cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Missing the Point(er): On the Effectiveness of Code Pointer Integrity

Memory corruption attacks continue to be a major vector of attack for compromising modern systems. Numerous defenses have been proposed against memory corruption attacks, but they all have their limitations and weaknesses. Stronger defenses such as complete memory safety for legacy languages (C/C++) incur a large overhead, while weaker ones such as practical control flow integrity have been shown to be ineffective. A recent technique called code pointer integrity (CPI) promises to balance security and performance by focusing memory safety on code pointers thus preventing most control-hijacking attacks while maintaining low overhead. CPI protects access to code pointers by storing them in a safe region that is protected by instruction level isolation. On x86-32, this isolation is enforced by hardware, on x86-64 and ARM, isolation is enforced by information hiding. We show that, for architectures that do not support segmentation in which CPI relies on information hiding, CPI's safe region can be leaked and then maliciously modified by using data pointer overwrites. We implement a proof-of-concept exploit against Nginx and successfully bypass CPI implementations that rely on information hiding in 6 seconds with 13 observed crashes. We also present an attack that generates no crashes and is able to bypass CPI in 98 hours. Our attack demonstrates the importance of adequately protecting secrets in security mechanisms and the dangers of relying on difficulty of guessing without guaranteeing the absence of memory leaks.
“Goin’ to Nature to Reach Double Consciousness: A Du Boisian Methodological Journey to Graves of the Formerly Enslaved”

Too few W. E. B. Du Boisian scholars happen upon the fact that “double consciousness” is self-awareness or an assessment of self-identity that flows from two very different sources of memory—diachronic or accretive, and syndetic or invoked. I have borrowed Du Bois’s notion of “double consciousness” as an angle of perception to begin to theorize about what I believe occurs―knowingly or unknowingly—when some members of the African and white descendant communities visit burials of formerly enslaved people of African descent. This paper explores the significance of gravesites of formerly enslaved people of African descent as powerful sacred spaces in nature that embody and percolate ancestral memories. In so doing, it also considers one’s feelings of attachment to local landscapes of memory, one’s preoccupation with cultural identity at natural sites of entombment, and one’s relation to the visitable past. These thoughts, while they may strike some as out of place in traditional academic circles, are an acknowledgment of what we can learn from the language of rituals as structures and practices performed in nature. As such, these rituals identify cultural ethnicities and individual identities, as well as provoke reflection and understanding of social memories and embodied histories.
Raven Eye: A Mobile Computing Solution for Site Exploitation

Site exploitation (SE) remains a critical mission for operators on the battlefield. Since SE is a fairly new operation in the military, soldiers face specific challenges that hinder them from conducting a successful SE operation. This paper details the design of a system, Raven Eye, which endeavors to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of SE. Raven Eye is an Android based system that collects, stores, and sends SE data. Raven Eye allows operators to collect exploited site data by capturing photos, videos, and biometrics. Operators can annotate and tag recorded items. Lastly, the operators transform data stored and collected via Raven Eye to a standardized report that accelerates follow-on analysis by intelligence personnel.
The cost of Crohn's disease: drugs or surgery?

New biological medical therapies and innovative surgical approaches have revolutionised the care of patients with Crohn’s disease. Until these innovations began to be utilised over the past decade, studies of the economics of Crohn’s disease care were relatively scarce. Questions from both clinical and economic standpoints now arise over potential choices between medical and surgical approaches to patients with Crohn’s disease. Initial economic studies suggested that the vast majority of costs in Crohn’s disease were due to inpatient services and surgery. The large variance in cost data between patients resulted in a very small percentage of patients accounting for a disproportionately large percentage of the overall costs, with the bulk of costs, charges and reimbursements accrued by surgical cases. Studies suggest that surgery would need to result in a decreased utilisation of outpatient services in order to be ‘cost-effective’. Evaluation of the clinical course of Crohn’s disease suggests that the surgically-induced remission state is the longest remission state generally experienced by the patients, although sophisticated cost analysis fails to show enough of a remission benefit to offset the high costs associated with surgical procedures and post-operative convalescence. Bowel-sparing intestinal strictureplasty and minimally invasive laparoscopic surgeries have the potential to substantially decrease the costs associated with disease. These techniques need to be applied to a larger percentage of surgical Crohn’s patients before the overall economic benefits can be fully assessed. Indirect costs and disability may account for most of the overall costs associated with Crohn’s disease. Quality-of-life analyses have revealed that patients ill with Crohn’s disease perform poorly, and the detrimental effects of medications or surgery may further increase disability in these patients. Future cost-utility studies may reveal the extent to which overall costs are affected by these issues. This review of the currently available literature on the economics of Crohn’s disease suggests that medical therapy which can substantially reduce the utilisation of hospitalisations and surgery might be cost effective, even if the acquisition cost of the drug is high. However, broader application of specialised surgical techniques, together with the long post-operative remission state enjoyed by most Crohn’s patients, may also offer a cost-effective long term approach to the disease. It is likely that both surgical and medical approaches will continue to be used in the treatment of Crohn’s disease, with options for each patient being carefully considered on an individual basis.
Riding the American Dream: The Official Story of Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles

