cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Cold War: A World History

Few historians have shaped our understanding of the Cold War more than Odd Arne Westad. His extensive scholarship and role in key institutions such as the Cambridge History of the Cold War and the ...
Molecular Properties and Cell Biology of the NMDA Receptor

NMDA receptors (NMDARs) play a distinct role at excitatory glutamatergic synapses, where they are usually localized with other ionotropic glutamate receptors, including tors. Two features are essential to their specialized roles in synaptic plasticity and the excitodependent magnesium block, the removal of which requires depolarization of the membrane potential. Second, upon activation, the NMDAR channel passes sodium and, importantly, calcium into the neuron. Calcium is the universal second messenger in numerous intracellular signaling cascades and is critical in synaptic plasticity and mechanisms of neurotoxicity (288).
IRA Assets and Contributions, 2006

This paper examines the level of - and trends in - IRA assets. In addition, it includes the most recent Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data on the distribution of assets and contributions to IRAs by IRA type, thereby permitting analysis of the assets and contribution levels of traditional (deductible and nondeductible) IRAs, Roth IRAs (nondeductible contributions and tax-free withdrawals), and other IRAs (employment-based SEPs and SIMPLEs). The PDF for the above title, published in the December 2007 issue of EBRI Notes, also contains the fulltext of another December 2007 EBRI Notes article abstracted on SSRN: Income of the Elderly Population Age 65 and Over, 2006.
Pollution Effects on Global Climate — An Introduction

Neglecting human heat production, the Earth’s climate can be modified by three different methods: (i) a change in the albedo of the Earth’s surface; (ii) a change in the albedo of the atmosphere; (iii) a change in the atmospheric content of gases having strong radiative properties.
The NASA 91.5 cm Aperture Airborne Telescope

NASA’s Ames Research Center is currently operating several aircraft (Figure 1) for science and applications research. The various aircraft and much special equipment (telescopes, stabilized mounts, data systems, etc.) are available to all U.S. and other experimenters submitting valid research proposals. All operational costs are borne by NASA. Most of this program has been described in Ref. [1], where further details may be found.
ELECTROSTATIC AGGREGATION AND INTERFACE DYNAMICS

An effective interface dynamics is derived for a Stephan type moving boundary value problem corresponding to electrostatic aggregation in two dimensions. With the help of conformal mapping techniques the problem may be reduced to a many-body type problem described by a system of ODE's. The method allows to show that the Mullins-Sekerka instability in this case leads to generation of cusp singularities in the interface in a finite time.
Juggling the Jigsaw: towards automated problem inference from network trouble tickets

This paper presents NetSieve, a system that aims to do automated problem inference from network trouble tickets. Network trouble tickets are diaries comprising fixed fields and free-form text written by operators to document the steps while troubleshooting a problem. Unfortunately, while tickets carry valuable information for network management, analyzing them to do problem inference is extremely difficult--fixed fields are often inaccurate or incomplete, and the free-form text is mostly written in natural language. This paper takes a practical step towards automatically analyzing natural language text in network tickets to infer the problem symptoms, troubleshooting activities and resolution actions. Our system, NetSieve, combines statistical natural language processing (NLP), knowledge representation, and ontology modeling to achieve these goals. To cope with ambiguity in free-form text, NetSieve leverages learning from human guidance to improve its inference accuracy. We evaluate NetSieve on 10K+ tickets from a large cloud provider, and compare its accuracy using (a) an expert review, (b) a study with operators, and (c) vendor data that tracks device replacement and repairs. Our results show that NetSieve achieves 89%-100% accuracy and its inference output is useful to learn global problem trends. We have used NetSieve in several key network operations: analyzing device failure trends, understanding why network redundancy fails, and identifying device problem symptoms.
Stress Intensities for Cracks Emanating from Pin-Loaded Holes

A series of stress freezing photoelastic experiments were conducted on large plates containing central holes with cracks emanating from the edge formed by the intersection of the hole with the plate surface. Loads were applied through rigid pins with neat fits in the holes. Stress-intensity factors (SIF) were estimated by a computer assisted least squares analysis of the photoelastic data taken from slices near the points of intersection of the flaw border with the hole boundary and the plate surface. Results indicate that the local mode of loading changes from Mode 1 near the hole boundary to mixed mode near the plate surface. The analysis is extended to include mixed mode loading, and results are compared with an existing approximate theory.
Solid-state growth of Ag nanowires and analysis of the self-growing process on a bio-polymer chitosan film

The growth mechanism of silver nanowires (AgNWs) in solution has been thoroughly investigated and it has been demonstrated that factors like oxidative etching and inclusion of Cl- ions in the reaction system play critical roles in the formation of AgNWs. This research is the first to report the growth mechanism of AgNWs in the solid state on a chitosan polymer film with respect to factors such as oxidative etching, Cl- ions and time. The AgNW synthetic method is a green process that involves aqueous solvents for film preparation and ambient conditions for AgNW growth. It is demonstrated that the source of the silver precursor for this solid state AgNW growth is the cuboidal AgCl nanoparticles that form during the solution preparation. Furthermore, it is shown that the crystal faces of these cuboidal AgCl nanoparticles are the nucleation sites of AgNW growth. Unlike solution-based AgNW synthetic processes, the AgNWs generated by the chitosan film-based method are irregular and present lateral as well as longitudinal growth, which suggests a slightly different mechanism from the solution-based AgNW growth. [The original abstract for this article contains (characters/images) that cannot be displayed here. Please click on the link below to read the full abstract and article.]
Vertebral height restoration following kyphoplasty

