cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of empirical modeling in nuclear reactor system analysis

Dynamic response characteristics of nuclear power reactors can be studied using either models derived from the conservation laws of physics or using empirical time series models. The latter requires performing tests and observing variations in signals during normal operation of the plant or during imposed perturbation of selected test inputs. This paper will consider the use of empirical time series models as a tool for simulating the dynamic responses of a nuclear power plant and for estimating sensor response characteristics to determine whether requirements on allowable response time are satisfied. The methods are applied to plant data from tests at Millstone (Unit 2) Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR).
Conference Report: The Nour Foundation Georgetown University & Blackfriars Hall, Oxford University Symposium Series Technology, Neuroscience & the Nature of Being: Considerations of Meaning, Morality and Transcendence Part I: The Paradox of Neurotechnology 8 May 2009

This reviews the first of a tripartite symposia series dealing with novel neuroscientific technologies, the nature of consciousness and being, and the questions that arise from such interactions. The event took place on May 8 2009, at Georgetown University, and brought together ten leading figures on fields ranging from Neuroscience and Robotics to Philosophy, that commented on their research and provided ethical, moral and practical insight and perspectives into how these technologies can shape the future of neuroscientific and human development, as well as denoting the potential abuses and the best way to proceed about them.
Unified localization framework using trajectory signatures

We develop a novel trajectory-based localization scheme which (i) identifies a user's current trajectory based on the measurements collected while the user is moving, by finding the best match among the training traces (trajectory matching) and then (ii) localizes the user on the trajectory (localization). The core requirement of both the steps is an accurate and robust algorithm to match two time-series that may contain significant noise and perturbation due to differences in mobility, devices, and environments. To achieve this, we develop an enhanced Dynamic Time Warping (DTW) alignment, and apply it to RSS, channel state information, or magnetic field measurements collected from a trajectory. We use indoor and outdoor experiments to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Comment on Revealing Differences in Willingness to Pay Due to the Dimensionality of Stated Choice Designs: An Initial Assessment:

There are very few studies that quantify the interactions and tradeoffs between statistical and cognitive efficiency in designing stated-choice studies. While a conceptual framework for evaluating cognitive strategies would be desirable, Hensher adopts a strictly empirical approach in this experiment. The success of the study must be evaluated in light of his aggregating attributes rather than controlling the number of attributes, asymmetry in the narrow-range and wide-range attributes, and lack of orthogonality between the number of attributes and number of alternatives. Nevertheless, Hensher challenges uncritical acceptance of any given set of design features and correctly insists that we confirm our experience with rigorous, quantitative experiments.
Influence of calcrete on the geometry of arroyos near Buckeye, Arizona

The geometry of arroyos on alluvial fans of the Buckeye, Arizona, area is influenced by an impervious, indurated calcic soil (calcrete) at or near the surface of the fans. Channel width-depth ratio, cross-sectional area, gradient, and location of erosion and deposition in the channel are related to calcrete in the bed and banks of the channels. Calcrete causes three or four sequential types of channel reach: (1) In the headward part of the channel, the bed is on calcrete and banks are in alluvium. The cross-sectional area is small and the width-depth ratio is high. (2) Bed and banks are developed completely in calcrete in reach 2. Cross-sectional area is high and width-depth ratio is low. Gradual incision into the calcrete results in gradient steepening and nickpoints. Reach 2 is not present if incision through the calcrete occurs as one nick-point, thus resulting in sequential reaches of one, three, and four. (3) In reach 3, bed and lower banks are developed in alluvium, and calcrete caps the banks. Here the cross-sectional area is high and width-depth ratio is moderate to high. (4) Lateral undercutting of the calcrete and deposition of topographically lower inner terrace deposits, or berms, on the slip-off slope mark the beginning of the fourth type of reach. The consequence of calcrete destruction and berm formation in the banks of reach 4 is an increase in width-depth ratio and a marked decrease in channel cross-sectional area, resulting in a change from confined to over-bank flow.
Paired and LIM class homeodomain proteins coordinate differentiation of the C. elegans ALA neuron

