cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Associations of personality traits with marijuana use in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in the United States.

Abstract Introduction Identifying adolescents at risk for marijuana use who can be targeted for intervention efforts is critical. Certain personality traits are strongly associated with substance use, including marijuana use. We investigated the associations of impulsivity (and its subscales sensation seeking and lack of planning), aggression, and neuroticism with marijuana use (lifetime and frequency of past 12-month use) in a national sample of adolescents. Methods We used data from the National Comorbidity Survey: Adolescent Supplement, a nationally representative, cross-sectional study of 8495 U.S. adolescents aged 14 to 18 years. We calculated adjusted prevalence ratios and odds ratios to assess associations of the five personality scales with lifetime use and frequency of past 12-month use and examined gender as a potential moderator of these associations. Results Each of the personality traits was positively associated with lifetime use (all p Conclusions Our study highlights the potential importance of identifying personality traits, specifically disinhibition-related traits such as impulsivity and aggression, to reduce and prevent adolescent marijuana use.
Homogeneous Catalytic Activation of Hydrocarbons

A historical trend has been evident in the reactions of C-H bonds with soluble transition metal complexes over the past decade. The general progression in terms of reactions of increasing difficulty has been I. Ortho-metallation of aromatic rings, II. Substitution of benzene C-H, III. Intramolecular attack on aliphatic C-H, IV. Alkane activation. The work from our laboratory has involved the first three of these topics. Our primary tool has been the study of exchange between D2 and the C-H bonds of organic compounds. Although this is not a generally useful synthetic reaction, it provides a convenient tool for the detection of rapid reversible interactions of potential catalytic importance.
THE ITPACK PACKAGE FOR LARGE SPARSE LINEAR SYSTEMS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the ITPACK package for large sparse linear systems. The ITPACK package includes programs for solving by several alternative iterative algorithms. Each algorithm of ITPACK consists of four components including a basic iterative method such as the Jacobi method, the RS method, or the SSOR method and an acceleration method such as Chebyshev acceleration or conjugate gradient acceleration. Many iterative methods can be speeded up by the use of a polynomial acceleration procedure such as Chebyshev acceleration or conjugate gradient acceleration. It is found that if A is SPD, then the Richardson, Jacobi, and SSOR methods are symmetrizable. The use of conjugate gradient acceleration yields a convergence rate that is nearly always faster than Chebyshev acceleration and often considerably faster.
Purpose Restrictions on Information Use

Privacy policies in sectors as diverse as Web services, finance and healthcare often place restrictions on the purposes for which a governed entity may use personal information. Thus, automated methods for enforcing privacy policies require a semantics of purpose restrictions to determine whether a governed agent used information for a purpose. We provide such a semantics using a formalism based on planning. We model planning using Partially Observable Markov Decision Processes (POMDPs), which supports an explicit model of information. We argue that information use is for a purpose if and only if the information is used while planning to optimize the satisfaction of that purpose under the POMDP model. We determine information use by simulating ignorance of the information prohibited by the purpose restriction, which we relate to noninterference. We use this semantics to develop a sound audit algorithm to automate the enforcement of purpose restrictions.
Women’s Treatment in Criminal Justice Settings

This chapter looks at issues specific to women involved with the criminal justice system, examining characteristics that give rise to their distinctive needs. Factors are described that lead women into criminal behavior, as well as those that offer a pathway to a prosocial and productive life style. Treatment elements that have been shown to be important for women in general and those in criminal justice settings are discussed. The chapter offers guidelines for examining the evidence base and implementing evidence-based principles and practices successfully. Finally, recommendations are offered for improving treatment for women at this point in time.
Fluctuation theorems for continuous quantum measurements and absolute irreversibility

Fluctuation theorems are relations constraining the out-of-equilibrium fluctuations of thermodynamic quantities like the entropy production that were initially introduced for classical or quantum systems in contact with a thermal bath. Here we show, in the absence of thermal bath, the dynamics of continuously measured quantum systems can also be described by a fluctuation theorem, expressed in terms of a recently introduced arrow of time measure. This theorem captures the emergence of irreversible behavior from microscopic reversibility in continuous quantum measurements. From this relation, we demonstrate that measurement-induced wave-function collapse exhibits absolute irreversibility, such that Jarzynski-like equalities are violated, and that this property is inherent to quantum information acquisition. We apply our results to different continuous measurement schemes on a qubit: dispersive measurement, homodyne, and heterodyne detection of qubit's fluorescence.
The Effects of Consideration and Structure on Perceived Justice and Counterproductive Behavior

The Ohio State leadership factors of Consideration and Structure have seen renewed interest in recent years. Yet many important questions remain regarding the effects of these leadership dimensions...
A Prison to School Pipeline: College Students with Criminal Records and Their Transitions into Higher Education

