cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Language acquisition: learning a hierarchy of phrases

The hierarchical lexicon, in contrast to the traditional flat lexicon, enables a linguistic model to perform even in situations of incomplete knowledge: when a specific entry is missing, a more general entry can cover the gap. The question still remains regarding the construction of the lexicon itself. Since the lexicon is organized as a hierarchy, and not as a flat structure, phrases cannot simply be placed in the lexicon: they must be interconnected with other phrases in the hierarchy at the appropriate level of generality. Furthermore, since input examples arc always given in terms of specific phrases, phrases must be propagated up and down the hierarchy, starting at the bottom level. In this paper we describe a learning algorithm which is based on two existing machine-learning models: learning in a version space [Mitchell82], and learning by accumulating specific episodes in a dynamic memory [Kolodner84, Schank82]. The input required by the algorithm is a sequence of specific episodes, or training examples, from which lexical entries at various levels in the hierarchy arc generalized and specialized. The algorithm is embodied by the program RINA [Zernik87b] which models learning English phrases by a second language speaker.
Deep space 4/Champollion, 2/sup nd/ generation cheaper, better, faster

This paper summarizes actual key lessons learned that worked well on the Mars Pathfinder project under the constraints of cheaper, better, faster (CBF) and how these experiences are being carried forward into the New Millennium Program's Deep Space 4/Champollion mission. These lessons and practices will be discussed specifically in the context of the new business environment of the 21/sup st/ century. The Deep Space 4/Champollion mission is designed to test advanced technologies for landing on and analyzing in-situ small bodies in the solar system. Deep Space 4r/Champollion will be launched in 2003 and, in early 2006, will rendezvous with the periodic Comet Tempel 1. This mission is one of the most complex missions ever attempted by NASA and will need to rely heavily on the experience of Mars Pathfinder to succeed in the environment of CBF. Key Pathfinder success factors discussed include: talent, trust, commitment, mission success criteria, hands-on leadership, organization structure, and risk management. A concept of Cheaper, Better, Less Heroic will be discussed and contrasted to Cheaper, Better, Faster. Major issues confronting 2/sup nd/ generation missions are discussed including interdependence, project size, and is cheaper, better, faster relative (and when is it relevant).
Complete Surface Structures

Our experience with surface structure determination by LEED intensity analysis has led us to the concept of complete surface structures. This concept is forced on us by the fact that a good fit to LEED data requires fixing all atom positions that deviate significantly from bulk positions. Hence many cases of deep structure, i.e., deviations extending several atomic layers below the top layer have been found. Especially studies of multilayer relaxation of open metallic surfaces1 have emphasized the need to specify many structural parameters, even on clean metallic crystals. In addition other experimental techniques have shown capability as deep probes, notably ion scattering2, and several theoretical approaches to relaxation in metals 3–6 have given insight into and consistent descriptions of multilayer relaxations which reinforce the experimental conclusions. Deep structure is also found in semiconductor surfaces, where the driving force is the formation of strained surface bonds, particularly angular strains, which in turn strain deeper layers to reduce the total strain energy7. Complete structure determinations on semiconductor surfaces have not been as successful as on metal surfaces, so we do not discuss semiconductors explicitly.
Linear groups containing an element with an eigenspace of codimension two

Publisher Summary This chapter presents an assumption that G is a finite group and X:G → GLn (V) an irreducible representation of G over the complex vector space V of dimension n. Then, X is quasiprimitive if for all N ⊲ G, X|N splits into equivalent irreducible representations. H. H. Mitchell classified all G having a faithful quasiprimitive representation X, such that for some g ∈ G, X(g) has exactly n – 1 equal eigenvalues. These groups are the finite reflection groups. This chapter classifies G such that for some g ∈ G, X(g) has exactly n–2 equal eigenvalues. Often contradictions are obtained by applying a result of Blichfeldt stating that if X is faithful and quasiprimitive, then G − Z(G) does not contain an element with one eigenvalue ℰ such that all others are < 60° away from ℰ.
Design of 2-D Tseng window and its application to antenna array synthesis

The authors present a systematic procedure of synthesizing a two-dimensional antenna array which has the pattern nulls at the incident angle of jammers. The one-dimensional Tseng window is extended to two dimensions, maintaining the circular symmetry. The method of interpolation has been used to define the values of the spectral window on arbitrary frequency points. The data window of the circularly symmetric two-dimensional Tseng window, which can be obtained by computing the two-dimensional inverse fast Fourier transform of the spectral window, is applied to the computation of the gain of each antenna element to generate pattern nulls. The two-dimensional array with the proper pattern nulls is used for the spectral analysis of an AM signal which is incident at an arbitrary angle in the presence of strong jammers of different incident angles. The excellent capability for detecting, resolving, and accurately measuring the magnitude of AM signal components of the array synthesized with the circularly symmetric Tseng window is demonstrated by several numerical examples. >
Dthreads: efficient deterministic multithreading