The ancient origin of sleep is evidenced by deeply conserved signaling pathways regulating sleep-like behavior, such as signaling through the Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). In Caenorhabditis elegans, a sleep-like state can be induced at any time during development or adulthood through conditional expression of LIN-3/EGF. The behavioral response to EGF is mediated by EGFR activity within a single cell, the ALA neuron, and mutations that impair ALA differentiation are expected to confer EGF-resistance. Here we describe three such EGF-resistant mutants. One of these corresponds to the LIM class homeodomain (HD) protein CEH-14/Lhx3, and the other two correspond to Paired-like HD proteins CEH-10/Chx10 and CEH-17/Phox2. Whereas CEH-14 is required for ALA-specific gene expression throughout development, the Prd-like proteins display complementary temporal contributions to gene expression, with the requirement for CEH-10 decreasing as that of CEH-17 increases. We present evidence that CEH-17 participates in a positive autoregulatory loop with CEH-14 in ALA, and that CEH-10, in addition to its role in ALA differentiation, functions in the generation of the ALA neuron. Similarly to CEH-17, CEH-10 is required for the posterior migration of the ALA axons, but CEH-14 appears to regulate an aspect of ALA axon outgrowth that is distinct from that of the Prd-like proteins. Our findings reveal partial modularity among the features of a neuronal differentiation program and their coordination by Prd and LIM class HD proteins.
Sulfonation of F-butyl F-vinylether: synthesis of a new fluorinated β-sultone and derivatives

The new fluorinated β-sultone, CF3(CF2)3OCFCF2SO2O (I) has been prepared from F-butyl F-vinyl ether and sulfur trioxide. It isomerizes to CF3(CF2)3OC(O)CF2SO2F (II) when heated with sodium fluoride. Two known fluorinated esters, FSO2CF2C(O)OCH3 (III) and CF3(CF2)2C(O)OCH3 (IV), have also been synthesized from the reaction of methanol with the β-sultone (I).
Application of finite strain theory to non-cubic crystals

Abstract The application of finite strain theory to a crystal of orthorhombic or higher elastic symmetry, which is subjected to a purely extensional deformation parallel to the crystallographic axes, yields stress-strain relations and effective elastic constants for hydrostatic stresses. Alternative formulations of the theory are obtained when the free energy is written as Taylor series in E, the invariant analogue of the Eulerian strain tensor, or η, the Lagrangian strain tensor. In most cases, the formulation in terms of E provides a better approximation when the Taylor series are truncated at the second or third order. In the case of cubic crystals, the stress-strain relations reduce to the Birch equation. For non-cubic crystals, the P-V relations calculated using the non-cubic and Birch equations will differ due to the effects of elastic anisotropy. A comparison between the second-order approximations of the non-cubic stress-strain relations and the cubic Birch equation suggests that the difference in volume will be less than 1% for most materials. The difference in volume is reduced when the third-order approximations are used. When the third-order terms are retained, the stress-strain relations calculated using the Eulerian formulation agree with measured linear compression data for quartz to 150 kbar ( P K 0 = 0.4). For zinc, the calculated pressure-volume relation agrees with the shock-wave Hugoniot up to 750 kbar ( P K 0 = 1.2), although both calculated and Hugoniot P-V relations disagree with X-ray compression data. At pressures greater than 300 kbar, the calculated axial ratio of zinc approaches that for other hexagonal metals ( c a ≅ 1.63).
Nonparametric Tests for the Independence of Regressors and Disturbances as Specification Tests

We adapt techniques from the literature on chaos and nonlinear dynamics to detect misspecification in models of serially independent data by checking for dependence between the regressors and distu...
Nurse practitioners and managed care: Patient satisfaction and intention to adhere to nurse practitioner plan of care

