cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Learning Incident Prediction Models Over Large Geographical Areas for Emergency Response

Emergency Response Management (ERM) necessitates the use of models capable of predicting the spatial-temporal likelihood of incident occurrence. These models are used for proactive stationing in order to reduce overall response time. Traditional methods simply aggregate past incidents over space and time; such approaches fail to make useful short-term predictions when the spatial region is large and focused on fine-grained spatial entities like interstate highway networks. This is partially due to the sparsity of incidents with respect to space and time. Further, accidents are affected by several covariates. Collecting, cleaning, and managing multiple streams of data from various sources is challenging for large spatial areas. In this paper, we highlight how this problem is being solved in collaboration with the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to improve ERM in the state of Tennessee. Our pipeline, based on a combination of synthetic resampling, clustering, and data mining techniques, can efficiently forecast the spatio-temporal dynamics of accident occurrence, even under sparse conditions. Our pipeline uses data related to roadway geometry, weather, historical accidents, and traffic to aid accident forecasting. To understand how our forecasting model can affect allocation and dispatch, we improve and employ a classical resource allocation approach. Experimental results show that our approach can noticeably reduce response times and the number of unattended incidents in comparison to current approaches followed by first responders. The developed pipeline is efficacious, applicable in practice, and open-source.
Sex, drugs and pain control.

A study finds that pain hypersensitivity in male and female mice is differentially dependent on microglia and T cells, and describes a sex-specific response to microglia-targeted pain treatments.
Dynamically fighting bugs: prevention, detection, and elimination

This dissertation presents three test-generation techniques that are used to improve software quality. Each of our techniques targets bugs that are found by different stake-holders: developers, testers, and maintainers. We implemented and evaluated our techniques on real code. We present the design of each tool and conduct experimental evaluation of the tools with available alternatives. Developers need to prevent regression errors when they create new functionality. This dissertation presents a technique that helps developers prevent regression errors in object-oriented programs by automatically generating unit-level regression tests. Our technique generates regressions tests by using models created dynamically from example executions. In our evaluation, our technique created effective regression tests, and achieved good coverage even for programs with constrained APIs. Testers need to detect bugs in programs. This dissertation presents a technique that helps testers detect and localize bugs in web applications. Our technique automatically creates tests that expose failures by combining dynamic test generation with explicit state model checking. In our evaluation, our technique discovered hundreds of faults in real applications. Maintainers have to reproduce failing executions in order to eliminate bugs found in deployed programs. This dissertation presents a technique that helps maintainers eliminate bugs by generating tests that reproduce failing executions. Our technique automatically generates tests that reproduce the failed executions by monitoring methods and storing optimized states of method arguments. In our evaluation, our technique reproduced failures with low overhead in real programs. Analyses need to avoid unnecessary computations in order to scale. This dissertation presents a technique that helps our other techniques to scale by inferring the mutability classification of arguments. Our technique classifies mutability by combining both static analyses and a novel dynamic mutability analysis. In our evaluation, our technique efficiently and correctly classified most of the arguments for programs with more than hundred thousand lines of code. (Copies available exclusively from MIT Libraries, Rm. 14-0551, Cambridge, MA 02139-4307. Ph. 617-253-5668; Fax 617-253-1690.)
A Plasmid-Borne System To Assess the Excision and Integration of Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec Mediated by CcrA and CcrB

Resistance to methicillin and other β-lactam antibiotics in staphylococci is due to mecA, which is carried on a genomic island, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). The chromosomal excision and integration of SCCmec are mediated by the site-specific recombinase CcrAB or CcrC, encoded within this element. A plasmid-borne system was constructed to assess the activities of CcrA and CcrB in the excision and integration of SCCmec in Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. The excision frequency in E. coli mediated by CcrAB from methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strain N315 was only 9.2%, while the integration frequency was 31.4%. In S. aureus the excision and integration frequencies were 11.0% and 18.7%, respectively. Truncated mutants identified the N-terminal domain of either CcrB or CcrA to be necessary for both integration and excision, while the C-terminal domain was important for recombination efficiency. Site-directed mutagenesis of the N-terminal domain identified S11 and R79 of CcrA and S16, R89, T149, and R151 of CcrB to be residues essential for catalytic activities, and the critical location of these residues was consistent with a model of the tertiary structure of the N terminus of CcrA and CcrB. Furthermore, CcrAB and CcrC, cloned from a panel of 6 methicillin-resistant S. aureus strains and 2 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis strains carrying SCCmec types II, IV, and V, also catalyzed integration at rates 1.3 to 10 times higher than the rates at which they catalyzed excision, similar to the results from N315. The tendency of SCCmec integration to be favored over excision may explain the low spontaneous excision frequency seen among MRSA strains. IMPORTANCE Spontaneous excision of the genomic island (SCCmec) that encodes resistance to beta-lactam antibiotics (methicillin resistance) in staphylococci would convert a methicillin-resistant strain to a methicillin-susceptible strain, improving therapy of difficult-to-treat infections. This study characterizes a model system by which the relative frequencies of excision and integration can be compared. Using a plasmid-based model for excision and integration mediated by the recombinases CcrA and CcrB, integration occurred at a higher frequency than excision, consistent with the low baseline excision frequency seen in most strains. This model system can now be used to study conditions and drugs that may raise the SCCmec excision frequency and generate strains that are beta-lactam susceptible.
Don’t Judge a Handbook by its Cover (or Title)