Multithreaded programming is notoriously difficult to get right. A key problem is non-determinism, which complicates debugging, testing, and reproducing errors. One way to simplify multithreaded programming is to enforce deterministic execution, but current deterministic systems for C/C++ are incomplete or impractical. These systems require program modification, do not ensure determinism in the presence of data races, do not work with general-purpose multithreaded programs, or run up to 8.4× slower than pthreads. This paper presents Dthreads, an efficient deterministic multithreading system for unmodified C/C++ applications that replaces the pthreads library. Dthreads enforces determinism in the face of data races and deadlocks. Dthreads works by exploding multithreaded applications into multiple processes, with private, copy-on-write mappings to shared memory. It uses standard virtual memory protection to track writes, and deterministically orders updates by each thread. By separating updates from different threads, Dthreads has the additional benefit of eliminating false sharing. Experimental results show that Dthreads substantially outperforms a state-of-the-art deterministic runtime system, and for a majority of the benchmarks evaluated here, matches and occasionally exceeds the performance of pthreads.
Screening the receptorome reveals molecular targets responsible for drug-induced side effects: Focus on fen-phen

The in vitro pharmacological profiling of drugs using a large panel of cloned receptors (e.g., G protein-coupled receptors, ligand-gated ion channels, Na(+)-dependent monoamine transporters), an approach that has come to be known as 'receptorome screening', has unveiled novel molecular mechanisms responsible for the actions and/or side effects of certain drugs. For instance, receptorome screening has been employed to uncover novel molecular targets involved in the actions of antipsychotic medications and the hallucinogenic mint extract salvinorin A. This review highlights the recent application of receptorome screening to discover why the anorexigen fenfluramine causes serious cardiopulmonary side effects. Receptorome screening has implicated N-deethylation of fenfluramine and serotonin 5-hydroxy-t-ryptamine 2B receptors in the adverse effects of the drug; subsequent studies corroborated this finding. The results discussed highlight the utility of determining the potential activity of drugs -- and, importantly, of their in vivo metabolites -- at as many molecular targets as possible in order to reliably predict side effect profiles. Receptorome screening represents one of the most effective methods for identifying potentially serious drug-related side effects at the preclinical stage, thereby avoiding significant economic and human health consequences.
Artificial Neural Network Classification of Sand in all Visible Submarine and Subaerial Regions of a Digital Image

Abstract Factors controlling the distribution of shelf sand as a resource, a component of reef ecosystems, and a dynamic substrate are poorly understood. An initial step in understanding sand accumulation in each of these roles is to identify its areal extent and change through time. Digitized aerial photographs and digital images provide common, inexpensive data sets that are generally underutilized for the purpose of marine substrate classification. Here we use only two bands, blue and green (470 and 550 nm), to demonstrate the utility of simple aerial photography in classifying marine substrate. Although these two are acquired from a hyperspectral data set, they represent blue and green in an RGB image such as commonly available in digitized aerial photographs. We add as a third band the second eigenchannel of a principal components analysis of these bands. Using an artificial neural network classification model, we identify submarine and subaerial sandy substrate in a digital image of a detached reef ...
Towards an optimal network survivability threshold

Without empirical insights into the survivability and resiliency of networks, operators and maintainers can only speculate about the efficacy of key network infrastructures. Outage reporting is a key aspect of integrated network management, and requires special consideration by network operators. For instance, the outage is to be deemed a threat to network survivability and resiliency. This paper considers the appropriateness of a network survivability reporting threshold by investigating the optimality of different thresholds, and threshold types. We wish to search for an optimal threshold, which minimizes the number of reports, and maximizes the amount of communication loss exposed by the reports. As a consequence, we define here a threshold figure of merit, which is the ratio of the communications loss and the number of outages exposed relative to a baseline reporting threshold, and seek to maximize this metric. Over 19 000 actual network outages are used to investigate optimal reporting thresholds. Results indicate that network operator perceptions of network survivability and resiliency depend not only on the magnitude of the threshold, but also on the threshold type.
Renyi information and signal-dependent optimal kernel design

The Renyi uncertainty measure has been proposed to be a measurement of complexity of signals. We further suggest that it can be used to evaluate the performance of different time-frequency distributions (TFDs). We provide two schemes of normalization in calculating the Renyi uncertainty measure. For the first one, TFDs are normalized by their energy, while for the second one, normalized with their volume. The behavior of the Renyi uncertainty measure under several situations is studied. A signal-dependent algorithm is developed to achieve TFDs with a minimal uncertainty measure. For the first normalization scheme, the Wigner distribution is found to be optimal or near-to-optimal under certain constraints. If the second scheme is used, our program can generate minimum uncertainty product kernels which are very effective at suppressing cross terms and maintaining high resolution.
A model-based regression test selection technique

