cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Classical intertwiner space and quantization

Given two symplectic realizations, a symplectic manifold called the classical intertwiner space is introduced as a classical analogue of an intertwiner space of representations of an associative algebra. We describe explicitly how a quantum data on realizations induces a quantum data on their classical intertwiner space.
The meaning of adaptation in the behavioral sciences

The term "adaptation" in the behavioral sciences refers to the ability of living tissue to adjust to the demands of environmental changes. This is accomplished in a variety of ways. For example, the sense organs become less sensitive when stimulated and more sensitive when stimulation is removed. Long-term effects of adaptation, for example to distracting noises, are observed in the absence of known physiological changes. The perceptual system is able to extract from the large quantity and quality of stimuli impinging upon it only those which are of interest and relevance. The prime mechanism of adaptation, however, is the ability of the human operator to adjust his responses to novel situations, i.e., learning It is the redundancy of the human operator which is his most valuable asset and prescribes the inclusion of the human in complex systems in spite of the concomitant demands for life support. The papers in the symposium are designed to illustrate several ways in which the human operator exhibits adaptation.
Timing of bottom-water scour recorded by sedimentological parameters in the South Australian Basin

Abstract The South Australian Basin has been the site of extensive Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) scour during the late Cenozoic. The combination of detailed stratigraphy and sedimentological analyses of three piston cores allowed the identification of the major episodes of high bottom-current paleovelocity. The chronology of the cores was determined by magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy. Five parameters, mean, mode, skewness, coarsest 1%, and sorting of the carbonate-free silt particle size distribution were used to infer periods of high paleovelocity. Sorting was found to be an insensitive parameter within the inferred paleovelocity regimes. The two major high-velocity episodes during the last 3.3 m.y. occurred during the Gauss Chron and the upper Matuyama Chron. Several short episodes of high bottom-water velocity occurred during the Matuyama Chron. Only one minor pulse was identified during the Brunhes Chron (0–0.73 m.y.B.P.). The high velocity episode during the Gauss Chron produced a disconformity separating Miocene and middle Pliocene sediments while the upper Matuyama episode may be responsible for the widespread disconformity at or near the seafloor which has been identified in many cores in the region.
Reduced allergenicity of high molecular weight ragweed polymers.

Abstract Polymerized ragweed antigens of different molecular weight ranges were studied to determine if the degree of allergenicity was dependent on molecular size of the polymers. In this study, allergenicity is defined as the ability to elicit IgE-mediated skin reactivity. Ragweed antigen treated with glutaraldehyde was fractionated into one preparation with a molecular weight range of 200,000 to 20,000,000 and another with molecular weights less than 200,000. Except for the difference in molecular sizes of the two preparations, all ragweed polymers had been treated in an identical fashion. The low molecular weight fraction had cutaneous endpoint reactivity greater than 10 3 to 10 8 times that of the high molecular weight materials. In these and other studies, immunogenicity defined as the ability to induce an IgG antibody response was retained by the high molecular weight material. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that allergenicity decreases as the molecular weight of the polymerized allergen increases.
Curcumin Induces Cell Death in Esophageal Cancer Cells through Modulating Notch Signaling

Background Curcumin inhibits the growth of esophageal cancer cell lines; however, the mechanism of action is not well understood. It is becoming increasingly clear that aberrant activation of Notch signaling has been associated with the development of esophageal cancer. Here, we have determined that curcumin inhibits esophageal cancer growth via a mechanism mediated through the Notch signaling pathway.
Record of the North American southwest monsoon from Gulf of Mexico sediment cores

Summer monsoonal rains (the southwest monsoon) are an important source of moisture for parts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Improved documentation of the variability in the southwest monsoon is needed because changes in the amount and seasonal distribution of precipitation in this semiarid region of North America influence overall water supply and fire severity. Comparison of abundance variations in the planktic foraminifer Globigerinoides sacculifer in marine cores from the western and northern Gulf of Mexico with terrestrial proxy records of precipitation (tree-ring width and packrat-midden occurrences) from the southwestern United States indicate that G. sacculifer abundance is a proxy for the southwest monsoon on millennial and submillennial time scales. The marine record confirms the presence of a severe multicentury drought centered ca. 1600 calendar (cal.) yr B.P. as well as several multidecadal droughts that have been identified in a long tree-ring record spanning the past 2000 cal. yr from west-central New Mexico. The marine record further suggests that monsoon circulation, and thus summer rainfall, was enhanced in the middle Holocene (ca. 6500–4500 14 C yr B.P.; ca. 6980–4710 cal. yr B.P.). The marine proxy provides the potential for constructing a highly resolved, well-dated, and continuous history of the southwest monsoon for the entire Holocene.
Gas Research Institute's research and development program on in-line inspection of natural gas pipelines

