cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Helium diffusion parameters of hematite from a single-diffusion-domain crystal

This contribution reports new parameters for helium diffusion in hematite useful for interpretation of cosmogenic ^3He and radiogenic ^4He chronometry. Fragments of a coarse, euhedral single crystal of hematite from Minas Gerais, Brazil were subjected to bulk step-heating helium diffusion experiments after proton irradiation to make a uniform distribution of ^3He. Aliquots of three different grain sizes ranging from ∼300 to ∼700 μm in equivalent-sphere radius yielded helium diffusion activation energies E_a∼170 kJ/mol, very similar to previous estimates for E_a in hematite. Uniquely in this specimen, diffusivity varies with the dimensions of the analyzed fragments in precisely the fashion expected if the diffusion domain corresponds to the physical grain. This contrasts with previous studies that concluded that the analyzed hematites consist of polycrystalline aggregates in which helium migration is governed by the size distribution of the constituent crystallites. These new data permit a direct estimate of the helium diffusivity at infinite temperature for hematite of ln(D_o) = -0.66 ± 0.35 cm^2/sec. The major implication of the new diffusion parameters is that hematite is very retentive of helium even at very small crystal sizes. For example, a 20 nm radius hematite crystal, at the smallest end of the size range so far described in dated polycrystalline hematite specimens, will retain more than 99% of its ingrown He over 1 Myr at 30°C, and more than 90% over 100 Myr. Under most conditions, hematite is close to quantitatively helium-retentive on the Earth's surface, simplifying radiogenic and cosmogenic helium dating of this phase. In a system cooling at 10°C/Myr, the 20 nm hematite crystal has a He closure temperature of ∼70°C, similar to a typical ∼100 μm apatite crystal. Helium is likely held tightly in hematite owing to its dense hexagonal closest packing structure and absence of migration-enhancing channels. The isostructural minerals corundum and sapphire are likely to be similarly helium retentive.
A cross-sectional analysis of clinical evaluation in 35 individuals with mutations of the valosin-containing protein gene

Inclusion body myopathy (IBM) associated with Paget disease of the bone and frontotemporal dementia or IBMPFD is an autosomal dominant degenerative disorder caused by mutations in the valosin-containing protein (VCP) gene. We aim to establish a detailed clinical phenotype of VCP disease amongst 35 (28 affected individuals, 7 presymptomatic gene carriers) individuals versus 14 unaffected first-degree relatives in 14 families to establish useful biomarkers for IBMPFD and identify the most meaningful tests for monitoring disease progression in future clinical trials. Comprehensive studies included the Inclusion Body Myositis Functional Rating Scale (IBMFRS) and fatigue severity scale questionairres, strength measurements using the Manual Muscle Test with Medical Research Council (MRC) scales, hand-held dynamometry using the microFET and Biodex dynamometers, 6 minute walk test (6MWT), and pulmonary function studies. Strong correlation was observed between the IBMFRS and measurements of muscle strength with dynamometry and the other functional tests, indicating that it may be utilized in long-term follow-up assessments due to its relative simplicity. This cross-section study represents the most comprehensive evaluation of individuals with VCP disease to date and provides a useful guide for evaluating and possible monitoring of muscle weakness and pulmonary function progression in this unique cohort of individuals.
Legal Responses to Sexual Violence

It may fairly be concluded at this point that virtually all discretionary decisions about sexual offenders are firmly, perhaps hopelessly, embedded in a quagmire of social and political logomachy. Indeed, the heat of political and social debate far exceeds the light that is cast on the problem of sexual violence. The age-old struggle, dating back to the Old Testament, between the visceral need to inflict punishment and the occasional recognition of the potential shortcomings of punishment is manifestly evident in the legislative ambivalence that has enacted, repealed, and reenacted sexual psychopath laws throughout the United States for the last half century. There is no evidence that anything has changed over the past 60 years. Indeed, all available evidence indicates that the pattern is alive and well. As we move into the next millennium, we find ourselves in the throes of profound social and legislative ambivalence regarding the efficacy of the predator laws that have swept the country for the past decade.
Conceptualizing the Ambivalent Role of Technology in International Relations: Between Systemic Change and Continuity

Departing from Kranzberg’s thesis that technology is neither good, nor bad, nor neutral, this chapter argues that technology as a multi-facetted—and ultimately deeply political—phenomenon impacts the global system in a variety of ways, thereby representing a formidable conceptual challenge to the disciplines of International Relations and International Political Economy. In order to theorize questions of systemic evolution between transformation and continuity, the goals and capabilities of actors, system conditions as well as technology-inherent aspects have to be analyzed in an integrated—and often interdisciplinary—way. The chapter argues that a combination of major perspectives of Science and Technology Studies and different theories of International Relations/International Political Economy enable us to highlight the ambivalence of technology and technology-related aspects of global politics and economics, such as power, interdependence, systemic interaction capacity and the socially constructed meaning/interpretation of technology. While focusing on the case of information and communication technologies, the chapter will demonstrate that by defining technology as an ambivalent endogenous core component of the global system, instead of relegating it to the role of a value-neutral external and residual variable, technology itself increasingly becomes the contested terrain on which security, economic and identity struggles play out.
Factors Associated with Sexual Intercourse Among African-Born Adolescents in Southern California