This article presents a review of the book “Riding the American Dream: The Official Story of Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles,” by Daniel L. Hanlon.
Sequential and Near-Simultaneous Multi-Body Collisions

This work considers a three mass collision model with finite-time, compliant contacts. If the masses are initially separated by a sufficient distance, the collision sequence is sequential, that is, comprised of a sequence of pairwise impacts. The final velocities of each mass are then independent of the specific initial spacing. In contrast, if the initial spacing between the masses is sufficiently small there exists an interval during which the three masses interact simultaneously. In this instance the final velocity state also depends on the initial configuration of the system. Given an assumed impact duration and coefficient of restitution for a pairwise collision, a two-dimensional map is derived to describe those initial conditions that lead to pairwise sequences. Finally, for a specific nonlinear compliance model the variation in the final velocities is characterized in terms of the initial configuration and velocity state of the system.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
A single pretreatment with MK-801 or cocaine enhances their locomotor stimulant effects in rats

A single dose of MK-801 (1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) induces an enhanced locomotor response to a subsequent lower dose of MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg) administered 4, 7 or 14 days later in young adult rats (>90 days). MK-801 (1.0 mg/kg) administration did not significantly enhance the effects of cocaine (10, 20 mg/kg) administered 7 days later. Cocaine (20 mg/kg) enhanced the effect of a subsequent dose of 10 mg/kg cocaine, but did not significantly alter the response to a higher dose cocaine (20 mg/kg) or of MK-801 (0.1 or 0.3 mg/kg) again given 7 days later. MK-801 (1.0 mg/kg) did not significantly enhance the locomotor response to a second dose of MK-801 (0.3 mg/kg) in 28-day-old rats tested 7 days after the initial dose, but did enhance the effects of a lower (0.1 mg/kg) dose. These findings indicate that even a single dose of a stimulant such as MK-801 and cocaine can induce enduring changes in sensitivity to subsequent doses of the same stimulants in young adult rats. The lack of significant effects seen in cross-sensitization studies suggests that separate mechanisms maybe involved in the sensitization to cocaine and MK-801. The more pronounced enhancement of activity in the older animals is in accord with previous findings that sensitization processes are developmentally regulated.
Laser doping of germanium for photodetector applications

A method of doping germanium using 1064 nm pulsed fiber laser was demonstrated. The secondary ion mass spectrometry showed a p-n junction of 800 nm deep with a peak phosphorus concentration of 2×1019 cm-3. Germanium photodiodes were fabricated on the laser-doped p-n junctions. Low bulk and surface leakage current values were obtained which were comparable to diodes fabricated by rapid thermal diffusion. Laser doping allows low thermal budget, minimization of surface desorption and selective doping without requiring photolithography. Laser doping was shown to be an effective method for fabrication of electronic and optoelectronic devices.
On Alternative Form of the Characteristic Polynomial and the Problem of Graph Recognition

The characteristic polynomial of a structure (molecule or a graph) is usually expressed as a function ofx. Here we explore an alternative representation of characteristic polynomials expressed in terms ofL n , the characteristic polynomials of linear chains havingn atoms. While the new forms of the characteristic polynomials are mathematically equivalent to the old forms, they appear to reflect selected structural similarities among homologous molecules better. Besides arriving at general expressions for the form of the characteristic polynomials for numerous families of compounds previously unavailable, the approach is of some interest for the old problem of graph isomorphism and graph recognition in cases of structures which can be associated with a homologous series.
Cryolite precipitation by the Reaction of aluminium salt with sodium fluoride in aqueous solution

When aqueous solution of aluminium salt involving nitrate, chloride or sulfate was added into sodium fluoride solution, an immediate reaction occured to form cryolite-like precipitate. Examination into the resultant solution and analysis for the precipitate were carried out, leading to the fact that fluorine ion can substitute for bound water molecules around central Al+++ ion, but hardly for bound hydroxide and sulfate ion which should go or be “frozen”, as it is, into cryolite-like precipitate. These ligand substitution reaction seems to contribute to identification of ion species of aluminium in aqueous solution. Bei der Zugabe von Aluminiumnitrat, -chlorid oder -sulfat-Losungen zu NaF-Losungen entsteht sofort eine kryolith-ahnliche Fallung. Die Untersuchung der Restlosung und des Niederschlages ergab, das das F–-Ion am Al+++-Ion gebundene H2O-Molekeln substituieren kann, nicht aber OH–oder SO4–-Ionen, die infolgedessen in die kryolith-ahnliche Fallung ubergehen. Auf Grund der Verhaltnisse dieser Liganden-Austauschreaktionen scheint es moglich, die in wasriger Al-Salz-Losung vorhandenen Spezies zu indentifizieren.
Markers for breeding heat-tolerant cowpea

