cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Monitoring Results of Health-Related Behavior among Middle School Students of Dongli District in Tianjin

[Objectives]To understand the epidemic situation and dynamic character of various health risk behaviors among teenager group and its development trend with process of urbanization in Dongli district of Tianjin, provide scientific evidence for making the health policy for teenager and taking the intervention measures.[Methods]With the stratified cluster sampling, about 1000 middle school students were sampled from two junior middle schools, two senior middle schools and one secondary technical school, and an anonymous questionnaire investigation was performed.[Results]There existed the unhealthy life styles: 24.9%~30.1% of students had the addictive behavior, including smoking, drinking or gambling, 6.2%~57.2% of students had unhealthy dietary behavior, and over 50% of students were lack of exercise.[Conclusion]There existed the unhealthy behaviors among teenager group in Dongli district. It is necessary to pay more attention to it, and health education implemented by multiple relevant departments should be applied to interfere the risk behaviors, so as to improve the physical and mental health of teenager.
Robust optimization design on reliability of high pressured air cabin of torpedo

Let the reliability optimization designing theory be combined with the analytical method of reliability sensitivity,the robust optimization designing method of reliability was put forward.A living example analysis on high pressured air cabin of torpedo has been carried out by adopting this method and the result of simulative calculation was presented,thus provide theoretical foundation for the reliability robust optimization design of mechanical products used in engineering practice.
Temperature Effects on Epicuticular Hydrocarbons and Sexual Isolation in Drosophila mojavensis

Drosophila mojavensis is found in several geographically separate regions of the Sonoran Desert of North America. Within each area, it utilizes different host plants as its primary breeding site. When flies from two of these regions, Baja California and Sonora (including southern Arizona) are raised in the laboratory and then placed together to mate, a significant degree of sexual isolation is observed (Zouros and D’Entremont, 1980; Koepfer, 1987a, b). This isolation is due largely to a failure of Baja males to mate with Sonora females. The factors responsible for the observed isolation have not yet been identified, but they have been demonstrated to have a genetic component by the selection experiments of Koepfer (1987a, b), which makes D. mojavensis a particularly attractive subject for studies of speciation. We have been interested in both the proximate and ultimate causes underlying the sexual isolation between these populations. Our approach to this problem has been to first identify where the behavioral breakdown occurs and then to seek the characters involved. Our long term goal is to understand the evolutionary forces which caused the responsible characters to diverge in the first place.
Treatment of Children with Relapsed Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Studies of the BFM Study Group

Whereas the probability of event-free survival at 5 years of children with initial ALL approaches 75% the outcome of children with relapsed ALL is still poor [1–4]. The probability of event free survival at 5 years is about 30%. Therefore, the Berlin-Frankfurt-Munster (BFM) study group designs and performs clinical multi-center trials to optimize therapy for children with relapsed (REZ) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).
History of Computability

Around 1880, Georg Cantor, a German mathematician, invented naive set theory. A small fraction of this is sometimes taught to elementary school children. It was soon discovered that this naive set theory was inconsistent because it allowed unbounded set formation, such as the set of all sets. David Hilbert, the world's foremost mathematician from 1900 to 1930, defended Cantor's set theory but suggested a formal axiomatic approach to eliminate the inconsistencies.
Varieties of Meaning Holism

One more point to be made about the analytic/synthetic distinction and its place in conceptual role theories in general will lead the way to distinguishing between three different views of conceptual role and SCRT. One traditional objection to Conceptual Role Theory, which has already been discussed, is that equating meaning with inferential role (or conceptual role) implies that systems which differ in their beliefs (or other attitudes) will be meaning incomparable. If the systems don’t share all of their beliefs, they don’t share any.114 One attempted solution to this problem of meaning incomparability would be to invoke the analytic/synthetic distinction, and stipulate that only the analytic connections determine meaning. SCRT’s radical consequences of meaning incomparability and elimination of error and misrepresentation would be avoided if meaning were defined only by some liaisons, perhaps the analytic ones, and not every liaison in the system. A simple change in synthetic beliefs won’t affect the meanings, and meanings between systems which agree on all the analytic connections can have common meanings. However, we have good reasons for rejecting the traditional analytic/synthetic distinction, and in this case in particular, it seems that the notion of analyticity required presupposes the notion of two expressions or representations having comparable meaning. Yet there is a kind of pseudo-analytic/synthetic distinction which might do the job in a non-circular way and would not be of the objectionable kind which was a cornerstone of Positivism.
Determination of trans-resveratrol and its metabolites in rat serum using liquid chromatography with high-resolution time of flight mass spectrometry

