cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of Bayesian informative priors to enhance the transferability of safety performance functions

Abstract Introduction Safety performance functions (SPFs) are essential tools for highway agencies to predict crashes, identify hotspots and assess safety countermeasures. In the Highway Safety Manual (HSM), a variety of SPFs are provided for different types of roadway facilities, crash types and severity levels. Agencies, lacking the necessary resources to develop own localized SPFs, may opt to apply the HSM’s SPFs for their jurisdictions. Yet, municipalities that want to develop and maintain their regional SPFs might encounter the issue of the small sample bias. Bayesian inference is being conducted to address this issue by combining the current data with prior information to achieve reliable results. It follows that the essence of Bayesian statistics is the application of informative priors, obtained from other SPFs or experts’ experiences. Method In this study, we investigate the applicability of informative priors for Bayesian negative binomial SPFs for rural divided multilane highway segments in Florida and California. An SPF with non-informative priors is developed for each state and its parameters’ distributions are assigned to the other state’s SPF as informative priors. The performances of SPFs are evaluated by applying each state’s SPFs to the other state. The analysis is conducted for both total (KABCO) and severe (KAB) crashes. Results, conclusions and practical applications As per the results, applying one state’s SPF with informative priors, which are the other state’s SPF independent variable estimates, to the latter state’s conditions yields better goodness of fit (GOF) values than applying the former state’s SPF with non-informative priors to the conditions of the latter state. This is for both total and severe crash SPFs. Hence, for localities where it is not preferred to develop own localized SPFs and adopt SPFs from elsewhere to cut down on resources, application of informative priors is shown to facilitate the process.
Developing a Point-of-Sale Health Communication Campaign for Cigarillos and Waterpipe Tobacco

Adolescents and young adults smoke waterpipe tobacco (WT) and cigarillos, at least in part, based on erroneous beliefs that these products are safer than cigarettes. To address this challenge, we u...
Variable-component, energy-efficient technology for groundwater remediation

A groundwater flow and mass transport model was used to evaluate energy-efficient alternatives for remediating a contaminated, unconfined aquifer. Alternatives were a two-well scheme featuring a do...
Neonatal Lung Disorders: Pattern Recognition Approach to Diagnosis

OBJECTIVE. Lung disease is a common indication for neonates to require medical attention, and neonatal chest radiographs are among the most common studies interpreted by pediatric radiologists. Rad...
NSCLC: State of the Art Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcomes

Lung cancer is the major cause of cancer mortality in the USA. In this review, we aim to provide a general update on the current status of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) management. Novel approaches in the diagnosis and treatment of non-small cell lung cancer have been made recently and this was revolutionary in the way lung cancer management has changed even-though the improvement in overall survival remains modest. Furthermore, lung cancer screening using low-dose computed tomography scan has shown benefit in high-risk populations. The diagnosis of lung cancer has evolved over the last couple of years with the new endoscopic modalities. Targeted therapies and immunotherapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors, constitutes the current progress made in the treatment of lung cancer, and have helped improve survival in the metastatic setting. Many trials are ongoing in investigating other biomarkers.
Untangling Knots in Casework with the Experiential Approach

A methodology is described that can enable both the client and the caseworker to relate to the real substance of a problematic situation
Critical Theory for Schooling-Education and Society

The author addresses various "states of knowledge" that can assist practical critical educators achieve transitions from theory to practice. Critical theorists seek school and societal outcomes that favor bona fide democratic empowerment, social justice and broad inclusion of all our diverse populations. The epistemologies championed herein eschew any quests for certainties. The works of Marx, Gramsci, Dewey, Freire and others who are convinced that intelligence, competence and desire to rule ourselves characterize the human condition are presented to demonstrate liberatory projects that consider radical inclusion necessary for epistemological and moral reasons. In the absence of metaphysical and/or religious certainties we need not be paralyzed by inaction. We can rely on secular theories that are grounded in the experiential concreteness of everyday life in order to construct better - if not best - schools and societies. The interrelatedness between social class and "identity" politics is recognized in reference to the successful construction of a more just society and the schools that can help make this possible.
CRITIQUE - OF “POTENTIAL NITRATE LEVELS IN EDIBLE PLANT PARTS”

In this critique the nitrate problem as it relates to vegetables is considered in three phases: I. Nitrate accumulation in the living plant, II, Possible nitrate conversions after harvest, and III. Possible nitrate conversion after ingestion by humans. Lorenz shows the significance of several important factors affecting nitrate accumulation in phase I. His results, and those of others, suggest ways of minimizing this accumulation without compromising yield or quality. I have reinforced and added to points raised by Lorenz in phase I. Also, I have briefly outlined what is known and what needs to be known concerning the fate of nitrate in phases II and III. From a health standpoint, the significance of nitrate accumulation in phase I and the urgency of minimizing this accumulation ultimately depends on what might happen in phases II and III. Thus, the best judgments of what is or is not a threat to health are those which consider our knowledge and lack of knowledge in all three phases of the problem.
Giving Feedback to Superiors-Attending Evaluation