Very little is known about the experiences of college students with criminal records (CSCR), an underrepresented and minoritized student population. This study utilized a constructivist qualitative methodology to understand the experiences of four CSCRs pursuing higher education. The participant perspectives yielded three noteworthy findings that contribute to limited literature on the experiences of CSCRs. The findings highlight CSCRs’ introduction to higher education, their initial feelings prior to pursuing postsecondary education, and background checks that pose as barriers. Based upon these findings, we are able to understand why supportive networks, specialized resources, and academic assistance are needed for CSCRs.
High-throughput, nondestructive assessment of defects in patterned epitaxial films on silicon by machine learning-enabled broadband plasma optical measurements

Historically, haze metrology on KLA-Tencor Surfscan® unpatterned wafer inspection systems is the preferred inline non-destructive method for ascertaining crystal quality of epitaxial deposited films. However, this metrology is limited to unpatterned blanket wafers. This paper describes a non- destructive inline optical methodology for measuring epitaxial quality of both blanket and patterned wafers using a novel fast turnaround machine learning method that can be applied to patterned and unpatterned substrates by utilizing the background noise obtained during broadband plasma optical defect inspection. This machine learning method is an innovative nuisance filtering algorithm used in inline defect inspection tools, named iDO™ 2.0 (inLine Defect Organizer™). The study showed a promising machine learning approach that repeatably measures low and high defect densities which are consistent with Secco etch data.
Assessing the implications of submetering with energy analytics to building energy savings

Abstract This paper analyzes the effect of the depth of submetering (i.e., from whole-building level to system level to equipment level and further to sensor level) on the energy savings that can be achieved in energy analytics or energy information system (EIS) implementations. An EIS is defined as a combination of software and hardware systems that gather energy-related data, feed it into an analytics engine, and present building operators with analyses that allow them to reduce energy consumption. Data regarding the energy savings, the depth of submetering in the EIS implementation, and the cost of submetering was gathered for 21 case (building portfolio) studies and analyzed to determine if there is a relationship between the depth of submetering and the energy savings achieved. It was found that in general, deeper submetering does in fact appear to enable deeper energy savings. The one exception to this is sensor-level data: the addition of detailed sensor level metering to other higher levels of metering data does not seem to enable deeper energy savings in EIS implementations. Detailed findings in energy savings, cost and cost-effectiveness were presented for different levels of metering that may provide insightful rule-of-thumb estimations for similar implementations.
Aztec Plants in 16th Century New World and European Herbals

Extensive book burning by the Inquisition in New Spain in the sixteenth century (see Fig. 2.3) destroyed much contemporary information about Aztec plants. However, detailed images and text of Aztec plants survive from a number of contemporary resources (Table 5.1):
Gender-Specific Predictors of Recidivism Among DUI Offenders

Objective:Women are less likely than men to be arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or another drug, yet their proportion of DUI offenders is growing. Understanding how DUI rec...
Axial-torsion behavior of superelastic tubes: Part I, proportional isothermal experiments

Abstract The tensile response of superelastic shape memory alloys (SMAs) has been widely studied, but detailed experimental studies under multi-axial loading are relatively rare. In Part I, we present the isothermal responses of commercially-available superelastic NiTi tubes for a series of proportional stretch-twist controlled histories, spanning pure tension to simple torsion to pure compression. These axial-shear responses are used to quantify the onset and saturation during forward (loading) and reverse (unloading) stress-induced transformations for the first time. Each of the four transformation surfaces is well-captured by a smooth (three-parameter) ellipse in both strain and stress space. A simple Gibbs free energy model is presented to show how the driving force for phase transformation is approximately constant across all proportional strain paths and how the stress and strain transformation surfaces are conjugate to one another. In addition, transformation kinetics and surface strain morphologies are characterized by stereo digital image correlation (DIC). Under extension at low amounts of twist, stress-induced transformation involves strain localization in helical bands that evolve into axial propagation of ring-like transformation fronts with fine criss-crossing fingers (similar to those seen by Q. P. Sun and co-workers in pure extension). However, at large amounts of twist, including simple torsion and pure torsion, we report a new transformation morphology, involving strain localization along nearly longitudinal bands in the tube. The sequel (Part II) will address the response to non-proportional stretch-twist paths. Together, these detailed multi-axial results advance the scientific understanding of superelasticity and inform efforts to develop high-fidelity SMA constitutive models and simulation tools.
Monitoring Rock Wall Temperatures and Microseismic Activity for Slope Stability Investigation at J.A. Carrel Hut, Matterhorn

Recent climate changes are increasing the frequency of rock-slope instabilities in the Alpine region. The formation of cracks leading to rockfalls causes a release of energy propagating in form of elastic waves. These latter can be detected by a suitable transducer array together with the vibrations generated by the impact of rockfalls. Geophones are among the most effective monitoring devices to investigate both these phenomena. A monitoring system composed by geophones and thermometers was installed at the J.A. Carrel hut (3829 m a.s.l., Matterhorn, NW Alps) in the framework of the Interreg Alcotra projects PERMAdataROC and MASSA by CNR IRPI and ARPA with the financial and logistic support of the Valle d’Aosta Region. The correlation between temperature trends and microseismic events is presented: cold periods characterized by a rapid temperature decrease present higher concentration of microseismic activity. However, not every drop in temperature is associated to microseismic activity, and the identification of the processes generating microseismic events in occasion of rapid temperature decrease is still uncertain. The objective of the ongoing research activity is to analyze in deep the statistical correlation between the number of microseismic records and the temperatures of air and rock in order to investigate the existence of recurrent patterns in the detected signals.
Substance use disorders and risk of severe maternal morbidity in the United States.