In this study we developed a sensitive method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) coupled to electrospray ionization (ESI) with high resolution time of flight (TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) for the determination of naturally occurring antioxidant trans-resveratrol (3,5,4'-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene, RES). This method enabled an investigation of a relationship between tumor growth in rats and concentration of RES and its primary metabolites, trans-resveratrol-3-O-sulfate-3-O-sulfate (R3S) and trans-resveratrol-3-O-β-d-glucuronide (R3G), in rat serum after RES exposure (5 or 25mg/kg/day). RES levels in rat serum were near the limit of detection, showing concentrations of 4±1 and 12±4ng/mL for low and high-dose exposure, respectively. Compared to RES, higher concentrations were found for its metabolites (R3G:4.8±0.3 and 6.8±0.3μg/mL; R3S:0.27±0.09 and 0.34±0.04μg/mL, respectively). Using TOF, for the first time, we measured the matrix affected limits of detection (LODs) in plasma (3.7, 82.4, and 4.7ng/mL for RES, R3G, and R3S, respectively), which were comparable to those reported in previous work using HPLC tandem mass spectrometry, but with a benefit of a full mass spectral profile. The ability to acquire data in full scan mode also revealed other isomers of R3S. The additional novelty of our study is in synthesis and application of deuterated recovery standards enabling accurate and precise quantification. In order to develop a robust method, the ESI conditions were optimized using a multilevel full factorial design of experiments.
HIV-associated neurocognitive disorder.

Purpose of review HIV-associated neurocognitive disease is the most active topic for neuroAIDS investigations at present. Although impairment is mild in patients successfully treated with modern antiviral regimens, it remains an ongoing problem for HIV patients. It is important to update the emerging research concerning HIV-associated neurocognitive disease. Recent findings The virus enters the brain during acute infection, with evidence for abnormal functioning that may occur early and often persists. Direct relationships with ongoing viral infection continue to be monitored, but chronic inflammation often associated with monocytes and macrophages appears to be the most likely driver of cognitive dysfunction. Appreciation for cerebrovascular disease as a significant comorbidity that is associated with cognitive deficits is increasing. Neuroimaging is actively being developed to address detection and measurement of changes in the brain. Optimal combined antiretroviral treatment therapy has vastly improved neurologic outcomes, but so far has not been demonstrated to reverse the remaining mild impairment. Inflammatory and vascular mechanisms of cerebral dysfunction may need to be addressed to achieve better outcomes. Summary Ongoing research is required to improve neurological outcomes for persons living with HIV. It is likely that interventions beyond antiviral approaches will be required to control or reverse HIV-associated neurocognitive disease.
A Study of Male and Female Aggressive Responding under Conditions Providing an Escape Response

Aggressive responding was compared between 21 men and 21 women using the © Point Subtraction Aggression Paradigm which provides both the opportunity to aggress and to escape provocation. Subjects were between the ages of 18 and 23 years old and reported no drug use history. The hypothesis was that females would emit more escape, but fewer aggressive, responses than males. Results showed that men and women did not significantly differ in the number of aggressive responses emitted, F(1, 36) =.19, p <.67, or the number of escape responses emitted, F(1, 36) =.02, p <.89, although a significant gender by race interaction was found, F(2, 36) = 6.17, p <.005. These results are consistent with the notion that gender differences in aggressive behavior are not large under laboratory conditions, and they suggest that the availability of an escape option in this paradigm does not have the expected reductive effect on female aggressive responding.
Insurance coverage and treatment use under the Affordable Care Act among adults with mental and substance use disorders

Objective:Many adults who have mental or substance use disorders or both experience insurance-related barriers to care, contributing to low treatment utilization. Expanded insurance under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could improve coverage and access. The study identified changes in coverage and treatment use following 2014 ACA insurance expansions.Methods:Data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health were used to identify individuals ages 18–64 screening positive for any mental disorder (N=29,962) or substance use disorder (N=19,243) for two periods: 2011–2013 and 2014. Regression-adjusted means were calculated for insurance rates and treatment used in each period overall and among individuals with household incomes ≤200% of the federal poverty level (FPL).Results:Compared with 2011–2013, in 2014 significant reductions were seen in the uninsured rate for individuals with mental disorders (−5.4 percentage points, p<.01) and substance use disorders (−5.1 percentage points, p<.01). Increases in insu...
Prophylaxis of Bacteriuria During Intermittent Catheterization of the Acute Neurogenic Bladder

AbstractA randomized prospective study of bacteriuria control during early intermittent bladder catheterization was performed on a spinal cord injury service. The 64 male subjects underwent 16,620 catheterizations and had 83 significant episodes of infection. The infection rates among various groups were compared: 1) control patients, 2) patients treated with intravesical neomycin/polymyxin-B, 3) patients given low dose daily macrocrystals of nitrofurantoin and 4) patients given intravesical treatment and oral nitrofurantoin. There was significant reduction in infection rates when oral and intravesical antibiotics were used.
Data-Dependent Loop Approximations for Performance-Quality Driven High-Level Synthesis

