cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Construction and Contributions of "Implications for Practice": What's in Them and What Might They Offer?

“Most reviewers’ checklists of leading management journals list the criterion, “relevance for practice.” Authors comply with this criterion by pointing out what implications their results might have for practice. Evidence in the form of successful implementations of the results in practice is not required. Essentially, the authors are only supposed to point out what implications practitioners, as they socially construct them, can possibly draw from their results. If the reviewers’ construction of relevance is in accordance with the author’s, the criterion of relevance has been met . . .” (Kieser & Leiner, 2009: 522–523; italics in original).
Lives at risk: uncovering factors associated with fatal child maltreatment

Awareness of cases of fatal child maltreatment has risen significantly in recent years suggesting the presence of a serious threat to young children despite extensive child welfare, clinical and legal responses to the issue. The purpose of this study was to identify differences between high risk child maltreatment and fatal risk cases and associated child protective service factors. For this study, 50 cases of fatal and near fatal child maltreatment were compared to a random sample of 50 moderate to severe maltreatment cases to determine predictors of group affiliation using a transactional model of child maltreatment to guide model development. RESULTS indicate that recognition of having a male perpetrator, in cases of physical abuse, in families with approximately two children living in more rural environments notably improved the odds of predicting fatal risk cases. Prior referrals to Adult Protective Services, less out of home care and poor utilization of in-home services were also noted differences in the service records of the groups. Implications regarding early intervention and child protection measures that could be utilized to reduce risk are offered.
Brain region white matter associations with visual selective attention

To understand how normal variations in white matter relate to cognition, magnetization transfer imaging ratios (MTR) of a hypothesized neural network were associated with a test of visual selective attention (VST). Healthy adults (N = 16) without abnormal signal on brain scans viewed a version of DeSchepper and Treisman’s test of VST (1996) with two levels of processing (novel shape matching with and without distractors, contingency feedback). A hypothesized neural network and component regions was significantly associated with accuracy and response times when distractors were present, with betas predicting 55% of variance in accuracy, and 59% of response times. MTR for anterior and posterior cingulate, prefrontal region, and thalami comprised a model predicting 55% of accuracy when distractors were present, and the anterior cingulate accounted for the majority of this effect. Prefrontal MTR predicted longer response times which was associated with increased accuracy. Distal neural areas involved in complex, processing-driven tasks (error processing, response selection, and variable response competition and processing load) may be dependent on white matter fibers to connect distal brain regions/nuclei of a macronetwork, including prefrontal executive functions.
Interfacial Electronic Structure of Tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (III) on Cu(111)

Tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (III) (Alq3), widely used in organic light-emitting diodes, has been examined on Cu(111) using two-photon photoemission (2PPE) spectroscopy supplemented by temperature-programmed desorption. Relative to Cu(111), clean and covered with typical aromatic molecules, the 2PPE intensities of Alq3 on Cu(111) are very strong. As a function of coverage, the interfacial energy level alignment of Alq3 with Cu(111) has been mapped and accords with an interface dipole model. In the electron time-of-flight spectrum of 2PPE, significant intensity extends to relatively long times and is ascribed to Alq3 photoluminescence rather than electron emission.
Quantifying Protein in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Urine: Success Achieved

Featured Article: Pesce MA, Strande CS. A new micromethod for determination of protein in cerebrospinal fluid and urine. Clin Chem 1973;11:1265–7.1 This paper described a dye-binding micromethod for measuring protein concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid and urine. The method involved coprecipitation of the proteins with a Ponceau S dye trichloroacetic acid solution, dissolving the protein precipitate in dilute sodium hydroxide, and measuring the absorbance at 560 nm. This method was rapid, easy to use, and required a specimen volume of 5–50 μL. I began my career as a clinical chemist in 1971 in the pediatric microchemistry laboratory at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center. This laboratory served the newborn, infant, and child population of Babies Hospital, …
A New Search for Lepton Flavor Violation in High-Q 2 Positron-Proton Collisions

A search for Lepton Flavor Violation in Deeply Inelastic positron-proton scattering was conducted at the HERA Colider, using the ZEUS detector. This process permits the probing of the four-fermion interaction, in particular those terms that involve two quarks and two leptons. Strong limits exist from rare decays and from lower-energy experiments, but they involve the lighter quarks. At HERA, limits can be set that also involve interactions with heavier sea quarks, and all three lepton families. these limits define the energy scale probed in the effective Lagrangian, and, in a more specific model, involving leptoquarks. While no events survived the selection criteria, two interesting candidate events are discussed.
PCB and Related Compound Binding to the Ah Receptor(s) Theoretical Model Based on Molecular Parameters and Molecular Mechanics