Abstract Background The contribution of substance use disorders to the burden of severe maternal morbidity in the United States is poorly understood. The objective was to estimate the independent association between substance use disorders during pregnancy and risk of severe maternal morbidity. Methods Retrospective analysis of a weighted 53.4 million delivery hospitalizations from 2003 to 2016 among females aged>18 in the National Inpatient Sample. We constructed measures of substance use disorders using diagnostic codes for cannabis, opioids, and stimulants (amphetamines or cocaine) abuse or dependence during pregnancy. The outcome was the presence of any of the 21 CDC indicators of severe maternal morbidity. Using weighted multivariable logistic regression, we estimated the association between substance use disorders and adjusted risk of severe maternal morbidity. Because older age at delivery is predictive of severe maternal morbidity, we tested for effect modification between substance use and maternal age by age group (18−34 y vs >34 y). Results Pregnant women with an opioid use disorder had an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity compared with women without an opioid use disorder (18−34 years: aOR: 1.51; 95 % CI: 1.41,1.61, >34 years: aOR: 1.17; 95 % CI: 1.00,1.38). Compared with their counterparts without stimulant use disorders, pregnant women with a simulant use disorder (amphetamines, cocaine) had an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity (18−34 years: aOR: 1.92; 95 % CI: 1.80,2.0, >34 years: aOR: 1.85; 95 % CI: 1.66,2.06). Cannabis use disorders were not associated with an increased risk of severe maternal morbidity. Conclusion Substance use disorders during pregnancy, particularly opioids, amphetamines, and cocaine use disorders, may contribute to severe maternal morbidity in the United States.
Chronic versus recent expressive suppression burdens are differentially associated with cognitive performance among older adults

Introduction: Expressive suppression (ES; suppression of affective behavior) has been shown to have a deleterious impact on subsequently administered tests of executive functions (EF), threatening ...
Tax's Empire

Following a critical examination of the two predominant approaches to tax policy, formalist and utilitarianism, this Article posits a “political-interpretive” approach that looks to our actual tax-related practices as source material for designing normative reforms. Applying a political-interpretative approach to case studies—the founding Federalist Papers and the contemporary Contracts—reveals the role of feminist norms within tax and explicates what tax can teach us about our societal values. Tax policy, a necessarily political venture, should strive towards different budgeting mechanisms, term limits, and campaign finance reform—and reject the gender bias that has historically been disguised through “neutral” principles.
Experimental investigation of turbulent characteristics in pore-scale regions of porous media

The study of flow dynamics in porous media or randomly packed beds is essential because these systems are commonly applied in a wide array of engineering applications, such as thermal energy storage, catalytic reactors for processing and distillation, oil recovery, fuel cells, and pebble bed nuclear reactor cores. The flow mixing and turbulence characteristics in pore-scale regions of an experimental facility composed of randomly packed spheres with an aspect ratio of 4.4 were experimentally investigated in this study. Velocity measurements at several pores in the test facility were conducted by combining the matched-index-of-refraction and time-resolved particle image velocimetry techniques, and these measurements were performed at Reynolds numbers of 490, 1023, and 1555. The results obtained from the velocity measurements in the pore regions revealed different and complex flow patterns depending on the pore geometries. In pore region 1, it was found that a strong axial flow entered the pore and impinged into the sphere’s surface when it encountered another flow entering laterally. These dynamic interactions created a high level of turbulent mixing, a recirculation flow region, and a shear layer, as observed in the computed statistical results for $$u^{\prime }_\mathrm{{rms}}$$ , $$v^{\prime }_\mathrm{{rms}}$$ , and $$u^{\prime }v^{\prime }$$ . In other pore regions, the flow field results exhibited complex interactions among jet flows discharging into the pores from various flow gaps created by neighboring spheres. These mutual interactions between the entering jet flows were found to create highly turbulent mixing regions at the pore’ centers and low-velocity or stagnation-flow regions in the vicinity of the sphere surfaces. Flapping shear layers were also observed when two jet flows with unequal strengths entered the pores. The characteristics of turbulent flow mixing in different pore regions were investigated via the spatiotemporal two-point correlation of fluctuating velocities along the velocity streamlines. This approach mitigated the constraints of the random geometries of pore regions on the extent of spatial separation lengths in the two-point velocity correlations. Using this approach, spatial distributions of integral length scales and convection velocities were estimated along the streamlines within the random geometries of pore regions. It was found that the estimated values of the integral length scales and convection velocities were spatially dependent on the localized flow characteristics within the pores. The integral length scales were found to be less than $$0.4D_\mathrm{{sp}}$$ , experimentally confirming the pore-scale prevalence hypothesis that turbulent structures in porous media are restricted by the pore sizes. In addition, the ratio of the convection velocity to the interstitial velocity (or local velocity magnitude) decreased as the Reynolds number increased.
Computational model of endochondral ossification: Simulating growth of a long bone

