cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multi-label Classification of Commit Messages using Transfer Learning

Commit messages are used in the industry by developers to annotate changes made to the code. Accurate classification of these messages can help monitor the software evolution process and enable better tracking for various industrial stakeholders. In this paper, we present a state of the art method for commit message classification into categories as per Swanson’s maintenance activities i.e. “Corrective”, “Perfective”, and “Adaptive”. This is a challenging task because not all commit messages are well written and informative. Existing approaches rely on keyword-based techniques to solve this problem. However, these approaches are oblivious to the full language model and do not recognize the contextual relationship between words. State of the art methodology in Natural Language Processing (NLP), is to train a context-aware neural network (Transformer) on a very large data set that encompasses the entire language and then fine-tunes it for a specific task. In this way, the model can learn the language, pay attention to the context, and then transfer that knowledge for better performance at the specific task. We use an off-the-shelf neural network called DistilBERT and fine-tune it for commit message classification task. This step is non-trivial because programming languages and commit messages have unique keywords, jargon, and idioms. This paper presents our effort in training this model and constructing the data set for this task. We describe the rules used to construct the data set. We validate our approach on industrial projects from GitHub, such as Kubernetes, Linux, TensorFlow, Spark, TypeScript, and PyTorch. We were able to achieve 87% F1-score for the commit message classification task, which is an order of magnitude accurate than previous studies.
The importance of near-peer mentorship for LGBTQ+ medical students

Navigating medical school can be especially challenging for LGBTQ+ medical students. LGBTQ+ medical students face unique barriers and may struggle to find support for their professional and personal growth since the LGBTQ+ identity is often unrecognized or unacknowledged within medical education and practice. Currently, there is not enough support for LGBTQ+ medical students. One emerging resource to navigate transitioning through medical training is near-peer mentorship. A near-peer mentor is a peer who is at least one year senior to a mentee in the same level of educational training who provides guidance on career development and psychosocial growth. In order for any mentorship programming or relationship development to occur, LGBTQ+ medical students need to feel safe. Given the generally small number of LGBTQ+ students at each institution, programming to support LGBTQ+ medical students through near-peer mentorship would have to happen at both a local level and through social media. Here we explore the barriers that LGBTQ+ medical students face, the importance of near-peer mentoring, and some examples of potential mentorship programming.
Investigation of p-type doping in β- and κ-Ga2O3

Abstract We have systematically investigated the effects of all possible combinations of vacancies and silicon substitutions on the electronic structure of the β and κ phases of Ga2O3 using plane-wave density functional theory (DFT) methods. It was found that VGa defects are associated with a sufficient shift of the Fermi level to lower energy to induce p-type behavior, with formation energies in the range of 9.0 ± 0.2 eV. Calculations with single atom substitutions in the κ phase, including nitrogen, phosphorous, and silicon, did not show p-type character, although NO substitutions may lead to shallow acceptor states. In the pursuit of elucidating how MOCVD growth of Ga2O3 can result in p-type behavior, as indicated by experimental results in the literature, we examined the role of combining hydrogen and silicon substitutions. The results showed that p-type behavior is observable when gallium atoms are substituted for hydrogen within the coordination sphere of SiO substitutions. This shows that silicon can act as an amphoteric dopant for p-type Ga2O3 semiconducting materials when hydrogen is included with formation energies
Congestion in Marina Entrance Channels Due to Sailboats

Overcrowding of marinas has caused traffic congestion in many entrance channels, primarily because of the diagonal tacking patterns of sailboats in the presence of axially moving powerboats. This problem is analyzed on the basis of probability of interference of imaginary “blockading areas” surrounding the boats as they traverse the channel. The relationships of the various parameters that enter into this analysis are evaluated mathematically, and a “congestion index” is derived in terms of probable interferences per acre of navigable channel during peak-hour traffic. It is suggested that values for this index be computed for an extensive sampling of marinas in different parts of the country to assess its general validity.
Segugio: Efficient Behavior-Based Tracking of Malware-Control Domains in Large ISP Networks

In this paper, we propose Segugio, a novel defense system that allows for efficiently tracking the occurrence of new malware-control domain names in very large ISP networks. Segugio passively monitors the DNS traffic to build a machine-domain bipartite graph representing who is querying what. After labelling nodes in this query behavior graph that are known to be either benign or malware-related, we propose a novel approach to accurately detect previously unknown malware-control domains. We implemented a proof-of-concept version of Segugio and deployed it in large ISP networks that serve millions of users. Our experimental results show that Segugio can track the occurrence of new malware-control domains with up to 94% true positives (TPs) at less than 0.1% false positives (FPs). In addition, we provide the following results: (1) we show that Segugio can also detect control domains related to new, previously unseen malware families, with 85% TPs at 0.1% FPs, (2) Segugio's detection models learned on traffic from a given ISP network can be deployed into a different ISP network and still achieve very high detection accuracy, (3) new malware-control domains can be detected days or even weeks before they appear in a large commercial domain name blacklist, and (4) we show that Segugio clearly outperforms Notos, a previously proposed domain name reputation system.
The relationship of welfare receipt to child outcomes