Approximate computing (AC) obtains performance or energy gains by trading off computational accuracy in error-tolerant applications. At the hardware level, AC-aware high-level synthesis tools apply operation-level approximations to generate a quality-reduced register-transfer level design from an accurate high-level description. While existing tools primarily target energy savings, we focus on performance optimizations. Loops are often the most performance-critical application code structures. In a loop, iterations can have different impacts on output quality due to an inherent data-dependency of approximations. Exploiting iteration-wise data variations, we present a novel technique that clusters iterations according to data statistics and applies different approximations in each cluster to maximize performance gains. Performance can be improved by up to 76%, with up to 21.7% stemming from clustering.
Patient perception matters in weight management

In a survey of 471 patients, we collected self-reported weight and height data and asked about self-perceptions of provider support toward weight loss and other weight management concerns. Multivariable analysis found that respondents with higher body mass index (BMI) were more likely to report that a physician had told them that they were overweight (OR=3.49, 95% CI 2.06-5.89, P<0.001). However, this conversation was less likely to change their personal view of their weight (OR=0.62 per 5 kg/m2, 95% CI 0.45-0.86, P=0.004), or motivate them to lose weight (OR=0.67 per 5 kg/m2, 95% CI 0.50-0.91, P=0.009). Higher BMI was associated with higher weight-loss goals (P<0.001), while anticipated time to achieve those goals was increased (P<0.001). Physician involvement in weight management was important, but the patients' needs and experiences differed by BMI. Approaches to addressing barriers and identifying resources for weight management should be tailored to individuals by considering BMI.
Cyclical technology evolution and comparative economic growth

A two-country model of growth is developed with exogenous fluctuations in the rate of technological progress. Technological growth in the leading country follows a random walk, while in the lagging country the rate of advance depends on the technological distance between the two countries and the efficiency of limitation. In the absence of cyclical technological change or lags in technology transfer, there is monotonic convergence in income levels. If the two countries share initially identical technologies, their standards of living never diverge. In the presence of cyclical technological change and lags of limitation, a rich pattern of relative growth emerges: the model generates convergence, divergence and leapfrogging along balanced growth equilibria, and also demonstrates why observed convergence rates may be substantially slower than those predicted by the standard neoclassical model.
Finite Element Study of the Quench Behavior of a Solenoid for SSC Detector

When a superconducting magnet starts to quench, the resistivity of the normal zone of the superconductor increases greatly and the current moves into the stabilizer. Ohmic heating results and the temperature of the quench initiation site begins to rise very quickly. Therefore, the magnet and quench protection system must be designed so that this “hot spot” does not reach a damaging temperature. The work described in this paper is part of the R&D effort leading toward the design of a thin solenoid for an experiment at the SSC. The 4 m diameter x 8 m x 2 T magnet has a single layer of aluminum-stabilized Cu/Nb-Ti superconductor cooled indirectly. Quench protection is through a room temperature dump resistor. The behavior of a quench has been extensively studied by a computer simulation using three methods. In the first, one dimensional model, it is assumed that the heat flows only in the circumferential direction along the conductor. In the second model turn to turn heat conduction is added with one thermal conductivity along conductor and another transverse to it. In the third model current diffusion is also included. The calculations are done with the commercial finite-element program ANSYS.
Cave Paintings, Neuroaesthetics and Everything in Between: Interview with Noel Carroll

Noel Caroll is the Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Graduate Center at the City University of New York. His philosophical output spans well over 100 articles as well as over 15 authored books such as The Philosophy of Horror, or Paradoxes of the Heart (Routledge, 1990), A Philosophy of Mass Art (Routledge, 1999), On Criticism (Routledge, 2009), Art in Three Dimensions (OUP, 2010) and, most recently, Living in an Artworld (Evanston Publishing, 2011). Professor Carroll is also noted for his film criticism and he is the author of five documentaries.
COMPARISON OF PERCUTANEOUS MITRAL VALVE REPAIR AND OPTIMAL MEDICAL THERAPY VERSUS OPTIMAL MEDICAL THERAPY ALONE FOR PATIENTS WITH SEVERE FUNCTIONAL MITRAL REGURGITATION: AN UPDATED META-ANALYSIS

The efficacy of percutaneous mitral valve repair (pMVR) for severe functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) has been a subject of debate for many years. New evidence derived from well-designed randomized controlled trials has shown conflicting results. We conducted a meta-analysis including high
Changes in temperament over time in young children with autism spectrum disorder and other developmental delays: a follow-up comparison study.