The warm-season legume, cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), is an important crop that performs well in marginal environments. The effects of high temperature are among the most substantial challenges faced by growers of cowpea. Heat injury during late reproductive development sterilizes pollen such that no fruit is set. To study the inheritance of this trait and to deliver resources to breed cowpea with enhanced tolerance to heat, we performed a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis using 141 individuals from a recombinant inbred population made from a cross between cowpea varieties CB27 and IT82E-18. Five regions, which represent 9 % of the cowpea genome, explain 11.5–18.1 % of the phenotypic variation and are tagged with 48 transcript-derived single nucleotide polymorphism markers. Favorable haplotypes were donated by CB27 for four of these regions while IT82E-18 was the source of tolerance explained by the fifth QTL. Homeologous regions in soybean contain several genes important for tolerance to heat, including heat shock proteins, heat shock transcription factors, and proline transporters. This work presents essential information for marker-assisted breeding and supports previous findings concerning heat-induced male sterility in cowpea.
Conditional dihydrofolate reductase deficiency due to transposon Tn5tac1 insertion downstream from the folA gene in Escherichia coli

Transposon Tn5tac1 can generate conditional mutations by virtue of an outward-facing tac promoter, which is regulated by the lac repressor and isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG). We report here on a Tn5tac1 insertion in Escherichia coli that results in a conditional (IPTG-elicited) folA mutant phenotype: During aerobic growth, IPTG caused decreased synthesis of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR; encoded by the folA gene) and hypersensitivity to trimethoprim (a DHFR inhibitor); during anaerobic growth, IPTG elicited auxotrophy that was satisfied by thymine or glycine or threonine. The Tn5tac1 insertion was downstream from folA, with the tac promoter pointing into the gene (antisense direction). Complementation tests indicated that the conditional folA deficiency was a cis effect of transcription from the tac promoter, perhaps due to head-to-head collision between converging RNA polymerases.
Probucol in the long-term treatment of hypercholesterolaemia.

SummaryA new hypocholesterolaemic drug, probucol, was effective in reducing mean serum cholesterol level in 52 patients by 17% after 3 months of treatment, and in 44 patients by 23% after one year of therapy. The level of baseline serum triglyceride did not significantly affect the cholesterol-lowering response. There was no significant difference in serum triglyceride response between patients on placebo and those on probucol. Except for one patient who exhibited a hypersensitivity reaction, the drug was well tolerated.
Factors influencing the development of aflatoxins in some field crops

Abstract The most important factors affecting the development of aflatoxin contamination are the fungus, the substrate, temperature, and moisture. Species of the Aspergillus flavus group are the principal producers of aflatoxins. In general, A. parasiticus Speare produces large quantities of the toxins, A. flavus large to moderate, and A. oryzae (Ahlb.) Cohn, little or none. Mono-conidial isolates demonstrated the existence of wide variation in the ability to produce toxins and in morphological characteristics within cultures of the A. flavus group. Aflatoxin yields were obtained ranging from 56,000 μg from 5 g peanuts in 50 ml of a modified Czapek's solution to 95 μg with white corn meal. The ratio of aflatoxin B : G also varied among different substrates. A temperature range of 25 to 35°C and moisture contents at adsorption equilibrium with relative humidities of 80 to 100 per cent are favorable for the production and accumulation of the toxins in stored field crops.
Beyond co-occurrence: discovering and visualizing tag relationships from geo-spatial and temporal similarities

Studying relationships between keyword tags on social sharing websites has become a popular topic of research, both to improve tag suggestion systems and to discover connections between the concepts that the tags represent. Existing approaches have largely relied on tag co-occurrences. In this paper, we show how to find connections between tags by comparing their distributions over time and space, discovering tags with similar geographic and temporal patterns of use. Geo-spatial, temporal and geo-temporal distributions of tags are extracted and represented as vectors which can then be compared and clustered. Using a dataset of tens of millions of geo-tagged Flickr photos, we show that we can cluster Flickr photo tags based on their geographic and temporal patterns, and we evaluate the results both qualitatively and quantitatively using a panel of human judges. We also develop visualizations of temporal and geographic tag distributions, and show that they help humans recognize semantic relationships between tags. This approach to finding and visualizing similar tags is potentially useful for exploring any data having geographic and temporal annotations.
The effect of radiofrequency energy on the length and temperature properties of the glenohumeral joint capsule

