cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The imperative of physics-based modeling and inverse theory in computational science

To best learn from data about large-scale complex systems, physics-based models representing the laws of nature must be integrated into the learning process. Inverse theory provides a crucial perspective for addressing the challenges of ill-posedness, uncertainty, nonlinearity and under-sampling.
Characteristics and outcomes of patients undergoing paraesophageal hernia repair with selective use of biologic mesh.

The use of biologic mesh in paraesophageal hernia repair (PEHR) has been associated with decreased short-term recurrence but no statistically significant difference in long-term recurrence. Because of this, we transitioned from routine to selective use of mesh for PEHR. The aim of this study was to examine our indications for selective mesh use and to evaluate patient outcomes in this population. We queried a prospectively maintained database for patients who underwent laparoscopic PEHR with biologic mesh from October 2015 to October 2018, then performed a retrospective chart review. The decision to use mesh was made intraoperatively by the surgeon. Recurrence was defined as the presence of > 2 cm intrathoracic stomach on postoperative upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series. Mesh was used in 61/169 (36%) of first-time PEHRs, and in 47/82 (57%) of redo PEHRs. Among first-time PEHRs, the indications for mesh included hiatal tension (85%), poor crural tissue quality (11%), or both (5%). Radiographic recurrence occurred in 15% of first-time patients (symptomatic N = 2, asymptomatic N = 3). There were no reoperations for recurrence. Among redo PEHRs, the indication for mesh was most commonly the redo nature of the repair itself (55%), but also hiatal tension (51%), poor crural tissue quality (13%), or both (4%). Radiographic recurrence occurred in 21% of patients (symptomatic N = 4, asymptomatic N = 1). There was 1 reoperation for recurrence in the redo-repair group. We selectively use biologic mesh in a third of our first-time repair patients and in over half of our redo-repair patients when there is a perceived high risk of recurrence based on hiatal tension, poor tissue quality, or prior recurrence. Despite the high risk for radiologic recurrence, there was only 1 reoperation for recurrence in the entire cohort.
Merciful Justice

I offer a solution to an old puzzle about how God can be both just and merciful at the same time—a feat which seems required of God, but at the same time seems impossible since showing mercy involves being more lenient than justice demands. Inspired by two of Jesus’ parables and work by Feinberg, Johnson and Smart, I suggest that following a “principle of merciful justice”—that persons ought to receive what they deserve or better—delivers mercy and justice simultaneously, certainly in cases of distributions of goods, and even in cases of distribution of harms as well, if we can accept some qualifications.
Computational and numerical analysis of AC optimal power flow formulations on large-scale power grids

Abstract Alternating current optimal power flow (AC-OPF) is a fundamental tool in electric utilities to determine optimal operation of the various resources. Typically, the AC-OPF problem uses power balance formulation containing voltages and power equations. Yet, there is no comprehensive comparison of the different AC-OPF formulations, especially for large-scale networks. This paper presents a detailed comparative evaluation of different formulations of the AC-OPF problem on networks ranging from 9-bus to 25,000 buses. Three different formulations: 1) power balance with polar voltages, 2) power balance with Cartesian voltages, and 3) current balance with Cartesian voltages are discussed in detail by comparing their characteristics, and numerical and computational performance. We compare the performance of the three methods in terms of computational speed, number of iterations, and number of non-zeros in Jacobian and Hessian matrix. The numerical results show that power balance polar formulation had the best performance on small number of bus system but on a large-scale test grid current balance cartesian outperformed the other two formulations.
Models of Alexander Disease

Publisher Summary The key diagnostic feature of the neuropathology in Alexander disease is the widespread deposition of Rosenthal fibers in subpial, periventricular, and white-matter astrocytes throughout the CNS. Previous transgenic results show that mice are capable of building the biochemically complex Rosenthal fibers within a short period of time in vivo. These transgenic lines also showed a significant phenotype, either early death or low body weight, indicating that they are sensitive to at least some forms of astrocyte dysfunction. The existing models are thus useful for examining several aspects of Alexander disease. However, because they do not display most of the common symptoms and pathology of the disorder, mice are now being produced with targeted point mutations in their endogenous Gfap gene. These findings can provide more complete models, leading to continued progress in unraveling the pathogenesis of Alexander disease and facilitating the development and testing of strategies for potential therapy.
The Validation of Sea Surface Temperature Retrievals from Spaceborne Infrared Radiometers

The retrieval of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) from infrared satellite radiometers is a major success of the Oceanography from Space endeavor over several decades. Many applications of the SST fields derived from satellites requires knowledge of the characteristics of the uncertainties in the absolute values of the retrievals. These uncertainties are best determined by comparisons with independent measurements of SST. At the currently demonstrable accuracies, failure to take into account the near-surface temperature gradients introduces a significant contribution to the uncertainty budget attributed to the satellite retrievals. Here we review the approaches of validating SST retrievals using in situ measurements from buoys and radiometers on ships, and present current estimates of the uncertainties in the SSTs derived from several of the commonly used sensors.
Understanding Market Processes: An Austrian View of 'Knowing'