It’s well established that in the context of graduate medical education, giving feedback is an essential skill that can be both challenging and rewarding. Optimally, feedback would flow not only from the attending to the resident but also from the resident to the attending. The latter type of feedback is known as “upward feedback,” and has been studied extensively in the context of business and management. Researchers at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have studied upward feedback in the GME setting. They have identified several barriers to upward feedback as well as effective strategies to assist attendings and residents to close the feedback loop.
The Search for Cold Molecular Gas in the Outer Galaxy

It is well known that the rotation curves of many galaxies remain flat well outside their optical disks. This leads to the conclusion that the visible mass in galaxies is only a small fraction of the total (see e.g. Faber & Gallagher 1979). Although we are certain that “dark matter” exists, its composition and distribution are still unknown.
Efficacy and tolerability of various bowel preparations in diabetic patients: a randomized controlled trial

Background and study aims Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for poor bowel preparation prior to colonoscopy. Bisacodyl is a stimulant laxative that may mitigate colonic dysmotility associated with diabetes. We hypothesized that adding bisacodyl to split-dose bowel preparation (SDBP) would improve the quality of bowel preparation among patients with diabetes. Patients and methods Adult outpatients aged 18 to 80 years undergoing colonoscopy were recruited. One hundred and eighty-six patients with diabetes were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 treatment arms: 1) conventional 4 L of polyethylene glycol electrolyte lavage solution (PEG-ELS; conventional bowel preparation [CBP]); 2) split-dose of 4 L PEG-ELS (split-dose bowel preparation [SDBP]); or 3) split-dose of 4 L PEG-ELS preceded by 10 mg of oral bisacodyl 10 (SDBP-B). The primary outcome measure was bowel cleansing as indicated by Boston Bowel Preparation Scale (BBPS) score. Endoscopists were blinded to the preparation used. Secondary outcome measures were safety and patient tolerability. Results Of the 212 patients randomized, only 186 received assigned bowel preparation. There were no differences among the three study groups with regard to age, indication, duration of DM, insulin use, narcotic use, or presence of end-organ diabetic complications. There was a trend toward better bowel preparation quality among those receiving SDBP and SDBP-B compared to those receiving CBP, but the trend was not statistically significant ≥ 6 BBPS; 67 % vs. 83 % vs. 75 %, P = 0.1). In terms of safety and tolerability, there were no differences among the three groups. Conclusion Adding bisacodyl to SDBP does not improve the quality of bowel preparation in patients with DM. Further efforts are needed to optimize colonoscopy bowel preparation in this population.
Cerebellum, Predictions and Errors

Making predictions and validating the predictions against actual sensory information is thought to be one of the most fundamental functions of the nervous system. A growing body of evidence shows that the neural mechanisms controlling behavior, both in motor and non-motor domains, rely on prediction errors, the discrepancy between predicted and actual information. The cerebellum has been viewed as a key component of the motor system providing predictions about upcoming movements and receiving feedback about motor errors. Consequentially, studies of cerebellar function have focused on the motor domain with less consideration for the wider context in which movements are generated. However, motor learning experiments show that cognition makes important contributions to motor adaptation that involves the cerebellum. One of the more successful theoretical frameworks for understanding motor control and cerebellar function is the forward internal model which states that the cerebellum predicts the sensory consequences of the motor commands and is involved in computing sensory prediction errors by comparing the predictions to the sensory feedback. The forward internal model was applied and tested mainly for effector movements, raising the question whether cerebellar encoding of behavior reflects task performance measures associated with cognitive involvement. Electrophysiological studies based on pseudo-random tracking in monkeys show that the discharge of Purkinje cell, the sole output neurons of the cerebellar cortex, encodes predictive and feedback signals not only of the effector kinematics but also of task performance. The implications are that the cerebellum implements both effector and task performance forward models and the latter are consistent with the cognitive contributions observed during motor learning. The implications of these findings include insights into recent psychophysical observations on moving with reduced feedback and motor learning. The findings also support the cerebellum's place in hierarchical generative models that work in concert to refine predictions about behavior and the world. Therefore, cerebellar representations bridge motor and non-motor domains and provide a better understanding of cerebellar function within the functional architecture of the brain.
An assessment of the potential impact of laurel wilt on clonal populations of Lindera melissifolia (Pondberry)