Throughout their life cycle, software artifacts are modified, and selective regression testing is used to identify the negative impact of modifications. Code-based regression test selection retests test cases sub-set that traverse code modifications. It uses recovered relationships between code parts and test cases that traverse them to locate test cases for retest when code is modified. Broad adoption of model-centric development has created opportunities for software testing. It enabled driving testing processes at higher abstraction levels and demonstrating code to model compliance by means of Model-Based Testing (MBT). Models also evolve, so an important activity of MBT is selective regression testing. It selects test cases for retest based on model modification, so it relies on relationships between model elements and test cases that traverse those elements to locate test cases for retest. We contribute an approach and prototype that during test case generation creates fine-grained traceability relationships between model elements and test cases, which are used to support model-based regression test selection.
Fingerprinting 802.11 rate adaption algorithms

The effectiveness of rate adaptation algorithms is an important determinant of 802.11 wireless network performance. The diversity of algorithms that has resulted from efforts to improve rate adaptation has introduced a new dimension of variability into 802.11 wireless networks, further complicating the already difficult task of understanding and debugging 802.11 performance. To assist with this task, in this paper we present and evaluate a methodology for accurately fingerprinting 802.11 rate adaptation algorithms. Our approach uses a Support Vector Machine (SVM)-based classifier that requires only simple passive measurements of 802.11 traffic. We demonstrate that careful conversion of raw packet traces into input features for SVM is necessary for achieving high classification accuracy. We tested our classifier on the four rate adaptation algorithms available in MadWifi, cards. The classifier performs with an accuracy of 95% – 100%. We also show that the classifier is robust over a variety of network conditions if the training data includes a sufficient sampling of the range of an algorithm's behavior.
Comparison of surface confined ATRP and SET‐LRP syntheses for a series of amino (meth)acrylate polymer brushes on silicon substrates

A series of poly(amino (meth)acrylate) brushes, poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDMAEMA), poly(2-(diethylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PDEAEMA), poly(2-(dimethylamino)ethyl acrylate) (PDMAEA), poly(2-(tert-butylamino)ethyl methacrylate) (PTBAEMA), has been synthesized via surface-confined controlled/living radical polymerizations using surface-confined initiator from silane self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on silicon (Si) wafer substrates. Chemical methods and efficacies for two types of living radical polymerization, atom transfer radical (ATRP) and single electron transfer (SET-LRP), are described and contrasted for the surface confined polymerization of poly(amino (meth)acrylate)s. Effects of solvent, catalyst/ligand system, and temperature on polymerization success were examined. Chemical compositions after each reaction step were characterized with FTIR spectroscopy, contact angle goniometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy while the SAM and polymer brush thicknesses were measured with spectroscopic ellipsometry. For the first time, this study demonstrates successful surface-confined polymerization of a series of poly(amine (meth)acrylate) brushes from Si-SAM substrates using a copper metal electron donor catalyst.
The Projective Field of Retinal Bipolar Cells and Its Modulation by Visual Context

The receptive field of a sensory neuron spells out all the receptor inputs it receives. To understand a neuron’s role in the circuit, one also needs to know its projective field, namely the outputs it sends to all downstream cells. Here we present the projective fields of the primary excitatory neurons in a sensory circuit. We stimulated single bipolar cells of the salamander retina and recorded simultaneously from a population of ganglion cells. Individual bipolar cell signals diverge through polysynaptic pathways into ganglion cells of many different types and over surprisingly large distance. However, the strength and polarity of the projection depend on the cell types involved. Furthermore, visual stimulation strongly modulates the bipolar cell projective field, in opposite direction for different cell types. In this way, the context from distant parts of the visual field can control the routing of signals in the inner retina.
Sleep and Daily Functioning during Androgen Deprivation Therapy for Prostate Cancer

A limited body of evidence suggests that sleep problems are common in prostate cancer patients undergoing androgen deprivation therapy, yet little is known about sleep characteristics and the effects of poor sleep on daily functioning in this population. This study assessed sleep in 60 prostate cancer patients taking androgen deprivation therapy with wrist actigraphy and daily diaries for 7 days. The Epworth Sleepiness Scale and the general version of the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy scale were also administered. On average, total sleep time was 5.9 (SD = 1.4) h, and sleep efficiency was 75% (SD = 12.0) as assessed by actigraphy. There was generally poor concordance between actigraphy and daily diary for most sleep metrics. Subjects reported awakening, on average, 2.7 times per night, most commonly for nocturia and hot flashes. Assessment of daily functioning showed that participants had mild daytime sleepiness, which was predicted by total sleep time (F(1,47) = 4.5, P= 0.04) General quality of life was not impaired. This study supports more research on the predictors of poor sleep in order to identify effective interventions.
STUDIES ON THE CHEMILUMINESCENCE OF LUMINOL IN DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE AND DIMETHYLSULFOXIDE‐WATER MIXTURES*

