cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ballistic limit for shielded plates subjected to hypervelocity impact

Summary A new method of determining ballistic limits for hypervelocity impact is proposed. This method applies to cases of impulsive impact on a plate protected by a multi-shock shield, which corresponds to projectile velocities in the range above 6 km s −1 . It is shown, by using experimental and analytical results, that the plate will not fail, provided the impact parameters are bounded by certain critical values. A simple equation that relates the critical values is established. Curves are presented for the critical projectile radius versus the projectile velocity, and for the critical plate thickness versus the velocity. These curves are in good agreement with curves that have been generated empirically.
An Approach to Evaluation of the Effect of Bioremediation on Biological Activity of Environmental Contaminants: Dechlorination of Polychlorinated Biphenyls

The effectiveness of bioremediation efforts is assessed traditionally from the loss of the chemical of interest. In some cases, analytical techniques are coupled with evaluation of toxicity to organisms representative of those found in the affected environment or surrogate organisms. Little is known, however, about the effect of remediation of environmental chemicals on potential toxicity to mammalian organisms. We discuss both an approach that employs mammalian cell system bioassays and the criteria for selection of the assays. This approach has been used to evaluate the biological response to mixtures of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) before and after remediation by reductive dechlorination. The dechlorination process used results in accumulation of congeners substituted in only the ortho and para positions and containing fewer chlorines than the starting mixtures. Evaluation of the dechlorinated mixture reveals a loss of biological activity that could be ascribed to coplanar PCBs not containing chlorine in the ortho positions. Conversely, biological activity associated with ortho-substituted PCB congeners is unaffected or increased by remediation. Thus, the results of the bioassays are consistent with the remediation-induced change in the profile of PCB congeners and the known mechanisms of action of PCBs. The results emphasize a need for evaluation of the products of remediation for biological activity in mammalian systems. Furthermore, the approach outlined demonstrates the potential to assess the impact of remediation on a range of biological activities in mammalian cells and thus to estimate positive and negative effects of remediation strategies on toxicity. Future needs in this area of research include assays to evaluate biological effects under conditions of exposure that mimic those found in the environment and models to extrapolate effects to assess risk to people and wildlife.
Exact Solutions to the Burgers-Korteweg-de Vries Equation

In this letter, we propose a new approach to studying the one- and two-dimensional Burgers–Korteweg–de Vries equation. The results indicate that the solutions obtained in the literature are either ...
High throughput mutation screening of the factor VIII gene (F8C) in hemophilia A: 37 novel mutations and genotype-phenotype correlation.

Hemophilia A (HEMA) is an X-linked bleeding disorder caused by mutations in the factor VIII gene (F8C). Molecular genetic testing for the factor VIII gene is challenging due to its large size. Here we present results of high throughput mutation scanning based on Southern blot analysis and direct sequencing of all PCR amplified coding exons and the exon-intron boundaries of the factor VIII gene. The results of mutation analysis on 89 hemophiliac males showed presence of a disease-causing mutation in 80 individuals (90%, 95% CI of 82%-95%). Seven out of nine mutation-negative individuals were severe cases of hemophilia A with < 1% factor VIII protein in the blood. The correlation of phenotype with genotype as observed in this study was not absolute. This finding is supported by similar observations in the international database for hemophilia A mutations (HAMSTeRS). This issue raises the importance of genotypes at other loci that can act as modifiers for the phenotype. Thirty-four novel mutations and three novel substitutions for previously reported amino acid residues were identified in this series of 80 mutations. The mutations cover the full spectrum including rearrangements, deletions, frameshift, and point mutations. The novel missense mutations require careful evaluation. Prediction of a mutation as the disease-causing allele was made from the nature of the substitution and the degree of conservation of the mutated amino acid among species that have diverged in evolution. In some cases segregation analysis of the mutation with disease condition was performed when other family members were available.
Echocardiographic determinants of left ventricular ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction

Abstract Objective This study was performed to determine if factors other than the size of regional dysfunction influence the global left ventricular ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction. Background Left ventricular ejection fraction is an important prognostic variable after acute myocardial infarction. Although infarct size is known to affect the subsequent global left ventricular ejection fraction, it remains unclear whether other factors such as site or severity of the wall motion abnormality influence the ejection fraction after acute myocardial infarction. Methods Sixty-nine consecutive patients (mean age 61 ± 14 years, 46 [67%] male) who did not receive thrombolytic therapy or undergo early revascularization were studied by echocardiography 1 week after Q-wave myocardial infarction. The absolute size of the region of abnormal wall motion (AWM) and the percentage of the endocardium involved (%AWM) were quantitated along with the wall motion score. A severity index was then derived as the mean wall motion score within the region of AWM. Site of myocardial infarction was classified as either anterior or inferior from the endocardial map. Left ventricular ejection fraction was measured by Simpson's method with 2 apical views. Results Twenty-nine (42%) patients had anterior and 40 had inferior myocardial infarction. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was significantly lower in anterior than in inferior myocardial infarction (44.8% ± 11.5% vs 53% ± 8.6%; P =.001). The mean %AWM was greater in anterior than in inferior myocardial infarction (32.1 ± 15.5 vs 22.4 ± 14.1; P =.01). The mean wall motion score was greater in anterior than in inferior myocardial infarction (9.8 ± 6.4 vs 6.4 ± 4.4; P =.01). The mean severity index did not differ by site. Multiple regression analysis demonstrated that, in descending order of importance, %AWM, extent of apical involvement, and site of myocardial infarction were independent determinants of global left ventricular ejection fraction. Conclusions For myocardial infarctions of similar size, left ventricular ejection fraction is lower when apical involvement is extensive and the site of infarction is anterior. This site-dependent difference may be related to characteristics specific to the apex. (Am Heart J 2000;140:284-90.)
'Ought’ Implies ‘Can’ and the Scope of Moral Requirements

