cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Radiocarbon Method of Age Determination

Five years after the first publication of age measurements by the radiocarbon method (Arnold and Libby 1951) the method has been established as a powerful technique in the study of archaeology. Lists of radiocarbon dates have been published by a number of laboratories (Libby 1951, 1952, 1954, 1955; Kulp 1951, 1952; Broecker and Kulp 1956; Suess 1954; Ruben and Suess 1955; Blau, Deevey, and Gross 1953; Preston, Person, and Deevey 1955; Ralph 1955; Anderson, Levi, and Tauber 1953). A few scientists feel that the radiocarbon dates contradict archaeological or geological theories which they regard as wellfounded and have suggested that because of this the method is invalid.
Turbulent Refractive Fluid Interfaces and Aero-Optical Wavefront Distortions: Experiments and Computations

A combined experimental/computational technique useful for aero-optics is developed with emphasis on the interfacial-fluid-thickness approach. The proposed technique is useful both for low-energy and high-energy laser applications. The experiments enable flow imaging and beam measurements at large Reynolds numbers and the computations, combined with the experiments, permit the study of aero-optical interactions at both low and high laser energies. Experimentally, the method consists of using laser-induced fluorescence for the refractive-field imaging and Hartmann sensing for the optical-wavefront measurements. In the UC Irvine pressurized single-stream wind tunnel, acetone vapor can be seeded in the ambient air or in the high-speed air, or in both. This is useful to compare density-effects due to compressibility alone and mixing-effects due to dissimilar gases. A custom-built high-resolution Hartmann wavefront sensor is developed that is useful to measure the propagated wavefronts simultaneously the refractive interfaces. Computationally, an optical beam solver is developed based on the eikonal equation with a marching algorithm in order to simulate the propagation of the optical wavefronts through the refractive-index field. The computations are combined with the experiments by employing the flow images as the refractive field, for the low-energy-laser case. For high-energy laser pulsed beam propagation, the eikonal equation is coupled with an absorption law to modify both the refractive field and the wavefront profile. This approach, which combines flow imaging with geometrical-optics computations, is especially useful for the study of near-field aero-optical distortions in separated flows, as would be generated by high-maneuverability aircraft, whereas far-field beam propagation requires Fourier optics.
Telephone-based cognitive-behavioural therapy and a structured exercise programme are effective for chronic widespread pain (fibromyalgia)

Commentary on: McBeth J, Prescott G, Scotland G, et al. Cognitive behavior therapy, exercise, or both for treating chronic widespread pain. Arch Intern Med 2012;172:48–57.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Chronic widespread pain (CWP) is the cardinal feature of fibromyalgia which is one of the three most common musculoskeletal disorders in clinical practice, the others being osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain. CWP is disabling as well as costly and difficult to treat. In a 2×2 factorial randomised controlled trial, 442 patients with CWP were randomised to receive 6 months of telephone-delivered cognitive-behavioural therapy (TCBT), a structured exercise programme, combined TBCT-exercise or treatment as usual (TAU). The primary outcome, using a 7-point patient global assessment scale of change in health, was assessed at baseline and 6 months (intervention end) and 9 months after randomisation. A positive outcome was defined as ‘much better’ or ‘very much … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DArch%2BIntern%2BMed%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1001%252Farchinternmed.2011.555%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22082706%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1001/archinternmed.2011.555&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22082706&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F1%2F23.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000298958900009&link_type=ISI
Emerging therapeutics in refractory renal cell carcinoma

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has seen the introduction of numerous new treatments over the past decade. However, the efficacy of these therapies has plateaued, and new treatment options are needed for the majority of patients with mRCC whose disease inevitably progresses through one or more standard therapies (‘refractory’ mRCC). Recently approved agents in this space have shown great promise.Areas covered: This article reviews the evidence behind current management strategies for mRCC. After reviewing clinical trials that established current first-line therapies and agents used in the refractory setting, we address new ideas for the treatment of refractory disease including combination therapies and novel targeted agents. In particular, we focus on targeted immunotherapy in refractory mRCC. We conclude by considering future directions in combination treatments utilizing these novel agents.Expert opinion: Numerous approaches have produced tangible benefits for the treatment...
Building the Citadel: The Constitutional Construction of the United States Senate as a Continuing Body