Lindera melissifolia (Pondberry) is a federally endangered shrub that reproduces primarily by ramets from rhizomes and occurs in scattered clonal populations in bottomland forests of the southeastern US. Like other members of the Lauraceae indigenous to the US, Pondberry is susceptible to laurel wilt, a lethal disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Raffaelea lauricola. We conducted studies to determine the impact of laurel wilt on Pondberry colonies. We grew Pondberry in pots and in raised beds for 2–5 y; during this time, multiple ramets developed around the original plants. We subsequently inoculated single Pondberry stems in colonies with R. lauricola, or mock-inoculated stems with sterile deionized water. Stems inoculated with R. lauricola began to show symptoms within 2 weeks and completely wilted in ∼4 weeks. In pot studies, R. lauricola spread through rhizomes and caused wilt in an average of 77% of ramets in one experiment and 59% in another. The wilt also spread rapidly through connecting rhizomes in field experiments, killing as many as 59 ramets at distances of up to 4 m from the inoculated stems. Although laurel wilt has been rarely documented in Pondberry, our study demonstrates that when infections by R. lauricola occur, they can have detrimental effects to Pondberry colonies.
Environmental Risk Factors for Liver Cancer and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The objective of this review was to summarize recent epidemiologic research examining the associations between environmental exposures and liver cancer and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). There were 28 liver cancer studies showing positive associations for exposures to aflatoxin, air pollution, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, asbestos, chimney sweeping occupation, and paints; an inverse association for ultraviolet radiation; and null/inconsistent results for organic solvents, pesticides, perfluorooctanoic acid, nuclear radiation, iron foundry occupation, and brick kiln pollution. There were n = 5 NAFLD studies showing positive associations for heavy metals, methyl tertiary-butyl ether, and selenium; and no association with trihalomethanes. Evidence suggests that particular environmental exposures may be associated with liver cancer and NAFLD. Future liver cancer studies should examine specific histological subtypes and assess historical environmental exposures. Future NAFLD research should examine incident, biopsy-confirmed cases, and the potential role of obesity and/or diabetes in studies of environmental factors and NAFLD.
Debate: Pediatric bipolar disorder – divided by a common language?

The paediatric bipolar disorder (pBD) debate is seen as a prototypical transatlantic controversy. But this is a Eurocentric view that ignores just how big a country the United States is - it contains multitudes, to paraphrase Walt Whitman writing in the aftermath of the Civil War. Indeed, such are the multitudes that a child can receive a diagnosis of bipolar in one State, but not in a neighbouring one. It was the force of this intra-American division that swept over the Atlantic. As this has been the case for many other goods imported from the United States, the European high-brow response was that pBD was just a New World fad. This response was evidently wrong. Of course, there are young children who have full-blown manic and depressive episodes and who need treatment. And the bitter truth was (and continues to be in parts of the United Kingdom) that often such children are dismissed as having 'character pathology' and their families accused of all sorts of inadequacies. Clearly, here was an important problem hidden under layers of Old-World crustiness.
Capturing Common and Individual Components in fMRI Data by Discriminative Dictionary Learning

Data-driven analysis for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data has played an important role for uncovering salient brain functional networks that are shared across multiple subjects. On the other hand, recent fMRI studies indicate that there is significant and consistent heterogeneity present across different subject groups and individuals. While independent component analysis (ICA) has been a major tool to perform data-driven analysis of fMRI data, dictionary learning (DL) approaches are increasingly receiving attention due to their modeling capability and flexibility. In this work, a supervised DL framework is employed to capitalize on the available class labels and capture not only the commonly shared components across the population, but also the unique components that contribute to discrimination. A systematic comparison with conventional ICA is performed based on real fMRI data consisting of healthy controls and patients with schizophrenia.
Mechanisms for stabilizing θ′(Al2Cu) precipitates at elevated temperatures investigated with phase field modeling

Abstract While most Al–Cu and Al–Si–Cu alloys strengthened by the metastable θ′ phase exhibit extensive microstructural degradation above 200 °C, recent experimental work has demonstrated that θ′ precipitates can be stabilized to 350 °C by microalloying additions of Mn and Zr, resulting in improved mechanical properties at elevated temperatures. The present work utilizes phase field modeling to study the relationship between microalloying solute elements and the coarsening resistance of θ′. Simulations are designed to parse out the relative influence of various stabilization mechanisms on microstructural evolution of θ′ precipitates at elevated temperatures. Specifically, a ternary alloying element is added to a virtual microstructure to study the operation and effectiveness of stabilization mechanisms including solute drag, diffusion barriers, interfacial energy reduction, and lattice strain modification. Simulation results are compared with atom probe tomography observations. The simulations rationalize experimental observations of microstructural evolution and solute segregation in Al–Cu–Mn–Zr alloys, and reveal the interlinked thermodynamic and kinetic mechanisms that determine the elevated temperature stability of θ′ precipitates.
Human recombinant relaxin-2 does not attenuate hypertension or renal injury but exacerbates vascular dysfunction in a female mouse model of SLE.