Welfare receipt often is correlated negatively with children's cognitive and behavioral outcomes. Yet, virtually all children in households that receive public assistance are poor, prompting the question of whether poor outcomes are an effect of welfare, a spurious relationship between welfare and child outcomes, or a result of welfare selection. Using the NLSY-CS, these possibilities are examined by controlling for poverty and for selection into welfare. Controlling for child and maternal characteristics accounts for the majority of bivariate associations between welfare and outcomes among Black children. Controlling for poverty does little to change the relationship between welfare and outcomes for Black or White children. Controlling for selection into welfare further reduces the relationship between welfare receipt and outcomes among White children and has little discernible effect among Black children.
Quark mass spectrum from broken unitary symmetry

A quark mass spectrum is determined using an empirical dependence of the strength of unitary-symmetry breaking on the symmetry dimension. In this spectrum, the ratio of the masses of successively heavier quarks is not a constant. The masses of possible heavier quarks are lower in this model than in a model with a constant quark mass ratio.
Adoptive Immunotherapy of Newly Induced Murine Sarcomas

Two newly induced methylcholanthrene sarcomas of C57BL/6 mouse origin were selected for studies of the adoptive immunotherapy of established tumors. The MCA 105 and MCA 106 tumors, used during their first five transplant generations, possessed weakly immunogenic tumor-associated transplantation antigens as revealed by failure to elicit immunity to reject 10(6) tumor cells by tumor growth and excision. Specific immunity to reject a 10(6) tumor cell challenge could be elicited in less than 50% of mice by immunization with a mixture of viable tumor cells and Corynebacterium parvum. Adoptive transfer of spleen cells from properly immunized mice consistently mediated the regression of established MCA 105 and MCA 106 tumors. Following systemic administration of 10(8) immune cells into mice bearing palpable tumor, the tumor grew for at least 1 week and then completely regressed. The adoptive immunotherapy was immunologically specific for each of these tumors and was mediated by sensitized T-lymphocytes. Irradiation (1000 R) of the transferred cells abrogated their in vivo activity. With both tumors, successful therapy required prior immune suppression of the host. This latter finding suggested the existence of suppression mechanisms mediated by tumor-bearing mice although we have been unable to reconstitute this suppression by giving T-cell-depleted mice syngeneic spleen cells. The two new animal tumor models characterized in this study not only demonstrate the feasibility of adoptive immunotherapy to weakly immunogenic tumors but also provide unique opportunities for mechanistic studies of the specificity of adoptive immunotherapy.
The Debate Between a Man and His Soul

This book is a new study of one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian literature, offering new readings and translations, along with an analysis of the text’s grammar and versification, and a complete philological apparatus.
Mobile Outreach Strategies for Screening Hepatitis and HIV in High‐Risk Populations

Objectives: To screen, counsel and offer hepatitis A and B vaccination for subjects at high risk for hepatitis C virus (HCV) and HIV, and determine any relationship between risk factors and HCV positivity. Design and Sample: A descriptive correlational design. We correlated risk factors and HCV positivity and measured vaccination completion rates. Two hundred and two unduplicated subjects in 4 locations in Western Massachusetts: a walk in substance abuse clinic, a homeless shelter, a county jail, and a community corrections facility. Measures: Demographic data and a standard HCV risk- screening survey were used. Results: Significantly higher rates of HCV were found in subjects who were currently using injection drugs (83.3% HCV positive, χ2(1)=20.85, p<.001), who had a history of sharing needles for drug use (75% HCV positive χ2(1)=83.20, p<.001), or a history of receiving treatment for drug abuse/alcoholism (38.4% HCV positive χ2(1)=12.14, p<.001). Vaccination completion ranged by setting between 18% and 38%. Conclusions: Targeted outreach to hard to reach groups is effective in providing access for those at high risk for HIV and HCV infection. A mobile outreach strategy can focus needed resources for a variety of groups in a community.
Do perinatal nurses still check for blood return when administering the hepatitis B vaccine

ABSTRACT Objective To describe how changes in recommendations regarding aspirating for blood return prior to intramuscular immunization have diffused into perinatal nurses' practice using the diffusions of innovations theory as a framework and to explore what factors influenced decisions to adopt new administration techniques. Design & Setting This descriptive study used a survey design with a convenience sample of hospital‐based perinatal nurses. A link to an online survey regarding injection knowledge and practices surrounding administering the hepatitis B vaccine to newborns was distributed to nurse managers in Indiana, and they were asked to forward the link to their staffs. Participants A total of 72 nurses participated in the survey. Results The majority of respondents (90%) continued to aspirate with the vaccination. Only 13% knew this practice was no longer recommended. Conclusions For the most part, participants were still in the knowledge phase regarding changes in vaccination administration practices. Lack of knowledge, considered a characteristic of the potential adopter, was the primary barrier to change. More research is needed to understand how communication, organizational factors, and the actual innovation factored into the change process. Additional research is needed to examine the practice of aspirating with other injectables.
Genetic analysis of ten common degenerative hereditary ataxia loci in patients with essential tremor.