Evolutionary psychology seeks to synthesize fundamental principles of evolutionary biology with modern psychological theories, leading to testable hypotheses about the design of the human mind. The success of evolutionary psychology as a meta-theoretical framework for building conceptually-integrated scientific models of psychological phenomena—especially those associated with human sexuality—makes the idea of a Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality a prospect that is a long time in the coming. The Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality edited by Michael Kauth, was assembled to present the newest theories and research regarding human sexuality from an evolutionary perspective. Additionally, the volume aimed to clarify terms and hidden assumptions that so often infuse scholarly writing in the sciences. Kauth emphasized these two goals at the advent of the volume,
Some reconciliation of glacial‐interglacial calcite flux reconstructions for the eastern equatorial Pacific

[1] Carbonate production in the open ocean plays a significant role in fixing upper water column pCO2, and carbonate flux from the surface transfers alkalinity to the deep sea. A key region for this is in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP). Reconstructions of calcite accumulation rates with traditional methods (mass accumulation rate (MAR)) have been used to infer a large Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) increase in fluxes for the EEP. The opposite result has been obtained using thorium normalization (Th-norm) of accumulation rates. New 14C dating, combined with detailed correlation among EEP cores based on planktonic and benthic stable isotope records, emphasizes the sensitivity of the MAR approach to the age model and brings some reconciliation to the methodologies. The new results lead to LGM MAR based accumulation rates that are less than previously estimated, and to lower LGM paleofluxes. Both the MAR and thorium normalized methods show a flux maximum during the deglacial with the new age model. Although the signals show some convergence, the magnitudes of MAR accumulation rates appear to be between about 2 and 4 times those from Th normalization for the LGM at the sites examined. Thus sediment focusing inferred from Th normalization remains significant for the EEP.
Image-based respiratory motion compensation for fluoroscopic coronary roadmapping

We present a new image-based respiratory motion compensation method for coronary roadmapping in fluoroscopic images. A temporal analysis scheme is proposed to identify static structures in the image gradient domain. An extended Lucas-Kanade algorithm involving a weighted sum-of-squared-difference (WSSD) measure is proposed to estimate the soft tissue motion in the presence of static structures. A temporally compositional motion model is used to deal with large image motion incurred by deep breathing. Promising results have been shown in the experiments conducted on clinical data.
Focused topological value iteration

Topological value iteration (TVI) is an effective algorithm for solving Markov decision processes (MDPs) optimally, which divides an MDP into strongly-connected components, and solves these components sequentially. Yet, TVI's usefulness tends to degrade if an MDP has large components, because the cost of the division process isn't offset by gains during solution. This paper presents a new algorithm to solve MDPs optimally, focused topological value iteration (FTVI). FTVI addresses TVI's limitations by restricting its attention to connected components that are relevant for solving the MDP. Specifically, FTVI uses a small amount of heuristic search to eliminate provably sub-optimal actions; this pruning allows FTVI to find smaller connected components, thus running faster. We demonstrate that our new algorithm outperforms TVI by an order of magnitude, averaged across several domains. Surprisingly, FTVI also significantly outperforms popular 'heuristically-informed' MDP algorithms such as LAO*, LRTDP, and BRTDP in many domains, sometimes by as much as two orders of magnitude. Finally, we characterize the type of domains where FTVI excels — suggesting a way to an informed choice of solver.
Synthesis, emission and spectro-electrochemical studies of bithienylnaphthalene systems

Abstract Four new bis(2-thienyl)naphthalene monomers were synthesized and their absorption, emission and redox properties were studied. Thus, 1,5-dimethoxy-2,6-bis(2-thienyl)naphthalene (2,6-BTDMN), 1,5-dimethoxy-4,8-bis(2-thienyl)-naphthalene (4,8-BTDMN), and 1,4,5,8-tetramethoxy-2,6-bis(2-thienyl)naphthalene (2,6-BTTMN) were synthesized by Stille coupling reaction between the respective dibromides and 2-(tributylstannyl)-thiophene while 2,6-bis(2-thienyl)-naphthalene (2,6-BTN, previously prepared from dibromo precursor) and 1,5-bis(2-thienyl)-naphthalene (1,5-BTN) were prepared similarly between the corresponding di-triflates and 2-(tributylstannyl)thiophene. Monomers 1,5-BTN and 4,8-BTDMN reveal only one peak in both absorption and emission spectra, while monomers 2,6-BTN, 2,6-BTDMN, and 2,6-BTTMN show multiple bands for absorption and a single doublet for emission. The oxidation potential values for the monomers range from 0.95 V, for monomer 1,5-BTN to 0.59 V, for monomer 2,6-BTTMN. Electropolymerized monomers, with the exception of 2,6-BTTMN, form good polymeric films on ITO coated glass substrate. They are pale greenish in color in their oxidized states and relatively transmissive and pale yellow in their reduced state. Spectro-optoelelectrochemistry revealed a band gap range of 2.4–2.9 eV. Iodine-doped polymer from chemically polymerized monomer 2,6-BTTMN has a conductivity of 5×10 −2 S/cm.
Resolution of trans-1-(2-Naphthyl)-2-phenylethene Fluorescence in the Presence of Tri-n-butylamine into Pairs of Monomer and Exciplex Spectra. Selectivity in Conformer Quenching