A model previously developed for describing PCB binding to cytosol receptors is tested with binding data from a set of PCBs [Bandiera et al., Biochem. Pharmacol. 32: 3803–3813 (1983)] which exhibit a broad range of intermolecular forces. The binding of molecules which would be expected to be dominated by dispersive interactions is correlated well with binding constants determined by polarizability and stacking distance parameters. The binding data for molecules which have substituents capable of exerting other electronic effects on binding correlate less well as expected. The stacking model was shown to be consistent with the minimum separation distances found by molecular mechanics. This simple model based on molecular parameters is a more universally applicable model for Ah receptor-aromatic hydrocarbon binding since it can explain the exceptions found for the previous rectangular (3 × 10A) box model.
Integrated electrical concentration and lysis of cells in a microfluidic chip

Lysing cells is an important step in the analysis of intracellular contents. Concentrating cells is often required in order to acquire adequate cells for lysis. This work presents an integrated concentration and lysis of mammalian cells in a constriction microchannel using dc-biased ac electric fields. By adjusting the dc component, the electrokinetic cell motion can be precisely controlled, leading to an easy switch between concentration and lysis of red blood cells in the channel constriction. These two operations are also used in conjunction to demonstrate a continuous concentration and separation of leukemia cells from red blood cells in the same microchannel. The observed cell behaviors agree reasonably with the simulation results.
Effect of brood mixing on location and survivorship of juvenile Canada geese

The establishment of mixed broods in populations of Canada geese, Branta canadensishas been a subject of controversy. The possible adaptive significance of this behaviour was evaluated as it relates to the survivorship of goslings. Distance of goslings from the adults, gosling status (i.e. natural or adopted) and survivorship to 5 years were measured to predict the value of aggregation behaviour. Spatial data indicated that adopted goslings were further from female adults than natural goslings. Recapture data indicated that mixed broods improved the survivorship of natural goslings.1997The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
A Modified Raman Spectrometer to Measure Dissolved Gases in the Deep-Ocean

A novel Raman spectrometer will be presented which can record species such as13CO2,12CO2at depths up to 5000 meters absolutely, with high spectral resolutions (0.1 cm-1), high precision isotope ratios (1%) within minutes.
Absolute lymphocyte counts refine minimal residual disease-based risk stratification in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Background Several studies have demonstrated the prognostic utility of absolute lymphocyte count (ALC) during therapy for a range of malignancies, with low ALC associated with adverse outcome. Here we investigated whether ALC retained independent prognostic significance with respect to minimal residual disease (MRD) status in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Procedure We reviewed 171 cases of pediatric ALL treated on the Children's Oncology Group P9900 series of treatment trials. Variables analyzed included ALC at several time points during Induction, age at diagnosis, cytogenetics, initial white blood cell count, and MRD status at Day 29 of Induction (MRD-29). Results We found high ALC at Induction Day 29 (ALC-29) to be an independent, clinically significant predictor of improved relapse-free and overall survival (OS). Patients with ALC-29 >1,500 cells/µl had a superior 6-year relapse-free survival (80 ± 4% vs. 62 ± 8%, P = 0.018) and overall survival (96 ± 2% vs. 74 ± 8%, P = 0.001). Moreover, ALC-29 identified distinct prognostic subgroups within cases stratified by MRD-29. In subjects with >0.01% MRD, ALC-29 > or <1,500 cells/µl had a significant 51% difference in 6-year OS (92 ± 7% vs. 41 ± 16%, P = 0.0001). Conclusions ALC, a readily obtainable test, constitutes a significant and independent prognostic factor in childhood ALL that may refine current MRD-based risk stratification algorithms and provide key prognostic information in settings where MRD determination is not feasible. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:468–474. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Two-step synthesis of the immunogenic bacterial glycolipid BbGL1.

Chemical synthesis of a bacterial glycolipid BbGL1 is reported in two steps starting from per-O-TMS d-galactose. The key features are glycosyl iodide mediated β-stereoselective glycosylation in the absence of neighboring group participation and regioselective acylation.
SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF THE ANOBIID BEETLE XYLETINUS PELTATUS (COLEOPTERA: ANOBIIDAE) ON VARIOUS WOODS

Although wood species was a statistically significant influence on percentages of eggs that hatched and larvae that tunneled into wood, these percentages were > 85% on most woods tested. Of eight test woods, yellow-poplar sapwood was preferred for egg-laying and was best for larval survival and growth. Slash pine was also favorable for egg-laying, survival, and growth. Beetles laid more eggs on Douglas-fir plywood and sweetgum than on shortleaf pine, but larvae did not survive in the plywood, and tunneled extensively without appreciable growth in sweetgum; larvae survived and grew well in shortleaf pine. The beetle life cycle is at least 2 years in favorable woods and may be 3–5 years in unfavorable woods.
Comments on M. Volkenstein's ‘About the freedom of will’