Abstract— The absorption, fluorescence, and chemiluminescence (CL) characteristics of luminol have been studied in basic dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and various basic DMSO — water mixed solvents. It has been shown that the luminol dianion can be produced quantitatively in carefully deoxygenated ‘dry’ DMSO using potassium t-butyl alcoholate (BTO) as the base. A direct correlation has been found between the intensity of CL and the concentration of luminol dianion, Indicating that the dianion is the reactive species in the chemiluminescent reaction in DMSO. Increasing concentrations of water in the mixed solvents greatly reduced the CL intensity because of the decrease in luminol dianion concentration. Solvent effects on the fluorescence of 3-aminophthalic acid samples was noted and identified. Chemiluminescent spectra of luminol were run as a function of solvent composition, and compared with fluorescence spectra in the same media. The need for correcting these spectra for comparison was noted. Stopped flow kinetic studies were run in DMSO and DMSO-water mixtures. These data can be interpreted on the basis of two second-order steps and one first-order step in the reaction. The first-order step is probably last and probably arises from decomposition of a ‘peroxy’ intermediate. The rate constant for this step is k= 1·2±0·3×10-1 sec-1.
A University-Technical College Nanoscience Training Program

The projected growth in successful commercialization of nanoscience products and technologies will be slowed without an adequately trained force of technician-level skilled workers. To this end, Dakota County Technical College (DCTC), a two year school in Rosemount, MN received in 2004 an NSF ATE grant to develop a nanoscience training program. The program consists of 3 semesters of coursework at DCTC in various aspects of nanotechnology, followed by a capstone semester at the University of Minnesota (UM). The capstone semester consists of 4 lecture-based courses and 3 lab courses. One of the lab courses is a fabrication course taking place in the UM Nanofabrication Center cleanroom facility. At the conclusion of the capstone semester the students graduate from DCTC with a AAS degree in Nanoscience Technology, and also have 16 credits from the University of MN.
Variational form of the optimality conditions for stochastic systems of variable structure

We present a variational formulation of a coupled system of fully nonlinear partial differential equations with discontinuous coefficients. These equations arise in the optimal control of stochastic systems of variable structure.
Mountain lakes increase organic matter decomposition rates in streams

AbstractLakes can play a large role in structuring the chemical and physical templates of streams, yet they often are overlooked when stream function is evaluated. We examined how lakes within stream networks affect organic matter decomposition. We used a cotton-strip assay to evaluate cellulose decomposition potential (CDP) as loss of cotton-strip tensile strength in streams upstream and downstream of 4 mountain lakes in a lake district in the Sawtooth Mountains, Idaho. In addition, we used this assay to determine decomposition potentials along a longitudinal gradient in 1 stream–lake network. Decomposition coefficients (k) were 43% greater in lake-outflow streams than lake-inflow streams. Temperature explained 65% of the variability in decomposition rates across lake inflows and outflows, and decomposition rates in inflow streams were highly correlated with mean daily temperature (r = 0.99). Conversely, decomposition rates in outflow stream were strongly correlated with total N/total P ratios (TN/TP; ...
In vitro study on work of breathing during non-invasive ventilation using a new variable flow generator

Objective In an attempt to reduce the work of breathing (WOB) and the risk of respiratory failure, preterm infants are increasingly treated with nasal synchronised biphasic positive airway pressure (BPAP) via the Infant Flow SiPAP system. However, the relatively high resistance of the generator limits the pressure amplitude (PA) and pressure build-up (PB) of this system. This in vitro study investigates the impact of a new generator with improved fluid mechanics on the WOB, PA and PB during BPAP. Methods Using a low compliance lung model, WOB, PA and PB, were measured during BPAP using the old and the new Infant Flow generators. Airway resistance (tube sizes 2.5 mm, 3.0 mm and 3.5 mm), nasal interface sizes (small, medium and large) and four different ventilator settings were used to mimic different clinical conditions. Results Compared with the old generator, the new generator significantly reduced the WOB between 10% and 70%, depending on the measurement configuration. The maximum PA was higher when using the new (6–7 cm H 2 O) generator versus the old (3–4 cm H 2 O) generator. During the first 100 ms of inspiration, the new generator reached between 33% and 40% of the peak pressure compared with 11–20% for the old generator. Conclusions This in vitro study shows that a new generator of the Infant Flow SiPAP device results in a significant reduction in WOB and an increase in PA and PB during BPAP. The results of this study need to be confirmed under variable clinical conditions in preterm infants.
Body plans, phyla and arthropods

Phyla are, traditionally, Linnean taxa, each of which can be characterized by a distinctive assemblage of morphological features. The early systematists who attempted to classify animals at the highest level were clearly struck by the unique morphological themes that differentiated the body plans of major groups, eventually termed phyla. The body plans could not be linked by series of intermediate organisms, living or fossil, nor can they today. Although the body plans are unique, the features that characterized them are not. Rather, they are polythetic (Beckner, 1968); that is, each feature may be found in more than one phylum, or may be absent from a member of the phylum; it is the assemblage that is unique. A number of attempts have been made to express the fundamental commonality exhibited by members of phyla — words such as archetype, Bauplan and phylotype spring to mind. Here we wish briefly to review such concepts, and to suggest which are more informative in framing a definition of phyla, with particular reference to the Arthropoda. We use the term body plan for the assemblage of morphological features that is found among members of a higher taxon, without implying any particular taxonomic, evolutionary or morphological viewpoint.
Association of arterial pulse pressure with long-term clinical outcomes in patients with heart failure

