cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
How to understand contextualism about vagueness: reply to Stanley

Burge, T. 1988. Individualism and self-knowledge. Journal of Philosophy 85: 649-63. Ebbs, G. 1996. Can we take our words at face value? Philosophy and Phenomenological Research 56: 499-530. Ebbs, G. 2001. Is scepticism about self-knowledge coherent? Philosophical Studies 105: 43-58. Ebbs, G. 2003. A puzzle about doubt. In New Essays on Semantic Externalism and Self-Knowledge, ed. S. Nuccetelli, 143-68. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Moran, R. 2001. Authority and Estrangement: an Essay on Self-Knowledge. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press. Putnam, H. 1988. Representation and Reality. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press. Shoemaker, S. 1988. On knowing one's own mind. Philosophical Perspectives 2: 183209. DIANA RAFFMAN
Learning a novel grapheme : Effects of positional and phonemic context on children's spelling

Two experiments explored how children who encounter a new spelling for a phoneme generalize it to novel items. Children ages 5 1/2 to 9 (N = 123) were taught a CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) nonword containing a new vowel spelling in the middle position (e.g., /gaik/ is spelled as giik). They were then asked to spell other nonwords containing the vowel or to judge spellings that had supposedly been produced by younger children. Children were sensitive to position in the spelling production task, being more likely to use the novel grapheme when the vowel appeared in the middle of a CVC target than when it appeared in word-initial or word-final position. Children were not significantly more likely to use the novel grapheme when the target shared the vowel and final consonant (rime) of the training stimulus than when it shared the initial consonant and vowel. Implications for views of spelling development are discussed.
Control of the sharkskin instability in the extrusion of polymer melts using induced temperature gradients

The extrusion of polymer melts is often rate limited by the onset of an elastic surface instability known as sharkskin. Appearance of these surface distortions is generally unacceptable for commercial applications. The desire to forestall the onset of sharkskin to higher output rates has motivated a considerable amount of research to characterize the nature of the instability. In this manuscript, we will present a series of detailed experiments using a custom fabricated extruder and die. By incorporating thermal breaks and precise localized temperature control of the die and barrel, predetermined temperature gradients could be induced across the extrudate. Polymers are typically very poor thermal conductors, and therefore the effects of heating or cooling from a boundary can be designed to only affect the properties of the extrudate very close to the die wall. We will present data correlating the amplitude and frequency of the sharkskin instability to the bulk and die surface temperature as well as the shear rates. The result is a quantitative processing map that characterizes the instability and demonstrates that by modifying the rheology of the polymeric fluid very near the die exit corner, it is possible to suppress or control the sharkskin instability through isolated die heating or cooling. By reformulating our data into Weissenberg and Deborah numbers using the relaxation time evaluated at the wall temperature, we demonstrate that the sharkskin surface instability is dependent only on flow kinematics and viscometric properties of the fluid very near the die wall, a result of the stress singularity present at the die exit, and independent of bulk fluid properties. This technique could conceivably increase the profitability of extrusion processes and be extended to develop precisely-controlled sharkskin for designing specific functionality into extruded surfaces.
Seeing the crowd for the bomber: Spontaneous threat perception from static and randomly moving crowd simulations.

Human observers are often relied upon for monitoring suspicious crowd behavior in both civilian and military contexts. However, little research has examined what individual- and crowd-level variables independently and interactively modulate threat perception among human observers. Five experiments gathered threat estimates while participants viewed static or dynamic crowd simulations. Experiments 1 and 2 used static crowd stimuli and manipulated crowd size (number of entities), crowd density (distance between entities), and historical information about adverse events. Experiments 3-5 used moving crowd stimuli and either fixed (Experiment 3) or dynamic (Experiment 4-5) crowd size and density. Experiments 4 and 5 further examined several individual- and crowd-level parameters subjectively reported by observers as critical to generating risk estimates. Overall, results demonstrated that human observers rely heavily on both crowd size and density cues, but also consider several other cues, such as perceived individual isolation and grouping behavior, when estimating risk levels within a crowd. We also show that reliance on such parameters is highly variable across participants in terms of both directionality and magnitude. RESULTS are discussed within the context of continuing sensor system and modeling efforts, and understanding how threat perception emerges from the observation of intentional agents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Economic Rationality, the Affordability of Private Long-term Care Insurance, and the Role for Public Policy

This study uses data from the 1984 panel of the Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) of the U.S. Bureau of the Census to develop new estimates of the potential market for private long-term care insurance. It found that this market is potentially significant--especially among individuals in the 65-69 age group who are willing to spend up to 50% of their discretionary income on such insurance--but considerably lower than previous estimates, such as those of Cohen and colleagues (1987).
Phylogeny of parasitiform mites (Acari) based on rRNA