The Gas Research Institute (GRI) has been supporting a comprehensive research and development program on in-line inspection techniques for natural gas transmission pipelines. This program contains assessments of state-of-the-art nondestructive evaluation methods, improvements in current approaches, and developments of advanced inspection technologies. The elements of the GRI Nondestructive Evaluation Program range from laboratory evaluations of the capabilities of inspection technologies to large-scale measurements in simulated pipeline settings. Each level of research stresses a quantification of both the limits of detection and the accuracy of characterization of pipeline imperfections that are found by in- line inspection tools. The overall goal of GRI's Nondestructive Evaluation Program is to develop and improve technologies that will help gas pipeline companies maintain the physical integrity of their transmission systems, prevent pipeline shutdowns, and reduce maintenance costs. This paper summarizes the results of the GRI program to date in relationship to their direct application to in-line inspection of gas transmission pipelines. The program consists of three main elements: facilities development, research on current inspection technologies, and research on future inspection technologies. The facilities development is centered around the Pipeline Simulation Facility; the research on current inspection technologies is aimed at improving magnetic flux leakage analyses; and the research on future inspection technologies is centered on stress-corrosion crack detection and characterization.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Resident duty hours: the rest of the story

Abstract This article presents the complex set of considerations and influences that resulted in the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education' s (ACGME) development of rules to govern the duty hours of residents. The process is demonstrative of the complexity associated with the self-regulation of graduate medical education. At the same time, the ACGME' s development of standards for resident duty hours suggests that self-regulation can be an effective alternative to governmental regulation.
Cognitive Characteristics of Children With Mathematics Learning Disability (MLD) Vary as a Function of the Cutoff Criterion Used to Define MLD

Researchers of mathematics learning disability (MLD) commonly use cutoff scores to determine which participants have MLD. Some researchers apply more restrictive cutoffs than others (e.g., performance below the 10th vs. below the 35th percentile). Different cutoffs may lead to groups of children that differ in their profile of math and related skills, including reading, visual-spatial, and working memory skills. The present study assesses the characteristics of children with MLD based on varying MLD definitions of math performance either below the 10th percentile (n = 22) or between the 11th and 25th percentile (n = 42) on the Test of Early Math Ability, second edition (TEMA-2). Initial starting levels and growth rates for math and related skills were examined in these two MLD groups relative to a comparison group (n = 146) whose TEMA-2 performance exceeded the 25th percentile. Between kindergarten and third grade, differences emerged in the starting level and growth rate, suggesting qualitative differences among the three groups. Despite some similarities, qualitative group differences were also observed in the profiles of math-related skills across groups. These results highlight differences in student characteristics based on the definition of MLD and illustrate the value of examining skill areas associated with math performance in addition to math performance itself.
Temperament and the Development of Conscience: The Moderating Role of Effortful Control.

In this longitudinal study we examined whether two components of effortful control, behavioral control, and executive function moderated the relation between temperament and conscience development. Temperament was assessed when participants were two years of age, and three temperament groups were formed: inhibited, exuberant, and low reactive. At 4.5 years of age, children’s behavioral control and executive function were assessed. Moral behavior, emotionality during an empathy film, and false-belief understanding were measured at 5.5 years of age as components of conscience. Results indicate that inhibited children may benefit most from higher levels of effortful control. Inhibited children with higher levels of behavioral control performed better on false-belief understanding tasks whereas inhibited children who scored higher on executive function tests reported less emotional response to the evocative film. Finally, as a group, inhibited children exhibited more moral behavior than exuberant and low reactive children.
Transfer of associative grouping to novel perceptual contexts in infancy

Learning can be highly adaptive if associations learned in one context are generalized to novel contexts. We examined the development of such generalization in infancy in the context of grouping. In Experiment 1, 3- to 4-month-olds and 6- to 7-month-olds were habituated to shapes grouped via the organizational principle of common region and were tested with familiar and novel pairs as determined by the principle of proximity. Older infants generalized from common region to proximity, but younger infants did not. Younger infants failed to generalize when the task was easier (Experiment 2), and their failure was not due to inability to group via proximity (Experiment 3). However, in Experiment 4, even younger infants generalized grouping on the basis of connectedness to proximity. Thus, the ability to transfer learned associations of shapes to novel contexts is evident early in life, although it continues to undergo quantitative change during infancy. Moreover, the operation of this generalization mechanism may be induced by means of bootstrapping onto functional organizational principles, which is consistent with a developmental framework in which core processes scaffold learning.
Pinched Lattice Minimum Bayes Risk Discriminative Training for Large Vocabulary Continuous Speech Recognition

Iterative estimation procedures that minimize empirical risk based on general loss functions such as the Levenshtein distance have been derived as extensions of the Extended Baum Welch algorithm. While reducing expected loss on training data is a desirable training criterion, the se algorithms can be difficult to apply. They are unlike MMI estimation in that they require an explicit listing of the hy potheses to be considered and in complex problems such lists tend to be prohibitively large. To overcome this difficulty, modeling techniques originally developed to improve search efficiency in Minimum Bayes Risk decoding can be used to transform these estimation algorithms so that exact update, risk minimization procedures can be used for complex recognition problems. Experimental results in two large vocabulary speech recognition tasks show improvements over conventionally trained MMIE models.
Ophthalmic Ultrasonography: Theoretic and Practical Considerations