Abstract Objectives This study assessed the association between pulse pressure (PP) and adverse outcomes at 1 year in patients hospitalized for heart failure (HF). Background PP has been shown to be predictive of the development of HF. The value and utility of PP assessment in patients with prevalent HF is less clear. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study from clinical registry data linked to Medicare claims for 40,421 HF patients entered in the Get With the Guidelines-HF program. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the association between discharge PP and all-cause mortality and the composite outcome of all-cause mortality/readmission by 1 year. Results A nonlinear association between PP and mortality (expressed as hazard ratio [HR] per 10-mm Hg increase in PP) was observed in patients with HF and reduced ( Conclusions The association between PP at hospital discharge and 1-year outcomes is a function of HF phenotype, SBP, and absolute PP.
LRP in Endothelial Cells: A Little Goes a Long Way

Endothelial cells are highly heterogeneous1 and participate in angiogenesis, an integrated set of responses in which new blood vessels are formed from existing ones. During angiogenesis, endothelial cells exhibit increased migration and proliferation2 and contribute to the reorganization of the extracellular matrix. Angiogenesis occurs during embryonic development and is also initiated during wound healing and pathological conditions, such as ischemia. Although most often the revascularization of ischemic tissues is highly beneficial, under certain conditions, it can be harmful. For example, pathological angiogenesis in the retina during diabetic retinopathy can result in blindness.3 Several molecules influence angiogenesis, including vascular endothelial growth factor,4 Notch,5 and Wnt.6 In this edition of Atherosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology , Mao et al7 identify another key player in this process: the low-density lipoprotein receptor–related protein 1 (LRP1) by demonstrating a significant role for LRP1 in orchestrating angiogenesis during retinal neovascularization. See accompanying article on page 350 LRP1, is a highly efficient endocytic as well as a signal transducing receptor that binds multiple ligands,8–11 and modulates signaling pathways by regulating the extracellular levels of growth factors and binding adaptor molecules to its intracellular domain (ICD). LRP1 plays an important role in the development12,13 and maintenance of the vasculature.14,15 Deletion of the Lrp1 gene in mice results in early embryonic lethality12 because of extensive hemorrhaging occurring around E13.5.13 The underlying vascular defect results from a failure to recruit and maintain vascular smooth muscle cells and pericytes of vessels resulting in extreme dilation of the aorta with a thin and disorganized smooth muscle cell layer and discontinuity of the vascular endothelium. Interestingly, the phenotype observed for Lrp1 −/− embryos resembles that of mice genetically deficient in sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor S1PR1. Like the …
Accounting with the Right Value and Financial Crisis: Indicative or Contributive Role? (Comptabilisation À La Juste Valeur Et Crise Financière: Rôle Indicatif Ou Contributif?)

Did fair value accounting play a role in the current financial crisis? This appendix explores the issue. Fair value accounting implies that assets and liabilities get measured and reflected on a firm's financial statements at their market value, or close substitutes. Extensive academic research done over the past 20 years shows that financial statements that reflect the market values of assets or liabilities provide information that is relevant to investors. In other context, fair value accounting is just a messenger carrying bad news. In contrast, there is also another research stream which is quite critical of the perceived merits of fair value accounting, and which worries about how it undermines what constitutes the core of financial reporting. More specifically, it is argued that fair value accounting is difficult to verify, may be based on unreliable assumptions or hypotheses and provides management with too much discretion into the preparation of financial statements. Hence, according to this view, fair value accounting is not necessarily a neutral or unbiased messenger. Moreover, fair value accounting creates a circular dynamic in financial reporting, with markets providing the input for the measurement of many assets, thus affecting reported earnings which are then used by analysts and investors to assess a firm’s market value. If markets become volatile, as has been the case in recent months, reported earnings also become more volatile, thus feeding investors apprehensions. Therefore, since fair value accounting is associated with more volatile and less conservative financial statements and, it may have allowed managers to delay the day of recognition as well as distorted investors and regulators’ perceptions of financial performance and stability at the end of the financial bubble. However, once the economic pendulum swung back, fair value accounting may have magnified their views as to the severity of the current financial crisis, hence accelerating some negative trends.
Survival of the Fittest Nanojar: Stepwise Breakdown of Polydisperse Cu27-Cu31 Nanojar Mixtures into Monodisperse Cu27(CO3) and Cu31(SO4) Nanojars

