing system, and deployed it within our prototype pervasive computing environment. Using the system, we were able to have users demonstrate how sound and lighting controls should adjust to different applications used within the environment, the users present, and the locations of those users and then automate those demonstrated preferences
Extrapair Fertilizations and the Potential for Sexual Selection in a Socially Monogamous Songbird

ABSTRACT. Variation in mating success among individuals is the basis for sexual selection and the evolution of elaborate secondary sexual traits. In socially monogamous species, variation in mating success is generally thought to be small, but a skewed adult sex ratio, differences in female fecundity, and extrapair fertilizations that arise from matings outside the social pair bond can increase variance in reproductive success. We investigated how these factors generate the opportunity for sexual selection in the socially monogamous White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys pugetensis). We found a 38% increase in the standardized actual variance in reproductive success compared to the apparent standardized variance of males because of the contribution of extrapair fertilizations to total reproductive success. However, partitioning variance into within-pair and extrapair components showed that the majority of variance in male reproductive success was attributable to within-pair success and a skewed adu...
School Teachers' Control and Involvement in Their Own Evaluation.

For the technical, sociological-psychological, and political benefits of teacher participation in evaluation to occur, new structures and policies concerning evaluation must be put into place. Teachers must be given stagewise support in developing increased involvement and control. But finally, those policy makers, evaluation program designers and researchers who plan for teacher evaluation must act to more completely include teachers in their own evaluation. A great deal of good is at stake in the opportunity to increase teacher participation in teacher evaluation.
Reconstructing snow water equivalent in the Rio Grande headwaters using remotely sensed snow cover data and a spatially distributed snowmelt model

Snow covered area (SCA) observations from the Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) were used in combination with a distributed snowmelt model to estimate snow water equivalent (SWE) in the headwaters of the Rio Grande basin (3,419 km2) - a spatial scale that is an order of magnitude greater than previous reconstruction model applications. In this reconstruction approach, modeled snowmelt over each pixel is integrated over the time of ETM+ observed snow cover to estimate SWE. Considerable differences in the magnitude of SWE were simulated during the study. Basin-wide mean SWE was 2·6 times greater in April 2001 versus 2002. Despite these climatological differences, the model adequately recovered SWE at intensive study areas (ISAs); mean absolute SWE error was 23% relative to observed SWE. Reconstruction model SWE errors were within one standard deviation of the mean observed SWE over 37 and 55% of the four 16-km2 intensive field campaign study sites in 2001 and 2002, respectively; a result comparable to previous works at much smaller scales. A key strength of the technique is that spatially distributed SWE estimates are not dependent upon ground-based observations of SWE. Moreover, the model was relatively insensitive to the location of forcing observations relative to commonly used statistical SWE interpolation models. Hence, the reconstruction technique is a viable approach for obtaining high-resolution SWE estimates at larger scales (e.g. >1000 km2) and in locations where detailed hydrometeorological observations are scarce. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical Trial Design Issues in the Era of Targeted Therapies

Although our lack of effective therapies mandates the development of new, molecularly targeted therapies, a number of issues in the design of clinical trials and their end points remain to be considered.
Environmental inspection routes and the constrained travelling system salesman problem

Abstract The constrained version of the classical travelling salesman problem (TSP) is seen to be a generic model for a wide variety of problems. Our concern here is limited to those problems which impinge directly on the environmental issues. Some potential applications are in the areas of resource management, energy conservation and transportation. The version of the problem we are faced with can be stated as: Given 1 or more persons (or vehicles) that must visit a set of n sites (plants, bus stops, pickup point, and so on) how can one develop a route which is of minimum mileage and meets certain restrictions (8 hour work day, bus seating capacity, vehicle capacity, length of trip and so on). This paper addresses the following issues in light of this problem: 1. 1. Data problems: in particular, efficient means of gathering and maintaining data. 2. 2. Numerical results: the study of efficient algorithms so that the model can be used efficiently on large problems and also on a day-to-day basis. 3. 3. Areas of potential application: for example, locational problems (office location), regionalization studies (development of efficient regional boundaries, efficient inspection and delivery routes, long range and short term resource management). 4. 4. Decision making applications in terms of analysis of operations, planning and analysis of resources via sensitivity analysis.
Effect of isospin on three nucleon pion absorption in light nuclei

In this paper we present a model based solely on isospin for the determination of ratios of pion absorption cross sections on three nucleons. We then compare the results with the available experimental data for pion absorption on $^{3}\mathrm{He}$ and $^{4}\mathrm{He}$, at the energies 120 and 165 MeV, and for $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ and $^{7}\mathrm{Li}$ at 50, 100, 140, and 180 MeV. Good agreement was found between this simple model and experiment, suggesting that pion absorption on three nucleons in light nuclei may be described as a one step process.
Beware the ischiorectal abscess.