Ophthalmic ultrasonography is the main diagnostic imaging modality of the eye. It is a safe, noninvasive diagnostic tool that provides instant feedback for the evaluation of various ophthalmic disorders. Diagnostic ophthalmic ultrasonography is most useful in the presence of opaque ocular media caused by corneal opacities, anterior chamber opacities, cataracts, vitreous hemorrhage, or inflammatory opacities. Ophthalmic ultrasonography is also valuable in the presence of clear media and for evaluation of the iris, lens, ciliary body, and orbital structures. This article provides a brief overview of the basic physics of ultrasound, instrumentation, and special examination techniques used in ophthalmic ultrasonography.
Prospective identification of National Institutes of Health category IV prostatitis in men with elevated prostate specific antigen.

Purpose: Although prostatitis may cause elevated prostate specific antigen (PSA), asymptomatic patients are not routinely screened for this diagnosis before transrectal biopsy is performed to rule out cancer. Many negative biopsies reveal evidence of prostatitis classified as National Institutes of Health (NIH) category IV prostatitis or asymptomatic inflammation. To our knowledge this report represents the initial study of the incidence of NIH category IV prostatitis in men before biopsy and its clinical significance.Materials and Methods: From 1996 to 1998 asymptomatic men with elevated PSA levels were evaluated for laboratory signs of prostatitis. Patients with expressed prostatic secretions or post-prostate massage urine (voiding bottle 3 [VB3]) positive for greater than 20 and greater than 10 white blood cells per high power field, respectively, received antibiotics for 4 weeks and were reevaluated after 6 to 8 weeks. Men without these clinical signs promptly underwent biopsy. Those with acute urinar...
Some Observations on the Business School of Tomorrow

Business school training needs to consider the managerial needs of a quarter century hence. This implies greater emphasis in designing business school curricula and teaching methods on the development of fundamental analytical tools and on the use of these tools in identifying, solving, and implementing decisions on managerial problems. Fundamental analytical tools will come especially from the behavioral sciences, economics, and quantitative methods including the use of mathematics. The “applied” fields of business marketing, production, finance, and so on should, at least now, be viewed primarily as important problem areas where best solutions depend on the effective application of such fundamental tools. This approach implies elimination of much of the current subject matter of business school curricula.
Effects of Syringe Material, Sample Storage Time, and Temperature on Blood Gases and Oxygen Saturation in Arterialized Human Blood Samples

BACKGROUND: The practice of on-ice storage of arterial-blood samples in plastic syringes for delayed analysis continues, and the effects of storage time and temperature on the measurement of blood-oxygen-saturation values (SaO2) have not been adequately described. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of syringe material, storage time, and storage temperature on normal arterialized blood gas and SaO2 values. METHODS: We used a temperature-controlled extracorporeal circuit to “arterialize” 500 mL of fresh, whole human blood at 37°C, and we used certified calibration gases of 12% O2 and 5% CO2 to produce normal blood-gas values. From that arterialized blood we took 90 samples and randomly assigned them to 6 groups, until there were 15 samples in each group. The groups were (1) plastic syringe, analyzed immediately, (2) plastic syringe, stored 30 min at 0-4°C, (3) plastic syringe, stored 30 min at 22°C, (4) glass syringe, analyzed immediately, (5) glass syringe, stored 30 min at 0-4°C, and (6) glass syringe, stored 30 min at 22°C. RESULTS: Compared to the samples that were analyzed immediately, the PO2 of the samples stored in plastic syringes for 30 min at 22°C and at 0–4°C was significantly higher, with a clinically important magnitude of 11.9-13.7 mm Hg. The PCO2 of blood stored in glass for 30 min at 0-4°C was significantly lower, although the magnitude of the difference (1.5 mm Hg) was not clinically important. There were no statistically significant differences in pH or oxygen saturation among the 6 groups. CONCLUSION: For accurate arterial-blood-gas results, samples drawn in plastic syringes should be analyzed immediately. If the analysis is going to be delayed, the samples should be drawn and stored in glass.
Development of a Small UAV with Autopilot Capability

It is challenging to develop and test autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) because of the multidisciplinary nature of the work and the paramount safety requirement. A UAV system with autopilot capability was developed by a group of students at New Mexico State University. The UAV system was built based on an originally radio controlled (RC) Raptor 90 helicopter and a commercial-off-the-shelf autopilot package MP2128 HELI . The development work was focused on the components selection, interfaces design, system integration and testing. Several problems regarding vibration isolation, electromagnetic interference shielding and safe testing of the system have been solved. This paper describes the development work including the system architecture, mechanical and electrical components design, system integration, and some preliminary results of the system test.
Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of false alarms in capnography (CO/sub 2/ monitoring)

