cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application communities: using monoculture for dependability

Artificial diversity is one method for mitigating the security risks of software monoculture. Introducing diversity increases resilience by obfuscating the system parameters an attacker must control for a successful exploit. We take a different approach to resilience and introduce the concept of Application Communities (AC): collections of independent instances of the same application that cooperatively monitor their execution for flaws and attacks and notify the community when such events are detected. We propose a set of parameters that define an AC and explore the tradeoffs between the minimal size of an AC, the marginal overhead imposed on each member, and the speed with which new faults are detected. We provide a sketch of both analytical and experimental results that show ACs are feasible for current applications: an AC of 15,000 members can monitor Apache for new faults with a 6% performance degradation for each member
Amplifying Video Information-Seeking Success through Rich, Exploratory Interfaces

Years of international participation and collaboration in TRECVID have shown that interactive multimedia systems, those with a user in the search loop, have consistently outperformed fully automated systems. Interface capabilities like querying by text, by image, and by semantic concept and storyboard layouts have led to significant performance improvements on provided search tasks. Lessons learned for TRECVID shot-based video retrieval are presented. In the real world, however, video collection users may focus on story threads instead of shots, or may not be provided with a clear stated search task. The paper also discusses users facing situations where they lack the knowledge or contextual awareness to formulate queries and having a genuine need for exploratory search systems supporting serendipitous browsing. Interfaces promoting various views for navigating complex information spaces can help with exploratory search and investigation into video corpora ranging from documentaries to broadcast news to oral histories. Work is presented using The HistoryMakers oral history archive as well as TRECVID international broadcast news to discuss the utility of various query and presentation mechanisms emphasizing people, time, location, and visual attributes. The paper leads into a discussion of how exploratory interfaces for video extend beyond storyboards, with a series of user studies referenced as empirical data in support of the presented conclusions.
Selection and Manufacturing of Membrane Materials for Solar Sails

Commercial metallized polyimide or polyester films and hand-assembly techniques are acceptable for small solar sail technology demonstrations, although scaling this approach to large sail areas is impractical. Opportunities now exist to use new polymeric materials specifically designed for solar sailing applications, and take advantage of integrated sail manufacturing to enable large-scale solar sail construction. This approach has, in part, been demonstrated on the JAXA IKAROS solar sail demonstrator, and NASA Langley Research Center is now developing capabilities to produce ultrathin membranes for solar sails by integrating resin synthesis with film forming and sail manufacturing processes. This paper will discuss the selection and development of polymer material systems for space, and these new processes for producing ultrathin high-performance solar sail membrane films.
Long range base-pairing in the leftward transcription unit of bacteriophage λ: Characterization by electron microscopy and computer-aided sequence analysis

Abstract Restriction fragments of bacteriophage λ DNA corresponding to the major leftward transcription unit were purified, denatured to form single-stranded DNA, self-annealed, and examined by electron microscopy. Three intrastrand stem and loop secondary structures were observed reproducibly and the locations of the paired regions were determined. A method for computer-aided sequence analysis of these regions is presented and used to identify sets of base-pairings likely to account for the observed structures. One loop observed within gene Ea47 is postulated to involve pairing of sequences which include the polypeptide initiation and termination codons. Another loop is postulated to involve pairing of sequences in gene int with sequences located in the gam-c III region. A third loop appears to involve sequences in and to the right of gene Ea22 paired with sequences located in the bet-gam region. A general discussion of base-pairing which gives rise to long range interactions is presented along with possible effects of the postulated models on gene expression.
Of Shrinking Sweatsuits and Poison Vine Wax: A Comparison of Basis for Excuse Under U.C.C. 2-615 and CISG Article 79

This article compares CISG and U.C.C. jurisprudence on excuse for nonperformance and argues for an application of the CISG in excuse cases which is stricter than the U.C.C. and, I suggest, is more consistent with the drafters' intent and the goals of the Treaty. As I will discuss, the CISG's Article 79 seems to set out much narrower grounds for excuse than does U.C.C. s 2-615 (2005). In practice, however, cases in the two jurisdictions diverge less than the wording of the two statutes might lead one to expect, evincing comparable reluctance to excuse nonperformance. There are two reasons for this similarity: first, U.S. courts construe U.C.C. s 2-615 more narrowly than its language might predict; second, tribunals applying the CISG hear more bases for excuse than *759 Article 79, based on its drafters' intentions, probably allows. In other words, U.S. courts construe U.C.C. s 2-615 more narrowly than its wording seems to allow, while tribunals applying the CISG apply Article 79 more broadly than its wording seems to justify. The result is that Article 79 tribunals hear cases for excuse that would seem to be acceptable only under the U.C.C., while cases actually decided under the U.C.C. do not show any tendency to excuse nonperformance more often than the CISG.
New Methods for Personal Exposure Monitoring for Airborne Particles