Background To investigate the association of repeat expansion size in 10 common degenerative hereditary ataxia genes with essential tremor. These genes were spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA)-1 (ATXN1), SCA-2 (ATXN2), SCA-3 (ATXN3), SCA-6 (CACNA1A), SCA-7 (ATXN7), SCA-8 (ATXN8OS), SCA-10 (ATXN10), SCA-12 (PPP2R2B), SCA-17 (TBP) and dentatorubral-pallidolysian atrophy (DRPLA) (ATN1).
Performance analysis of a new variable step-size LMS algorithm with error nonlinearities

This paper introduces a new variable step size LMS algorithm in which the step size varies inversely with the squared norm of the error vector. With an appropriate choice of the value of the fixed step size in the proposed algorithm, a trade-off between speed of convergence and misadjustment can be achieved. The performance of the proposed algorithm is compared with one of the most significant algorithms that uses normalized data nonlinearity in the LMS adaptation, and with the normalized LMS (NLMS) algorithm as well. For short and long filter lengths in stationary environments, computer simulation results demonstrate substantial improvements in the speed of convergence of the proposed algorithm over other algorithms with the same small level of misadjustment. For nonstationary environments, we introduce a modified version of the proposed algorithm which provides an equivalent performance to that of other variable step-size and regular NLMS algorithms with low computational complexity.
Continuous-time time-varying entropy

In this paper we present a definition for the entropy for time-varying continuous-time systems. This entropy differs significantly from the entropy for discrete-time systems, which is defined as the memoryless component of the spectral factor of an operator related to the system. Properties of this entropy are discussed, the relationships with ℋ2 and ℋ∞, as well as the relationship with the discrete-time entropy.
Polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication use in older adults with cancer undergoing chemotherapy: effect on chemotherapy-related toxicity and hospitalization during treatment

Objectives: To evaluate the prevalence of polypharmacy and potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use and the association between these and chemotherapy-related adverse events in older adults with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Design: Secondary analysis of prospectively collected data. Setting: Outpatient oncology clinics in seven academic medical centers. Participants: Adults aged 65 and older with cancer undergoing chemotherapy. Measurements: Measures included number of daily medications (polypharmacy); PIM use based on three indices (Beers, Zhan, and Drugs to Avoid in the Elderly criteria), and use of six “high risk” medication classes for adverse drug events (anticoagulants, antiplatelet agents, opioids, insulin, oral hypoglycemics, antiarrhythmics). Using multivariate logistic regression, the relations were evaluated between these criteria and Grade 3 to 5 chemotherapy-related toxicity and between these criteria and hospitalization during chemotherapy. Results: Participants (N = 500; mean age 73, 61% Stage IV disease) took a mean of 5 ± 4 daily medications (range 0–23). PIM use was common (up to 29% according to Beers criteria). No association was found between number of daily medications (reference 0–3 medications) and toxicity (4–9 medications, odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI)=0.92–1.97; ≥10 medications, OR=0.82, 95% CI=0.45–1.49) or hospitalization (≥4 medications, OR=1.34, 95% CI=0.82–2.18, P = .24). There was also no association between PIM use and toxicity (P = .93) or hospitalization (P = .98). No medication class was associated with either outcome. Conclusions: Polypharmacy and PIM use were common but were not associated with chemotherapy-related toxicity or hospitalization in older adults with cancer.
The Pain and Discomfort of Labor and Birth

One unique aspect of childbirth is the association of this physiologic process with pain and discomfort. However, the experience of pain during labor is not a simple reflection of the physiologic processes of parturition. Instead, labor pain is the result of a complex and subjective interaction of multiple physiologic and psychological factors on a woman's individual interpretation of labor stimuli. An understanding of labor pain in a multidimensional framework provides the basis for a woman-centered approach to labor pain management that includes a broad range of pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic intervention strategies.
National Development Planning Revisited

We argue that the principal obstructions to national development of less-than-well-developed countries are cultural, not economic or technological. Furthermore, such countries tend to mistake activity for change, and self-imposed constraints for ones that are externally imposed. We propose concepts of development and planning that are intended to overcome these obstacles. The concepts involve an idealized redesign of the system planned for by all those who will be affected by it. A means for launching such a planning effort-a crusade for development-is suggested.
Enhancing Nrf2 Pathway by Disruption of Keap1 in Myeloid Leukocytes Protects against Sepsis