Acari (mites and ticks) form one the most diverse lineages of arthropods, but basal relationships in the group are still poorly understood. The current study addresses this issue for one of its two main lineages, the order Parasitiformes. Relationships are examined at the subordinal and infraordinal level using complete 18S and partial 28S nuclear rRNA sequence data. Most currently recognized lineages are recovered with good support, suggesting that nuclear rRNA, and specifically 18S rRNA, is very well suited for analyzing relationships at this level in this lineage. These results were found despite quite variable rates of sequence evolution, with rates "ratcheting up" from relatively low in most non-mite arachnid lineages, to intermediate in Pseudoscorpiones, the mite order Acariformes, and the parasitiform suborders Opilioacarida, Holothyrida, and Ixodida, to high in the parasitiform suborder Mesostigmata. The most species rich mesostigmatid infraorder, Dermanyssina, shows huge distances to the outgroups, but remarkably low within-group divergence in nuclear rRNA. This suggests the possibility of a relatively recent origin of this lineage.
The city of love and hate

The rising complexity of 21st century cities demands a more rigorous and intense understanding of their inherently complex programs, which cannot be resolved by a conventional design methodology. This paper proposes a new design process using an automated workflow that incorporates the computational iterations and the design values of an architect in a unified process aiming to produce high performing optimized results. The procedure, that is described, uses CATIA for parametric simulation and modeFrontier for multi-criteria optimization. The "value meter", a qualitative assessment, is used to grade the results according to subjective design criteria. The setup operates in two stages, Phase 1 [city scale] elaborates on broad urban land-use goals, whereas Phase 2 [neighborhood scale] explores detailed objectives such as density and infrastructure. The complete workflow operates under the realms of conventional urban design ideas, but produces exponentially large variety of design alternatives.
Effects of acclimation temperature and cadmium exposure on cellular energy budgets in the marine mollusk Crassostrea virginica: linking cellular and mitochondrial responses

In order to understand the role of metabolic regulation in environmental stress tolerance, a comprehensive analysis of demand-side effects (i.e. changes in energy demands for basal maintenance) and supply-side effects (i.e. metabolic capacity to provide ATP to cover the energy demand) of environmental stressors is required. We have studied the effects of temperature (12, 20 and 28 degrees C) and exposure to a trace metal, cadmium (50 microg l(-1)), on the cellular energy budget of a model marine poikilotherm, Crassostrea virginica (eastern oysters), using oxygen demand for ATP turnover, protein synthesis, mitochondrial proton leak and non-mitochondrial respiration in isolated gill and hepatopancreas cells as demand-side endpoints and mitochondrial oxidation capacity, abundance and fractional volume as supply-side endpoints. Cadmium exposure and high acclimation temperatures resulted in a strong increase of oxygen demand in gill and hepatopancreas cells of oysters. Cd-induced increases in cellular energy demand were significant at 12 and 20 degrees C but not at 28 degrees C, possibly indicating a metabolic capacity limitation at the highest temperature. Elevated cellular demand in cells from Cd-exposed oysters was associated with a 2-6-fold increase in protein synthesis and, at cold acclimation temperatures, with a 1.5-fold elevated mitochondrial proton leak. Cellular aerobic capacity, as indicated by mitochondrial oxidation capacity, abundance and volume, did not increase in parallel to compensate for the elevated energy demand. Mitochondrial oxidation capacity was reduced in 28 degrees C-acclimated oysters, and mitochondrial abundance decreased in Cd-exposed oysters, with a stronger decrease (by 20-24%) in warm-acclimated oysters compared with cold-acclimated ones (by 8-13%). These data provide a mechanistic basis for synergism between temperature and cadmium stress on metabolism of marine poikilotherms. Exposure to combined temperature and cadmium stress may result in a strong energy deficiency due to the elevated energy demand on one hand and a reduced mitochondrial capacity to cover this demand on the other hand, which may have important implications for surviving seasonally and/or globally elevated temperatures in polluted estuaries.
Protamine Sulfate Inhibition of Serum-Induced Mitogenic Responses: Differential Effects on Normal and Neoplastic Cells

Protamine sulfate reversibly inhibits serum-induced mitogenic stimulation of several nontransformed and neoplastic cell types in vitro. Fifty percent inhibition was induced by approximately 120-150 micrograms protamine sulfate/ml. Cells were affected directly, and inhibition depended on the duration of cell exposure. Heparin, chondroitin sulfate, heparan sulfate, and dextran sulfate neutralized protamine sulfate effects during the early stages of treatment. Nontransformed cells [bovine aortic endothelial cells, adult human gingival fibroblasts (strains 423 and 1101), fetal rat skin (strain 921-K) and muscle fibroblasts] required longer exposure to induce inhibition than did neoplastic cells [rat 3-methylcholanthrene-induced fibrosarcoma cell lines (MCA-6 and MCA-9), a macrophage-like cell line (NCTC-3749), Walker 256 rat carcinoma cells (ATCC-CCL-38), rat Morris hepatoma cells (ATCC-CCL-144), murine melanoma cells (B16), and rat bladder squamous cell carcinoma cells (804-G)]. Other polycationic compounds, including histone type VIII-S, poly-L-lysine, poly-L-arginine, and protamine (free base), were also effective inhibitors, whereas the basic proteins cytochrome c and lysozyme had no effect. Poly-L-histidine, poly-L-glutamic acid, poly-L-aspartic acid, and dextran blue also had no inhibitory effect.
The memory performance of DSS commercial workloads in shared-memory multiprocessors