Based on the fact that about two-thirds of the Senate is not up for reelection every two years, the Senate is said to be continuing, permanent, perpetual, or undying, to the point where scholars and Senators have claimed it is the same Senate that first met in 1789. Among other things, the notion of the Senate as a continuing body has been the chief reason the Senate does not vote on its rules of procedure at the start of each Congress, as does the House. This paper examines the source of the continuing body doctrine: the origins of and intent behind staggered elections for the Senate. Almost no scholarship exists on this particular feature. Instead, a conventional wisdom dominates, one that interprets staggered elections as part of the framers’ intent to create an insulated, deliberative – and thereby perpetual – Senate. I draw upon three sources of evidence -- the meaning and application of “rotation” in post-revolutionary America, the debates and decisions at the Convention, and discussion during Ratification – to show that the arguments linking the intent of staggered elections to the doctrine of the continuing body are not only bad history but deeply ironic. Staggered terms were a secondary provision added to the Constitution largely to compensate for the Senate’s longer terms. The very thing that created the notion of a continuing body was the product of compromise between those who wanted long senate terms and those who favored shorter terms. This little-noted compromise was intended primarily to ensure turnover and democratic freshness in a body with long individual tenure.
Deep tissue multiphoton imaging

Deep tissue multiphoton microscopy (MPM) using solitons generated from optical fibers are reviewed. The main characteristics of the excitation source for deep tissue MPM, such as wavelength, pulse energy, and repetition rate, are discussed.
Comparison of Conflicts of Interest among Published Hernia Researchers Self-Reported with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments Database.

Background Many healthcare providers have financial interests and relationships with healthcare companies. To maintain transparency, investigators are expected to disclose their conflicts of interest (COIs). Recently, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services developed the Open Payment database of COIs reported by industry. We hypothesize that there is discordance between industry-reported and physician self-reported COIs in ventral hernia publications. Study Design PubMed was searched for ventral hernia studies accepted for publication between June 2013 and October 2015 and published by authors from the US. Conflicts of interest were defined as payments received as honoraria, consulting fees, compensation for serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue, research funding payments, or having ownerships/partnerships in companies. Conflicts of interest disclosed on the published articles were compared with the financial relationships in the Open Payments database. Results A total of 100 studies were selected with 497 participating authors. Information was available from the Open Payments database for 245 (49.2%) authors, of which 134 (26.9%) met the definition for COI. When comparing COIs disclosed by authors and data in the Open Payments database, 81 (16.3%) authors had at least 1 COI but did not declare any, 35 (7.0%) authors had COIs other than what they declared, and 20 (4.0%) declared a COI not listed in the Open Payments database, for a combined discordance rate of 27.3%. Conclusions There is substantial discordance between self-reported COI in published articles compared with those in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Open Payments database. Additional studies are needed to determine the reasons for these differences, as COI can influence the validity of the design, conduct, and results of a study.
Freedom, Commerce, Bodies, Harm: The Case of Backpage.com

This article situates lawsuits against Backpage.com in the context of changing laws and norms of sexual commerce and trafficking, and of evolving legal interpretations of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. Section 230 has been used repeatedly to shield internet service providers such as Backpage.com from liability for content generated by third parties that has led to criminal harm to others; in this case, the trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation of minors. Moving to a critique of the law as at times grievously detached from the realities it addresses, I compare the legal strategies and decisions in three prominent cases brought against Backpage.com in St. Louis, Tacoma, and Boston, respectively. This critique identifies the evacuation of gendered bodies and the harm done to them from the court opinions as an example of what Robert Cover has called the “interpretive violence” of the law, and of the judges who interpret and dispense it. I conclude by calling for courts and Congress to act together to disrupt the accumulation of interpretive precedent favoring freedom of commerce and speech over the protection of bodies from harm.
Gender and the Heart: Sex-Specific Differences in the Normal Myocardial Anatomy and Physiology

Publisher Summary This chapter reviews the differences between men and women's normal cardiac physiology and describes some differences in their unique experiences with common diseases of the cardiovascular system. As a consequence of their smaller body size compared with that of men, women's hearts are generally smaller than that of their male counterparts. Contrary to popular assumption, though, there is wide variability in the size of coronary arteries; the Coronary Artery Surgery Study (CASS) reported that the coronaries are not always smaller in women than in men and that most are entirely suitable for bypass grafting. Vascular function is different in the two sexes, in part due to hormone-dependent gender differences. Premenopausal women have lower blood pressure than same-aged men; it rises after the menopause. Long-term estrogen administration improves vasodilation in men but does not lower blood pressure in postmenopausal women. Estrogen titers in men are lower than those of women, but are physiologically relevant; aromatase inhibitors disrupt normal vascular relaxation in males. Conversion of testosterone to estrogen by aromatase inhibitors is essential to physiologic vascular function in men. Moreover, there are clearly differences in cardiac chamber size between the sexes, which are largely but not completely explained by differences in body size and become established at puberty.
“Eating Democracy”: School Lunch and the Social Meaning of Eating in Critical Times

This chapter opens the archive of the US school lunch in an effort to more fully explore the principles of democracy, taste, emotional life, and eating that informed and continues to inform the US public school lunch programs. My reading of the Committee on Food Habits led by Margaret Mead in 1940 is informed by Hannah Arendt’s concept of “enlarged mentality,” the psychoanalytic scholarship of Marion Milner on “the play of difference,” and the concepts of potential space and transitional objects introduced by child psychoanalyst D.W. Winnicott.
Causation and Occupational Diseases