Rationale: Sepsis syndrome is characterized by inappropriate amplified systemic inflammatory response and bacteremia that promote multiorgan failure and mortality. Nuclear factor–erythroid 2 p45-related factor 2 (Nrf2) regulates a pleiotropic cytoprotective defense program including antioxidants and protects against several inflammatory disorders by inhibiting oxidative tissue injuries. However, the role of enhanced Nrf2 activity in modulating innate immune responses to microbial infection and pathogenesis of sepsis is unclear. Objectives: To determine whether Nrf2 in myeloid leukocytes alters inflammatory response and protects against sepsis. Methods: Mice with deletion of Nrf2 or kelch-like ECH-associated protein (Keap1) in myeloid leukocyte cells and respective floxed controls were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture–induced sepsis and were assessed for survival, organ injury, systemic inflammation, and bacteremia. Using LPS-stimulated peritoneal macrophages, Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4 surface trafficking and downstream signaling events were analyzed. Measurements and Main Results: Mortality, organ injury, circulating levels of inflammatory mediators, and bacteremia were markedly reduced in LysM-Keap1−/− compared with respective floxed controls (Keap1f/f or Nrf2f/f) and significantly elevated in LysM-Nrf2−/− mice after cecal ligation and puncture. Peritoneal macrophages from septic LysM-Keap1−/− mice showed a greater bacterial phagocytic activity compared with LysM-Nrf2−/− and floxed controls. LPS stimulation resulted in greater reactive oxygen species–induced cell surface transport of TLR4 from trans-Golgi network and subsequent TLR4 downstream signaling (recruitment of MYD88 and TRIF, phosphorylation of IkB and IRF3, and cytokine expression) in macrophages of LysM-Nrf2−/− compared with LysM-Keap1−/− mice and floxed controls. Conclusions: Our study shows that Nrf2 acts as a critical immunomodulator in leukocytes, controls host inflammatory response to bacterial infection, and protects against sepsis.
Intestinal Absorption of Dideoxynucleosides: Characterization Using a Multiloop in Situ Technique

Abstract The intestinal absorption of dideoxynucleosides was studied in rabbits, using a closed‐loop mesenteric‐sampling in situ technique developed in this laboratory, and the kinetic profiles were characterized. Each of the dideoxynucleosides exhibited different dependence on the intestinal regions studied: 3′‐azido‐2′‐3′‐dideoxythymidine was best absorbed from the ileum, while 2′,3′‐dideoxyinosine and 2′,3′‐dideoxycytidine were preferentially absorbed from the jejunum. The results were validated by the mass‐balance approach; the percent of drug retained in the intestinal lumen and that degraded at the intestinal pH, by colonic flora, in the intestinal tissue, and in plasma were assessed.
Equilibrium chemistry of nitrogen and potential-pH diagrams for the Fe-Cr-H2O system in bwr water

Abstract A thermodynamic analysis of the nitrogen-water system for BWR operating conditions assesses the chemical species responsible for steam line radiation increases. Nitrogen (N2) was the important gaseous form during hydrogen injection into BWR feedwater. The potential-pH diagram for the system Fe-Cr-H2O was derived from thermodynamic information for BWR operating temperatures. The diagram shows that a mixed oxide (FeCr2O4) is stable under the reducing conditions imposed by hydrogen water chemistry (HWC) for BWR while the simple oxide Fe2O3 is stable for the more oxidizing conditions of normal water chemistry. The presence of Cr in the oxide may account for the mitigation of intergranular stress corrosion cracking of sensitized stainless steel during HWC.
Conformational Analyses of Native and Permethylated Disaccharides

Effects of permethylation on disaccharide conformation were studied with relaxed-residue φ,ψ maps for eight disaccharides of glucose and their permethylated derivatives. Many orientations of the methyl groups were generated with the conformation generator in the Chem-X software program and filtered with a rules-based method. For native molecules, clockwise and counterclockwise rings of hydrogen bonds were also used. MM3(96) energies were calculated with a dielectric constant (e) of 1.5. The native disaccharide maps were also calculated at e = 3.5 and 7.5 to reduce hydrogen-bonding strength. Maps for native and permethylated structures were generally similar. The permethylated structures, which do not make hydrogen bonds, gave maps that were most similar to the native maps that had reduced hydrogen-bonding strength. All φ,ψ values for the global minima of the permethylated models fell within the 1-kcal/mol contours on the e = 7.5 maps. Flexibility values based on a partition function were substantially les...
Dielectric and Piezoelectric Properties in Mn‐Modified (1−x)BiFeO3–xBaTiO3 Ceramics