Nanojars are emerging as a class of anion sequestration agents of unparalleled efficiency. Dinegative oxoanions (e.g., carbonate, sulfate) template the formation of a series of homologous nanojars [Cu(OH)(pyrazolato)]n (n=27-31). Pyridine selectively transforms less stable, larger CO3(2-) nanojars (n=30, 31) into more stable, smaller ones (n=27, 29), but leaves all SO4(2-) nanojars (n=27-29, 31) intact. Ammonia, in turn, transforms all less stable nanojars into the most stable one and allows the isolation of pure [CO3(2-)⊂{Cu(OH)(pz)}27] and [SO4(2-)⊂{Cu(OH)(pz)}31]. A comprehensive picture of the solution and solid-state intricacies of nanojars was revealed by a combination of variable temperature NMR spectroscopy, tandem mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystallography.
Bayesian Model Averaging Over Directed Acyclic Graphs With Implications for the Predictive Performance of Structural Equation Models

This article examines Bayesian model averaging as a means of addressing predictive performance in Bayesian structural equation models. The current approach to addressing the problem of model uncertainty lies in the method of Bayesian model averaging. We expand the work of Madigan and his colleagues by considering a structural equation model as a special case of a directed acyclic graph. We then provide an algorithm that searches the model space for submodels and obtains a weighted average of the submodels using posterior model probabilities as weights. Our simulation study provides a frequentist evaluation of our Bayesian model averaging approach and indicates that when the true model is known, Bayesian model averaging does not yield necessarily better predictive performance compared to nonaveraged models. However, our case study using data from an international large-scale assessment reveals that the model-averaged submodels provide better posterior predictive performance compared to the initially specif...
Tocqueville on Religion and Modernity: Making Catholicism Safe for Liberal Democracy

Although Alexis de Tocqueville observed numerous Chris tian faiths in America, Catholicism is the only one he singled out for special attention in Democracy in America. This makes sense in light of Tocque ville's intention to benefit France by writing about America. In a letter to his cousin Louis Kergorlay, Tocque ville wrote, "Though I seldom mentioned France (in De mocracy in America), I did not write a page without thinking of her, and placing her as it were before me."1 America stood for the "great social revolution" that culminated in modern democ racy, and of all the countries in Europe, Tocqueville believed that this revolution had made the most headway in France.2 Given his conviction that modern democracies need religion, and the profoundly Catholic nature of France, it is not surpris ing that he took a special interest in the plight of Catholicism in America. His study of Catholicism in America is guided by his concern for the future of France.
Mysterium Materiae: Vital Matter and the Object as Evidence in the Study of Religion

This article examines religious image, popular devotion, and hybird religious identities by relying upon objects for analysis in the context of colonial and contemporary Mexican religion. In this article, I explore the risk and benefits of approaching the objects of material religion as evidence. I explore the variety of ways in which objects can be read/received as evidentiary. At the same time, I suggest that the meaning of objects is, like texts, fundamental unstable. At the same time, to regard objects as evidence disregards their most fundamental aspect and character: that is that they are not so much representation, that is symbols that can be read and interpreted, but PRESENTATIONAL, that is transubstantiated so that they often become the spirit itself.
Heteroepitaxial Growth of Transition-Metal Nitride Films

The nucleation of epitaxial transition-metal nitride films with different lattice mismatch and growth of the corresponding supcrlattices were studied. In-situ Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) was used to characterize the nucleation mechanisms of V0.3Nb0.7N films on TiN (1.7% mismatch), TiN films on VN (2.4% mismatch), TiN films on NbN (3.6% mismatch), NbN films on VN (5.7% mismatch), and VN films on NbN grown by ultra-high vacuum reactive magnetron sputtering. The initial growth mechanism was layer-by-layer for mismatch values up to 3.6%, but three-dimensional island nucleation occurred for 5.7% mismatch. Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) observations of NbN films showed threedimensional islands, confirming the AES results. X-ray diffraction spectra from the corresponding superlattices showed strong superlattice reflections except for the large-mismatch NbN/VN combination. Cross-sctional transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the superlattice layers were.velldefined and planar for low mismatch, but were irregular and non-planar for VN/NbN, in agreement with the X-ray, AES, and STM results. The maximum lattice mismatch for epitaxial nitride superlattice growth was thus limited by island nucleation and in the range from 3.6–5.7%.
A Framework for Applying the OODA Loop to Mission Control Room Execution

John Boyd’s OODA loop was used to derive lessons learned for understanding the complexities of a high-paced mission control room environment. Each step of the loop: Observe, Orient, Decide and Act is evident during observation of flight test events in mission control rooms of all function and size. Special techniques have been developed and adapted to these control rooms to accelerate the decision cycle in high-latency communication environments when decision rapidity is a key factor for safety. Some of these techniques are technological approaches while others are simple communication aids. The case study for this paper was the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter flight test program at Edwards Air Force Base, California, and its array of four mission control rooms at the Jack L. Ridley Mission Control Center. The lens of the control room OODA loop focuses control room personnel on how the OODA loop can quicken the process of developing instructions for an airborne test pilot. Process is imperative whether or not the Test Conductor consciously acts through the steps.
Abstract A79: Hormonal factors and breast cancer risk in nulliparous women