Airborne particles have been associated with a range of adverse cardiopulmonary outcomes, which has driven its monitoring at stationary central sites throughout the world. Individual exposures, however, can differ substantially from concentrations measured at central sites due to spatial variability across a region and sources unique to the individual, such as cooking or cleaning in homes, traffic emissions during commutes, and widely varying sources encountered at work. Personal monitoring with small, battery-powered instruments enables the measurement of an individual’s exposure as they go about their daily activities. Personal monitoring can substantially reduce exposure misclassification and improve the power to detect relationships between particulate pollution and adverse health outcomes. By partitioning exposures to known locations and sources, it may be possible to account for variable toxicity of different sources. This review outlines recent advances in the field of personal exposure assessment for particulate pollution. Advances in battery technology have improved the feasibility of 24-h monitoring, providing the ability to more completely attribute exposures to microenvironment (e.g., work, home, commute). New metrics to evaluate the relationship between particulate matter and health are also being considered, including particle number concentration, particle composition measures, and particle oxidative load. Such metrics provide opportunities to develop more precise associations between airborne particles and health and may provide opportunities for more effective regulations.
The 65% Instructional Expenditure Ratio and Student Achievement: Does Money Matter?

In this study, the researchers examined the extent to which Texas public school districtsâ€™ compliance with the 65% instructional expenditures ratio was related to student academic success on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge & Skills tests. Separated into three groups (i.e., 65% instructional expenditures and higher, 60 to 65% instructional expenditures, and less than 60% instructional expenditures), statistically significant differences were yielded among these groups in the TAKS Reading, Math, Social Studies, Science, and Writing measures. School districts that spent less than 60% of their monies on instructional expenditures had the lowest percent passing rates in all five TAKS tests. Effect sizes ranged from small to large and were consistent across ethnic groups. Implications of these findings and suggestions for further research are discussed.
Glacial deep water carbonate chemistry inferred from foraminiferal Mg/Ca: A case study from the western tropical Atlantic

We explore using changes in planktonic foraminiferal Mg/Ca with water depth in a single region to infer relative changes in deep water carbonate chemistry. The Mg/Ca ratio in foraminiferal calcite is quantitatively lowered by dissolution. We exploit this dissolution effect to generate a profile of carbonate ion concentration (CO32−) for the deep waters of the tropical Atlantic during the Last Glacial Maximum. We generated Mg/Ca data for three species, G. ruber, G. sacculifer, and N. dutertrei, from three cores located along a depth transect (2.8 to 4.0 km) on the Ceara Rise in the western equatorial Atlantic. We attribute lower Mg/Ca in glacial intervals from the shallow core to changes in sea surface temperature (SST). The even lower glacial Mg/Ca values in the deeper cores are attributed to dissolution and are used to reconstruct a paleo-CO32− profile. Our down core Mg/Ca data for G. ruber and G. sacculifer confirm that these species are more resistant to Mg loss due to dissolution than N. dutertrei. The greater susceptibility of N. dutertrei's Mg content to dissolution limits the utility of this species in thermocline temperature reconstructions to cores above the lysocline but, significant to this study, makes N. dutertrei useful in quantifying changes in deep water CO32−. Our paleo-CO32− reconstruction based on N. dutertrei suggests the Last Glacial Maximum CO32− gradient in the Atlantic was much steeper than today, implying that the boundary between deepwater masses in the Atlantic was shallower during the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results suggest comparison of Mg/Ca from multiple cores from one region could similarly provide constraints on changes in carbonate chemistry in other basins and other time periods.
Persistent issues in learning and estimation

This is a review, from an intuitive rather than a mathematical perspective, of the statistical foundations of adaptive recognition. Key considerations are priors, sample size and sampling strategy, labels, statistical dependencies, and dimensionality. The small-sample bias and variance of maximum likelihood, MAP and Bayes estimators are compared in a small concrete case. Iterative expectation maximization for estimating the sufficient statistics of mixtures is illustrated in a simple setting. It is shown that correlation among features is sometimes unjustly maligned. A counterintuitive increase in the error rate after adding a second feature is traced to the curse of dimensionality. Adaptive classification is presented in the context of both parametric and nonparametric (nearest neighbors and neural nets) estimation. Some recent theoretical results and older experimental observations on hybrid classification are summarized.
Complementation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae coq7 mutants by mitochondrial targeting of the Escherichia coli UbiF polypeptide: two functions of yeast Coq7 polypeptide in coenzyme Q biosynthesis.