Although cache-coherent shared-memory multiprocessors are often used to run commercial workloads, little work has been done to characterize how well these machines support such workloads. In particular, we do not have much insight into the demands of commercial workloads on the memory subsystem of these machines. In this paper, we analyze in detail the memory access patterns of several queries that are representative of Decision Support System (DSS) databases. Our analysis shows that the memory use of queries differs largely depending on how the queries access the database data, namely via indices or by sequentially scanning the records. The former queries, which we call Index queries, suffer most of their shared-data misses on indices and on lock-related metadata structures. The latter queries, which we call Sequential queries, suffer most of their shared-data misses on the database records as they are scanned. An analysis of the data locality in the queries shows that both Index and Sequential queries exhibit spatial locality and, therefore, can benefit from relatively long cache lines. Interestingly, shared data is reused very little inside queries. However, there is data reuse across Sequential queries. Finally, we show that the performance of Sequential queries can be improved moderately with data prefetching.
The Impact of Phenological Variation on Texture Measures of Remotely Sensed Imagery

Measures of image texture derived from remotely sensed imagery have proven useful in many applications. However, when using multitemporal imagery or multiple images to cover a large study area, it is important to understand how image texture measures are affected by surface phenology. Our goal was to characterize the robustness to phenological variation of common firstand second-order texture measures of satellite imagery. Three North American study sites were chosen to represent different biomes. At each site, a suite of image textures were calculated for three to four dates across the growing season. Texture measures were compared among dates to quantify their stability, and the stability of measures was also compared between biomes. Interseasonal variability of texture measures was high overall (mean interseasonal coefficient of variation = 0.79), indicating that care must be taken when using measures of texture at different phenological stages. Certain texture measures, such as first-order mean and entropy, as well as second-order homogeneity, entropy, and dissimilarity, were more robust to phenological change than other measures.
The Effect of Trade Induced Displacement on Unemployment and Wages

This paper relates the postdisplacement experience of individuals to changes in the competitive position of the industry, vis a vis the rest of the world, from which the individual was displaced. The focus on the duration of unemployment spells and the change in wages accompanying displacement.
choice and strategy in an urban compadrazgo1

Compadrazgo is an exhaustively documented institution from a normative and functional perspective, but recent analyses have been invigorated by several investigators trying to develop conceptual frameworks and hypotheses more appropriate to the main currents of contemporary ethnological theory. This study of an urban compadrazgo examines godparent choices (N = 339) with respect to certain social and spatial distance variables and discusses the significance of the findings to recent theoretical developments.
MICROSCOPY, SCANNING TUNNELING

Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) has the highest resolution of all scanning probe techniques, routinely producing atomic scale images. With such resolution, it is highly desirable to apply STM to investigations of molecular biology and medicine. The difficulty when considering the application of STM to molecular biology is that biological samples are nonconductive. It may be more accurate to describe biological samples as having both local and varying conductivities. These two issues will addressed in this review, and examples of conditions for the successful use of STM for biomedical imaging will be discussed. Successful applications of STM to significant research problems in biology and medicine will be presented. Keywords: scanning tunneling microscopy; STM; DNA; RNA; retinoic acid; pyrimidine; purine; imaging artifacts; data restoration; deconvolution; probe response function
Attraction of Southern Pine Engravers and Associated Bark Beetles (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to Ipsenol, Ipsdienol, and Lanierone in Southeastern United States

Abstract We determined the response of the small southern pine engraver, Ips avulsus (Eichhoff); eastern fivespined ips, Ips grandicollis (Eichhoff); sixspined ips, Ips calligraphus (Germar); and pine engraver, Ips pini (Say) to the pheromones (±)-ipsenol, (±)-ipsdienol, and lanierone in the southeastern United States. Catches of I. avulsus and I. grandicollis to baited multiple-funnel traps were increased by (±)-ipsenol and (±)-ipsdienol in Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and North Carolina. In all four localities, the highest numbers of I. avulsus were caught in traps baited with the combination of (±)-ipsenol, (±)-ipsdienol, and lanierone. In Florida, the highest numbers of I. grandicollis were captured in traps baited with the combination of (±)-ipsenol and (±)-ipsdienol (with or without lanierone). In the remaining three localities, the largest catches of I. grandicollis occurred in traps baited with (±)-ipsenol alone or the combination of (±)-ipsenol and (±)-ipsdienol (with or without lanierone). (±)-I...
Bouveret's syndrome: A rare presentation of gallstone disease