This paper argues that the approach to economics that is characteristic of Austrian economists emerged out of the interaction of continental thought and classical economics. This approach begins with reflection upon the purposive action of living men, and views the market as an ongoing process of learning and discovery. The paper concludes that Austrian economists, as a result of this process perspective, possess a greater appreciation for, and are able to explain the complex phenomena of social interactions better than the standard Neo-classical economics.
Integrating immunology into a clinical presentation-based medical school curriculum: lessons learned (EDU1P.251)

Clearly there is no one best way to study the complex adaptive system that comprises our ability to respond to a wide variety of microorganisms, many of which have developed medically relevant means to evade the immune system. As a teacher or learning facilitator it can be difficult to even decide where to start. Different text books adopt a variety of approaches. A further problem unique to the educational process of medical students is how to provide a relevant framework to enhance their retention of the concepts of basic immunology and their ability to apply these concepts later as they begin to practice medicine. Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, a new medical school located on the Texas Mexico border, utilizes a clinical presentation-based curriculum model. This model has also been recently adopted by several other new medical schools across the country. In this model, students learn clinically-relevant basic science in the context of common patient presentations. Pros and cons of the integration of the basic science of immunology into a clinical presentation-based curriculum as well as lessons learned over the first five years will be addressed.
Retirement intentions of general practitioners aged 45-65 years.

Objective: To ascertain the retirement intentions of a cohort of Australian general practitioners. Design and setting: Postal questionnaire survey of members of four Divisions of General Practice in Western Australia, sent out November 2007 ― January 2008. Participants: A sample of 178 GPs aged 45―65 years. Main outcome measures: Intention to work in general practice until retirement; reasons for retiring before age 65 years; factors that might encourage working beyond chosen retirement age; and perceived obstacles to working in general practice. Results: 63% of GPs intended to work to at least age 65 years, with men more likely to retire early. Of 63 GPs intending to retire early, 46% gave pressure of work, exhaustion and burnout as reasons for early retirement. Better remuneration, better staffing levels and more general support were incentives to continue working for 46% of the 64 GPs who responded to the question about incentives, and more flexible working hours, part-time work and reduced workload for 41%. Of 169 participants, 65% gave increasing bureaucracy, poor job satisfaction and disillusionment with the medical system or Medicare as obstacles to working in general practice in Australia, whereas workforce shortage, increasing patient demands and diminishing lifestyle through overwork were obstacles named by 48%. Conclusion: Many GPs are planning to retire early, reflecting an emerging trend among professionals and society generally. Declining job satisfaction, falling workforce numbers, excessive workload and increasing bureaucracy were recurrent concerns of older WA GPs considering premature retirement.
The Returns to Developed-Market Acquirers in Emerging Markets

In stark contrast to the findings based on domestic M&A transactions, we find that the developed-market acquirers experience positive and significant announcement returns in transactions that involve an emerging-market target. On average, over the 1988-2003 period, developed-market acquirer returns show a statistically significant increase of 1.18% over a three-week event window when M&A transactions in emerging markets are announced. Abnormal returns for target firms are also positive and on average equal 6.8%. The acquisition of majority control is a key feature of transactions that deliver positive acquirer returns - acquirer return increases range from 3.3% to 4.9% when majority control of an emerging-market target is acquired. The results are robust to the inclusion of controls for country, time, industrial diversification, method of payment effects, as well as acquirer- and target-firm characteristics such as size and liquidity. We find positive support for two hypotheses which can explain these unique findings. First, we find that developed-market acquirer returns increase as emerging-market bond spreads widen. This suggests the ability of developed-market acquirers to provide access to finance may be particularly valuable for targets located in capital-scarce emerging markets. Second, we find that developed-market acquirer returns increase significantly when they gain majority control of targets in countries with high risks of expropriation and contract repudiation and a weak rule of law. We find minority control acquisitions in these same countries do not produce the same results. We argue that in majority control acquisitions the boundaries of the firm are extended, thus bonding an emerging-market target firm to a developed-market acquirer from a country with better institutions.
The Tradable Permits Approach to Protecting the Commons: What Have We Learned?

This essay reviews the implementation experience with three main applications of tradable permit systems: air pollution control, water supply and fisheries management. Opening with a brief summary of the theory behind these programs and both the economic and environmental consequences anticipated by this theory, it proceeds with a description of the common elements these programs share and the design questions posed by the approach. These include the setting of the limit on access, the initial allocation of rights, transferability rules (both among participants and across time) as well as procedures for monitoring and enforcement. It continues by examining how these design questions have been answered by these three applications and how the answers have been influenced by changing technology, increased familiarity with the system and a desire to respond to some of the controversies surrounding the use of these approaches. The hard evidence on the economic and environmental consequences of adopting these approaches is juxtaposed with the expectations created by the economic theory of tradable permits. The final section draws together some tentative lessons that can be drawn from this experience.
A Review of Hongyu Wang, The Call from the Stranger on a Journey Home: Curriculum in a Third Space. Peter Lang, New York, 2004, CDN$ 34.91, ISBN: 0820469033