Background: Kyphoplasty is a minimally invasive surgery developed to restore height and stabilize painful vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). Only small retrospective studies have addressed the correlation between the degree of vertebral height restoration as it relates to pain relief and postoperative activity levels. No definitive correlations have been established. The objective of this analysis is to determine how height restoration correlates with improvements in pain, disability and quality of life. Methods: We assessed outcomes following kyphoplasty in 59 Medicare-eligible patients with 1–3 painful VCFs between T5 and L5 due to osteoporosis or cancer. Pre and postoperative lateral radiographs were available for fifty-nine patients and were used to measure anterior, middle and posterior vertebral body (VB) heights. The Visual Analog Scale (VAS) [range: 0 (none) to 10 (worst)] was used to prospectively measure back pain pre and post-operatively in all patients. Pre and post-operative measurements of disability and quality of life were retrospectively collected using the Roland Morris Disability Index (RMDI) [range: 0 (no disability) to 24 (high disability)] and EuroQol5-Domain scale (EQ5D) [range: −0.11 (poor quality of life) to 1.0 (perfect health)]. Pearson correlations and linear regression models were analyzed for association of VB height improvement with outcomes. Results: Neither Pearson correlations (r coefficient range: 0.001–0.152) nor linear regression models (R² value range: 0.0002–0.1133) revealed correlation or association between VB height improvements and outcomes. Conclusions: This is one of the largest studies to date assessing associations of VB height restoration following kyphoplasty with prospective measurements of pain and retrospective evaluation of disability and quality of life using validated instruments. Although a majority of patients in this cohort demonstrated increased vertebral heights and significant improvements in outcomes, none of the outcomes showed association with height improvements. Regardless of vertebral height improvements, most patients had improved pain, function and quality of life.
Determining the average prompt-fission-neutron multiplicity for Pu 239 ( n , f ) via a Pu 240 ( α , α ′ f ) surrogate reaction

The average prompt-fission-neutron multiplicity $\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ is of significance in the areas of nuclear theory, nuclear nonproliferation, and nuclear energy. In this work, the surrogate-reaction method has been used for the first time to indirectly determine $\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ for $^{239}\mathrm{Pu}(n,f)$ via $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}(\ensuremath{\alpha},{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\ensuremath{'}}f)$ reactions. A $^{240}\mathrm{Pu}$ target was bombarded with a beam of 53.9-MeV $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles. Scattered $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ particles, fission products, and neutrons were measured with the NeutronSTARS detector array. Values of $\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ were obtained for a continuous range of equivalent incident neutron energies between 0.25 and 26.25 MeV, and the results agree well with direct neutron measurements.
Process Based Screening Method and Systems Analysis for Pre-Combustion Carbon Capture Using Ionic Liquids

Abstract Despite extensive experimental work investigating CO2 solubility in many Ionic Liquids (IL), identifying the most appropriate IL for pre-combustion CO2 capture from a techno-economic perspective, remains highly iterative, due to the significant importance of parameters such as mass transfer efficiency and ease of solvent separation, which are often overlooked during experimental investigations. In this work, a process-based screening method has been developed based on the physical properties of the ILs, the screening method has four main criteria, namely: 1. Mass transfer, 2. Ease of solvent regeneration, 3. CO2 solubility and 4. H2S solubility. Correlations have been developed for each of the four criteria to allow for direct comparison of ILs, and the screening method was used to identify the seven most promising ILs from a database of 295 ILs. The seven ILs where then compared in AspenPlus using a conceptual process containing one absorption, three separation and one compression stage, and a systems analysis was subsequently conducted to compare the ILs using two main criteria, the net power requirement and the cost of CO2 capture. The IL [bmim][NfO] was determined to have the lowest power requirement and lowest CO2 capture cost, whereas [hmim][bti] had the highest values.
Too Many Cooks Spoil the Broth: Toward a Theory for How the Tragedy of the Anticommons Emerges in Organizations

In organizations, conflict revolves around the use of shared resources. Research on property rights, territoriality, and social dilemmas suggests that to reduce such conflict, organizations could facilitate the psychological privatization of commons resources. We introduce a model that helps understand how psychologically privatizing organizational commons resources—to prevent the overuse problem of the tragedy of the commons (Hardin, G. Science, 162, 1968, 1243)—can lead to the emergence of another resource dilemma. We develop a model that illustrates how resource complexity and group complexity increase psychological marking and defending behaviors. These behaviors potentially lead to a problem of resource underuse—a tragedy of the anticommons (Heller, M. A. Harvard Law Review, 111, 1998, 621)—in organizational settings. The conceptual model, integrating insights from research on property rights, territoriality, and social dilemmas with law and social psychology, provides a bottom‐up behavioral explanation of the emergence of the tragedy of the anticommons in organizations and outlines opportunities for future research.
Variability in expiratory flow requirements among oscillatory positive expiratory pressure.