The purpose of this paper is to discuss whether moral requirements range over actions or attempts. In particular, I shall examine two contexts in ethics theory that some have thought provide a basis for believing that attempts are what are morally required of agents. In both of these contexts there is an implicit appeal to the principle that 'ought' implies 'can'. In order to set the stage for my discussion of the central question, therefore, I need to begin by explaining how I think appeals to the principle that 'ought' implies 'can' typically work.
Colleague Training and Peer Review THEME

The isolation of teachers is a well- documented phenomenon. The authors argue that an approach to counter this isolation is training teachers in colleagiali ty during the teacher preparation pro gr...
Isolation of platelet glycocalicin by affinity chromatography on thrombin-sepharose

Abstract Platelet glycocalicin has been purified to homogeneity by a two step procedure involving affinity chromatography on WGA-Sepharose and then on thrombin-Sepharose using selective elution with heparin. The procedure is more rapid (3–4 days), more reproducible and gives about twice the yield (10 mg/40 units platelets) of the previous method (Okumura et al. J. Biol. Chem. 251, 5950–5955, 1976). The two preparations showed identical inhibition of aggregation of gel filtered platelets induced by thrombin and by ristocetin. Glycocalicin was cleaved in a controlled fashion by trypsin-Sepharose over 3hr to yield the macroglycopeptide and peptide “tail” fragments and there was no apparent further degradation with 18 hrs digestion.
Opportunities in action: the case of the US Computer TakeBack Campaign

This article examines the rise and consequences of the Computer TakeBack Campaign in the USA, and argues that the campaign's achievements can be attributed to its active engagement with the economic, political, and discursive opportunity structures. First, the campaign changed the political opportunity structure and built political legitimacy for itself. Second, the campaign took advantage of the economic opportunity structure, created the leader/laggard frame, embarrassed its target, and utilized forces of market competition to push the Dell Corporation to change its policy. Third, the campaign created a favourable discursive opportunity structure by mobilizing college students and framing the e-waste crisis as a moral issue. Traditional political process theory has been criticized for being overly structuralist and for focusing solely on political movements. This case study shows that a modified understanding of opportunities can enhance the explanatory power of the traditional approach.
Threatened and Placed at Risk: High Achieving African American Males in Urban High Schools

This study investigated the risk and protective factors of 11 high-achieving African American males attending 4 urban charter high schools in a Midwestern city to determine what factors account for their resilience and success in mathematics courses, and in high school more generally. This research was guided by a Phenomenological Variant of Ecological Systems Theory, which assisted in extrapolating how these young Black males make sense of their experiences despite the many challenges they face growing up in urban Black America. Results indicate that although students were under multiple forms of academic and physical threat within and beyond school walls, there was a keen presence of academic agency and an ability to manage potentially threatening situations to cleverly protect themselves from complex systems of risk.
Robotic surgery in supermorbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer

Objective Morbid obesity is a known risk factor for the development of endometrial cancer. Several studies have demonstrated the overall feasibility of robotic-assisted surgical staging for endometrial cancer as well as the benefits of robotics compared with laparotomy. However, there have been few reports that have evaluated robotic surgery for endometrial cancer in the supermorbidly obese population (body mass index [BMI], ≥50 kg/m 2 ). We sought to evaluate safety, feasibility, and outcomes for supermorbidly obese patients who undergo robotic surgery for endometrial cancer, compared with patients with lower body mass indices. Study Design We performed a retrospective chart review of 168 patients with suspected early-stage endometrial adenocarcinoma who underwent robotic surgery for the management of their disease. Analysis of variance and univariate logistic regression were used to compare patient characteristics and surgical variables across all body weights. Cox proportional hazard regression was used to determine the impact of body weight on recurrence-free and overall survival. Results The mean BMI of our cohort was 40.9 kg/m 2 . Median follow up was 31 months. Fifty-six patients, 30% of which had grade 2 or 3 tumors, were supermorbidly obese with a BMI of ≥50 kg/m 2 (mean, 56.3 kg/m 2 ). A comparison between the supermorbidly obese and lower-weight patients demonstrated no differences in terms of length of hospital stay, blood loss, complication rates, numbers of pelvic and paraaortic lymph nodes retrieved, or recurrence and survival. There was a correlation between BMI and conversion to an open procedure, in which the odds of conversion increased with increasing BMI ( P = .02). Conclusion Offering robotic surgery to supermorbidly obese patients with endometrial cancer is a safe and feasible surgical management option. When compared with patients with a lower BMI, the supermorbidly obese patient had a similar outcome, length of hospital stay, blood loss, complications, and numbers of lymph nodes retrieved.
Semi-Supervised Affinity Propagation with Soft Instance-Level Constraints

