cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sex differences in cholinergic systems in the interpeduncular nucleus following nicotine exposure and withdrawal

Abstract The medial habenula-interpeduncular nucleus (MHb-IPN) pathway modulates negative affective states produced by nicotine withdrawal. Sex differences in the contribution of acetylcholine (ACh) systems in this pathway have not been explored. Thus, this study assessed ACh levels and gene expression of α- and β-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) subunits in the IPN of female and male rats following nicotine treatment and withdrawal. Rats were prepared with a pump that delivered nicotine for 14 days, and naive controls received a sham surgery. In Study 1, rats were prepared with a probe in the IPN, and ACh levels were measured following saline and then mecamylamine administration. In Study 2, separate groups of naive control or nicotine-treated rats received saline or mecamylamine and physical signs and anxiety-like behavior were assessed using elevated plus maze (EPM) procedures. The IPN was then dissected and mRNA levels were assessed using RT-qPCR methods. Nicotine treatment increased ACh levels to a larger extent in females than males. Nicotine withdrawal produced a similar increase in physical signs; however, females displayed greater anxiety-like behavior than males. In females, gene expression of α5 increased following nicotine treatment and withdrawal. In males, α7 increased following nicotine treatment and α2 and α3 increased during nicotine withdrawal. Both females and males displayed an increase in β3 and β4 during nicotine withdrawal. In females, anxiety-like behavior was correlated with α4, α5, and β2 gene expression in the IPN. These results suggest that sex differences in withdrawal are modulated via cholinergic systems in the IPN.
Interaction with the justice system and other factors associated with pregnant women's self-report and continuation of use of marijuana.

Abstract Background Marijuana use in pregnancy is common and self-report of use to healthcare providers is variable. This study evaluates the relationship between prior interaction with the justice system as well as other factors associated with self-report and continuation of use of marijuana in pregnancy. Methods This retrospective cohort study included women with a positive urine toxicology test for marijuana at their initial prenatal visit. Prior interaction with the judicial system was determined by querying a publicly available database. Those who did and did not self-report use were compared using chi square and Fisher’s exact test for analysis of categorical variables and t test for comparison of means. A logistic regression was performed to determine factors related to remaining positive at the time of birth. Results Of 597 women included in analysis, 308 (51.6%) self-reported use. African American women were more likely to self-report use (p = 0.02). Interaction with the justice system was not statistically predictive of self-report. Of 483 (80.9%) who had birth outcome data available, 117 (24.2%) had positive marijuana tests at the time of delivery. Women who tested positive at birth were older (27.3 v 25, p Discussion Discrepancies exist between pregnant women’s self-report of marijuana use and biologic testing results. Women with positive toxicology testing who self-report use may do so due to more problematic use and may benefit from enhanced interventions.
Editorial Commentary: Concomitant Surgical Management for Rotator Cuff Tears With Adhesive Capsulitis is an Effective Treatment for Managing a Vexing Problem

Rotator cuff tears (RCT) with concomitant frozen shoulder is a challenging clinical scenario that I, along with many other shoulder surgeons, commonly encounter. Some controversy exists regarding the optimal treatment. Does one address the shoulder stiffness first and regain range of motion (ROM) via nonoperative or operative means, then treat the rotator cuff tear later, or should it all be done at the same time surgically via a concomitant arthroscopic capsular release with or without manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) followed by a rotator cuff repair (RCR) in the same setting? I believe there is overwhelming evidence in the literature to support the latter. Address both pathologies concomitantly through a single stage surgery! In the setting of the RCT with adhesive capsulitis, I routinely recommend early concomitant arthroscopic capsular release with gentle MUA and then perform an arthroscopic RCR in one stage. This is then followed by an accelerated postoperative protocol which is balanced with some protection for healing. We have reported excellent outcomes with this approach. Similarly, I have found this approach to be highly effective, reproducible, and efficient, with high patient satisfaction and outcomes comparable to my patients who undergo arthroscopic RCR without stiff shoulders.
Fair Comparison: Quantifying Variance in Results for Fine-grained Visual Categorization

For the task of image classification, researchers work arduously to develop the next state-of-the-art (SOTA) model, each bench-marking their own performance against that of their predecessors and of their peers. Unfortunately, the metric used most frequently to describe a model’s performance, average categorization accuracy, is often used in isolation. As the number of classes increases, such as in fine-grained visual categorization (FGVC), the amount of information conveyed by average accuracy alone dwindles. While its most glaring weakness is its failure to describe the model’s performance on a class-by-class basis, average accuracy also fails to describe how performance may vary from one trained model of the same architecture, on the same dataset, to another (both averaged across all categories and at the per-class level). We first demonstrate the magnitude of these variations across models and across class distributions based on attributes of the data, comparing results on different visual domains and different per-class image distributions, including long-tailed distributions and few-shot subsets. We then analyze the impact various FGVC methods have on overall and per-class variance. From this analysis, we both highlight the importance of reporting and comparing methods based on information beyond overall accuracy, as well as point out techniques that mitigate variance in FGVC results.
Relating resting EEG power spectra to age-related differences in cognitive performance: An observational pilot study.