Coenzyme Q (ubiquinone or Q) functions in the respiratory electron transport chain and serves as a lipophilic antioxidant. In the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Q biosynthesis requires nine Coq proteins (Coq1–Coq9). Previous work suggests both an enzymatic activity and a structural role for the yeast Coq7 protein. To define the functional roles of yeast Coq7p we test whether Escherichia coli ubiF can functionally substitute for yeast COQ7. The ubiF gene encodes a flavin-dependent monooxygenase that shares no homology to the Coq7 protein and is required for the final monooxygenase step of Q biosynthesis in E. coli. The ubiF gene expressed at low copy restores growth of a coq7 point mutant (E194K) on medium containing a non-fermentable carbon source, but fails to rescue a coq7 null mutant. However, expression of ubiF from a multicopy vector restores growth and Q synthesis for both mutants, although with a higher efficiency in the point mutant. We attribute the more efficient rescue of the coq7 point mutant to higher steady state levels of the Coq3, Coq4, and Coq6 proteins and to the presence of demethoxyubiquinone, the substrate of UbiF. Coq7p co-migrates with the Coq3 and Coq4 polypeptides as a high molecular mass complex. Here we show that addition of Q to the growth media also stabilizes the Coq3 and Coq4 polypeptides in the coq7 null mutant. The data suggest that Coq7p, and the lipid quinones (demethoxyubiquinone and Q) function to stabilize other Coq polypeptides.
‘Make It Yourself’: Home Sewing, Gender, and Culture, 1890–1930, by Sarah A. Gordon

‘Make It Yourself’: Home Sewing, Gender, and Culture, 1890–1930, by Sarah A. Gordon, New York, Columbia University Press, 2009, xxi+ 164 pp., US$60.00 (cloth), ISBN 9780231142441 Paying homage to t...
Increased Serum Levels of Carbohydrate Antigen 19-9 and Outcomes in Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis Patients Without Cholangiocarcinoma

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is the serum marker used to diagnose cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We investigated long-term outcomes in patients with PSC and elevated CA 19-9 levels without CCA. A total of 166 PSC patients with serum levels of CA 19-9 without CCA followed at a single center from 1998 to 2011 were included. Patients with and without elevated CA 19-9 levels (greater than 129 U/ml) were compared. Fifty-two (31.3 %) of the 166 patients with PSC without CCA had elevated serum CA-19-9. Patients with elevated CA-19-9 were followed for a mean of 4 years and 12 (23.1 %) died. They were more likely to have higher PSC risk score (1.67 ± 1.30 vs. 0.91 ± 1.53, p = 0.003) and dominant strictures (31 (59.6 %) vs. 21 (18.4 %), p < 0.001). In 17/52 (32.7 %) of patients with elevated CA-19-9, no etiology was identified; cholestasis and cholangitis were associated with elevated levels in 24/52 (48.1 %) and 11/52 (21.2 %), respectively. There were 32 of 52 (62.5 %) that underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) in elevated CA 19-9 group compared to 66/114 (56.9 %) without (p = 0.66). The median OLT-free survival with elevated CA 19-9 was 9 years from PSC diagnosis compared to 14 years without. Although there was a trend, there was no significant difference in the OLT-free survival on Kaplan–Meier analysis (log rank p = 0.12). Thirty-two percent of patients with PSC had elevated serum CA 19-9 in the absence of CCA. There was a trend towards shorter OLT-free survival in PSC patients with elevated CA-19-9.
Concise Review: Immune Recognition of Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells†‡§

Autologous-induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) may eventually be used in cell replacement therapies to treat a wide range of diseases and have been touted as a solution to the vexing problem of immune rejection in this context. Emerging evidence suggests, however, that ostensibly histocompatible iPSCs may be rejected following transplantation. Here, we review the mechanisms that contribute to immunogenicity in iPSCs and forward approaches to permit their acceptance in potential cell replacement therapies.
Properties of uniform consistency of the kernel estimators of density and regression functions under dependence assumptions

The paper contains exponential inequalities for dependent random variables. As a measure of dependence we use φand ρ-mixing coefficients, the last one being based on the maximal coefficient of correlation. These results allow us to study the problem of uniform strong convergence for the kernel estimators of a density and for a kernel predictor for stochastic processes. Our uniform consistency theorems extend some known results
Sensitive Enzymatic Method for Determination of Glucose, Galactose, and Lactose in Cheddar Cheese

Abstract A sensitive enzymatic method for determination of glucose, galactose, and lactose in cheese revealed that these sugars frequently persist in Cheddar cheese for two years. The procedure involves the colorimetric determination of hydrogen peroxide formed by the oxidation of glucose and galactose with their respective oxidases. Lactose was hydrolyzed with hydrochloric acid and determined as glucose or galactose. As little as 0.002% glucose, 0.001% galactose, and 0.004% lactose could be determined in cheese. These sugars in aged cheese were confirmed by thin-layer chromatography.
Supplemental fish oil decreases urinary excretion of a marker of bone resorption in healthy adults