fistula is a rare complication of gallstone disease and gallstone ileus is relatively a rare cause of intestinal obstruction. In most cases, the stone lodges in the distal ileum, colon or duodenum. The least common site of obstruction is the proximal duodenum or pylorus causing gastric outlet obstruction (Bouveret's syndrome). Presenting signs and symptoms of Bouveret's syndrome include nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, and abdominal distension. Obstructive jaundice, gastrointestinal hemorrhage with or without hematemesis, pancreatitis, and duodenal perforation are less common. Abdominal radiography may show air in the biliary tree, mechanical bowel obstruction and radio-opaque gallstone suggesting the diagnosis. Abdominal ultrasound or computerized tomography is diagnostic in about 60% of cases. In most cases the treatment of Bouveret's syndrome is surgical. Surgical options include: (a) a single-staged enterolithotomy (or gastrotomy) with concomitant cholecystectomy and repair of the fistula or (b) an enterolithotomy alone with or without a second-stage cholecystectomy. Endoscopic extraction of the stone has been described in selected patients. Lithotripsy techniques have also been successfully used to fragment large stones. The authors present a case of Bouveret's syndrome as well as a brief literature review of this topic. DISCUSSIONfistula is a rare complication of gallstone disease (incidence, 0.3-0.5%) and gallstone ileus is relatively a rare cause of intestinal obstruction (3%). Most commonly the stone lodges in the distal ileum (90%), colon (3%-8%) or duodenum (3%). The least common site of obstruction is the proximal duodenum or pylorus causing gastric outlet obstruction, which is known as Bouveret's syndrome. The condition's presenting clinical signs and symptoms usually include nausea, vomiting, epigastric pain, and abdominal distension. Obstructive jaundice, gastrointestinal hemorrhage with or without hematemesis, pancreatitis, and
Naloxone-associated patient violence: an overlooked toxicity?

OBJECTIVE:To report two cases of a previously unreported adverse effect, violent patient behavior, after the reversal of sedation by intravenous naloxone.DESIGN:Case report.PATIENTS/INTERVENTIONS:Responses of two individuals who had reversal of sedation by intravenous naloxone are compared.RESULTS:Placement of patient restraints before the administration of intravenous naloxone to obtunded or unconscious patients can make an important contribution to the safety of patients, healthcare personnel, and public safety personnel, as illustrated by the violent reaction of one unrestrained patient after naloxone administration.CONCLUSIONS:Patient restraint should be considered before naloxone administration to protect the patient and healthcare workers. In the prehospital setting, limiting the use of naloxone to patients with decreased mental status and respiratory depression would decrease the likelihood of naloxone-induced violent behavior.
Teaching Option Valuation: From Simple Discrete Distributions to Black/Scholes Via Monte Carlo Simulation

Understanding option pricing is increasingly important for finance students. The mathematics underlying the Black/Scholes formula, the cornerstone of this topic, makes teaching the subject challenging. This article describes a two-stage method we use to convey to our students an understanding of option pricing and, especially, the economic interpretations of the mathematical components of the Black/Scholes formula. The first stage develops the valuation of options on simple discrete distributions, namely, the throw of a die. This requires only the computation of the expected values of discrete distributions and produces an expression analogous to the Black/Scholes formula. The components of this formula are relatively easy to define and for students to understand. The second stage of the paper links the definitions and understanding to the Black/Scholes formula through Monte Carlo simulations of dice and log-normally distributed stock prices.
Ordinances of the Mesta in New Spain, 1537

Essential to the study of the Mesta in New Spain is the publication of the text of its constitution, not too available in Spanish, in English dress. This document throws new light on the relation of government to the pastoral industry, up to the present a sadly neglected aspect of Spanish colonial history. The importance of the problem is evident in view of the wealth and extent of the sheep and cattle business, and its relationship to the whole economy of New World colonization. Any adequate study of the grazing industry in New Spain would be impossible without some knowledge of the Mesta constitution of 1537, the basic instrument which regulated this industry until 1574; in the latter year the constitution was changed by the addition of numerous amendments which indicate considerable growth in the pastoral industry. Unfortunately, the minutes of the semiannual meetings of the Mesta have not been uncovered, if indeed they exist at all. Such documents would provide a picture of the grazing industry in operation and would be useful in a more complete investigation of the subject.
MDV - An intelligent system for multidisciplinary visualization