Based on the theory of planned behavior the research aims were to: (a) ascertain how attitude, subjective norm, and perceived control predict intentions to engage in sexual intercourse among Black, African-born adolescents in Southern California; and (b) determine how behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, and control beliefs predict attitude, subjective norm and perceived control. A questionnaire was developed based on focus group findings. One hundred and thirty-five adolescents aged 15 to 19 years completed the questionnaire. The strongest predictor of intention was attitude, then subjective norm. Enjoying sex, “wanting to be a parent” and to “keep sexual partners” predicted attitude. Educative, informative, cultural and faith based programs, if initiated may help African adolescents in Southern California.
Robust Techniques for the User

Publisher Summary This chapter provides an overview of the things a user needs to remember while using robust techniques. The classical methods, means, variances, and least squares, are unsafe. It is perfectly proper to use both classical and robust/resistant methods routinely, and only worry when they differ enough to matter. However, when they differ, the user should think hard about the issue. The user needs a reasonably self-consistent set of procedures that are reasonably easy to use and reasonably easy to describe. Three things that the user needs to be clear about are: (1) efficiency, (2) order statistics and their linear combinations, and (3) multiple challenges related to the statistical techniques applicable to diverse challenges and assessments of the same.
Social and neuromolecular phenotypes are programmed by prenatal exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals

Exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) affect the development of hormone-sensitive neural circuits, the proper organization of which are necessary for the manifestation of appropriate adult social and sexual behaviors. We examined whether prenatal exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a family of ubiquitous industrial contaminants detectable in virtually all humans and wildlife, caused changes in sexually-dimorphic social interactions and communications, and profiled the underlying neuromolecular phenotype. Rats were treated with a PCB commercial mixture, Aroclor 1221 (A1221), estradiol benzoate (EB) as a positive control for estrogenic effects of A1221, or the vehicle (4% DMSO), on embryonic day (E) 16 and 18. In adult F1 offspring, we first conducted tests of ultrasonic vocalization (USV) calls in a sociosexual context as a measure of motivated communications. Numbers of certain USV call types were significantly increased by prenatal treatment with A1221 in males, and decreased by EB in females. In a test of sociosexual preference for a hormone-vs. a non-hormone-primed opposite sex conspecific, male (but not female) nose-touching with opposite-sex rats was significantly diminished by EDCs. Gene expression profiling was conducted in two brain regions that are part of the social decision-making network in the brain: the medial preoptic nucleus (MPN) and the ventromedial nucleus (VMN). In both regions, many more genes were affected by A1221 or EB in females than males. In female MPN, A1221 changed expression of steroid hormone receptor and neuropeptide genes (e.g., Ar, Esr1, Esr2, and Kiss1). In male MPN, only Per2 was affected by A1221. The VMN had a number of genes affected by EB compared to vehicle (females: Kiss1, Kiss1r, Pgr; males: Crh) but not A1221. These differences between EB and A1221 indicate that the mechanism of action of A1221 goes beyond estrogenic pathways. These data show sex-specific effects of prenatal PCBs on adult behaviors and the neuromolecular phenotype.
Proteomics of human glioblastoma multiforme: Correlation of serum proteomic patterns to tissue proteomic patterns and magnetic resonance imaging

5230 Currently there are no serum biomarkers for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and no simple method exists for following the disease course in patients to test new therapies. In previous studies, we have shown that there are major differences in the protein expression patterns in the tumors of GBM patients that correlated with T1-weighted contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance images (CE-MRI). Tissue samples obtained from contrast-enhanced and nonenhanced tumor regions showed differential genomic expression patterns and qualitative and semiquantitative proteomic pattern differences. We hypothesized that the breakdown of the blood-brain barrier coupled with the high vascularity of GBM would lead to changes in the serum proteome that we could detect using surface enhanced laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectroscopy (SELDI-TOF-MS). In this study, we examined the low molecular weight serum peptides (
How much of US health care spending provides direct care or benefit to patients

Plans to optimize health care in the United States highlight the high cost but rarely explore opportunities for redirecting resources within the existing system to increase access to care while lowering spending. This analysis indicates that, of the total national health care expenditures of $3.21 trillion in 2015, only $1.4 trillion to $2.86 trillion was used to provide care to patients. This range was reached by the subtraction of excess spending in 7 categories. Thus, many opportunities exist to repurpose wasted expenditures to increase access to health care without the need for additional funding.
A Prospective Analysis of Radiation Oncologist Compliance With Early Peer Review Recommendations