Background Incorporation of fish oil (FO) into the diet of rodents has been shown to result in positive changes in bone health. Currently it is poorly understood if FO has the same effects on bone health in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of supplemental FO on levels of urinary N-terminal cross-linked telopeptide (NTx), which is a marker of bone breakdown, and how this is related to the morning levels of salivary cortisol and urinary excretion of interleukin 6 (IL-6).
Study of dose perturbation parameters for eye shielding in megavoltage photon beam therapy

Shielding blocks are frequently used to minimize dose and shield sensitive organs in radiation therapy. The blocks, which are made of high atomic number materials, produce significant dose perturbations in megavoltage photon beams. The effects of these perturbations are studied with special interest in the eye shielding in the treatment of head and neck malignancies. Optimum parameters for the treatment are suggested.
IRAS observations of binaries with compact objects

The infrared emission data, obtained on 260 binary systems by the all-sky IRAS survey in wavelengths between 12 and 100 microns, are reported. Of all the 260 sources, which contained compact objects including white dwarfs, neutron stars, or possibly black holes, only 32 contained detectable IR radiation. The X-ray emitting Be-type stars (gamma-Cas and X Per) were found to have their energy flux proportional to frequency in the range of the log nu values of 12.7-14.7. However, the GS304-1 flux distribution is unique, in that its flux rises by several orders of magnitude as the wavelength changes from 4000 A to 60 microns. A static dust cloud was detected, with a radius of about 1 AU, which has formed around the classical nova RR Pic since its 1925 eruption. The post-eruption far-IR light curve of a classical nova provides strong evidence for IR emissions from both dust grains formed during the eruption and dust grains existing from previous eruptions.
Integrating Behavioral Models in Network Operations: Evaluating Traveler Information and Demand Management for Weather-Related Events

The main goal of the study was to integrate demand models into weather-responsive network traffic estimation and prediction system methodologies. The study examined the behavioral responses of travelers along several dimensions in response to weather-related transportation management strategies in conjunction with active travel demand management strategies before and during severe weather events. Specific management interventions included pretrip, information-based mode, and departure time choice adjustments, as well as policy-based rescheduling of school hours. The paper presents a case study of the Chicago, Illinois, area network under snow conditions to assess the effect of a combination of demand management strategies to maintain the same level of network performance as under clear weather conditions. A combination of earlier dissemination of information and school-opening policy resulted in a similar level of network performance maintained under a median snow day as compared with a clear weather day....
Wildlife Crime in the Game Reserves of South Africa: A Research Note

A type of poaching of significant concern in South Africa is the trend toward the commercialized illegal hunting of wildlife for food on the nation's protected conservation areas. Very little research has addressed this crime in South Africa. To contribute to the knowledge, this research note discusses select results of an exploratory field study into the illegal wild game trade in South Africa. The nature of the trade is described and a wide variety of causes is identified. Policy recommendations to both prevent and control the problem are also discussed.
Pentobarbital Sodium Anesthesia in the Syrian Hamster

The Syrian hamster (Cricetus auratus) was studied to determine an effective dosage of pentobarbital sodium in relation to the length and depth of general anesthesia produced. In general, the hamster has an apparently greater tolerance to pentobarbital sodium both in anesthetic and lethal doses than the rat, guinea pig, or rabbit. No sex variation in reaction to the drug was observed in the hamsters studied.
The observation of a 3-D to 2-D crossover in the magnetism of epitaxial Fe(110) / Ag(111) multilayers

Abstract Transmission 57 Fe Mossbauer spectroscopy (TMS) was used to determine the temperature dependence of the magnetization of a series of Fe(110)/Ag(111) multilayer films grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The multilayer series of films had 3 monolayer (ML) thick Fe(110) bilayer components, and Ag(111) bilayer component thicknesses equal to 4, 8, 12 and 20 ML. The TMS spectra of each of these films consisted of a single magnetically-split sextet, with no additional superparamagnetic central features apparent. The multilayer with the 4 ML Ag bilayer component exhibited a T 3 2 hyperfine field temperature dependence. However, a transitional crossover in the Mossbauer hyperfine field temperature dependence with mixed T 3 2 and linear behavior was observed for the multilayers with intermediate Ag bilayer component thicknesses, while the 20 ML Ag bilayer component multilayer exhibited a linear hyperfine field temperature dependence. In the light of the absence of significant superparamagnetism in these films, the linear hyperfine field temperature dependence in the thickest Ag bilayer component multilayer is most likely the result of a genuine quasi-two-dimensional behavior.
Sterilization techniques in underground surgical units in Afghanistan

Sterilization equipment and techniques available to forward surgical units in modern conflicts past and present are sophisticated and generally taken for granted. Underground surgical units operating in rural Afghanistan must function without electricity or petroleum-powered generators and, with few exceptions, are unable to use sterilization equipment that produces intense heat for prolonged periods. We discuss the equipment and techniques developed for use by the IMC to sterilize surgical instruments, gowns, gloves, rubber goods, and sutures in the 42 clinics operating in resistance-held Afghanistan. These techniques may have application to other similar primitive conditions.
Is there a “reform fatigue” in the euro area?