Relaxin is a peptide hormone commonly known for its role in pregnancy and for its use in recent clinical trials for the treatment of heart failure. Evidence suggests that relaxin has immunomodulato...
Symmetric moving frames

A basic challenge in field-guided hexahedral meshing is to find a spatially-varying frame that is adapted to the domain geometry and is continuous up to symmetries of the cube. We introduce a fundamentally new representation of such 3D cross fields based on Cartan's method of moving frames. Our key observation is that cross fields and ordinary frame fields are locally characterized by identical conditions on their Darboux derivative. Hence, by using derivatives as the principal representation (and only later recovering the field itself), one avoids the need to explicitly account for symmetry during optimization. At the discrete level, derivatives are encoded by skew-symmetric matrices associated with the edges of a tetrahedral mesh; these matrices encode arbitrarily large rotations along each edge, and can robustly capture singular behavior even on coarse meshes. We apply this representation to compute 3D cross fields that are as smooth as possible everywhere but on a prescribed network of singular curves---since these fields are adapted to curve tangents, they can be directly used as input for field-guided mesh generation algorithms. Optimization amounts to an easy nonlinear least squares problem that behaves like a convex program in the sense that it always appears to produce the same result, independent of initialization. We study the numerical behavior of this procedure, and perform some preliminary experiments with mesh generation.
Toward predictive and computationally affordable Lagrangian–Eulerian modeling of spray–wall interaction

The work presented in this article focuses on improving the understanding of spray–wall interaction phenomena and the predictivity of computational models for modern internal combustion engine–like...
Improved Instantaneous Frequency Estimation of Multi-Component FM Signals

In this paper, we address the problem of instantaneous frequency (IF) estimation of non-linear, multi-component frequency modulated (FM) signals in the presence of burst missing data samples, where different signal components have distinct amplitude levels. Burst missing data induce significant artifacts in the time-frequency (TF) representations of such signals, thus making identification of true IFs challenging. We propose a technique that involves local peak detection and filtering within a window at each time instant. The threshold for each local TF segment is adapted based on the local maximum values of the signal within the segment. The proposed approach not only mitigates the undesired impacts of the artifacts and cross-terms due to burst missing data samples, but also successfully resolves signal components with distinct amplitude levels and preserves a high resolution of the auto-terms. The effectiveness of the proposed method and its superiority over existing techniques are verified through simulation results.
Implementation of HIV Preexposure Prophylaxis in a Homeless Primary Care Setting at the Veterans Affairs

Objective: Oral preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) is highly effective in preventing HIV-1 acquisition, yet it is underutilized among at-risk populations. In this pilot quality improvement (QI) initiative, we sought to identify barriers to PrEP implementation and create interventions to improve access to PrEP in a primary care clinic for homeless veterans. Methods: The setting was a large homeless primary care clinic at the Veterans Affairs in an urban area with high HIV prevalence. A root cause analysis was performed to identify barriers to PrEP expansion in the primary care clinic. Targeted interventions to improve provider knowledge and patient access to PrEP were implemented by the QI team. Results: Root cause analysis revealed 3 primary barriers to PrEP expansion in the primary care clinic: institutional limitations for prescribing PrEP, inconsistent screening and recognition of eligible patients by clinic staff, and lack of clinic workflow processes to support PrEP prescription. A multidisciplinary focus group found low levels of PrEP awareness and knowledge, with only 22% of providers reporting comfort discussing PrEP with patients. This improved to 40% of providers following targeted clinic educational interventions. The QI team also developed a pathway for primary care providers to obtain institutional PrEP prescribing privileges and used work groups to develop clinic workflows and protocols for PrEP. At the end of the intervention, at least 50% of primary care providers in the clinic had initiated PrEP in a new patient. Conclusions: We describe a multidisciplinary QI model to implement PrEP within a primary care setting serving Veterans and persons experiencing homelessness. Our program successfully addressed provider knowledge deficits and improved primary care capacity to prescribe PrEP. The primary care clinic can be a viable and important clinical setting to improve access to PrEP for HIV prevention, especially for vulnerable populations.
Enhanced Diffusion in Ion-Bombarded GaAs

Anomalously high penetrations of Zn in GaAs were obtained by room temperature and 80 °K ion bombardment of the sample surfaces prior to diffusion from a surface source. Boat-grown n-type GaAs of relatively high purity was irradiated with 1012 400 keV Xe-ions/cm2 either before or after evaporative deposit of a SiO2:Zn film from a low viscosity alcoholic solution. Photoluminescence measurements at He temperatures showed that the characteristic emission (1.490 eV) was degraded but not shifted in energy by the ion-bombardment. The samples were vacuum annealed at 500°C for two hours and the luminescence remeasured. Masked unimplanted portions of the samples luminesced at the same energy as before heat treatment, indicating negligible Zn diffusion in this region. The irradiated portions, however, luminesced at about 1.480 eV, which is typical for transitions at the Zn acceptor level for Zn substituting for Ga in the GaAs lattice. Furthermore, the half-width and the temperature dependence of this emission is the same as for Zn-melt-doped GaAs. Measurements of the Zn-luminescence, as material was removed by vibratory polishing, revealed little change in intensity with depth for the room-temperature implant but showed a well-defined peak in the intensity at about the Xe-ion projected range (~1000 A) for the 80°K implant. In both cases, the Zn-luminescence was replaced by host-lattice luminescence at a depth of 1.22–1.94µ The implied difference in defect distributions for the two implant temperatures is in agreement with the backscattering measurements of Vook and Picraux.
Size and Crystal Orientation-Dependent Thermal Behaviors of ZnO Nanobelts