False alarming conditions in capnography have become so frequent that the alarms themselves have become a nuisance to anesthesiologists and are sometimes perceived as unhelpful. In this paper, we will use ROC (receiver operating characteristic) analysis to evaluate the validity of thresholds and time delays in order to minimize false alarms. Simulations of stored case studies will be used to test the varying thresholds and time delays in order to generate the respective ROC curves for final analysis.
Singular limits in fluid mechanics

In this paper I would like to describe some of the mathematical problems encountered in the study of incompressible fluid turbulence. The equations of motion are the Navier-Stokes equations. $$ \left( {{\partial _t} + u \cdot \nabla - v\Delta } \right)u + \nabla p = f. $$
Porphyrins As Photosensitizers To Enhance Night Vision

Relative bleaching rates of bovine rhodopsin (rod outer segments) in the presence and absence of seven porphyrins and methylene blue were measured under exposure to λmax = 675 nm light, using UV−vis spectroscopy. Rate enhancements on the order of up to three times compared to the bleaching of rhodopsin alone where observed. Fluorescence measurements and other data suggests that the porphyrins act as photosensitizers and excite the visual pigment via electron or triplet state energy transfer. These mechanisms suggest that rhodopsin possesses a pocket, proximal to the Schiff base so that porphyrins act as photosensitizers.
New Technology for Noninvasive Evaluation of Coronary Artery Disease

Cardiac computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are emerging as powerful noninvasive imaging tools for the evaluation of atherosclerosis in patients with known or suspected coronary artery disease (CAD). Unlike invasive coronary angiography, CT coronary angiography (CTA) not only assesses disease within the coronary lumen but can also provide direct qualitative and quantitative information about nonobstructive atherosclerotic plaque burden within the vessel wall. Thus, it is possible that CTA-based patient evaluation may provide more clinically relevant information on which to base risk assessments compared with conventional “lumenography.” On the other hand, PET is rapidly growing as a powerful and efficient alternative to conventional single-photon emission CT (SPECT) imaging to evaluate regional myocardial perfusion and metabolism in patients with CAD. In addition, PET scanners are now being converted to hybrid PET/CT devices, which, in the setting of CAD, offer the potential for a comprehensive noninvasive cardiac evaluation of anatomy and function. This review will discuss current and potential future applications of cardiovascular CT, PET, and hybrid PET/CT, with a particular focus on ischemic heart disease. The information provided by noninvasive imaging generally falls into 1 of 3 categories: myocardial perfusion, left ventricular (LV) function, or coronary artery anatomy. The clinical utility, value, and role of a noninvasive modality are based on 2 test characteristics: What type of information is provided (eg, stress perfusion, stress and/or rest LV function, coronary anatomy), and what is the accuracy of the information provided. For example, SPECT and PET both provide stress and rest perfusion information, but the latter will be a superior clinical tool if the imaging data better represent the actual defect size and are subject to less artifact. The advantage of PET over SPECT will be further enhanced, as will be discussed later, if it provides additional clinically relevant information not …
Genetic Analysis of Early Flowering Mutants in Arabidopsis Defines a Class of Pleiotropic Developmental Regulator Required for Expression of the Flowering-Time Switch Flowering Locus C

The Arabidopsis flowering-repressor gene FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a developmental switch used to trigger floral induction after extended growth in the cold, a process termed vernalization. In vernalized plants, FLC becomes transcriptionally silenced through a process that involves an epigenetic mechanism. We identified recessive mutations designated vernalization independence (vip) that confer cold-independent flowering and suppression of FLC. These mutations also lead to developmental pleiotropy, including specific defects in floral morphology, indicating that the associated genes also have functions unrelated to flowering time. We identified the VIP3 gene by positional cloning and found that it encodes a protein consisting almost exclusively of repeated Trp-Asp (WD) motifs, suggesting that VIP3 could act as a platform to assemble a protein complex. Constitutive transgenic expression of VIP3 in vernalized plants is insufficient to activate FLC, and thus VIP3 probably participates in the regulation of FLC as one component of a more extensive mechanism. Consistent with this, genetic analyses revealed that the VIP loci define a functional gene class including at least six additional members. We suggest that VIP3 and other members of this gene class could represent a previously unrecognized flowering mechanism.
A portable benchmark suite for highly parallel data intensive query processing