The purpose of this in vitro study was to evaluate the effect of radiofrequency energy on the length and temperature properties of the glenohumeral joint capsule in a sheep model. Dissected glenohumeral joint capsules were placed in a 37 degrees C tissue bath and treated with radiofrequency energy at temperature settings of 60 degrees, 65 degrees, 70 degrees, 75 degrees and 80 degrees C. Pretreatment and posttreatment tissue length was measured, and tissue temperature changes were recorded at distances of 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 mm away from the probe path. Tissue shrinkage was found to be less than 4% for treatments below 65 degrees C, and increased to 14% for treatments at 80 degrees C. Posttreatment lengths of tissues treated at 65 degrees, 70 degrees, 75 degrees, 80 degrees C were significantly shorter than pretreatment lengths. The maximum tissue temperatures directly below the probe were observed to be 3.7 degrees to 6.7 degrees C lower than the set temperatures. As the distance from the probe was increased, the tissue temperature was found to decrease, reaching a value of less than 45 degrees C at 1.5 mm for all five treatment temperature settings. This study provided basic information on temperature settings, tissue shrinkage, and tissue temperature distribution of radiofrequency treatment.
Optimal discretization and updating procedures for Gauss qudarature estimators

This paper presents an alternative method in dealing with non-linear estimation problems. The principle is to approximate the integration of the conditional density functions by using Gaussian Qudrature Formulae and set up the grid for the current filtering density simultaneously. The grid is centered at the filtering mean. The size of the region where the grid locates is changed according to the conditional distribution. A method for choosing the number of nodes and the integration interval to minimize the integration error is given. For the case that the system noises and measurement noises are white gaussian and the measurement function is linearizable, the accuracy of the representation of the filtering density can be theoretically controlled by a priori choice of the number of nodes and the truncation factor.
An interactive tool for designing quadrotor camera shots

Cameras attached to small quadrotor aircraft are rapidly becoming a ubiquitous tool for cinematographers, enabling dynamic camera movements through 3D environments. Currently, professionals use these cameras by flying quadrotors manually, a process which requires much skill and dexterity. In this paper, we investigate the needs of quadrotor cinematographers, and build a tool to support video capture using quadrotor-based camera systems. We begin by conducting semi-structured interviews with professional photographers and videographers, from which we extract a set of design principles. We present a tool based on these principles for designing and autonomously executing quadrotor-based camera shots. Our tool enables users to: (1) specify shots visually using keyframes; (2) preview the resulting shots in a virtual environment; (3) precisely control the timing of shots using easing curves; and (4) capture the resulting shots in the real world with a single button click using commercially available quadrotors. We evaluate our tool in a user study with novice and expert cinematographers. We show that our tool makes it possible for novices and experts to design compelling and challenging shots, and capture them fully autonomously.
A network security architecture to reduce the risk of data leakage for health care organizations

Health care is a highly regulated industry in which much value is placed upon privacy and confidentiality. The business of health care, particularly in certain academic environments, requires access to data of varying sensitivities, including information from the public Internet. This paper proposes a VLAN-based architecture for segregating data of varying sensitivities, a list of components that facilitate access to and distillation of data, and a method for one-way promotion of individual nodes from areas of lower security to areas of higher security. The proposed solution is an implementable and pragmatic approach to reducing the risk of data leakage. Quality of experience (QoE) measures of two methods for access (node promotion and porthole-based access) are compared. The node promotion method improves the user-perceived responsiveness of applications over the porthole-based method while reducing flexibility.
Structural and electrical characterization of CoTiN metal gates

As the gate size continues to decrease in nanoscale transistors, having metal gates with amorphous or near amorphous structures can potentially reduce grain-induced work function variation. Furthermore, amorphous materials are known to have superior diffusion barrier properties, which can help prevent work function change due to the diffusion of metals in contact with the gate. In this work we show that with the addition of cobalt, thin films of polycrystalline TiN become more amorphous with a smaller grain size. Cox(TiN)1-x films, where x = 60–80%, appear to consist of nanocrystals embedded in an amorphous matrix, and are thermally stable with no significant crystallization up to an annealing temperature of at least 600 °C. Reducing the nitrogen gas flow ratio during sputter deposition from 9% to 2.5% further decreases the films' crystallinity, which is apparent by more sparse and even smaller nanocrystals. In addition to being partially amorphous, these CoTiN films also exhibit good thermal stability, l...
Epidermal growth factor stimulates fluid phase endocytosis in human fibroblasts through a signal generated at the cell surface