Introduction Oscillatory positive expiratory pressure (OPEP) devices facilitate secretion clearance by generating positive end expiratory pressure. However, different device designs may produce different levels of expiratory pressure with the same expiratory flow rate. We bench tested four devices to determine the relationship between expiratory flow and expiratory pressure in each. Methods A bench model was created to test the gas flow rates required by different OPEP devices to generate target expiratory pressure. Four different devices were tested: Acapella® (DH Green, Smiths Medical), AerobiKa® (Monaghan Medical Corporation), VibraPEP® (Curaplex), and vPEP™ (D R Burton Healthcare). Each OPEP device was tested to determine the expiratory flow needed to generate expiratory pressure thresholds considered appropriate for OPEP therapy. Results The expiratory flow required to generate the same expiratory pressure thresholds varied considerably among devices. Valved OPEP devices such as the VibraPEP required less flow than mechanical devices such as the vPEP, Aerobika, and Acapella. Discussion In this bench test of OPEP devices, we found considerable variability in expiratory flow requirements needed to generate an expiratory pressure of >10 cm H2O. Our finding suggests that smaller patients or those with limited expiratory airflow due to diseases such as COPD, obesity, chronic congestive heart failure, and restrictive lung disease may have better results when matched to OPEP devices requiring less expiratory airflow.
Work-Related and Personal Factors Associated With Mental Well-Being During the COVID-19 Response: Survey of Health Care and Other Workers.

Background: The response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an unprecedented disruption in work conditions. This study describes the mental health and well-being of workers both with and without clinical exposure to patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Objective: The aim of this study is to measure the prevalence of stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being among faculty and staff at a university and academic medical center during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and describe work-related and personal factors associated with their mental health and well-being. Methods: All faculty, staff, and postdoctoral fellows of a university, including its medical school, were invited in April 2020 to complete an online questionnaire measuring stress, anxiety, depression, work exhaustion, burnout, and decreased well-being. We examined associations between these outcomes and factors including work in high-risk clinical settings and family/home stressors. Results: There were 5550 respondents (overall response rate of 34.3%). Overall, 34% of faculty and 14% of staff (n=915) were providing clinical care, while 61% of faculty and 77% of staff were working from home. Among all workers, anxiety (prevalence ratio 1.37, 95% CI 1.09-1.73), depression (prevalence ratio 1.28, 95% CI 1.03-1.59), and high work exhaustion (prevalence ratio 1.24, 95% CI 1.13-1.36) were independently associated with community or clinical exposure to COVID-19. Poor family-supportive behaviors by supervisors were also associated with these outcomes (prevalence ratio 1.40, 95% CI 1.21-1.62; prevalence ratio 1.69, 95% CI 1.48-1.92; and prevalence ratio 1.54, 95% CI 1.44-1.64, respectively). Age <40 years and a greater number of family/home stressors were also associated with these poorer outcomes. Among the subset of clinicians, caring for patients with COVID-19 and working in high-risk clinical settings were additional risk factors. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the pandemic has had negative effects on the mental health and well-being of both clinical and nonclinical employees. Mitigating exposure to COVID-19 and increasing supervisor support are modifiable risk factors that may protect mental health and well-being for all workers.
The Economics of a Targeted Economic Development Subsidy

In an effort to spur economic growth and to burnish their job-creation bona fides, policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels often dispense targeted economic development subsidies. These selective incentives include targeted tax relief, targeted regulatory relief, cash subsidies, and in-kind donations of land and other valuable goods and services. The weight of economic theory suggests that these subsidies do not work and may even depress economic activity. In this paper, we review the economic case for and against targeted economic development subsidies, using Wisconsin’s $1.2 billion to $3.6 billion subsidy to Foxconn to illustrate these points. We show that under realistic scenarios the subsidy may depress state economic activity by tens of billions of dollars over the next 15 years.
White Collar Crime: Cases, Materials, and Problems - Chapter 5 (Securities Fraud)