Traditionally, data warehousing workloads have been processed using CPU-focused clusters, such as those that make up the bulk of available machines in Amazon's EC2, and the focus on improving analytics performance has been to utilize a homogenous, multi-threaded CPU environment with optimized algorithms for this infrastructure. The increasing availability of highly parallel accelerators, like the GPU and Xeon Phi discrete accelerators, in these types of clusters has provided an opportunity to further accelerate analytics operations but at a high programming cost due to optimizations required to fully utilize each of these new pieces of hardware. This work describes and analyzes highly parallel relational algebra primitives that are developed to focus on data warehousing queries through the use of a common OpenCL framework that can be executed both on standard multi-threaded processors and on emerging accelerator architectures. As part of this work, we propose a set of data-intensive benchmarks to help compare and differentiate the performance of accelerator hardware and to determine the key characteristics for efficiently running data warehousing queries on accelerators.
Reproductive characteristics and risk of kidney cancer: Iowa Women's Health Study

Abstract Objectives Kidney (renal cell) cancer accounts for approximately 3–4% of all new cases of primary cancer diagnosed in the United States. A relationship between kidney cancer and female reproductive factors has been hypothesized but supporting evidence is inconsistent. Our objectives were to explore the relationship between female reproductive factors and kidney cancer and identify independent risk factors related to female reproductive history and its effects on development of kidney cancer. Methods We measured risk factors for kidney cancer and reproductive characteristics in a group of 37,440 postmenopausal women in Iowa. From 1986 to 2003, 165 cases of incident kidney cancer were identified through a statewide cancer registry. Results After adjustment for age and other risk factors, past use of estrogen showed an increased risk of renal cancer (RR 1.56; 95% CI 1.13–2.17) when compared to no use. Women with no live birth (RR 1.91, p = 0.02) and women with three to four live births (RR 1.62, p = 0.02) also had an increased risk of kidney cancer when compared with women who had one to two live births. There was also a lower risk of kidney cancer with greater lifetime duration of ovulation. Conclusion Although most reproductive variables were not significantly associated with kidney cancer, our study indicates that a greater exposure to estrogens may increase risk for kidney cancer.
Concordant sea-floor spreading rates obtained from geochronology, astrochronology and space geodesy

Reversals of the Earth's magnetic field, allied to sea-floor spreading, have left their imprint in the form of a magnetic tape recorder on the sea-floor. It is demonstrated that the geomagnetic polarity time scale for the past few million years, derived utilizing (a) radiometric dates of magnetic field reversals trapped in subareal, igneous, rocks and (b) as derived from the Milankovitch forcing frequencies and their imprint in the sedimentary environment, are in good agreement. Further, sea-floor spreading rates calculated from these results, are in substantial agreement with the rate of plate movement averaged over the last decade, as obtained by space geodetic measurements. Since the principles underlying these “dating” techniques are entirely different, it lends credence to the results obtained for sea-floor spreading, arguably the most fundamental process in plate tectonics.
Implications of Excessive Precision for Risk Comparisons: Lessons from the Past Four Decades

This article reviews five published "second-order" risk comparisons from the past four decades that implied precise understanding, and hence clear relationships or orderings, of the underlying risks. "Second order" here refers to efforts that extract information from original sources with the goal of relating diverse findings. All five of these publications have frequently been cited in the peer-reviewed literature and/or in risk regulatory debate in the United States. Each is associated with at least one contemporaneous critique that the findings were excessively precise. None of these critiques suggested that an alternative relationship or ordering of the risks evaluated was more appropriate. Instead, each critique concluded that alternative, contradictory relationships were at least as plausible given data and/or analytical limitations. In one case, the critique led to the withdrawal of the original publication. The original findings have been propagated or used uncritically in subsequent literature, including political support for cost-effectiveness analysis. In other cases, the critiques have been used to discredit quantitative risk analysis in general, especially in the cases of nuclear power and cost-benefit analysis. Both of these outcomes are undesirable. Future risk comparisons should avoid excessive precision, include explicit discussion of uncertainty, and differentiate between plausible estimates and expected values.
CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CONDUCTIVITY AND BULK MODULUS OF ISOTROPIC COMPOSITE MATERIALS

Rigorous cross-property bounds that connect the effective electrical conductivity σ * and the effective bulk modulus K * of any isotropic two-phase composite are derived when the volume fractions of the phases are either specified or unknown. These bounds enclose lens-shaped regions in the σ * – K * plane, portions of which are attain­able by certain microgeometries and thus are optimal. Our cross-property bounds apply also to anisotropic composites with cubic symmetry. The bounds are applied to some general situations, as well as to specific microgeometries, including regular and random arrays of spheres and hierarchical geometries corresponding to effective-medium theories. It is shown that knowledge of the effective conductivity can yield sharp estimates of the effective bulk modulus (and vice versa), even in cases where there is a wide disparity in the phase properties.
The anti-inflammatory natural product parthenolide from the medicinal herb Feverfew directly binds to and inhibits IkappaB kinase