In the current work, the bulk (1−x)BiFeO3–xBaTiO3 system has been studied as a potential lead-free piezoelectric material. Barium titanate (BaTiO3) in solid solution with bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) is observed to stabilize the perovskite structure and improve switching behavior. Samples with various content of BaTiO3 were prepared via solid-state route, and pure perovskite phase was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. Modification of the BaTiO3–BiFeO3 material with Mn improved DC resistivity by one to five orders of magnitude (7.6 × 1012 vs. 2.7 × 107Ω·m for 25 mol% BaTiO3 at room temperature) and polarization hysteresis measurements indicated “hard” ferroelectric behavior with the highest strain response at 33 mol% BaTiO3. Finally, low-field piezoelectric d33 coefficient of 116 pC/N and ferroelectric transition temperature above 450°C are reported for 25 mol% BaTiO3 composition.
Infrared spectral line parameters of HBr and DBr at elevated temperatures

The electric dipole matrix elements for pure rotation and vibration-rotation transitions, with |;m|;<-40 and v<-v'<-6, have been derived for HBr and DBR by using the Rydberg-Klein-Rees (RKR) potentials and numerical solutions of the Schrodinger equation. An improved dipole-moment expansion was determined by fitting these matrix elements to the available experimental data on line intensities. A least squares analysis of the available line position constants gave an improved set of Dunham coefficients good for spectral lines with both large and small quantum numbers v and J. The results were then used to generate a compilation of individual line parameters for the Δv = 1 bands of HBr and DBr at temperatures up to 3000K. These parameters, together with previously compiled line parameters for HCl, HF, CO and NO, are being used for line-by-line calculations of radiance from a hot source as seen through an atmospheric path.
Spectral Methods for Matrix Rigidity with Applications to Size Depth Trade-offs and Communication Complexity

The rigidity of a matrix measures the number of entries that must be changed in order to reduce its rank below a certain value. The known lower bounds on the rigidity of explicit matrices are very weak. It is known that stronger lower bounds would have important consequences in complexity theory. We consider some restricted variants of the rigidity problem over the complex numbers. Using spectral methods, we derive lower bounds on these variants. Two applications of such restricted variants are given. First, we show that our lower bound on a variant of rigidity implies lower bounds on size?depth trade-offs for arithmetic circuits with bounded coefficients computing linear transformations. These bounds generalize a result of Nisan and Wigderson. The second application is conditional; we show that it would suffice to prove lower bounds on certain restricted forms of rigidity to conclude several separation results such as separating the analogs of PH and PSPACE in the model of two-party communication complexity. Our results complement and strengthen a result of Razborov. We introduce a combinatorial complexity measure, called AC0-dimension, of sets of Boolean functions. While high rigidity implies large AC0-dimension, large AC0-dimension for explicit sets would already give explicit languages outside the analog of PH in two-party communication complexity. Moreover, the concept of AC0-dimension allows us to formulate interesting combinatorial problems which may be easier than rigidity and which would still have consequences to separation questions in communication complexity.
Fast and slow muscles in tissue culture synthesise only fast myosin

ADULT fast and slow skeletal muscle fibres contain different myosins, a result of innervation by different classes of motoneurones1; innervation of one fibre type by the opposite motoneurone type leads to a switch in the kind of myosin synthesised2,3 within pre-existing fibres4,5. In embryonic muscles, however, the particular myosin isozyme synthesised before and during the early stages of innervation has been a subject of controversy. Some investigators claim that all embryonic muscle fibres—whether destined to be fast or slow in the adult—initially synthesise both ftast and slow myosins6,7. Proper innervation would then lead to a selection of one myosin type and repression of the other type within each cell. Others propose that the myosin of embryonic muscles is a distinct myosin, unique to the embryo8,9. On the other hand, we have presented evidence that all fetal muscles have an intrinsic programme which causes them to synthesise fast myosin initially10,11. After innervation, fast muscles continue synthesising fast myosin, while slow muscles switch to the synthesis of slow myosin. Some studies have corroborated our findings12–14, but in all these studies the earliest fast and slow muscles that could be obtained were already innervated, and the slow muscles already contained a small amount of slow myosin. Accordingly, to examine the initial miyosin synthesised in both fast and slow muscles before innervation, we have cultured tissue from chicken muscles destined to be fast or slow muscles in the adult. Muscle fibres in tissue culture are formed in the complete absence of innervation. Whether established from presumptive fast or presumptive slow muscles, all fibres in culture synthesised only fast myosin heavy and light chains.
Archival Internships: Creating Real World Learning Beyond the Classroom

This purpose of this article is to show the value of archival internships in Special Collections and University Archives, Wichita State University Libraries. Internships create real world learning opportunities for students in the graduate Public History Program who have taken the introduction to archives course. Students gain valuable hands-on experience processing some or all of a manuscript collection under the supervision and mentoring of the Curator of Special Collections. The repository benefits by addressing its backlog of unprocessed materials. In a time of staffing shortages, it is essential to devise innovative practices that solve the problem of managing work flow without compromising standards. The elements of setting up and implementing a successful archival internship are also applicable to library internships in academic or public libraries. Editor-in-Chief Cynthia Akers, Emporia State University This article is available in Kansas Library Association College and University Libraries Section Proceedings: http://newprairiepress.org/culsproceedings/vol1/iss1/8 CULS Proceedings, Volume 1, 2011 48 Volume 1, 2011 Originate, Create, Renovate, and Innovate: Leading Revolution in the Academic Library Archival Internships: Creating Real World Learning Beyond the Classroom Lorraine Madway Wichita State University Wichita, Kansas
Computing optimal rebalance frequency for log-optimal portfolios