Fluorescence spectra of trans-1-(2-naphthyl)-2-phenylethene (NPE) obtained at different excitation wavelengths and tri-n-butylamine (TBA) concentrations in methylcyclohexane are resolved into four distinct components by application of principal component analysis with self-modeling. Two of the components are the NPE conformer fluorescence spectra, and the other two are the corresponding NPE·TBA exciplexes. Pure component combination coefficients are based on optimization of global (λexc-independent) Stern−Volmer plots for the monomers and exciplex fluorescence plots for the exciplexes. Conformer-specific fluorescence quenching rate constants by the amine are obtained for the first time. These are indistinguishable from the corresponding exciplex formation rate constants. Fortuitously, the Stern−Volmer constants for the two singlet excited conformer/TBA interactions differ by only ∼25%, revealing high conformer selectivity by TBA. This selectivity is consistent with the large shift between the λmax of the ...
A Preliminary Report on the Effects of the Level of Spinal Cord Injury on the Association Between Central Adiposity and Metabolic Profile

Objectives To determine the effects of the level of injury on visceral adipose tissue (VAT), subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), and the VAT:SAT ratio in individuals with tetraplegia (T-spinal cord injury [SCI]) and paraplegia (P-SCI) and the relationships among central adiposity and glucose and lipid profile. Design Cross-sectional and correlation. Settings Clinical hospital and academic settings. Methods Thirteen individuals with motor complete SCI were divided into T-SCI (n = 6, C5-C7, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale [AIS] A and B) and P-SCI (n = 7, T4-T11, AIS A and B) groups. Both groups underwent overnight fasting to measure serum lipid profile, plasma glucose, and insulin responses to an oral glucose tolerance test, which was followed by magnetic resonance imaging to quantify VAT and SAT cross-sectional areas (CSA) and volume across multi-axial slices. Results The CSA and volumes of VAT and SAT were not different between T-SCI and P-SCI. VAT CSA was related to the fasting glucose in both groups, with nonsignificant association with glucose area under the curve. The CSA and volume of SAT were strongly associated with lipid profile outcomes in the T-SCI ( r = 0.86-0.99, P Conclusion The preliminary work suggests that the level of injury does not appear to influence the distribution of VAT and SAT. VAT and SAT distribution could not explain the difference noted in glucose and insulin profiles between the T-SCI and P-SCI groups. Finally, SAT is a strong predictor of lipid profile in individuals with T-SCI.
Methodological reporting in qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods health services research articles.

Objectives Methodologically sound mixed methods research can improve our understanding of health services by providing a more comprehensive picture of health services than either method can alone. This study describes the frequency of mixed methods in published health services research and compares the presence of methodological components indicative of rigorous approaches across mixed methods, qualitative, and quantitative articles.
The Language of the City: Town Bemba as Urban Hybridity

This article describes the linguistic variety Town Bemba (Zambia) and considers its implications for the study of linguistic heteroglossia and the experience of modernity. I propose that Town Bemba be understood as a cover term for a set of Bemba-based multilingual practices that exemplify urbanity but need not be tied to urban locales. The structural, ideological, and sociocultural features of Town Bemba are examined using data from naturally occurring discourse collected in Zambi
Response repetition as an error‐correction procedure for sight‐word reading: A replication and extension

We evaluated the effects of response repetition (RR) as an error-correction procedure for increasing sight-word reading for four individuals using a multiple baseline design. The results for each participant showed that correct responding increased following the introduction of the RR procedure. In addition, responding for three of four participants showed evidence of stimulus generalization, response generalization, or both. Likewise, we found that comparable behavior changes were produced when a participant's paraprofessional implemented RR in a typical classroom. These findings are briefly discussed in terms of procedures that promote behavior acquisition and generalization via negative reinforcement. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
VIREMIA IN HUMAN POLIOMYELITIS

Poliomyelitis virus was isolated from the blood of 6 of 33 individuals infected with a Type 1 strain. Of the 27 negative for viremia, 18 already had Type 1 antibodies. Type 1 virus was isolated from the throat swabs of all 6 who had viremia, and from the 5 rectal swabs tested. These specimens were all collected at the same time as the positive blood specimens. The clinical circumstances under which viremia was detected included the minor illness, the asymptomatic infection, and one instance in which the virus was isolated several days before the onset of a mild non-paralytic attack. In one instance, virus was isolated from a blood specimen which also contained Type 1 antibodies. The possible role of viremia in the pathogenesis of poliomyelitis is discussed.
The Space Power Grid: Synergy between space, energy and security policies

