cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Care of the Prepuce in the Uncircumcised Child: Reinforcing Nature's Laws of Health

The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends circumcision. Knowledge concerning the natural uncircumcised state can help clinicians and parents provide proper care of the prepuce. Phimosis, smegma, inadequate urinary stream, paraphimosis, and balanoposthitis often provoke inappropriate interventions. These conditions are described and implications for nursing practice and health teaching are discussed.
Thunderstorm Hazard vulnerability for the Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan region

Most U.S. metropolitan regions have experienced urban “sprawl,” or the outward spreading of urban development from city centers. For cities lying in areas prone to severe weather, the sprawl phenomenon exposes greater numbers of developed areas and inhabitants to a variety of thunderstorm hazards. This study’s principal goal is to determine how urbanization growth patterns affect a region’s vulnerability to severe weather events. To assess how sprawl may impact vulnerability to tornadoes, hail, and convective wind events, an analysis examining potential loss may be utilized. This study employs two distinct approaches to examine how the Atlanta area’s rapid and extensive development during the latter half of the twentieth Century has affected its overall potential exposure to thunderstorm hazards. First, archived census data are used to estimate overall impacts from hypothetical significant tornado, nontornadic convective wind, and hail events occurring at different time periods throughout several locations in the Atlanta metropolitan region. Second, economic factors are integrated into the analysis, which assists in determining how these hypothetical severe event scenarios may have changed from a cost standpoint if they were to occur in 2006 as opposed to 1960.
Structural determinant of the vesicle aggregation activity of annexin I

Some annexins, including annexins I, II, IV, and VII, can promote membrane aggregation. To identify amino acids involved in annexin I-mediated membrane aggregation, we generated truncated mutants of human annexin I lacking various parts of the amino terminus. The in vitro vesicle binding and aggregation activities of these mutants indicated that both the amino-terminal region of annexin I spanning residues 26-29 and the carboxy-terminal core are involved in membrane aggregation. This notion was further supported by the finding that a chimera composed of residues 24-35 of annexin I and the core of annexin V has vesicle aggregation activity that is significantly higher than that of annexin V but lower than that of annexin I. Further site-specific mutations in the amino-terminal region of annexin I indicated that Lys-26 and Lys-29 are essential for its membrane aggregation activity. The comparison of tryptic digest patterns of free and vesicle-bound wild type and K29E mutant suggests that a primary role of Lys-26 and Lys-29 is to induce and stabilize an active conformation of annexin I for vesicle aggregation.
Isotopic Composition and Origin of the Red Sea and Salton Sea Geothermal Brines

Abstract. Deuterium and oxygen-18 measurements show that the Red Sea and Salton Sea brines are the results of a single process, the leaching of sediments by surface water circulating downward to a geothermal reservoir. The Salton Sea brine is derived from local precipitation but the Red Sea brine originates 1000 kilometers south of its basin, on the shallow sill which controls the circulation of the Red Sea. On this sill sea water penetrates a thick evaporite sequence to a depth of 2000 meters, and, driven by its increased density relative to sea water, flows northward to emerge in the brine-filled deeps.
Cost-Effectiveness Model for Youth EFNEP Programs: What Do We Measure and How Do We Do It?

The Youth Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) is one of the United States Department of Agriculture's hallmark nutrition education programs for limited-resource youth. The objective of this study was to gather opinions from experts in EFNEP and related content areas to identify costs, effects (impacts), and related instruments to develop a cost-effectiveness model (instrument) for youth EFNEP, which does not exist. A cost-effectiveness model determines the economic or financial cost of producing an impact. The findings highlight several challenges in identifying inputs through consensus and provide a roadmap for the creation of a model that can be adopted by state EFNEP coordinators.
Detection of Salmonella spp. in Oysters Using Polymerase Chain Reactions (PCR) and Gene Probes

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) DNA amplification method was used to identify oligonucleotide primers from a target gene, hns, to specifically detect SulmonelIu spp. in contaminated oysters. The primers for PCR amplification and a hybridizing oligonucleotide probe to detect the amplified DNA were specific for all Salmonella spp. tested. Modification of a procedure for extracting DNA from oyster tissue matrices followed by PCR amplification, and coupled with gene-probe hybridization detected <40 cells of seeded or naturally occurring Sulmonella spp./g of oyster meat samples without any enrichment step. The detection of SaZmonella spp. was reliable, sensitive, and required considerably less time than conventional microbiological culture methods.
Association of specific language impairment (SLI) to the region of 7q31.