Hongyu Wang presents an elegant and insightful journey into cross-cultural selfformation. Readers travel with her through an unusual juxtapositioning of life and academic narration, of prose and poetry, located in a central rendering of the philosophies of Confucius, Foucault, and Kristeva. The text is revolutionary for its multiplicity of writing forms and for its example of a postmodern self continually in the making. As for all of us, partial selves are Wang: there is no resolution of difference or dissonance either personally or theoretically even as one desires (subconsciously?) wholeness or harmony. This I applaud most of all.
Consistent bosonization-debosonization. I. A resolution of the nonequilibrium transport puzzle

We critically reexamine the bosonization-debosonization procedure for systems including certain types of localized features (although more general scenarios are possible). By focusing on the case of a tunneling junction out of equilibrium, we show that the conventional approach gives results that are not consistent with the exact solution of the problem even at the qualitative level. We identify inconsistencies that can adversely affect the results of all types of calculations. We subsequently show a way to avoid these and proceed consistently. The extended framework that we develop here should be widely applicable.
Concise Total Synthesis of (±)-cis-Trikentrin A and (±)-Herbindole A via Intermolecular Indole Aryne Cycloaddition

An efficient nine-step total synthesis of the annulated indole natural products (±)-cis-trikentrin A and (±)-herbindole A was accomplished via an intermolecular Diels−Alder cycloaddition using our recently developed indole aryne (indolyne) methodology as the key step. This strategy provides rapid access into the trikentrins and the related herbindoles and represents the first application of this methodology to natural products total synthesis. The required 6,7-indolyne precursor was readily constructed by means of the Bartoli indole synthesis with substituted nitrobenzenes and vinyl magnesium bromide.
Changes in drug sensitivity of a human astrocytoma clone previously treated with 1-(2-chloroethyl)-3-(4-methylcyclohexyl)-1-nitrosourea in vitro

We have shown in earlier studies that repeated weekly exposures of a human astrocytoma clone (AST 3–4) to MeCCNU (10 μg/ml for 1 h per week) produced a linear decrease in survival over the first 3 weekly treatments. But, after that time these cells became progressively more resistant to the 10 μg/ml concentration of the agent. In the studies reported here we show that these previously treated cells were also less responsive to other doses ranging from 1 to 30 μg MeCCNU/ml. This change in sensitivity to MeCCNU was accompanied by collateral changes in response to other agents: resistance to BCNU and Galactitol, increased sensitivity to Adriamycin, and no change to ionizing radiation. These experiments suggest that once repeated treatments with a single agent cause a tumor cell population to become more resistant, sensitivity to other agents may also change unpredictably.
A 10-year perspective on software engineering self-adaptive systems (keynote)

In 2002 I helped organize the 1st ACM Workshop on Self-healing Systems (WOSS), a workshop that eventually morphed into this SEAMS Conference. As with SEAMS today, the goal then was to bring researchers together to gain a better understanding of the software engineering challenges and approaches for this emerging area. Now, just over 10 years later, it seems a fitting time to reflect back on the progress of the field during this formative period and to consider some of the broader implications for the software engineering agenda. In particular, in this talk I will try to tease out some common themes and research challenges that have emerged as the core concerns for this subfield. I will also do a bit of soul-searching to reflect on my own research agenda in architecture-based self-adaptation as exemplified by the Rainbow System -- considering both the decisions that we made that were good, and the ones that I think need to be revisited.
Crossover in anisotropic Potts φ 3 field theory with quadratic symmetry breaking

A continuous ${\ensuremath{\varphi}}^{3}$ field theory with quadratic symmetry breaking and isotropic trilinear interaction ${g}_{0} \ensuremath{\Sigma}{d}_{\mathrm{ijk}}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{i}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{j}{\ensuremath{\varphi}}_{k}$ is studied, to one-loop order in dimension $d=6\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\epsilon}$, for an anisotropic ($n+1$)-state Potts model. Effective critical exponents for the crossover induced by quadratic symmetry breaking are calculated, and the results, in the limit $n=0$, are applicable to the thermally driven crossover in random bond-diluted ferromagnets near the percolation threshold. The limitation of a single renormalized $g$ is explicitly pointed out.
Myocardial connexin43 expression in left ventricular hypertrophy resulting from aortic regurgitation.