Abstract Background Previous research has shown that the slope of the electroencephalography (EEG) power spectrum mediates the difference between older and younger adults on a visuo-spatial working memory task. The present study sought to replicate and extend that work using a larger sample and a validated set of neuropsychological tests: The Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). Methods Forty-four participants (21 younger adults, 23 older adults) completed a battery of cognitive and motor tasks that included the RBANS. EEG data was collected both during rest and on-task. Excluding the alpha-band, RBANS scores were regressed onto the slope of the resting EEG power spectrum, controlling for age and using robust mediation analysis. Results Older adults performed reliably lower on the composite RBANS and the Coding, List Recall, List Recognition, and Figure Recall subtests. However, boot-strapped mediation models only showed a mediating effect of the spectral slope on the RBANS composite and the Coding subtest. Conclusions The resting slope of the EEG power spectrum mediated age-related differences in cognition in the current study, which replicates prior work and is consistent with the neural noise hypothesis of aging. In extending this work, it was shown that these effects are strongest in tasks requiring speeded processing and/or executive functions, whereas this effect was weaker (to absent) for delayed memory, even though age-related differences were present. This pilot study warrants further exploration of the EEG power spectrum in age-related cognitive decline.
Avacopan — Time to Replace Glucocorticoids?

In recent decades, substantial advances in the treatment of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)–associated vasculitis have led to a decrease in disease-related morbidity and mortality. The r...
A Good Start is Half the Battle Won: Unsupervised Pre-training for Low Resource Children’s Speech Recognition for an Interactive Reading Companion

Children’s speech recognition is a challenging task because of the inherent speech production characteristics of children’s articulatory structure as well as their linguistic usage. In the context of developing automated reading companions, the problem is compounded by lack of training data. Most of the available data is recorded under clean and controlled conditions leading to a performance degradation in presence of uncontrolled and realistic acoustic environments. In this study, we address these challenges by leveraging a publicly available large unlabeled read speech corpus to learn generalized audio representations. These learned representations are then employed to augment the features used for training the acoustic model of limited in-domain children’s speech. The representations are learned via a deep convolutional architecture optimized on a noise contrastive binary classification task to distinguish a true future audio sample from negatives. We obtain upto 24.87% relative improvement in the Word Error Rate (WER) of our speech recognition system using these generalized audio embeddings and show the effectiveness of using a pre-trained model when training data is limited.
Mimics of perineural tumor spread in the head and neck

Perineural spread (PNS) is an important potential complication of head and neck malignancy, as it is associated with decreased survival and a higher risk of local recurrence and metastasis. There are many review articles focused on the imaging findings of PNS. However, a false-positive diagnosis of PNS can be just as harmful to the patient as an overlooked case. In this manuscript, we delineate and classify various imaging mimics of PNS. Mimics can be divided into the following categories: normal variants (including vascular structures and failed fat suppression), infections, inflammatory disease (including granulomatous disease and demyelination), neoplasms, and post-traumatic/surgical changes. Knowledge of potential mimics of PNS will prevent false-positive imaging interpretation, and enable appropriate oncologic management.
Agency Conflicts for Outside Directors During CEO Selection

This paper shows outside directors have an increased chance of obtaining new positions (CEO, COB, directorships) during a CEO turnover year in firms that hire a CEO externally. The new positions are determined by outside directors’ CEO hiring source choice (internal or external), not their performance; the opposite is true for inside directors. Further, outside director representation on a board only predicts an external hire if at least one outside director gains a new position while hiring externally. Finally, only firms with outside directors that gain new positions while hiring externally experience cash flow and stock return losses.
“I Have an iPad. Now What?” Using Mobile Devices in University Physical Education Programs

In response to an iPad initiative at a mid-sized New England university, all faculty, junior and senior undergraduates, and graduate students were required to have iPads by the first day of class in the fall semester of 2013. Goals of the initiative focused on preparing future teachers to use the iPad as a teaching and learning tool so they could be successful in schools where iPad use has become ubiquitous. This article addresses the process of integrating the iPad into teaching and learning in a university physical education department. Specifically, a “padagogy wheel” based on Bloom's revised taxonomy will be provided to show how mobile devices and applications can be used in innovative ways to meet the learning objectives of university-level physical education courses.
Kinetics and mechanism of OH reactions with organic sulfides