The proof that an occupational or environmental exposure produces a particular disease involves not only scientific and epidemiological evidence, but also the legal aspects of proof. These include “cause in fact” and “proximate cause.” The court must also decide who is liable for the exposure, the degree to which the exposure accounted for the disease, and the amount of financial compensation due the plaintiff. Medical malpractice suits are another type of legal problem in causation. In addition to the individual toxic tort case, there are other types of legal cases in which causation must be evaluated such as environmental exposures arising from industry, toxic wastes, nuclear plants, aerosol spraying, and other sources in which groups of persons are exposed. The defendant in such cases may be an industry, a municipality, the armed forces, or the government itself. There are also widespread legal issues involved in consumer suits for presumed reactions or diseases resulting from food additives, drugs, and vaccines.
On the Development of Human Representational Competence from an Evolutionary Point of View

Recent work by the evolutionary psychologist Merlin Donald (1991) argues that human cognition has developed across evolutionary time through a series of four distinct stages, each growing out of its predecessor and yielding its own cultural form. They began with episodic (ape-like) memory and passed through mimetic (physical-action-based), mythic (spoken), and theoretical (written) transformations. In the chapter it is argued that we are entering, via computational media, a fifth stage of cognitive development leading to a virtual culture, which will replace the writing-based theoretic culture and which will support and be supported by a new hybrid mind, just as each of the predecessor stages subsumed its prior stage (Shaffer & Kaput, in press). Additional support for this claim is provided by the recent work of Terrence Deacon (1997), who argues that the development of human linguistic competence needs to be viewed in a new way, through the co-evolution of brain and language, and where the major defining features of real human language are its embodiment of a relatively small number of recombinable (syntactical) elements and symbolic reference, features not shared by communication devices used by other species. It is suggested that the evolutionary perspective needs to complement mathematics educators’ other ways of understanding the learning and use of mathematics, especially the semiotic side of the subject. It turns out that mathematics has played a critical role in the development of both writing and computational media, each the means by which a new stage of cognition was reached. Further, our understanding of language, especially its referential nature and its relationship to brain function, has implications for how we understand the symbolic aspects of mathematics and how they may be learned. in the first part of the chapter the Merlin Donald analyses is recounted. Afterwards the co-evolution of writing and the earliest mathematics is examined, and this is followed by a description of the new stage into which we are emerging.
First rib fracture: A harbinger of severe trauma?

Abstract Background Prior to routine CT scanning, first rib fractures (FRFs) were considered a harbinger of great vessel injuries. We hypothesized FRFs identified on screening CXR have significant associated injuries, while those identified on CT alone do not. Methods We reviewed adult blunt thoracic trauma patients 2014–2015 to identify all FRFs and then tabulated demographics, injury characteristics, and outcomes. Results Of 429 patients with chest trauma, 56 had a FRF. CXR diagnosed 20% and CT 80%. Those diagnosed on CXR were older (61 vs 48 p = 0.03), had more severe chest trauma (45% vs 13% chest AIS>3, p = 0.029), longer ICU stays (10 vs 4 days, p = 0.046), and risk for intubation (73% vs 27%, p = 0.011). There was only one major vascular injury in each group. Most FRF patients had associated injuries, including 82% with pelvic fractures. Conclusions Widespread use of CT scanning has resulted in a 5-fold increase in FRF diagnoses. While vascular injuries are not common, especially when identified on initial CXR, FRFs correlate with morbidity and associated injuries.
But mom! I’m not a Spanish Boy: Raciolinguistic socialization in a Two-Way Immersion bilingual program

Abstract This article is about the ways in which race and class impact socialization in a Two Way Immersion classroom - a process I refer to as raciolinguistic socialization. In line with the concept of raciolinguistic ideologies ( Flores and Rosa, 2015 ), the term raciolinguistic socialization captures the ways in which race and class impact how language and literacy abilities are perceived and evaluated. I illustrate this process through the ethnographic stories of three Kindergarten students. Weaving together observations, recorded interactions, and parent interviews, I show the impact of raciolinguistic expectations on Latinx children; how class and race privilege influence how language development is evaluated positively, and how a disadvantaged socioeconomic position negatively impacts perceptions of linguistic ability.I conclude by discussing implications of this work for both TWI programs and for understanding how raciolinguistic ideologies impact children's socialization more broadly
Longer Duration of Palliative Care in Patients With COPD Is Associated With Death Outside the Hospital

Background:Patients with advanced chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have a significant symptom burden despite maximal medical therapy, yet few are referred for concomitant palliative car...
Collagen Vascular Diseases/Photosensitivity