Background Although in the last decade some research has emerged on temperament in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), this research has primarily focused on the differences between children with ASD and their typically developing peers rather than the stability or change in temperament in this population. Thus, the goal of this study was to examine temperament over time in children with ASD, developmental delays (DD) and typical development (TD). Temperament differences were also compared among the three groups. Methods To accomplish this, parents rated children's temperament at Time 1 (T1) and Time 2 (T2) using the Carey Temperament Scales (CTS). Results Results from the study showed that at T1, parents of children with ASD rated their children as more withdrawn (i.e. approach), and emotionally negative (i.e. mood), and less distractible and adaptable than parents of children with TD and DD. Also, children with ASD were rated as more intense and children with DD as less distractible than their TD peers. Similarly, at T2, children with ASD were rated more withdrawn, and emotionally negative, and less persistent, rhythmic, adaptable and distractible than children with TD and DD. Also, children with ASD were rated as more active than their DD peers. Regarding stability, parent ratings of temperament appeared stable over time in the TD group, but ratings varied substantially in the ASD or DD groups. That is, for the ASD group, activity and approach at T1 were significantly associated with their corresponding dimensions at T2. However, for the TD group, rhythmicity, approach, intensity and mood at T1 were significantly associated with those dimensions at T2. No associations were found in the DD group. Regarding change, parents reported change in rhythmicity, persistence and threshold between T1 and T2 in the ASD group. Similarly, parents reported change in rhythmicity, approach and threshold between T1 and T2 in the DD group. Lastly, parents of TD children reported change in adaptability, persistence and distractibility between T1 and T2. Conclusions These findings are novel in that children with ASD appear to have less stable temperament profile and different change patterns than children with TD or DD. Similar to previous research, children with ASD were described by their parents as experiencing more temperamental difficulties.
Interpersonal Violence Prevention Considerations for Sexual Minority College Students: Lower Campus Connection, Worse Perceptions of Institutional Support, and more Accurate Understandings of Sexual Consent

While research has established that sexual minority college students are at increased risk for sexual violence and dating violence, less research has explored their attitudes and beliefs related to bystander self-efficacy, perceptions of institutional support, connectedness to the university, or understandings of sexual consent. These attitudes and beliefs are central to violence prevention and intervention programming and are well-researched among heterosexual students. Minority stress theory suggests that sexual minority people may have different attitudes and beliefs about violence due to these experiences with discrimination. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the relationship between victimization, minority stressors, and sexual identity on bystander self-efficacy, perceptions of institutional support, connectedness to the university, and understandings of sexual consent. Using a subsample of the 2016 Multi-College Bystander Efficacy Evaluation data from one university, data from 542 students were analyzed (271 sexual minority students and 271 randomly selected heterosexual students). Regressions indicated that sexual minority students, compared to heterosexual students, had lower feelings of connectedness to the college, less favorable perceptions of institutional support, and more accurate understandings of sexual consent. Victims of sexual assault had more accurate understandings of sexual consent, but this was not a significant predictor of college connectedness or perceptions of institutional support. These findings suggest a need for tailored prevention and intervention programs that address the specific needs of sexual minority students.
Potential for Reclamation of Abandoned Gas Wells to Restore Ecosystem Services in the Fayetteville Shale of Arkansas

Unconventional oil and gas (UOG) drilling has expanded rapidly across the United States, including in the Fayetteville Shale formation in north-central Arkansas where drilling began in 2004. As one of the oldest regions of UOG activity in the United States, this area has experienced significant land-use changes, specifically development of natural habitat and agricultural land for gas infrastructure. In recent years, drilling of new wells has stopped and production has declined. By 2017, 1038 wells had ceased production and been abandoned, which makes them eligible for land reclamation. However, most of these sites (80%) have not been reclaimed and continue to cause losses in ecosystem services. If reclamation was performed on lands associated with abandoned infrastructure, we estimate more than $2 million USD annually in agricultural, timber, and carbon sequestration values would be gained. These benefits far outweigh the costs of reclamation, especially since the benefits accrue over time and reclamation is a short-term cost. Our estimates indicate a 2–4 year break-even time period when cumulative ecosystem services benefits will outweigh reclamation costs. We predicted a well-abandonment rate of 155 per year until 2050 when 98% of wells will be abandoned, which indicates great potential for future ecosystem services restoration. Thus, we recommend that Arkansans at the government and citizen level work to restore lands impacted by UOG development in the Fayetteville Shale region so that their value to landowners and society can be recovered, which will enhance long-term economic and environmental benefits.
Chicago as a Placemaking Model

This extended chapter offers critical placemaking messages. Undoubtedly, individual landmark buildings and significant public spaces in the City of Chicago are already known. However, this study delineates spatial clusters of landmark buildings and public places, amenities, parks, and museums that collectively foster a unique sense of place. The chapter also charts urban design guidelines and initiates an urban tourism plan for Chicago. Further, it engages the reader with a critical discussion on using social media for public participation. In sum, as many cities all over the world rush to construct tall buildings, Chicago remains a quintessential model that can inform and inspire to better integrate “urban giants” into their respective urban contexts.
Exploring different dimensions in defining the Alabama Black Belt

The Alabama Black Belt region has played a significant role throughout Alabama’s history. However, the geographical extent of the region is subject to dispute. Multiple definitions of the region’s boundaries using different dimensions, taken at different times have been put forth by scholars. The lack of consistency makes it difficult to compare study results. A historically-defined boundary has the potential to increase the effectiveness of policies developed and implemented to address the persistent poverty in portions of the region. This paper seeks to define the boundary using historical dimensions based on quantifiable characteristics of the cotton culture which were unique to the Alabama Black Belt region. It uses physical dimensions as well as quantifiable agricultural characteristics of the cotton culture at the county level at two points in time, 1860 and 1900 to show that at the county level the Black Belt region remained stable and well defined through the first 100 years of Alabama history.
Lipid intensive drug therapy for sepsis pilot: A Bayesian phase I clinical trial.