Abstract Mechanical loading is a crucial factor in joint and bone development. Using a computational model, we investigated the role of mechanics on cartilage growth rate, ossification of the secondary center, formation of the growth plate, and overall bone shape. A computational algorithm was developed and implemented into finite element models to simulate the endochondral ossification for symmetric and asymmetric motion in a generic diarthrodial joint. Under asymmetric loading condition the secondary center ossifies asymmetrically leaning toward the external load and results in tilted growth plate. Also the mechanics seems to have greater influence in the early onset of the ossification of the secondary center rather than later progression of the center. While previous models have simulated select stages of skeletal development, our model can simulate growth and ossification during the entirety of post-natal development. Such computational models of skeletal development may provide insight into specific loading conditions that cause bone and joint deformities, and the required timing for rehabilitative repair.
A Practical Method to Prolong Expiratory Breath Holds for Abdominal Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE(S) Motion management is crucial to safe and efficacious treatment for abdominal stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). Expiratory breath hold (EBH) treatment is attractive as it does not require sophisticated gating technologies and minimizes abdominal target motion compared to inspiratory breath hold and abdominal compression; however, few patients can perform prolonged EBH to allow efficient treatment. We hypothesized that providing patients supplemental oxygen and controlling respiratory rate (RR) at the upper limit of normal would improve EBH times, increase the percentage of patients eligible for EBH treatment and decrease EBH treatment time. MATERIALS/METHODS Starting in 2020, we provided patients supplemental oxygen (50% O2 via Venturi mask) with synchronization to a RR of 18 breaths/min with a metronome at the time of CT simulation. Patients were eligible for EBH treatment if they were able to complete two consecutive 20 second EBH. Eligible patients were treated per standard institutional guidelines for abdominal SBRT with EBH. We retrospectively identified all completed EBH treatments with this new supplemented procedure (EBHsupp) from our departmental database. Historical controls treated with EBH prior to this new procedure (EBHRA, where RA = room air) were identified and matched 1:1 based on patient age, sex, RT prescription, number of treatment arcs, and comorbidities via individual matching. Individual patient EBH times, total treatment time, cone beam CT (CBCT) time, and treatment arc time were extracted from the treatment planning software. Statistical comparisons were made with chi-squared test for categorical variables and student's t-test for continuous variables. RESULTS We identified 8 patients that received 10 abdominal SBRT treatment plans with EBHsupp (two patients had two lesions requiring two separate treatment plans). There was no statistical difference between the EBHsupp and EBHRA groups with respect to patient characteristics. Eight of 11 (73%) screened EBHsupp patients were able to undergo EBH treatment compared to historical department standard of ∼30% with EBHRA. The EBHsupp group had a significant improvement in maximum (50.5 vs 30.9 s, P = 0.002) and median (24.0 vs 17.8 s, P = 0.016) EBH times compared to the EBHRA group and required less breath holds to complete their treatment (9.1 vs 13.9, P = 0.029). Time for CBCT was reduced with EBHsupp (6.5 vs 8.6 min, P = 0.004) and there was a trend towards decreased time for treatment arc completion (3.1 vs 4.0 min, P = 0,10) and overall treatment time (18.6 vs 21.7 min, P = 0.12). CONCLUSION Providing supplemental oxygen and controlling respiratory rate at 18 breaths/min significantly improves EBH time. This intervention is simple, inexpensive, safe, and may allow more patients to be treated with EBH while decreasing overall treatment time. AUTHOR DISCLOSURE C.S. Schneider: None. S. Shen: None. J.B.Fiveash: None. R. Jacob: None.
Climate Change and Examples of Combined Hyspiri Vswir/Tir Advanced Level Products for Urban Ecosystems Analysis

It is estimated that 60-80% of the world population will live in urban environments by the end of this century. This growth of the urban population will effect the climate. This slide presentation examines the use of combined HyspIRI Visible ShortWave Infrared (VSWIR)/Thermal Infrared (TIR) to observe, monitor, measure and model many of the components that comprise urban ecosystems cycles.
Spectral overlap and interaural time difference sensitivity: possible role of binaural interference.