Purpose We conducted a prospective observational cohort study of physician compliance with daily early pretreatment planning peer review recommendations and quantified factors associated with compliance. Methods and Materials All patient cases in our department are presented at 2 peer review conferences: (1) “early” preplanning, occurring daily for patients who have undergone simulation review, and (2) “late” (chart rounds), occurring weekly for patients who have started treatment. Peer review recommendations were prospectively recorded during early review, and compliance with recommendations was determined at chart rounds. Recommendations were assigned magnitude scores (minor, moderate, or major). We analyzed the association of patient, physician, and recommendation characteristics and compliance (scored as a binary variable) with early peer review recommendations, using logistic regression with a mixed effects model. Results From February 2017 to May 2018, 1271 patient cases underwent early peer review, and 326 (26%) received peer-based recommendations. Of 356 recommendations, 37% were minor, 36% were moderate, and 27% were major. Overall compliance was 59% (95% confidence interval, 54%-64%). On univariate analysis, compliance decreased as the recommendation magnitude increased (minor, 65%; moderate, 60%; major, 47%; P = .019; odds ratio, 0.71 per increase in magnitude). Compliance also differed among different treating physicians (range, 38%-73%, χ2 test, P = .003) but was not associated with other physician characteristics. Disease group and treatment technique were not associated with compliance. On multivariable analysis, increasing recommendation magnitude remained significantly associated with decreased compliance (multivariate P = .042; odds ratio, 0.74). Conclusions Daily early peer review resulted in a substantial proportion of recommended changes. Compliance with early peer review recommendations was fair but varied among physicians. Compliance declined with increasing recommendation magnitude, suggesting that physicians may be reluctant to adopt major changes. These results highlight the potential importance of peer review timing.
Broadening Participation in Computing: Putting Our Work in Context

Broadening the participation of women in computing has increasingly become a focus of computing education research over the past several years. To be sure, the field of computing has unique challenges that merit close examination. At the same time, social scientists have built large bodies of literature related to gender equity across disciplines that span several decades, much of it critical to how we understand (in)equity in computing. This panel will provide perspectives from scholars with expertise in a variety of disciplines, including computer science, higher education, and educational psychology. Panelists will share relevant research from their home disciplines and initiate a discussion on the future of computing education research.
Helium irradiation induced ultra-high strength nanotwinned Cu with nanovoids

Abstract There are increasing studies that show nanotwinned (NT) metals have enhanced radiation tolerance. However, the mechanical deformability of irradiated nanotwinned metals is a largely under explored subject. Here we investigate the mechanical properties of He ion irradiated nanotwinned Cu with preexisting nanovoids. In comparison with coarse-grained Cu, nanovoid nanotwinned (NV-NT) Cu exhibits prominently improved radiation tolerance. Furthermore, in situ micropillar compression tests show that the irradiated NV-NT Cu has an ultrahigh yield strength of ∼1.6 GPa with significant plasticity. Post radiation analyses show that twin boundaries are decorated with He bubbles and thick stacking faults. These stacking fault modified twin boundaries introduce significant strengthening in NT Cu. This study provides further insight into the design of high-strength, advanced radiation tolerant nanostructured materials.
Generation of Polyphenylene Sulfide Reinforced with a Thermotropic Liquid Crystalline Polymer for Application in Fused Filament Fabrication

Abstract In this work, polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) was reinforced with a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer (TLCP) to generate composite filaments for use in Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF). Because of non-overlapping processing temperatures, rheology enabled taking the advantage of the dual extrusion technology, which generated nearly continuously reinforced filaments that exhibited a tensile strength and modulus of 155.0 ± 24.2 MPa and 40.4 ± 7.5 GPa, respectively. On printing using these filaments, the maximum tensile strength and modulus obtained were 108.5 ± 19.4 MPa and 25.9 ± 1.1 GPa, respectively, higher than the properties reported on using short fiber composites. Moreover, the tensile strength was lower, and the tensile modulus was higher in comparison with the reported use of continuous fibers. Additionally, the tensile properties in the print direction were higher than those of compression molded samples. The nearly continuous reinforcement did not restrict the mobility of the printer, unlike the reported performance of the continuously reinforced carbon fiber thermoplastics in FFF.
Activation of the Canonical Notch Signaling Pathway in the Hematopoietic Microenvironment Is Required to Maintain Normal Hematopoiesis