Objectives Cholesterol may be protective in sepsis. Patients with early sepsis may have critically low cholesterol levels that are associated with poor outcomes. The study objective was to test the safety of a fish oil-containing lipid injectable emulsion for stabilizing early cholesterol levels in sepsis. Methods Phase I Bayesian optimal interval design trial of adult patients with septic shock (Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score ≥4 or vasopressor dependence). Using sequential dose escalation, participants received 2 doses of 1.0 to 1.6 g/kg of lipid emulsion (Smoflipid 20% lipid emulsion) within 48 hours of enrollment. Cholesterol levels, function, and organ failure were assessed serially during the first 7 days of hospital admission. Measurements and main results A total of 10 patients with septic shock were enrolled. One patient withdrew for social reasons. Another patient had an unrelated medical complication and received 1 drug dose. Of 9 patients, mean age was 58 years (SD 16), median Sequential Organ Failure Assessment was 8, and 28-day mortality was 30%. No serious adverse events related to lipid infusion occurred. The six occurrences of non-serious adverse events possibly related to lipid infusion included hyperglycemia (1), elevated triglycerides (3), anemia (1), and vascular access redness/pain (1) for all doses. The mean change in total cholesterol levels from enrollment was -7 (SD 16.6) at 48 hours and 14 (SD 25.2) at 7 days. Conclusions Fish oil-containing lipid emulsion administration during early septic shock was safe. Further studies are needed to assess effects on cholesterol levels, function, and organ failure. Clinical trial registration NCT03405870.
Deep-learning lesion and noise insertion for virtual clinical trial in chest CT

Accurate and objective image quality assessment is essential for the task of radiation dose optimization in clinical CT. Standard method relies on multi-reader multi-case (MRMC) studies in which radiologists are tasked to interpret diagnostic image quality of many carefully-collected positive and negative cases. The efficiency of such MRMC studies is frequently challenged by the lengthy and expensive procedure of case collection and the establishment of clinical reference standard. To address this challenge, multiple methods of virtual clinical trial to synthesize patient cases at different conditions have been proposed. Projection-domain lesion- / noise-insertion methods require the access to patient raw data and vendor-specific proprietary tools which are frequently not accessible to most users. The conventional image-domain noise-insertion methods are often challenged by the over-simplified lesion models and CT system models which may not represent conditions in real scans. In this work, we developed deep-learning lesion and noise insertion techniques that can synthesize chest CT images at different dose levels with and without lung nodules using existing patient cases. The proposed method involved a nodule-insertion convolutional neural network (CNN) and a noise-insertion CNN. Both CNNs demonstrated comparable quality to our previously-validated projection domain lesion- / noise-insertion techniques: mean structural similarity index (SSIM) of inserted nodules 0.94 (routine dose), and mean percent noise difference ~5% (50% of routine dose). The proposed deep-learning techniques for chest CT virtual clinical trial operate directly on image domain, which is more widely applicable than projection-domain techniques.
Increased per-patient imaging utilization in an emergency department setting during COVID-19.

Abstract Introduction COVID-19 has resulted in decreases in absolute imaging volumes, however imaging utilization on a per-patient basis has not been reported. Here we compare per-patient imaging utilization, characterized by imaging studies and work relative value units (wRVUs), in an emergency department (ED) during a COVID-19 surge to the same period in 2019. Methods This retrospective study included patients presenting to the ED from April 1–May 1, 2020 and 2019. Patients were stratified into three primary subgroups: all patients (n = 9580, n = 5686), patients presenting with respiratory complaints (n = 1373, n = 2193), and patients presenting without respiratory complaints (n = 8207, n = 3493). The primary outcome was imaging studies/patient and wRVU/patient. Secondary analysis was by disposition and COVID status. Comparisons were via the Wilcoxon rank-sum or Chi-squared tests. Results The total patients, imaging exams, and wRVUs during the 2020 and 2019 periods were 5686 and 9580 (−41%), 6624 and 8765 (−24%), and 4988 and 7818 (−36%), respectively, and the percentage patients receiving any imaging was 67% and 51%, respectively (p Conclusion We report increased per-patient imaging utilization in an emergency department during COVID-19, particularly in patients without respiratory complaints.
THE INTERNIST AT WAR; A GLANCE AT THE RECORD

Excerpt The military aspect of this program has a natural, vital appeal to us and we are fortunate to have men on it whose accomplishments and whose experience in the field mark them as experts in ...
Bioinformatics Tools in Clinical Genomics