Securities fraud encompasses a wide range of crimes. For example, if a company makes material misstatements or omissions about the company in public documents, then the company and its agents may be liable for defrauding investors in that company. Such fraud has been alleged in a number of high-profile corporate scandals in recent decades. In addition, securities fraud encompasses fraud committed by individual investors. The latter type of securities fraud includes what is perhaps the quintessential white collar crime — insider trading. The government has pursued a number of high profile insider trading investigations and prosecutions of public figures. Consequently, as a former director of enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission noted, “insider trading has a unique hold on the American popular imagination,” and is worthy of special attention. This chapter provides an overview of the principal securities fraud statutes, while focusing primarily upon insider trading. Securities fraud is just one specific type of fraud covered in the federal criminal code. It will be important during the course of this chapter to observe the interplay between specific securities fraud statutes on the one hand, and the more generally applicable crimes covered in the previous two chapters (conspiracy and mail and wire fraud) on the other. In addition, charges may also arise in specific fraud cases under the “cover-up” statutes involving false statements, perjury, and obstruction of justice covered later in this text. Readers may ask themselves, as they review the securities fraud materials herein, why the defendants in these cases are so often charged with attempting to cover up their acts. The interplay among these various criminal laws also raises important questions that appear throughout this book concerning enforcement obstacles, prosecutorial discretion, and statutory vagueness. In particular, the relationships among these crimes provide some sense of the choices prosecutors must make in deciding whether and how to charge a criminal case. This is particularly true in the securities fraud context because, as noted below, the government in many cases will be able to choose among pursuing administrative and/or civil remedies in addition to, or instead of, criminal sanctions.
Visualization and application of disease diagnosis codes for population health management using porcine diseases as a model.

Accurate and timely results of diagnostic investigations and laboratory testing guide clinical interventions for the continuous improvement of animal health and welfare. Infectious diseases can sev...
Trust and intention to use autonomous vehicles: Manufacturer focus and passenger control

Abstract Autonomous Vehicle (AV) research has focused on public acceptance of and intention to use AVs, with trust emerging as important to these variables. Research on AV trust has centered on trust in vehicle performance. However, trust evaluation may include AV manufacturers and developers, and regulation pertaining to AVs; thus, we expand our measurement of trust to include beliefs based on manufacturers and regulation. In this experiment, we manipulate information regarding manufacturer focus (i.e., an emphasis on standards, regulations, and research (SRR) versus speed to market) to determine its effect on trust. When information focused on SRR, we found higher levels of trust in AV performance and in manufacturers, compared to when it focused on speed to market. In addition, information regarding passenger control (i.e., the ability to take over for the vehicle and to determine privacy settings) was manipulated to yield either high or low passenger control conditions. Behavioral Intention (BI) to use AVs was lowest when speed to market was emphasized and when passenger control was low. Furthermore, trust was tested as a mediator between perceived risk and BI. Trust in AV performance partially mediated the relationship between perceived AV performance risk and BI. In addition, trust in AV regulation partially mediated the relationship between AV privacy/security risk and BI. Researchers should continue to examine trust beyond the AV itself to encompass trust in manufacturers and regulations. Those designing and marketing AVs should carefully consider decisions that influence manufacturer/developer reputation and passenger control due to their effect on intention to use AVs.
Does Light Therapy Decrease Depression in Older Adults

Light therapy appears to be mildly effective in treating depression in older adults, but ideal wavelength, intensity, and length of treatment are unknown.
Clinical Analysis of Pyocele of Tunica Vaginalis in 56 Newborns.

Objective This study aimed to explore the clinical characteristics, treatment methods, and prognosis of neonatal pyocele of tunica vaginalis and to provide a reference for the clinical treatment. Methods A total of 56 newborns with pyocele of tunica vaginalis were admitted to our hospital due to the scrotal emergency from January 2015 to January 2020. Our study retrospectively analyzed these 56 cases. Of the 56 cases, including 32 full-term infants and 24 premature infants, age ranged from 1 to 27 days. Initially, conservative treatment (intravenous antibiotic treatment) was applied to 42 cases, and surgery to 14 cases. Then, 7 underwent surgical exploration during the conservative treatment, and 2 cases with initial surgical treatment experienced orchiectomy because of complete necrosis. For 56 cases, the average follow-up time was 18 months. Results The clinical recovery time of cases with conservative treatment ranged from 8 to 17 days, with an average of 11.02 ± 2.31 days. The clinical recovery time of cases with surgery ranged from 6 to 15 days, with an average of 9.28 ± 2.78 days. During the follow-up, for 56 cases, except for the 2 cases with orchiectomy, the testicular position and Doppler flow both went back to normal, of the 42 cases with initial conservative treatment, 1 case experienced testicular retardation, of the 14 cases with initial surgical treatment, 2 cases experienced testicular retardation, and hydrocele of 42 cases were self-healed. Conclusions Neonatal pyocele of tunica vaginalis is mostly secondary to intra-abdominal infection. Color Doppler ultrasound is helpful for the diagnosis. The percutaneous aspiration is a way of collecting pathogenic bacteria during the conservative treatment. If the color Doppler suggests testicular involvement, surgical exploration should be performed.
Mitral Valve Nomenclature

The mitral valve was the first valve to be evaluated echocardiographically and has remained a priority of evolving echocardiographic techniques. Besides the multiple primary diseases of the mitral valve, it can also be impacted secondarily by other remote cardiac diseases. The mitral valve is the left-sided atrioventricular valve and separates the left atrium from the left ventricle. Embryologically, it forms from the endocardial cushions between the 5 and 8 weeks of development and is bicuspid, consisting of anterior and posterior leaflets (Fig. 1.1). These valve leaflets are attached to the ventricular walls by thin, fibrous chords, the chordae tendineae, which insert into small papillary muscles that are sculpted from the ventricular wall.
Sodium and Chloride Transport across Isolated Rabbit IIeum