Abstract 723 Recent studies demonstrated that the causes of Myeloproliferative syndromes (MPS) is not limited to factors intrinsic to hematopoietic cells, but include also non-cell autonomous mechanisms. Here, we demonstrate that loss of CSL-dependent Notch signaling in the hematopoietic microenvironment leads to a lethal myeloproliferative disorder. Following pIpC induction, Mx1-Cre+/RBP-J lox/lox mice showed a significantly increase in granulocyte/macrophage progenitors and granulocytes in bone marrow (BM), peripheral blood, spleen and liver and died by week 16–20. Survival at 5 months was 12% for the RBPJ KO mice compared to 100% for the control mice. Transplant studies revealed that the myeloproliferative disorder occurred rapidly when WT-hematopoietic cells were transplanted into MX1-Cre+/RBP-J lox/lox -recipients, whereas WT-recipients of MX1-Cre+/RBP-J lox/lox hematopoietic cells did not show onset of diseases at 6 months of follow-up. Furthermore, the disease was not transplantable in WT-recipients, indicating that abnormal Notch signaling in the microenvironment is critical for the development and sustainment of MPS. Transplants conducted with Lys/GFP HSC as WT donor cells, showed that transplant of myeloid progenitors (LK) are sufficient for the development of disease, as documented by rapid expansion of LK-Lys/GFP cells into MX1-Cre+/RBP-J lox/lox recipients by intravital microscopy of the BM niche. Levels of hematopoietic cytokines were not significantly different in MX1-Cre+/RBP-J lox/lox recipients prior to transplantation. Histological analysis of BM and spleen showed increased microvascular density and increased CD31+ EC by IHC. To dissect the mechanisms, we analyzed different cellular components of the microenvironment. Mx1Cre driven deletion of RBP-J occurred in osteoblasts, endothelial progenitors and mesenchymal stem cells. Co-culture experiments of HSC with these different cell types suggested cooperative effects in altering proliferation and differentiation of myeloid cells. Crosses of RBP-J lox/lox mice with mice bearing cell type promoter specific Cre are ongoing to determine the cellular type(s) critical for the myeloid expansion and to identify downstream molecular mediators. These studies will provide further insights on the role of the microenvironment in contributing to myeloid proliferative diseases and leukemia. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
An ecological model of suicidal behavior among students with gifts and talents

Some students with gifts and talents (SWGT) are among the thousands of youths who die by suicide every year, although there is no way to know how many. Research indicates they are not more likely t...
Pilot Study to Assess the Use of Ultrasound in Evaluating the Abnormal Pediatric Airway

In this study, we sought to explore the feasibility of using ultrasonography to evaluate airway anomalies in awake children with previous airway reconstruction. For the month of December 2018, we reviewed the medical records of patients aged <18 years old with prior airway reconstruction who had an outpatient appointment and a microlaryngoscopy and bronchoscopy within 24 hours of each other. Four patients met inclusion criteria and were enrolled. Sonographic airway images and measurements were obtained during the outpatient appointment and compared with those obtained during endoscopy. Ultrasound identified extraluminal stents and glottic, subglottic, and tracheal pathology. Subglottic measurements obtained sonographically were within 0.1 to 0.5 mm of the outer diameter of the appropriate endotracheal tubes. Ultrasound did not visualize tracheotomy tubes or posterolateral pathology. Our findings lay the foundation for expanding the role of ultrasound in pediatric airway assessment, keeping in mind its apparent inability to visualize posterolateral airway pathology.
The Invisible Hand of the State: A Critical Historical Analysis of Prison Gangs in California:

This article provides a critical historical analysis of the formation and proliferation of some of the earliest and most well-known prison gangs in the California Department of Corrections and Reha...
A Gradient-Aware Search Algorithm for Constrained Markov Decision Processes.

The canonical solution methodology for finite constrained Markov decision processes (CMDPs), where the objective is to maximize the expected infinite-horizon discounted rewards subject to the expected infinite-horizon discounted costs constraints, is based on convex linear programming. In this brief, we first prove that the optimization objective in the dual linear program of a finite CMDP is a piece-wise linear convex function (PWLC) with respect to the Lagrange penalty multipliers. Next, we propose a novel two-level Gradient-Aware Search (GAS) algorithm which exploits the PWLC structure to find the optimal state-value function and Lagrange penalty multipliers of a finite CMDP. The proposed algorithm is applied in two stochastic control problems with constraints: robot navigation in a grid world and solar-powered unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)-based wireless network management. We empirically compare the convergence performance of the proposed GAS algorithm with binary search (BS), Lagrangian primal-dual optimization (PDO), and Linear Programming (LP). Compared with benchmark algorithms, it is shown that the proposed GAS algorithm converges to the optimal solution faster, does not require hyper-parameter tuning, and is not sensitive to initialization of the Lagrange penalty multiplier.
El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz: the Continuity and Legacy of a Critical Africana Human Rights Consciousness

This article places El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz’s praxis, as well as the Africana [Black] movement for freedom, into a human rights discourse. Exploring his evolution into an internationalist activist-theoretician in five rhythmic movements, if you will, the opening; the transitioning; the solidification; the influencing; and the continuities, it is the central premise of this article that in order to truly grasp the breadth and depth of the Africana [Black] struggle for freedom we must explore those involved and their contributions as a product of a critical human rights consciousness. Accordingly, El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz becomes an archetype in this regard. This idea rests upon the assertion that his praxis, albeit incomplete, due to his untimely death, represents an important nexus in the Africana struggle for freedom, merging various manifestations of radical praxis into a clearer articulation of the Black radical tradition.
UNIVERSITY AND THE (UN)SUCCESSFULNESS OF THE STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT FOR INNOVATION

ABSTRACT: The article aims to identify, from the perspective of strategic managers, categories that participate in the establishment of an innovation culture in community universities in southern Brazil. The method is based on exploratory, qualitative research using a multiple case study and considering a group of Brazilian universities as the analysis unit. Interviews were conducted with 67 managers from 14 higher education institutions, as well as legal provisions, documents, scenario studies, and market research. The results point to the need for universities to work in a competitive strategic positioning; approaching of academia and market times; guaranteeing innovation of the sustainable management principle; internationalization as an indicator of innovation; curricular inflection and formation of innovative leaderships. Our contribution lies in proposing that universities, regardless of their state, private or community status must follow a strategic plan that is competitive in the market and boosts the innovation culture.
New Cutoffs for the Biochemical Diagnosis of Adrenal Insufficiency after ACTH Stimulation using Specific Cortisol Assays.