Purpose: To explore patient satisfaction, intention to adhere to nurse practitioner (NP) plan of care, and the impact of managed care on NPs’ patients in multiple settings, the final phase of a three-part study of NPs and managed care. Data sources: Postvisit questionnaires and narrative comments about patient satisfaction with NP communication, overall satisfaction with visit, recall of plan of care, intention to adhere to NP’s recommendations, and impact of managed care on ease of obtaining healthcare resources. Conclusions: Patients were very satisfied with NP communication and with their healthcare visit. They mostly intended to adhere to the NP-recommended plan of care but less so to recommended lifestyle changes. Patients trusted their NPs, valued their expertise, were confident in the NPs’ care, and believed that the NPs considered their best interests. They appreciated that the NPs took time to listen to their concerns and helped them to obtain healthcare resources. Most patients were not greatly impacted by managed care and obtained needed healthcare resources with little difficulty. Implications for practice: Although the first two phases of this study found that many NPs had strong negative attitudes toward managed care, these attitudes were not conveyed toward patients in this sample. NPs, however, will continue to face new challenges as third-party payers attempt to reduce healthcare costs, further testing NP adaptability and resourcefulness.
Managing hypertension in the elderly: dispelling the myths.

BACKGROUND There are now more than 31 million people 65 years of age or older in the United States, at least half of whom have systolic blood pressure 140 mm Hg or higher or diastolic blood pressure 90 mm Hg or higher or both. By the year 2050, 16 million Americans will be over age 85. OBJECTIVE To review the current data and recommendations regarding treating hypertension in elderly patients. SUMMARY Randomized clinical trials have dispelled some of the myths that surround treatment of hypertension in the elderly by showing that judicious treatment of elevated blood pressure, both systolic and diastolic, will reduce the risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality, with an acceptable trade-off in terms of side effects and without sacrificing quality of life. CONCLUSIONS Because most of the trials have used a diuretic as initial therapy, it is recommended that one of these agents be prescribed in low doses if life-style modifications do not reduce blood pressure to acceptable levels, unless there is a contraindication to diuretics or an indication for another class of agents.
Evaluating methods for sampling stream salamanders across multiple observers and habitat types

While techniques for sampling pond-breeding amphibians are relatively well-established, comparable methods for stream amphibians are still being developed. Uncertainty about sampling techniques is particularly acute for approaches that involve multiple observers. I evaluated three techniques for sampling stream salamanders with multiple observers—time-constrained surveys, leaf-litter bags, and controlled-cobble added to the stream. I tested for differences among techniques, differences among habitats, and technique by habitat interactions. I also asked whether coefficients of variation across observers and sample dates differed among methods and habitats. For all species and life-stages, time-constrained surveys produced higher counts of stream salamanders and greater richness estimates than did leaf-litter bags or controlled-cobble surveys. However, interactions between techniques and habitat were never significant, indicating that all the methods detected similar patterns in counts among stream habitats. Coefficients of variation in single-species counts tended to be higher for time-constrained surveys, whereas CVs for species richness were significantly lower for time-constrained surveys. Overall, these results suggest that: (1) time-constrained surveys for stream salamanders work surprisingly well even with multiple observers, (2) leaf-litter bags may be quite useful for single-species studies, but are less effective for multi-species sampling, and (3) controlled-cobble added to streams is not particularly effective for sampling salamanders in rocky streams.
Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase-4-deficient mice are protected from diet-induced insulin resistance by the enhanced association of mTOR and rictor

Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) activity is highly induced in obese individuals with insulin resistance, suggesting a correlation between GPAT function, triacylglycerol accumulation, an...
A novel design methodology to optimize the speed and power of the CNTFET circuits