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the recent studies on the movements of Sodium (Na) and Chloride (Cl) across in vitro rabbit ileum, a tissue that has been examined in sufficient detail to permit the analysis of transepithelial movements in terms of flows across the two limiting membranes of the epithelium and through extracellular transepithelial shunt pathways. Comparisons with other epithelia are presented in the chapter. In the absence of sugars or amino acids, one process responsible for Na and Cl entry across the mucosal membrane that is ultimately involved in the transepithelial transport of these ions is the neutral, coupled NaCl influx process that is inhibited by theophylline, intracellular CAMP, and acetazolamide. This neutral transport mechanism is reversible, and under some conditions may bring about the secretion of NaCl and/or NaHCO 3 . This mechanism is also responsible for the Na–H and Cl–HCO 3 exchange processes for normal human ileum in vivo.
Open-Ended Magnetic Confinement Systems for Fusion

Magnetic confinement systems that use externally generated magnetic fields can be divided topologically into two classes:“closed”and“open”, The tokamak, the stellarator, and the reversed-field-pinch approaches are representatives of the first category, while mirror-based systems and their variants are of the second category. While the recent thrust of magnetic fusion research, with its emphasis on the tokamak, has been concentrated on closed geometry, there are significant reasons for the continued pursuit of research into open-ended systems. The paper discusses these reasons, reviews the history and the present status of open-ended systems, and suggests some future directions for the research.
Water Quality Modeling

Water quality forecasts are vital to determining limitations for point source waste loads and diffuse or nonpoint source loads required to meet water quality standards in streams, lakes, and estuaries. Only mechanistic water quality modeling is widely applicable for forecasting. Although surface water quality modeling has a sound interdisciplinary scientific basis, the use of these analysis tools are limited in regulatory and resource decision making by a lack of a professional consensus defining model application protocols. To analyze water quality problems, (i) the uses for a water body must be evaluated, (ii) models must be calibrated and tested to relate impaired water quality to the waste sources, (iii) a formal uncertainty analysis must define a margin of safety to protect human and ecological health, and (iv) when necessary, an economic analysis must be performed to determine if the designated uses are reasonably achievable. Keywords: water quality; standards; streams; lakes; estuaries; watersheds; point sources; diffuse or nonpoint sources; total maximum daily loads (TMDL); waste load allocation; forecasts; hind casts; mechanistic cause-and-effect modeling; probabilistic modeling; uncertainty analysis; monte carlo analysis; margin of safety; calibration and statistical testing; sensitivity testing: economic analysis; newton's second law; conservation of momentum, mass and energy; fick's law; advective-diffusion; hydraulics; hydrodynamics; second law of thermodynamics; geomorphology; decision making
Accelerated Life Tests: Bayesian Models†

In this article we consider accelerated life test models where the effect of accelerated environments on failure behavior is described by time transformation functions. We present extensions of basic models by introducing hierarchical and dynamic strategies to allow for changes in the time transformation function with the accelerated environment. We develop Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to make Bayesian inferences from these models where no analytical forms are available for the posterior and predictive distributions of interest. We illustrate our approach with two examples and discuss what type of insights can be obtained from Bayesian analysis. Keywords: posterior and predictive analysis; life testing; hierarchical Bayes; Markov chain Monte Carlo; Gibbs sampler
Molecular Bases of Methamphetamine-Induced Neurodegeneration

Methamphetamine (METH) is a highly addictive psychostimulant drug, whose abuse has reached epidemic proportions worldwide. The addiction to METH is a major public concern because its chronic abuse is associated with serious health complications including deficits in attention, memory, and executive functions in humans. These neuropsychiatric complications might, in part, be related to drug-induced neurotoxic effects, which include damage to dopaminergic and serotonergic terminals, neuronal apoptosis, as well as activated astroglial and microglial cells in the brain. Thus, the purpose of the present paper is to review cellular and molecular mechanisms that might be responsible for METH neurotoxicity. These include oxidative stress, activation of transcription factors, DNA damage, excitotoxicity, blood–brain barrier breakdown, microglial activation, and various apoptotic pathways. Several approaches that allow protection against METH-induced neurotoxic effects are also discussed. Better understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in METH toxicity should help to generate modern therapeutic approaches to prevent or attenuate the long-term consequences of psychostimulant use disorders in humans.
Detection of and response to mid-ocean ridge magmatic events: Implications for the subsurface biosphere