Context The normal cortisol response 30 or 60 minutes after cosyntropin (ACTH[1-24]) is considered to be ≥18 μg/dL (500 nmol/L). This threshold is based on older serum cortisol assays. Specific monoclonal antibody immunoassays or LC-MS/MS may have lower thresholds for a normal response. Objective To calculate serum cortisol cutoff values for adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) stimulation testing with newer specific cortisol assays. Methods Retrospective analysis of ACTH stimulation tests performed in ambulatory and hospitalized patients suspected of adrenal insufficiency (AI). Serum samples were assayed for cortisol in parallel using Elecsys I and Elecsys II immunoassays, and when volume was available, by Access immunoassay and LC-MS/MS. Results A total of 110 patients were evaluated. Using 18 μg/dL as the cortisol cutoff after ACTH stimulation, 14.5%, 29%, 22.4%, and 32% of patients had a biochemical diagnosis of AI using the Elecsys I, Elecsys II, Access, and LC-MS/MS assays, respectively. Deming regressions of serum cortisol were used to calculate new cortisol cutoffs based on the Elecsys I cutoff of 18 μg/dL. For 30-minute values, new cutoffs were 14.6 μg/dL for Elecsys II, 14.8 μg/dL for Access, and 14.5 μg/dL for LC-MS/MS. Baseline cortisol <2 μg/dL was predictive of subnormal stimulated cortisol values. Conclusion To reduce false positive ACTH stimulation testing, we recommend a new serum cortisol cutoff of 14 to 15 μg/dL depending on the assay used (instead of the historical value of 18 μg/dL with older polyclonal antibody assays). Clinicians should be aware of the new cutoffs for the assays available to them when evaluating patients for AI.
15 The impact of COVID-19 on palliative care at wirral hospice St john’s

Background COVID-19 was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organisation on 12th March 2020. Whilst COVID-19’s general impact on health systems is well documented at a national and international level, is as yet unknown how individual hospice-based palliative care services have been affected. Aims To assess how COVID-19 affected the palliative care service at Wirral Hospice St John’s (WHSJ). Methods The first wave of COVID-19 cases in the UK initially peaked during March, April and May 2020. We collected data from the Hospice’s local data system comparing those months in 2020 with 2018 and 2019, as well as longitudinally from September 2018 until present. We looked at inpatient referrals, inpatient length of stay, time from admission to death, outpatient referrals, and outpatient deaths. Secondary outcomes investigated included referral sources to WHSJ outpatient services, and time waiting for a package of care, both measured longitudinally from January 2019 until present. Results The most significant result found from this study revealed a 64% drop in average monthly outpatient referrals to the hospice during the 1st peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, dropping to 17.3 in March to May 2020, compared with 46 in the same monthly period in 2018 and 51.3 in 2019. This trend is even more apparent when viewed over a full two-year timeframe. Further to this, a sharp decline in the number of hospital referrals to outpatient services was seen, dropping from 19 in February to 5 in April 2020. Discussion/Conclusions The main conclusion that can be drawn from this dataset is that COVID-19 pandemic likely reduced the rate of outpatient referrals to WHSJ. The sizeable reduction is likely multifactorial; due to patients shielding, a reduction in face-to-face GP reviews, reduced hospital admissions for non-COVID-related diseases, wellbeing services unavailability, and a perceived reduction in service capacity.
Ionized Gas in Damped Lyα Protogalaxies. I. Model-independent Inferences from Kinematic Data