I am making these comments in response to a request by the Editors; I would not otherwise have taken it upon myself to criticize a fellow molecular biologist whose access to contemporary, or even classical, thought on the problem he discusses is probably quite limited. Undoubtedly it is because of that limited access that Volkenstein seems to lack familiarity with the standard literature on free will (cf. the 50 or so authors listed under 'free will' in the index of The Encyclopedia of Philosophy, MacMillian, New York, 1967), although that cannot account for his apparently not having read very carefully the papers of Young and Broda that he cites. Both of these cited authors do indeed maintain that quantum mechanical (i.e. microscopic) indeterminacy has nothing to do with free will. But Broda, in particular, shows also that no other physical principle, including the kind of macroscopic indeterminacy manifest by dissipative non-equilibrium structures to which Volkenstein draws attention, has anything to do with free will either. Volkenstein did not seem to notice that as soon as his def'mition of free will is brought into an objective scientific context the keywords 'choice' and 'goal' become metaphors, with meanings different from those that they have in their primitive, subjective ontological context. As Broda made clear, in the objective scientific context we mean that an animal makes a 'choice' when of a set of alternative, physically realizable courses of action, the animal takes action A. We may consider that choice to be 'free' if, given the set of external conditions C, the taking of action depends on one of several possible internal states, S, particularly of the nervous system. The choice is not free if C alone determines A, regardless of which internal state S obtains. Even in the former case, however, A is 'determined' (i.e. is linked via a cause-effect relation) by the functional relation between C and S. This is the case even if a random generator, i.e. a Monte Carlo device, forms part of that functional relation (as appears to exist in the random flight response of certain animals that avoids its anticipation by the predator). As far as 'goal' is concerned, perusal of the papers of Young and Broda would have shown Volkenstein that from the viewpoint of Darwinian biological thought, especially ethology, there is but one goal of animals, namely to maximize evolutionary fitness. Hence the functional relation between C and S that 'freely' determines A is itself the result of natural selection. In this ethological context, the word 'instinct' is not to be contrasted, as does
Using Reinforcement Learning for Call Admission Control in Cellular Environments featuring Self-Similar Traffic

This paper details reinforcement learning architectures that efficiently provide the functions of dynamic channel allocation (DCA) and call admission control (CAC) for cellular telecommunications environments featuring both voice traffic and self-similar data traffic. These solutions are able to be implemented in a distributed manner using only localised environment information and without the need for any off-line training period. The performance of these reinforcement learning solutions are thoroughly examined via computer simulations and are shown to produce superior results in terms of both revenue raised and handoff blocking probability.
Silicon microstrip wedge detectors for the DØ silicon tracker

Abstract The silicon tracking system proposed for the DO upgrade is discussed. The design of “wedge” modules for the forward disk section of the tracker is described. The wedge detectors are double-sided with a stereo angle of ± 15° and a strip pitch of 50 μm. Each strip includes an integrated ac-coupling capacitor and polysilicon bias resistor. First results from recently fabricated prototype wedge detectors are presented.
An Integrated Theory of the No‐Reflow Phenomenon and the Beneficial Effect of Vascular Washout on No‐Reflow

Objectives: No-reflow is failure of perfusion in free tissue transfer despite adequate arterial inflow. The objectives of this study were to construct a theory of interactive mechanisms of the no-reflow phenomenon and to determine whether preischemic vascular washout could increase flap ischemia tolerance. Study Design: The evidence for the role of various mechanisms in the development of no-reflow is reviewed, and an integrated network proposed. A ratgroin free flap model is used to test preischemic vascular washout with normal saline, heparinized normal saline, lactated Ringer's solution, Tis-U-Sol, and Viaspan. Methods: The mean ischemia tolerance of this flap without any therapeutic intervention was first determined, using 22 animals. An additional 50 animals were used to compare with the control group the ischemia tolerance of flaps washed out with the above fluids before their ischemic period. Results: The critical ischemia time 50 (time after which half of the flaps are expected to survive and half, die) of the untreated flap is 23.4 hours in this model (P .57). Flaps receiving preischemic washout with heparinized normal saline (4,000 units/L) had a significantly better outcome than the control group (P < .027). Conclusions: Preischemic washout with normal saline, lactated Ringer's solution, or heparinized Tis-U-Sol is detrimental for flap survival after ischemia, Tis-U-Sol- and Viaspan-treated flaps do have ischemia tolerance similar to the control group, and flaps washed out with heparinized normal saline have a survival advantage in this model.
Ciliary band gene expression patterns in the embryo and trochophore larva of an indirectly developing polychaete.

Abstract The trochophore larvae of indirectly developing spiralians have ciliary bands with motor and feeding functions. The preoral prototroch ciliary band is the first differentiating organ in annelid and mollusk embryos. Here we report the expression of several ciliary band markers during embryogenesis and early larval stages of the indirectly developing polychaete Hydroides elegans. Genes with similarity to caveolin, β-tubulin, α-tubulin, and tektin are expressed in the eight primary prototroch precursors, 1q221 and 1q212. Blastomeres 1q221 and 1q212 locate at the same equatorial latitude after the complementary asymmetric division of their 1q22 and 1q21 precursors. In addition, caveolin and α-tubulin are expressed in the metatroch and adoral ciliary zone. Caveolin is expressed in foregut ciliated cells, and α-tubulin is expressed in apical tuft ciliated cells. The expression of a β-thymosin homolog is restricted to 1q122 and 1q121 blastomeres, which locate just above and in close association with the eight primary prototroch cells 1q221 and 1q212. In addition, the β-thymosin homolog has a transient expression in the hindgut and apical zone. The expression of all these genes provides a landmark for the early specification of ciliary bands and other ciliated organs.
Energy conservation with partially coherent sources which generate frequency shifts of spectral lines