Background: Biologically active natural products continue to be useful in the exploration and control of intracellular signaling processes. For example, the sesquiterpene lactone parthenolide from the anti-inflammatory medicinal herb Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) appears to inhibit the pro-inflammatory signaling pathway. Parthenolide’s direct molecular target, however, remains unknown. We set out to identify the molecular mechanisms of parthenolide’s anti-inflammatory activity.Results: A parthenolide affinity reagent was synthesized and shown to bind directly to and inhibit IκB kinase β (IKKβ), the kinase subunit known to play a critical role in cytokine-mediated signaling. Mutation of cysteine 179 in the activation loop of IKKβ abolished sensitivity towards parthenolide. Moreover, we showed that parthenolide’s in vitro and in vivo anti-inflammatory activity is mediated through the α-methylene γ-lactone moiety shared by other sesquiterpene lactones.Conclusions: In recent years, the multi-subunit IKK complex has been shown to be responsible for cytokine-mediated stimulation of genes involved in inflammation and as such represents an attractive target for pharmaceutical intervention. Our finding that parthenolide targets this kinase complex provides a possible molecular basis for the anti-inflammatory properties of parthenolide. In addition, these results may be useful in the development of additional anti-inflammatory agents.
Sulfur dioxide emissions and per capita income: a disaggregation of the effects of long-run and short-run income growth

This paper investigates the links between growth in gross domestic product (GDP) and sulfur dioxide emissions by disaggregating income growth into long-term growth (the trend of GDP over time) and short-term growth (income fluctuations around the trend). Results indicate a substantial fixed component of sulfur dioxide emissions. Once income fluctuations are controlled for, the effect of changes in the scale of the economy over time can be distinguished from the effects of the changing composition of output and the state of technological development. Results indicate that at low levels of income, the composition and technology effects are associated with an increase in emissions; for high levels of income, the composition and technology effects are associated with a leveling off of emissions.
Binocular receptive field models, disparity tuning, and characteristic disparity

Disparity tuning of visual cells in the brain depends on the structure of their binocular receptive fields (RFs). Freeman and coworkers have found that binocular RFs of a typical simple cell can be quantitatively described by two Gabor functions with the same gaussian envelope but different phase parameters in the sinusoidal modulations (Freeman and Ohzawa 1990). This phase-parameter-based RF description has recently been questioned by Wagner and Frost (1993) based on their identification of a so-called characteristic disparity (CD) in some cells' disparity tuning curves. They concluded that their data favor the traditional binocular RF model, which assumes an overall positional shift between a cell's left and right RFs. Here we set to resolve this issue by studying the dependence of cells' disparity tuning on their underlying RF structures through mathematical analyses and computer simulations. We model the disparity tuning curves in Wagner and Frost's experiments and demonstrate that the mere existence of approximate CDs in real cells cannot be used to distinguish the phase-parameter-based RF description from the traditional position-shift-based RF description. Specifically, we found that model simple cells with either type of RF description do not have a CD. Model complex cells with the position-shift-based RF description have a precise CD, and those with the phase-parameter-based RF description have an approximate CD. We also suggest methods for correctly distinguishing the two types of RF descriptions. A hybrid of the two RF models may be required to fit the behavior of some real cells, and we show how to determine the relative contributions of the two RF models.
Engineering Tool for Temperature, Electric Field and Dose Rate Dependence of High Resistivity Spacecraft Materials

An engineering tool has been developed to predict the equilibrium conductivity of common spacecraft insulating materials as a function of electric field, temperature, and adsorbed dose rate based on parameterized, analytic functions derived from physics-based theories. The USU Resistivity Calculator Engineering Tool calculates the total conductivity as the sum of three independent conductivity mechanisms: a thermally activated hopping conductivity, a variable range hopping conductivity, and a radiation induced conductivity using a total of nine independent fitting parameters determined from fits to an extensive data set taken by the Utah State University Materials Physics Group. It also provides a fit for the temperature dependence of the electrostatic breakdown field strength, in terms of a tenth independent fitting parameter related to an interchain bond strength. The extent of F, T and measured in the experiments were designed to cover as much of the ranges typically encountered in space environments as possible. This Mathcad worksheet calculates the total conductivity and the individual contributions from each conductivity mechanism based on user inputs for F, T and D. It also plots 2D and 3D graphs of the conductivities over the appropriate full ranges of F, T and .
Workplace Stress Management Interventions and Health Promotion

Employee health and wellness are important for employees, their families, and their organizations. We review the literature on both stress management interventions in organizations and workplace health promotion and wellness programs, from the lens of primary, secondary, and tertiary interventions as well as the framework provided by the job demands–resources model (Bakker & Demerouti 2007). Stress management interventions tend to be ameliorative, often focusing on restoring resources that have been depleted by the work environment, whereas workplace health promotion and wellness programs tend to be more preventive, enhancing job and personal resources for all employees. There appears to be a trend toward incorporating stress management as a component of workplace wellness programs, with these programs taking more of a primary or secondary intervention approach than a tertiary approach. In addition, although organization-level interventions are still relatively rare, there is growing evidence that organiz...
Modern coherent optical communications