We report the size and crystal orientation-dependent thermal behaviors of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanobelts revealed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy imaging. Direct o...
Abney, William de Wiveleslie 1843–1920

William de Wiveleslie Abney was an English scientist who made significant contributions to several fields of science including photography and vision science. He was a pioneering photographer with an interest in chemistry and was able to use these skills to advance knowledge in other fields that interested him, including astronomy.
Optimal Matchmaking in Two-sided Marketplaces

Online platforms that match customers with suitable service providers utilize a wide variety of platform designs: some create a searchable directory of one side of the market (i.e., Airbnb, Google Local Services); some allow both sides of the market to search and initiate contact (i.e., Care.com, Upwork); others implement centralized matching (i.e., Amazon Home Services, TaskRabbit). This paper compares these platform designs in terms of their efficiency of matchmaking, as proxied by the amount of communication needed to facilitate a good market outcome. We find that the relative performance of these designs is driven by whether the preferences of agents on each side of the market is easy to describe or satisfy. ``Easy to describe'' means that the preferences can be readily captured in a short questionnaire, and ``easy to satisfy'' means that an agent has high preferences for many potential partners. For markets with suitable characteristics, each of the above designs is able to provide performance guarantees that are asymptotically close to the best possible using any conceivable system of matchmaking. The analysis provides prescriptive insights for online platforms.
Fitness Assessment Feedback May Lower Intrinsic Motivation for Physical Activity among College Students

Fitness assessments are commonly used as a motivational tool in exercise classes and fitness training. However, there is little research on their actual effect. This study explored how the feedback from a fitness assessment may affect intrinsic motivation for physical activity in college students. The study utilized a quasi-experimental design where 430 college students were assigned to either an intervention or one of two control groups. The fitness assessment was only distributed to the subjects in the intervention group. Students were surveyed at four-time points to examine subjects’ competence, autonomy and intrinsic motivation. A repeated measures general linear model measured differences between those who did and did not receive the fitness assessment. Intrinsic motivation (F(6,848)=2.33 p=.031) and competence (F(6, 848)=3.81, p=.001) diminished significantly in the group receiving fitness assessment feedback as compared to either control group. Additionally, for those in the intervention group that perceived their feedback as negative there was a significant decrease in competence (F(1,155)=15.59, p<.001), intrinsic motivation (F(1, 155)=6.41, p=.012), and physical activity (F(1,155)=7.46, p=.007). Fitness assessment feedback may hinder intrinsic motivation toward physical activity at least among those dissatisfied with the feedback.
A general Heine transformation and symmetric polynomials of Rogers

Our purpose here is first to give a multivariate generalization of the important transformation of Heine [6, pp. 305–306] (see also [1, ch.2]), $$\begin{array}{*{20}c} {2^\Phi 1\,\left( {{}_c^{a,\,b} ;\,z} \right)\, = \,\frac{{(az)_\infty (b)_\infty }} {{(c)_\infty (z)_\infty }}\,2^\Phi 1\,\left( {{}_{az}^{{c \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {c {b,\,z}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {b,\,z}}} ;\,b} \right),} & {|b|,\,|z|} \\ \end{array} \, < \,1,$$ (1) and second to characterize the symmetric polynomials introduced by L. J. Rogers [8] in 1893.
Punding on L-dopa.

"Punding" is a stereotypical motor behavior in which there is an intense fascination with repetitive handling and examining of mechanical objects, such as picking at oneself or taking apart watches and radios or sorting and arranging of common objects, such as lining up pebbles, rocks, or other small objects. It is thought to be dopamine-related although only a single report of punding in a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) resulting from L-dopa has been reported. We describe three additional cases. All were women aged 65-72 years with a PD duration between 10 and 20 years, on 500-1900 mg L-dopa per day. One spent hours in the market fascinated by cans. At home she endlessly examined and catalogued her jewelry. Another picked threads in rugs indoors and weeded her garden compulsively to the point of wetting herself rather than stopping. The third hoarded flashlights taking them apart and reassembling them. All improved with reduction of their anti-PD medications. We think punding is an uncommon but overlooked complication of dopaminergic drugs.
Physical and functional characterization of the Bacillus subtilis spoIIM gene.