Intercellular conduction in the working myocardium of the mammalian heart is mediated by gap junctions composed of connexin43 or 45. Recently, it has been shown that myocardial connexin expression is malleable and may be altered with disease. To better understand myocardial conduction in left ventricular hypertrophy resulting from volume overload, we used indirect immunofluorescence microscopy to examine cardiac connexin43 expression in 10 New Zealand white rabbits with surgically induced aortic regurgitation (AR) and in 10 age-matched sham-operated controls. Animals were sacrificed at approximately 1 month or ⩾2.5 years after operation. All AR animals developed eccentric hypertrophy; none evidenced heart failure. The heart-to-body weight ratios for the 1 month AR and control groups were 2.9 ± 0.8 vs 1.8 ± 0.2 g/kg (p ⩽ 0.01) while ratios for the ⩾2.5 year AR and control groups were 2.4 ± 0.3 vs 1.9 ± 0.3 (p ⩽ 0.05). No significant differences in posterior wall thickness were found among any of the groups. Although the overall pattern of connexin43-like immunoreactivity was similar for all four groups, staining in the 1 month AR animals tended to be less than that of age-matched controls; staining was increased in the ⩾2.5 year AR animals and was greater than control (p < 0.05), in which staining did not change with animal age. This disease duration-related increase differs from the long-term decrease in connexin43 expression associated with other forms of heart disease and suggests that alterations in connexin expression may play a role in the rhythm abnormalities commonly seen in AR.
Simulation of Spatially Correlated Nonstationary Response Spectrum–Compatible Ground Motion Time Histories

AbstractA new methodology is presented for the generation of spatially correlated nonstationary ground motion time histories that are compatible with a prescribed response spectrum using the spectral representation method. The method introduces two important improvements over the current state of the art in that it preserves the coherence among the ground motion histories and enables the incorporation of both time and frequency modulation by upgrading the evolutionary power spectral density function with random pulse-like perturbations. An example is provided for the simulation of design spectrum–compatible, uniformly modulated nonstationary acceleration time histories at three locations on the ground, and the results are compared directly with an existing state-of-the-art methodology.
Purification and properties of caffeic acid O-methyltransferase from alfalfa root nodules

Abstract An O -methyltransferase which catalyses the methylation of caffeic acid to ferulic acid using S -adenosyl- l -methionine as methyl donor has been isolated and purified ca 70-fold from root nodules of alfalfa. The enzyme also catalysed the methylation of 5-hydroxyferulic acid. Chromatography on 1,6-diaminohexane agarose (AH-Sepharose-4B) linked with S -adenosyl- l -homocysteine (SAH) gave 35% recovery of enzyme activity. The K m values for caffeic acid and S -adenosyl- l -methionine were 58 and 4.1 μM, respectively. S -Adenosyl- l -homocysteine was a potent competitive inhibitor of S -adenosyl- l -methionine with a K i of 0.44 μM. The MW of the enzyme was ca 103 000 determined by gel filtration chromatography.
Hybrid density functional theory with specific reaction parameter : Hydrogen abstraction reaction of fluoromethane by the hydroxyl radical

Three potential energy surfaces with specific reaction parameters are developed and tested for the OH + CH(3)F --> H(2)O + CH(2)F reaction. The goal of this work is to determine surfaces that provide calculated reaction rate constants that are comparable to the experimental data. The potential energy surfaces are constructed using hybrid and hybrid meta density functional theory methods, and the levels of electronic structure theory used in this study are mPW1PW91, B1B95, and mPW1B95 in conjunction with the 6-31+G(d,p) basis set. The reaction rate constants are calculated over the range 200-1,500 K using variational transition state theory with multidimensional tunneling contributions. New specific-reaction-parameter Hartree-Fock contributions are determined, and the hybrid density functional theory methods with these new contributions (35.5 +/- 1.2% for mPW1PW91, 36.6 +/- 1.2% for B1B95, and 40.7 +/- 1.2% for mPW1B95, respectively) reproduce accurate rate constants over an extended temperature range. On these potential energy surfaces, the classical barrier height for the hydrogen abstraction reaction is determined to be 3.4-3.8 kcal/mol, with a best estimate value of 3.6 kcal/mol.
Reactivation of herpes simplex virus in a cell line inducible for simian virus 40 synthesis.

Abstract The reactivation of UV-irradiated herpes simplex virus (HSV) was investigated in irradiated and unirradiated transformed hamster cells in which infectious simian virus 40 (SV40) can be induced. Reactivation was enhanced when the cells were treated with UV light or mitomycin C prior to infection with HSV. The UV dose-response curve of this enhanced reactivation was strikingly similar to that found for induction of SV40 virus synthesis in cells treated under identical conditions. This is the first time that two SOS functions described in bacteria have been demonstrated in a single mammalian cell line.
Analyzing Radar Meteor Trail Echoes using the Fresnel Transform Technique: A Signal Processing Viewpoint

Several techniques have been proposed for measuring speeds of meteoroids observed using radars. A recent technique involves the use of Fresnel transforms to accurately determine the speed of a meteoroid producing the trail. We follow a numerical modeling approach to analyze this technique in detail. Our studies indicate that high sensitivity to background noise levels might be a possible shortcoming of the Fresnel transform method. A matched filtering approach is presented as an alternative to alleviate this sensitivity to the noise problem. Performance of the two techniques is compared using numerical modeling and data from a 30 MHz radar.
Letterpress Language: Typography as a Medium for the Visual Representation of Language