FOXP2 (forkhead box P2) was the first gene characterized in which a mutation affects human speech and language abilities. A common developmental language disorder, specific language impairment (SLI), affects 6%–7% of children with normal nonverbal intelligence and has evidence of a genetic basis in familial and twin studies. FOXP2 is located on chromosome 7q31, and studies of other disorders with speech and language impairment, including autism, have found linkage to this region. In the present study, samples from children with SLI and their family members were used to study linkage and association of SLI to markers within and around FOXP2, and samples from 96 probands with SLI were directly sequenced for the mutation in exon 14 of FOXP2. No mutations were found in exon 14 of FOXP2, but strong association was found to a marker within the CFTR gene and another marker on 7q31, D7S3052, both adjacent to FOXP2, suggesting that genetic factors for regulation of common language impairment reside in the vicinity of FOXP2.
Interaction between frequency of rescheduling and the role of safety stock in material requirements planning systems

We describe how the frequency of rescheduling permitted in Material Requirements Planning (MBP) systems influences the impact of safety stock on system costs, and its effectiveness in maintaining desired levels of customer service. The results are obtained from approximate analytical models and simulation studies of a single product with stochastic demand and a two-level product structure. The results indicate that in some cases it may be more economical to reschedule infrequently and use safety stock as protection against demand variations. They also indicate that the effect of changing safety stock levels is much more predictable when rescheduling is infrequent, and that increasing safety stock may actually result in degraded performance when rescheduling is frequent.
Validity of the stagnant film approximation for mass transfer in crystal growth and dissolution

Abstract Crystal growth and dissolution generate a flow of material through the crystal surface. In treating mass transfer by the stagnant film approximation, it is generally assumed that the film thickness is independent of the interfacial flow. The validity of this assumption is examined in detail here. The film thickness is found to be relatively constant for laminar free convection and for a rotating disk in a gas. However it varies significantly for laminar forced convection of a gas over a flat plate. Mass transfer calculations are outlined which take into account the effect of interfacial flow on the film thickness. The results are also applicable to reverse osmosis.
Subcellular localization of proteins governing the proteolytic activation of a developmental transcription factor in Bacillus subtilis

BACKGROUND Spore formation in Bacillus subtilis takes place in a sporangium consisting of two compartments called the forespore and the mother cell. Late in development, when the forespore is wholly contained within the mother cell, gene transcription is coordinated between the compartments by an intercellular signal transduction pathway. This pathway operates at the level of proteolytic processing of the proprotein precursor (pro-sigma K to the mother-cell transcription factor sigma K. The conversion of pro-sigma K to sigma K is governed by the putative processing enzyme SpoIVFB and its negative regulator SpoIVFA, which are produced in the mother cell. RESULTS We used fluorescence microscopy in conjunction with antibodies against SpoIVFA and SpoIVFB and a fusion of SpoIVFB to the Green Fluorescent Protein from Aquorea victoria to visualize these proteins in the sporangium. Both proteins were found to co-localize with the forespore region of the sporangium, a finding consistent with the idea that SpoIVFA and SpoIVFB, which are inferred to be integral membrane proteins, are located in the mother cell membrane that surrounds the forespore. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that SpoIVFA and SpoIVFB are situated at the boundary between the forespore and the mother cell, at which location SpoIVFB could be activated by a signalling protein produced in the forespore.
Faith-Learning Integration, Critical Thinking Skills, and Student Development in Christian Education

Although the integration of faith and learning presupposes a learner, little theoretical work has addressed the role of students in faith-learning integration. Moreover, many students perceive faith-learning integration to be the work of teachers and institutions, suggesting that for learners, integration is a passive experience. This theoretical paper proposes an active, critical-thinking skills model for the conduct of faith-learning integration that may guide teachers in developing courses that support students in developing the skills needed for independent faith-learning integration.
Theoretical study of a cylindrical antenna with a hemispherical cap

The integral equation of a cylindrical monopole antenna with a hemispherical cap driven by a coaxial line is formulated and solved by two approximations. First, the current on the cap is approximated by a sinusoidal distribution. Secondly, the field across the driven gap is approximated by the fundamental transverse electromagnetic (TEM) coaxial-line mode. Results are compared with the tubular model. It is shown that the input admittance curve of the capped antenna has the same shape as that of the tubular antenna with open ends but is shifted. The radiation patterns of the two antennas are essentially the same. The capped antenna is approximately equivalent to the tubular antenna with length 0.25 times the radius shorter than the total axial length of the antenna with a cap.
Object Detection and Identification Using Enhanced Camera/Video Imaging Systems (E-C/VISs) on Heavy Trucks