Abstract The absence of monetary policy within a currency union increases the need for structural reforms that make the participating economies more flexible. However, the absence of exchange rate risk with respect to the other members of the union may reduce the urgency for such reforms. A number of other considerations also suggest that theory is ambiguous about the impact of participating in a currency union on progress in structural reforms. This paper addresses this issue empirically for the euro area. The results suggest that reforms in the euro area seem to have decelerated following the introduction of the euro, but from a fast pace. The paper discusses a number of possible explanations, including “reform fatigue,” the absence of “market punishment,” and “good-times” complacency. Estimates from an empirical growth model suggest that the slowing of reforms may slow down annual output growth by up to 0.2%. However, the results are preliminary and depend on the area of reform considered. Furthermore, the reform dynamics may change with the euro area starting slowing at the end of 2007.
Monoxenic cultivation of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus in a defined medium

Techniques are described for the initiation and maintenance of axenic cultures of Euglena gracilis strain Z and monoxenic cultures of Brachionus calyciflorus variety pala with the Euglena, using in both the same defined, buffered medium. The medium, which is inorganic—except for the citrate chelating agent, the buffer, and vitamins B1 and B12 — has been used for the axenic cultuvation of the Euglena for more than 13 months. The monoxenic Brachionus cultures, established by inoculating rotifers into Euglena cultures, have been maintained for more than 8 months. Contamination tests on the rotifer cultures were performed frequently in three different test media.
Fifty years from Paris: the remarkable story of the lymphomas.

This special edition of the Red Journal is devoted entirely to lymphoma. All malignancies are now approached scientifically, with an eye to their causes and biology, their diagnosis and staging, and their treatment and its complications, but few have been examined with the history, rigor, and excitement of the lymphomas. Hodgkin disease in particular has a story that reads like a thriller, with exhilarating turns and heart-breaking plunges before culminating in today’s satisfying situation (although we all know there will be sequels). The characters in this story are larger than life, and they begin with Thomas Hodgkin himself. This newly minted medical school graduate became curator of the Guy’s Hospital Museum in London in 1825. Through scrutiny of the specimens there and then through his own observations in the autopsy room, he wrote his treatise, “On Some Morbid Appearances of the Absorbent Glands and Spleen”
Validity of a novel wristband tonometer for measuring central hemodynamics and augmentation index.

BACKGROUND Central hemodynamic and augmentation indices are independent predictors of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality that can be estimated noninvasively by pulse wave analysis. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of a newly engineered wristband tonometer for acquiring radial artery pressure waveforms. METHODS Radial artery pulse pressure waveforms were evaluated with an established pencil-type and a novel wristband tonometer in 31 participants (aged 30.2±9.5 years) resting in a supine position. Pulse wave analysis was executed using the same validated generalized transfer function (SphygmoCor) for both tonometers. RESULTS A significant difference in time to data acquisition between tonometers was observed (-70.2±147.7 s; P < 0.05; wristband faster). The wristband tonometer had significantly lower within-subject coefficients of variation (CV) compared with the pencil-type tonometer in aortic pulse wave height (-2.67% ± 5.51%; P < 0.05) and time to reflection (-2.26% ± 6.16%; P < 0.01). No other differences in CV were observed. Slight but statistically significant mean differences between tonometers were observed in aortic systolic blood pressure (ASBP; 0.43±1.08 mm Hg; P < 0.05; wristband lower), aortic pulse pressure (APP; 0.43±0.96 mm Hg; P < 0.05; wristband lower), and round-trip travel time of the reflected pressure wave (Δtp; 3.58±12.86 ms; P < 0.05; wristband higher). However, ASBP, APP, and Δtp measurements were highly correlated (r = 0.9970, r = 0.9953, and r = 0.8838, respectively, P <0.0001) between tonometers; within-subject and between tonometer significant mean differences were within clinical ranges. CONCLUSIONS This novel, hands-free platform may be interchangeable with the commonly used pencil-type tonometer, heralding new directions in noninvasive in vivo vascular research and clinical application.
Tool use in wild spider monkeys ( Ateles geoffroyi )

Tool use has been observed in a variety of primate species, including both New and Old World monkeys. However, such reports mainly address the most prodigious tool users and frequently limit discussions of tool-using behavior to a foraging framework. Here, we present observations of novel and spontaneous tool use in wild black-handed spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), where female spider monkeys used detached sticks in a self-directed manner. We introduce factors to explain Ateles tool-using abilities and limitations, and encourage the synthesis of relevant research in order to gain insight into the cognitive abilities of spider monkeys and the evolution of tool-using behaviors in primates.
General Aviation Aircraft Flight Operations Quality Assurance: Overcoming the Obstacles