Log-optimal investment portfolio is deemed to be impractical and cost-prohibitive due to inherent need for continuous rebalancing and significant overhead of trading cost. We study the question of how often a log-optimal portfolio should be rebalanced for any given finite investment horizon. We develop an analytical framework to compute the expected log of portfolio growth when a given discrete-time periodic rebalance frequency is used. For a certain class of portfolio assets, we compute the optimal rebalance frequency. We show that it is possible to improve investor log utility using this quasi-passive or hybrid rebalancing strategy. Simulation studies show that an investor shall gain significantly by rebalancing periodically in discrete time, overcoming the limitations of continuous rebalancing.
The new mythologies and premature aging in the youth culture

Comparative studies of aging men in a variety of preliterate traditional societies suggest that older men, across cultures, are relatively mild and uncompetitive, as compared to younger men from the same communities. Older men are more interested in receiving than in producing, more interested in communion than in agency; their sense of pleasure and security is based on food, religion, and the assurance of love. The counterculture gives priority to the same themes, and thereby seems to sponsor a premature senescence, in the psychological sense. Various contemporary myths stemming from affluence and consumerism that have led to the new geriatrics are examined, particularly the myth of the all-including, omnipotential self, which is seen as a translation of socialist, collectivist ideals into the domain of personality. The effects of the new psychic collectivism on ego development in the adolescent and postadolescent periods are also considered.
Evaluating alternative approaches to strategic planning

Abstract The question which, unfortunately, often goes unanswered, is whether a company's process of corporate planning is optimal. Furthermore, even if they wished to answer such a question there is little in the literature which can provide them with a direct, and explicit evaluative model. This paper examines the development of planning and the many different contributors towards its theoretical underpinning. Whilst recognizing that planning is a field which is a ‘semantic's jungle’ the authors carefully pick their way through the mine-field of misunderstanding and misquotation and clearly establish a base-line for evaluation and indeed propose a detailed methodology. It is hoped that this paper will be a fore-runner of many which will assist the executive in his important evaluative role concerning alternative planning approaches.
An FTIR study of mechanisms for the HO radical initiated oxidation of C2H4 in the presence of NO: detection of glycolaldehyde

Using the long-path FTIR method, glycolaldehyde, CH2(OH)CHO, was detected among the products in photolysis of mixtures containing C2H4, NO and RONO (R = alkyl group) at ppm concentrations in air. The results suggest the occurrence of both unimolecular dissociation and O2 reaction of an oxy-radical, CH2(OH)CH2O, formed in the HO-initiated oxidation of C2H4 in the presence of NO.
Effect of crystallization, redox, and waste loading on the properties of several glassy waste forms

A laboratory study performed on three waste streams with high metal content (between 20 and 60 wt%) showed that waste form durability was strongly influenced by processing conditions and waste form compositions. The study involved varying the waste loading, melting conditions, and heat treatment of a total of 15 waste forms. The normalized sodium release obtained from the product consistency test (PCT) was the main criterion used for durability comparisons between each waste form. It was found that a reducing melt condition had no effect on the durability of some waste forms, yet it decreased the durability of others up to 700% when compared to the oxidized melts. One waste form composition tested showed a 140% increase in durability when devitrified (crystallized) relative to its glassy form. Some compositions showed no change in durability after devitrification, while others showed a 200% decrease. Increased waste loading was also found to have varying effects dependent on the composition of the waste form and the processing atmosphere. These responses to processing and composition variations were dictated by fundamental glass chemistry and can be adjusted to achieve maximum waste loading, acceptable durability, and desirable processing characteristics with optimized formulations.
An Essential Role for Autophosphorylation in the Dissociation of Activated Protein Kinase C from the Plasma Membrane

The cellular localization of protein kinase C (PKC) is intimately associated with the regulation of its biological activity. Previously we have demonstrated that the redistribution of PKC to the plasma membrane in response to physiological stimuli is followed by a rapid returning of PKC back to the cytoplasm (Feng, X., Zhang, J., Barak, L. S., Meyer, T., Caron, M. G., and Hannun, Y. A. (1998) J. Biol. Chem. 273, 10755-10762). Although the process of PKC membrane targeting has been extensively studied, the molecular mechanism underlying the dissociation of membrane-bound PKC remains unclear. In the present study, by examining the dynamic distribution of wild-type PKC betaII and its kinase-deficient mutant (K371R), we demonstrate that kinase activity is required for PKC membrane dissociation. Moreover, the inability of PKC betaII(K371R) to dissociate from the plasma membrane in cells overexpressing wild-type PKC betaII suggests that autophosphorylation activity of the kinase might be essential for its membrane dissociation. This was further supported by mutational analysis of two in vivo autophosphorylation sites on PKC betaII. The replacement of Ser660 or Thr641 by alanine (S660A or T641A) was found to synergistically reduce the reversal of PKC betaII membrane translocation, whereas the replacement of the same amino acids by glutamic acid (S660E or T641E), an amino acid commonly used to mimic phosphate, results in mutants behaving similar to wild-type PKC betaII. These findings point to an essential role for autophosphorylation in the dissociation of activated PKC from the plasma membrane and suggest that, like PKC membrane translocation, the returning of PKC to the cytoplasm after its activation is also delicately regulated.
Phosphorylation events during Müllerian duct regression.