Abstract This examination of three works by Johanna Drucker, 26 '76 (1976), from A to Z (1977) and Against Fiction (1983), all printed letterpress, focuses on the formal properties of typography and its capacity to extend the meaning of a written text. Handsetting metal type necessarily focuses one's attention on the specificity of written language as a sequence of discrete letters. Each has properties of size, weight and shape; and placement and type styles can be widely varied. The technical constraints of letterpress tend to conserve the norm in the representation of language: line after straight line of a single typeface. The author's intention in deviating from these norms has been to extend, rather than negate or deny, the possibilities of meaning by encouraging plural readings at the levels of the word, the line and the page. Other issues such as the relation of language to experience, to literary tradition or to the social context in which it is produced are investigated.
ZZ production at supercollider energies

We calculate the invariant mass distribution for pp → ZZ + X without using the effective W approximation. We find the exact calculation agrees well with the effective W approximation calculation.
On the phylogenetic relationships of hadromerid and poecilosclerid sponges

Recent phylogenetic analyses of demosponges have suggested that the order Poecilosclerida is monophyletic and nested within the paraphyletic ‘order’ Hadromerida. Until now, this result has rested upon very limited taxon sampling of SSU sequences and partial LSU sequences. We collected and analysed additional full-length SSU and LSU sequences to test the validity and position of the poecilosclerid/hadromerid clade within demosponges, and we sampled a short segment of the LSU from diverse hadromerids to explore the internal relationships of Hadromerida. Our data strongly support the existence of a hadromerid/poecilosclerid clade that is sister to a poorly characterized group of halichondrid and agelasid species (‘Clade C’). We find support for the monophyly of the hadromerid families Polymastiidae, Placospongiidae and Timeidae, and conditional support for the family Suberitidae. Furthermore, both LSU and SSU data support a clade that includes a mixture of species assigned to the families Tethyidae and Hemiasterellidae (TETH/HEM) and a mixed clade including members of the families Clionaidae and Spirastrellidae (CLIO/SPIR). The family Placospongiidae is reconstructed as sister to the clade CLIO/SPIR and the family Timeidae is supported as sister to the clade TETH/HEM. The order Poecilosclerida is most closely allied with the Placospongiidae/CLIO/SPIR clade.
Radiation response of Chinese hamster cells after elevation of intracellular glutathione levels.

Abstract Cellular glutathione (GSH) levels were modulated by either inhibition of GSH synthesis by buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) or elevation of GSH by treatment with 2-Oxo-thiazolidine-4-carboxylate (OTZ), cobaltous chloride, or cysteamine. Using these agents, X ray survival in air was assessed as a function of cellular GSH levels. Depletion of GSH by BSO to
Effect of hospital-level variation in the use of carotid artery stenting versus carotid endarterectomy on perioperative stroke and death in asymptomatic patients.

Objective Perioperative stroke and death (PSD) are more common after carotid artery stenting (CAS) than after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) in symptomatic patients, but whether this is also true in asymptomatic patients is unclear. Furthermore, use of both CEA and CAS varies geographically, suggesting possible variation in outcomes. We compared odds of PSD after CAS and CEA in asymptomatic patients to determine the impact of this variation. Methods We identified CAS and CEA procedures and hospitals where they were performed from 2005 to 2009 California hospital discharge data. Preoperative symptom status and medical comorbidities were determined using administrative codes. We compared PSD rates after CAS and CEA using logistic regression and propensity score matching. We quantified hospital-level variation in the relative utilization of CAS by calculating hospital-specific probabilities of CAS use among propensity score-matched patients. We then calculated a weighted average for each hospital and used this as a predictor of PSD. Results We identified 6053 CAS and 36,524 CEA procedures that were used to treat asymptomatic patients in 278 hospitals. Perioperative stroke and death occurred in 250 CAS and 660 CEA patients, yielding unadjusted PSD rates of 4.1% and 1.8%, respectively ( P P P P P P = .002). Multivariate analysis did not demonstrate this effect but again demonstrated higher odds of PSD after CAS (OR, 1.963; 95% CI, 1.393-2.765; P Conclusions Carotid endarterectomy has lower odds of PSD compared with CAS in asymptomatic patients. Increased utilization of CAS at the hospital level is associated with increased odds of PSD among asymptomatic patients, but this effect appears to be related to generally worse outcomes after CAS compared with CEA.
Topological and atomic scale characterization of grain boundary networks in polycrystalline and nanocrystalline materials