We investigate the kinematics of ionized and neutral gas in a sample of 35 damped Lyα systems (protogalaxies) using accurate quasar spectra obtained with HIRES, the echelle spectrograph on the Keck I 10 m telescope. Velocity profiles with resolution of ~8 km s-1 are obtained for high ions such as C IV and Si IV, and for intermediate ions such as Al III. Combining these profiles with similar quality profiles obtained previously for low ions such as Fe II, we investigate the kinematic state of damped Lyα protogalaxies in the redshift range 1.8 < z < 4.4 by comparisons between data for various ion pairs. We find that the damped Lyα protogalaxies comprise distinct kinematic subsystems: a low-ion subsystem in which the low ions are physically associated with intermediate ions, and a high-ion subsystem containing neither low nor intermediate ions. The evidence for two subsystems stems from (1) differences between the widths of the velocity profiles, (2) misalignment in velocity space between the narrow components that make up the profiles in each subsystem, and (3) significant dissimilarities between the mean velocities of the high-ion and low-ion velocity profiles. In every case we find that test statistics such as velocity width and various asymmetry parameters distribute differently for low and high ions. We also find that the absence of intermediate and low ions from the high-ion subsystem indicates the latter is optically thin at the Lyman limit. Despite misalignment between their velocity components, the low- and high-ion kinematic subsystems are interrelated. This is indicated by detection of a statistically significant C IV versus low-ion cross-correlation function. It is also indicated by a systematic effect in which the C IV velocity widths are greater than or equal to the low-ion velocity widths in 29 out of 32 systems. These phenomena are consistent with the location of the two subsystems in the same potential well.
Active Learning in Context-Driven Stream Mining With an Application to Image Mining

We propose an image stream mining method in which images arrive with contexts (metadata) and need to be processed in real time by the image mining system (IMS), which needs to make predictions and derive actionable intelligence from these streams. After extracting the features of the image by preprocessing, IMS determines online the classifier to use on the extracted features to make a prediction using the context of the image. A key challenge associated with stream mining is that the prediction accuracy of the classifiers is unknown, since the image source is unknown; thus, these accuracies need to be learned online. Another key challenge of stream mining is that learning can only be done by observing the true label, but this is costly to obtain. To address these challenges, we model the image stream mining problem as an active, online contextual experts problem, where the context of the image is used to guide the classifier selection decision. We develop an active learning algorithm and show that it achieves regret sublinear in the number of images that have been observed so far. To further illustrate and assess the performance of our proposed methods, we apply them to diagnose breast cancer from the images of cellular samples obtained from the fine needle aspirate of breast mass. Our findings show that very high diagnosis accuracy can be achieved by actively obtaining only a small fraction of true labels through surgical biopsies. Other applications include video surveillance and video traffic monitoring.
Recovering from the Effects of Natural Disaster: The Case of Urban Cagayan de Oro, Philippines

Tropical Storm Washi hit urban Cagayan de Oro, the Philippines, in 2011. It left some 2000 people dead or missing. Thousands of survivor households had to be resettled. Local and international relief groups put up housing structures, health and sanitation facilities, and livelihood opportunities. This paper posits that the survivor households have recovered their level of living given the inputs from outside groups, and despite cohesion and ethnicity issues commonly attendant to new neighborhoods. This paper uses data from a survey of 674 respondents in resettlement and village communities. Data show that while the two communities have similar ethnic diversity, the village community shows a statistically significant advantage over the resettlement community in level of living, which suggests that the latter has not recovered yet from the devastation. Cohesion is facilitated by social organizations. Members of social organizations have higher level of living than non-members. And when organizational membership is controlled for, the advantage of the village community in level of living disappears. It is argued therefore that more efforts from the resettlement communities with support from the local government units, civil society organizations, and humanitarian groups are needed to improve the survivors’ living conditions via enhanced campaigns for membership in social organizations. Key Words: Natural Disaster, Cagayan de Oro, Level of Living
TBE: A Graphical Interface for Writing Trigger Rules in Active Databases

One of the obstacles that hinder trigger systems from their wide deployment is the lack of tools that aid users to create trigger rules. Similar to understanding and specifying database queries in SQL3, it is difficult to visualize the meaning of trigger rules. Furthermore, it is even more difficult to write trigger rules using such text-based trigger rule language as SQL3. In this paper, we propose TBE (Trigger-By-Example) to remedy such problems in writing trigger rules by using QBE (Query-ByExample) ideas. TBE is a graphical trigger rule specification language and system to help the users understand and specify active database triggers. TBE retains benefits of QBE while extending features to support triggers. Hence, TBE is a useful tool for novice users to create simple triggers in a visual and intuitive manner. Further, since TBE is designed to hide the details of underlying trigger systems from users, it can be used as a universal trigger interface.
A heuristic approach for measurement-based admission control with variable-size window

A measurement-based admission control algorithm using a variable-size window is developed. The size of the measurement window is varied according to the estimate of the variance of the traffic in the measurement window. We use a small measurement window when the traffic is smooth (small variations) and we use large measurement window when the traffic is bursty (large variations). Our simulation studies provide results that complement two existing works (see Breslau, L. et al., 2000; Lee, S.K. and Song, J.S., 1998). On the one hand, we conclude that when the desired utilization rate is low, measurement-based admission control algorithms using a variable-size measurement window can improve the performance over algorithms using a fixed-size window. On the other hand, when the desired utilization rate is high, measurement-based admission control algorithms using a variable-size window and using a fixed-size window provide nearly identical performance results.
Microbial Dissimilatory Sulfur Cycle in Acid Mine Water