Carbon nanotubes with their superior properties have proved to be a potential alternative device to CMOS. In this paper, circuit optimization methods for high performance and low power CNFEFT circuit are proposed. The proposed design methods for CNTFET circuit address how to decide the optimum CNTFET parameters such as pitch, diameter, number of CNTs (Carbon Nano Tube), optimum fan-out factor and logical efforts to deliver the minimum power-delay product. The proposed method makes it possible to accomplish 56% dynamic power reduction and 22% less delay by optimizing the pitch, number of CNTs, fan-out factor, and logical efforts compared to the circuits that are not optimized and screening effects are ignored.
Comparison of heuristic algorithms for variable partitioning in circuit implementation

Functional decomposition is a process of splitting a complex circuit into smaller sub-circuits. This paper deals with the problem of determining the set of best free and bound variables (variable partitioning problem) for disjoint (disjoint serial) decomposition, such that the decomposed circuits are smaller in size and its truth table representation have maximal don't cares. A novel pruned breadth first search (PBFS/IPBFS) approach is proposed to determine the set of good variable partitions with minimal time and computational complexity. The heuristics proposed minimize the size of the sub functions. The proposed approach has been successfully implemented and test with MCNC and Espresso benchmarks.
Algorithms for Time-Varying Networks of Many-Server Fluid Queues

Motivated by large-scale service systems with network structure, we introduced in a previous paper a time-varying open network of many-server fluid queues with customer abandonment from each queue and time-varying proportional routing among the queues, and showed how performance functions can be determined. The deterministic fluid model serves as an approximation for the corresponding non-Markovian stochastic network of many-server queues with Markovian routing, experiencing periods of overloading at the queues. In this paper we develop a new algorithm for the previous model and generalize the model to include non-exponential service-time distributions. In this paper we report results of implementing the algorithms and studying their computational complexity. We also conduct simulation experiments to confirm that the algorithms are effective in computing the performance functions and that these performance functions provide useful approximations for the corresponding stochastic models.
Cost-Effectiveness of Retinal Detachment Repair

Objective To evaluate costs and treatment benefits of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RD) repair. Design A Markov model of cost-effectiveness and utility. Participants There were no participants. Methods Published clinical trials (index studies) of pneumatic retinopexy (PR), scleral buckling (SB), pars plana vitrectomy (PPV), and laser prophylaxis were used to quantitate surgical management and visual benefits. Markov analysis, with data from the Center of Medicare and Medicaid Services, was used to calculate the adjusted costs of primary repair by each modality in a hospital-based and ambulatory surgery center (ASC) setting. Main Outcome Measures Lines of visual acuity (VA) saved, cost of therapy, adjusted cost of therapy, cost per line saved, cost per line-year saved, and cost per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) saved. Results In the facility, hospital surgery setting, weighted cost for PR ranged from $3726 to $5901 depending on estimated success rate of primary repair. Weighted cost was $6770 for SB, $7940 for PPV, and $1955 for laser prophylaxis. The dollars per line saved ranged from $217 to $1346 depending on the procedure. Dollars per line-year saved ranged from $11 to $67. Dollars per QALY saved ranged from $362 to $2243. In the nonfacility, ASC surgery setting, weighted cost for PR ranged from $1961 to $3565 depending on the success rate of primary repair. The weighted costs for SB, PPV, and laser prophylaxis were $4873, $5793, and $1255, respectively. Dollars per line saved ranged from $139 to $982. The dollars per line-year saved ranged from $7 to $49, and the dollars per QALY saved ranged from $232 to $1637. Conclusions Treatment and prevention of RD are extremely cost-effective when compared with other treatment of other retinal diseases regardless of treatment modality. Retinal detachment treatment costs did not vary widely, suggesting that providers can tailor patient treatments solely on the basis of optimizing anticipated results because there were no overriding differences in financial impact.
Acts of Initiation in Almayer's Folly and An Outcastof the Islands