One of the grand challenges in the Computational Aerosciences Project (CAS) of the High Performance Computing and Communications P r e gram (HPCCP) involves performing multidisciplinary simulations in which two or more phenomena, such as fluid dynamics and structural dynamics, are strongly coupled. This challenge has, in turn, given visualization researchers the challenge of developing tools to investigate the interaction effectively. Visualization researchers must ensure that these tools are accessible to the scientist, prcducing visualizations easily and rapidly. They must also ensure that these representations are useful and do not contain information that might lead to misinterpretation. This paper presenk the ongoing development of an intelligent, assistant-based visualization system to aid scientists in visual analysis of multidisciplinary simulations for computational aerosciences. This system is based on a data model and integrated knowledge base that supports the rapid production of visualizations. The data model addresses the issue of managing complex, heterogeneous datasets. The knowledge base contains expertise from the scientific domains, visual perception and graphic design. The information from both sources is utilized by the user interface in the production of visualizations based on the analysis goals of the scientist. -
Vessel-sparing radiation and functional anatomy-based preservation for erectile function after prostate radiotherapy

Treatment selection for men undergoing curative treatment for prostate cancer is often a challenging decision in view of the goal of maximising cure while maintaining quality of life. Previous quality-of-life comparisons suggest that specific outcomes are associated with type of treatment (surgery vs radiation); however, the functional anatomy approach, starting with nerve-sparing prostatectomy, assumes that quality-of-life outcomes are established by anatomic preservation. Emerging applications of the functional anatomy approach for prostate radiation will ultimately allow for individualised treatments that address the normal tissue variants visible on MRI. Such approaches will encompass all essential functions affected by treatment including genitourinary, rectal, and sexual functions. In this Review, we outline the current techniques in functional anatomy-based preservation related to sexual outcomes, and outline the capacity of vessel-sparing radiotherapy to preserve sexual function in 90% of patients at the 5 year follow-up while maintaining excellent cure rates.
Exploration on the relationship between anthropometric parameters BMI and body fat percentage

[Objective] To examine the relationships between anthropometric parameters and BMI or body fat percentage(BF%) in male adults. [Methods] The anthropometric parameters of 307 male adults were measured,including height(H),weight(W),BF%,arm circumference(AC),calf circumference(CC),waist circumference(WC) and thickness of triceps skinfold(TSF).The correlation coefficient between BMI and BF% and anthropometric parameters of different age intervals were calculated.The anthropometric parameters between obese,overweight and normal group(by BMI or BF% classification) were compared.Using BMI and BF% as dependent variable,anthropometric parameters as independent variables,multiple regression equation was constructed. [Results] The correlation coefficient between BMI and TSF,AC,CC and WC was 0.57,0.8,0.68 and 0.85,respectively,and that between BF% and TSF,AC,CC,WC was 0.46,0.6,0.34 and 0.72,respectively(all P0.05).There were relationships between BMI or BF% and TSF,AC,CC and WC in all age intervals(P0.05).There were significant differences in W,TSF,AC,CC and WC between normal group and overweight group by BF classification,and between normal group and obese or overweight group by BMI classification.The multiple regression equations were constructed as follows: BMI=-6.49+ 0.31AC+ 0.19CC+ 0.17WC,BF%=-12.62+0.82BMI-0.06AGE+0.21WC. [Conclusion] In male adults BMI and BF% are related to anthropometric parameters.The best relationship is seen between BMI or BF% and WC.
Assessment of Ecosystem Health of Upper and Middle Yangtze River Using Fish-index of Biotic Integrity

A fish-index of biotic integrity(FIBI) system,adapting to the middle and upper reaches of the Yangtze River and its attached lakes,was tentatively developed from the data obtained by the Yangtze Fish Resources Dynamic Monitoring Network,including the monitoring stations at Yibin,Banan,Wanzhou,Jingzhou,Yueyang,Hukou,the Dongting Lake and the Poyang Lake,from 2003 to 2008,by applying the principle of river health assessment,and on the basis of the system involving 12 indices proposed by Karr and modified by Fausch et al.In the process of development,the indices to be selected were listed in accordance with component characteristics of fish from the Yangtze and screened in combination with the results from the surveys of various indices.According to the Karr's method,the authors don't set expectation value and reference point respectively,instead of the differences among data from every monitoring station to value and score at three levels.The results showed that the fish biological integrity was "fair" in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River,whereas in Dongting Lake and Poyang Lake the biological integrity both represented "poor".Statistically,FIBI scores obtained by each monitoring station tended to decrease in six years.
Transition of weak wave turbulence to wave turbulence with intermittent collapses

We study the dynamics of one-dimensional nonlinear waves with a square-root dispersion. This dispersion allows strong interactions of distant modes in wave-number space, and it leads to a modulational instability of a carrier wave interacting with distant sidebands. Weak wave turbulence is found when the system is damped and weakly driven. A driving force that exceeds a critical strength leads to wave collapses coexisting with weak wave turbulence. We explain this transition behavior with the modulational instability of waves with the highest power: Below the threshold the instability is suppressed by the external long-wave damping force. Above the threshold the instability initiates wave collapses.
Protein metabolism in the elderly: observations relating to dietary needs.