Energy conservation laws for statistical wavefields are first reviewed based on the following three models: electromagnetic theory scalar wave theory and radiometiy. These laws apply whether or not the coherence properties of the source generate shifts of spectral lines in the emitted radiation. Some subtleties are then noted which indicate why the spectrum of light is in general not conserved on propagation. We illustrate the results by considering fields produced by planar quasi-homogeneous secondary sources and by spherically symmetric sources of different states of coherence. * Research supported by the Department of Energy under grant # DE-FGO2-9OER 14119. The views expressed in this article do not constitute endorsement by DOE. ** Alsowith The Institute of Optics University of Rochester. SPIE Vol. 1319 Optics in Complex Systems (1990) / 59
Cardiologists' use of percutaneous coronary interventions for stable coronary artery disease.

Background Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is commonly performed in patients with stable coronary artery disease, despite current evidence suggesting that such patients derive minimal benefit from the procedure. We sought to determine the influences on cardiologists' decision to perform elective PCI in patients with stable coronary artery disease. Methods We conducted a qualitative study using 3 focus groups of interventional and noninterventional cardiologists in California. Participants discussed issues surrounding the decision to perform PCI using hypothetical case scenarios. We analyzed the data according to the principles of grounded theory. Results Despite acknowledging data showing that PCI offers no reduction in the risk of death or myocardial infarction in patients with stable coronary artery disease, cardiologists generally believed that PCI would benefit such patients. Reasons given for performing PCI included belief in the benefits of treating ischemia and the open artery hypothesis, especially with drug-eluting stents; potential regret for not intervening if a cardiac event could be averted; alleviation of patient anxiety; and medicolegal considerations. Participants believed that, in patients undergoing coronary angiography, an “oculostenotic reflex” prevailed and all significant amenable stenoses would receive intervention, even in asymptomatic patients. Conclusions The widespread application of PCI in stable coronary artery disease for indications unsupported by evidence may reflect discordance between cardiologists' clinical knowledge and their beliefs about the benefits of PCI. Nonclinical factors appear to have substantial influence on physician decision making. Future studies should focus on the development of methods to help providers more fully incorporate clinical evidence into their medical decision making.
High level area, delay and power estimation for FPGAs

This paper describes an approach for high-level estimation of area, delay and power for FPGA synthesis. This approach has been integrated within the PACT compiler framework which has an automated design space exploration pass that determines the effects of various compiler optimizations on the synthesized hardware. Such a pass needs early estimation of area, delay and power. Towards this end, we have developed area and delay models for various RTL level operators such as adders, multipliers, and logical operators, which are parameterized with the bit widths of the devices. We have also derived high-level equation based power macro-models which take into account input switching activities, input spatial correlation and input bit width. These models are derived by actual synthesis of the RTL operators using back-end logic synthesis and place-and-route tools. Experimental results show that these area, delay and power models are accurate and efficient.
SIZE OF HOUSEHOLD FIREARM COLLECTIONS: IMPLICATIONS FOR SUBCULTURES AND GENDER*

Recent work (Cook and Ludwig, 2003) has linked local firearm density to increased burglary victimization risk. The current work investigates within-household gun density or household firearm collection size. Previous work has suggested two subcultures of gun owners: protection-minded and sport- or hunting-minded. It also has identified gender gaps in reporting any household guns and in the number reported. None of the earlier work, however, has controlled for selection into gun-owning household status. This limitation raises potential questions about earlier findings. The current research controls for selection. If the two subcultures thesis is correct, protection-minded owners should report smaller household firearm collections. The expected impact is observed in one national survey and is partially replicated in a second. Gender gaps seemed more independent than previously suggested. This study is the first to provide evidence of two partially overlapping subcultures of gun owners even after controlling for selection into gun-owning household status. Practical implications for burglary risk may exist.
Prognostic significance and effect of chemoradiotherapy on microvessel density (angiogenesis) in esophageal Barrett's esophagus-associated adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Previous studies have shown that intratumoral microvessel density (IMD) correlates with clinical outcome in a variety of human neoplasms, such as those that arise in the breast, colon, and stomach, suggesting that angiogenesis is important in cancer progression. The aims of this study were to evaluate the prognostic utility of IMD in esophageal Barrett's-associated adenocarcinoma (AdCa) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and to determine the effect of preoperative chemoradiotherapy (chemrad) on this process. Tissue sections of tumor from 67 patients with esophageal carcinoma (45 with Barrett's-associated AdCa, 22 with SCC) were stained with the vascular marker CD31. The IMD was calculated by evaluating at least 5 different 200 x fields of tumor hot spot areas to obtain the mean microvessel count (MVC). The data then were correlated with the clinical and pathological features, chemrad status, and patient survival. The MVC was significantly higher in AdCa (143 +/- 63.2) compared with SCC (77.2 +/- 38.6, P = 0.0001). In AdCa, no correlation was noted between the MVC and any of the clinical or pathological features, including chemrad status. In contrast, in SCC, a statistically significant higher MVC was detected in patients who did not receive chemrad (97.2 +/- 37.3) compared with those who did (48.3 +/- 15.9, P = .002) and in tumors that were larger in size (P = .02). However, the MVC did not correlate with survival in either AdCa or SCC (P > .05). The degree of angiogenesis is not a significant prognostic indicator in either esophageal AdCa or SCC. Preoperative chemrad has a positive effect on reducing the degree of angiogenesis in esophageal carcinoma, particularly SCC.
Packets distribution algorithms for sensor networks