Conrad’s first two novels, Almayer’s Folly (1895) and An Outcast of the Islands (1896), reflect his state of mind and reveal his values.1 In these early novels Conrad tests and refines themes and techniques that he will use in his subsequent fiction. In what will become a characteristic of Conrad’s early works, he uses fictional material from his own adventures as his source material. He not only draws upon his experience when he sailed as mate with the Vidar (1887–88), but bases the title character of his first novel on a man he actually knew. While these two novels seem to be about remote events, they actually dramatise his central concerns. While not ignoring the substance of Almayer’s Folly and An Outcast of the Islands, this chapter will define issues and concerns which led to the development of Conrad’s major work.
CONVERSATIONAL MANAGEMENT DEVICES IN THE CLASSROOM

Topical transitions in teachers' classroom talk were analyzed from the perspective of conversations as game-like structures with “moves” as basic elements. Three devices observed in this conversational context were proposed as having topical boundary functions: “framing” moves (words like O.K., alright), “pointing” moves (speech which notes the speaker's fact of saying something), and “quantifying” moves (speech with a logical or numerical quantifier which organizes subsequent talk). Preliminary evidence was presented which supported the hypothesis that these moves in fact bound topic talk.
Large-Scale SST Variability in the Western North Atlantic Subtropical Convergence Zone during FASINEX. Part I: Description of SST and Wind Stress Fields

Abstract We describe properties of large-scale fluctuations in the wind field represented by two analyses (FNOC and NOAA ATOLL), and in the SST field represented by maps derived from 5-day composite AVHRR images, within an 11° longitude by 10° latitude domain during FASINEX (January through June 1986). FNOC and ATOLL wind and wind stress time series were highly correlated with each other (<0.8) over the entire domain, and they were also highly correlated with time series measured at the FASINEX site ≥0.89. At periods of 2–13 days, clockwise →τ energy exceeded anticlockwise energy by an order of magnitude, while the energy was nearly partitioned equally at periods of 13–40 days. Mean ATOLL winds were everywhere more eastward than mean FNOC winds, probably in part because the ATOLL (FNOC) analyses are intended to represent 850 mb (19.5 m) winds. The 850 mb winds are expected to be more eastward due to the thermal wind balance with the mean southward air temperature gradient. The SST maps represented large-s...
Recent Advances in Structure-Preserving Model Order Reduction

In recent years, model order reduction techniques based on Krylov subspaces have become the methods of choice for generating small-scale macromodels of the large-scale multi-port RCL networks that arise in VLSI interconnect analysis. A difficult and not yet completely resolved issue is how to ensure that the resulting macromodels preserve all the relevant structures of the original large-scale RCL networks. In this paper, we present a brief review of how Krylov subspace techniques emerged as the algorithms of choice in VLSI circuit simulation, describe the current state-of-art of structure-preserving model order reduction, discuss some recent advances, and mention open problems.
Normal Distributions, and Order from Diversity via the Central Limit Theorem

As the head of a team of scientists, you are interested in compiling data on the heights of adult American men (by “American” we mean those who live within the borders of the United States). To do this, you would first want to choose a large sample of this population according to scientific principles ensuring that the sample is random. We will have more to say about randomness in the next several chapters, but essentially what you want is a sample representative of the entire population under study. So, for example, since you are interested in the population of adult American men your sample will not consist exclusively of men living in the Bronx in New York, nor will it consist solely of men residing on the west coast, or of those who earn more than $100,000 a year, or, in general, any category whatsoever restricting the sample from being representative of the entire population. One way you could go about choosing a random sample is to assign a unique number to each adult male in the population, and then select a certain portion of these numbers using a random device such that each number has the same probability of being selected. For example, you could write the numbers on cards, toss all the cards into a (very large) hat, mix well, and then select numbers with replacement (that is, after each selection you put the selected card back into the hat, mix again and select another card, etc.). Replacement of the cards is necessary to ensure that each card always has the same probability of being selected. If you happen to select a card that you had already chosen previously, it corresponds to an adult male chosen before, so we just ignore this observation, replace the card, mix, and keep repeating until a previously unchosen card is selected. In practice, of course, this procedure would be impossible to carry through—for one thing you would be hard pressed to find a hat big enough to hold the cards! It is also very hard to mix a lot of things so that a reasonable approximation to a uniform distribution model is achieved—see Section 13.6 for an interesting example. Statisticians have more sophisticated ways of finding a random sample; we’ll take another look at this in Chapter 14. For now let’s suppose you have this sample. What you are going to do is measure these individuals as accurately as you can and record these measurements. You will have a bunch of very large books in which each person’s height is written down, and when the head of the Department of Demographics comes to your office and asks “What can you tell me about the height of the American adult male?” you will proudly haul out the books and say, “Take a look—it’s all in there.”
Effect of Ni content on the morphological evolution of Ni-YSZ solid oxide fuel cell electrodes