Regression of the fetal rat Mullerian duct in vitro was stimulated by sodium fluoride in the absence of Mullerian inhibiting substance. The action of Mullerian inhibiting substance was inhibited by sodium vanadate, adenosine 5'-triphosphate, and several related nucleotides in the presence of manganese ions. Epidermal growth factor specifically inhibited the substance, but only with manganese ions present. Insulin, platelet-derived growth factor, and nerve growth factor had no effect. These results suggest that dephosphorylation of membrane proteins mediates the action of Mullerian inhibiting substance.
Radiofrequency energy on cortical bone and soft tissue: a pilot study.

Background Radiofrequency-generating energy devices have been used clinically in musculoskeletal procedures to provide hemostasis and capsular shrinkage (thermal capsulorrhaphy). However, the dose-effects are not well known.
A lonesome giant of optical theory

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the death of Allvar Gullstrand, ophthalmologist and researcher in physical and physiologic optics. Here Daniel M. Albert describes the life and work of this remarkable man.
Monte Carlo simulations of spin glasses at low temperatures

We report the results of Monte Carlo simulations on several spin-glass models at low temperatures. By using the parallel tempering (exchange Monte Carlo) technique we are able to equilibrate down to low temperatures, for moderate sizes, and hence the data should not be affected by critical fluctuations. Our results for short-range models are consistent with a picture proposed earlier that there are large-scale excitations which cost only a finite energy in the thermodynamic limit, and these excitations have a surface whose fractal dimension is less than the space dimension. For the infinite range Viana-Bray model, our results obtained for a similar number of spins, are consistent with standard replica symmetry breaking.
Elasticity of nanoparticles influences their blood circulation, phagocytosis, endocytosis, and targeting.

The impact of physical and chemical modifications of nanoparticles on their biological function has been systemically investigated and exploited to improve their circulation and targeting. However, the impact of nanoparticles’ flexibility (i.e., elastic modulus) on their function has been explored to a far lesser extent, and the potential benefits of tuning nanoparticle elasticity are not clear. Here, we describe a method to synthesize polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based hydrogel nanoparticles of uniform size (200 nm) with elastic moduli ranging from 0.255 to 3000 kPa. These particles are used to investigate the role of particle elasticity on key functions including blood circulation time, biodistribution, antibody-mediated targeting, endocytosis, and phagocytosis. Our results demonstrate that softer nanoparticles (10 kPa) offer enhanced circulation and subsequently enhanced targeting compared to harder nanoparticles (3000 kPa) in vivo. Furthermore, in vitro experiments show that softer nanoparticles exhibit ...
Prevalence and social environment of cigarette smoking in Cyprus youth

Tobacco use is the single most preventable cause of morbidity and mortality in humans. Limited data exist regarding the extent of the problem among Cyprus youth. We use the Global Youth Tobacco Survey to assess the prevalence of cigarette smoking among middle and high school students as well as the social environment in which this is taking place. The survey was conducted by the Cyprus International Institute for the Environment and Public Health in association with Harvard School of Public Health. A two-stage cluster sample design was used to select a representative sample of students from middle and high schools registered with the Republic of Cyprus in 2005–2006. The study questionnaire consisted of 99 questions and participation in the survey was voluntary. Statistical analyses were performed taking into consideration the specific design of the study and the sample weights associated with each completed questionnaire. The prevalence of current smoking, defined as having smoked cigarettes on one or more days of the past 30 days, is 13% among boys and 7% among girls in middle schools, and 36% among boys and 23% among girls in high schools. Furthermore, 16% of middle school students and more than 24% of high school students that had never smoked indicated that they are likely to initiate smoking within the next year. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke is also very high with 91% of students reporting being exposed to smoke in places outside home. In addition, more than 95% of current smokers reported that they had bought cigarettes in a store during the past month and were not refused cigarettes because of their age. Smoking prevalence among Cyprus middle and high school students is high and there are indications of an increase in the prevalence of smoking among girls over the last few years. Susceptibility rates, exposure to second-hand smoke, and access to and availability of cigarettes to youth are also high and concerning. The present survey indicates that the problem of cigarette smoking among youth in Cyprus is significant and requires collective action immediately.
High pressure crystal phase of carbon nitride