We have investigated the stimulation of fluid phase endocytosis by epidermal growth factor (EGF) in normal human fibroblasts using 125I-labeled polyvinylpyrrolidone (125I-PVP) as a fluid phase marker. We found that EGF initially induced a thereefold increase in the rate of 125I-PVP uptake. This initial burst of fluid uptake terminated within 10 min. Thereafter, the rate of fluie uptake in EGF-treated cells was approximately 40% higher than in control cells. To identify the cellular site of EGF action in stimulating fluid phase endocytosis, we examined the kinetics of the induction of this response as well as the kinetics of cell surface binding and internalization of 125I-EGF. Although there was no detectable lag between binding of EGF to the cell surface and its internalization, the kinetics of the two processes were quite different. Significantly, the kinetics of induction of 125I-PVP uptake matched the kinetics of binding of 125I-EGF to its cell surface receptors, indicating that the signal for the increase in fluid phase endocytosis is generated at the cell surface. To determine if EGF-stimulated fluid phase endocytosis was related to EGF-stimulated endocytosis of its own receptor, we compared the EGF dose dependency and time course of the two processes. Although the stimulated endocytosis of the EGF receptor was not saturable with respect to the concentration of EGF used, the stimulation of fluid phase endocytosis was half maximal at an EGF concentration of 1 ng/ml and saturated at a concentration of 5 ng/ml. Also, the stimulation of fluid phase endocytosis was sevenfold greater initially after adding EGF than after a 30-min continuous incubation with the hormone, whereas the enhanced clearance of the EGF receptor did not change during this time period. We conclude that the EGF-stimulated increase in fluid phase endocytosis is not directly coupled to EGF-stimulated endocytosis of its own receptor but instead to a separate signal generated at the cell surface.
Dynamic mechanical analysis of thermoplastic composites and resins

The anisotropy of continuous fiber thermoplastic composites limits the number of geometries that can be employed effectively in dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Therefore, a Mechanical Energy Resolver, developed for use with elastomers, was modified with a bending fixture using a cantilever beam sample geometry and a high temperature oven. The bending fixture allows determination of composite transition temperatures. Based upon the simple geometry, one can also determine elastic moduli. This test scheme can be coupled with simple shear DMA on melts to determine neat resin properties, including solidification temperature. Results are presented for several semicrystalline and armorphous thermoplastic/graphite fiber laminates and neat resins.
Open science grid study of the coupling between conformation and water content in the interior of a protein.

Computational grids are a promising resource for modeling complex biochemical processes such as protein folding, penetration of gases or water into proteins, or protein structural rearrangements coupled to ligand binding. We have enabled the molecular dynamics program CHARMM to run on the Open Science Grid. The implementation is general, flexible, easily modifiable for use with other molecular dynamics programs and other grids and automated in terms of job submission, monitoring, and resubmission. The usefulness of grid computing was demonstrated through the study of hydration of the Glu-66 side chain in the interior of protein staphylococcal nuclease. Multiple simulations started with and without two internal water molecules shown crystallographically to be associated with the side chain of Glu-66 yielded two distinct populations of rotameric states of Glu-66 that differed by as much as 20%. This illustrates how internal water molecules can bias protein conformations. Furthermore, there appeared to be a ...
Regression of neovascular age-related macular degeneration following infliximab therapy.

Purpose To describe the effects of the antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) monoclonal antibody Infliximab systemic therapy on choroidal neovacularisation (CNV) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Design Prospective, noncomparative series of three patients. Methods A subretinal membrane secondary to AMD was documented by fluoroangiography at baseline in three elderly patients scheduled to receive Infliximab therapy for inflammatory arthritis (infusions of 5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, 6, and every 8 weeks thereafter). Follow-up was performed at three months post-baseline, as well as during 18 months of continuing treatment in the first patient. Results CNV regressed partially at three months and resolved at six months in the first patient. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) increased from 0.05 to 0.2; this effect was sustained at 18 months. Regression of subretinal membrane and increase of BCVA was also documented in the other patients. No ocular or extra-ocular side effects were noted. Conclusions These findings suggest a plausible pathogenetic role of TNF in CNV secondary to AMD. Additional patients should be studied to confirm the promising clinical results.
Experience with Abstraction-carrying Code

Abstract Abstraction-carrying Code (ACC) certifies a general temporal property for a mobile program using an abstract interpretation of the mobile program. A client receiving the code and the certificate will first validate the abstraction and then run a model checker to verify the temporal property. In this paper, we report our experience in designing the ACC Evaluation Prototype Toolkit (ACCEPT) and the application of ACCEPT to simple concurrent programs and Linux device drivers. The toolkit is distinguished by an abstraction preserving compilation scheme that generates a Boolean program for an intermediate program compiled from the source program. Some common compiler optimizations are still possible. We report several applications of ACCEPT, including the reachability properties of industrial strength C programs. Preliminary results show that the size of a typical certificate is significantly smaller than the size of the intermediate program. Compared with traditional proof-based certification method, using ACC verification a client spends more time to verify the desired property. Our experience shows this penalty is often tolerable in practice.
A Universal Damping Function for Empirical Dispersion Correction on Density Functional Theory