(1978). Protein metabolism in the elderly. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 63, No. 3, pp. 143-152.
Basic Concepts and Theorems

In structural theory, the members of a structure are not, in general, treated as three-dimensional continua but rather as continua of one or two dimensions. Rods, beams, and arches are representatives of the first class, and disks, plates, and shells, of the second.
Voltage clamping requirements for ESD protection of inputs in 90nm CMOS technology

ESD reliability of MOS gate dielectrics and of input circuitry is investigated for a 90 nm CMOS technology. Performance degradation is observed at voltages lower than the breakdown voltage. It is found that the input transistor gate dielectric breakdown voltage depends strongly on the source-body voltage and, consequently, on the input circuit design.
Characterization of multi-barge flotilla impact forces on wall structures

Abstract Engineering standards employed in the United States to design concrete waterway control structures for barge impact loading are principally based on data collected from full-scale experimental barge flotilla (barge tow) impact tests. Due to logistical constraints and test costs, the range of parameters that can be varied during physical experiments is typically limited. Consequently, design standards based on such tests have the potential to be undesirably conservative with respect to determination of design impact loads. In the present study, analytical techniques (numerical simulations) are used to quantify barge impact loads over a wider range of conditions than that which would typically be feasible using experimental testing. Nonlinear dynamic finite element models of barge flotillas are developed to accurately represent inelastic barge crushing and inter-barge wire-rope lashing behavior. The models are validated against experimental test data and subsequently used to conduct parametric studies to quantify the influences of impact speed, impact angle, flotilla size, and load measurement technique. A key finding—with implications for design efficiency—is that flotilla impact loads are strongly correlated to the momentum of only barges in the lead row of a flotilla, rather than total momentum of the entire flotilla, as has been assumed in the development of past design standards. Furthermore, it is found that the load measurement technique used in prior experimental impact tests artificially increased the measured loads, relative to impacts from non-instrumented barges, thereby introducing additional conservatism into previously developed design standards.
A computer vision system for monitoring vessel motion in conjunction with vessel wake measurements

This study seeks to establish a new and efficient method of conducting vessel wake studies by means of a vision-based vessel tracking tool that computes vessel parameters such as speed and length. When correlated with wave height measurements, the data facilitates a unified formulation of equations to calculate ship-generated wave heights over a broader range of vessel sizes and boating speeds than previous models. Using this tool, a sizable database of vessel types and wave height measurements are acquired to provide additional data points to improve existing prediction models.
Common Career Pitfalls: Real-World Guidance of Common Mistakes to Avoid that May Impact a Hospitalist’s Ability to Be Successful

The transition from resident to attending is challenging in many physicians careers. While the newfound sense of authority can be a pleasant surprise, the transition can be daunting. Young physicians can encounter numerous pitfalls in their clinical, professional, and personal lives. Clinically, medical errors are common on the wards and physicians suffer from numerous diagnostic biases. There are strategies to decrease biases in medical decision-making. When errors occur there are multiple laws regarding saying “I’m sorry .” Attending physicians must also realize that they are role models on the floor for the health-care team. The omnipresence of social media is also an area that physicians must be careful using avoiding inappropriate comments, posting of confidential information or behaviors. Failure to do so could result in consequences by employers or regulatory bodies. The new attending must also be cognizant of financial planning. Using 401k or 403b account and financial advisors can help improve their financial situation. Personal relationships and medical marriages have strengths due to a variety of factors.
Kinase Suppressor of Ras Plays a Critical Role in Modulating Inflammatory Mast Cell Functions.