This describes the initiative to introduce a capable yet affordable Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program into the general aviation industry. A brief overview of the FOQA concept is given along with a historical perspective to the evolution of such programs. Initial development of a FOQA program for general aviation by the Center for Sensors and Sensor Systems at Saint Louis University is introduced herein. A brief discussion of the obstacles in developing such a system is presented, as well as strategies for overcoming these obstacles. The system consists mainly of a quick access recorder (QAR) that is conceived to be a stand-alone, non-intrusive system that collects parametric flight data, a preprocessor system to analyze initial data sets and validate their use, and post-processor software used in the analysis of available flight parameters. The program concepts are presented for initial determination of the needs and possibilities, and examples are presented along with flight data collected in the University's fleet of aircraft.
Analysis of relative sea level variations and trends in the Chesapeake Bay: Is there evidence for acceleration in sea level rise?

Over the past few decades the pace of relative sea level rise (SLR) in the Chesapeake Bay (CB) has been 2–3 times faster than that of the globally mean absolute sea level. Our study is part of ongoing research that tries to determine if this SLR trend is continuing at the same pace, slowing down (SLR deceleration) or speeding up (SLR acceleration). We introduce a new analysis method for sea level data that is based on Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) and Hilbert-Huang Transform (HHT); the analysis separates the SLR trend from other oscillating modes of different scales. Bootstrap calculations using thousands of iterations were used to test the robustness of the method and obtain confidence levels. The analysis shows that most sea level records in the CB have significant positive SLR acceleration, so the SLR rates today are about twice the SLR rates of 60 years ago. The acceleration rates of our calculations are larger than some past studies, but comparable to recent results [1] who show accelerated SLR “hotspots” in the coastal areas between Cape Hatteras and Cape Cod. The results have implications for projections of future SLR and the impact on flooding risks in the Hampton Roads area. The contributions to SLR from land subsidence and climate-related changes in ocean circulation need further research.
Reconstruction of arbitrary versus logical sequences by preschool children

Abstract The ability of preschool children to construct and reconstruct ordered sequences was examined in a series of four experiments. In Expt. 1, the task was to copy, with the model present or absent, the order of items pegged on a clothesline. In Expts. 2–4, the subjects were required to reconstruct ordered series of pictures from memory. In all experiments, the orders were either logical or arbitrary. Reconstruction of an arbitrary series of events is within the problem solving capacity of 4-yr-old children if (a) reconstruction takes place in the presence of the model or follows immediately upon the removal of the model and (b) the original sequence is presented simultaneously. If, however, the lag between viewing and reconstruction is increased and/or the original set is not viewed simultaneously, as a unit, performance declines. The provision of an inherent order to the items within a set, either by introducing a connective narrative, or a depicted logical sequence, is sufficient to maintain that order over time and to provide a unifying cohesion to the items when viewed successively.
Space-Variant Optical Super-Resolution using Sinusoidal Illumination

The present work extends the scope of Optical Super-Resolution to imaging systems with spatially-varying blur, by using sinusoidal illumination. It also establishes that knowledge of the space-variant blur is not a pre-requisite for super-resolution.
Indexing process evaluation

The process of subject indexing is difficult to describe and evaluate. The indexer provides guides to subjects reported to authors. The result is an index to subjects—a subject index. He selects subjects, paraphrases and chooses guides to them, and translates the guides into standard index language. The concept of “subject” is elusive. The author controls the number of complexity of subjects and, thus, the indexing density. Guidance among index entries is by cross references. Qualifications of indexers are education in the subject and training in indexing. Differentiation between generalization for brevity and that warranted by the author is important in indexing to the maximum specificity. Weighting of terms in manipulative systems enables increased selectivity upon retrieval. The most common rules for indexing are listed. Teaching and mechanics of indexing are described. Alternatives are contrasted with subject indexing. Indexer-computer collaboration can lead to improved indexing.
Endoscopic treatment of severe tracheal stenosis.

Objectives Endoscopic treatment of subglottic and tracheal stenosis has traditionally been reserved for short-segment and web-like stenoses with normal cartilage. This retrospective case series review was undertaken to examine my experience with definitive endoscopic treatment for circumferential and complete tracheal stenosis with loss of cartilaginous support. Methods Patients who presented with tracheostomy dependence or dyspnea as a result of clinically significant tracheal stenosis over a 2-year period were treated endoscopically. Mitomycin C was applied after dilation in 19 patients. Three patients with complete stenosis and cartilage collapse underwent endoscopic placement of a silicone elastic stent, which was in place for less than 23 days. Results Twenty patients were treated for tracheal stenosis over a 2-year period. No surgical complications were observed after operation in the endoscopic treatment group. Three of 6 patients with complete stenoses and 8 of 10 patients with circumferential stenoses with cartilage involvement gained airways that remained patent. Nine patients' stenoses resolved after the initial treatment. Three patients (15%) eventually required tracheal resection. The follow-up periods ranged from 5 to 25 months. Conclusions Although some limitations apply, severe and complete tracheal stenoses may be successfully treated endoscopically with the techniques described. Definitive endoscopic treatment may be considered before tracheal resection in select cases. Endoscopic treatment is associated with few complications, low morbidity, a short operative time, and a short length of hospitalization.
Distance to Ck hypersurfaces