The conventional flash photolysis-resonance fluorescence technique was employed to study reactions of OH with CH/sub 3/SCH/sub 3/ (1), CD/sub 3/SCD/sub 3/ (2), CH/sub 3/SC/sub 2/H/sub 5/ (3), and C/sub 2/H/sub 5/SC/sub 2/H/sub 5/ (4) in argon buffer gas. Reactivity trends, temperature dependencies, and isotope effects suggest that hydrogen abstraction is the dominant observed reaction pathway under these conditions. A pulsed-laser photolysis-pulsed-laser-induced fluorescence technique was employed to study reactions 1 and 2 in N/sub 2/, air, and O/sub 2/ buffer gases. Complex kinetics were observed in the presence of O/sub 2/. A four-step mechanism involving hydrogen abstraction, reversible addition to the sulfur atom, and scavenging of the (thermalized) adduct by O/sub 2/ is required to explain all experimental observations. In 1 atm of air, the effective bimolecular rate constant for reaction 1 decreases monotonically from 1.58 x 10/sup -11/ to 5.2 x 10/sup -12/ cm/sup 3/ molecule/sup -1/s/sup -1/ over the lower tropospheric temperature range 250-310 K. Over the same temperature range the branching ratio for hydrogen abstraction increases monotonically from 0.24 to 0.87. At 261 K, the rate constant for unimolecular decomposition of the CD/sub 3/S(OH)CD/sub 3/ adduct is (3.5 +/- 2.0) x 10/sup 6/ s/sup -1/ and the rate more » constant for the adduct reaction with O/sub 2/ is (4.2 +/- 2.2) x 10/sup -12/ cm/sup 3/ molecule/sup -1/s/sup -1/. « less
Predicting Overseas Political Instability: Perspectives of the Government Intelligence and Multinational Business Communities

Ever since the emergence of the modern nation-state, political stability at home and abroad has been one of the foremost concerns of foreign policy elites. In the 1980s headlines about instability in South Africa, the Philippines, and Haiti vividly illustrate the continued prominence of this topic. In the context of the diffused sources of instability which have occurred for centuries, the special tensions associated with the Cold War have sometimes seemed to transform international relations into a contest between the United States and the Soviet Union over who can simultaneously stabilize its own allies and destabilize its opponent's allies. For both government foreign policy-makers and multinational business executives, overseas political instability has the potential to wreak havoc in existing relationships, agreements, spheres of influence, and—perhaps most importantly—success in foreign operations. While such instability may have no lasting effect or may even improve conditions abroad, both parties are still determined to prepare themselves to cope with the threats or to seize the opportunities presented by major or minor upheavals of this kind. In order to deal effectively with political instability, which today is especially prevalent in the Third World,' early warning of its onset through a variety of forecasting strategies is essential.
Oral health and nutrition as gatekeepers to overall health: We are all in this together

Oral diseases are prevalent worldwide and have significant health implications. Complex multidirectional relationships exist among oral health, general health, and nutrition, although the extent of these relationships is not completely understood. The purpose of this review was to examine some of the known relationships among oral health, general health, and nutrition and to provide nutrition-based recommendations for patients with common systemic and oral conditions.
Why some fish don’t tan

Although Homo sapiens bask for hours in the sun slathered with sunscreen to block the injurious effects of ultraviolet (UV) light, the zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) and other vertebrates species have evolved a more resourceful way to protect themselves from the sun’s harmful rays. In a recent paper, Osborn et al . describe the discovery of an endogenous biosynthetic pathway in vertebrates that produces UV-specific protective compounds mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and the related gadusols. Bacteria and algae were shown previously to produce such protective compounds, which had also been detected in fish but were believed to be acquired by the consumption of MAA- and gadusol-producing unicellular organisms. However, the team identified—in zebrafish, several other types of fish, amphibians, and birds—two genes that encode enzymes known to catalyze the synthesis of these compounds. They cloned the genes, expressed them in Escherichia coli , and incubated the recombinant proteins with the substrate sedoheptulose 7-phosphate. Subsequent identification of a catalytic product (2-epi-5-epi-valiolone) that contained a cyclohexane ring confirmed that the bacterially expressed zebrafish protein was a functioning sugar phosphate cyclase, a key enzyme in the production of gadusol. The authors then extracted gadusol directly from zebrafish, demonstrating the species’ capacity to fully synthesize the compound. Last, the authors inserted the cloned zebrafish genes into yeast expression vectors and detected and isolated gadusol from the yeast culture medium. The new work sheds light on a biosynthetic mechanism of sun protection found in multiple species and also might present an enlightened opportunity to develop a small-molecule sunscreen. A. R. Osborn et al ., De novo synthesis of a sunscreen compound in vertebrates. eLife 4 , e05919 (2015). [[Full Text]][1] [1]: http://elifesciences.org/content/4/e05919
Behaviour, metabolism and size: phenotypic modularity or integration in Acheta domesticus ?