Soft-constraint semi-supervised affinity propagation (SCSSAP) adds supervision to the affinity propagation (AP) clustering algorithm without strictly enforcing instance-level constraints. Constraint violations lead to an adjustment of the AP similarity matrix at every iteration of the proposed algorithm and to addition of a penalty to the objective function. This formulation is particularly advantageous in the presence of noisy labels or noisy constraints since the penalty parameter of SCSSAP can be tuned to express our confidence in instance-level constraints. When the constraints are noiseless, SCSSAP outperforms unsupervised AP and performs at least as well as the previously proposed semi-supervised AP and constrained expectation maximization. In the presence of label and constraint noise, SCSSAP results in a more accurate clustering than either of the aforementioned established algorithms. Finally, we present an extension of SCSSAP which incorporates metric learning in the optimization objective and can further improve the performance of clustering.
Adhesive sociocultural adaptation of Korean immigrants in the U.S.: an alternative strategy of minority adaptation.

Adhesive adaptation is conceptualized as a particular mode of adaptation in which certain aspects of the new culture and social relations with members of the host society are added on to the immigrants traditional culture and social networks without replacing or modifying any significant part of the old. In light of this conceptual framework various patterns of Korean immigrants adaptation in the U.S. are examined. For data collection 615 Korean immigrants in the Los Angeles area were interviewed in 1979. Findings indicate that the immigrants strong and pervasive ethnic attachment is unaffected by their length of residence in the U.S. socioeconomic status and cultural and social assimilation rates. The adhesive mode of adaptation is thus empirically confirmed by this study. Theoretical and practical implications of this adhesive adaptation are discussed in the conclusion. (authors)
Predicting posttraumatic stress after hospitalization for pediatric injury.

ABSTRACT Objective To determine the prevalence and predictors of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children after hospitalizations for accidental injuries. Method Forty-eight children (aged 7-17 years) and their parents were assessed during hospitalization with measures of children's prior traumatization, prior psychopathology, injury severity, parental acute distress, and child acute distress. At outpatient follow-up at least 1 month later, children were evaluated for current PTSD diagnosis and PTSD symptomatology (PTSDS) by a child structured interview and for PTSDS by a parent questionnaire. Results A total of 12.5% had the full syndrome of PTSD at follow-up, and an additional 16.7% had partial (subsyndromal) PTSD. Full PTSD was associated with a higher level of prior psychopathology, higher parental acute distress, and higher rates of prior sexual abuse, compared with partial or no PTSD. Prior psychopathology, parental distress, and, to a lesser extent, children's acute distress as reported by parents and breadth of prior traumatization, predicted subsequent PTSDS. Conclusions Full or partial PTSD is relatively common in youths 1 month or more after hospitalization for injuries. Parents' acute distress as well as children's prior psychopathology, prior traumatization, and acute distress may be useful predictors of such injured children's subsequent PTSD or PTSDS.
Decision making with computer graphics in an inventory control environment

Computer-driven displays have long been thought to help decision making. But the justification for using these devices in decision-making has been long on intuition and short on quantitative analysis. To see if this intuition was right, we conducted an experiment.
Asymmetric serial interactions between ethanol and cocaine in taste aversion learning

Abstract Although the interaction between ethanol and cocaine is well documented, it has generally been limited to situations in which the two drugs are given concurrently. Little exists on the interaction between ethanol and cocaine when one drug is given prior to the other. In Experiment 1, female Long–Evans rats were given five exposures to ethanol (2 g/kg ip) or vehicle prior to taste aversion conditioning with cocaine (32 mg/kg sc) for a total of five conditioning trials. In Experiment 2, rats were given five exposures to cocaine (32 mg/kg sc) or vehicle prior to taste aversion conditioning with ethanol (2 g/kg ip) for a total of five conditioning trials. Ethanol-preexposed, cocaine-conditioned animals (Experiment 1) displayed attenuated aversions to the cocaine-associated solution, drinking significantly greater amounts of saccharin than vehicle-preexposed, conditioned subjects. Conversely, cocaine-preexposed, ethanol-conditioned animals (Experiment 2) displayed robust aversions to the ethanol-associated solution, drinking levels comparable to those consumed by vehicle-preexposed, conditioned subjects and drinking significantly less than controls. Although the basis for these asymmetric effects is not known, they may have implications for abuse vulnerability in that drug history may impact subsequent drug toxicity that, in turn, may alter drug acceptability.
The War on “Anti-Aging Medicine”