Magmatic events are unpredictable dynamic processes that are integral to the evolution of mid-ocean ridges. Dikes and lava flows develop rapidly and instantly alter the local hydrothermal flow regime, initiating dramatic changes in hydrothermal discharge at the seafloor, and triggering geochemical and microbiological changes within the shallow crust, at the seafloor and within the overlying water column. Despite considerable logistical difficulties, real-time remote detection capabilities (SOSUS) along limited regions of the MOR system have allowed investigators to rapidly respond to significant seismic events. There have been more than 20 documented examples of seafloor volcanic/tectonic events, at both isolated volcanoes and mid-ocean ridges, but only a few of these have led to significant response efforts. The most rapid and thorough response efforts have been to the 1991 9° N EPR event and several events (1986, 1993, 1996, 1998, 2001) on the Juan de Fuca and Gorda Ridges. Together these 'SOSUS directed' responses plus the few serendipitous encounters have led to important discoveries (e.g., event plumes; 'snow-blower' vents) and provided basic new constraints on presently immature models of submarine magmatic-hydrothermal systems (e.g., intrusive/extrusive diking; event plume formation; subsurface hydrothermal communities). The event response community has gained valuable experience in learning how to exploit these opportunities for scientific observation and is currently poised to continue such studies with increased speed and efficiency. However, our understanding of these geophysical, chemical and biological processes is only in their infancy.
Jewish Views on the Ethics of Tax Evasion

This chapter summarizes and comments on the ethics of tax evasion from the Jewish perspective. The Jewish literature on this subject, although scant, is consistent in holding that tax evasion is generally- unethical. One hesitates to comment on “the” views of any particular religion, especially when the religion is thousands of years old with vast quantities of literature published in numerous languages. One is especially hesitant when one was not raised in the tradition of that religion. However, one must start somewhere, so I will attempt to summarize and comment on the Jewish view on the ethics of tax evasion as best I can.
ON-SITE ANALYSIS OF EXPLOSIVES IN VARIOUS MATRICES

Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) has developed several different strategies and technologies for the on-site detection of explosives. These on-site detection techniques include a colorimetric test, thin layer chromatography (TLC) kit and portable gas chromatography mass spectrometer (GC/MS). The screening of suspicious containers on-site and the search for trace explosive residue in a post-blast forensic investigation are of great importance. For these reasons, LLNL's Forensic Science Center has developed a variety of fieldable detection technologies to screen for a wide range of explosives in various matrices and scenarios. Ideally, what is needed is a fast, accurate, easy-to-use, pocket-size and inexpensive field screening test for explosives.
In vitro antiretroviral activity and in vivo toxicity of the potential topical microbicide copper phthalocyanine sulfate.

Copper has antimicrobial properties and has been studied for its activity against viruses, including HIV. Copper complexed within a phthalocyanine ring, forming copper (II) phthalocyanine sulfate (CuPcS), may have a role in microbicide development when used intravaginally. CuPcS toxicity was tested against cervical epithelial cells, TZM-BL cells, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), and cervical explant tissues using cell viability assays. In vivo toxicity was assessed following intravaginal administration of CuPcS in female BALB/C mice and measured using a standardized histology grading system on reproductive tract tissues. Efficacy studies for preventing infection with HIV in the presence of various non-toxic concentrations of CuPcS were carried out in TZM-BL, PBMC, and cervical explant cultures using HIV-1BAL and various pseudovirus subtypes. Non-linear regression was applied to the data to determine the EC50/90 and CC50/90. CuPcS demonstrated inhibition of HIV infection in PBMCs at concentrations that were non-toxic in cervical epithelial cells and PBMCs with EC50 values of approximately 50 μg/mL. Reproductive tract tissue analysis revealed no toxicity at 100 mg/mL. Human cervical explant tissues challenged with HIV in the presence of CuPcS also revealed a dose–response effect at preventing HIV infection at non-toxic concentrations with an EC50 value of 65 μg/mL. These results suggest that CuPcS may be useful as a topical microbicide in concentrations that can be achieved in the female genital tract.
Microstructural changes in a neutron-irradiated Fe–15 at.%Cr alloy

Abstract Microstructural changes in a Fe–15 at.%Cr model alloy neutron irradiated to 1.82 dpa at 290 °C were characterized by atom probe tomography. Homogenously distributed α′ precipitates as well as fewer clusters containing Si, P, Ni, and Cr, were observed in the matrix. Grain boundary analyses before and after irradiation revealed segregation of Cr, with W-shape concentration profiles developing in the vicinity of grain boundary carbide and nitride particles. After irradiation, impurities such as C, Si and P were segregated to the grain boundaries. Zones depleted of α′ clusters, and Si were found at the interfaces of carbide and nitride precipitates and along grain boundaries in the vicinity of these precipitates.
Effects in rats of iron on lead deprivation