The pace-of-life hypothesis predicts that among-individual differences in behaviour should integrate with a wide variety of morphological, metabolic and life-history traits along a slow to fast pace-of-life continuum. Support for the pace-of-life hypothesis has been mixed, in part because most empirical tests have been conducted strictly at the phenotypic level and have thus conflated genetic and environmental sources of covariance among traits. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that, according to the predictions of the pace-of-life hypothesis, body mass, routine metabolic rate, activity and exploratory propensity are positively integrated in the house cricket Acheta domesticus (Orthoptera: Gryllidae). Using modified open field behavioural tests and flow-through respirometry, we determined whether among-individual differences are correlated across morphology, behaviour and metabolism in 50 male house crickets. All traits were repeatable, but we found poor evidence for overall integration across traits. Instead we found evidence for modularity, with behavioural traits covarying independently from mass and routine metabolic rate. Modularity, like that found here between activity and exploratory propensity, has been suggested to facilitate adaptive evolutionary change by coupling functionally related traits into suites on which selection can act more rapidly.
Longing for “Normal” Post-Fordism: Cape Verdean Labor-Power on a Lisbon Periphery in Crisis

Starting in the late 1970s, Cape Verdean labor-power became indispensable in a number of sectors of the Portuguese economy, no longer merely filling gaps but serving as a vital part of the workforce in key industries such as civil construction and cleaning services. Assuming a central role in the productive process, these largely “low-skilled” immigrants came to form a reserve army of labor in the fragmented service-sector economy of the Lisbon Metropolitan Area. Although they come from diverse backgrounds and belong to different migratory phases, Cape Verdeans continue to be concentrated in the most precarious and poorly paid strata of the Portuguese labor market. The tenuous situation of most Cape Verdean immigrants has made them especially vulnerable to the post-2010 economic downturn and the accompanying IMF-mandated structural changes and liberalization measures. In this paper, I examine the trajectory of four Cape Verdean workers in the Portuguese labor market prior to 2010 and during the current “crisis economy.” While these accounts differ in the details, they are alike in how my interviewees have seen their daily lives become more difficult and insecure. In addition to exploring this sequence of events, I contextualize these case studies within the extant literature on precarity. In this regard, I identify a temporal gap in concept of precarity as it has been theorized to date. Whereas most scholars juxtapose the stability of the Fordist period with the precariousness of our post-Fordist times, I wish to highlight how my interviewees simply long for a return to pre-crisis post-Fordism, not Fordism per se.
Medical residents' use of narrative templates in storytelling and diagnosis.

Abstract This paper examines the diagnostic storytelling that medical residents perform in order to situate patients in a story trajectory with an imputed past and future. It is a study of “ordinary” expertise, as practiced by a family practice medical team in a small urban community hospital in the United States. Narrative storytelling—an activity that is at once cognitive and practical—allows residents to identify the sort of disease, the kind of patient, and the likely outcome for this patient, based on what the resident knows about patients like these. Residents acquire a set of narrative templates , or rough outlines, that they deploy when they encounter a new patient or his or her information. Going into an admissions interview, a resident already has a set of “facts” about the patient and his or her complaint. In a process that is routine, habitual, and iterative, a resident starts from this set of facts and draws on his or her repertoire of narrative templates to pursue a line of questioning that starts to define relevance for this patient, a relevance that is revised as the physician begins to settle on a story. These templates make a first organizing pass at answering, “What’s going on with this patient?” They provide the preliminary structure, the warp and weft, for building a patient story that holds together long enough to diagnose, treat, and discharge the patient. Diagnostic stories are shaped by what residents think they can do for the patient, practically speaking, and by habitual hospital activity.
Vitamin D sites of action in the pituitary studied by combined autoradiography-immunohistochemistry.

Adult male and female mice under normal diet were injected with 3H 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 and sacrificed 3.5 h afterwards. Autoradiograms were prepared according to our thaw-mount technique and stained with antibodies to pituitary hormones. Thyrotropes showed strong and extensive nuclear concentration of radioactivity: about 90% of the immunostained thyrotropes were labeled. Lactotropes, somatotropes and gonadotropes showed no or only weak nuclear radioactivity: a subpopulation of 5%–10% of each of these immunostained cell types displayed nuclear labeling that was weak when compared to thyrotropes. Neural lobe pituicytes also showed weak to intermediate nuclear labeling. The results indicate a presence of nuclear receptors for 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 in pituitary cell types and suggest direct but differential genomic effects of 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D3 on pituitary hormone secretion. Evidence further suggests the existence of a vitamin D regulated brain-pituitary-thyroid axis.
The effects of air and helium on the performance of the ion trap detector when used for real-time monitoring of some atmospheric pollutants.

The feasibility of using an ion trap detector for real-time monitoring of volatile organic compounds in atmospheric samples is demonstrated. Detection limits in the low part-per-million to low part-per-billion ranges are achieved with an operating dynamic range of at least 5 orders of magnitude. Sample introduction through semipermeable membranes and molecular leak valves was evaluated. The membrane introduction method provided detection limit enhancements of 10–300 times over the molecular leak method. The effects of partial pressure from air and helium buffer gas were studied, and it was determined that, for optimum amounts of air, the helium buffer gas had no apparent effect on sensitivity or resolution. Air acts as the buffer gas to enhance ion signals by collisionally damping ion motion. The enhancement of molecular ion abundance at high partial pressures of air is postulated to be due to charge exchange and possibly collisional stabilization reactions.
Partly luteinized theca cell tumor of the ovary