Ferric, sulfate, and hydrogen ions are produced from pyritic minerals associated with coal as a result of autotrophic bacterial metabolism. Water carrying these ions accumulated behind a porous dam composed of wood dust originating at a log-cutting mill. As water seeped through the porous dam, it was enriched in organic nutrients which then supported growth and metabolism of heterotrophic bacteria in the water downstream from the dam. The heterotrophic microflora within and below the sawdust dam included dissimilatory sulfate-reducing anaerobic bacteria which reduce sulfate to sulfide. The sulfide produced caused the chemical reduction of ferric to ferrous ion, and black FeS precipitate was deposited on the pond bottom. A net increase in the pH of the lower pond water was observed when compared to the upper pond water. Microbial activity in the wood dust was demonstrated, and a sequence of cellulose degradation processes was inferred on the basis of sugar accumulation in mixed cultures in the laboratory, ultimately yielding fermentation products which serve as nutrients for sulfate-reducing bacteria. Some of the microorganisms were isolated and characterized. The biochemical and growth characteristics of pure culture isolates were generally consistent with observed reactions in the acidic environment, with the exception of sulfate-reducing bacteria. Mixed cultures which contained sulfate-reducing bacteria reduced sulfate at pH 3.0 in the laboratory with sawdust as the only nutrient. Pure cultures of sulfate-reducing bacteria isolated from the mixed cultures did not reduce sulfate below pH 5.5.
Comment on form-factor shape and extraction of |V(ub)| from B ---> pi l nu

Abstract We point out that current experimental data for partial B → π l ν branching fractions reduce the theoretical input required for a precise extraction of | V u b | to the form-factor normalization at a single value of the pion energy. We show that the heavy-quark expansion provides a bound on the form-factor shape that is orders of magnitude more stringent than conventional unitarity bounds. We find | V u b | = ( 3.7 ± 0.2 ± 0.1 ) × [ 0.8 / F + ( 16 GeV 2 ) ] . The first error is from the experimental branching fractions, and the second is a conservative bound on the residual form-factor shape uncertainty, both of which will improve with additional data. Together with current and future lattice determinations of the form-factor normalization this result gives an accurate, model independent determination of | V u b | . We further extract semileptonic shape observables such as | V u b F + ( 0 ) | = 0.92 ± 0.11 ± 0.03 and show how these observables can be used to test factorization and to determine low-energy parameters in hadronic B decays.
A study of time redundant fault tolerance techniques for superscalar processors

As more and more transistors are incorporated into processor chips, the circuits are becoming more and more error-prone, necessitating the introduction of fault tolerance techniques. This paper investigates techniques to incorporate fault tolerance in superscalar processors by exploiting the functional unit redundancy available in these processors. The schemes investigated in this paper do not require any modifications to the instruction set architecture of the machine, and no additional instructions are added by the compiler. The paper also presents the results of a simulation study that we conducted to analyze the performance impact of the investigated fault tolerance schemes.
Effects of Regulation on Prepayment and Default of Subprime Mortgages

This study examines the effects of restrictions on prepayment penalties on prepayment and default termination of subprime mortgages from both a theoretical and empirical perspective. The theoretical results suggest that, if lenders substitute points for prepayment penalties, prepayment rates will rise and defaults fall. Consistent with predictions of theoretical model empirical results indicate that predatory lending laws lowered default rates and raised prepayment rates in the subprime market. Estimates from competing risks models of mortgage termination on 30-year fixed-rate subprime mortgage data suggest that, controlling for other factors, the estimated probabilities of prepayment are higher in the states that have introduced predatory lending laws and restricted prepayment penalties. Though no definite conclusions could be drawn regarding the effect of state laws on subprime defaults, there is some evidence that early defaults have decreased as the scope of regulation expanded.
Quantitative Analysis of Nearest-Neighbors Search in High-Dimensional Sampling-Based Motion Planning

We quantitatively analyze the performance of exact and approximate nearest-neighbors algorithms on increasingly high-dimensional problems in the context of sampling-based motion planning. We study the impact of the dimension, number of samples, distance metrics, and sampling schemes on the efficiency and accuracy of nearest-neighbors algorithms. Efficiency measures computation time and accuracy indicates similarity between exact and approximate nearest neighbors.
SUC1 gene of Saccharomyces: a structural gene for the large (glycoprotein) and small (carbohydrate-free) forms of invertase.

Abstract Saccharomyces cerevisiae revertant strain D10-ER1 has been shown to contain thermosensitive forms of the large (glycoprotein) and small (carbohydrate-free) invertases and a very low level of the small enzyme, along with a wild-type level of the large form (T. Mizunaga et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 1:460-468, 1981). These characteristics cosegregated in crosses of the revertant strain with wild-type sucrose-fermenting (SUC1) or nonfermenting (suc0) strains. In addition, there is tight linkage between sucrose and maltose fermentation in revertant D10-ER1 (characteristic of the SUC1 and MAL1 genes). From this we infer that a single reversion event is responsible for the several changes observed in D10-ER1, and that this mutation maps within or very close to the SUC1 gene present in the ancestor strain 4059-358D. The revertant SUC1 allele in D10-ER1 (termed SUC1-R1) was expressed independently of the wild-type SUC1 gene when both were present in diploid cells. Diploids carrying only the wild-type or the mutant genes synthesized invertases with the characteristics of the parental Suc+ haploids. The possibility that a modifier gene was responsible for the alterations in the invertases of revertant D10-ER1 was ruled out by appropriate crosses. We conclude that SUC1 is a structural gene that codes for both the large and the small forms of invertase and suggest that SUC2 through SUC5 are structural genes as well.
The Greisen–Zatzepin–Kuzmin feature in our neighborhood of the universe