The existence of the hard phase C3N4 carbon nitride is under dispute. The conditions needed for high pressure/high temperature synthesis of this hard phase include increasing the nitrogen content by using azides and the elimination of hydrogen from the starting material. Graphitic type CNx materials have been synthesized by a microwave nitrogen plasma CVD process. The material possesses turbostratic structure A = 2.60 A, C = 7.28 A and presumably has vacancies in the basal planes
Reversible differentiation in lin−rholoholo cultured stem cells

Abstract We have shown that Lin − Rho lo Ho lo cells stimulated with IL-3, -6, -11, and SCF enter S phase by 18–20 hr. and complete mitosis by 30–36 hr. In this study, we chose to determine if single cell stem cells could alter their differentiation over time. Marrow was collected from Balb/C mice and single Lin − Rho lo Ho lo cells were sorted by Mo-Flo analysis to microtiter wells containing four factors or EPO with IL-3. Cloning efficiencies (%HPP colonies/cells plated) were as follows for 0, 18, 20, 24, 44, 48 hr: 17, 58, 37, 38, 75, 45%, respectively. Two week cultured colonies were, cytofuged, Wright-Giemsa stained, and characterized based upon individual hematopoietic cell type. Cells cultured in four factors showed 35, 4, and 24% colonies with monocytes at 0, 18, and 20 hr., respectively while megakaryocyte containing colonies were 70, 14 and 35% at 18, 20, and 24 hr. respectively. Cells cultured in EPO showed changes in the percentage of neutrophil containing colonies of 89, 43, and 70% at 20, 24, and 32 hr., respectively while macrophage containing colonies changed over this same period: 44, 0 and 70%. We next determined colony type. Colonies grown in four factors showed a decrease in granulocyte colonies from 28 to 0% of the total colonies over 44 hr. while the mixed colonies increased from 71 to 100% in this same time period. EPO cultured colonies, at 20 and 24 hr., resulted in 90–100% small mononuclear cell colonies while at 32 hr, 100% of the colonies were mixed. These results indicate that total colony number and differentiation pathways fluctuate during cell cycle progression and alteration of phenotypes are reversible.
Event-related potential evidence of accessing gender stereotypes to aid source monitoring.

Abstract Source memory for the speaker’s voice (male or female) was investigated when semantic knowledge (gender stereotypes) could and could not inform the episodic source judgment while event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded. Source accuracy was greater and response times were faster when stereotypes could predict the speaker’s voice at test. Recollection supported source judgments in both conditions as indicated by significant parietal “old/new” ERP effects (500–800 ms). Prototypical late ERP effects (the right frontal “old/new” effect and the late posterior negativity, LPN) were evident when source judgment was based solely on episodic memory. However, these two late ERP effects were diminished and a novel, frontal-negative ERP with left-central topography was observed when stereotypes aided source judgments. This pattern of ERP activity likely reflects activation of left frontal or left temporal lobes when semantic knowledge, in the form of a gender stereotype, is accessed to inform the episodic source judgment.
Stress pulses emitted during fracture in tension

Abstract This paper is concerned with the stress pulses which are emitted during the tensile fracture of glass rods of rectangular cross-section. Both a longitudinal and a flexural pulse were observed. The experimentally recorded pulse shapes are found to be in close agreement with those predicted by using a theoretical model proposed by Phillips and Kolsky. It is shown that the deviations noted in the earlier work with circular glass rods are due, primarily, to the effect of crack bifurcation and not to the geometry of the cross-section. Further, the phenomenon of crack bifunction is found to depend upon the magnitude of the applied stress required to initiate fracture, and to be essentially independent of the section geometry.
Bias in correlations from selected samples of relatives: the effects of soft selection.

Martin and Wilson (1982) describe two forms of sampling bias in twin studies. One is “hard selection,” where individuals above a threshold participate, and those below do not. The second is “soft selection,” where the probability of including a pair of relatives varies over the range of the character. We present an alternative model of soft selection which has strikingly different consequences for the resemblance between relatives. In general, the softer the threshold, the more the correlation resembles that in the underlying population. Results are presented where the probability of selection equals the cumulative distribution function of a normal distribution with 10% of the variance of the selected variable. In these circumstances, soft selection usually leads to less severely attenuated correlations than truncate selection.
Transonic low aspect ratio wing-winglet designs

A numerical design study has been conducted to ascertain the potential of winglets as a drag-reducing measure at high subsonic Mach numbers for low aspect ratio wings. The four variants of the winglet concept studied are a 'detuned' winglet with decreased incidence at the wing-winglet juncture; a steerable winglet; more gradual pressure recovery at the wing and winglet trailing edges; and the application of supercritical airfoil technology. A further study is conducted to assess the accuracy of the numerical code's predicted pressure drag values.