Collagen vascular diseases are a series of primarily autoimmune illnesses in which autoantibody formation alters the appearance of the skin and in some cases, the function of other organ systems. The most common autoantibody is the antinuclear autoantibody which causesphotosensitivity; however, there are a variety of causes for phototoxic reactions, and often the main cause is lack of sun protection in Caucasianchildren. In children of color, phototoxic reactions are less likely to occur and can be a result of lupus, iatrogenic causes, and exposure to sensitizing agents.
Comparison of convolutional neural and fully convolutional networks for segmentation of 3D in vivo multiphoton microscopy images of brain vasculature

We optimized DeepVess, a convolutional neural network, to segment multiphoton microscopy images of brain blood vessels that outperformed the state-of-the-art machine learning methods and a trained human annotator.
First case of minimal change nephrotic syndrome resolving with antifungal therapy for isolated pleural cryptococcal infection.

Abstract We report the case of a 71-year-old male with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus who presented with lower extremity edema and acute renal failure. He was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome secondary to minimal change disease (MCD). Treatment with steroids was withheld due to concern for hyperglycemia in the context of his poorly controlled diabetes mellitus. A week after discharge, he was subsequently re-hospitalized four times within a month with pleural effusions, dyspnea, and fever. Work up revealed isolated pleural cryptococcosis, demonstrated on two separate admissions. There was neither evidence of disseminated disease nor immunocompromising condition. Immunosuppression was not initiated for the treatment of MCD in the setting of poorly controlled diabetes and active infection. After six months of treatment with fluconazole 400 mg/day, the nephrotic syndrome, renal failure, and cryptococcal pleuritis resolved. This case is the first to our knowledge of isolated pleural cryptococcosis associated with nephrotic syndrome. The patient’s course lends further support to the hypothesis that there may be causal relationship between cryptococcosis and nephrotic syndrome.
Selection of single-isocenter for multiple-target stereotactic brain radiosurgery to minimize total margin volume

Treating multiple brain metastases with a single isocenter improves efficiency but requires margins to account for rotation induced shifts that increase with target-to-isocenter distance. A method to select the single isocenter position that minimizes the total volume of normal tissue treated during multi-target stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is presented. A statistical framework was developed to quantify the impact of uncertainties on planning target volumes (PTV). Translational and rotational shifts were modeled with independent, zero mean, Gaussian distributions in three dimensions added in quadrature. The standard deviations of errors were varied from 0.5-2.0 mm and 0.5°-2.0°. The volume of normal tissue treated due to margin expansions required to maintain a 95% probability of target coverage was computed. Tumors were modeled as 4-40 mm diameter spheres. Target separation distance was varied from 40-100 mm for two- and three-lesion scenarios. The percent increase in PTV was determined relative to an isocenter at the geometric centroid of the targets for the optimal isocenter that minimized the total normal tissue treated, and isocenters at the center-of-mass (COM) and center-of-surface-area (CSA). For two targets, isocenter placement at the optimal location, COM, and CSA, reduced the total margin versus an isocenter at midline up to 17.8%, 17.7%, and 17.8%, respectively, for 0.5 mm and 0.5° errors. For three targets, optimal isocenter placement reduced the margin volume up to 21%, 19%, and 14%, for uncertainties of (0.5 mm, 0.5°), (1.0 mm, 1.0°), and (2.0 mm, 2.0°), respectively. COM and CSA provide useful approximations to select the optimal isocenter for multi-target single-isocenter SRS for two or three targets with maximum dimensions ≤40 mm and separation distances ≤100 mm when uncertainties are ≤1.0 mm and ≤1.0°. CSA provides a more accurate approximation than COM. Optimal treatment isocenter selection for multiple targets of large size differences can significantly reduce total margin volume.
Centrifuge Modeling and Numerical Analysis of Reinforced Soil Retaining Walls with Concrete Block Facing

The centrifuge and finite element methods are used to study the behavior of geosynthetic-reinforced soil retaining walls having a concrete block facing. A well instrumented PWRI Wall was used for simulation, with a special interest on the construction sequences. The backfill soil, geogrid reinforcements, and facing blocks were simulated using Nevada sand, reinforcement produced using 3D printing technique, and aluminum blocks, respectively. The results of single-stage and multi-stage constructions were compared. It was found that the facing deformations and tensile strains in the reinforcement layers can be simulated more closely using staged constructions compared to single-stage construction. The results were further reinforced using a finite element procedure. The study also looked into the effects of having loose soil behind the vicinity of the facing blocks. Soils with reduced stiffness and strength would increase the lateral facing displacements and tensile strains in the reinforcement layers.
Engaging Design Thinking and Making in Technical and Professional Communication Pedagogy

This study explores the viability of making in technical and professional communication (TPC) pedagogy. This article reports a pedagogical case study of making as a way to enact design thinking in ...
Technical Note: Evaluation of audiovisual biofeedback smartphone application for respiratory monitoring in radiation oncology.