A follow-up experiment to those conducted by Brown and Yost [(2011). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 130, 358–364; (2013). Basic Aspects of Hearing: Physiology and Perception (Springer, London, UK)] examined interaural time difference (ITD) discrimination for a low-frequency target noise band flanked by monotic noise bands that were either lower-frequency than the target band, higher-frequency, or both. The flanking bands were either spectrally contiguous with the target band or spectrally separated. Significant interference in ITD processing occurred in the presence of the high-frequency flanking band. Results are discussed by way of a comparison of the conditions in the present study to those in studies of binaural interference. The possible role of attention is also discussed.
Shared Leadership in Collaboration Technology Supported Virtual Teams: An Experimental Study on Distributed Design Teams

The purpose of this research is to examine whether outcome controls of group work (i.e. time pressure and reward), trust, and motivation affect shared leadership in virtual teams. In addition, we explore the relationship between shared leadership and information sharing effectiveness in these teams. Results of a laboratory experiment on collaboration technology-based virtual teams indicate that teams exhibited higher shared leadership under time pressure, and both motivation and trust promote shared leadership. We also find that shared leadership facilitates information sharing in these teams. However, reward control has no significant impact on any psychological factors in both ordinary least squares regression and ridge regression.
Failure to Rescue Metric in Lung Surgery: A Needed Breath of Fresh Air.

The performance of surgical procedures is inevitably associated with complications. The holy grail in assessing surgical quality is differentiatingmetrics that reflect the care a hospital and surgical team delivers (factors that can be improved) from those that are solely related to a patient’s medical comorbidities (factors often beyond our control). In the landmarkarticle introducingtheconcept,Silberandcolleagues1 demonstrated that although mortality and the occurrence of adverse events could be attributed to patient characteristics, the key finding was that the failure to rescue (FTR) patients from death once an adverse event had occurred was associated more with hospital characteristics and was less influenced by patient admission severity of illness. Since then, a body of literature has emerged assessing FTR in select surgical procedures2-4 as well as the variation in the quality of response to adverse events.5 In studying patients who have already developed a complication, the specifics of adjustment for comorbiditiesbecome less important in failureanalysesbecause with the development of complications, patients are more uniformly ill. In this issue of JAMA Surgery, Grenda and colleagues6 tackle the issue for lung cancer resections. The database selected for the study, the National Cancer Database, accounts for 70% of all cancers diagnosed in the United States. This is important because not all lung cancer operations are performed by specialists.7 The authors first stratified hospitals by risk-adjusted mortality and then explored differences in complications and FTR rates. What they found was similar to other FTR studies in that there was not a significant difference in the occurrence of complication rates between low–mortality and high–mortality rate hospitals but the FTR rates were significantly higher in high–mortality rate hospitals, likely accounting for the difference in mortality. The authors further explored any differences in perioperative practices and found that although there was variation in perioperative practices aimed at preventing complications, such as venous thromboembolism prophylaxis, these did not translate to significant differences in the rates of complications. Interestingly, a study published this year from our group using the Society of Thoracic Surgery National Database,8 which is reflective of data mainly from thoracic surgical specialists, had similar findings. Failure to rescue rates had considerably more variation among professionals than the occurrence of postoperative complications. What are the take-home messages from this study and other FTR studies? Although it is important to use evidencebased measures to prevent complications, the difference in mortality for surgical procedures in the present day is often related to what hospitals systems do after complication occurs. Actions matter, not a special hospital designation or Related article page 1034 Research Original Investigation Lung Cancer Resection at Hospitals With High vs LowMortality Rates
[1] Adeno-associated virus: Integrating vectors for human gene therapy

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the generation of a recombinant adeno-associated virus (rAAV) that expresses the Escherichia coli β-galactosidase ( lac Z) gene and its use in identifying cell types permissive to AAV infection. Viral research has revealed a number of viruses that can be modified to introduce novel genes efficiently into a variety of cell types, including adenovirus, retrovirus, vaccinia virus, herpesvirus, and adeno-associated virus (AAV). Some of the unique features that make this virus attractive for gene therapy include the facts that AAV is prevalent in humans, it has never been identified as a causative agent of human disease, and it is able to insert its genome locus-specifically into human chromosomes. AAVs are members of the family Parvoviridiae in the genus dependovirus , appropriately named for their complete dependence on coinfection with a helper virus for productive infection. In the absence of helper virus, the wild-type ( wt ) AAV genome integrates efficiently in a locus-specific manner into the cellular genome and can exist as a provirus for many cellular generations until rescue with a helper virus. AAVs are among the smallest DNA animal viruses. The production of recombinant lacZ AAV involves cotransfection of the AAV vector and helper plasmids into permissive cells, followed by adenovirus infection.
A Principal Components Approach to Combining Regression Estimates

The goal of combining the predictions of multiple learned models is to form an improved estimator. A combining strategy must be able to robustly handle the inherent correlation, or multicollinearity, of the learned models while identifying the unique contributions of each. A progression of existing approaches and their limitations with respect to these two issues are discussed. A new approach, PCRa, based on principal components regression is proposed to address these limitations. An evaluation of the new approach on a collection of domains reveals that (1) PCRa was the most robust combining method, (2) correlation could be handled without eliminating any of the learned models, and (3) the principal components of the learned models provided a continuum of “regularized” weights from which PCRa could choose.
Proline-independent binding of PUT3 transcriptional activator protein detected by footprinting in vivo.