Abstract Microstructure in polycrystalline materials, either coarse-grained or nano-crystalline, is characterized by the topological structure of grain boundary networks which are composed of an array of complex geometric entities with different dimensions such as grain volume, grain boundary plane, triple junction line, and vertex point. The ensemble of these entities gives rise to statistical properties represented by their distribution functions, means, variances, and correlation functions. Moreover, contrast to Gibbs’ description, on atomic scales these entities are no longer mathematically abstract geometric objects such as simple plane, line or point; rather they possess finite thickness and volumes, as well as certain specific atomic structures and chemistry. While some of these entities can be measured from experiment, a large number of them still remain inaccessible, that includes identification of the full range of topological properties and the structure characterization on atomic scales. In this article, we present algorithms and numerical methods to characterize systematically these entities in grain boundary networks in polycrystalline samples which are either from serial sectioning of real polycrystals or from digital microstructures generated using inverse Monte Carlo methods. The rendered microstructures are represented by the topological and geometric properties such as the grain volume, grain boundary area, triple junction length, and their statistical properties. Most importantly we give the atomic coordinates and label the type of the topological entities to which each atom belongs in the polycrystalline and nano-crystalline materials. Such quantitative characterization, unavailable before, enables detailed and rigorous treatment of microstructures in a wide range of modeling applications including both atomistic simulation and continuum modeling.
Vulvar and genital trauma in pediatric and adolescent gynecology.

Purpose of reviewThis review will look critically at recent research articles that pertain to children and adolescents who present with genital injuries.Recent findingsMany recently published articles have noted that the history as given by the child or adolescent is the most important factor in det
Interaction of Two Multifunctional Proteins HETEROGENEOUS NUCLEAR RIBONUCLEOPROTEIN K AND Y-BOX-BINDING PROTEIN

The heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) K, a component of the hnRNP particles, appears to be involved in several steps of regulation of gene expression. To gain insight into mechanisms of K protein action, we performed two-hybrid screens using full-length hnRNP K as a bait. Several novel protein partners were identified, including Y-box-binding protein (YB-1), splicing factors 9G8 and SRp20, DNA-methyltransferase, hnRNP L, and hnRNP U. In vitro binding studies and co-immunoprecipitation from cellular extracts provided evidence for direct interaction between hnRNP K and YB-1. Two distinct domains in YB-1 were responsible for binding to K protein. Each protein was able to transactivate transcription from a polypyrimidine-rich promoter; however, this effect was reduced when K and YB-1 proteins were coexpressed suggesting a functional interaction between these two proteins.
Martian topography derived from occultation, radar, spectral, and optical measurements

A new global topographic map of the planet Mars, derived primarily from Mariner 9 data, is presented. Spacecraft radio signal occultation times, remote sensing of infrared and ultraviolet spectra, and earth-based radar measurements are included in the data base. Large-scale topographic relief is seen with definite fluid flow patterns established over much of the surface consistent with earlier analyses. An optical flattening of 0.0059 is obtained with a center-of-mass to center-of-figure offset of approximately 2 km to the south and 1 km toward the Tharsis ridge. Mathematical models approximating the topographic figure and 6.1-mb isobaric surface for Mars are included in this presentation.
Seismic Damage Thresholds for Gypsum Wallboard Partition Walls

A series of 11 tests of full-scale partition walls were conducted to determine the behavior of nonstructural gypsum wallboard partition walls during lateral deformation as might be expected during a major earthquake. The partition walls were constructed as double-sided, 1/2 in. (13 mm) gypsum wallboard partition walls with wood stud framing. The walls deformed laterally in one of two ways: either as a joint-failure mode with racking of the individual gypsum wallboard panels, or by a pier-rotation mode where all the gypsum wallboard panels in a pier rotated as a unit. In all of the tests, the fasteners failed by pulling through the back of the wallboard panel, cutting of the gypsum, or tearing out through the edge of a wallboard panel. In some tests, the strength of the tape and compound was seen to provide adequate support to cause the walls to roll as a single unit, especially when the spacing of fasteners was large. The maximum load resisted varied from 512 N/m (378 lb/ft) to 1,177 N/m (869 lb/ft) and occurred at drifts between 0.68 and 1.87%. The drift when specific damage thresholds occurred was monitored during testing. Damage initiated with slight cracking of the panels at the wall opening at drifts of 0.25%, followed by increasing damage up to drifts of 2%, and minimal additional damage at drifts above 2%. Damage thresholds for cyclic loading often occurred at lower drifts than comparable specimens under monotonic loading.
Disassembly of Elastomers: Poly(olefin sulfone)−Silicones with Switchable Mechanical Properties

An elastomeric polymer composite that can be disassembled at will into its individual components when exposed to mild bases is presented. The composite is formed of a poly(olefin sulfone) and a sil...
Effective and simple EOQ-like solutions for stochastic demand periodic review systems

Abstract In this paper we examine a periodic review system under stochastic demand with variable stockout costs. The optimal values for cycle length and amount of safety stock are difficult to obtain because one of the First Order Conditions does not have a closed form solution. However, by using a Taylor series expansion to approximate part of the cost function, we produce a simple cost function structure which is similar to that of deterministic models. We argue that this simple structure is also beneficial to promote the solution in other problems where coordination of cycles is required. To illustrate, we use the joint replenishment problem for multiple items under stochastic demand and suggest simple and efficient solution procedures.
Persistent photoperiodic effects on immunological responsiveness: shedding light on immunity.

a competent immune system is crucial for maintaining a sufficiently high level of disease resistance. Immunity, however, is a double-edged sword. Impaired immunity increases susceptibility to pathogens and can increase the likelihood of sickness or death. Excessively heightened immune responses, in
Chronic corticosterone exposure during adolescence reduces impulsive action but increases impulsive choice and sensitivity to yohimbine in male Sprague-Dawley rats.