PURPOSE Radiation dose delivered to targets located near the upper abdomen or thorax are significantly affected by respiratory motion, necessitating large margins, limiting dose escalation. Surrogate motion management devices, such as the Real-time Position Management (RPM™) system (Varian Medical Systems, Palo Alto, CA), are commonly used to improve normal tissue sparing. Alternative to current solutions, we have developed and evaluated the feasibility of a real-time position management system that leverages the motion data from the onboard hardware of Apple iOS devices to provide patients with visual coaching with the potential to improve the reproducibility of breathing as well as improve patient compliance and reduce treatment delivery time. METHODS AND MATERIALS The iOS application, coined the Instant Respiratory Feedback (IRF) system, was developed in Swift (Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA) using the Core-Motion library and implemented on an Apple iPhone® devices. Operation requires an iPhone®, a three-dimensional printed arm, and a radiolucent projector screen system for feedback. Direct comparison between IRF, which leverages sensor fusion data from the iPhone®, and RPM™, an optical-based system, was performed on multiple respiratory motion phantoms and volunteers. The IRF system and RPM™ camera tracking marker were placed on the same location allowing for simultaneous data acquisition. The IRF surrogate measurement of displacement was compared to the signal trace acquired using RPM™ with univariate linear regressions and Bland-Altman analysis. RESULTS Periodic motion shows excellent agreement between both systems, and subject motion shows good agreement during regular and irregular breathing motion. Comparison of IRF and RPM™ show very similar signal traces that were significantly related across all phantoms, including those motion with different amplitude and frequency, and subjects' waveforms (all r > 0.9, P < 0.0001). We demonstrate the feasibility of performing four-dimensional cone beam computed tomography using IRF which provided similar image quality as RPM™ when reconstructing dynamic motion phantom images. CONCLUSIONS Feasibility of an iOS application to provide real-time respiratory motion is demonstrated. This system generated comparable signal traces to a commercially available system and offers an alternative method to monitor respiratory motion.
A Graph-Based Method for Optimal Active Electrode Selection in Cochlear Implants.

The cochlear implant (CI) is a neural prosthetic that is the standard-of-care treatment for severe-to-profound hearing loss. CIs consist of an electrode array inserted into the cochlea that electrically stimulates auditory nerve fibers to induce the sensation of hearing. Competing stimuli occur when multiple electrodes stimulate the same neural pathways. This is known to negatively impact hearing outcomes. Previous research has shown that image-processing techniques can be used to analyze the CI position in CT scans to estimate the degree of competition between electrodes based on the CI user’s unique anatomy and electrode placement. The resulting data permits an algorithm or expert to select a subset of electrodes to keep active to alleviate competition. Expert selection of electrodes using this data has been shown in clinical studies to lead to significantly improved hearing outcomes for CI users. Currently, we aim to translate these techniques to a system designed for worldwide clinical use, which mandates that the selection of active electrodes be automated by robust algorithms. Previously proposed techniques produce optimal plans with only 48% success rate. In this work, we propose a new graph-based approach. We design a graph with nodes that represent electrodes and edge weights that encode competition between electrode pairs. We then find an optimal path through this graph to determine the active electrode set. Our method produces results judged by an expert to be optimal in over 95% of cases. This technique could facilitate widespread clinical translation of image-guided cochlear implant programming methods.
Intrinsic Motivation Display as an Impression Management Tactic

Previous research assumes that employees’ true levels of intrinsic motivation and the levels of intrinsic motivation they show to others are the same and does not distinguish between the two. This ...
Race and class : more than a liberal paradox

This essay is a critique of the liberal theory of race and class. This is an essay on method. This is my effort to contribute to the development of a new method of addressing race and class, called ClassCrit, the school of thought expressed in this collection of essays. ClassCrit is a school of thought that treats race and class as two distinct and, at the same time, interdependent concepts. Race and class are two concepts that together are both a theoretical and a social dilemma. My argument in this essay is that because liberalism as a theoretical frame is ill fitted to discuss race and class, ClassCrit is taking on a truly vexing theoretical dilemma. It is not possible within liberal theory to address the interdependency and yet distinctiveness of the concept of race in relationship to class. This school of thought called ClassCrit is not only taking on a vexing theoretical dilemma, ClassCrit is also taking on the social dilemma of race and class. This dilemma of race and class in American thought can almost be seen as a national trait: An American Dilemma, patterned on the lines of segregation. The American society is divided according to racial and economic lines. ClassCrit is where the theoretical segregation between race on one side and class on the other side meets the social division of people into race and class. The problem with liberal theory in addressing race and class is that it operates around dichotomies that constitute paradoxes. The original liberal paradox is the freedom of the individual in its relationship to the collective order. For
Applications of Numerical Methods for Stochastic Controlled Switching Diffusions with a Hidden Markov Chain: Case Studies on Distributed Power Management and Communication Resource Allocation