In this paper, we study, via simple discrete mathematical models, the problems of data distribution and data collection in wireless sensor networks. The work that follows continues the work presented by the authors in (C. Florens et al., 2002) where the focus was on sensor networks equipped with unidirectional antenna elements. Here we shift our interest to networks equipped with omnidirectional antenna elements. In particular we show how the data distribution and collection tasks can be performed optimally (with respect to time) on tree networks and give the corresponding time performances of those strategies. We also present a strategy for general graph networks that performs within a factor of 3 of the optimal performance. Finally we compare the performance of a network equipped with omnidirectional antenna elements with one equipped with unidirectional antenna elements. We show the latter outperforms the former by 33% at most in tree networks. To that purpose we included relevant results on directional antenna sensor networks, partly obtained in (C.Florens et al., 2002).
Young children fail to fully generalize a novel argument structure construction when exposed to the same input as older learners

The present study exposed five-year-olds (M=5 ; 2), seven-year-olds (M=7 ; 6) and adults (M=22 ; 4) to instances of a novel phrasal construction, then used a forced choice comprehension task to evaluate their learning of the construction. The abstractness of participants' acquired representations of the novel construction was evaluated by varying the degree of lexical overlap that test items had with exposure items. We found that both child groups were less proficient than adults, but seven-year-olds showed evidence of across-the-board generalization whereas five-year-olds were sensitive to lexical overlap at test. This outcome is consistent with more conservative, item-based learning of syntactic patterns in younger children. Additionally, unlike adults and seven-year-olds, five-year-olds showed no evidence of having mastered the novel construction's linking rules. Thus, younger learners are less likely to generalize abstract argument structure constructions when exposed to the same systematic input as older learners.
On the Performance of Spatial Modulation: Optimal Constellation Breakdown

Spatial modulation (SM) is a new transmission technique for multi-antenna systems in which the transmit antennas are used to modulate the signal. In this paper, the symbol error rate (SER) performance of SM is investigated. In SM, a signal domain modulation (i.e. amplitude-phase modulation) and an antenna domain modulation (i.e. space shift keying) are combined together to achieve a certain transmission rate while exploiting the properties of two independent modulation domains. A key question is the fine balance between the constellation sizes in the two domains when a constant rate is targeted. For a fixed rate, there are many ways to assign constellation vectors to the spatial and signal domains. In this paper, we investigate optimal constellation breakdown between space and signal domains. The analysis is based on the union bound of the error probability of SM with two typical APM schemes, i.e. phase-shift keying (PSK) and square quadrature amplitude modulation (S-QAM). It is shown that, at any transmission rate, there exists an optimal APM dimension in which the SER is minimized. Furthermore, a trade-off between the number of transmit antennas and the transmit power is introduced.
Functional Interaction of H2AX, NBS1, and p53 in ATM-Dependent DNA Damage Responses and Tumor Suppression

Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) mutated (ATM) kinase signals all three cell cycle checkpoints after DNA double-stranded break (DSB) damage. H2AX, NBS1, and p53 are substrates of ATM kinase and are involved in ATM-dependent DNA damage responses. We show here that H2AX is dispensable for the activation of ATM and p53 responses after DNA DSB damage. Therefore, H2AX functions primarily as a downstream mediator of ATM functions in the parallel pathway of p53. NBS1 appears to function both as an activator of ATM and as an adapter to mediate ATM activities after DNA DSB damage. Phosphorylation of ATM and H2AX induced by DNA DSB damage is normal in NBS1 mutant/mutant (NBS1m/m) mice that express an N-terminally truncated NBS1 at lower levels. Therefore, the pleiotropic A-T-related systemic and cellular defects observed in NBS1m/m mice are due to the disruption of the adapter function of NBS1 in mediating ATM activities. While H2AX is required for the irradiation-induced focus formation of NBS1, our findings indicate that NBS1 and H2AX have distinct roles in DNA damage responses. ATM-dependent phosphorylation of p53 and p53 responses are largely normal in NBS1m/m mice after DNA DSB damage, and p53 deficiency greatly facilitates tumorigenesis in NBS1m/m mice. Therefore, NBS1, H2AX, and p53 play synergistic roles in ATM-dependent DNA damage responses and tumor suppression.
Intelligent Astronaut Associate for Next Generation Space Systems