The coarsening of Ni in Ni–yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) anodes is a potential cause of long term solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) performance degradation. The specifics of the Ni-YSZ structure—including Ni/YSZ ratio, porosity, and particle size distributions—are normally selected to minimize anode polarization resistance, but they also impact long-term stability. A better understanding of how these factors influence long-term stability is important for designing more durable anodes. The effect of structural details, e.g., Ni-YSZ ratio, on Ni coarsening has not been quantified. Furthermore, prior measurements have been done by comparing evolved structures with control samples, such that sample-to-sample variations introduce errors. Here, we report a four dimensional (three spatial dimensions and time) study of Ni coarsening in Ni-YSZ anode functional layers with different Ni/YSZ ratios, using synchrotron x-ray nano-tomography. The continuous structural evolution was observed and analyzed at sub-100 nm res...
The Role of Sequence in the Experience of Mathematical Beauty

In this article, I analyze the aesthetic dimensions of a sequence of mathematical events found in an unusual rst grade lesson in order to demonstrate how sequencing may aect an individual’s experience of mathematical beauty. By approaching aesthetic as a sense or felt quality of an experience in context [16, 19], this analysis explains how sequence can aect the way mathematical objects or actions are experienced by an individual. Thus, rather than questioning whether or in what ways a set of mathematical objects are beautiful or not, this paper addresses under what conditions is the mathematics in play beautiful. It is argued that with a better understanding of the temporal dimension of mathematical beauty, educational experiences with mathematics can be designed to captivate attention and nurture interest and positive disposition by students toward mathematics.
The History of Stokes' Theorem

Let us give credit where credit is due: Theorems of Green, Gauss and Stokes appeared unheralded in earlier work.
Evaluating the effectiveness of a consumer delivered anti-stigma program: replication with graduate-level helping professionals.

OBJECTIVE This study evaluated a consumer delivered anti-stigma presentation, In Our Own Voice (IOOV), with Masters of Social Work (MSW) students, replicating a previous study with undergraduates. METHODS Thirty MSW students completed pre and post surveys to measure changes in attitude, knowledge and social distance after the presentation. RESULTS Paired samples t-tests showed increases in attitude (p < .001), knowledge (p < .05), and social distance (p < .001). Compared with previous research on undergraduate students, MSW students scored higher on all three pre-test measures (all p < .001). CONCLUSIONS The results further support the effectiveness of IOOV and indicate that graduate level helping professionals can benefit from anti-stigma programs. Future research should go beyond self-report knowledge and attitude evaluation, test the efficacy of the components of the IOOV program (video, contact with presenters), and test the lasting effects of the program.
Comparison of Two Methods of Administrating Antibiotics for Elective Caesarean Section

Objective:To explore the optimization method of administrating antibiotics for elective caesarean section.Methods:Applied prospective study,divided 83 cases into 2 groups randomly.The patients in group Ⅰreceived antibiotics during peri-operation and postoperation,while those in group Ⅱreceived traditionally antibiotics during postoperation,compare the two groups' indicatrixes of medicine and economics.Results:Mean body tempera K-ture,condition of cut agglutination and mean hospital days after operation were of no statistics difference in 2 groups,but puerperal morbidity、percapita dosage,days and cost of antibiotics usage were of statistical difference.Conclusion:The administration in groupⅠ would be more benefit than that in group Ⅱ for cesarean section.
POWER7: IBM's next generation, balanced POWER server chip