Abstract INTRODUCTION Ischiorectal abscesses have been shown to form sinuses with various deep structures but continuity with the spinal canal is extremely rare. PRESENTATION OF CASE A previously healthy sixty-five year old man presented emergently with rectal pain, weight loss and recurrent severe tension headaches. He had systemic sepsis and resultant coagulapathy (INR 3.4) which precluded investigation of neurological symptoms by lumbar puncture. MRI rectum demonstrated a well circumscribed fluid collection with direct connection to the spinal canal and containing meningeal tissue. It extended inferiorly to the right ischiorectal fossa and abutted the natal cleft. A radiological diagnosis of ischiorectal abscess which had become continuous with a previously existing anterior sacral myelomeningocoele (ASM) was made. He was treated with broad spectrum antibiotics and a neurosurgical opinion was sought. He remained clinically unwell (septic and coagulopathic) until the abscess fistulated through the perianal skin, draining pus mixed with clear fluid (likely CSF) at which point he improved systemically. DISCUSSION Few general surgeons would be faced with acute management of complicated ASM. Paucity of literature made application of evidence based medicine difficult. In fit healthy patients surgery is the mainstay of treatment as myelomengingoceles do not regress spontaneously. Conservative management is associated with up to 30% mortality (largely due to bacterial meningitis). The patient in this case was adamant that he did not consent to definitive surgical intervention. CONCLUSION This case highlights challenges encountered in the management of complicated ASM in a general hospital.
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGY IMPLICATIONS OF JAPANESE INDUSTRIAL STRUCTURE

This article explores a complex aspect of Japanese industrial organization—the Japanese Corporate Grouping (JCG) commonly known as keiretsu or kigyo shudan. They are a blend of political‐financial, strategically‐coordinated, bank‐related, industrially‐linked, intermarket relationships which provide member companies with the support to vigorously pursue international market opportunities. The article draws on these relational dimensions to develop a framework for exploring the critical implications of the JCG for organization theory and international business strategy. To remain competitive, international managers must meet many strategic challenges posed by Group‐Form organizations.
Cigarette Smoke in Research

In this issue of the AJRCMB, Kim and colleagues (see article beginning on page 483) demonstrate that cigarette smoke extract (CSE) can cause reversible DNA damage to primary human fetal fibroblasts. The use of crude cigarette smoke extract on cells in culture is, well, crude, and has often been criticized. In this particular case, the novel, mechanistic information with potential relevance to lung pathobiology merited publication. Nevertheless, we asked the senior author to discuss and justify the use of CSE as a model system.
QED post-silicon validation and debug: Frequently asked questions

During post-silicon validation and debug, one or more manufactured integrated circuits (ICs) are tested in actual system environments to detect and fix design flaws (bugs). According to several industrial reports, the costs of post-silicon validation and debug are rising faster than design costs. Hence, new techniques are essential to reverse this trend. QED, an acronym for Quick Error Detection, is such a technique that effectively overcomes several post-silicon validation and debug challenges. QED systematically creates a wide variety of validation tests to quickly detect bugs, not only inside processor cores, but also inside uncore components (i.e., components in an SoC that are neither processor cores nor coprocessors) of multi-core SoCs. In this paper, we present a brief overview of QED through a series of frequently asked questions.
TRANSIENT PROCESS OF THERMALLY STRATIFYING AN INITIALLY HOMOGENEOUS FLUID IN AN ENCLOSURE

Etude a l'aide d'un modele numerique aux differences finies des processus d'ecoulement et de variation du champ de temperatures conduisant a la formation par convection naturelle d'une stratification thermique dans un liquide contenu dans un cylindre dont les parois superieures et inferieures sont a des temperatures differentes
Structure of a Ca2+- myristoyl switch protein that controls activation of a phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase in fission yeast

Neuronal calcium sensor (NCS) proteins transduce Ca2+ signals and are highly conserved from yeast to humans. We determined NMR structures of the NCS-1 homolog from fission yeast (Ncs1), which activates a phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. Ncs1 contains an α-NH2-linked myristoyl group on a long N-terminal arm and four EF-hand motifs, three of which bind Ca2+, assembled into a compact structure. In Ca2+-free Ncs1, the N-terminal arm positions the fatty acyl chain inside a cavity near the C terminus. The C14 end of the myristate is surrounded by residues in the protein core, whereas its amide-linked (C1) end is flanked by residues at the protein surface. In Ca2+-bound Ncs1, the myristoyl group is extruded (Ca2+-myristoyl switch), exposing a prominent patch of hydrophobic residues that specifically contact phosphatidylinositol 4-kinase. The location of the buried myristate and structure of Ca2+-free Ncs1 are quite different from those in other NCS proteins. Thus, a unique remodeling of each NCS protein by its myristoyl group, and Ca2+-dependent unmasking of different residues, may explain how each family member recognizes distinct target proteins.