Leading members of the gerontological community have recently launched a war on anti-aging medicine, seeking to discredit what they judge to be fraudulent and harmful products and therapies, and to distinguish their research from what they regard as the pseudoscience of the anti-aging movement. This article interprets the contemporary war on anti-aging medicine as largely an attempt by established gerontological researchers to preserve their hard-won scientific and political legitimacy, as well as to maintain and enhance funding for research on the basic biological mechanisms of aging. First, it recounts the difficult struggle of U.S. biogerontologists to join the scientific mainstream in terms of legitimization and public funding. Second, it examines how elements of a contemporary anti-aging movement seem to threaten the hard-won public legitimacy of established gerontological researchers and practitioners. Third, it looks at the "boundary work" responses of the gerontological community to the anti-aging movement. Finally, it assesses the consequences of the war on anti-aging medicine to date.
Letter identification in normal and dyslexic readers: A verification

In a recent study, Geiger and Lettvin (1987) have reported that the Aubert-Foerster function— a decline in the identifiability of letters with increments in angular distance from the axis of gaze—is flatter in dyslexic than in normal readers. This study has received considerable criticism on methodological grounds. The present investigation, using more appropriate procedures, confirms Geiger and Lettvin’s findings. In two experiments, dyslexic and normal readers identified letters presented tachistoscopically at fixation or at 2.5°, 5.0°, and 7.5° to the right of fixation. In both experiments, normal readers’ accuracy of identification declined sharply between 5.0° and 7.5°, while the accuracy of the dyslexics did not decline from that achieved at fixation over the range of eccentricities employed. The results are probably not attributable to the dyslexics’ inability or unwillingness to follow fixation instructions.
Hydroxypyruvate-mediated regulation of oxalate synthesis by lactate dehydrogenase and its relevance to primary hyperoxaluria type II

Hydroxypyruvate (HP) brought about the decarboxylation of [1-14C] glyoxylate nonenzymically at all pH values considered. The rate of decomposition of glyoxylate increased with each increase in the concentrations of the reactants, the pH, and temperature and on the addition of the cations Fe2+, Mn2+, Mg2+, Zn2+, Co2+, and Cu2+. The addition of HP to a purified preparation of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) catalyzing the oxidation of [1-14C]glyoxylate to [14C]oxalate in the presence of either NAD or NADH inhibited the production of oxalate. These observations have their implications in L-glyceric aciduria (primary hyperoxaluria type II), a syndrome characterized by the accumulation of HP and recurrent oxalosis. They suggest that the accumulating HP may reduce the contribution of intracellular glyoxylate to the formation of oxalate by competitively inhibiting the liver LDH. The involvement of liver LDH in oxalate synthesis and its postulated induction by HP and NAD in vivo are, therefore, reexamined.
Nanotechnology: nano-oscillators get it together.

Synchronized radiation from arrays of oscillators is widely used in microwave and wireless communications. Phase-locked oscillations produced at the atomic level now pave the way for devices on the nanoscale.
Oxygen and sulfur isotope fractionation during sulfide oxidation by anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria

Abstract Sulfide-mediated anoxygenic photosynthesis (SMAP) carried out by anaerobic phototrophic bacteria may have played an important role in sulfur cycling, formation of sulfate, and, perhaps, primary production in the Earth’s early oceans. Determination of e 34 S SO 4 -Sulfide- and e 18 O SO 4 - H 2 O values for bacterial sulfide oxidation will permit more refined interpretation of the δ 34 S and δ 18 O SO 4 values measured in modern anoxic environments, such as meromictic lakes where sulfide commonly extends into the photic zone, and in the ancient rock record, particularly during periods of the Precambrian when anoxic and sulfidic (euxinic) conditions were believed to be more pervasive than today. Laboratory experiments with anaerobic purple and green sulfur phototrophs, Allochromatium vinosum and Chlorobaculum tepidum , respectively, were conducted to determine the sulfur and oxygen isotope fractionation during the oxidation of sulfide to sulfate. Replicate experiments were conducted at 25 °C for A. vinosum and 45 °C for C. tepidum , and in duplicate at three different starting oxygen isotope values for water to determine sulfate-water oxygen isotope fractionations accurately (e 18 O SO 4 - H 2 O ). e 18 O SO 4 - H 2 O values of 5.6 ± 0.2‰ and 5.4 ± 0.1‰ were obtained for A. vinosum and C. tepidum , respectively. Temperature had no apparent effect on the e 18 O SO 4 - H 2 O values. By combining all data from both cultures, an average e 18 O SO 4 - H 2 O value of 5.6 ± 0.3‰ was obtained for SMAP. This value falls between those previously reported for bacterial oxidation of sphalerite and elemental sulfur (7–9‰) and abiotic and biotic oxidation of pyrite and chalcopyrite (2–4‰). Sulfur isotope fractionation between sulfide and sulfate formed by A. vinosum was negligible (0.1 ± 0.2‰) during all experiments. For C. tepidum an apparent fractionation of −2.3 ± 0.5‰ was observed during the earlier stages of oxidation based on bulk δ 34 S measurements of sulfate and sulfide and became smaller (−0.7 ± 0.3‰) when sulfate concentrations rose above 0.5 mM and sulfide concentrations had became negligible.
Detection of Early Stages of Myxobolus Cerebralis in Fin Clips from Rainbow Trout (Onchorynchus Mykiss)

A nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay was used to detect early stages of Myxobolus cerebralis in caudal and adipose fin samples from rainbow trout (RT). To determine sensitivity, groups of 10 RT were exposed to 2,000 M. cerebralis triactinomyxons/fish for 1 hour at 15°C and subsequently moved to clean recirculating water. Fish were held for 2 and 6 hours and 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 10, 30, and 60 days before sampling by nonlethal fin biopsy. Nested PCR performed on fin clips showed that M. cerebralis DNA was detected in caudal fin tissue in 100% of fish up to 5 days postexposure. At days 7 and 10 postexposure, 80% of fish were positive, and at 60 days postexposure, 60% of fish were positive using this technique. Conversely, testing on adipose fin clips proved less sensitive, as positive fish dropped from 80% at day 7 to below 20% at day 10 postinfection. Since detection of M. cerebralis infection using caudal fin samples coupled with nested PCR is an effective method for detection of early parasite stages, use of this technique provides for accurate, nonlethal testing.
Fate of the explosive hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) in soil and bioaccumulation in bush bean hydroponic plants

Soils amended with [[sup 14]C]hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) were sampled over 60 d and subjected to exhaustive Soxhlet extraction followed by HPLC analysis. RDX was the only radiolabeled compound observed in soil extracts. Emission of volatile organics and [sup 14]CO[sub 2] from soil accounted for only 0.31 % of the amended radiolabel. Mass balance for RDX-amended soil was better than 84% throughout the two-month study. The analytical method developed for plants involved acid hydrolysis, solvent extraction, fractionation on Florisil adsorbent and separation by HPLC. The described methodology allowed for RDX recovery of 86 [+-] 3% from fortified bush bean leaf tissue. Further experiments were conducted with bush bean plants maintained on RDX-containing hydroponic solutions. Hydroponic plants did not emit detectable amounts of [sup 14]CO[sub 2] or radiolabeled volatile organics. Analysis of the plant tissue indicated bioaccumulation of RDX in the aerial tissues of hydroponic plants exposed for either 1 or 7 d. Metabolism of RDX to polar metabolites was observed in plants exposed for 7 d.
Nitrate and phosphate recovery from anion exchange resins

Abstract The recovery of nitrate and phosphate from two anion exchange resins was determined. A general purpose and nitrate‐selective resin were extracted with potassium chloride (KCl), acidified ammonium chloride (NH4C1), and sodium sulfate (Na2SO4). The recovery of both nitrate and phosphate were significantly affected by the choice of resin and extractant. The combination of Na2SO4 extractant and nitrate‐selective resin resulted in less than half as much nitrate recovery as any other combination of resin and extractant. Consequently, if it is important to recover nitrate from the resins, Na2SO4 should not be used. Greater quantities of phosphate were recovered from the nitrate selective resin with all extractants. However, phosphate recovery was not significantly affected by choice of extractant. More rigorous extraction was required for the nitrate‐selective resin to achieve a level of nitrate recovery comparable to the general purpose resin. The nitrate selectivity also resulted in less phosphate bei...
Combined application of auto-correlated (COSY) and homonuclear J-resolved two-dimensional nmr spectra for the assignment of congested, non-first order spectra of polycyclic aromatic systems: assignment of the 1H-nmr spectrum of benzo[2,3]phenanthro[4,5-bcd]thiophene and an investigation of long range 1H-1H spin-coupling constants

Total assignment of the proton nmr spectrum of benzo[2,3]phenanthro[4,5-bcd]thiophene at 200 MHz is reported. Preliminary identification of the resonances comprising the individual spin Systems was accomplished by the use of auto-correlated two-dimensional proton nmr spectroscopy (COSY). Individual assignments were made on the basis of spin-coupling information which was obtained from the “titled” two-dimensional J-resolved (2DJ) proton nmr spectrum of the title compound. Because of the greater resolving power of the latter experiment relative to conventional proton nmr spectroscopy, a number of long range inter-ring spincouplings were observed. The observation of these long range couplings was crucial to the final assignment of several of the resonances in the spectrum. Resonances due to strong coupling in the 2DJ spectrum were also shown to be a useful means of correlating strongly coupled spins which provides an alternative to the COSY spectrum for this purpose.
Applied Benefits of the Sport Education Model

(1998). Applied Benefits of the Sport Education Model. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 69, No. 4, pp. 24-26.
Studies of potential inversion in the electrochemical reduction of 11,11,12,12-tetracyano-9,10-anthraquinodimethane and 2,3,5,6-tetramethyl-7,7,8,8-tetracyano-1,4-benzoquinodimethane.