Tests were performed to determine the feasibility of developing an Enhanced Camera/Video Imaging System (E-C/VIS) to provide heavy vehicle drivers with better situation awareness to the sides and rear of their vehicles. It is well known that large blind spots currently exist in these areas and that sideswipe crashes can occur as a result. An additional goal was to extend the operating envelope of conventional video to nighttime and to inclement weather. A three channel system was envisioned in which there would be a camera at each (front) fender of the tractor looking backward along the sides of the tractor trailer. The third channel would be aimed rearward from the back of the trailer. Indoor tests involved selection of components having the best capabilities, while early outdoor tests used the selected components in a single-channel side mounted system. Once developed, the heavy vehicle three-channel system was tested in a static object detection and identification experiment, as well as a dynamic on-road experiment. The current document describes the static object detection and identification experiment methodology and results. In regard to object detection and identification, objects were correctly detected and identified significantly more often with the E-C/VIS than with mirrors alone. Objects directly behind the heavy vehicle could be detected with the rear wide-angle look-down camera of the E- C/VIS whereas such objects could not be detected with conventional side mirrors.
Efficient Object Retrieval from Parallel Air Channels in the Presence of Replicated Objects

A mobile device retrieving objects from parallel air channels has to optimize multiple objectives: (1) reduce the response time for object retrieval, and (2) reduce power consumption in the device. This multi-objective optimization becomes even more difficult when the same object is broadcast multiple times over the parallel air channels to increase availability. In this work, several heuristic algorithms - branch and bound, greedy, random, and first-choice have been proposed for efficient object retrieval from parallel air channels in the presence of replicated objects. Empirical evaluation of the algorithms shows that the greedy algorithm produces near-optimal-response time with minimum overhead in terms of energy consumption. The runtime of the greedy algorithm is significantly faster than that of the optimal branch and bound algorithm, and is similar to the firstchoice and random algorithms.
Identification of the Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF)-interacting Domain in a Secreted FGF-binding Protein by Phage Display

Fibroblast growth factor-binding proteins (FGF-BP) are secreted carrier proteins that release fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) from the extracellular matrix storage and thus enhance FGF activity. Here we have mapped the interaction domain between human FGF-BP1 and FGF-2. For this, we generated T7 phage display libraries of N-terminally and C-terminally truncated FGF-BP1 fragments that were then panned against immobilized FGF-2. From this panning, a C-terminal fragment of FGF-BP1 (amino acids 193-234) was identified as the minimum binding domain for FGF. As a recombinant protein, this C-terminal fragment binds to FGF-2 and enhances FGF-2-induced signaling in NIH-3T3 fibroblasts and GM7373 endothelial cells, as well as mitogenesis and chemotaxis of NIH-3T3 cells. The FGF interaction domain in FGF-BP1 is distinct from the heparin-binding domain (amino acids 110-143), and homology modeling supports the notion of a distinct domain in the C terminus that is conserved across different species. This domain also contains conserved positioning of cysteine residues with the Cys-214/Cys-222 positions in the human protein predicted to participate in disulfide bridge formation. Phage display of a C214A mutation of FGF-BP1 reduced binding to FGF-2, indicating the functional significance of this disulfide bond. We concluded that the FGF interaction domain is contained in the C terminus of FGF-BP1.
A Systematic Examination of School Improvement Activities That Include Special Education

Methodological and practical challenges present formidable barriers to conducting empirical evaluations of school reform initiatives. Systematic information about school reform and improvement, and its relationship to special education, is even more difficult to obtain. In this study, the authors developed a reliable and valid method to (a) systematically describe and assess the school improvement process and (b) examine its relationship to special education by including in the investigation programs for students with emotional disturbance. A rigorous case-study design was used with 20 schools that varied in their levels of improvement activity. Results indicated that the School Improvement Index (SII) could reliably and validly discriminate between schools engaging in high levels of school improvement activities and those schools engaging in low levels. The use of the SII as a research tool and an aid to local schools engaged in school improvement is discussed.
When and why do ideal partner preferences affect the process of initiating and maintaining romantic relationships

Three studies explored how the traits that people ideally desire in a romantic partner, or ideal partner preferences, intersect with the process of romantic relationship initiation and maintenance. Two attraction experiments in the laboratory found that, when participants evaluated a potential romantic partner’s written profile, they expressed more romantic interest in a partner whose traits were manipulated to match (vs. mismatch) their idiosyncratic ideals. However, after a live interaction with the partner, the match vs. mismatch manipulation was no longer associated with romantic interest. This pattern appeared to have emerged because participants reinterpreted the meaning of the traits as they applied to the partner, a context effect predicted by classic models of person perception (S. E. Asch, 1946). Finally, a longitudinal study of middle-aged adults demonstrated that participants evaluated a current romantic partner (but not a partner who was merely desired) more positively to the extent that the partner matched their overall pattern of ideals across several traits; the match in level of ideals (i.e., high vs. low ratings) was not relevant to participants’ evaluations. In general, the match between ideals and a partner’s traits may predict relational outcomes when participants are learning about a partner in the abstract and when they are actually in a relationship with the partner, but not when considering potential dating partners they have met in person.
A Mutation at the fad8 Locus of Arabidopsis Identifies a Second Chloroplast [omega]-3 Desaturase.