Achieves extreme Multi-core throughput while providing Balance and SMP scaling IBM customers expect, by building on a foundation of solid innovation.
Using Secondary Data in Statistical Analysis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the general concepts and potential limitations of meta-analysis. A meta-analysis is performed by applying this technique to studies examining the use of anti-inflammatory therapies in sepsis. Although these methods may be used for both observational and experimental studies, the discussion is restricted to the analysis of clinical trials. Meta-analysis has evolved as a technique useful for summarizing a large number of clinical trials and for resolving discrepancies raised by these trials. There are many similarities between randomized controlled trials and meta-analyses. Both randomized trials and meta-analyses are designed to answer a scientifically valid question. Likewise, both techniques require that the patients or studies included, the data collected, and the analysis performed be prospectively planned, and that the results obtained be analyzed for factors that may potentially interact with treatment effect. Finally, both techniques deal with populations, not with single individuals. Thus, clinicians must use discretion when applying the conclusions derived from both these techniques to the individual patient.
Not “Just” a Story: Literary Invention, Innovation, and OCD

In a wonderful TED talk, Nigerian novelist Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie alerts us to the dangers of what she calls the “single story,” an overarching narrative that, not dissimilarly to a master narrative, fails to represent the richness and diversity of human experience. In her case, she relates how having early in her education read almost exclusively western fiction, she went on, at first, to create characters whose physical appearance, habits, environment, and life were reminiscent of what she had read and, consequently, very sparsely related to her own story. Her characters, she explains, were the products of her being exposed to a single story, one that did not necessarily reflect her middle-class, Nigerian experience, its cultures, challenges, and milieu. She had not only internalized the principles of that single story, she ponders, but she was, in her own narrations, reproducing them. Of course, in time she realized the pull that her reading had had on her early, childhood attempts at writing, and once she broadened her reading list, and her appreciation for and awareness of different stories, her tales eventually started to reflect the diversity and breadth of her experience.
Telomere correlations during early life in a long-lived seabird.

Abstract Telomere dynamics in blood cells have been linked to aging in a variety of organisms. However, whether blood telomeres are correlated with telomeres in other parts of the body is not well known, especially during early life when telomere loss is expected to be most rapid. We investigated this question in Franklin's gulls (Leucophaeus pipixcan) by measuring telomere lengths in blood and several other tissues including: heart, liver, and skeletal muscle at the end of embryonic (n = 31) and post-natal development (n = 20). In late-stage embryos, blood telomeres were significantly positively correlated with heart and skeletal muscle, but not liver telomeres. However, at the end of post-natal development, there were no significant correlations among blood telomeres and telomeres in any other tissues. In late-stage embryos, heart telomeres were significantly longer than blood, liver, and skeletal muscle telomeres, but at the end of post-natal development telomere lengths did not significantly differ among tissues. These results suggest that blood telomere length is not necessarily indicative of other tissues at all stages of development and highlights the importance of understanding any functional consequences of tissue specific telomere dynamics in early life.
PET/CT in Lymphoma and Lymphoma of the Thyroid

Systemic disease is common in lymphomas, and a contrast-enhanced CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, PET/CT, and bone marrow biopsy are required for staging. Besides detecting thyroidal involvement, FDG PET may also be positive in autoimmune thyroiditis. Therefore, PET should not be used to make a diagnosis, but for staging by identifying sites of disease outside of the thyroid.
Identity work in the classrooms: Successful learning in urban schools

Section Editors: Ming Fang He, Isabel Nunez, Maria Jose Botelho, Cheryl E. Matias, Helen ManiatesC. Jones-Walker. (2015). Identity Work in the Classrooms: Successful Learning in Urban Schools. New ...
Comparison of Explicitly Correlated Methods for Computing High-Accuracy Benchmark Energies for Noncovalent Interactions.