Astronaut crews operating next-generation spacecraft and space systems will be tasked with managing highly complex automated systems far from Earth. The distances involved and communications lags present with Earth-based control centers will induce a necessary autonomy never before experienced in human spaceflight. Working more autonomously, these astronauts will need to be keenly aware of external situations, internal status and health of spacecraft systems, and options for dealing with faulty equipment and off-nominal situations. Crews will also have to understand how the spacecraft automation is to be used in light of the current mission situation, and how to trade off operational objectives as necessary to use the automation effectively. An intelligent astronaut associate (IAA) has the potential to enhance the ability of astronaut crews to work more efficiently, to cope with uncertainty and to address the unique challenges outlined above. This paper describes an initial implementation of the IAA which would provide an intelligent automation interface to the astronaut crew, dynamically providing relevant real-time information, while monitoring cognitive state and workload to determine how best to present pertinent information to the crew. The IAA would also include knowledge-based reasoning capability, and cockpit technologies such as integrated alerting and notification, presented via a task driven, intuitive, consistent natural language for interfacing with the automation
Increasing Binding Constants of Ligands to Carbonic Anhydrase by Using "Greasy Tails"

Two series of para-substituted benzenesulfonamides have been examined as inhibitors for bovine carbonic anhydrase II (CAII, EC 4.2.1.1). Both series have hydrophobic alkyl group R connected by amide linkages to the aromatic ring (H2NO2SC6H4-CH2NHCOR1 and H2NO2SC6H4-CONR2R3). The free energy of partitioning (delta Gp) of these ligands between water and octanol had similar, linear correlations with the molecular surface areas of the hydrophobic groups R; delta Gp was only relatively weakly influenced by the linkage to the benzenesulfonamide and the detailed structure of the group R. Binding of these ligands to CAII was more complicated. For compounds having the structure H2NO2SC6H4-L-R, the dependence of the free energy of binding to CAII on the surface area of the hydrocarbon (fluorocarbon) group R for different -L-R was (d delta Gb/dA, kcal/(mol.100 Angstrum 2): -CH2NHCORH, -0.71 +/- 0.03; -CH2NHCORF, -0.72 +/- 0.07; -CONHCH2RH, -2.5 +/- 0.1; and -CONHCH2RF, -2.7 +/- 0.3. The available data permit several conclusions: (i) details (linear, branched, cyclic) of the structure of the group RH are relatively unimportant in determining binding constants (although cyclic structures may bind slightly more strongly than acyclic ligands with the same carbon number); (ii) for a given class of compounds, binding constants of hydrocarbons and fluorocarbons having the same surface area are very similar; and (iii) the nature of the linker L influences the sensitivity of binding to the surface area of the group R, presumably by its influences in positioning the group in the binding pocket of the enzyme. Fluorocarbons seem to be more hydrophobic than hydrocarbons of the same carbon number because they have larger areas of hydrophobic surface; the hydrophobicity of hydrocarbon and fluorocarbon surfaces are similar, after correction for differences in area.
Asphaltene adsorption onto self-assembled monolayers of alkyltrichlorosilanes of varying chain length.

The adsorption of asphaltenes onto flat silica surfaces modified with self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkyltrichlorosilanes of varying thickness due to a variable number of carbon atoms (NC) has been studied by means of contact angle measurements, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. The extent of asphaltene adsorption was found to depend primarily on the ability of the SAM layer to shield the underlying silicon substrate from interacting with the asphaltenes present in solution. Specifically, asphaltene adsorption decreased with an increase in NC and/or an increase in SAM grafting density, σSAM, (i.e., number of SAM molecules per unit area). The effect of the solvent quality on the extent of asphaltene adsorption was gauged by adsorbing asphaltenes from toluene, 1-methylnaphthalene, tetralin, decalin, and toluene−heptanes mixtures. The extent of asphaltene adsorption was found to increase proportionally with a decrease in the Hildebrand solubility pa...
Examining the Reggio Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education

Reggio Emilia, a prosperous region in Northern Italy, is the site of one of the most innovative, high-quality city-run infant-toddler and pre-primary systems in the world. The Reggio Emilia Approach to early childhood education draws from the ideas of many great thinkers, yet it is much more than an eclectic mix of theories. With that in mind, the following points concerning the learner, the instructor, and knowledge serve to guide the Reggio Emilia Approach to educating young children: the learner possesses rights, is an active constructor of knowledge, and is a social being; the instructor is a collaborator and co-learner along with the child, a guide and facilitator, and a researcher; and knowledge is viewed as being socially constructed, encompassing multiple forms of knowing, and comprised of meaningful wholes.
Genetic correlations for daily gain between ram and ewe lambs fed in feedlot conditions and ram lambs fed in Pinpointer units.