The electrochemical reduction of the title compounds, 2a and 3a, and 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane, 1a, was studied in acetonitrile. The reduction of 1a shows normal ordering of potentials, i.e....
Preventing Cyber-induced Irreversible Physical Damage to Cyber-Physical Systems

Ever since the discovery of the Stuxnet malware, there have been widespread concerns about disasters via cyber-induced physical damage on critical infrastructures. Cyber physical systems (CPS) integrate computation and physical processes; such infrastructure systems are examples of cyber-physical systems, where computation and physical processes are integrated to optimize resource usage and system performance. The inherent security weaknesses of computerized systems and increased connectivity could allow attackers to alter the systems' behavior and cause irreversible physical damage, or even worse cyber-induced disasters. However, existing security measures were mostly developed for cyber-only systems and they cannot be effectively applied to CPS directly. Thus, new approaches to preventing cyber physical system disasters are essential. We recognize very different characteristics of cyber and physical components in CPS, where cyber components are flexible with large attack surfaces while physical components are inflexible and relatively simple with very small attack surfaces. This research focuses on the components where cyber and physical components interact. Securing cyber-physical interfaces will complete a layer-based defense strategy in the "Defense in Depth Framework". In this paper we propose Trusted Security Modules as a systematic solution to provide a guarantee of preventing cyber-induced physical damage even when operating systems and controllers are compromised. TSMs will be placed at the interface between cyber and physical components by adapting the existing integrity enforcing mechanisms such as Trusted Platform Module, Control-Flow Integrity, and Data-Flow Integrity.
Residential On-Site Carsharing and Off-Street Parking in the San Francisco Bay Area, California

This research explores the recent practice of connecting on-site carsharing service with off-street parking standards in multifamily developments; the San Francisco Bay Area, California, is used as a case study. If implemented well, such a policy could help boost the carsharing industry and reduce off-street parking, which is often criticized as being oversupplied as a result of excessive off-street parking standards. In 2011, the authors surveyed all carsharing sites in the Bay Area and all new residential developments (completed after 2000) with on-site carsharing spaces. The results showed that a significant number of carsharing spaces were located on residential properties, but 70% of the spaces had been retrofitted into existing buildings. For the new developments, on-site carsharing did not result in a reduction in the amount of regular off-street parking. Interviews with 15 professionals from three stakeholder groups (planners, developers, and service providers) revealed that even though all the st...
A System Software Architecture for High End Computing

Large MPP systems can neither solve grand-challenge scientific problems nor enable large scale industrial and governmental simulations if they rely on extensions to workstation system software. At Sandia National Laboratories we have developed, with our vendors, a new system architecture for high-end computing. Highest performance is achieved by providing applications with a light-weight interface to a collection of processing nodes. Usability is provided by creating node partitions specialized for user access, networking, and I/O. The entire system is glued together by a data movement interface which we call portals. Portals allow data to flow between processing nodes with minimal system overhead while maintaining a suitable degree of protection and reconfigurability.
Persistent Na+ and K+ channel dysfunctions after chronic exposure to insecticides and pyridostigmine bromide

Many soldiers that served in the 1991 Gulf War developed widespread chronic pain. Exposure to insecticides and the nerve gas prophylactic pyridostigmine bromide (PB) was identified as risk factors by the Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses (GWI). We examined whether a 60 day exposure to neurotoxicants/PB (NTPB) produced behavioral, molecular and cellular indices of chronic pain in the rat. Male rats were exposed to chlorpyrifos (120mg/kg; SC), permethrin (2.6mg/kg; topical), and PB (13.0mg/kg; oral) or their respective vehicles (corn oil, ethanol, and water). Permethrin can exert profound influences on voltage activated Na(+) channel proteins; while chlorpyrifos and PB can increase absorption and/or retard metabolism of permethrin as well as inhibit cholinesterases. During and after exposure to these agents, we assessed muscle pressure pain thresholds and activity (distance and rest time). Eight and 12 weeks after treatments ceased, we used whole cell patch electrophysiology to examine the physiology of tissue specific DRG nociceptor channel proteins expressed in muscle and putative vascular nociceptors (voltage dependent, activation, inactivation, and deactivation). Behavioral indices were unchanged after treatment with NTPB. Eight weeks after treatments ended, the peak and average conductance of Kv7 mediated K(+) currents were significantly increased in vascular nociceptors. When a specific Kv7 inhibitor was applied (linopirdine, 10μM) NTPB treated vascular nociceptors emitted significantly more spontaneous APs than vehicle treated neurons. Changes to Kv7 channel physiology were resolved 12 weeks after treatment. The molecular alterations to Kv7 channel proteins and the specific susceptibility of the vascular nociceptor population could be important for the etiology of GWI pain.
Intentional Teaching, Intentional Scholarship: Applying Backward Design Principles in a Faculty Writing Group