Two independently isolated mutations at the fad7 locus in Arabidopsis produced plants with a temperature-conditional phenotype. Leaves of fad7 mutants grown at 28[deg]C contained less than 30% of wild-type levels of trienoic fatty acids (16:3 plus 18:3) compared with more than 70% of wild-type levels for plants grown at 15[deg]C. Screening of an M2 population derived from the fad7–1 line led to the identification of a line, SH1, in which the proportion of trienoic acids was much less than in fad7 plants. The segregation pattern of F2 progeny from a cross between SH1 and wild type indicated that the additional fatty acid mutation in SH1 is at a new locus, designated fad8. In a genetic background that was wild type at the FAD7 locus, the fad8 mutation had no detectable effect on overall leaf fatty acid composition irrespective of the temperature at which plants were grown. However, fatty acid analyses of individual leaf lipids revealed small decreases in the levels of 18:3 in two chloroplast lipids. In fad8 plants grown at 22[deg]C, phospha-tidylglycerol contained 22.5% 18:3 compared with 33.5% in wild-type Arabidopsis. For sulfoquinovosyldiacylglycerol, the values were 31.4 and 44.5%, respectively. Together with information from studies of the cloned FAD8 gene (S. Gibson, V. Arondel, K. Iba, C. Somerville [1994] Plant Physiol 106: 1615–1621), these results indicate that the FAD8 locus encodes a chloroplast-localized 16:2/18:2 desaturase that has a substrate specificity similar to the FAD7 gene product but that is induced by low temperature.
Neurocognitive correlates of response to treatment in late-life depression.

Depression is often associated with neurocognitive deficits in older adults, particularly in the domains of information processing speed, episodic memory, and executive functions. Greater neurocognitive dysfunction while depressed is associated with a less effective treatment response; however, questions remain about the specific variables that characterize patients showing low treatment response and persistent cognitive deficiencies. Objectives The authors examined neurocognitive variables that differentiated patients who showed robust versus weak responses to antidepressant therapy. Participants The baseline sample included 110 women and 67 men, with a mean age of 69.1 years (SD = 6.9) and mean education of 14 years (SD = 3.3). Design Patients enrolled in a treatment study completed both a structured diagnostic assessment for depression and neuropsychological testing at study entry and 1-year follow-up. Measurements Clinicians rated patient depression using the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale. Neuropsychological assessments consisted of prose recall and percent retention (Wechsler Memory Scale -III Logical Memory), word-list recall, attention and visuomotor processing speed (Trail Making A, Symbol Digit Modalities Test), and mental flexibility (Trail Making B). Interventions Patients underwent treatment for depression following the guidelines of the Duke Somatic Treatment Algorithm for Geriatric Depression approach. Results Individuals who demonstrated the greatest improvement in mood symptoms at follow-up exhibited better prose recall and faster processing speed at baseline than individuals who demonstrated weaker treatment responses. These differences remained after controlling for depression severity at both time-points. Conclusion The current results suggest that better pretreatment cognitive function, particularly in verbal memory, is associated with a greater treatment response in late-life depression.
Unlicensed millimeter wave communications. A new opportunity for MMIC technology at 60 GHz

A recent FCC decision has opened the largest contiguous bandwidth in history, 59-64 GHz for non-government unlicensed wireless communications. Emerging commercial applications in this band will require inexpensive MMICs and low-cost packaging. Will technology be up to the challenge?.
Durability of Kinase-Directed Therapies—A Network Perspective on Response and Resistance

Protein kinase-directed cancer therapies yield impressive initial clinical responses, but the benefits are typically transient. Enhancing the durability of clinical response is dependent upon patient selection, using drugs with more effective pharmacology, anticipating mechanisms of drug resistance, and applying concerted drug combinations. Achieving these tenets requires an understanding of the targeted kinase's role in signaling networks, how the network responds to drug perturbation, and patient-to-patient network variations. Protein kinases create sophisticated, malleable signaling networks with fidelity coded into the processes that regulate their presence and function. Robust and reliable signaling is facilitated through network processes (e.g., feedback regulation, and compensatory signaling). The routine use of kinase-directed therapies and advancements in both genomic analysis and tumor cell biology are illuminating the complexity of tumor network biology and its capacity to respond to perturbations. Drug efficacy is attenuated by alterations of the drug target (e.g., steric interference, compensatory activity, and conformational changes), compensatory signaling (bypass mechanisms and phenotype switching), and engagement of other oncogenic capabilities (polygenic disease). Factors influencing anticancer drug response and resistance are examined to define the behavior of kinases in network signaling, mechanisms of drug resistance, drug combinations necessary for durable clinical responses, and strategies to identify mechanisms of drug resistance.
Dynamics of Analog Neural Networks with Time Delay

A time delay in the response of the neurons in a network can induce sustained oscillation and chaos. We present a stability criterion based on local stability analysis to prevent sustained oscillation in symmetric delay networks, and show an example of chaotic dynamics in a non-symmetric delay network.
Temperature and kairomone induced life history plasticity in coexisting Daphnia