Chronic stress during adolescence is associated with an increased risk for alcoholism and addictive disorders. Addiction is also associated with increased impulsivity, and stress during adolescence could alter cortical circuits responsible for response inhibition. Therefore, the present study determined the effect of chronic exposure to the stress hormone corticosterone (CORT) during adolescence on tests of impulsivity in adulthood and examined possible biochemical mechanisms. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to CORT by their drinking water during adolescence (post-natal day 30–50). The rats were then tested in adulthood to assess behavior on the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT), stop-signal reaction time task (SSRTT), and the delay-discounting task, which differentially assess attention, impulsive action, and impulsive choice. Yohimbine-induced impulsivity on the 5CSRTT and biochemical analysis of the lateral orbital frontal cortex (lOFC) was also assessed owing to the ability of yohimbine to activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and influence impulsivity. Adolescent CORT-treated rats were found to behave largely like controls on the 5CSRTT, but did show reduced premature responses when the intertrial interval was increased. Nevertheless, the CORT-treated rats tended to have more yohimbine-induced impulsive responses at low doses on this task, which was not found to be due to increased pCREB in the lOFC, but could be related to a higher expression/activity of the AMPA receptor subunit GluR1. Adolescent CORT-treated rats performed more accurately on the SSRTT, but showed greater impulsivity on the delay-discounting task, as indicated by steeper discounting functions. Therefore, adolescent CORT exposure reduced impulsive action but increased impulsive choice, indicating that chronic stress hormone exposure in adolescence can have long-term consequences on behavior.
Regional Variations in Cartilage Mechanics and Composition Suggest a Sensitivity to Changes in Chronic Joint Loading Patterns

It has been suggested that variations in cartilage mechanical properties and biochemistry within a joint may be critical in understanding the implications of altered joint kinematics as a pathway to the initiation of knee osteoarthritis (OA) [1]. For example, the kinematic changes resulting from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury have been suggested as a mechanism for the initiation of OA by altering chronic joint loading patterns in a tissue with low adaptation potential [1]. This mechanism would suggest that regions of cartilage subjected to different habitual post-natal mechanical loading might exhibit, among other things, differences in biochemical content and mechanical properties. The tibial plateau offers a good test bed to evaluate this mechanism since peripheral region articular cartilage (covered by the menisci) appears to experience lower contact pressures in vivo during weight-bearing activity than regions of cartilage exposed to cartilage-cartilage contact [2, 3]. Thus, the purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that there are significant regional differences in cartilage mechanical properties (including dynamic shear modulus, phase shift angle, and equilibrium Young’s Modulus) and biochemistry (including collagen content, sulfated glycosaminoglycan (s-GAG) content, and water content) between the central and peripheral regions of the porcine tibial plateau.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Concentration distributions in cylindrical receiver/paraboloidal dish concentrator systems

Abstract Concentration distributions on a cylindrical receiver in a paraboloidal dish concentrator are computed for space applications (no atmosphere). A geometric optics method is applied which integrates over the solar disk and the concentrator projected surface, and maps analytically, in implicit closed form, through the concentrator and onto the receiver. Finite sunshape, concentrator surface errors, and pointing system zero-mean and constant offset errors are considered. Results define the section of the receiver surface which receives the majority of the concentrated flux, where the receiver's aperture might be located. Results are given in terms of concentrator geometry, concentrator total system error tolerance, receiver geometry, and pointing offset error. In cases with pointing offset error (nonzero mean pointing error), circumferentially varying concentration distributions are shown.
Test-retest reliability of an interactive voice response version of the EQ-5D in a sample of cancer survivors.

Background: Electronic data capture technologies, such as interactive voice response (IVR) systems, are emerging as important alternatives for collecting patient-reported outcome data. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the test-retest reliability of an IVR version of the EQ-5D. Methods: Outpatient cancer clinic patients (n= 127) were asked to complete the IVR-based EQ-5D twice, 2 days apart. The analyses tested for mean differences (paired t-test) and test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient [ICC]) to assess measurement stability over time. Equivalence of the means was established if the 95% confidence interval (CI) was within the minimally important difference (MID) interval; namely −0.035 to 0.035 for the EQ-5D index and −3.0 to 3.0 for the visual analog scale (i.e. EQ VAS). Adequacy of the ICC was established by testing whether it differed from a value of 0.70. Results: Both administrations were completed per protocol by 114 subjects (EQ-5D index) and 110 subjects (EQ VAS). For the EQ-5D index, the means (SD) of the first and second administrations were 0.871 (0.14) and 0.871 (0.15), respectively. The 95% CI of the mean difference was −0.013, 0.013, within the equivalence interval. The ICC was 0.876 (95% lower bound of 0.826) and was significantly different from 0.70. The EQ VAS means (SD) were 81.3 (17.5) and 80.8 (17.5), respectively. The 95% CI of the mean difference was −0.598, 1.617, within the equivalence interval. The EQ VAS ICC was 0.944 (95% lower bound of 0.919) and was significantly greater than 0.70. Conclusion: This analysis provides substantial evidence that the scores obtained from the IVR version of the EQ-5D are reliable upon repeated administrations.
Statistical mechanics and quantum mechanics.