In two fully crossed, two-factor experiments, F1 generation male rats were fed a basal diet supplemented with lead (lead acetate) at 0 or 2 μg/g and iron (ferric sulfate) at 50 or 250 μg/g (Experiment 1). Supplements in Experiment 2 were lead at 0 or 1 μg/g and iron at 50, 250, or 1000 μg/g. After 28 or 50 d in Experiment 1, and 35 d in Experiment 2, a relationship between lead and iron was found. Body weight was lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented 28-d-old rats regardless of dietary iron, whereas hematocrit and hemoglobin were lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented rats fed 50 μg iron/g diet. A similar finding was obtained with hematocrit and hemoglobin in 35-d-old rats. Dietary lead did not affect rats fed 250 or 1000 μg iron/g diet. Also, feeding low dietary lead did not affect 50-d-old rats regardless of dietary iron. Liver and bone concentrations of lead were markedly affected by dietary lead and iron. The concentration of lead in liver and bone was lower in low-lead than lead-supplemented rats. Compared to rats fed 50 μg iron/g diet, rats fed 250 μg iron/g diet exhibited a decreased lead concentration in liver and bone. This decrease was accentuated by lead supplementation. The findings suggest that lead acted pharmacologically to affect iron metabolism in rats.
Ethical Treatment of Robots and the Hard Problem of Robot Emotions

Emotions are important cognitive faculties that enable animals to behave intelligently in real time. The author argues that many important current and future applications of autonomous robots will require them to have a rich emotional repertoire, but this raises the question of whether it is possible for robots to experience their emotions consciously, as people do. Under what conditions would phenomenal experience of emotions be possible for robots? This is, in effect, the "hard problem" of robot emotions. This paper outlines a scientific approach to the question grounded in experimental neurophenomenology.
Department Programs to Encourage and Support Service Learning and Community Engagement

Service Learning (SL) is an established practice in which course objectives are met by having students engage in activities with individuals and/or organizations within the community in a way that is mutually beneficial to both the student and the community, In this paper the author describes a comprehensive department-wide approach to service learning and community engagement where students have multiple opportunities to learn computer science material by engaging with community members.
From assets to stories via the Google Cultural Institute Platform

The Google Cultural Institute Platform1 is a large-scale system for ingesting, archiving, organizing, and interacting with digital assets of cultural material. This paper explains the components through which the platform contextualizes individual assets in order to enable storytelling. Contextualization is an inverse problem: given assets that are instances of cultural material, infer their precise context and use that as a way to support the storytelling process. The approach is based on three components: extraction, knowledge, and scale. Extraction is the inference of context from two sources of information: explicitly provided metadata, and automatically extracted features. Knowledge is the use of a large reference fact database for further contextualizing an asset based on its descriptors. And scale, achieved through global self-serve, enables massively expanded coverage of the knowledge database and crowdsource potential for metadata refinement. Together these components sustain a storytelling framework and a compelling user experience that has the potential to become the largest repository of cultural information and coherent narrative in history.
Evaluation of membranes for feeding Culicoides variipennis (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) with an improved artificial blood-feeding apparatus.

An artificial blood-feeding apparatus for Culicoides variipennis (Coquillett) was improved by developing a simpler design to heat and mix the blood meal and by increasing the surface area for insect feeding. The skin from a 1- to 3-d-old chick and a reinforced silicone membrane were the most satisfactory of nine membranes evaluated for C. variipennis , with 81 and 83% mean blood-feeding rates, respectively. The operational advantages of the reinforced silicone membrane for feeding C. variipennis included its composition of readily available synthetic materials, easy fabrication, faster preparation than the chick skin, and its suitability for repeated use in colony maintenance and virus infection studies.
TORSIONAL STRESS ANALYSIS OF CORD-RUBBER COMPOSITE LAMINATES

SUMMARY The structural response of two-ply cord-rubber composite laminates subjected to torsional loading is investigated using non-linear three-dimensional finite element analysis. The present model treats a two-ply composite as an equivalent three/six-ply system with rubber and cord-rubber elements. The present finite element model is validated by comparing the results obtained to the existing experimental and analytical solutions. The effects of torque and bias angle on twist angle, axial displacement, coupled strain ratio, and interply and interface shear stresses are presented. Also, the effects of interply thickness and rubber elasticity were studied. The presented results illustrate the torsional behaviour of two-ply cord-rubber composites from three-dimensional analysis.
Effects of mefruside on renal hemodynamics

Mefruside. a natriuretic drug similar in structure to furosemide, was examined for activity on renal hemodynamics in the dog. This agent, when administered at 10 mg./kg. i.v., increased renal vascular resistance and decreased renal blood flow. Blood pressure and the rate of glomerular filtration were not affected. Mefruside differs from furosemide in its action on renal hemodynamics, inasmuch as furosemide decreases renal vascular resistance and increases renal blood flow.
Leishmania major Peroxidase Is a Cytochrome c Peroxidase

Leishmania major peroxidase (LmP) exhibits both ascorbate and cytochrome c peroxidase activities. Our previous results illustrated that LmP has a much higher activity against horse heart cytochrome c than ascorbate, suggesting that cytochrome c may be the biologically important substrate. To elucidate the biological function of LmP, we have recombinantly expressed, purified, and determined the 2.08 A crystal structure of L. major cytochrome c (LmCytc). Like other types of cytochrome c, LmCytc has an electropositive surface surrounding the exposed heme edge that serves as the site of docking with redox partners. Kinetic assays performed with LmCytc and LmP show that LmCytc is a much better substrate for LmP than horse heart cytochrome c. Furthermore, unlike the well-studied yeast system, the reaction follows classic Michaelis–Menten kinetics and is sensitive to an increasing ionic strength. Using the yeast cocrystal as a control, protein–protein docking was performed using Rosetta to develop a model for th...
Nutzung von artifiziellen neuronalen Netzwerken zur Risikoabschätzung eines Prostatakarzinoms