Coherent systems can achieve better spectral efficiency, and better sensitivity than conventional on-off keying systems. This paper reviews recent research efforts and examines future possibilities in the field.
Chronic granulomatous disease

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a syndrome, the unifying characteristics of which arc a predisposition to recurrent bacterial and fungal infections, an impaired ability of phagocytes to kill microorganisms and the failure of these cells to produce microbicidal oxygen metabolites. Four genetically different molecular defects have been found to underlie the x-linked and autosomal recessive forms of CGD. Since the relevant normal genes are cloned, molecular analysis of the genetic lesions in CGD is rapidly progressing. Diagnosis of carriers is possible in most instances and prenatal diagnosis by trophoblast biopsy or at least cordoccntcsis is now feasible. Until recently, therapy has been limited to aggressive antimicrobial prophylaxis and in very selected cases bone marrow transplantation. A new development is the introduction of recombinant human interferon-λ as infection prophylaxis. Finally, our current knowledge of the genetic defects in CGD may allow the development of somatic gene therapy directed at monocytes, or more permanently at bone marrow or peripheral blood stem cells, and promises definitive cure of this still life-threatening disease.
VARIATION IN THE STABLE-HYDROGEN ISOTOPE COMPOSITION OF NORTHERN GOSHAWK FEATHERS: RELEVANCE TO THE STUDY OF MIGRATORY ORIGINS

Abstract The analysis of stable-hydrogen isotope ratios in feathers (δDf) allows researchers to investigate avian movements and distributions to an extent never before possible. Nonetheless, natural variation in δDf is poorly understood and, in particular, its implications for predictive models based on stable-hydrogen isotopes remain unclear. We employed hierarchical linear modeling to explore multiple levels of variation in the stable-hydrogen isotope composition of Northern Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) feathers. We examined (1) inter-individual variation among goshawks from the same nest, and (2) intra-individual variation between multiple feathers from the same individual. Additionally, we assessed the importance of several factors (e.g., geographic location, climate, age, and sex characteristics) in explaining variation in δDf. Variation among individuals was nearly eight times the magnitude of variation within an individual, although age differences explained most of this inter-individual variation....
Fitting Forward Rates to Market Data

Fitting the forward curve to market data forms the foundation for most of modern fixed income capital markets. This paper outlines a general framework for fitting the forward curve to market data. We then discuss three particular functional forms. The first two, piece-wise constant forward rates and piece-wise linear zero rates, are simple and commonly used in the markets. The third functional form, piece-wise linear forward rates, retains much of the simplicity and ease of use from the first two, while solving a problem (large jumps in the instantaneous forward rates) exhibited by them. Results are reported for US dollar swap curves for October 1994 and June 1997.
Transcriptome analysis of breast cancer in African American women.

Background Breast cancer is the second most lethal cancer in women. Further, death rates for African American women are the highest for any racial/ethnic group. Hormone receptor status is one of the major prognostic factors and a determinant of treatment options for breast cancer, thus suggesting the importance of molecular level characterization for precision treatments. In this study, we have identified transcriptome level differences correlating to receptor specific molecular subtypes of breast cancer in African American women.
"Quick-Takes" on a Few Recent Decisions in Evidence Law ... and Rule 5-407

This paper was prepared as a handout in conjunction with a presentation for the State And Local Government Law Institute. The major sections of the paper are as follows: Sufficiency of Evidence to Support Local Government’s Zoning Decision: Attorney’s Unsworn Statements Are Not Evidence; Condemnation; Attorney-Client Privilege; Evidence of Subsequent Remedial Measures; Hearsay Exception for Statements Made by Person Seeking Either Medical Treatment or Diagnosis in Contemplation of Treatment.
Examining Racial Discrimination Frequency, Racial Discrimination Stress, and Psychological Well-Being Among Black Early Adolescents:

Racial discrimination is a ubiquitous experience for Black adolescents; it has been linked to poorer psychological outcomes including higher depressive symptoms and lower self-esteem. However, the ...
Bifurcation in the Steady-State Height of Colloidal Particles near an Electrode in Oscillatory Electric Fields: Evidence for a Tertiary Potential Minimum

The movement of colloidal particles has widespread applications in physics and biology. Particles experiencing an oscillatory electric field exhibit a surprising bifurcation in distance from the electrode.
Cognitive Perception Utilizing Operationally Intelligent Software Agents (OISAs)