We investigated the life history altera- tions of coexisting Daphnia species responding to environmental temperature and predator cues. In a laboratory experiment, we measured Daphnia life history plasticity under different predation risk and temperature treatments that simulate changing envi- ronmental conditions. Daphnia pulicaria abundance and size at first reproduction (SFR) declined, while ephippia (resting egg) formation increased at high temperatures. Daphnia mendotae abundance and clutch size increased with predation risk at high temperatures, but produced few ephippia. Thus, each species exhibited phenotypic plasticity, but responded in sharply different ways to the same environmental cues. In Glen Elder reservoir, Kansas USA, D. pulicaria dominance shifted to D. mendotae dominance as temperature and predation risk in- creased from March to June in both 1999 and 2000. Field estimates of life history shifts mirrored the laboratory experiment results, suggesting that similar phenotypic responses to seasonal cues contribute to seasonal Daphnia population trends. These results illustrate species-specific differences in life history plasticity among coexisting zooplankton taxa.
Reverse engineering the Kolff Twin Coil artificial kidney

The project is to build a full-scale working replica of the Twin Coil dialysis device designed by Willem Kolff who introduced this much improved dialysis machine for hospital and clinical use in 1955. The first step was to analyze original models of the Kolff Twin Coil on display in Washington, DC and in Largo, Florida and understand the design and engineering aspects of the device and how the Twin Coil design promoted effectiveness and efficiency in dialysis. When the design aspects of the Twin Coil were understood the task was to build a functional replica of the electrical circuitry and the control panel and interface with the three motor pumps. The approach to this was to study and understand the workings of the panel, acquire modern counterparts fitting to the replica's demand, and assemble the finished product. The finished panel and interface will be assembled and connected to the dialysis drum, built by Temple University, creating a final working replica Twin Coil dialysis machine.
Exploring The Use Of Case Study Analysis In Consultant Skill Training

Analyzing practical business situations presented in case studies is increasingly common in professional training programs. Case study analysis can be an effective teaching method for developing business consultation skills. Presented in this article are the findings in recent professional literature related to using case studies in business education programs for consultation skill training.
Biology of Intestinal Epithelial Stem Cells

The small and large intestines’ central function is water, electrolyte, and nutrient digestion and absorption. Simultaneously, the intestines must provide a selective barrier to the noxious lumenal contents, and provide feedback to regulate digestive functions. To achieve these roles, the epithelium is composed of several distinct cell types with different capabilities, including absorptive enterocytes/colonocytes, microfold, goblet, enteroendocrine, tuft, and Paneth cells. These intestinal epithelial cells are relatively short-lived, and must be continuously replaced by intestinal stem cells (ISCs), which produce rapidly dividing progenitors, termed transit amplifying cells, that subsequently differentiate into the various distinct epithelial cells. In this chapter, we focus on the biology of ISCs. First, we will summarize our current knowledge of adult intestinal stem cell types and markers. Second, we will review cell specification and differentiation of each cell type in the adult intestinal epithelium. Third, we will examine the important signaling pathways (Wnt/β-catenin, Notch, BMP, Hedgehog, RTK/MAPK, and Hippo/YAP) involved in stem cell maintenance. Finally, we highlight examples where stem cells impact major diseases of the intestines.
ABSOLUTE DISINTEGRATION RATE DETERMINATION OF BETA-EMITTING RADIONUCLIDES BY THE PULSE HEIGHT SHIFT-EXTRAPOLATION METHOD

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses a method that enables the investigator to determine the disintegration rate of a beta emitting radionuclide in a sample by measuring the pulse height shift produced by quenching—either real or simulated. It describes two new liquid scintillation counters, Beckman LS-8000 and Beckman LS-9000, which provide the capability for the determination of disintegration rates by this method. The new method differs from the previous in that it is accomplished in a coincidence type liquid scintillation counter and does not require the extrapolation of measured count rate to zero thresholds at each quench level. The method also requires an instrument with pulse summation which gives a truer representation of the pulse height spectrum. The coincidence technique allows for the threshold to be set at essentially the threshold of detection without including excessive backgrounds. The count rates measured, with the threshold set at zero, will be the same as that obtained by the count rate extrapolation method. The other requirement for this method is the measurement of a parameter that is indicative of the scintillation efficiency. In the previous methods, the pulse height equivalent to the half-height of the Compton edge for a gamma ray source was used to monitor the scintillation efficiency of the solution as a function of the quench level. In the present method, a new parameter is measured that is a direct measurement of the scintillation efficiency. This new parameter is called the H-number.
Unsupervised Method for Automatic Construction of a Disease Dictionary from a Large Free Text Collection