In einer prospektiven Studie uber 5 1/2 Jahre wurde die diagnostische Wertigkeit eines artifiziellen neuronalen Netzwerkes (ANN) mit den 5 Eingangsvariablen PSA, %fPSA, Prostatavolumen, rektaler Tastbefund und Patientenalter im PSA-Bereich von 2–20 µg/l als Prostatabiopsieindikator evaluiert. Daten von 944 Prostatakarzinom- und BPH-Patienten wurden in einem ANN ausgewertet. Die Ermittlung der Biopsieindikationen erfolgte in den verschiedenen PSA-Bereichen 2,0–4,0; 4,1–10,0 und 10,1–20,0 µg/l an den jeweiligen 90%- und 95%-Spezifitats- oder Sensitivitatsgrenzwerten.
Risk factors for family time burdens providing and arranging health care for children with special health care needs: Lessons from nonproportional odds models

We identify need, enabling, and predisposing factors for high family time burdens associated with the health care of chronically-ill children, using data from the U.S. 2009-2010 National Survey of Children with Special Health Care Needs (NS-CSHCN), a population-based survey of 40,242 children with special health care needs (CSHCN). We estimate generalized ordered logistic multivariable regressions of time spent (1) providing health care for the child at home, (2) arranging/coordinating health care, and (3) combined time. Factors associated with higher time burdens included child's functional limitations, severe or unstable health conditions, public health insurance, lack of a medical home, low family income, low adult education, and non-white race. Nonproportional odds models revealed associations between risk factors and time burden that were obscured by binary and standard ordered logistic models. Clinicians and policymakers can use this information to design interventions to alleviate this important family stressor.
Chfr defines a mitotic stress checkpoint that delays entry into metaphase

Chemicals that target microtubules induce mitotic stress by affecting several processes that occur during mitosis. These processes include separation of the centrosomes in prophase, alignment of the chromosomes on the spindle in metaphase and sister-chromatid separation in anaphase1,2. Many human cancers are sensitive to mitotic stress. This sensitivity is being exploited for therapy and implies checkpoint defects2,3,4,5,6,7,8. The known mitotic checkpoint genes, which prevent entry into anaphase when the chromosomes are not properly aligned on the mitotic spindle, are, however, rarely inactivated in human cancer9,10,11,12,13. Here we describe the chfr gene, which is inactivated owing to lack of expression or by mutation in four out of eight human cancer cell lines examined. Normal primary cells and tumour cell lines that express wild-type chfr exhibited delayed entry into metaphase when centrosome separation was inhibited by mitotic stress. In contrast, the tumour cell lines that had lost chfr function entered metaphase without delay. Ectopic expression of wild-type chfr restored the cell cycle delay and increased the ability of the cells to survive mitotic stress. Thus, chfr defines a checkpoint that delays entry into metaphase in response to mitotic stress.
Evolution of a deep-water carbonate platform: Upper Cretaceous to Pleistocene sedimentary environments on the west Florida margin

Abstract Deep-water carbonates have been accumulating on the west Florida margin since the early Late Cretaceous, although the depositional style and sediment types have changed through time. Seven coreholes drilled by EXXON record the establishment of two gently-dipping aggradational ramps, the first in the Late Cretaceous to Oligocene, and the second in the middle to late Miocene to the present. These dominantly pelagic depositional environments followed episodes of downslope transport of shallow-water grains, diluting background pelagic sedimentation and producing progradational ramps that built seaward. This study traces the evolution of the deep-water west Florida sedimentary systems, and contrasts the older aggradational ramp, characterized by both foraminiferal and radiolarian oozes as well as volcanic ash, with the late Neogene ramp whose biogenic components are mainly foraminifera and coccoliths. The cycles of progradation, separated by periods of ramp aggradation, developed as eustasy interacted with prolonged subsidence of the margin (early Late Cretaceous), as well as oceanographic changes caused by closure of the Suwannee Strait (late Oligocene to early Miocene) and of the Isthmus of Panama (middle to late Miocene). The major transitions in environments recorded in the west Florida ramp platform thus resulted from the superposition of climatic, tectonic, and oceanographic events on global sea level changes.
Understanding the Implementation of Medicaid and Medicare: Social Construction and Historical Context

This article examines the history and formation of Medicare and Medicaid to determine how America’s two major public health insurance programs came to have such vastly different implementation structures. Drawing upon theories of social construction and path dependence, findings show how the programs were set on divergent paths. This article also explores how the intergovernmental nature of Medicaid has promoted inequities, both between programs and among recipients across states. The findings show how social construction can influence the policy tool chosen and how the implementation structure impacts the individuals whom these programs are intended to serve for years to come.