The field of DNA sequencing began a transformational shift in 2005 with the introduction of the first high throughput, massively parallel DNA sequencing platform that ushered in the era of “next generation sequencing.” Initially, next generation sequencing (NGS) platforms generated millions of bases per instrument run which steadily progressed to the now routine outputs in billions of bases. These unprecedented data volumes have driven a renaissance in bioinformatics research and development resulting in a proliferation of open-source and commercial algorithms and software to support the computational processing, analysis, and interpretation of NGS results. These efforts have facilitated a broad dissemination of NGS into every facet of biomedical research and more recently into various clinical diagnostic applications from multi-gene panels to exome sequencing and whole-genome sequencing (WGS).
Conclusions and Recommendations from the Joint Session on Strategies for the Search for Life in the Universe

The Joint Session in Montreal did not attempt to draw any conclusions, or to draft any recommendations. There was no time for such an effort in a crowded, one day program. The following day, however, in a special open evening session, Frank Drake and myself summarized the results of the meeting for the general membership of the I.A.U. and we made a first attempt to draw some general conclusions and point toward advisable strategies. This is a more formal, though by necessity somewhat subjective attempt to do the same, using not only the oral presentations and discussions from Montreal, but also the more detailed written expositions included in this Volume.
Multifunctional integrated substrate technology for high density SOP packaging

Advanced substrates or printed circuit boards (PCBs) are an essential part for building the advanced IC packages (BGA, CSP, flip chip and wafer-level package), MCMs, 3D package, system-in-package (SiP), system-on-package (SOP), and all high density microelectronic systems. As processors and memory move towards nanometer-size features and processor clock speeds increase 60% per year, development of next generation system level substrates technology is required to keep pace both the wiring density and high performance requirements. The packaging research center at Georgia Tech has been developing system-on-package (SOP) technology for future high density, high performance systems. This paper introduces three important aspects for future advanced package substrates or PCBs for high density and high performance systems applications. They are (1) ultra-high density wiring technology with ultra fine circuit traces and microvias, including novel non-conformal stacked vias. The ultra high wiring density substrate is critical for the use of fine pitch, high I/O count, flip chip application and. microsystem miniaturization. (2) Integrations of passive components, and (3) integrations of high speed optical interconnects for chip-to-chip data link. This will be the revolutionary advance in future PCBs. We have developed ultra high density wiring technology by a combination of ultra-fine lines and space of 10 /spl mu/m or less and stacked microvias. We have developed optically smooth organic surfaces for optical components integration and have demonstrated a 10 Gbps chip-to-chip data rate on PCBs. The future high density, high performance, microsystems can be realized by the combinations of high density wiring technology and optoelectronics integration. Details of this work are the subject of this paper.
Colombian street children: gamines and chupagruesos

Through the use of participant observations and the collection of standardized psychological test scores from a sample of 56 street children, their characteristics were examined. The Kohs Block Design measured their intelligence; the Human Figure Drawing and the Bender-Gestalt tests were used to measure emotional and neurological functioning. The data indicated that their mental health was adequate, which is postulated to be the result of intense friendships between the children. Two different styles of street life are presented--the gamines and chupagruesos. Because of their public lives and because they live without parental supervision, their developmental periods have been altered. The paper illustrates how child development is dependent on societal reactions to aberrant children.
Introduction to Dynamic Bifurcation.

Abstract : Dynamic bifurcation theory in differential equations is concerned with the changes that occur in the structure of the limit sets of solutions as parameters in the vector field are varied. For example, if the vector field is the gradient of a function with a finite number of critical points, then the omega-limit set of each orbit is an equilibrium point. Thus, one must be concerned with how the number of equilibrium points changes with the parameters (this is usually called static bifurcation theory), how the stability properties of the equilibrium points change and the manner in which the equilibrium points are connected to each other by orbits. If the vector field is not the gradient of a function, then other types of limiting motions can occur; for example, periodic orbits, invariant tori, homoclinic and heteroclinic orbits. The purpose of these notes is to give an introduction to the methods used in determining how these more complicated limit sets change as parameters vary. (Author)
Probing the Effects of Policy Changes by Evaluating Circulation Activity Data at Columbia University Libraries

Circulation data sets at Columbia University Libraries were organized, analyzed, and visualized by examining types of patrons and their circulation activities. Patrons examined included: Graduate students, Undergraduate students, Officers and Faculty, and Visitors. Circulation activities are defined as: charges, renewals, holds, and recalls. Policy decisions, usage patterns, and learning curves were detected system-wide, and those concerning loan periods and borrowing permissions impacted activity immediately. The data validated common understandings of usage patterns and verified that faculty hold books longest, that overall activity has declined, and that patrons have adapted to online transactions. This article discusses academic years 2003–04 to 2009–10.
The square-root law, uncertainty and international reserves under alternative regimes: Canadian experience, 1950–1976

Abstract A transactions-precautionary model of demand for international reserves is developed and tested against Canadian data. The results indicate that: (i) the demand for reserves is characterized by economies of scale with respect to the volume of transactions that are invariant to the exchange rate regime, but (ii) structural change took the form of a relatively larger responsiveness of reserves holdings under fixed rates to a measure of permanent variability in transactions.
Hidden Expert Knowledge: The Knowledge That Counts for the Small School-District Superintendent

Using Bereiter and Scardamalia's (1993) hidden expert knowledge, we explored what knowledge counts from the perspectives of working small school-district superintendents and the ways in which they ...
Endometriosis in adolescence: a long-term follow-up fecundability assessment.