The partly luteinized theca cell tumor is a variant of the theca cell tumor in which extensive foci of luteinization occur. This neoplasm belongs to a set of tumors, which includes the theca cell tumor, that is believed to be derived from mature ovarian stroma. This tumor can be classified as a tumor of specialized gonadal stroma of "ovarian cell type" intermediate between the theca cell tumor and the stromal luteoma. Two patients were virilized, and one had evidence of endometrial hyperplasia, whereas in the fourth no endocrine function was evident. None of the patients were pregnant at the time of discovery of the tumor. On gross examination these tumors consisted of a mixture of firm gray-white and yellow tissue. The presence of multiple yellow nodules in two tumors distinguished it from the usual theca cell tumor. A third tumor was distinctly lobulated. The tumor in only one of the cases arose in a background of ovarian stromal hyperplasia. Although the number of cases reported up to now is small and variability exists, the tumors tend to occur in patients in the early reproductive age group, often produce significant quantities of steroid hormones, and the clinical course has been benign.
Structural evolution of the heme group during the allosteric transition in hemoglobin: Insights from resonance raman spectra of isotopically labeled heme

Visible resonance Raman spectra in the low-frequency region (200–500 cm−1) are reported for hemoglobin (Hb) reconstituted with heme that is deuterated at the meso carbon atoms (meso-d4). Spectra were obtained in the deoxy form and in the immediate photoproduct of the carbonmonoxide adduct, HbCO. The isotope shifts permit assignment of two out-of-plane modes, γ6 and γ7, and the in-plane skeletal mode ν8, as well as the well-known iron-histidine [Fe-His] stretching vibration. Important differences between deoxyHb and the immediate photoproduct include 1) a large upshift in the Fe-His frequency, from 216 to 228 cm−1, 2) an upshift in γ6 (349 to 353 cm−1) together with substantial diminution of the ν8 (341 cm−1) intensity, and 3) collapse of two γ7 bands (305 and 296 cm−1) to a single band at 304 cm−1. This last observation implies subunit heterogeneity in deoxyHb but not in the photoproduct. When these bands are monitored in the time-resolved RR spectra following HbCO photolysis, it is seen that subunit heterogeneity is first detectable in the 0.5-μs transient [intermediate S], which has been associated with the initial rearrangement of the subunits to form the T-state contacts, on the basis of ultraviolet RR spectroscopy.1 However the intensification of ν8 does not occur until the 17-μs transient (intermediate T′), in which the T-state contacts are locked in and the Fe-His bond is strained. Implications for the mechanism of Hb allostery are discussed. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Stored red blood cell supernatant facilitates thrombin generation.

BACKGROUND: Observational studies have reported that patients transfused with red blood cells (RBCs) have a worse clinical outcome than untransfused patients and that storage age of RBCs at the time of transfusion may be an independent predictor of this adverse clinical outcome. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Eight RBC concentrates in additive solution were studied over an 8-week storage period. The RBC supernatant was ultracentrifuged to concentrate microvesicles (RCMVs). RCMVs were studied by flow cytometry to identify phosphatidylserine (PS)-expressing RCMVs and in a thromboelastograph (TEG) using a modified assay to detect a thrombin facilitation effect. RESULTS: For all products, the percentage of RCMVs that exhibited PS expression on Day 1 was 50 ± 13%, which increased with storage, and on Day 31 was 90 ± 4%. After 31 days, four of the eight products showed a thrombin facilitation effect as evidenced by a shortening of the TEG reaction (R) time of 1.3 ± 1.1 minutes, which persisted to Day 41. Data are the mean ± 1 SD. This TEG R shortening effect was neutralized by annexin V. No such effect was observed on, or before, Day 21. CONCLUSIONS: Some stored RBCs release RCMVs, which express PS and are capable of facilitating thrombin generation in vitro. This provides a possible mechanism by which stored RBCs could promote adverse thrombotic or inflammatory effects.
Systemic nf-κB activation in a transgenic mouse model of acute pancreatitis

Abstract Background. Transcription factor NF-κB has been implicated in numerous human inflammatory diseases. Acute pancreatitis can result in remote tissue injury, but the involved mechanisms are unknown. This study evaluates the role of systemic NF-κB activation in the pathogenesis of lung inflammation in a transgenic pancreatitis model. Materials and methods. Using transgenic mice expressing photinus luciferase controlled by an NF-κB-dependent promoter, luciferase activity was measured in pancreas, liver, and lung tissues as a surrogate marker of NF-κB activity. Luciferase activity was measured by in vivo bioluminescence and correlated to an in vitro luciferase assay of organ homogenates. Following measurement of luciferase activity in uninjured animals, these animals were fed a choline-deficient, ethionine supplemented diet for 48 h to induce pancreatitis, and luciferase activity was then measured at 48, 60, 72, and 96 h. Lung inflammation was determined by total nucleated cell counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. Results. Bioluminescence detected increased luciferase activity over the upper abdominal region at 48 and 60 h (P Conclusion. In this model, NF-κB binding activity is increased in the liver and lung. These data suggest that the liver modulates pancreatitis-induced systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and suggest strategies to reduce multisystem injury.
Towards optimization-safe systems: analyzing the impact of undefined behavior