A damped London dispersion interaction is generally adopted in empirical dispersion corrections on density functional theory (DFT), where dispersion parameters are determined empirically to reproduce correct dispersive interactions after assuming a damping function. The key to a successful dispersion correction is choosing an appropriate damping function. In this work we propose a single universal damping function that can represent several damping functions used in literatures with a few adjustable parameters. This universal damping function provides a unified formula that allows convenient comparison and flexible optimization in dispersion corrected DFT methods. Using the optimized universal damping functions and dispersion parameters, we develop dispersion correction methods for HF, B3LYP and PBE theories. We calculate the dispersive energies accurately for rare gas diatomic molecules and benzene dimers with an averaged error <4.1%.
Are violent people more likely to have low self-esteem or high self-esteem?☆

This article reviews and organizes relevant theory and research on the relation between self-esteem and violent behavior. The theoretical relation is currently being debated. One view suggests that low self-esteem leads to violent behavior, whereas another view suggests that violent behavior stems from high self-esteem. Recent theorizing also suggests that narcissism, which is generally associated with high rather than low self-esteem, contributes to violent behavior. In terms of empirical research, the literature reveals inconsistent findings. Thus, it is evident that the exact nature of the relation between self-esteem and violent behavior remains unclear. This article identifies several possible reasons for these conflicting findings and concludes with suggestions for future research. In particular, more research is needed on the commonalities and differences between self-esteem and narcissism, dimensions of self-esteem and narcissism, aggressive subtypes, and stability/instability of self-esteem and aggression. Furthermore, a fruitful avenue for future research is to continue to untangle the gender dynamics surrounding the relation between self-esteem and violent behavior, longitudinal studies with nationally representative samples hold promise, and future research needs to appreciate that the relation between self-esteem and violent behavior may not always be linear.
Change in Grade of Farmers' Stock Peanuts Stored in the Southwest

Abstract The effects of storage time on the extent and cause of grade reductions of farmers' stock Spanish peanuts harvested in the Southwest are discussed in this paper. This study was based on 184 randomly selected lots of farmers' stock peanuts sampled from 31 buying points throughout the Southwest area. Results of this research indicate that there was a significant decrease in the grade (sound mature kernels plus sound splits) with storage time and that this decrease occurred within the first 5 days of storage. The grade decreased from an initial average value of 71.3 to 70.3 after the 5-day storage period. There was a continuing decrease in grade with increased storage time; however, the change after the first 5 days of storage was not found to be significant. Decrease in grade results in an annual loss of approximately 2.26 million dollars in the Southwest peanut producing area. The principal cause for this reduction was determined to be the shift of the weight ratio of hulls and kernels during stor...
Early visual processing deficits in schizophrenia: impaired P1 generation revealed by high-density electrical mapping.

Integrity of early visual sensory processing in schizophrenia was assessed using the well characterized P1 and N1 components of the visual evoked potential (VEP) as our dependent measures. VEPs were recorded in response to successively less fragmented line drawings of common objects. PI amplitudes were significantly reduced across all stimulus conditions for patients versus controls. Further, this decrement was relatively greater at parieto-occipital than occipito-temporal electrode sites. No differences in N I amplitude were found. The finding of P I deficits in patients, particularly over dorsal scalp, supports the view that schizophrenia is associated with impairment of early dorsal visual stream processing. On the other hand, the finding of normal NI amplitudes in patients suggests that early stages of ventral stream processing may be relatively more intact. These results imply that the cognitive impairment seen in schizophrenia is not just due to deficits in higher order aspects of cognition but also encompasses significant deficits in early sensory processing.
A novel m2-selective muscarinic antagonist: binding characteristics and autoradiographic distribution in rat brain.

Abstract Although several m2-selective muscarinic antagonists have been described, they are not particularly potent. Thus, the development of potent m2-selective compounds remains an important goal. We now report that a bio-isoster of AQ-RA 741 is both one order of magnitude more potent and slightly more selective than previously described compounds. DIBA, a di-benzo derivative of AQ-RA 741, in which the pyridine of the tricycle is replaced with a benzene ring, had K i values of 4, 0.3, 11 and 2 nM at m1 through m4 receptors, respectively. These values were determined in competition studies with[ 3 H]N-methylscopolamine ([ 3 H]NMS) in membranes from transfected A9 L cells (m1 and m3), rat heart (m2) and NG108-15 cells (m4). AQ-RA 741 had K i values of 34, 4, 86 and 15 nM at each of these receptors. The autoradiographic distribution of DIBA binding sites was determined by competition studies of [ 3 H]NMS in rat brain. At low concentration, DIBA reduced [ 3 H]NMS binding most significantly from superior colliculi, thalamus, hypothalamus, pontine nucleus, and interpeduncular nucleus, and not appreciably from caudate nucleus, cerebral cortical regions, or hippocampus, consistent with its binding to m2 receptors. These data indicate that DIBA is the most potent, m2-selective muscarinic antagonist yet described. DIBA should therefore become a useful probe in future studies of muscarinic function.
RECENT EXPERIMENTS IN NEUTRON INTERFEROMETRY AND OPTICS AT NIST