Objective A long-term, follow-up study comparing mild and severe forms of endometriosis and their fecundability, on 28 women diagnosed with endometriosis in adolescence.
Statistical bounds and maximum likelihood performance for shot noise limited knife-edge modeled stellar occultation

Applications of stellar occultation by solar system objects have a long history for determining universal time, detecting binary stars, and providing estimates of sizes of asteroids and minor planets. More recently, extension of this last application has been proposed as a technique to provide information (if not complete shadow images) of geosynchronous satellites. Diffraction has long been recognized as a source of distortion for such occultation measurements, and models subsequently developed to compensate for this degradation. Typically these models employ a knife-edge assumption for the obscuring body. In this preliminary study, we report on the fundamental limitations of knife-edge position estimates due to shot noise in an otherwise idealized measurement. In particular, we address the statistical bounds, both Cramer- Rao and Hammersley-Chapman-Robbins, on the uncertainty in the knife-edge position measurement, as well as the performance of the maximum-likelihood estimator. Results are presented as a function of both stellar magnitude and sensor passband; the limiting case of infinite resolving power is also explored.
CHOLESTEROL SUPERLATTICE MODEL IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE CALORIMETRIC BEHAVIOR OF CHOLESTEROL/PHOSPHATIDYLCHOLINE BILAYERS

Previous studies have demonstrated that addition of cholesterol to bilayers of saturated phosphatidylcholine (PC) has dramatic effects on the gel-to-liquid phase-transition characteristics of the bilayer. In particular, the enthalpy of the original sharp transition diminishes strongly with increasing cholesterol concentration and a new, broad transition component appears. The enthalpy of the sharp component becomes essentially zero close to the cholesterol mole fraction of 0.25, while the enthalpy of the broad component achieves a maximum near this mole fraction. The broad component typically becomes undetectable when the cholesterol mole fraction is increased to 0.5. In this study we show that these previous experimental findings are fully compatible with a simple model proposing that (i) the cholesterol molecules tend to adopt a regular, superlattice-like lateral distribution within the PC matrix and (ii) the contribution of an acyl chain to the sharp and broad components is critically dependent on its ...
E-cadherin Is Critical for Collective Sheet Migration and Is Regulated by the Chemokine CXCL12 Protein During Restitution

Chemokines and other immune mediators enhance epithelial barrier repair. The intestinal barrier is established by highly regulated cell-cell contacts between epithelial cells. The goal of these studies was to define the role for the chemokine CXCL12 in regulating E-cadherin during collective sheet migration during epithelial restitution. Mechanisms regulating E-cadherin were investigated using Caco2BBE and IEC-6 model epithelia. Genetic knockdown confirmed a critical role for E-cadherin in in vitro restitution and in vivo wound repair. During restitution, both CXCL12 and TGF-β1 tightened the monolayer by decreasing the paracellular space between migrating epithelial cells. However, CXCL12 differed from TGF-β1 by stimulating the significant increase in E-cadherin membrane localization during restitution. Chemokine-stimulated relocalization of E-cadherin was paralleled by an increase in barrier integrity of polarized epithelium during restitution. CXCL12 activation of its cognate receptor CXCR4 stimulated E-cadherin localization and monolayer tightening through Rho-associated protein kinase activation and F-actin reorganization. These data demonstrate a key role for E-cadherin in intestinal epithelial restitution.
Protolytic cracking of low-molecular-weight alkanes in the presence of iron- and manganese-promoted sulfated zirconia: evidence of a compensation effect

Abstract Low conversions of propane, n -butane, and 2,2-dimethylpropane were measured with each reactant in the presence of iron- and manganese-promoted sulfated zirconia in a once-through plug-flow reactor at 101 kPa, 473–723 K, and reactant partial pressures of 25, 250, and 1000 Pa. Rates of the reactions (overall conversion of propane, of n -butane, and of 2,2-dimethylpropane; formation of methane from each of the three reactants; formation of ethene from propane and from n -butane; and formation of ethane from n -butane) were determined by extrapolating the declining conversions to zero time on stream. The apparent activation energies and apparent pre-exponential factors characterizing these reactions, which are inferred to proceed via carbonium-ion transition states, fall near a straight line on a compensation effect plot. The plot is suggested to represent the family of reactions proceeding via protolytic cracking and dehydrogenation and carbonium-ion transition states.
Is prostaglandin fever mediated by the presynaptic release of hypothalamic 5-HT or norepinephrine?