The Raf/MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) kinase cascade and the Ras-PI3-K-Akt pathways are intricately regulated and evolutionarily conserved pathways that have been implicated in specialized cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, survival and degranulation. Recent data suggest that the strength and duration of these signals is maintained by extracellular growth factors and integrin stimuli as well as intracellular protein scaffolds. In the present study, we investigated the role of Kinase suppressor of Ras (KSR), a scaffold that appears to regulate both Ras-Erk and Ras-PI3-K activity in influencing mast cell function. In vivo, KSR−/− mice have a 2–3 fold reduction of resident mast cells in multiple organs including the peritoneum and the skin as evaluated by scoring Alcian blue positive cells. To evaluate the mechanistic underpinnings of these in vivo observations, bone marrow derived mast cells (BMMCs) were generated and proliferation, survival, degranulation, and migration was examined. A 3–4 fold reduction in kit-ligand mediated proliferation as measured by [ 3 H]thymidine incorporation was observed in KSR−/− BMMCs as compared to WT BMMCs. In addition, a 50% increase in apoptosis was observed in KSR−/− mast cells as compared to that in WT cells as measured by flow cytometeric analysis using Annexin/PI staining. Given that Erk and Akt are established molecular targets control proliferation and survival, respectively; we next performed western blots to evaluate if the changes in biological activity was associated with these signaling pathways. Importantly, a reduction in phosphorylation of ERK and phosphorylation of AKT was observed in the KSR −/− BMMCs as compared to that in WT BMMCs. Given the role of PI3-K signals in mediating cytoskeletal organization in mast cells, we next tested whether the reduction in PI3-K signals was associated with a reduction in degranulation and migration. Following stimulation with kit-ligand and cross-linking of the IgE receptor, KSR−/− mast cells were found to have a 30–50% decrease in b-hexosaminidase release. Moreover, KSR−/− mast cells have up to a 5 fold reduction in migration to kit-ligand as measured over a range of kit-ligand concentrations. Collectively, the in vivo and in vitro studies suggest that KSR is an important regulatory kinase that may be a viable molecular target for modulating inflammatory mast cell functions.
A novel combinatorial framework to construct spatially-coupled codes: Minimum overlap partitioning

Spatially-coupled (SC) codes are a family of graph-based codes that have attracted significant attention thanks to their capacity approaching performance. An SC code is constructed by partitioning an underlying block code into a number of components, and coupling their copies together. The number of components is determined by the memory parameter. In this paper, we study a finite length construction for the circulant-based SC codes. We introduce a new partitioning scheme, which we call minimum overlap partitioning, that outperforms previous methods. We also present a general approach for the enumeration of problematic objects in the error-floor regime that can be applied to any circulant-based SC code and to a variety of partitioning schemes. Compared to the uncoupled block codes, an SC code constructed by the new approach has more than 1.5 and 3 orders of magnitude performance improvement for the memory 1 and 2, respectively. Additionally, it outperforms the existing method of partitioning via cutting vectors by at least half an order of magnitude; this performance advantage becomes more pronounced for SC codes with higher memories.
Triangulating on Sustainable Development

We are now in a position to answer the four questions motivating the chapters of Part II: What is sustainable development? Why is it an issue? Ideally, what needs to be done ? and Practically, what can actually be done? The four approaches—Girardian economics, cultural theory, Critical theory, and the local justice framework—are ready to be used to triangulate on the answers. The implications of the triangulation for understanding and practicing sustainable development are as novel as they are considerable.
The Use of Tannic Acid and Phenol-Formaldehyde Resins with Glutaraldehyde to Immobilize Enzymes

Our investigations with immobilized enzymes have been guided by how they may assist in finding out more about enzymic phenomena and how they could ultimately be utilized in processes and analyses, particularly those related to agriculture and food. In the latter area economic as well as scientific factors play a very important role. A complete evaluation of all of these factors is beyond the scope of this paper. However, we have considered many of these factors in both the choice of the systems for immobilization and the applications we have elected to study. The criteria we used in selecting methods for enzyme immobilization included: successful achievement of stable enzyme immobilization; an acceptable degree of retention of enzyme activity; good pH and temperature characteristics; simplicity of the method; use of impure or inexpensive enzyme preparations; a potential for large volume application; and low cost.
Hereditary Ovarian Cancer and Other Gynecologic Malignancies

Although the majority of gynecologic malignancies are sporadic, there is a subset of patients who develop genetic forms of gynecologic cancer. Advances in molecular biology have allowed for an understanding of the physiological pathways of development of inherited gynecologic malignancies and the identification of genetic alterations that lead to the malignant phenotype. The aim of this chapter is to help the clinician identify those patients who are at risk for developing inherited forms of gynecologic malignancies and who would benefit from screening, chemoprevention, and surgery.
GenJam: evolution of a jazz improviser