Abstracts: Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research 2008 A79 Background Nulliparous women are a growing population in the U.S. that is known to be at elevated risk for breast cancer. A term pregnancy is believed to exert a protective effect on the ductal structures in the breast through terminal differentiation. It is biologically plausible that limited ductal maturation in nulliparous women renders the breast more susceptible to the effects of hormonal factors. Methods We assessed the association between hormonal and other factors and breast cancer risk by parity among postmenopausal women. Data were combined from four prospective cohort studies [The Breast Cancer Detection Demonstration Project Follow-up Study, the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study, The Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial, and The United States Radiologic Technologist Study]. Each dataset was analyzed using multivariable Cox Proportional Hazards models to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) separately for nulliparous and parous women for known risk factors. Study-specific results were combined using a meta-analytic random effects model. Results A total of 1,611 breast cancers were reported among 32,636 nulliparous women and 8,284 breast cancers among 207,763 parous women. The meta-analytic HRs for the one of the strongest risk factors, current use of menopausal hormone therapy for ≥5 years, were 1.46 (95% CI: 1.10-1.82) and 1.50 (95% CI: 1.42-1.59) for nulliparous and parous women, respectively. Patterns of risk were similar for nulliparous and parous women for other factors including ages at menarche and last menstrual period, body mass index, family history of breast cancer, and benign breast disease. Some study-specific variability was detected. Conclusions Similar associations between hormonal risk factors and breast cancer were observed for nulliparous and parous women. However, given their elevated baseline risk, these risk factors are likely to contribute to a greater absolute risk of breast cancer among nulliparous women. Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A79.
Assessment of Electrically Actuated Redundant Control Surface Layouts for a Hybrid Wing Body Concept

Hybrid Wing Body configurations are currently an active field of research as potential candidates to meet NASA ERA N+2 goals. One characteristic of these configurations is the presence of a large number of redundant flight control surfaces. However, the design process and decision rationale for a given control surface layout is rarely discussed in the open literature. This paper investigates tradeoffs between drag, control authority, actuator weight, and actuation power requirements as a function of the number and spacing of elevons. The actuators will be sized based on hinge moments measured during nominal and failed control trim analyses. These effects are propagated upwards to estimate changes to fuel burn, a system level metric important to the ERA program, via the Breguet range equation. A model of the N2A-EXTE will be used to demonstrate these tradeoffs.
Ultrasonographic Detection of False Passages Arising from the Posterior Urethra in Spinal Cord Injury Patients

AbstractWe report on false passages arising from the posterior urethra in 10 male spinal cord injury patients, of which 9 were well visualized on transrectal sonography, with real-time linear array equipment that was used to monitor a urodynamics catheter being introduced into the prostatic urethra. The only false passage not detected was at the bladder neck. Nevertheless the data show that transrectal sonography is an excellent tool to demonstrate false passages arising from the prostatic urethra. All 10 false passages were unroofed successfully with excellent results.
Quality-of-Life Assessment in Palliative Care:

BackgroundUnderstanding the effects of cancer on the quality of life of affected patients is critical to clinical research as well as to optimal management and care.MethodsNine instruments for asse...
Policy messes and their management

This paper presents a framework for better managing policy messes and draws implications for bad and good mess management in policy analysis and management. The framework has three foci: (1) the cognitive space in which policy messes develop, particularly in terms of gaps between macro-designers and micro-operators; (2) the unique domain of competence within that space where professionals manage the resulting messes by virtue of their skills in recognizing system-wide patterns, formulating locally specific contingency scenarios and translating both patterns and scenarios in highly reliable services; and (3) the ability of those mess and reliability professionals to be reliable in their domain and with these skills by maneuvering across different performance modes as conditions dictate—just-in-case, just-on-time, just-for-now or just-this-way.
The Transcription Factor NIN-LIKE PROTEIN7 Controls Border-Like Cell Release

The root cap covers the tip of the root and functions to protect the root from environmental stress. Cells in the last layer of the root cap are known as border cells, or border-like cells (BLCs) in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). These cells separate from the rest of the root cap and are released from its edge as a layer of living cells. BLC release is developmentally regulated, but the mechanism is largely unknown. Here, we show that the transcription factor NIN-LIKE PROTEIN7 (NLP7) is required for the proper release of BLCs in Arabidopsis. Mutations in NLP7 lead to BLCs that are released as single cells instead of an entire layer. NLP7 is highly expressed in BLCs and is activated by exposure to low pH, a condition that causes BLCs to be released as single cells. Mutations in NLP7 lead to decreased levels of cellulose and pectin. Cell wall-loosening enzymes such as CELLULASE5 (CEL5) and a pectin lyase-like gene, as well as the root cap regulators SOMBRERO and BEARSKIN1/2, are activated in nlp7-1 seedlings. Double mutant analysis revealed that the nlp7-1 phenotype depends on the expression level of CEL5. Mutations in NLP7 lead to an increase in susceptibility to a root-infecting fungal pathogen. Together, these data suggest that NLP7 controls the release of BLCs by acting through the cell wall-loosening enzyme CEL5.
Burnout in U.S. Military Orthopaedic Residents and Staff Physicians