Part of the acceptance speech on the occasion of the award of the Lorentz Medal by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences on June 27, 1970.
Image Contour Fidelity Analysis of Mechanically Aided Enlargements of Jan van Eyck's Albergati Portrait

A recent revisionist theory claims that as early as 1430 European artists secretly invented optical projectors and used them as aids during the execution of their paintings. Key artworks adduced in support of this theory are a pair of portraits of Cardinal Niccolo Albergati by Jan van Eyck: a silverpoint study (1431) and a formal oil work (1432). We tested whether the use of known contemporaneous mechanical methods might explain this image evidence as well as the use of optical methods, also explaining additional physical evidence. We used traditional image processing techniques, as well as “re-enacted copies” by professional artists using mechanical methods. We found that the fidelities of these modern “re-enactments” were equal or superior to those of the van Eyck works.
Principles of phase-resolved optical measurements

The transmission of light from a sinusoidally modulated source to a detector through a turbid medium such as tissue can be described in terms of the phase angle and modulation of the detected signal. Such measurements provide information about the optical properties of the tissue. This paper outlines the relationship between tissue optical properties and the phase angle and modulation of the detected signal.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
A user interface for deaf-blind people (preliminary report)

A user interface suitable for deaf-blind users is presented and justified. The interface is designed for small paperless Braille displays, large font visual displays, or other low-bandwidth displays. Some of the key properties of the interface are that it uses a hierarchical approach to structure both commands and data, has a small universal command set, and has pervasive editing capability. DBNet, a system employing the user interface, has been built and tested with deaf-blind users. DBNet will provide various communication services to the deaf-blind community including electronic news, mail, and bulletin boards.
Temperatures Inside Mars: Is the core liquid or solid?

If internal heating in the mantle of Mars is similar to that in the earth, solid-state convection is the mechanism preventing large scale melting of the Martian mantle. Convection is efficient enough in transporting heat to preclude the existence of a liquid core and hence a dynamo-driven intrinsic magnetic field, if the viscosity of mantle material is lower than 10 to the 22nd to 10 to the 23rd sq cm/sec at temperatures in excess of about 1500 C. The Martian lithosphere is probably several hundred kilometers thick, intermediate in size between that of the earth and Moon.
XPEDIA: XML processing for data integration

Data Integration engines increasingly need to provide sophisticated processing options for XML data. In the past, it was adequate for these engines to support basic shredding and XML generation capabilities. However, with the steady growth of XML in applications and databases, integration platforms need to provide more direct operations on XML as well as improve the scalability and efficiency of these operations. In this paper, we describe a robust and comprehensive framework for performing Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) of XML. This includes (i) full computational model and engine capabilities to perform these operations in an ETL flow, (ii) an approach to pushing down XML operations into a database engine capable of supporting XML processing, and (iii) methods to apply partitioning techniques to provide scalable, parallel processing for large XML documents. We describe experimental results showing the effectiveness of these techniques.
Microsatellite variation among River Sturgeons of the genus Scaphirhynchus (Actinopterygii: Acipenseridae): a preliminary assessment of hybridization*

Summary Microsatellite variation from 13 disomic loci is reported for a total of 208 individuals of the genus Scaphirhynchus. This includes 105 individuals of the pallid sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus albus) from the lower Mississippi River, 11 pallid sturgeon from the Upper Mississippi and Missouri rivers, 65 shovelnose sturgeon (S. platorynchus) from the lower Mississippi River, six Alabama sturgeon (S. suttkusi), and 21 individuals of sturgeon identified as intermediate between S. albus and S. platorynchus. Results indicate that all five of the above population/species units are significantly differentiated from one another based on pairwise FST estimates. Locus Spl-7 was diagnostic for the Alabama sturgeon and serves to further differentiate this allopatric species from other Scaphirhynchus. Classification of genotypes with and without a priori designations failed to clearly delineate the species and intermediates in the latter case but was successful for the species but not in the intermediates in the former case. The presence of six unique alleles in five of the 21 morphologically ‘intermediate’ sturgeon examined requires additional evaluation but suggests that these individuals are possibly not the result of hybridization. We hope that raising these important issues will bring all stakeholders to the table to establish a concerted effort needed for both morphological and molecular analyses to adequately address the question of hybridization and the origin of the morphological variation in these fishes.