Abstract GenJam is an interactive genetic algorithm that performs jazz improvisation, both independently as a stand-alone soloist and collaboratively as an interactive agent. This chapter describes GenJam’s chromosome representations for melodic ideas, the genetic operators it uses to evolve those ideas, and its use of the evolutionary paradigm in real-time interactive performance. The chapter also discusses pragmatic and artistic issues regarding GenJam’s participation in the author’s Virtual Quintet. 1. Introduction At the time of this writing, GenJam is about six years old, and it has come a long way from its initial conception and implementation. What began as a project intended to generate a couple of papers during a sabbatical year has evolved into a viable performance system that plays gigs two or three times a month. GenJam’s current repertoire comprises over 160 tunes in a variety of jazz, Latin and new age styles. It can perform in 4/4, 3/4, 5/4 and 12/8 time, and it has allowed the author to work as a single trumpet player in a climate that no longer supports hiring live jazz quintets. The Virtual Quintet can compete with single pianists and guitar players, something a trumpet player cannot do alone. More importantly, it allows the Virtual Quintet to compete with the dreaded DJ! At a technical level, GenJam stretches the genetic algorithm paradigm in some interesting ways. It uses two hierarchically interrelated populations to represent its store of melodic ideas for creating improvisations. The goal of its search is to build entire populations of good melodic ideas, not just search for a single individual, which magnifies the problem of premature convergence. Consequently, many of GenJam’s mutation operators promote diversity in its populations. GenJam’s mutation operators are unusual in that they do considerably more than flip the occasional bit. In fact, most of GenJam’s knowledge of improvisational development is embedded in its musically meaningful mutation operators. Finally, GenJam uses its evolutionary machinery for real-time interactive performance by evolving what it hears a human play into what it plays in response. At an artistic level, GenJam’s aspiration is to be received by its audience as a competent straight-ahead jazz improviser. This places GenJam in the mainstream artistically, a place most computer musicians seem to avoid. GenJam makes no attempt to extend the conception of improvisation or make any profound artistic statement on the nature of music. It simply tries to meet the audience’s expectations for what straight-up jazz sounds like. Instead of challenging an audience artistically, then, GenJam tries to challenge an audience technically by achieving an accessible and convincing performance from a computer. This chapter describes how GenJam adapts the evolutionary paradigm to meet this goal.
Mechanochemistry of Lignocellulosic Materials

Mechanochemical reactions of lignocellulosic materials, namely wood, wood cellulose, cotton and lignin, were studied using mechanical milling systems. Mechanical energy supplied by compression and shear forces in milling was sufficient to change the topochemistry and reactivity of lignocellulosic polymers, and to cause homolytic chain scission. Mechanoradical formation, transformation, and decay reactions seem to occur continuously during processes involving the absorption of mechanical energy, and their consequences are likely to concern mechanical disaggregation product properties. Because of its rigid structure due to branching and crosslinking, lignin apparently absorbs mechanical energy more effectively than cellulose. Stress- induced reactions in cellulose result in the disaggregation of fiber bundles, shortening of fiber length, i.e. loss of degree of polymerization (DP), increase of accessibility and decrease in crystallinity. The vibratory ball mill supplied more mechanical energy to the polymer system than did the Norton ball mill. Cotton fiber absorbed and stored mechanical energy more effectively than did wood cellulose.
Anatomy of Coronary Vessels

This chapter presents a description and illustration of the anatomic features of the coronary vessels. It first deals with the typical course and important variations of each major artery and then with anatomy of the veins, both as seen anatomically and in imaging, pairing coronary arteriograms and CT angiograms. Understanding coronary vessels’ anatomy is foundational for the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic heart disease.
Ear and Temporal Bone: Cartilaginous and Osseous Pathologies

Although the majority of conditions involving the ear and temporal bone are inflammatory or epithelial based, cartilage and osseous entities will also be encountered. The pathologic examination of these underlying cartilaginous and osseous structures and their histologic findings and associated differential diagnoses will be discussed. Correlation with clinical and imaging findings are also critical for accurate determination of the pathologic entity.
Engaging Intuition and Imagination for Solutions to Confounding Science and Societal Problems

Global demographics suggest a dire need for higher education to address issues of sustainable development in ways that address the needs and capture the attention of all populations, beyond those with political power at present. Including the humanities in the discussion of sustainability has the potential to not only bring a more holistic exploration of the topic, but will likely increase its accessibility to populations as yet rarely involved. In addition, engaging more diverse groups has the potential to add novel thinking to the consideration of sustainability. This paper expands the basis of teaching and research to include imagination and intuition in ways that improve learning experiences and bring to light new considerations of sustainable development that are likely to be more effective with non-traditional audiences. Powerful approaches such as storytelling and future scenario development allow academics, especially those focused on science, to go beyond the limited and impersonal “rational” approaches to teaching and research commonly used thereby enhancing the debate on sustainability.
Thionoesters: A Native Chemical Ligation-Inspired Approach to Cysteine-Triggered H2S Donors.

Native chemical ligation (NCL) is a simple, widely used, and powerful synthetic tool to ligate N-terminal cysteine residues and C-terminal α-thioesters via a thermodynamically stable amide bond. Building on this well-established reactivity, as well as advancing our interests in the chemical biology of reactive sulfur species including hydrogen sulfide (H2S), we hypothesized that thionoesters, which are constitutional isomers of thioesters, would undergo a similar NCL reaction in the presence of cysteine to release H2S under physiological conditions. Herein, we report mechanistic and kinetic investigations into cysteine-mediated H2S release from thionoesters. We found that this reaction proceeds with high H2S-releasing efficiency (∼80%) and with a rate constant (9.1 ± 0.3 M–1 s–1) comparable to that for copper-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC). Additionally, we found that the final product of the reaction of cysteine with thionoesters results in the formation of a stable dihydrothiazole, which ...