Abstract The spoIIM locus of Bacillus subtilis is the most recently discovered of six genetic loci in which mutations can prevent the synthesis of a normal asymmetric septum or prevent migration of the septal structure to engulf the forespore compartment of the sporangium. Ultrastructure studies of a spoIIM mutant confirmed a block prior to the completion of engulfment. Introduction of a spoIIM mutation into a panel of strains containing lacZ fusions belonging to different regulatory classes allowed us to determine that the spoIIM gene product is required for the efficient expression of genes transcribed by sigma G-associated RNA polymerase but is not required for the expression of sigma F-controlled genes, including spoIIIG, which encodes sigma G. The results of complementation studies, gene disruption analysis, and DNA sequencing revealed that the spoIIM locus contains a single sporulation-essential gene encoding a polypeptide with a predicted molecular mass of 24,850 Da. The predicted spoIIM gene product is highly hydrophobic and very basic, and it does not exhibit significant homology to sequence files in several major data bases.
The Family in the Odyssey and Ulysses

In studying the relationship between Joyce and Homer, critics and scholars from Valery Larbaud and Stuart Gilbert up to the present have written perceptive commentaries on the similarities between Ulysses and the Odyssey. ' Stressing what Joyce drew on in paralleling his epic with Homer's, they have given us lucid and cogent interpretations of Joyce's use of the Odyssey in erecting a scaffold and building his themes. In our view, however, the Homeric Parallel can and should be analyzed in terms of Joyce's departures from Homer—that is, in the light of what Joyce refrained from using. In our interpretation, what Joyce did not lift from Homer is just as significant as what he did lift: his refusal to draw similarities between Homer's world and his own is of real import in understanding the thematic thrust of his work. The dissimilarities we shall point out should contribute to the reader's understanding of both the Odyssey and Ulysses and, hopefully, to his recognition of significant differences between ancient and modern literature. We propose to examine basic differences between the two works—specifically, the treatments of the family.
An integrated routing and medium access control framework for surveillance networks of mobile devices

In this paper we present an integrated solution that combines routing, clustering and medium access control operations while basing them on a common meshed tree algorithm. The aim is to achieve an efficient airborne surveillance network of unmanned aerial vehicles, wherein any loss of captured data is kept to the minimum while maintaining low latency in packet and data delivery. Surveillance networks of varying sizes were evaluated with varying numbers of senders, while the physical layer was maintained invariant.
The Social Costs of Stress: How Sex Differences in Stress Responses Can Lead to Social Stress Vulnerability and Depression in Women.

Men and women differ in their mental and physical disease vulnerability, and sex differences appear to matter in the biological contributions to human health (Institute of Medicine, 2001). With respect to depression, approximately 12 million women in the United States experience depression annually, a rate of diagnosis that is at least twice the frequency of that found among men (National Mental Health Association, 2004). Although genetic factors, including sex, certainly play a role in the development of psychiatric illness, we now know that genotype alone does not singly determine whether an individual will develop a given psychiatric disorder (Plomin, DeFries, Craig, & McGuffin, 2003). For example, although there are well-known familial risks and sex differences in the prevalence rates of schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), recent data suggest that environmental and biological factors, including stress, age, social support, and socioeconomic status, also contribute to the expression of these disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Kubzansky, Berkman, & Seeman, 2000; McEwen, 1998; Sapolsky, 1994; Vinokur, Price, & Caplan, 1996). A recent report proposes that there are sex differences in biological and behavioral responses to stress — the tend-and-befriend response (Taylor, Klein, Lewis, Gruenewald, Gurung, & Updegraff, 2000) – and suggests that social stressors may influence the manifestation of some psychiatric disorders, such as depression, differently in men and women (Klein & Corwin, 2002).
Investigation of a Patient with Hodgkin's Disease and Cholestasis

A patient with the cholestasis of Hodgkin's disease was investigated. Our studies failed to relate the cholestasis to endocrine abnormalities. The patient had severely abnormal aminopyrine metabolism, suggesting more profound hepatocellular dysfunction than had previously been appreciated.
Controlling Access to an Oblivious Database Using Stateful Anonymous Credentials

In this work, we consider the task of allowing a content provider to enforce complex access control policies on oblivious protocols conducted with anonymous users. As our primary application, we show how to construct privacy-preserving databases by combining oblivious transfer with an augmented anonymous credential system. This permits a database operator to restrict which items each user may access, without learning anything about users' identities or item choices. This strong privacy guarantee holds even when users are assigned different access control policies and are allowed to adaptively make many queries. To do so, we show how to augment existing anonymous credential systems so that, in addition to certifying a user's attributes, they also store state about the user's database access history. Our construction supports a wide range of access control policies, including efficient and private realizations of the Brewer-Nash (Chinese Wall) and Bell-LaPadula (Multilevel Security) policies, which are used for financial and defense applications. In addition, our system is based on standard assumptions in the standard model and, after an initial setup phase, each transaction requires only constant time.
Comparison of outcomes between pure laparoscopic vs robot‐assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy: a study of comparative effectiveness based upon validated quality of life outcomes