This paper studies an emerging class of software bugs called optimization-unstable code: code that is unexpectedly discarded by compiler optimizations due to undefined behavior in the program. Unstable code is present in many systems, including the Linux kernel and the Postgres database. The consequences of unstable code range from incorrect functionality to missing security checks.To reason about unstable code, this paper proposes a novel model, which views unstable code in terms of optimizations that leverage undefined behavior. Using this model, we introduce a new static checker called Stack that precisely identifies unstable code. Applying Stack to widely used systems has uncovered 160 new bugs that have been confirmed and fixed by developers.
Home-based exercise among cancer survivors: adherence and its predictors.

Objective—Evidence of the benefits of exercise for those treated for cancer has led to several exercise interventions for this population. Some have questioned whether cancer patients offered a home-based intervention adhere to the exercise prescribed. Method—We examined exercise adherence in a randomized controlled trial of a 12-week, homebased exercise trial for breast cancer patients. Three adherence outcomes were examined: minutes of exercise participation during each week of the intervention, number of steps taken during planned exercise during each intervention week, and whether the participant met her weekly exercise goal. Predictors of adherence (e.g., demographic and medical variables, Transtheoretical Model variables, history of exercise) were examined. Results—Findings indicate that participants significantly increased their minutes of exercise and steps taken during planned exercise from the first to the last week of the intervention. The percentage of participants achieving exercise goals was highest in the first few weeks of the intervention. Exercise self-efficacy significantly predicted each adherence outcome. Baseline PA predicted mean exercise session steps over the 12 weeks. Conclusion—Adherence to a home-based exercise intervention for breast cancer patients changes over time and may be related to baseline levels of self-efficacy for exercise.
Optical Variations in 3C 446

Cannon and Penston1 have reported observations of the rapid optical fluctuations of the quasi-stellar object 3C 446. These add further to the study of rapid variations discovered in this object by Sandage2 and followed in 1966 by Kinman, Lamla and Wirtanen3. Variations of this kind lead to the conclusion that the region which gives rise to the fluctuation is very small, and in general it is found that for this region R ⩽ c τ, where τ is the period over which a flux change has occurred. A detailed discussion of this result has been given by Terrell4 and others. These limitations lead to very restrictive conditions on the possible models of quasi-stellar objects which arise largely from the high radiation density that must be present in the continuum source. The upper limits to the sizes which have been used range from light months to light days (∼1017 — 1015 cm) and the corresponding lower limits to the energy densities are then in the range 10–105 erg/cm3 if the quasi-stellar objects are at cosmo-logical distances, and 10−3–10 ergs/cm3 if the objects lie at distances ∼ 10 megaparsec (Mpc). If the objects are at cosmological distances, then this radiation field is so intense that it would be self-destructive, whether it arises by the synchrotron process or from the inverse Compton process5,8. The difficulties that are encountered in arriving at satisfactory models, if the quasi-stellar objects are at cosmological distances, have been considered by Hoyle, Burbidge and Sargent5. Attempts to evade or to minimize these difficulties if the objects are at cosmological distances have been made by Rees6, by Woltjer7, and by Hoyle and Burbidge8, and they require that the radiating blobs are moving at relativistic speeds and/or that there is a large degree of directivity in the streams of relativistic electrons. If the quasi-stellar objects are much closer, the radiation density is accordingly reduced and the problems are less severe.
Localization of two domains of a mutant form of Escherichia coli protein L7/L12 that binds the large ribosomal subunit as a single dimer

Abstract Escherichia coli ribosomal protein L7/L12 occurs on the large subunit as two dimers: one dimer is extended and comprises the stalk, while the second dimer is folded and occupies a site on the subunit body. A variant protein, in which all 18 amino acids of the flexible hinge region that links separate N-terminal and C-terminal domains of L7/L12 has been deleted, binds the subunit as a single dimer and does not generate stalks that are visible in electron micrographs. Monoclonal antibodies directed against each domain of the protein have been used to localize the variant in electron micrographs of 50S subunits. Both C-terminal domains are seen at a shoulder of the subunit, near its edge as viewed in the most common quasisymmetric projection. N-terminal domains are placed on the subunit body, about 50 A from the C-terminal domains. The antibody to the N-terminal domain also causes dissociation of the variant dimer from the particle and the formation of oligomeric antibody-protein dimer complexes. Similar complexes were seen previously (Olson HM et al (1986) J Biol Chem 261, 6924–6936) when this antibody induced dissociation of one dimer of the native protein. We conclude that the shortened variant most probably occupies the lower-affinity site on the subunit that is normally filled by the stalk dimer.
On the naturalness of touchless: Putting the “interaction” back into NUI