Abstract The PUT3 gene product is a transcriptional activator required for expression of the enzymes of the proline utilization pathway. Using two methods of footprinting in vivo, we have determined that PUT3 protein is poised at the promoters of the genes encoding these enzymes and that proline-mediated induction modulates the activity of constitutively bound PUT3.
Indexing biometric databases using pyramid technique

Biometric identification has emerged as a reliable means of controlling access to both physical and virtual spaces. In spite of the rapid proliferation of large-scale databases, the research has thus far been focused only on accuracy within small databases. However, as the size of the database increases, not only does the response time deteriorate, but so does the accuracy of the system. Thus for larger applications it is essential to prune the database to a smaller fraction which would not only ensure higher speeds, but also aid in achieving higher accuracy. Unlike structured information such as text or numeric data that can be sorted, biometric data does not have a natural sorting order making indexing the biometric database a challenging problem. In this paper we show the efficacy of indexing hand geometry biometric using the Pyramid Technique, to reduce the search space to just 8.86% of the entire database, while maintaining a 0% FRR.
Core zone scatterplots: a new approach to feature extraction for visual displays

Abstract This paper presents a new scheme for mapping high dimensional data onto two-dimensional viewing spaces. The mapping procedure is carried out in two stages. In the first stage, the fuzzy c -means (FCM) algorithm is applied to the N -dimensional data to find membership functions of clusters in the data. Core subsets are then selected from the original data based upon threshold values applied to the membership functions found by FCM. In the second stage feature vectors in the selected “core” subsets are submitted to various feature extraction mappings, which yield scatterplots of the image points in 2D space. The proposed approach has two significant advantages over many previous schemes. First, changes in the core structure imposed on the original data under feature extraction can be used to gauge the relative quality of competing extraction techniques. And second, the cores provide a way to generalize almost any known method, resulting in new extraction algorithms. We also discuss various ways to color the selected data that enhance the 2D display. Our approach incorporates a means for assessing the “quality” of the 2D display via parameters which provide an evaluation of (i) the validity of clusters in the original data set and (ii) the relative ability of various extraction mappings to preserve certain well-defined structural properties of the original data. The feasibility of our approach is illustrated using two sets of data: the well known Iris data; and a set of flow cytometric data. Color displays are used to visually assess scatterplot configurations in 2-space.
Characterization of manganese oxide precipitates from Appalachian coal mine drainage treatment systems

The removal of Mn(II) from coal mine drainage (CMD) by chemical addition/active treatment can significantly increase treatment costs. Passive treatment for Mn removal involves promotion of biological oxidative precipitation of manganese oxides (MnO{sub x}). Manganese(II) removal was studied in three passive treatment systems in western Pennsylvania that differed based on their influent Mn(II) concentrations (20-150 mg/L), system construction ({+-}inoculation with patented Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria), and bed materials (limestone vs. sandstone). Manganese(II) removal occurred at pH values as low as 5.0 and temperatures as low as 2 C, but was enhanced at circumneutral pH and warmer temperatures. Trace metals such as Zn, Ni and Co were removed effectively, in most cases preferentially, into the MnO{sub x} precipitates. Based on synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction and Mn K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy, the predominant Mn oxides at all sites were poorly crystalline hexagonal birnessite, triclinic birnessite and todorokite. The surface morphology of the MnOx precipitates from all sites was coarse and 'sponge-like' composed of nm-sized lathes and thin sheets. Based on scanning electron microscopy (SEM), MnO{sub x} precipitates were found in close proximity to both prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms. The greatest removal efficiency of Mn(II) occurred at the one site with amore » higher pH in the bed and a higher influent total organic C (TOC) concentration (provided by an upstream wetland). Biological oxidation of Mn(II) driven by heterotrophic activity was most likely the predominant Mn removal mechanism in these systems. Influent water chemistry and Mn(II) oxidation kinetics affected the relative distribution of MnOx mineral assemblages in CMD treatment systems.« less
Heat Stress Protects from Cardiopulmonary Collapse but Does Not Prevent Pulmonary Inflammation in Rat Sepsis

Heat Stress Protects from Cardiopulmonary Collapse but Does Not Prevent Pulmonary Inflammation in Rat Sepsis
Theory of Action of the Induction Watthour Meter and Analysis of its Temperature Errors