The dream of abundant solar-powered electricity from Space can be realized through global synergy between renewable energy, climate control and space development initiatives. A 3-phase plan is linked to the policy approaches needed to implement it. The 17-year initial phase will use a constellation of low/mid earth orbit satellites exchanging beamed power between 100 plants. Larger satellites with high-intensity converters, will replace the aging first set, receiving focused light from ultralight collectors in a scalable path to space solar power. European initiatives for a DC grid to integrate space and terrestrial solar power provide policy guidance. While technical challenges remain, the SPG integrates terrestrial systems at all size scales from utilities to household micro renewable energy systems.
Rearticulating the Aunt: Feminist Alternatives of Family, Care, and Kinship in Popular Performances of Aunting

The aunt in contemporary Anglo-American culture is a deserving though oft-overlooked cultural identity for critical feminist analysis. This article examines selected performances of aunting in cont...
Distribution, morphological diversity and evidence for polyploidy in north American Zygnemataceae (Chlorophyta)

Large-scale collections of Zygnemataceae in the continental United States of America were made between March and August in 1982, 1983, and 1984. Collections were made on a 31000-km transect through 35 states. Zygnemataceae were found at 318 sites was inspected. Temperature average 19°C and pH averaged 6.1 over all sites. Algal strains in collections were identified to genus, characterized for filament width, chloroplast number, and end wall type, then photographed and isolated into unialgal culture. Spirogyra was the most common genus collected(632 strains), followed in abundance by Zygnema (174 Strains) and Mougeotia (135 strains). These three genera contained 95% of the strains collected and were equally widely distributed. Strains of the three genera frequently occurred together; no genus displayed evidence of habitat specialization among the three habitat types: flowing water, permanent ponds or lakes, and temporary pools. In Spirogyra, strains with plane (flat) end walls were four times more abundant than those with replicate (interlocking) end walls. Spirogyra with plane end walls showed more variation in filament width than Zygnema, Mougeotia, or Spirogyra with replicate end walls. In Spirogyra with plane end walls, filament width was correlted with nuclear DNA content and number of strains found per collection site was twice that of other genera or Spirogyra, with replicate end walls. Spirogyra strains wider than 70 μm were more frequent on the northern part of the transect. It is proposed that polyploidy may be of widespread occurrence in Spirogyra with plane end walls and that associated morphological plasticity may account for the high apparent specied diversity and survival of the genus in a wider variety of microhabitats than occupied by other Zygnemataceae.
Investigation of the persulfate/itaconic acid interaction and implications for emulsion polymerization

Itaconic acid, a carboxylated water-soluble vinyl monomer, is shown to greatly induce the thermal decomposition of potassium persulfate initiator. From decomposition rate studies carried out at 50, 60, and 70°C, the rate constants for this interaction are found to be increased eight to 15 times as much over the values of rate constants from uninduced decompositions. The induction is found to be particularly sensitive to the concentration of the first anion of itaconic acid and is thought to lead to wastage of initiator radicals. As the polymerization temperature is increased from 50 to 70°C, this interaction between itaconic acid and persulfate leads to worsening monomer conversion levels in acrylate latexes made with both compounds. Employing a water-soluble azo initiator in the presence of itaconic acid does not result in any induced decomposition of the former. Acrylate latexes prepared with these two compounds have monomer conversion levels which rise as the polymerization temperature is increased, as is expected in conventional emulsion polymerizations.
Comprehension Monitoring: A Developmental Effect?

This study investigated whether children’s comprehension monitoring skills follow a developmental effect as postulated by Dollaghan and Kaston (1986) in their treatment sequence for developing comp...
Phenotypic plasticity and heterochrony in Cichlasoma managuense (Pisces, Cichlidae) and their implications for speciation in cichlid fishes

Cichlid fishes in African rift lakes have undergone rapid speciation, resulting in "species flocks" with more than 300 endemic species in some of the lakes. Most researchers assume that there is little phenotypic variation in cichlid fishes. I report here extensive phenotypic plasticity in a Neotropical cichlid species. I examined the influence of diet on trophic morphology during ontogeny in Cichlasoma managuense. Two groups of full siblings were fed two different diets for eight months after the onset of feeding; thereafter both groups were fed a common diet. Phenotypes that differed significantly at 8.5 months converged almost completely at 16.5 months. If feeding on two different diets is continued after 8.5 months, the phenotypes remain distinct. Differences in diet and possibly in feeding mode are believed to have caused these phenotypic changes. Phenotypic plasticity is described in terms of a qualitative model of heterochrony in which phenotypic change in morphology is explained as retardation of the normal developmental rate. If phenotypic expression of morphology is equally plastic in African cichlid species as it may be in the American cichlids, as exemplified by C. managuense, then taxonomic, ecological, and evolutionary analyses of "species flocks" may be in need of revision. However, Old World cichlids may be less phenotypically plastic than New World cichlids, and this may contribute to the observed differences in speciation rate and degree of endemism.
Thermochemical and Kinetic Aspects of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell Processing