OBJECTIVE To compare perioperative, oncological and functional outcomes of laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (LRP) and robot-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy (RALP) with emphasis on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) data as few studies exist. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients underwent RALP or LRP by a single, fellowship trained surgeon with a standard clinical care pathway. HRQOL data using the Expanded Prostate Cancer Index Composite (EPIC) were collected at 0, 3, 6 and 12 months after 175 consecutive LRP and 174 RALP procedures. Urinary and sexual function outcomes were compared using two methods: (1) EPIC summary/subscale analyses described as percent return to baseline function and (2) traditional single-question analysis. RESULTS The two groups were statistically similar with respect to demographics, clinical stage, perioperative outcomes, stage-specific surgical margin rates, and baseline urinary and sexual function scores. There was no statistical difference in postoperative urinary function between RALP and LRP using EPIC or single-question analyses at 3, 6 and 12 months. EPIC questionnaire data showed a greater return to baseline sexual function over time (mixed model analysis) in RALP than in LRP patients who had a bilateral nerve sparing procedure (Sexual Summary Score, P= 0.005; Sexual Function and Bother Subscales, P= 0.007). Using EPIC, RALP patients receiving a bilateral nerve sparing procedure showed improved percent return to baseline potency at 3 and 6 months (P < 0.025) compared with LRP patients, but had similar outcomes at 12 months (73.7% vs 66.2%, P= 0.3). Single-question analysis suggested improved potency after RALP compared with LRP, with a greater percentage of RALP patients reporting successful sexual intercourse in the past 4 weeks (87.5% vs 66.7% at 12 months, P= 0.06). CONCLUSIONS When comparing surgical techniques, RALP and LRP groups showed statistically similar postoperative urinary function outcomes. RALP patients had an earlier return of sexual function when compared with LRP patients after a bilateral nerve sparing procedure.
Characterization of the gene encoding the autotrophic ATP sulfurylase from the bacterial endosymbiont of the hydrothermal vent tubeworm Riftia pachyptila.

Abstract ATP sulfurylase is a key enzyme in the energy-generating sulfur oxidation pathways of many chemoautotrophic bacteria. The utilization of reduced sulfur compounds to fuel CO2 fixation by the still-uncultured bacterial endosymbionts provides the basis of nutrition in invertebrates, such as the tubeworm Riftia pachyptila, found at deep-sea hydrothermal vents. The symbiont-containing trophosome tissue contains high levels of ATP sulfurylase activity, facilitating the recent purification of the enzyme. The gene encoding the ATP sulfurylase from the Riftia symbiont (sopT) has now been cloned and sequenced by using the partial amino acid sequence of the purified protein. Characterization of the sopT gene has unequivocally shown its bacterial origin. This is the first ATP sulfurylase gene to be cloned and sequenced from a sulfur-oxidizing bacterium. The deduced amino acid sequence was compared to those of ATP sulfurylases reported from organisms which assimilate sulfate, resulting in the discovery that there is substantial homology with the Saccharomyces cerevisiae MET3 gene product but none with the products of the cysDN genes from Escherichia coli nor with the nodP and nodQ genes from Rhizobium meliloti. This and emerging evidence from other sources suggests that E. coli may be atypical, even among prokaryotic sulfate assimilators, in the enzyme it employs for adenosine 5'-phosphosulfate formation. The sopT gene probe also was shown to specifically identify chemoautotrophic bacteria which utilize ATP sulfurylase to oxidize sulfur compounds.
Experimental progress on a 1-microsecond, 1-kilojoule-per-pulse, L-band relativistic klystron

A high-current relativistic klystron amplifier (RKA) is being developed with the goal of producing 1 kJ per pulse with a 1 microsecond(s) pulsewidth and a peak power of 1 GW. The three cavity tube is fully assembled and is undergoing high power testing. Peak power levels as high as 400 MW have been produced so far. Current experimental results are presented.
SOX 404 Reported Internal Control Weaknesses: A Test of COSO Framework Components and Information Technology

ABSTRACT: This paper examines internal controls, from both an information technology (IT) and non‐IT perspective, in relation to the five components of the Committee of Sponsoring Organization's Internal Control‐Integrated Framework (COSO 1992), as well as the achievement of one of COSO's three objectives‐reporting reliability. Our sample consists of 490 firms with material weaknesses reported under Sarbanes‐Oxley Section 404 during the first year of compliance. We classify the weaknesses by COSO component and as IT‐related or non‐IT‐related. Our results support the interrelationships of the COSO Framework. The results also show that the number of misstated accounts is positively related to the number of weak COSO components (i.e., scope) and certain weak COSO components (i.e., existence). Firms with IT‐related weak components report more material weaknesses and misstatements than firms without IT‐related weak components, providing evidence on the pervasive negative impact of weak IT controls, especially ...
Water for Food Production - Opportunities for Sustainable Land-Water Management using Remote Sensing