Abstract An array of guide tubes to accommodate concentric push-pull cannulae was implanted chronically within the diencephalon of the rhesus or other species of macaque monkey which was accustomed to a primate chair. Colonic and skin temperatures were monitored continuously during each experiment in which a circumscribed site in the monkey's hypothalamus had been labelled by microinjection of 50–100 μCi serotonin ( 3 H-5-HT) or 50–100 μCi of norepinephrine ( 3 H-NE). Consecutive push-pull perfusions with an artificial CSF were carried out for 10 min at a rate of 50 μl/min at 20 min intervals. Under the control condition, a declining washout curve of radioactivity was obtained over 8–10 perfusions. Prostaglandin (PG) E 1 in a concentration of 10–20 ng/min was added to the artificial CSF during the third and fifth successive perfusions. Nonlabelled PGE 1 failed to exert a precise and consistent effect on the characteristic pattern of efflux of either tritiated 5-HT or NE from perfusion sites distributed widely throughout the hypothalamus and adjacent structures. However, in some experiments, an enhanced efflux of the indoleamine label did occur after the temperature had begun to rise following a perfusion with the PGE. In still other experiments, 15–20 μCi 3 H-PGE 1 was microinjected to label a perfusion site. Again the addition of either nonlabelled 5-HT or NE to the perfusion fluid produced an unreliable change or no alteration in the efflux of 3 H-PGE 1 from sites in the anterior as well as other parts of the hypothalamus. These findings indicate that prostaglandin injected into the brain does not evoke hyperthermia by way of a pathological disturbance to the balance in the presynaptic release of 5-HT and NE within nerve endings in the rostral hypothalamus of the monkey. Conversely, neither 5-HT nor NE influences the prostaglandin activity within the hypothalamus, at least in so far as a functional change in the body temperature of the primate is concerned.
Electron Tunneling with Diffuse Boundary Conditions

The tunneling of electrons through potential barriers with plane boundaries involves the conservation of tangential quasimomentum (specular transmission). The boundaries between metals and insulators (e.g., oxides) in thin-film tunneling structures can be very irregular or rough, so that the specular transmission condition must be replaced by a "diffuse" transmission condition which allows nonconservation of tangential momentum. The tunnel current for diffuse boundary conditions and for arbitrary band structures and potential-barrier shapes has been calculated. Compared to the result for specular boundary conditions, the integrand in the expression for the tunnel current contains a factor $U(E, {\mathrm{p}}_{t})=\ensuremath{\Sigma}\frac{\ensuremath{\rho}({{\mathrm{p}}_{t}}^{\ensuremath{'}})\ensuremath{\pi}({{\mathrm{p}}_{t}}^{\ensuremath{'}}, {\mathrm{p}}_{t})}{\ensuremath{\rho}({\mathrm{p}}_{t})}$ for each metal [$\ensuremath{\rho}({\mathrm{p}}_{t})=\mathrm{linear}\mathrm{density}\mathrm{of}\mathrm{states}\mathrm{for}\mathrm{fixed}\mathrm{tangential}\mathrm{momentum}$ ${\mathrm{p}}_{t}, \ensuremath{\pi}({{\mathrm{p}}_{t}}^{\ensuremath{'}}, {\mathrm{p}}_{t})$ is proportional to the probability that the diffuse boundaries change ${{\mathrm{p}}_{t}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ to ${\mathrm{p}}_{t}$, and the sum is over the "shadow" of the energy surface $E(\mathrm{p})$]. Under reasonable assumptions for $\ensuremath{\pi}({{\mathrm{p}}_{t}}^{\ensuremath{'}}, {\mathrm{p}}_{t})$, no appreciable effect of the densities of state on $U$ or on the tunnel current should occur. The effects of diffuse transmission conditions on field emission from manyvalley semiconductors and on tunneling between superconductors are briefly discussed.
The Supernova Remnant Cassiopeia A at Millimeter Wavelengths

We used the BIMA array to map the supernova remnant Cas A from 28 to 87 GHz with 2'' to 7'' angular resolution. Data from 75 to 87 GHz with 19 pointing centers were combined with single-dish data to form a completely sampled image. These new BIMA images were compared with VLA images at 1.5 and 5 GHz to look for spectral index variations across Cas A. The images were spatially filtered and convolved to a common sampled UV range corresponding to angular scales from 7'' to 95''. The images give direct evidence for a steeper spectral index in the knots outside the bright ring. Analysis of the 26 brightest peaks gives statistical evidence for spectral index variations throughout the remnant. The high-frequency spectra confirm and extend the spectral variations seen previously at lower frequencies. The spectra are largely consistent with different power laws and not curved spectra. This provides strong support for local variations in the acceleration of relativistic particles in Cas A.