Norman's critique is indicative of the issue that while using the word natural might have become natural, it is coming at a cost. In other words, precisely because the notion of naturalness has become so commonplace in the scientific lexicon of HCI, so it is becoming increasingly important, it seems that there is a critical examination of the conceptual work being performed when it is used. There is a need to understand the key assumptions implicit within it and how these frame approaches to design and engineering in particular ways. A second significant element of this perspective comes from Wittgenstein, and his claim that, through action, people create shared meanings with others, and these shared meanings are the essential common ground that enable individual perception to be cohered into socially organized, understood, and coordinated experiences.
Electronically reconfigurable aperture (ERA): A new approach for beam-steering technology

In order to satisfy the demanding SWaP requirements of modern microwave/MMW instruments, designers are looking for novel integrated solutions. In particular, phased array packaging, especially at Ka and higher frequencies, is extremely challenging as half-wavelength spacing is prohibitively small. The cost of implementing high density phased array packaging is another impediment to wider use. This communication presents a new electronically beam-steering technology that is compatible with highly integrated antenna design and dramatically simplifies packaging. It is based on the coherent scattering of the evanescent field associated with waves propagating through a dielectric waveguide. The antenna scattering elements are controlled electronically and constitute a dynamically reconfigurable hologram. The switching time from one hologram pattern (one beam position) to another is on the order of tens of nanoseconds. Because of the hologram nature of this approach, the beam-forming capabilities of the electronically reconfigurable aperture (ERA) approach are comparable to those of phased arrays: 1D and 2D beam-forming and beam-steering, multiple simultaneous individually controlled beams, steerable nulls and variable beam width(s).
The Handsome Sailor and the Man of Sorrows: Billy Budd and the Modernism of Benjamin Britten

Allen Frantzen's essay examines Benjamin Britten's “Billy Budd” (1951) in relation to the Festival of Britain, treating the opera as an example of a more conservative “mid-century modernism.” Frantzen analyzes in depth the changes Britten's librettists, E. M. Forster and Eric Crozier, made to the novella by Melville, in order to conclude that Britten's opera offers an art that seeks to establish itself within English society and culture, but that nevertheless makes clear, both in its music and text, that change is on its way.
The elusiveness of polymer knots

Knots are a topological property of closed curves, and while not rigorously defined, are also expected to occur in sufficiently long open polymers.We argue, however, that energetic and entropic factors favor tight knots, with the entanglements localized on relatively small segments. Knots are statistically rare in swollen (coil) polymers, but abundant in compact (globular) configurations. Yet, our investigation of the Protein Data Bank reveals very few knotted structures in globular proteins. We shall discuss some particularly intriguing examples of this set, including the most complicated protein knot appearing in Human ubiquitin hydrolase.
Fear and Disgust Responding to Heterogeneous Blood-Injection-Injury Stimuli: Distinctions from Anxiety Symptoms

Discrepancies exist in the literature regarding the unique role of disgust in Blood-Injection-Injury (BII) phobia. The present study attempts to clarify the discrepancy using a sample of analogue BII phobics (n = 40) and nonphobics (n = 40) who completed a series of questionnaires and were exposed to blood, mutilation, and injection pictures. The findings revealed that BII phobics reported greater disgust and contamination fears than nonphobics after controlling for anxious symptoms. When rating phobia-relevant pictures, BII phobics responded with greater fear and disgust than nonphobics after controlling for baseline anxiety scores. Furthermore, disgust was the dominant emotional response for BII phobics for the blood and mutilation stimuli. However, no differences were found between fear and disgust within the BII group when rating injection stimuli. The implications of these findings for better understanding the potential unique role of disgust in the etiology, maintenance, and treatment of BII phobia are discussed.
The Use of Hypnosis for Communicative Disorders

Hypnosis has been recognised as a legitimite therapeutic tool in medicine, dentistry and psychiatry. Its use by speech pathologists has not been widely accepted. This paper describes some of the ways hypnosis can implement traditional therapy for various types of communicative disorders. Frequently, hypnosis provides the key to successful therapy as well as shortening the time required to complete it.
Shanghai Industries in the Civil War (1945-1947)

This article examines the fate of Shanghai industries during the Civil War period in China. It argues that in spite of extreme difficulties in the later part of the war, Shanghai industries bounced back very quickly and reached early wartime levels within a year. Thereafter, a series of economic and political restrictions led to a slowdown, then a paralysis. The article is based on a large and unique survey of Shanghai industries published in October 1947, probably the peak of the economic recovery after the war. The data were processed in geographic information systems that the author implemented to examine what industry represented in the urban space, what its impact was, and how it defined the city of Shanghai. The author contends that issues of security more than economic factors determined the particular industrial geography in the city.
Instrument for the measurement of retinal vessel oxygen saturation