The question of changes in the registration of watthour meters due to variations in temperature is receiving considerable attention at the present time from manufacturers and public utilities alike. This paper discusses the development of a temperature compensated watthour meter. The effect of certain changes in the fundamental constants of the meter circuits and the materials of certain vital parts are shown to point out the necessity of two independent compensating devices. The compensating devices found most effective consist, first, of a permanent magnet flux diverter mounted on bimetal strips in such a way that it shunts more or less of the permanent magnet flux around the disk, on a decrease or an increase in temperature, respectively, and second, a moving lag plate controlled by bimetal strips arranged in such a way as to cause the plate to move up or down with an increase or a decrease of temperature, respectively. In Appendix I is given the construction of a theoretical vector diagram of an induction type watthour meter showing the relative phase positions of the various fluxes, Voltages, and currents that are present. In Appendix II is given a discussion of the sources of temperature errors in watthour-meters as derived from an analytical study of this diagram. An attempt is also made in this paper to summarize these sources, the reason for their existence, and their effect upon the registration of the meter, in convenient tabular form.
(Mixed) Strategy in Oligopoly Pricing: Evidence from Gasoline Price Cycles Before and Under a Timing Regulation

This paper studies oligopoly firms’ dynamic pricing strategies in a gasoline market before and after the introduction of a unique law that constrains firms to set price simultaneously and only once per day. The observed gasoline pricing behavior, both before and under the law, is well captured by the Edgeworth price cycle equilibrium in the Maskin and Tirole dynamic oligopoly model. My results highlight the importance of price commitment in tacit collusion. I also find evidence that the price leadership outcome under the law is better predicted by mixed strategies play than by alternative hypotheses.
Determination of Membrane-Insertion Free Energies by Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The accurate prediction of membrane-insertion probability for arbitrary protein sequences is a critical challenge to identifying membrane proteins and determining their folded structures. Although algorithms based on sequence statistics have had moderate success, a complete understanding of the energetic factors that drive the insertion of membrane proteins is essential to thoroughly meeting this challenge. In the last few years, numerous attempts to define a free-energy scale for amino-acid insertion have been made, yet disagreement between most experimental and theoretical scales persists. However, for a recently resolved water-to-bilayer scale, it is found that molecular dynamics simulations that carefully mimic the conditions of the experiment can reproduce experimental free energies, even when using the same force field as previous computational studies that were cited as evidence of this disagreement. Therefore, it is suggested that experimental and simulation-based scales can both be accurate and that discrepancies stem from disparities in the microscopic processes being considered rather than methodological errors. Furthermore, these disparities make the development of a single universally applicable membrane-insertion free energy scale difficult.
Management of Hypertension in CKD: Beyond the Guidelines

Hypertension (HTN) and CKD are closely associated with an intermingled cause and effect relationship. Blood pressure (BP) typically rises with declines in kidney function, and sustained elevations in BP hasten progression of kidney disease. This review addresses current management issues in HTN in patients with CKD including altered circadian rhythm of BP, timing of antihypertensive medication dosing, BP targets, diagnostic challenges in evaluating secondary forms of HTN, and the role of salt restriction in CKD. HTN in patients with CKD is often accompanied by a decrease in the kidney's ability to remove salt. Addressing this salt sensitivity is critical for the management of HTN in CKD. In addition to the well-established use of an ACEI or angiotensin receptor blocker, dietary salt restriction and appropriate diuretic therapy make up the mainstay of HTN treatment in patients with CKD. Bedtime dosing of antihypertensive medications can restore nocturnal dips in BP, and future clinical practice guidelines may recommend bedtime dosing of 1 or more antihypertensive medications in patients with CKD.
KINETICS OF THE COMPLEXATION OF UO2(NO3)2 WITH TRIBUTYL PHOSPHATE (TBP) IN XYLENE

ABSTRACT The kinetics of ligand exchange between bulk solution TBP and uranyl nitrate bound TBP in o-xylene has been investigated by 31P dynamic NMR spectroscopy. First order ligand exchange rate constant, k, and the activation energy for the uranyl nitrate-TBP system were determined from plots of transverse relaxation rates (In (l/τ)) versus reciprocal temperature (1/T). Using the Eyring equation, the average values of activation enthalpy, δH* (30.8±5.1 kJ-mole−1), and activation entropy, δS* (-109±19 J/mol-K) have been calculated. The negative entropy of activation value indicates an increase in order on proceeding from the reactants to the activated complex. Therefore, an associative mechanism may be proposed for the ligand exchange reaction between UO2(NO3)2 TBP2 and TBP. Equilibration of the extractant phase with 1.0 M HC1 did not change the ligand exchange rate constants or the activation parameters appreciably. These results are discussed in comparison with previous reports on TBP exchange rates fo...
The hypoxic regulator of sterol synthesis nro1 is a nuclear import adaptor.