Backward design is a course creation method that encourages teachers to identify their goals for student understanding and measurable objectives for learning from the outset. In this article we explore the application of backward design to the production of scholarly articles. Specifically, we report on a writing group program that encourages group goal setting and the acquisition of skills required to achieve these goals. We discuss the relationships between backward design principles and the development of scholarship for publication as well as offer suggestions of best practices for academic writers.
Summary report of a national conference: Evolving concepts in liver allocation in the MELD and PELD era

A national conference was held to review and assess data gathered since implementation of MELD and PELD and determine future directions. The objectives of the conference were to review the current system of liver allocation with a critical analysis of its strengths and weaknesses. Conference participants used an evidence-based approach to consider whether predicted outcome after transplantation should influence allocation, to discuss the concept of minimal listing score, to revisit current and potential expansion of exception criteria, and to determine whether specific scores should be used for automatic removal of patients on the waiting list. After review of data from the first 18 months since implementation, association and society leaders, and surgeons and hepatologists with wide regional representation were invited to participate in small group discussions focusing on each of the main objectives. At the completion of the meeting, there was agreement that MELD has had a successful initial implementation, meeting the goal of providing a system of allocation that emphasizes the urgency of the candidate while diminishing the reliance on waiting time, and that it has proven to be a powerful tool for auditing the liver allocation system. It was also agreed that the data regarding the accuracy of PELD as a predictor of pretransplant mortality were less conclusive and that PELD should be considered in isolation. Recommendations for the transplant community, based on the analysis of the MELD data, were discussed and are presented in the summary document.
Recent Developments in Formulating Model Descriptors for Subsurface Transformation and Sorption of Trinitrotoluenea

Recent published data show that transformation and sorption are key processes involved in the subsurface transport of TNT. The state-of-the-art understanding of TNT soil transformation and sorption phenomena is summarized below: There is unequivocal evidence of reductive transformation of TNT in soils. However, soil properties affecting TNT transformation are only partially understood. Edaphic factors such as redox are probably important since highest reductive transformation rates occur under anaerobic conditions. TNT transformation products include 2A-DNT, 4A-DNT, 2,4-DANT, and 2,6-DANT. Azoxytoluenes have also been reported. Triaminotoluene may be an important TNT transformation product, but this product has not been routinely measured. TNT soil sorption is rapid and can be modeled as equilibrium controlled. Poor mass balances are difficult to interpret owing to lack of information on transformation products. Various irreversible disappearance mechanisms other than transformation to elutable transformation products are possible.
3D Visualization for the Analysis of Forest Cover Change

Abstract Visualization techniques have been developed to recreate natural landscapes, but little has been done to investigate their potential for illustrating land cover change using spatio‐temporal data. In this work, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS) and visualization techniques were applied to generate realistic computer visualizations depicting the dynamic nature of forested environments. High resolution digital imagery and aerial photography were classified using object‐oriented methods. The resulting classifications, along with preexisting land cover datasets, were used to drive the correct placement of vegetation in the visualized landscape, providing an accurate representation of reality at various points in time. 3D Nature's Visual Nature Studio was used to construct a variety of realistic images and animations depicting forest cover change in two distinct ecological settings. Visualizations from Yellowstone National Park focused on the dramatic impact of the 1988 fire upon the...
Extending the ONIOM integrated MO/MO approach to hydrogen bonding in biologic systems: Serine–water and threonine–water dimers

A series of two-layer ONIOM (MO:MO) methods have been systematically applied to two biologically important hydrogen-bonded dimers. Single conformations of the serine–water dimer and of the threonine–water dimer were optimized with the MP2 technique and a DZP++ basis set. The counterpoise corrected and uncorrected dissociation energies of the dimers were then computed with RHF, B3LYP, MP2, and CCSD(T) electronic structure techniques with 3-21G, 6-31+G(d), and DZP++ basis sets as well as every possible two-layer ONIOM permutation using either CCSD(T)/DZP++ or MP2/DZP++ as the high-level method. To judge the performance of each technique, the data are compared to results obtained with the CCSD(T) method and a double-zeta basis set with diffuse and polarization functions on all atoms [the largest basis set for which CCSD(T) computations were feasible]. MP2 theory reproduces the target CCSD(T) data extremely well. ONIOM schemes that employ model systems including the side-chain and α-carbon perform well, introducing errors of less than 0.21 kcal/mol. We observe that MP2:RHF approaches that use this large model system require almost the same CPU time as a B3LYP computation on the entire system but are far more accurate. Guidelines are presented for the application of two-layer ONIOM methods to hydrogen bonding between similar functional groups in larger biologic systems. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2004
Laser induced deposition of copper and lead powders