Recently, considerable attention has been drawn to stochastic controlled systems with hidden Markov chains.
Polarized intracellular particle transport: saltatory movements and cytoplasmic streaming.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the phenomenon of saltatory movement in relation to Brownian movement. It demonstrates that except for the possibility that channels of low viscosity exist in cells, it is not likely that the motive force giving rise to the movements originates from molecular kinetic processes. The most likely types of models that can account for the details of saltatory movement are those in which the motive force arises from some process outside the particle itself, which is passively moved, or one in which movement arises by an interaction of the particle with some external structure. Such an interaction may involve an ATPase mechanism, or may be electrical in nature. The chapter explores the relation of secretory processes to the particle movements, and discusses the control mechanisms involved in the process. The chapter also highlights that a detailed analysis of movement of granules in Heliozoa indicates that microtubules are necessary for the organized streaming of particles along the axopods and in the interior of the organism. It is necessary, however, to look for saltations of short path length which may escape notice after study of the extended movements of particles in intact organisms.
Incremental synthesis of fault-tolerant real-time programs

In this paper, we focus on the problem of automated addition of fault tolerance to an existing fault-intolerant real-time program. We consider three levels of fault-tolerance, namely nonmasking, failsafe, and masking, based on safety and liveness properties satisfied in the presence of faults. More specifically, a nonmasking (respectively, failsafe, masking) program satisfies liveness (respectively, safety, both safety and liveness) in the presence of faults. For failsafe and masking fault-tolerance, we consider two additional levels, soft and hard, based on satisfaction of timing constraints in the presence of faults. We present a polynomial time algorithm (in the size of the input program's region graph) that adds bounded-time recovery from an arbitrary given set of states to another arbitrary set of states. Using this algorithm, we propose a sound and complete synthesis algorithm that transforms a fault-intolerant real-time program into a nonmasking fault-tolerant program. Furthermore, we introduce sound and complete algorithms for adding soft/hard-failsafe fault-tolerance. For reasons of space, our results on addition of soft/hard-masking fault-tolerance are presented in a technical report.
Multifactorial experimental design and the transitivity of ratios with spotted DNA microarrays.

Background: Multifactorial experimental designs using DNA microarrays are becoming increasingly common, but the extent of the transitivity of cDNA microarray expression measurements across multiple samples has yet to be explored. Results: A strong correlation between direct and transitive inference for significantly differentially expressed genes is demonstrated, using subsets of a dye-swap loop design. Conclusions: In experimental design, opportunities for transitive inference should be exploited, while always ensuring that comparisons of greatest interest comprise direct hybridizations.
The Influence of the Body and Action on Spatial Attention

Research on spatial attention traditionally focuses on how it is influenced by the location of objects within the visual environment. However, a primary function of spatial attention is to plan physical actions. When events occur in the world, visual information needs to be integrated with current body position to help prepare effective responses to these events. Further, current actions can subsequently influence further deployments of attention. Thus, spatial attention must be considered within the context of the body. Here we present research demonstrating that one's own body and the actions of others can influence spatial attention mechanisms, influencing the prioritization of functional space near the body and the direction of attention. This work emphasizes a need for an embodied theory of spatial attention and a more dynamic neural model of attention that adjusts to meet the demands of the current environment and the perceiver's goals.
Breast Cancer Research: the move to introduce article-processing charges.

When Breast Cancer Research was launched in 1999, we took the innovative decision to make all research articles open access. Open access means research published in Breast Cancer Research is universally and freely available via the Internet and the authors or copyright owners grant any third party the right to use, reproduce and disseminate the article. The benefits of open access for the research community are enormous but the consequence is that the journal does not receive any subscription income for its research content. To cover the running costs, Breast Cancer Research will be introducing article-processing charges for all research articles from August 2003.
Enabling energy efficient Hybrid Memory Cube systems with erasure codes

The Hybrid Memory Cube (HMC) is a promising alternative to DDRx memory due to its potential to achieve significantly higher bandwidth. However, the high static power of an HMC device compromises power efficiency when the device is lightly utilized. Activating a sleeping HMC takes over 2µs, which makes it challenging to manage HMC power without a substantial degradation in system performance. We introduce a new technique that alleviates the long wakeup penalty of an HMC by employing erasure codes. Inaccessible data stored in a sleeping HMC module can be reconstructed by decoding related data retrieved from other active HMCs, rather than waiting for the sleeping HMC module to become active. This approach makes it possible to tolerate the latency penalty incurred when switching an HMC between active and sleep modes, thereby enabling a power-capped HMC system. Simulations show that the proposed architecture outperforms a current HMC-based multicore system by 6.2×, and reduces the system energy by 5.3× under the same power budget as the multicore baseline.
Early experience employing a linear hepatic parenchyma coagulation device