Concept specific lexicons (e.g. diseases, drugs, anatomy) are a critical source of background knowledge for many medical language-processing systems. However, the rapid pace of biomedical research and the lack of constraints on usage ensure that such dictionaries are incomplete. Focusing on disease terminology, we have developed an automated, unsupervised, iterative pattern learning approach for constructing a comprehensive medical dictionary of disease terms from randomized clinical trial (RCT) abstracts, and we compared different ranking methods for automatically extracting contextual patterns and concept terms. When used to identify disease concepts from 100 randomly chosen, manually annotated clinical abstracts, our disease dictionary shows significant performance improvement (F1 increased by 35–88%) over available, manually created disease terminologies.
Using AUTORAD for Cassini File Uplinks: Incorporating Automated Commanding into Mission Operations

As the Cassini spacecraft embarked on the Solstice Mission in October 2010, the flight operations team faced a significant challenge in planning and executing the continuing tour of the Saturnian system. Faced with budget cuts that reduced the science and engineering staff by over a third in size, new and streamlined processes had to be developed to allow the Cassini mission to maintain a high level of science data return with a lower amount of available resources while still minimizing the risk. Automation was deemed an important key in enabling mission operations with reduced workforce and the Cassini flight team has made this goal a priority for the Solstice Mission. The operations team learned about a utility called AUTORAD which would give the flight operations team the ability to program selected command files for radiation up to seven days in advance and help minimize the need for off-shift support that could deplete available staffing during the prime shift hours. This paper will describe how AUTORAD is being utilized by the Cassini flight operations team and the processes that were developed or modified to ensure that proper oversight and verification is maintained in the generation and execution of radiated command files.
The Mindful Therapist: A Clinician's Guide to Mindsight and Neural Integration

Currently a clinical professor of psychiatry at the UCLA School of Medicine with training in pediatrics and child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry, Dr. Siegel is a recognized expert in the interpl...
Toxicological Studies with Adults of Apple Maggot and Cherry Fruitflies

Several types of toxicity studies are reported with the following aims in mind: To determine the comparative toxici ies of trivalent and pentavalent arsenic to the apple maggot, Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh), the cherry fruitfly, Rhagoletis cingulata (Loew), and the dark cherry fruitfly, Rhagoletis fausta (O. S.). This work follows closely the method of Pearson & Richardson (1933) using the housefly. Musca domestica L. To study the toxicity of some nicotine compounds and Reinecke salt, using the same individual feeding method as used in the first section. To conduct cage tests with a miscellaneous group of insecticides, following the method of Boyce (1934) who worked with the walnut husk fly, Rhagoletis completa Cress.
Process or Party? Explaining Foreign Interventions in Democratizing Countries with New Data

This paper argues that outside political interventions in democratic states can be classified along two separate axes: a process and party one. Process interventions strengthen the democratic procedure and party ones promote the victory of a particular party. The two can be but are are not necessarily in conflict when ot comes to helping democracy in democratizing states. Understanding the conditions under which one or both types of interventions occur is important when it comes to understanding the promise and limits of democracy promotion. This paper outlines the variety of interventions, offers a theoretical explanation of their occurrence, and tests the proposition in a new dataset of post-1990 outside interventions in democratizing countries elections.
Quantification of the errors associated with the representation of surface emissivity in the RRTMG_LW

Abstract Recent studies have shown that representation of surface spectral emissivity has a non-negligible impact on the polar radiation budget and on simulated climate. This fact motivates the inclusion of surface spectral emissivity into the radiative transfer scheme employed in the climate models. Using a line-by-line radiative transfer model, LBLRTM, as a benchmark, we quantify the errors due to the approximation of surface spectral emissivity in the RRTMG_LW, a radiation scheme widely used by climate models and numerical forecast models. Error quantifications are done using representative sounding profiles in the tropics, mid-latitude summer, sub-arctic winter and Sahara desert interfaced with either ocean or desert spectral emissivities. Though including surface emissivity causes little difference in broadband outgoing longwave radiation, it can cause noticeable differences in longwave radiative cooling rate from surface to 700 hPa. Compared to the benchmark, the largest deviation in radiative cooling rate usually happens at the lowest atmospheric layers next to the surface, ranging from −0.23 K/day to 0.19 K/day with the largest fractional difference being −16.22%. The discrepancies caused solely by the representation of surface emissivity are confined at the lowest atmospheric layer. Using the emissivity at the diffusive angle or the hemispherically averaged emissivity can affect the calculation accuracy, especially for strongly anisotropic surface emission. The band-by-band contribution to the discrepancies between the RRTMG_LW and benchmark reveals compensating errors among the bands used in the RRTMG_LW.
Safety Marginal Value as a Traffic Safety Metric for the Trailing Vehicle