Abstract The neutron interferometry and optics facility at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has been in full operation since September 1996 as both a NIST research facility and as a national user facility. Unprecedented performance characteristics have been achieved in interferometry. A very busy schedule of experiments in fundamental physics, applied physics, and materials science has developed.
A Control Theory for Cartesian Flexible Robot Arms

In this article, we first use a fourth order partial differential equation with boundary conditions to model a flexible robot arm on a moving base with a payload at the tip end. Through the state-space formulation, we show that such a system is both controllable and observable in an infinite dimensional Hilbert space. We also show that the system is stabilizable via a feedback control.
Disproportionate Black and Hispanic Unemployment in U.S. Metropolitan Areas: The Roles of Racial Inequality, Segregation and Discrimination in Male Joblessness

Abstract. Three common hypotheses about disproportionate Black and Hispanic unemployment among metropolitan males are tested, using data from the 1980 Population and the 1977 Economic Censuses. It is found that Black and Hispanic male unemployment is higher relative to that of Whites where jobs are most suburbanized and the minority population least so. This supports the view that segregation which separates minorities from job location elevates minority unemployment. It is also found that relative levels of Black, but not Hispanic, unemployment correlate positively to the minority percentage in metropolitan populations. This is consistent with the view that potential White gains from discrimination are greater where the Black (but not Hispanic) population is larger. Finally, both Blacks and Hispanics experience more disproportionate unemployment where their percentage of high school graduates is low relative to Whites, though this is less true for areas with larger Black populations. This suggests that job skill differentials also play some role in disproportionate minority unemployment.
Geotechnical properties of surficial sediments in a mega-corridor: U.S. Atlantic continental slope, rise, and deep-sea basin

Abstract Marine geotechnical studies at The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratories (AOML) for the past fourteen years have resulted in a considerable amount of sediment mass physical properties data, which have provided the basis for a comparative analysis of the surficial sediments of the U.S. Atlantic continental margin and deep-sea basin in a mega-corridor. A synthesis of available mass physical properties data for the Atlantic and Pacific basins was made by Keller and Bennett (1968, 1970). An extensive coring program initiated in 1974 by NOAA along the U.S. Atlantic outer continental margin (outer shelf, slope, and upper rise) between Hydrographer and Hatteras Canyons has provided data for an initial synthesis of the sediment geotechnical properties of the continental slope (Keller et al., 1979). Recent completion of laboratory analyses of the continental rise sediment cores (Lambert et al., in press) offer an opportunity to compare these suites of data. Although the data for the Atlantic deep-sea basin cover a considerably more extensive area than the data for the Atlantic continental margin, there is now adequate geotechnical properties information to show a sharp contrast between predominantly pelagic and hemipelagic deep-sea sediments and continental margin deposits which are primarily terrigenous in origin. In concert with the fining of sediments seaward off the continental margin (Bennett et al., 1977a; Keller et al., 1979), the mean water contents are higher on the rise (95%) than on the slope (88%) and deep basin (86%). In general, average water contents are significantly higher than the liquid limits for surficial slope, rise and basin sediments. Undrained shear strengths average 5–8 kPa for slope, rise and North Atlantic basin deposits, with values for the slope and rise sediments generally higher than the Atlantic basin deposits. Basin deposits have the greatest range in shear strength, as would be expected for such an extensive and sedimentologically diverse area. Sediments associated with the outer Hudson Canyon display the lowest average water content (73%), highest wet unit weight (1.60 Mg/m 3 , wet bulk density) and grain specific gravity (2.76, average grain density) as compared with continental slope, rise and deep-sea Atlantic basin deposits.
User goals on an online public access catalog

An ongoing thread in information retrieval research has been the exploration of user goals (or information needs, or problems) on information retrieval systems. It has been suggested that an understanding of goals and their role in the information retrieval interaction can provide insight into appropriate retrieval strategies, relevant documents, and general system design. This article reports on empirical findings concerning goals of users searching an OPAC at a northeastern United States university. These findings were generated during a large inductive and qualitative study of users' interactions with the OPAC. It was found that respondents came to the OPAC to search for a variety of course- or degree-related projects in which they were engaged. Respondent goals were not greatly modified during the course of these interactions. A set of situational elements associated with the respondent's goal was also identified. The implications of these findings for OPAC design and the training of informational professionals are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
NMR analyses of two isomeric cyclobutanes from a [2 + 2] photocycloaddition