Background. In recent years, hepatic resection for primary and metastatic disease has been facilitated by improved anesthetic and surgical techniques, as well as by the application of new technologies. Historically, the major complications associated with hepatic resection have been postoperative bleeding, bile leak, and liver failure. Resection techniques and devices that minimize hemorrhage and bile leak, and enable the preservation of functional hepatic parenchyma, have been useful in the surgical management of liver tumors. Methods. Herein, the use of a radiofrequency powered device for the pretransection coagulation of hepatic tissue that simultaneously seals blood vessels and bile ducts 3 mm in diameter or smaller is described. Results. Early results from our single-center experience with the use of this linear radiofrequency device are reported. Seven patients underwent liver resection for either hepatocellular carcinoma or colorectal cancer metastases. There were no postoperative bile leaks, hemorrhage, or hepatic insufficiency. No transfusions were required, and the mean estimated blood loss for the parenchymal transection phase was less than 165 cc. Conclusions. The linear radiofrequency device is expedient for the pretransection coagulation of hepatic tissue and, thus, facilitates liver resection.
APC in the semiconductor industry, history and near term prognosis

This paper presents an abridged history of Advanced Process Control (APC), including both Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) and Model Based Process Control (MBPC), both within TI and in the semiconductor industry. While TI was an early leader in univariate fault detection in processing tools, other manufacturers have by now implemented such methodologies. For MBPC, the MMST program gave TI a lead, but others are now following that path. For TI and the semiconductor industry as a whole, the current thrust is to develop and implement multivariate APC methods into the manufacturing operations. This paper describes the complexity of the execution of these tasks, and lists some of the available tools that are requisite for implementing these plans.
Wheelerodemus muhlenbergiae, a New Genus and New Species of Blissidae (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Lygaeoidea) from Oklahoma and Texas

Abstract. The new blissid genus Wheelerodemus is described to accommodate the new species W. muhlenbergiae, based on specimens collected on the grasses Muhlenbergia lindheimeri and M. reverchonii from the Arbuckle Mountains in southcentral Oklahoma and the Edward's Plateau in westcentral Texas. Because the size of specimens from Oklahoma appeared consistently smaller than those from Texas, samples from each area were sequenced using the COI barcode region to help determine that only one variable species was involved. Diagnoses, descriptions, a color habitus illustration of the adult male, dorsal and lateral photographs of the adult male and female, photomicrographs of selected structures, illustrations of male and female genitalia, and a key to the U.S. blissid genera are provided to help distinguish this new genus and species from other Blissidae.
Coal's Future: Clearing the Air

As reported by Eli Kintisch (“Report backs more projects to sequester CO2 from coal,” News of the Week, 16 Mar., p. [1481][1]), the recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) study ([1][2]) on the future of coal stresses the need for reducing the carbon intensity of coal use. More than
Children Facing Parental Cancer Versus Parental Death: The Buffering Effects of Positive Parenting and Emotional Expression

The serious illness or death of a caregiver are two of the most distressing events that can befall a child, and are often temporally linked. Although both adversities may impact children’s mental health, studies have not yet attempted to disentangle the effects of parental illness versus those of parental death with regard to children’s psychological functioning. Further, there has been little empirical investigation of potential factors that may diminish risk for psychopathology following either of these adversities. The current study evaluated levels of anxiety, depression, and posttraumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) in youth age 7–13 grappling with either parental cancer (N = 31) or parental death (N = 32) and examined potential predictors of these mental health outcomes across both groups of children. Youth contending with parental cancer exhibited lower levels of PTSS than children who had experienced the death of a parent, but both groups exhibited similar levels of anxiety and depression. Expressive coping was associated with lower levels of PTSS, anxiety, and depression across both groups. An interaction effect revealed that for the bereaved group only, positive parental reinforcement and supportive caregiver communication were inversely associated with PTSS. These findings provide a foundation for future work designed to identify factors associated with distinct mental health outcomes among children facing parental cancer and/or parental death.
Endoproteolysis at tetrabasic amino acid sites in procalcitonin gene-related peptide by pituitary cell lines.