We propose a traffic safety metric called the safety marginal value (SMV) to be applied to discrete-time and continuous-space vehicular traffic networks. Every vehicle uses a set of vehicle states containing the position, velocity, and lane index of all vehicles on a roadway to determine the SMV, while also controlling its velocity for the next time step. The anterior SMV is defined as the minimum value from a set of the continuous levels of collision risk with the leading vehicles predicted by the collision avoidance (CA) margin time of the designated vehicle and is bounded by two non-negative integers. The higher the anterior SMV, the lower the likelihood of a rear-end accident occurring. This simple and rigorous traffic safety metric will be useful in reducing vehicle-to-vehicle crashes and could thus relieve traffic congestion caused by accidents. Moreover, the anterior SMV can be used as a safety criterion to validate car- following models under various environmental variables or as a key parameter of an objective function to maximize safety levels on roadways.
Behind the Game: Uncovering the Systems Underlying the Topic

This chapter draws heavily upon systems thinking (Thinking in systems: a primer. Chelsea Green Publishing, White River Junction, 2008; When a butterfly sneezes: a guide for helping kids explore interconnections in our world through favorite stories, Pegasus Communications, Waltham, 2001) in order to help the reader explore the underlying system behind his or her chosen topic. The chapter gives an overview of systems thinking while an appendix goes into further details about systems thinking. Once the reader is introduced to systems thinking and practices diagramming systems with children’s books and his or her overall subject area and the system of his or her chosen topic, the reader is then instructed to both simplify and complexify the system in order to provide three different levels. These levels may eventually correspond to the different levels of the curricular game.
Autonomous Leaf Picking Using Deep Learning and Visual-Servoing

Abstract: Grasping unstructured objects with a robotic manipulator is a difficult task. The challenge lies in both determining which objects are desirable to grasp and where those objects are relative to the manipulator. However, a robotic arm with an eye-in-hand camera can be used to effectively grab and hold desired objects, even if the exact geometry and position of the objects are unknown before the experiment. Combining Convolutional Neural Networks in image processing and Monoscopic Depth Analysis for visual-servoing, it was successfully demonstrated that a robotic manipulator could be used to accurately locate and grasp a leaf from a plant while only using a single camera for identification. This task of finding and manipulating a leaf shows the potential of using robotic manipulators in increasingly unstructured environments.
Comment on a spurious prediction of a non-planar geometry for benzene at the MP2 level of theory

Abstract MP2 calculations with the full aug-cc-pVTZ basis set give a non-planar structure for benzene. Although this non-physical result can be avoided by using the smaller aug-cc-pVDZ basis set or by scaling or deleting selected functions from the aug-cc-pVTZ basis set, such changes to the basis set can result in calculated values of the frequencies of the b2g out-of-plane vibrations that are considerably underestimated. The origin of this behavior is traced to linear dependency problems with the aug-cc-pVDZ and aug-cc-pVTZ basis sets when used for benzene.
Site-directed mutant libraries for isolating minimal mutations yielding functional changes

Powerful, facile new ways to create libraries of site-directed mutants are demonstrated. These include: (1) one-pot-PCR, (2) multi-pot-PCR, and (3) split-mix-PCR. One-pot-PCR uses mutant oligonucleotides to generate megaprimers in situ, and it was used to randomly incorporate 28 mutations in a gabT gene in a single reaction. In more difficult cases, multi-pot-PCR can be employed: mutant megaprimers are synthesized individually, then combined in a single mutagenesis PCR. This method was used to incorporate 14 out of 15 mutations in a pabB gene. Split-mix-PCR is a conceptually novel method for creation of site-directed mutant libraries. Separate PCRs for each mutant primer are performed, followed by pooling the products of the individual reactions. The pooled mixture is re-aliquoted into individual mutant oligonucleotide PCRs. These steps are repeated for each cycle. Split-mix-PCR results in a nearly random distribution of mutation sites, and a distribution of number-of-mutations per gene that is computable and narrow. Split-mix-PCR was applied to the directed evolution of aminodeoxychorismate synthase into anthranilate synthase, and easily allowed the determination of the fewest mutations required for introduction of novel activity.
Binding energies of hypernuclei and three-body. lambda. NN forces

Binding energies of hypernuclei are calculated with use of accurate variational methods for $A=3,5$, with effective interaction calculations for $A=5,9,13,\ensuremath{\infty}$, and with Fermi hypernetted-chain variational calculations for $A=\ensuremath{\infty}$. Effective interactions and variational results agree within a few percent. For $\ensuremath{\Lambda}N$ forces consistent with $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{p}$ scattering, agreement with the experimental energies is obtained with strongly repulsive Wigner type $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{NN}$ forces, and for $Ag5$ also with a weakened $p$-state $\ensuremath{\Lambda}\mathrm{N}$ strength about half that of the $s$-state strength.
AI applications of massive parallelism: An experience report