Abstract It is shown by elementary means that a Ck hypersurface M of positive reach in R n + 1 has the property that the signed distance function to it is Ck, k ⩾ 1. This extends and complements work of Federer, Gilbarg and Trudinger, and Serrin.
Type 1 Diabetes in Youth: The Relationship Between Adherence and Executive Functioning

This pilot study examined the relationship between executive functioning and adherence to diabetes regimen adherence in 130 children with type 1 diabetes. Consistent with our hypothesis, parent report of a child's executive functioning predicts that child's adherence to the diabetes regimen. However, contrary to our prediction, age was not a moderator in this relationship. These results suggest that higher levels of a child's ability to problem solve, self-monitor, and utilize working memory are related to higher rates of adherence regardless of age. These findings emphasize the importance of the assessment of executive functioning for optimal pediatric diabetes care.
The distribution of hair of the lower limb in white and Negro males.

Four types of distribution of terminal hair of the lower limb are recognized. These types are pedo-cruro-femoral, cruro-femoral, pedo-femoral and femoral. These are correlated with the types of distribution of terminal hair of the upper limb, and their incidence is reported. In addition, three hair patterns of the leg are named and described.
Adoption of new technologies for early detection of melanoma in dermatologic practice

Abstract The identification and diagnosis of early melanoma will reduce unnecessary operations and may be important in reducing mortality from melanoma and impacting cost savings to the health system. New technologies are being developed and used at some specialized centers to facilitate the detection and diagnosis of early melanoma for patients at high risk. These technologies include but are not limited to digital photography, dermoscopy, computerized image analysis systems, and confocal scanning laser microscopy. To most effectively implement these novel approaches, it is important to identify the key factors that influence the adoption or diffusion of new medical technologies. We propose patient-, physician-, and health care system–related factors that influence the diffusion of new technologies for the early detection of skin cancer. Studies involving physicians and patients in a variety of clinical settings need to be conducted to achieve a greater understanding of the barriers to the adoption of these new technologic tools that are intended to aid in skin cancer screening.
West Nile Virus Recombinant DNA Vaccine Protects Mouse and Horse from Virus Challenge and Expresses In Vitro a Noninfectious Recombinant Antigen That Can Be Used in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assays

Introduction of West Nile (WN) virus into the United States in 1999 created major human and animal health concerns. Currently, no human or veterinary vaccine is available to prevent WN viral infection, and mosquito control is the only practical strategy to combat the spread of disease. Starting with a previously designed eukaryotic expression vector, we constructed a recombinant plasmid (pCBWN) that expressed the WN virus prM and E proteins. A single intramuscular injection of pCBWN DNA induced protective immunity, preventing WN virus infection in mice and horses. Recombinant plasmid-transformed COS-1 cells expressed and secreted high levels of WN virus prM and E proteins into the culture medium. The medium was treated with polyethylene glycol to concentrate proteins. The resultant, containing high-titered recombinant WN virus antigen, proved to be an excellent alternative to the more traditional suckling-mouse brain WN virus antigen used in the immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibody-capture and indirect IgG enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. This recombinant antigen has great potential to become the antigen of choice and will facilitate the standardization of reagents and implementation of WN virus surveillance in the United States and elsewhere.
Research to improve the quality of care for depression: alternatives to the simple randomized clinical trial

Abstract Recognition of gaps between evidence gained from mental health research and clinical practice in the community together with changes in treatment patterns and patient/provider preferences for care have led to interest in enhancements in the designs and analyses of clinical and community trials of mental health interventions. Gaps between clinical trials and community care include differences in populations and treatment strategies. To bridge these gaps, we propose enhancing the simple randomized trial with several different designs with the immediate aims of improving patient recruitment and adherence in psychiatric intervention studies thus bringing study designs more in line with clinical practice. The goals are to estimate treatment efficacy and effectiveness so that both internal and external validity are optimized. In this discussion, we address design and analytic issues with respect to a number of enhancements of the randomized trial design, including partial patient-provider preference designs, randomized encouragement and consent designs, fixed adaptive design, and random between- and within-patient adaptive designs. Each has advantages and disadvantages depending on the effect under investigation. Some of these enhancements, such as the fixed adaptive design, have begun to be implemented in effectiveness trials in mental health services research, but all are worthy of more attention.
Respect for the opposition.