When performance is recorded in auto- mated facilities that measure feed intake of individual lambs that are penned in a group, such as Pinpointer units, a legitimate question is the degree to which daily gain is genetically correlated with daily gain achieved under feedlot conditions. Lambs were from a composite population (¹⁄₂ Columbia, ¹⁄₄ Suffolk, and ¹⁄₄ Hampshire germplasm) and of the F2 or more advanced genera- tions. Data were daily gains of 1,101 rams (PR) fed in Pinpointer units (11 to 17 wk of age) and 2,021 rams (FR) and 3,513 ewes (FE) fed under feedlot conditions (9- or 10-wk period starting at 9 wk of age). The FR and FE lambs were born from 1983 through 1995, whereas the PR lambs were born from 1986 through 1995. Measurements of daily gain in PR, FR, and FE lambs were considered to represent three correlated traits. Unadjusted means were .411, .406, and .326 kg/ d for PR, FR, and FE, respectively. Random effects in the model were animal direct genetic, maternal genetic,
Probabilistic reconstruction of the tumor progression process in gene regulatory networks in the presence of uncertainty

Background Accumulation of gene mutations in cells is known to be responsible for tumor progression, driving it from benign states to malignant states. However, previous studies have shown that the detailed sequence of gene mutations, or the steps in tumor progression, may vary from tumor to tumor, making it difficult to infer the exact path that a given type of tumor may have taken.
Porting a cancer treatment prediction to a mobile device

The Lung Cancer Survivability Prediction Tool (LCSPT) is a web-based system that predicts the survival possibility of a lung cancer patient based on the status of the patient and the treatments provided. In order to make the LCSPT more accessible and convenient to doctors working in a clinical setting, we have developed a new interface for mobile devices. The display size along with wireless data transfer speeds pose the most significant challenges to porting a software application to a mobile device. We have addressed these issues by redefining the interface and limiting the amount of data that is required. The resultant tool provides doctors with the flexibility of mobility while maintaining the effectiveness of the desktop version of the LCSPT.
The Influence of Gene Conversion on Linkage Disequilibrium Around a Selective Sweep

In a 2007 article, McVean studied the effect of recombination on linkage disequilibrium (LD) between two neutral loci located near a third locus that has undergone a selective sweep. The results demonstrated that two loci on the same side of a selected locus might show substantial LD, whereas the expected LD for two loci on opposite sides of a selected locus is zero. In this article, we extend McVean's model to include gene conversion. We show that one of the conclusions is strongly affected by gene conversion: when gene conversion is present, there may be substantial LD between two loci on opposite sides of a selective sweep.
Modeling dependent failures for the availability of extra high voltage transmission lines

An investigation is conducted into the calculation of availability for parallel transmission lines (two or more) in the same tower or on the same right of way. As in many studies, the development of mathematical models is an important step. The models are justified using historical data and known characteristics of power system elements. A statistical method is used to generalize the failure rate from real operating data. Application of the new model (which combines common-mode, simultaneous independent, and dependent outages) is discussed. >
The Pyreno‐Triazinyl Radical – Magnetic and Sensor Properties

We report the first example of a stable pyrenotriazinyl radical, 1,3-diphenyl-1,2,4-pyrenotriazin-4-yl (PyT). Magnetic susceptibility measurements of the radical PyT show a transition from a paramagnetic state to an antiferromagnetic state. The pyrene moiety has a strong influence via ππ interactions in 1D chain stacks that result in the observed magnetic properties. Unexpectedly, the pyrene unit has essentially no effect on the electronic structure of the triazinyl core. Chemical sensing studies on various nitrophenol-based compounds showed that the radical PyT exclusively senses picric acid (PA), as a pH sensor, with a detection limit of 5.0×10−6 M.
Intrahepatic assembly of very low density lipoproteins. Rate of transport out of the endoplasmic reticulum determines rate of secretion.

To identify the rate-limiting step(s) in the hepatic production of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), we investigated the intracellular distribution and rate of intracellular transport of de novo synthesized apolipoprotein B (apoB). For all secretory proteins examined (i.e. albumin, large molecular weight apoB, and small molecular weight apoB) the rough and smooth microsomes contained the majority of intracellular de novo synthesized protein, while the Golgi subfraction contained 10% or less. Pulse-chase analysis of the intracellular movement of apoB and albumin showed that the first order rate constant (in terms of half-life) describing the rate of movement out of the smooth and rough microsomes determined the overall rate of movement out of the cell. These data suggest that movement out of the endoplasmic reticulum, the site where VLDL is assembled, determines the overall rate of secretion. Furthermore, compared to albumin, the rate of intracellular transport of apoB was approximately two times slower suggesting that processing unique to VLDL apoB occurring in the endoplasmic reticulum was responsible. Additional studies show that essentially all of the de novo synthesized 35S-labeled albumin (produced from a pulse of [35S]methionine) lost from the cell during the chase period could be recovered in the culture medium. In contrast, much less of large molecular weight apoB (36%) and small molecular weight apoB (60%) was recovered in the culture medium. Since these cultured rat hepatocytes do not take up or degrade newly secreted apoB, these data suggest that a significant amount of apoB is degraded intracellularly.
Efficient beacon placement for network tomography