Complete 1H and 13C NMR assignments are reported for two isomeric cyclobutanes generated from the photochemical [2 + 2] cycloaddition of N-methylisocarbostyril and 4-methoxy-3-buten-2-one. The reaction is 100% regioselective and demonstrates the potential synthetic utility of de Mayo type reactions using an isocarbostyril and a stable β-dicarbonyl enol derivative. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using Technology to Enhance the Aging Experience: A Market Analysis of Existing Technologies

As the American population continues to age, there is an increased focus on person-centered care, which offers tremendous promise to improve both the quality and efficiency of care. The key feature is predicated on rethinking the medical model with the ultimate goal of supporting seniors to have more autonomy and control over their treatment and lifestyle as they age. Health information technology is a powerful tool that can support this transition by supporting care coordination, enhancing access, and empowering residents within the nursing home setting while also offering vehicles to provide needed services in home and community-based settings. Electronic health records can be used to increase efficiency, support care coordination, and provide caregivers timely access to information at any time or location. Telehealth includes an array of services that can increase quality and access in an inpatient setting and can also support individuals wishing to age in place. Technology can also be leveraged to increase physical, social, and cognitive stimulation. This paper provides details on a wide array of available health technologies, their benefits, and how these tools will transform the way people age during the next decade.
Migraine, cardiovascular disease, and stroke during pregnancy: Systematic review of the literature:

ObjectiveThe objective of this article is to review the literature relating migraine, cardiovascular disease, and stroke during pregnancy in order to better define the relationship between migraine...
Chloride Mass Balance: Cautions in Predicting Increased Recharge Rates

The chloride-mass-balance (CMB) method has been used extensively to estimate recharge in arid and semi-arid environments. Required data include estimates of annual precipitation, total chloride input (from dry fallout and precipitation), and pore-water chloride concentrations. Typically, CMB has been used to estimate ancient recharge but recharge from recent land-use change has also been documented. Recharge rates below a few mm/yr are reliably detected with CMB; however, estimates above a few mm/yr appear to be less reliable. We tested the CMB method against 26 years of drainage from a 7.6 m deep lysimeter at a simulated waste-burial ground, located on the Department of Energy’s Hanford Site in southeastern Washington State, USA where land-use change has increased recharge rates. Measured drainage from the lysimeter for the past 26 years averaged 62 mm/yr. Precipitation averaged 190 mm/yr with an estimated chloride input of 0.225 mg/L. Initial pore-water chloride concentration was 88 mg/L and decreased to about 6 mg/L after 26 years, while the drainage water decreased to less than 1 mg/L. A recharge estimate made using chloride concentrations in drain water was within 20% of the measured drainage rate. In contrast, recharge estimates using 1:1 (water: soil) extracts were lower than actual bymore » factors ranging from 2 to 8 or more. The results suggest that when recharge is above a few mm/yr, soil water extracts can lead to unreliable estimates of recharge. For conditions of elevated recharge, direct sampling of pore water is the preferred method, because chloride concentrations are often 20 to 50 times higher in directly-sampled pore water than in pore-water extracts.« less
Altered Fos-like immunoreactivity in terminal regions of the mesotelencephalic dopamine system is associated with reappearance of tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity at the sites of focal 6-hydroxydopamine lesions in the nucleus accumbens.

The present study was undertaken in order to determine whether unilateral 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesions in the nucleus accumbens (Acb) affect basal Fos-like immunoreactivity (-LI) in terminal regions of the mesotelencephalic dopamine system. It was hypothesized that dopamine depletion in the Acb would alter activation of mesotelencephalic dopamine neurons perhaps via the striatomesencephalic GABAergic pathway, and that this may be detected as altered basal Fos-LI in mesotelencephalic terminal regions. 6-OHDA treatment effectively depleted tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-LI in well-circumscribed areas of the Acb at 14 days post-lesion, but at 25 days post-lesion all animals showed a reappearance of TH-LI staining in the lesioned region. When data from a number of mesotelencephalic terminals regions was pooled, Fos-LI cell density was higher in the sham and lesion 14-day groups and sham 25-day group than both the 25-day lesion group and untreated controls. The present study demonstrates that unilateral sham and 6-OHDA lesions in the Acb may have repercussions throughout the mesotelencephalic dopamine system. Further investigation is necessary to determine whether reappearance of TH-LI at the lesion site contributes to the return of Fos-LI to basal levels.