Although I agree with the theme of Senator Christopher Bond's Editorial “Politics, misinformation, and biotechnology” ( Science 's Compass, 18 Feb., p. [1201][1]), I feel that when communicating science issues to the public, one has to consider both language and tone. While reading Bond's Editorial, I often took issue with how he phrased his argument. If I hadn't already agreed with his main point, I might have dismissed his thesis entirely. For example, his sentence “Opposition…has been driven variously by trade-protectionist and anticorporate sentiment, by competing food marketers such as the whole-foods industry, and by scientifically unsubstantiated fears of change and technology” seems to belittle those on the other side of the argument and to characterize their concerns as being irrational. If opposing opinions and concerns in such a debate are not respected, it makes it difficult to reach compromises, let alone convince opponents why some biotechnology advances might be beneficial. Another sentence, “The hysteria and unworkable propositions advanced by those who can afford to take their next meal for granted have little currency among those who are hungry,” seems to play to people's emotions rather than their good senses. Statements like this can damage our argument, which is supposed to be based on rationale. In the age of biotechnology, we should learn how to convince the public that our theories are sound as thoroughly as we would hope to convince a reviewer. The key to successfully implementing scientific advances in the public realm is through education and discussion with the public, not an elitist approach, which could ultimately lead to a public distrust of scientists (and politicians). # {#article-title-2} In his Editorial, it seems specious for Senator Bond to suggest that “naysayers” may subvert biotechnology and condemn children of the world to malnutrition, sickness, and environmental degradation. In spite of the gains cited, hunger has not been eradicated anywhere, including in the United States. The solution to the problem of hunger more likely lies in the political realities of today than in the technological fixes of tomorrow. In addition, the prime motivation for much of biotechnology is profit; because most of the areas of the world where hunger is rampant are short on capital, it is hard to see how people in these areas will benefit from the new biotechnologies. And a final point: “naysayers” are not Luddites; they do ask, however, that the risks associated with these new technologies be borne by those who stand to profit from them, and that the biosphere not be used as an experimental resource without the explicit informed consent of those who live within. [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.287.5456.1201
On the possibility of observing characteristic energy gain by fast electrons in solids

Abstract It is shown that photon absorption by a fast electron may occur with appreciable probability through the intermediary of a virtual plasmon. An estimate shows that it may be feasible to observe this process experimentally.
Immunology: TRIM5 does double duty

TRIM5 proteins limit retroviral infection by targeting the viral coat. It now seems that these proteins can also serve as pattern-recognition receptors, which initiate cellular innate immune responses. See Letter p.361 TRIM5 is an E3 ubiquitin ligase with known antiretroviral restriction factor activity, although the mechanisms involved are poorly understood. Luban and colleagues now demonstrate that TRIM5 activates innate immune signalling pathways and acts as a pattern recognition receptor specific for the retrovirus capsid lattice.
Effect of various stresses on the incorporation of [3H]orotic acid into goldfish brain RNA

Abstract The effect of a number of stresses on the incorporation of [5- 3 H]orotic acid into total goldfish brain RNA and its pyrimidine precursors is reported. The ratio of labeling of the uridylate and cytidylate moieties of the RNA (U/C) varied as a function of the temperature and duration of the experiment. The ratio was elevated when fish were subjected to pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions or to mild electrical shock, with or without training of an avoidance conditioning task. The increase in ratio in all cases resulted from a decrease in cytidylate labeling. In experiments where this decrease was marked, a substantial decrease in the labeling of total RNA was seen as well. The observation that the increase in U/C was greater when increased numbers of fish were shocked per tank eventually led to the finding that addition of carbon dioxide to tank water results in a decrease in labeling of cytidylate isolated from RNA hydrolysates, as well as decreased labeling of cytidine precursors of RNA.
Proposed monocycle-pulse very-high-frequency radar for air-borne ice and snow measurement

Synoposis: It is suggested that a single electromagnetic pulse having a length in space of the order of a meter can be radiated and received by low-Q (broad-banded) antennas. Rough calculations indicate that peak powers of 100 kw probably can be generated with existing electronic components, capable of producing usable signal returns from large semispecular surfaces at distances of the order of miles. The resulting ?untuned all-video-radar system? would constitute an electromagnetic analogy to the well-known seismic reflection method of geophysical prospecting, in which a single compressional acoustic pulse (under ideal conditions) is emitted isotropically and reflections are received from successive extensive, flat-lying, reflecting surfaces. A single vhf (very-high-frequency) pulse should combine the advantage of good distance resolution with less tendency than microwaves to be absorbed or scattered by the imperfections in natural materials. Preliminary experiments at 125 mc (megacycles) indicate that interfaces less than 60 cm (centimeters) apart could be so resolved. The development and initial application of the method as a rapid air-borne method of profiling the thicknesses of radio-transparent layered materials, such as floating fresh-water ice (for aircraft landing areas) and the polar continental ice sheets. Potential applications in high-speed extraterrestrial communication may also exist.