Recent interest in using tomography for network monitoring has raised the fundamental issue of whether it is possible to use only a small number of probing nodes (beacons) for monitoring all edges of a network in the presence of dynamic routing. Past work has shown that minimizing the number of beacons is NP-hard, and has provided approximate solutions that may be fairly suboptimal. In this paper, we use a two-pronged approach to compute an efficient beacon set: (i) we formulate the need for, and design algorithms for, computing the set of edges that can be monitored by a beacon under all possible routing states; and (ii) we minimize the number of beacons used to monitor all network edges. We show that the latter problem is NP-complete and use an approximate placement algorithm that yields beacon sets of sizes within 1+ln(|E|) of the optimal solution, where E is the set of edges to be monitored. Beacon set computations for several Rocketfuel ISP topologies indicate that our algorithm may reduce the number of beacons yielded by past solutions by more than 50%.
Zirconium, niobium, antimony, vanadium and lead in rats: life term studies.

To evaluate innate effects of the trace elements zirconium, niobium, antimony and vanadium, and to reevaluate those of lead, 603 rats of the Long-Evans strain were fed a diet containing relatively small amounts of these elements in an environment reasonably free of trace contaminants. Groups of 100 or more divided as to sex were given 5 ppm (as metal) either zirconium, niobate, an tÂimoni te, or vanadyl ions, and 25 ppm lead (males only) in drinking water from the time of weaning until natural death, and compared with an equal number of controls. Chromium 1 ppm was in the water. These doses were tolerable for growth which was enhanced in the male niobium group. Innate toxicity in terms of life span and longevity occurred in the antimony groups. In rats given antimony, nonfasting serum glucose levels were lower than fasting, an unusual finding. Increased incidences of glycosuria occurred in the zirconium, niobium and lead groups. Serum cholesterol was abnormal in the antimony and vanadium groups. Antimony and lead accumu lated in soft tissues, the former with age. No element was tumorigenic. Lead-fed males lost weight from 24 to 30 months of age and their coats were poor, the only signs of toxicity. A previous series of chromium-deficient rats given the same dose of lead showed early mortality, shortened life span and decreased longevity. Chromium may be antagonistic to lead toxicity. Innate biological effects of small doses of trace elements in drinking water, given to mice and rats from the time of weaning until death are being studied in an en vironment relatively free of contaminating metals. The purposes of these time-consum ing experiments are to ascertain whether an orally given element â€"usually a metal â€"has favorable or adverse effects on growth and survival or is inert biologically, and whether or not a common human chronic disease is reproduced in these ani mals. We have reported effects of cad mium, lead, chromium and its deficiency
Less optimism about optimistic concurrency control

This paper discusses some of the shortcomings of the optimistic concurrency control (OCC) approach in supporting all the features expected in a full-function DBMS. Surprisingly, in spite of OCC having been around for a long time and its performance having been studied in various contexts, no complete system design, let alone a full-blown implementation, exists, as far as the author knows. The problems with OCC relate to support for access paths (indexes, hash-based storage), partial rollbacks, nested transactions, fine-granularity (e.g. record-level) conflict checking, different isolation levels, distributed transactions, and so on. this paper increases-awareness of the implementation aspects of OCC amongst researchers and initiates a debate about the practical utility of OCC. >
Differential innovation of smartphone and application use by sociodemographics and personality

We model sociodemographics and personality on smartphone use.We model sociodemographics and personality on smartphone application use.Sociodemographics play a major role in smartphone behavior.Personality plays a smaller, but significant, role in smartphone behavior. In the current study, we explore predictors of smartphone and smartphone application use in a large, diverse, population representative South Korean sample (N=9482). Sociodemographics (e.g., gender, age, education, and income) were major predictors of smartphone and smartphone application use. Generally, younger, educated, and wealthy individuals tended to use smartphones and smartphone applications to a greater extent. Females tended to use smartphones, e-commerce applications, and relational applications more compared to males. Openness, extraversion, and conscientiousness were associated with increased probability of smartphone ownership. Extraversion was associated with decreased literacy application use and increased relational application use. Conscientiousness was associated with decreased e-commerce application use. These results imply that sociodemographics and personality predict smartphone innovation.
The Grand Pareto: A Methodology for Identifying and Quantifying Yield Detractors in a Technology for Volume Semiconductor Manufacturing

A method of communicating a unified pareto, we call "Grand Pareto", for technology-wide defects that limit the profitability of a fabrication facility is presented. The Grand Pareto leverages multiple defect detection and isolation techniques in conjunction with state-of-the-art physical failure analysis to create a single message for the process community to drive the yield improvement efforts. The methodology has been successfully deployed at IBM where it has been assisting in identifying key yield detractors for several high-end microprocessors in volume production