Retinal vessel oxygen saturation has been suggested as a parameter for monitoring a wide range of conditions including occult blood los and a variety of ophthalmic diseases. We have developed an Eye Oximeter (EOX), that noninvasively measures the oxygen saturation of the blood in individual large retinal vessels using scanning lasers. 1D vessel extinction profiles are obtained at four wavelengths (629, 678, 821 and 899 nm), and the vessel transmittances computed. The oxygen saturation of blood within the vessel is then calculated from the transmittance data. We have performed an in vitro experiment on human blood which demonstrates the calibration of the EOX measurements and validates our oximetry equations. Retinal vessel oxygen saturation was measured in a human subject and found to be 65%O 2 Sat and 101 - 102%O 2 Sat in the veins and arteries on the optic disk. Irregularities in the background measured away from the optic disk resulted in a large variance in the calculated saturation when compared to measurements made on the disk.
Surface states, edge currents, and the angular momentum of chiral p -wave superfluids

The spectra of fermionic excitations, pairing correlations, and edge currents confined near the boundary of a chiral $p$-wave superfluid are calculated to leading order in $\ensuremath{\hbar}/{p}_{f}\ensuremath{\xi}$. Results for the energy- and momentum-resolved spectral functions, including the spectral current density, of a chiral $p$-wave superfluid near a confining boundary are reported. The spectral functions reveal the subtle role of the chiral edge states in relation to the edge current and the angular momentum of a chiral $p$-wave superfluid, including the rapid suppression of ${L}_{z}(T)$ for $0\ensuremath{\lesssim}T\ensuremath{\ll}{T}_{c}$ in the fully gapped two-dimensional chiral superfluid. The edge current and ground-state angular momentum are shown to be sensitive to boundary conditions, and as a consequence the topology and geometry of the confining boundaries. For perfect specular boundaries, the edge current accounts for the ground-state angular momentum, ${L}_{z}=(N/2)\ensuremath{\hbar}$, of a cylindrical disk of a chiral superfluid with $N/2$ fermion pairs. Nonspecular scattering can dramatically suppress the edge current. In the limit of perfect retroreflection, the edge states form a flat band of zero modes that are nonchiral and generate no edge current. For a chiral superfluid film confined in a cylindrical toroidal geometry, the ground-state angular momentum is, in general, nonextensive, and can have a value ranging from ${L}_{z}g(N/2)\ensuremath{\hbar}$ to ${L}_{z}l\ensuremath{-}(N/2)\ensuremath{\hbar}$ depending on the ratio of the inner and outer radii and the degree of backscattering on the inner and outer surfaces. Nonextensive scaling of ${L}_{z}$, and the reversal of the ground-state angular momentum for a toroidal geometry, would provide a signature of broken time-reversal symmetry of the ground state of superfluid ${}^{3}$He-$A$, as well as direct observation of chiral edge currents.
Comparison of white clover and ammonium nitrate as nitrogen sources for tall fescue

White clover was compared against five rates of nitrogen fertilizer (NH4NO3) as sources of N for tall fescue over a 3 year period. The white clover-tall fescue combination produced as much forage as tall fescue alone fertilized with 132–198 kg N ha−1 in the first 2 years. However, in the third year the white clover-tall fescue combination only produced as much forage as tall fescue alone fertilized with 0–66 kg N ha−1 as a result of a large decline in the stand of white clover. Tall fescue alone showed a significant response to fertilization up to the maximum rate of 264 kg N ha−1. Tall fescue fertilized with 264 kg N ha−1 produced significantly more forage than the white clover-tall fescue combination in all 3 years.
Terrestrial Planet Finder: science overview

The Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) seeks to revolutionize our understanding of humanity's place in the universe - by searching for Earth-like planets using reflected light, or thermal emission in the mid-infrared. Direct detection implies that TPF must separate planet light from glare of the nearby star, a technical challenge which has only in recent years been recognized as surmountable. TPF will obtain a low-resolution spectra of each planets it detects, providing some of its basic physical characteristics and its main atmospheric constituents, thereby allowing us to assess the likelihood that habitable conditions exist there. NASA has decided the scientific importance of this research is so high that TPF will be pursued as two complementary space observatories: a visible-light coronagraph and a mid-infrared formation flying interferometer. The combination of spectra from both wavebands is much more valuable than either taken separately, and it will allow a much fuller understanding of the wide diversity of planetary atmospheres that may be expected to exist. Measurements across a broad wavelength range will yield not only physical properties such as size and albedo, but will also serve as the foundations of a reliable and robust assessment of habitability and the presence of life.
Oxygen plasma-treatment effects on Si transfer.

Oxygen plasma-treatment is commonly used to increase the hydrophilicity of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) stamps used for microcontact printing (μCP) aqueous-based inks. Review of the literature reveals that a wide range of plasma parameters are currently employed to modify stamp surfaces. However, little is known about the effect of these parameters (e.g., power, chamber pressure, duration) on the undesirable transfer of low-molecular-weight silicon-containing fragments from the stamps that commonly occurs during μCP. To study the effect of oxygen plasma-treatment on Si transfer, unpatterned PDMS stamps were treated with oxygen plasma under various conditions and used to stamp deionized water on plasma-activated poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) substrates. Once stamped, the PMMA substrates were analyzed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to quantify and characterize silicon present on the substrate surface. In addition, used PDMS stamps were analyzed with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to obs...