Fission yeast protein Sre1, the homolog of the mammalian sterol regulatory element-binding protein (SREBP), is a hypoxic transcription factor required for sterol homeostasis and low-oxygen growth. Nro1 regulates the stability of the N-terminal transcription factor domain of Sre1 (Sre1N) by inhibiting the action of the prolyl 4-hydroxylase-like Ofd1 in an oxygen-dependent manner. The crystal structure of Nro1 determined at 2.2 A resolution shows an all-α-helical fold that can be divided into two domains: a small N-terminal domain, and a larger C-terminal HEAT-repeat domain. Follow-up studies showed that Nro1 defines a new class of nuclear import adaptor that functions both in Ofd1 nuclear localization and in the oxygen-dependent inhibition of Ofd1 to control the hypoxic response.
Magnetic and coagulation forces on a suspension of magnetic particles

Abstract It is shown that the magnetic force on a highly-magnetic particle in a slurry is a strong function of the particle shape and the concentration density of the magnetic particles in the suspension. An expression is derived for the coagulation forces between magnetized particles as a function of magnetic moment, size, and concentration.
Strategic entrepreneurship: Creating competitive advantage through streams of innovation

In today's fast-paced competitive environment, firms face the need to be increasingly nimble and adaptive. While often able to establish a certain level of performance based upon existing technologies, firms are equally as often to be left flat-footed in the face of emerging, novel technologies. We discuss strategic entrepreneurship as the means through which firms simultaneously exploit their current competitive advantages while exploring for future opportu- nities. Achieving a balance between exploration and exploitation consists of more than merely allocating resources evenly between the two processes. As discussed, exploration and exploitation are operationally, structurally, and culturally distinct processes.
Dynamic utilization of GABA in substantia nigra: regulation by dopamine and GABA in the striatum, and its clinical and behavioral implications

The neural circuitry of the basal ganglia provides a challenging framework in which to consider the role and regulation of GABA-containing synapses. GABA-containing neurons and terminals are located throughout the various nuclei of the basal ganglia, including caudate and putamen (together referred to as ‘striatum’), globus pallidus, and substantia nigra (SN). In fact, the concentration of GABA in the SN is the highest of all brain areas. In this system we can find an excellent example of a ‘long-distance’ GABAergic neural pathway projecting from the striatum to the SN, as well as a significant population of smaller GABAergic neurons intrinsic to the striatum (interneurons). Moreover, it is likely that the various GABA neurons in the basal ganglia are involved in circuits in which they mutually regulate each other’s activity, as well as the activity of neurons containing other neurotransmitters. At the same time, these GABAergic neurons are subject to the control and influence of several pathways which converge on the striatum; in this context they may serve a significant integrating function.
Regulation of copper-dependent endocytosis and vacuolar degradation of the yeast copper transporter, Ctr1p, by the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae high-affinity copper transporter, Ctr1p, mediates cellular uptake of Cu(I). We report that when copper (50 μm CuSO4) is added to the growth medium of copper-starved cells, Ctr1p is rapidly internalized by endocytosis, delivered to the lumen of the lysosome-like vacuole and slowly degraded by vacuolar proteases. Through analysis of the trafficking and degradation of Ctr1p mutants, two lysine residues in the C-terminal cytoplasmic tail of Ctr1p, Lys340 and Lys345, were found to be critical for copper-dependent endocytosis and degradation. In response to copper addition, Ctr1p was found to be ubiquitylated and a mutation in the Rsp5 ubiquitin ligase largely abolished ubiquitylation, endocytosis and degradation. In a strain lacking the Rsp5p accessory factors Bul1p and Bul2p, endocytosis and degradation of Ctr1p–green fluorescent protein were substantially diminished. Surprisingly, a Ctr1p mutant that lacks Lys340 and Lys345 was still ubiquitylated in a copper-dependent manner, indicating that ubiquitylation of Ctr1p on other sites is insufficient to drive copper-dependent endocytosis and degradation. This study demonstrates that copper regulates turnover of Ctr1p by stimulating Rsp5p-dependent endocytosis and degradation of Ctr1p in the vacuole.
Enigmatic Efflorescence in Kärkevagge, Swedish Lapland: The Key to Chemical Weathering?

The second marvel to catch the eye of the visitor to Karkevagge, after the impressive boulder deposit on the floor of the valley, is the series of prominent white stripes running down the valley's ...
Comment on McLeod and Hume, overlapping mental operations in serial performance with preview: Typing

This paper deals with the claim made by McLeod and Hume (this issue) that, for a skilled typist, the rate of responding is controlled by a limit on the number of responses that can be executed simultaneously, not by a limit on response selection. I point out that McLeod and Hume's observations are consistent with various interpretations, including one in which response rates are limited by response selection. I also note the importance of trying to distinguish structural and strategic bottlenecks in speeded responding.
Adenylate deaminase: potent inhibition by 2'-deoxycoformycin 5'-phosphate.

Abstract The nucleotide 2′-deoxycoformycin 5′-phosphate has been enzymatically synthesized from 2′-deoxycoformycin and found to be a potent stoichiometric inhibitor of adenylate deaminase from rabbit muscle. It is shown that the inhibitor binds to the active site and may be considered as a possible transition state analog. The inhibition is time dependent which may reflect an inhibitor induced conformational change.