Cognitive perception is intended to provide an Artificially Intelligent System (AIS) with the ability to mimic human reasoning in the way it processes information and develops knowledge. Here we describe the use of Operationally Intelligent Software Agents (OISAs) that provide cognitive perception within the overall AIS processing framework. This intelligence takes the form of answering questions and explaining situations that the AIS might encounter. These OISAs are persistent software components, called Cognitive Perceptrons, which perceive, reason, act, and communicate. Presented will be the description, methods, and framework required for Cognitive Perceptrons to provide the following abilities to the AIS: 1. Allows the AIS to act on its own behalf 2. Allows autonomous reasoning, control, and analysis 3. Allows the Cognitive Perceptrons to filter information and communicate and collaborate with other Cognitive Perceptrons 4. Allows autonomous control to find and fix problems within the AIS 5. Allows the AIS to predict situation and recommend actions, providing automated complex procedures A Cognitive Perceptron OISA Upper Ontology will be provided, along with detailed descriptions of the Intelligent Information Agent (I2A) framework required to construct a hybrid system of Cognitive Perceptrons, as well as the Cognitive Perception processing infrastructure and rules architecture.
Tunable one-dimensional electron gas carrier densities at nanostructured oxide interfaces.

The emergence of two-dimensional metallic states at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 (LAO/STO) heterostructure interface is known to occur at a critical thickness of four LAO layers. This insulator to-metal transition can be explained through the “polar catastrophe” mechanism arising from the divergence of the electrostatic potential at the LAO surface. Here, we demonstrate that nanostructuring can be effective in reducing or eliminating this critical thickness. Employing a modified “polar catastrophe” model, we demonstrate that the nanowire heterostructure electrostatic potential diverges more rapidly as a function of layer thickness than in a regular heterostructure. Our first-principles calculations indicate that for nanowire heterostructures a robust one-dimensional electron gas (1DEG) can be induced, consistent with recent experimental observations of 1D conductivity at LAO/STO steps. Similar to LAO/STO 2DEGs, we predict that the 1D charge density decays laterally within a few unit cells away from the nanowire; thus providing a mechanism for tuning the carrier dimensionality between 1D and 2D conductivity. Our work provides insight into the creation and manipulation of charge density at an oxide heterostructure interface and therefore may be beneficial for future nanoelectronic devices and for the engineering of novel quantum phases.
Comparative Analysis on Evaluation Method of Environment and Natural Resources' Depreciation

This article explains concepts and the relationships of depreciation,profit and sustainability of environment and natural resources in the green GDP accounting system,and introduces three evaluation methods of the environment and natural resource depreciation based on capital theory.
Investigation of selection bias in the association of race with prevalent atrial fibrillation in a national cohort study: REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS).

Abstract Purpose Atrial fibrillation (AF) is diagnosed more commonly in whites than blacks in the United States. In epidemiologic studies, selection bias could induce a noncausal positive association of white race with prevalent AF if voluntary enrollment was influenced by both race and AF status. We investigated whether nonrandom enrollment biased the association of race with prevalent self-reported AF in the US-based REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke Study (REGARDS). Methods REGARDS had a two-stage enrollment process, allowing us to compare 30,183 fully enrolled REGARDS participants with 12,828 people who completed the first-stage telephone survey but did not complete the second-stage in-home visit to finalize their REGARDS enrollment (telephone-only participants). Results REGARDS enrollment was higher among whites (77.1%) than among blacks (62.3%) but did not differ by self-reported AF status. The prevalence of AF was 8.45% in whites and 5.86% in blacks adjusted for age, sex, income, education, and perceived general health. The adjusted white/black prevalence ratio of self-reported AF was 1.43 (95% CI, 1.32–1.56) among REGARDS participants and 1.38 (1.22–1.55) among telephone-only participants. Conclusions These findings suggest that selection bias is not a viable explanation for the higher prevalence of self-reported AF among whites in population studies such as REGARDS.
The Production of Gas Phase Methyl Radicals Over Lithium-Promoted Mg0

When methane was passed over Li-doped MgO at temperatures of approximately 500°C, methyl radicals were produced on the surface, released into the gas phase and trapped downstream in a solid argon matrix where they were then analyzed by EPR spectroscopy. The activity reached a maximum at a lithium loading of approximately 13.5 wt.%. The increase in activity is attributed to the formation of [Li + 0 − ] centers which are capable of abstracting a hydrogen atom from methane to form the methyl radical.
POCT PT INR — Is it adequate for patient care? A comparison of the Roche Coaguchek XS vs. Stago Star vs. Siemens BCS in patients routinely seen in an anticoagulation clinic

Abstract Background In this study we examined the difference in patient INR values as measured by the POCT CoaguChek XS device and central laboratory Stago Evolution and Siemens BCS XP analyzers. Methods This study composed of 100 warfarin therapy patients and 20 coagulation normal subjects, showed that the difference between the POCT and clinical laboratory values increased with increasing INR and was exacerbated by the use of different thromboplastin reagents by the POCT and central lab. Results The CoaguChek XS and on-site Stago analyzers which used human recombinant (ISI = 1.01) and rabbit brain thromboplastin (ISI = 1.25), respectively, showed reasonable agreement for INR 5.0 with the Stago Evolution prevented adverse treatment events for the warfarin therapy patients in the six months preceding and following this investigation.