Copper and lead powders were precipitated by laser-induced reduction of copper(II) formate, copper(II) acetate, and lead(II) acetate dispersed/dissolved in glycerine by exposure to 248 nm KrF pulsed laser radiation. The deposited powders consisted of pure copper and a mixture of pure lead and partially reduced metallo-organic complexes, respectively. The reduction of the metallo-organic complex of lead was completed thermally. Temperature, concentration, laser pulse repetition rate, and stirring influenced the deposition rate in both cases. The copper particles were predominantly hexagonal in shape and ranged in size from 0.01–0.04 μm. The lead particles were football shaped and had a very narrow size distribution, with an axial dimension of about 0.5 μm. It was shown from a spectroscopic analysis of the reaction products that the initial nucleation was caused by photochemical processes. However, exposure of the nonaqueous solutions to CO2 laser pulses at room temperature did not yield any particles.
Improvements in ion signal reproducibility obtained using a homogeneous laser beam for on-line laser desorption/ionization of single particles.

A major factor limiting on-line single particle mass spectrometry techniques from becoming more quantitative is the large shot-to-shot variability in ion intensities observed in the laser desorption/ionization (LDI) mass spectra.1,2 In previous work, lab-generated particles showed fluctuations of up to 152% in the absolute ion intensities in averaged spectra of 200–300 ‘identical’ particles.2 Most of these fluctuations were attributed to inhomogeneities in the laser beam profile, leading to significant differences in the power each particle encountered depending on the position in the LDI laser beam where it underwent analysis. The goal of the work presented herein is to determine whether a fiber optic actually reduces the observed variability in single particle LDI mass spectral data. Initial results are presented for individual single component organic particles composed of 2,4-dihydroxybenzoic acid (2,4-DHB) analyzed using a low-power flat-top laser beam profile created by sending an ultraviolet (266 nm) DI laser through a fiber optic. Relative standard deviations of the total ion intensities for peaks in individual spectra are reduced to 31%. Single particle spectra, compared with and without laser homogenization at the same nominal laser fluence, show a marked enhancement. Specifically, the ion signal patterns of the 2,4-DHB particle spectra obtained using a homogenous LDI beam look identical to one another (i.e. only one particle type was produced with a commonly used neural network grouping algorithm), whereas without beam homogenization 25 different particle types (based on ion intensity patterns) were obtained. Future publications will explore more particle types and matrices but the initial results described herein are quite encouraging. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Childhood trauma and prodromal symptoms among individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Introduction Numerous studies point to an association between childhood trauma and the later development of psychotic illness. However, little is known about the prevalence of childhood trauma and its relationship to attenuated positive and other symptoms in individuals at heightened clinical risk for psychosis.
Coal utilization in industrial boilers in China —a prospect for mitigating CO2 emissions

It is estimated from GEF statistical data for 1991 that more than 500,000 industrial boilers (mostly stoker-fired) in China consume over 400 million tons of coal per year. Each year, because of low boiler efficiency, 75 million tons of coal is wasted and 130 million tons of excess CO2 are emitted. An analysis of 250 boiler thermal-balance test certificates and 6 field visits in three provinces have shown that: (1) boilers with efficiencies of less than 70% account for 75% of the total boiler-population; (2) the main causes of the low efficiencies are high excess air and unburned carbon in the slag and fly ash. The effect of unburned carbon on CO2 emission is a balance of positive and negative contributions: while the unburned carbon does not produce CO2 emissions, its replacement carbon, burned at a low efficiency, contributes to a net increase in CO2 emissions. It seems from the analysis that the average boiler efficiency can be raised to 73% by relatively simple means, such as the size grading of the coal, improved boiler operating practice and some inexpensive equipment modifications. This could then result in savings each year of 34 million tons of coal and a reduction in CO2 emissions of 63 million tons at an estimated cost of $10 per ton of CO2.
Projections of velocity data for the compatibility with transport

Both direct and iterative postprocessing methods are introduced to recover local conservation and higher order compatibility conditions, and to provide a velocity field with continuous normal components. Both methods treat a general non-conforming unstructured mesh, allow a projected mesh different from the original, handle the velocity coming from general flow schemes including non-conservative schemes, and process the velocity data from field measurements. The direct method is proved to be optimally accurate in general, whereas the iterative method consists of exponentially convergent iterations. Numerical results show that both methods not only maintain, but also improve the accuracy of the velocity.
Chronic Bias in Earnings Forecasts

Whatever the source or explanation of bias in forecasts of company earnings, if such bias persists, it is potentially discoverable and exploitable by investors. This research addresses (1) whether characterizing forecasts as if they were a homogeneous group with respect to bias is accurate or useful and (2) whether a long-term record of forecast errors contains information useful in predicting subsequent errors. We found that earnings forecasts are heterogeneous with respect to direction and degree of bias. We also found evidence of extremes in optimism and pessimism and that extreme errors tend to persist in the same direction, which suggests certain potentially profitable trading strategies.