A chemical and kinetic basis underlying processing strategies for thin film polycrystalline CdTe/CdS solar cell fabrication is presented. The processing conditions employed for moderate and high conversion efficiency CdTe/CdS solar cells fall within a consistent framework based on temperature and concentration of CdCl2 and O2 species during film deposition or thermal treatment. Detailed microstructural and compositional results are compared for thin-film CdTe/CdS structures with CdTe deposited by physical vapor deposition, electrodeposition and close-space sublimation. X-ray diffraction coupled with a model for diffusion of CdS into CdTe is used to determine the effect of treatment conditions on bulk and grain boundary diffusion coefficients. The effects of CdS diffusion, oxides, recrystallization and grain growth with respect to device efficiency, stability and process control over large area are discussed.
THE PREFERRED CONFORMATIONS OF PROTECTED HOMODI‐TO HOMOHEPTAMETHIONINE PEPTIDES A 1H N.M.R. Study in Deuterochloroform Medium

Detailed analyses of the conformations of the homo-oligopeptide series, Boc-(L-Met)n-OME n = 2--7, in deuterochloroform have been carried out with proton n.m.r. and IR spectroscopy. Well-resolved high field n.m.r. spectra with assignments for the NH and alpha-CH resonances of these homo-methionine peptides are presented. Extensive n.m.r. concentration-dependent chemical shift studies are combined with IR results to delineate the involvement of the various methionine NH protons in intra- and/or intermolecular hydrogen bonding. N.m.r. chemical shift dependencies with temperature and solvent, DMSO-d6, are used to explore the strength of the hydrogen bonds for the various oligopeptides. At low concentrations, where peptide aggregation is absent, the dipeptide is found to be disordered. The tetra- to heptapeptides possess intramolecular hydrogen bonded seven-membered rings at internal residues. The number of internal rings and the oligopeptide self-association increase with increasing peptide chainlength. At intermediate concentrations associations of peptide molecules with folded structures occur with initial association at the C-terminal region. At high concentrations, "in-register" associated extended beta structures are formed.
WE-C-204B-03: 4D Treatment Delivery to Account for Motion, Rotation, and Deformation of Tumors and Normal Tissues

Purpose: To experimentally investigate 4D treatmentdelivery to account for motion, rotation, and deformation of tumors and normal tissues.Method and Materials: A 4D treatment plan was generated as a function of respiratory phase for an elliptical tumor that translates, rotates, deforms, and exhibits motion hysteresis throughout the respiratory cycle. A programmable motion platform with a marker block simulates the tumor motion. An independent patient position monitoring system monitors motion of marker block and provides 3D position and respiratory phase information in real time for the dynamic MLC motion‐tracking software. Using the position and phase information and the 4D treatment plan, the dynamic MLC motion‐tracking software repositions and/or reshapes the radiation beams to delivertreatment. An MV imager operating in a cine mode was used to acquire images to quantify tumor motion, rotation, and deformation. 4D treatmentdelivery was performed when the target motion during treatmentdelivery was the same as, smaller than, and larger than during imaging. For comparison, static delivery of treatment plans for each of the respiratory phases was performed. Results: The elliptical tumor segmented from MV images between 4D and static delivery showed the difference of centroid positions less than 5 mm, rotation less than 10 degrees, and major and minor axis lengths less than 2 mm each. 4D treatmentdelivery was comparable to static delivery of each phase treatment plan, demonstrating the ability of dynamic MLC to account for changes in anatomic motion, rotation, and deformation by varying MLC leaves as a function of phase. Conclusion: 4D treatment plans generated to account for motion, rotation, and deformation of tumors and normal tissues within a respiratory cycle at the planning stage can be delivered while still accounting for different target motion during delivery at the delivery stage. Research supported by NIH/NCIR01‐93626 and Varian Medical Systems
New Entities and Diagnostic Challenges in Pediatric Lung Disease

The differential diagnosis of diffuse lung disease in children differs considerably from adults, and analysis of pediatric lung biopsies may prove challenging for pathologists with more extensive exposure to adult lung biopsies. Biopsy diagnosis of pediatric lung disease continues to evolve as new pathologic entities are recognized and new genetic determinants of disease are discovered. This article describes the clinical characteristics, pathologic features, and differential diagnosis of challenging and recently described entities in pediatric lung disease. The specific entities discussed include alveolar capillary dysplasia, genetic disorders of surfactant metabolism, pulmonary interstitial glycogenosis, and neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia of infancy.
Interaction of soluble pig heart glutamate-aspartate transaminase with various β,γ-unsaturated amino acids