Abstract We calculate numerically the spectrum of ultra-high energy cosmic rays on Earth assuming that their sources are distributed in space like the observed galaxies. We use the CfA2 and the PSCz galaxy redshift surveys to model the local galaxy distribution, properly taking into account the galaxy selection functions for each survey. When the survey selection effects are included, we find that the local overdensity is only a factor of 2, an order of magnitude less than used in some earlier studies. An overdensity of 2 is not enough to bridge the gap between the predicted number of events above 1020 eV and the measured flux at these highest energies. This conclusion is particularly strong for soft injection spectra (∝E−3) where the observed number of events is 6σ higher than the expected one. However, if the injection spectrum is hard (∝E−2), the small local overdensity helps bring the present data within 2σ of the low number of events predicted above 1020 eV. In this case, the Greisen–Zatzepin–Kuzmin cutoff is not a cutoff but rather a feature in the cosmic ray spectrum.
The Effect of Keyboarding and Presentation Format on the Recall of Accent Marks in L2 Learners of French

Are there some implementations of technology in the language classroom which lead to measurable advantages over others? Sturm and Golato (in press) found considerable variance on dictee tests within groups of students who practiced a list of accent-bearing target words by handwriting, typing using preprogrammed function keys, or typing using ALT+ numeric codes. These results contradict the results of Gascogine-Lally (2000), who found that students who typed a paragraph recalled accents better than those who wrote the paragraph by hand. The present study seeks to explore the difference between the two studies. Participants were exposed to Gascoigne-Lally's paragraph, as well as a set of words in both list and paragraph form. One-way ANOVAs revealed no significant differences between groups, although repeated-measures ANOVAs revealed differences within participants on different sets of target words on immediate posttests. The results of this study encourage future research to investigate the results obtained by Gascoigne-Lally as well as Sturm and Golato.
Revolving door laws and state public utility commissioners

This paper investigates the effects of revolving door regulations – laws that restrict the post-government employment opportunities of public sector workers – on the characteristics of state public utility commissioners. We find that commissioners from states with revolving door regulations have less expertise, serve shorter terms, and are less likely to be subsequently employed by the private sector, compared with their counterparts from states without revolving door laws. These findings suggest that revolving door regulations may have costly unintended consequences.
Navigating a Literacy Landscape: Teaching Conceptual Understanding with Multiple Text Types

The authors draw on Cognitive Flexibility Theory (Spiro, Coulson, Feltovich, & Anderson, 2004) as a lens to examine one seventh-grade English language arts teacher's pedagogical approach to using m...
Applicability of the fluorescein diacetate method of detecting active bacteria in freshwater.

Fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis was evaluated as a means to detect actively metabolizing bacteria in freshwater. Fluorescein diacetate, a nonfluorescent derivative of fluorescein, can be transported across cell membranes and deacetylated by nonspecific esterases. Resultant fluorescein accumulates within cells and allows direct visualization by epifluorescent microscopy. Application of FDA to a variety of freshwater habitats yielded estimates of active cells ranging from 6–24% of the total population. These estimates were 49–61% lower than estimates of active cells obtained from measures of electron transport activity. The difference was attributed to low permeability of the fluorogen through the outer membrane of heterotrophic gram-negative cells. Data suggest that FDA hydrolysis as a means of detecting active bacteria may be limited to environments rich in eucaryotes and gram-positive cells.
The bacterial Min system

A mother cell giving rise to offspring usually needs to choose the site of cytokinesis carefully, as this will determine the size and shape of the daughter cells. Rod-shaped bacteria that divide by binary fission, such as Escherichia coli, often mark their cell division sites at their cell midpoint so that daughter cells are roughly equivalent in size and shape. So how does E. coli know where its middle is? Its cell poles are defined by the previous cell division, but, because E. coli grows by incorporating new cell wall and membrane uniformly along its length, the future cell division site at mid-cell is newly made and has no known pre-existing markers. One way to select the new mid-cell site would be to measure the distance from the two opposing cell poles, using a system that could recognize markers at those poles and define the spot furthest from both markers. This would require that both polar markers act negatively on cell division at equivalent intensities. The result would be a concentration gradient, with the lowest concentration of the negative regulator at the cell midpoint, the greatest distance from both cell poles. It turns out that E. coli and some other rod-shaped bacteria select their cell midpoint using such a negatively acting morphogen gradient, set up by the Min system, which is the focus of this Primer. As is true for many fascinating molecular mechanisms, the first inkling came from the behavior of cells in which this system was broken.