For nearly ten years my group and I at Thinking Machines Corporation worked at selling massively parallel computers for a variety of applications that fall broadly in the area now called “database mining.” We had an amazing team of scientists and engineers, saw trends far ahead of the rest of the world, and developed several great systems. However, we began as novices in the business arena. Sometimes we made sales, sometimes we did not; but we learned a great deal in either case. This chapter recounts the sales process and a brief history, mostly in the form of “war stories” mixed with technical details, and attempts to summarize some messages to take away, based on what we learned.
Preterm Labor: Prevention and Management

In the United States, preterm delivery is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and is the most common reason for hospitalization during pregnancy. The rate of preterm delivery (before 37 weeks' gestation) has been declining since 2007. Clinical diagnosis of preterm labor is made if there are regular contractions and concomitant cervical change. Less than 10% of women with a clinical diagnosis of preterm labor will deliver within seven days of initial presentation. Women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery are 1.5 to two times more likely to have a subsequent preterm delivery. Antenatal progesterone is associated with a significant decrease in subsequent preterm delivery in certain pregnant women. Current recommendations are to prescribe vaginal progesterone in women with a shortened cervix and no history of preterm delivery, and to use progesterone supplementation regardless of cervical length in women with a history of spontaneous preterm delivery. Cervical cerclage has been used to help correct structural defects or cervical weakening in high-risk women with a shortened cervix. A course of corticosteroids is the only antenatal intervention that has been shown to improve postdelivery neonatal outcomes, including a reduction in neonatal mortality, intracranial hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and neonatal infection. Tocolytics, especially prostaglandin inhibitors and calcium channel blockers, may allow time for the administration of antenatal corticosteroids and transfer to a tertiary care facility if necessary. When used in specific at-risk populations, magnesium sulfate provides neuroprotection and decreases the incidence of cerebral palsy in preterm infants.
Cricoid Pressure for the Medical Student

Healthcare providers worldwide utilize cricoid pressure to prevent aspiration of stomach contents upon induction to anesthesia. It is possible that a medical student may be asked to apply cricoid pressure during clinical rotations in a medical emergency. Based on an initial search, no medical school in the United States provides training in the technique of cricoid pressure. Workshop organizers at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, (VCOM) Auburn Campus, implemented a voluntary program to train preclinical medical students in the Sellick maneuver of cricoid pressure. Organizers surveyed the 34 participants prior to the workshop to gauge their familiarity with the Sellick maneuver, then observed them applying cricoid pressure to a model. Medical professionals provided instruction in the Sellick maneuver then observed performance once again. All 34 of the participating students successfully performed the Sellick maneuver in the post-training assessment. Since medical professionals utilize this technique worldwide, and misapplication has an impact on patient safety, medical schools should consider integrating cricoid pressure training into their pre-clinical curriculum.
From Relative to Absolute Mechanics

This chapter examines the salient implications of Aristotle’s account of motion, as well as how Kantian pure mechanics impoverishes natural process. In face of these consequences, the chapter considers Hegel’s rethinking of the mechanics of matter in motion and how its account of the different forms of motion and gravitational systems sets the stage for a more adequate conception of nature.
The choice of qualitative methods in IS research

INTRODUCTION In this introductory chapter I set the stage for the remaining chapters by discussing factors that influence the choice of qualitative methods for info mation systems research. In doing so, I provide examples from my own work as well as that of other qualitative researchers in the IS field. I consider these influencing factors in order to highlight the interplay between methodological choices and the context within which they occur. Just as decisions about information systems need to be considered within their contexts of use, so too do choices about qualitative methods for information systems research. In successive waves throughout my career, I have broadened the scope of the qualitative research methods I have chosen to use. In doing so, I have also expanded the range of issues I have had to confront. My qualitative research initially took the forms of case study and policy analysis as I followed the telecommunications privatization movement in the U.S. (Trauth 1979, 1986; Trauth, et al., 1983, 1991). The next stage of my journey began in 1989 when I was developing a research plan for a country-level case study of Ireland’s emerging information economy. In this project the scope (the entire country), the level of
Inhibition of mitochondrial respiration by uncouplers of oxidative phosphorylation. II. The site of inhibition of succinate oxidation by the uncouplers.

Abstract Dicumarol, an uucoupler of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation, inhibits the oxidation of succinate by rat liver mitochondria and submitochondrial particles. This inhibition is competitive with respect to succinate and the second power with respect to dicumarol in both systems. The respective inhibitor constants are approximately 4 × 102 μ m 2 for intact mitochondria (State 3), 10 × 102102μ m 2 for submitochondrial particles prepared by sonication, and 45 × 102μ m 2 for succinate-cytochrome c reductase particles. The uncouplers dinitrophenol and the m-chlorophenylhydrazone of carbonyl cyanide also inhibit succinate oxidation in submitochondrial particles in a manner consistant with their inhibition of succinate oxidation in intact mitochondria. It is concluded that all of these uncouplers inhibit succinate oxidation by directly inhibiting the succinate dehydrogenase.