ABSTRACTObjective: The purpose of this study was to measure the prevalence of burnout among military orthopaedic residents and staff surgeons at the U.S. Army Medical Center. Methods: 37 residents and 21 staff surgeons of a military orthopaedic residency program were asked to voluntarily complete an anonymous electronic survey. The survey consisted of two parts: first, a demographic section including questions about relationship status, work hours, deployment history, medical education debt, mentorship, and job satisfaction and second, the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results: 27 residents and 11 staff completed the survey for a 67% response rate. The rate of burnout among military orthopaedic surgeons in our study was 7.7% (3.7% of residents and 16.7% of staff surgeons). In addition, 25.6% of surgeons (33% of residents and 8.3% of staff) were found to be at risk of burnout. Conclusions: Future studies should focus on causal relationships among specific aspects of the work environment and possible preventiv...
3D Framework DNA Origami with Layered Crossovers.

Designer DNA architectures with nanoscale geometric controls provide a programmable molecular toolbox for engineering complex nanodevices. Scaffolded DNA origami has dramatically improved our ability to design and construct DNA nanostructures with finite size and spatial addressability. Here we report a novel design strategy to engineer multilayered wireframe DNA structures by introducing crossover pairs that connect neighboring layers of DNA double helices. These layered crossovers (LX) allow the scaffold or helper strands to travel through different layers and can control the relative orientation of DNA helices in neighboring layers. Using this design strategy, we successfully constructed four versions of two-layer parallelogram structures with well-defined interlayer angles, a three-layer structure with triangular cavities, and a 9- and 15-layer square lattices. This strategy provides a general route to engineer 3D framework DNA nanostructures with controlled cavities and opportunities to design host–guest networks analogs to those produced with metal organic frameworks.
Microtubule destabilising agents: far more than just antimitotic anticancer drugs.

Vinca alkaloids have been approved as anticancer drugs for more than 50 years. They have been classified as cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs that act during cellular mitosis, enabling them to target fast growing cancer cells. With the evolution of cancer drug development there has been a shift towards new “targeted” therapies to avoid the side effects and general toxicities of “cytotoxic chemotherapies” such as the vinca alkaloids. Due to their original classification, many have overlooked the fact that vinca alkaloids, taxanes and related drugs do have a specific molecular target: tubulin. They continue to be some of the most effective anticancer drugs, perhaps because their actions upon the microtubule network extend far beyond the ability to halt cells in mitosis, and include the induction of apoptosis at all phases of the cell cycle. In this review, we highlight the numerous cellular consequences of disrupting microtubule dynamics, expanding the textbook knowledge of microtubule destabilising agents and providing novel opportunities for their use in cancer therapy.
Virtual reality training system for diagnostic ultrasound

Training is a critical yet costly aspect of effective utilization of diagnostic ultrasound, where ultrasound simulation may come to play a key role. We have developed a low-cost and adaptive interactive ultrasound training system. The cost is minimized by keeping the physical components to a minimum (sham transducer, generic scan surface and a laptop or PC), while the adaptive nature is achieved by using virtual reality concepts to scan a virtual subject, unique to each image volume, with a virtual transducer. The position and orientation of the virtual transducer along with the displayed 2D image are controlled by the movement of the sham transducer on the scan surface.
Update on Pediatric Overuse

As concerns over health care-related harms and costs continue to mount, efforts to identify and combat medical overuse are needed. Although much of the recent attention has focused on health care for adults, children are also harmed by overuse. Using a structured PubMed search and manual tables of contents review, we identified important articles on pediatric overuse published in 2015. These articles were evaluated according to the quality of the methods, the magnitude of clinical effect, and the number of patients potentially affected and were categorized into overdiagnosis, overtreatment, and overutilization. Overdiagnosis: Findings included evidence for overdiagnosis of hypoxemia in children with bronchiolitis and skull fractures in children suffering minor head injuries. Overtreatment: Findings included evidence that up to 85% of hospitalized children with radiographic pneumonia may not have a bacterial etiology; many children are receiving prolonged intravenous antibiotic therapy for osteomyelitis although oral therapy is equally effective; antidepressant medication for adolescents and nebulized hypertonic saline for bronchiolitis appear to be ineffective; and thresholds for treatment of hyperbilirubinemia may be too low. Overutilization: Findings suggested that the frequency of head circumference screening could be relaxed; large reductions in abdominal computed tomography testing for appendicitis appear to have been safe and effective; and overreliance on C-reactive protein levels in neonatal early onset sepsis appears to extend hospital length-of-stay.