Abstract Rosenblatt, M. I. and I. M. Dickerson. Endoproteolysis at tetrabasic amino acid sites in procalcitonin gene-related peptide by pituitary cell lines. Peptides 18(4) 567–576, 1997.—The specificity of neuroendocrine prohormone convertases for tetrabasic amino acid sites was investigated. Mutations were introduced into the tetrabasic cleavage site of the procalcitonin gene-related peptide (proCGRP) cDNA and these mutated cDNA's were expressed in AtT-20 cells which predominantly express the endoprotease prohormone convertase-1 (PC1/3), and in GH3 cells which predominantly express prohormone convertase-2 (PC2). Mutations were introduced into the proCGRP cDNA which converted the wild-type ArgArgArgArg site to LysLysArgArg and ArgArgLysLys, and the proCGRP variants were stably transfected into AtT-20 and GH3 cells. ProCGRP containing each of the LysLysArgArg permutations were efficiently cleaved in both AtT-20 and GH3 cells. Cleavage of LysLysArgArg in exogenous proCGRP, but not in endogenous POMC, suggests that the specificity of cleavage at tetrabasic sites is not defined solely by the endoproteases expressed by the cell or by the amino acid sequence at the cleavage site, but is also dependent on the structure of the propeptide.
Increasing the flexibility of a computer used for simultaneous data collection and computation

Abstract The flexibility of a computer system is increased by allowing one to save loaded programs on the end of the library tape and restore them later to their original location.
Synthesis, Thermodynamic Stability and Diffusion Mechanism of Al 5 Fe 2 -Based Coatings

Aluminide coating of steels enables more efficient power generation through higher operating temperatures. Low-temperature (T < 660 °C) pack cementation aluminide coatings form an Al5Fe2 phase which allows for the development of a large Al flux, but the mechanism is not clear. The coating structures and resultant oxides were examined in both austenitic and ferritic steels at 1,000 and 800 °C to evaluate the high temperature oxidation behavior in air. To understand the relatively fast Al diffusion, the stability of the Al5Fe2 phase and the defect structure have been examined by a cluster expansion method with density functional theory calculations. The Al5Fe2 phase has a low site occupancy and a high vacancy content that promotes rapid kinetics. The high vacancy concentration in the Al5Fe2 phase can be traced to the interaction between Al and vacancies along the [001] chains. The analysis offers useful guidance to enable an effective control of low temperature aluminizing.
A Deterministic Model for Wireless Channels and its Aplications

Gaussian channels are commonly used models for multiuser wireless communication. Unfortunately, the capacity of multiuser Gaussian channels are unknown even for simple networks such as the single-relay channel and the two-user interference channel. To make further progress in understanding how to optimally communicate over these and more general networks, we propose an alternative and simpler deterministic channel model which focuses on the interaction between the users rather than the noise in the system.
Role of Strongly-Bound Crossbridges in Cooperative Cardiac Thin Filament Activation

Experimental evidence indicates that activation of cardiac thin filaments is enhanced by strongly-bound myosin crossbridges and that crossbridge binding is in turn cooperatively regulated by end-to-end interactions between adjacent tropomyosins. We examined the impact of crossbridge binding and nearest-neighbor tropomyosin interactions on thin filament activation using a computational model.We represented individual thin filament regulatory units (RUs) with the model of McKillop and Geeves [Biophys J, 1993 65(2)] wherein RUs are found in blocked (B, non-permissive), closed (C, permissive), and open (M, permissive with crossbridge) states. The B to C transition was assumed to depend upon Ca2+ concentration. Nearest-neighbor RU interactions were represented by causing transitions of the individual RU model to depend on the status of neighbors. Ensembles of N interacting RUs were modeled as Markov networks generated by considering all possible unique configurations of individual RUs (B, C, or M) within a chain.The model-generated steady-state force-pCa curve (N=6) possessed a Hill coefficient of 3.0. Hill coefficients fit separately to portions of the curve below and above half activation were 3.2 and 2.4, respectively. Rate of force redevelopment following rapid slack/restretch (ktr) showed strong dependence on activation level (ktr=2.6 s-1 at pCa 6.0 vs. 9.3 s-1 at pCa 4.3). Increasing the crossbridge duty cycle in the model increased myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity but had an opposite effect on Ca2+ sensitivity of ktr. Simultaneous matching of reported force and ktr sensitivities required a duty cycle of 30%. Increasing N toward 26 (a realistic filament length) tended to improve the fit with experiments.These results suggest that cycling crossbridges act through nearest-neighbor interactions along the thin filament to 1) increase myofilament Ca2+ sensitivity, 2) cooperatively enhance activation, and 3) slow the rate of force redevelopment at low levels of activation.
Career development among young disabled artists

This paper reports on the experiences of 47 young disabled artists and the interaction between disability, impairment and the arts in their educational and career pathways. The artists were finalists in the VSA arts/Volkswagen of America Inc. Program, an arts‐based program intended to showcase the talents and accomplishments of young disabled artists aged 16–25. A few artists found their impairment to be a barrier to making art. Many, however, did not think their impairment affected their ability to make art, and a few thought it actually enhanced their artistic ability. These finalists often cited art as a tool for overcoming impairment‐related, disability‐related and other barriers. In this paper we identify effective strategies that these young artists used to further their arts careers. It concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and provides recommendations to support young disabled artists in their educational and career efforts.