Adaptation to global climate and environmental change in the context of the water-food nexus will require both understanding the nature of change of freshwater resources (e.g. where does precipitation fall, and how much there is?), and the engineering of regional strategies to manage water harvesting and water use (natural storage in aquifers and in the critical soil zone, and manmade alternatives including land-use/land-cover manipulation such as rainfed agriculture), leading to maximal resilience. In a world of increasing population, achieving and maintaining food security is a fundamental challenge for human development in the 21st century. Food security and sustainable agriculture go hand-in hand. The basis for sustainable agriculture is hydroecological resilience, which implies the Integrated Management of Land and Water Resources ("a land-use decision is a water decision", Malin Falkenmark 2001). IMLWR requires systematic monitoring of the pathways by which joint space-time organization patterns of landform, precipitation, recharge (groundwater), distribution and storage (runoff) interact, and ultimately impact the so-called "green water" stocks critical for crop production (i.e. soil moisture in the unsaturated zone that is directly available to meet vegetation photosynthetic needs). IMLWR is ideally suited for a remote-sensing based monitoring and analysis framework. Here, an interpretive study is presented using a wide variety of remote sensing data (clouds, rainfall, and vegetation) from multiple satellite platforms to assess the condition of freshwater stocks (rainfall) and hydroecological resilience in NW India, specifically the state of Punjab. Finally, the notion of hydrometeorological audit is proposed as a strategy for anticipating modes of failure in water resource systems, and to inform policy in the context of sustainable land-water management and food production.
Data integration used in new applications and control center visualization tools

Nowadays, most substations are equipped with Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) performing data collection. With the advancement of measurement techniques and growing availability of information captured by newly emerged IEDs such as Phasor Measurement Units (PMUs), it is imperative to integrate the various data sources with traditional Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)/Energy Management System (EMS) structure. This paper explores several possible solutions for data integration and its applications in power system. Also addressed is a set of new visualization tools to be used in power system control center. It shows that the merging of Remote Terminal Unit (RTU), PMU and other substation IED data could effectively improve the ability to detect cascades, efficiently process alarms, and accurately determine the location of faults. The resulted intelligent control center visualization tools could enrich monitoring capabilities and help operators maintain adequate situational awareness.
Eigenvalues and Eigenfunctions of the Hilbert Operator

The eigenvalues and eigenfunctions of the Hilbert operator have been evaluated as part of a technique for solving Boltzmann's equation for a gas model consisting of rigid spheres. The numerical method for their evaluation is presented as well as a small sample of the results.
Biological and Phytochemical Evaluation of Plants XII: Isolation of Acetylakuammidine from Aspidosperma quebracho-bianco Leaves

Abstract A continuing investigation of the leaves of Aspidosperma quebracho-bianco Schlecht. (Apocynaceae) has resulted in the isolation of natural acetylakuammidine, in addition to the previously reported alkaloids aspidospermine and quebrachidine. Methods used for the isolation and characterization of these bases are described.
Computer-aided detection and diagnosis of masses and clustered microcalcifications from digital mammograms

We are developing an 'intelligent' workstation to assist radiologists in diagnosing breast cancer from mammograms. The hardware for the workstation will consist of a film digitizer, a high speed computer, a large volume storage device, a film printer, and 4 high resolution CRT monitors. The software for the workstation is a comprehensive package of automated detection and classification schemes. Two rule-based detection schemes have been developed, one for breast masses and the other for clustered microcalcifications. The sensitivity of both schemes is 85% with a false-positive rate of approximately 3.0 and 1.5 false detections per image, for the mass and cluster detection schemes, respectively. Computerized classification is performed by an artificial neural network (ANN). The ANN has a sensitivity of 100% with a specificity of 60%. Currently, the ANN, which is a three-layer, feed-forward network, requires as input ratings of 14 different radiographic features of the mammogram that were determined subjectively by a radiologist. We are in the process of developing automated techniques to objectively determine these 14 features. The workstation will be placed in the clinical reading area of the radiology department in the near future, where controlled clinical tests will be performed to measure its efficacy.
A Study of Forced Convection Direct Air Cooling in the Downstream Vicinity of Heat Sinks

An experimental study of forced convection heat transfer is reported. Direct air cooling of an electronics packaging system is modeled by a channel flow, with an array of uniformly sized and spaced elements attached to one channel wall. The presence of a single or complete row of longitudinally finned heat sinks creates a modified flow pattern. Convective heat transfer rates at downstream positions are measured and compared to that of a plain array (no heat sinks). Heat transfer rates are described in terms of adiabatic heat transfer coefficients and thermal wake functions. Empirical correlations are presented for both variations in Reynolds number (5000 < Re < 20,000) and heat sink geometry. It is found that the presence of a heat sink can both enhance and degrade the heat transfer coefficient at downstream locations, depending on the relative position.