Abstract β-Ethylidene-DL-aspartate (βEA) and β-methylene-DL-glutamate (βMG) were synthesized and tested as potential suicide inhibitors of soluble pig heart glutamate-aspartate transaminase (sGAT). βMG was found to be a) a substrate with a very low turnover number relative to glutamate and b) a competitive inhibitor with respect to aspartate (albeit with a large binding constant). At high concentrations βMG inactivated the enzyme but only very slowly. βEA was also found to be a substrate with a very low turnover number; it did not inactivate the enzyme (1 hr, 25°C) even at a high concentration. However, βEA was found to bind to the enzyme with an affinity comparable to that of aspartate and glutamate. β-Methylene-DL-aspartate (βMA) has been shown to rapidly inactivate glutamate-aspartate transaminase. Therefore, it appears that glutamate-aspartate transaminase can bind analogues of aspartate with alkene groups in the β position. The conjugated carbonyl groups of βMA and βEA will enhance Michael addition in comparison with that expected for vinylglycine. On the other hand, the presence of the methyl groups should reduce the electrophilicity of the double bond of βEA compared to βMA. This deactivation and/or steric hindrance to Michael attack may account for the inability of βEA to inactivate sGAT. Therefore, it may be possible to design selective suicide inhibitors of glutamate-aspartate transaminase with the following structure: HO2CC(CHX)CH(CO2H)NH2, where X is an electron-withdrawing group. Ideally, X would increase the reactivity of the double bond while affording a minimum of steric hindrance to susceptible enzyme-bound bases.
The adaptation of covert modeling procedures to the treatment of chronic alcoholism and obsessive-compulsive behavior: Two case reports

Covert modeling procedures were employed in the treatment of a 48-year-old male with a 30-year history of excessive alcohol consumption, and a 27-year-old female with a 6-year history of obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The covert modeling procedure in the first case consisted of practicing in imagination appropriate responses to excessive drinking stimuli. Throughout the 11-month posthospitalization follow-up period, the subject remained almost totally abstinent and maintained full-time employment. In the second case, a multiple baseline design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the covert modeling procedure on each of the subject's obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The covert modeling procedure consisted of practicing in imagination appropriate behavior in situations where obsessive-compulsive behaviors had previously been exhibited. At 6-month follow-up, the subject was no longer engaging in the obsessive-compulsive behaviors. The therapeutic value of teaching the covert modeling procedure as a self-control technique was discussed.
Recent advances in coherent optical communication

Recent progress in coherent optical communication, a field revived by advances in digital signal processing (DSP), is reviewed. DSP-based phase and polarization management techniques make coherent detection robust and practical. With coherent detection, the complex field of the received signal is fully recovered, allowing compensation of linear impairments including chromatic dispersion and polarization-mode dispersion using digital filters. In addition, fiber nonlinearities can also be compensated by using backward propagation in the digital domain.
Evidence for direct visual access to letter identities

Abstract Subjects were presented with two letters from the set BCDFGHLNPORTVZ, one in upper case and one in lower case. Subjects were required to decide, as quickly as possible, whether the two letters on each trial were the same (e.g., Bb) or different (e.g., Bd). Because letters were always physically different, subjects presumably must name the letters in order to respond. Reaction times were predicted by the visual similarity of the letters, and not by their phonemic distinctive feature similarity. Consistent with previous work showing that a word's meaning can be assessed directly from visual information, the findings suggest that visual analysis of a capital or small letter can result in knowing the latter name without further linguistic processing. These results were interpreted as an example of automatic detection as described by Schneider and Shiffrin (1977).
The impact of new technology on the analog hybrid art-I

Present day hybrid systems are characterized by increasingly sophisticated software requirements. The first attempts at creation of useful analog-digital computer systems were faced with a multitude of hardware problems associated with communication between discrete and sequential machines on the one hand and continuous and parallel machines on the other. Now, however, since the hardware marriage has been successfully consumated, a multitude of software problems remain. This panel will concentrate on the most important of these problems. Position papers by each of the four panelists are presented below.
Entropy and P-particle observables. I: The general program

An information-theoretic notion of entropy is proposed for a system ofN interacting particles which assesses an observer's limited knowledge of the state of the system, assuming that he or she can measure with arbitrary precision all one-particle observables and correlations involving some numberp of the particles but is completely ignorant of the form of any higher-order correlations involving more thanp particles. The idea is to define a generic measure of entropyS[\(\tilde \mu\)] = −Tr\(\tilde \mu\) log\(\tilde \mu\) for an arbitrary density matrix or distribution function\(\tilde \mu\), and then, given the “true”N-particleμ, to define a “reduced”μRP which reflects the observer's partial knowledge. The result, at any timet, is a chain of inequalitiesS[μR1]≥S[μR2]≥...≥S[μRN]≡S[μ], with true equalityS[μRp]=S[μRp+1] if and only if the trueμ factorizes exactly into a product of contributions involving all possiblep-particle groupings. It follows further than (1) if, at some initial timet0, the trueμ factorizes in this way, thenS[μRp(∼]≥S[μRp(t0)] for all finite timest>t0, with equality if and only if the factorization is restored, and (2) the initial response of the system must be to increase itsp-particle entropy.
LOW INCIDENCE OF NEW RENAL SCARS AFTER URETERAL REIMPLANTATION FOR VESICOURETERAL REFLUX IN CHILDREN: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY

Purpose: The major aim of treating vesicoureteral reflux in children is the prevention of renal scars. Dimercapto-succinic acid (DMSA) is the modality of choice for detecting renal scars. We documented the incidence of new renal scarring and measured changes in differential renal function after ureteral reimplantation using DMSA studies.Materials and Methods: We evaluated 45 boys and 98 girls with a median age of 2 years who had vesicoureteral reflux and underwent ureteral reimplantation. DMSA scans were done preoperatively and at a median of 3.4 years postoperatively. Maximal reflux grade was III in 84 children (59%), IV in 27 (19%) and V in 6 (4%).Results: Preoperatively DMSA studies showed scarred or contracted kidneys in 106 of the 143 patients (74%). After reimplantation mean change in differential function was 2.5%. New scars developed in 3 children (2%). We noted greater than 6% decrease in relative differential function without new scarring in 7 cases (5%).Conclusions: The incidence of new renal s...
Infrared Emission from Free Carriers in Germanium

A broad band of radiation near 5 μ has been observed from free carriers in both n- and p-type germanium. The mechanism involves the modulation of the emissivity due to the pulsed injection of excess carriers. This produces the measured periodic increase of the spontaneous emission. A calculation based on the interaction of the germanium with the background radiation gives good agreement with the experimental results. The exitance increases with increasing pulse current and sample temperature, and the spectrum contains structure due to transitions between the branches of the valence band.
Osteoblasts Are a Major Source of Inflammatory Cytokines in the Tumor Microenvironment of Bone Metastatic Breast Cancer

Metastatic breast cancer cells co-opt the cells of the bone to increase their production of inflammatory cytokines. Here, we sought to identify key cytokines expressed by osteoblasts in vitro and in vivo in the presence of MDA-MB-231 metastatic breast cancer cells, including a bone-seeking variant. We hypothesized that osteoblast-derived cytokines increase in the presence of metastatic breast cancer cell conditioned medium (CM), act as chemoattractants for cancer cells, and enhance osteoclast formation. We detected increases in the concentrations of osteoblast-derived IL-6, MCP-1, VEGF, MIP-2, and KC in vitro in culture supernatants from MC3T3-E1 cells in the presence of metastatic breast cancer cell CM and from cancer-bearing femurs ex vivo. A comparison of cancer cell- and osteoblast-derived cytokines revealed that while breast cancer cells expressed the same or equivalent cytokines as the osteoblasts, the breast cancer cells only produced picogram quantities of MCP-1; osteoblasts expressed nanogram amounts. Bone-derived MCP-1 increased in the proximal metaphysis, an area where breast cancer cells preferentially trafficked following intracardiac inoculation in athymic mice. An MDA-MB-231 bone-seeking variant was not different from parental lines. Osteoblast CM was a potent chemoattractant for metastatic breast cancer cells. Furthermore, culture supernatants of osteoblasts treated with breast cancer cell CM enhanced osteoclast formation. These findings suggest that bone metastatic breast cancer cells utilize osteoblast-derived cytokines to facilitate breast cancer cell colonization and survival upon arrival in the bone microenvironment.
The acute toxicity of some heavy metal ions toward benthic organisms

A great deal of information is being gathered about the acute toxicity of heavy metal ions toward fish and in fact reView articles are available (1,2). It is also important however to attempt to determine the effect of heavy metal ions upon benthic organisms since they may in fact be more sensitive and prove to be good indicator organisms. Warnick has summarized some data pertaining to aquatic insects (6) and the effect of copper upon a variety of benthic organisms bas been studied (7,8).
Phase stability and hot corrosion behavior of ZrO2–Ta2O5 compound in Na2SO4–V2O5 mixtures at elevated temperatures

Abstract For thermal barrier coating (TBC) applications, yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) is susceptible to hot corrosion. This paper examines the hot corrosion performance of ZrO 2 /Ta 2 O 5 compounds. Different compositions of ZrO 2 –Ta 2 O 5 samples in the presence of molten mixture of Na 2 SO 4 +V 2 O 5 at 1100 °C were tested. The compositions were selected to form tetragonal and orthorhombic phases of zirconium-tantalum oxides. Results show that orthorhombic zirconium-tantalum oxide is more stable, both thermally and chemically in Na 2 SO 4 +V 2 O 5 media at 1100 °C, and shows a better hot corrosion resistance than the tetragonal phase.
Précis of Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments

Responsibility and the Moral Sentiments (henceforth RMS) offers an account of moral responsibility. It addresses the question: what are the forms of capacity or ability that render us morally accountable for the things we do? A traditional answer has it that the conditions of moral responsibility include freedom of the will, where this in turn involves the availability of robust alternative possibilities (of the kind that would not obtain in a world governed by deterministic laws). I reject this answer, arguing that the conditions of moral responsibility do not include any condition of alternative possibilities. In the terms that have become familiar, the book thus defends a compatibilist account of moral responsibility. More specifically (and more positively), the book argues for the view that moral responsibility is primarily a matter of moral competence. What makes us morally accountable for the things we do is not the availability of alternative possibilities, but certain capacities for moral understanding and response: the basic capacity to grasp moral reasons, and the equally basic capacity to control one's behavior by the light of one's moral understanding. These powers of reflective self-control, as I call them, set accountable agents apart from other creatures capable of rudimentary agency. Furthermore, the general powers for moral reasoning and response that make us accountable, on my theory, do not involve or presuppose the kinds of alternative possibilities for action traditionally associated with freedom of will. The argument for this conception of moral responsibility begins with a discussion of our moral practices, in particular our practice of holding people morally accountable for what they do. Drawing on an influential idea of P. F. Strawson's, I contend that the reactive sentiments of resentment, guilt, and indignation provide the key to understanding the distinctive stance of holding someone responsible. These emotions, I argue, are distinguished by their connection with demands or expectations. Once we grasp this cognitive dimension of the reactive sentiments, we are in a position to appreciate their importance to the practice of holding people morally responsible. In particu-
Primary synovial chondromatosis of the temporomandibular joint with suspected traumatic etiology: Report of a case

Abstract Synovial chondromatosis (SC) of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) is a rare disease that is characterized by the development of nodules of cartilage within the synovial connective tissues of articulating joints. Reports of extracapsular TMJ SC are rate. A case is presented of primary SC of the TMJ with extension to the pterygoid plates, with a suspected traumatic etiology. The differences between primary and secondary SC are discussed.
Does Euclidean geometry imply quantum physics

In a previous paper, it was proposed that the cosmological term in Einstein's field equations be huge. This proposal heuristically followed from the combination of Leibniz' principle, Einstein's general relativity, and the observational dominance of Euclidean geometry. This paper presents preliminary results of a treatment of the large Λ field equations which holds promise of yielding quantum wave mechanics with no additional assumptions.
General relativistic chaos and nonlinear dynamics

We describe how new ideas in dynamical systems theory find application in the description of general relativistic systems. The concept of dynamical entropy is explained and the associated invariant evaluated for the Mixmaster cosmological model. The description of cosmological models as measure preserving dynamical systems leads to a number of interconnections with new ideas in non-linear dynamics. This may provide a new avenue of approach to ascertaining the nature of the general solution to Einstein's equations.
Programmed synthesis of freestanding graphene nanomembrane arrays.

F reestanding graphene membranes are unique materials. The combination of atomically thin dimensions, remarkable mechanical robustness, and chemical stability make porous and non-porous graphene membranes attractive for water purifi cation and various sensing applications. Nanopores in graphene and other 2D materials have been identifi ed as promising devices for next-generation DNA sequencing based on readout of either transverse DNA base-gated current or through-pore ion current. While several ground breaking studies of graphene-based nanopores for DNA analysis have been reported, all methods to date require a physical transfer of the graphene from its source of production onto an aperture support. The transfer process is slow and often leads to tears in the graphene that render many devices useless for nanopore measurements. In this work, we report a novel scalable approach for site-directed fabrication of pinhole-free graphene nanomembranes. Our approach yields high quality few-layer graphene nanomembranes produced in less than a day using a few steps that do not involve transfer. We highlight the functionality of these graphene devices by measuring DNA translocation through electron-beam fabricated nanopores in such membranes.
Prospective study of the features, indications, and surgical treatment in 513 consecutive patients affected by Crohn's disease

Abstract Background. The aim of this prospective study was to elucidate the features, indications, and surgical treatment in patients affected by complications of Crohn's disease. Methods. Between January 1985 and July 1996, 513 consecutive patients (248 male, 265 female; mean age, 38 years) were operated on for 542 occurrences of Crohn's disease. Data were collected prospectively. Results. Indications for abdominal surgery were often multiple but included failure of medical management (n = 220), obstruction (n = 94), intestinal fistula (n = 68), mass (n = 56), abdominal abscess (n = 33), hemorrhage (n = 7), and peritonitis (n = 9). Four hundred sixty-four abdominal procedures were performed, necessitating 425 intestinal resections and 97 strictureplasties. The use of strictureplasty was more common in the second half of the study (16.0% versus 7.3%, second half versus first half; p Conclusions. Patterns of surgical treatment in Crohn's disease are changing, with more emphasis on nonresectional options. The presence of rectal involvement significantly increases the need for a permanent stoma in patients with perianal Crohn's disease.
Trends in time-varying percentiles of daily minimum and maximum temperature over North America

[1] With the recent development of high-quality, digital daily air-temperature archives over North America, flexible approaches that evaluate trends in time-varying percentiles are capable of estimating climate-change parameters from all portions of air-temperature frequency distributions. Using these methods, intense warming is found in the lowest minimum temperatures over western and central North America. During the months of January through March, the lower tail of the daily minimum air-temperature distribution over western North America has warmed at rates exceeding 3°C/50yr. Daily maximum air temperatures also are increasing over western Canada and Alaska at this time, but all parts of the frequency distribution are warming equally. Other times of year in western North America, as well as much of eastern North America, show little change in either minimum or maximum air temperature during the last half-century.