The reliability of explicitly correlated methods for providing benchmark-quality noncovalent interaction energies was tested at various levels of theory and compared to estimates of the complete basis set (CBS) limit. For all systems of the A24 test set, computations were performed using both aug-cc-pVXZ (aXZ; X = D, T, Q, 5) basis sets and specialized cc-pVXZ-F12 (XZ-F12; X = D, T, Q, 5) basis sets paired with explicitly correlated coupled cluster singles and doubles [CCSD-F12n (n = a, b, c)] with triple excitations treated by the canonical perturbative method and scaled to compensate for their lack of explicit correlation [(T**)]. Results show that aXZ basis sets produce smaller errors versus the CBS limit than XZ-F12 basis sets. The F12b ansatz results in the lowest average errors for aTZ and larger basis sets, while F12a is best for double-ζ basis sets. When using aXZ basis sets (X ≥ 3), convergence is achieved from above for F12b and F12c ansatze and from below for F12a. The CCSD(T**)-F12b/aXZ approa...
A Molecular Biologic Approach to Cardiac Toxicology

Molecular biology seeks to depict biological function in terms of discrete events, individually accessible to biochemical study. With the myocardial cell this approach has had some success. The affinity of receptors for a variety of drugs, the ionic basis for signal transmission across the sarcolemmal membrane, and the enzymatic components of the various membranes that control internal calcium, have been studied and provide a rationale for at least some of the reversible, pharmacologically induced dysfunctions that represent the side effects of conventional drugs on this cell. This symposium, however, deals largely with chemical agents which initiate sequences of incompletely understood events that lead ultimately to irreversible tissue damage and cell death. Among these effects, the myocardial necrosis produced by suprapharmacological concentrations of isoproterenol has been of special interest because its production may have some elements in common with infarction or ischemic damage and because it induces resistance to further chemical damage.
Therapeutic targeting of RNA splicing in myelodysplasia

Genomic analysis of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) has identified that mutations within genes encoding RNA splicing factors represent the most common class of genetic alterations in MDS. These mutations primarily affect SF3B1, SRSF2, U2AF1, and ZRSR2. Current data suggest that these mutations perturb RNA splicing catalysis in a manner distinct from loss of function but how exactly the global changes in RNA splicing imparted by these mutations result in MDS is not well delineated. At the same time, cells bearing mutations in RNA splicing factors are exquisitely dependent on the presence of the remaining wild-type (WT) allele to maintain residual normal splicing for cell survival. The high frequency of these mutations in MDS, combined with their mutual exclusivity and noteworthy dependence on the WT allele, make targeting RNA splicing attractive in MDS. To this end, two promising therapeutic approaches targeting RNA splicing are being tested clinically currently. These include molecules targeting core RNA splicing catalysis by interfering with the ability of the SF3b complex to interact with RNA, as well as molecules degrading the auxiliary RNA splicing factor RBM39. The preclinical and clinical evaluation of these compounds are discussed here in addition to their potential as therapies for spliceosomal mutant MDS.
AN IMPROVED MICHELSON INTERFEROMETER: SMOOTHING OUT THE ROUGH SPOTS FOR A MORE EFFECTIVE TEACHING TOOL

The Michelson interferometer is a classic tool for demonstrating the wave nature of light, and it is a cornerstone of the optics curriculum. But many students’ experiences with this device are higher in frustration than they are in learning. That situation motivated an effort to make aligning the tool less a test of a visual acuity and patience, and more of an introduction to optics phenomena and optical engineering. Key improvements included an added beam‐splitter to accommodate multiple observers, a modified telescope to quickly and reliably obtain parallel mirrors, and a series of increasing spectral‐width light sources to obtain equal path lengths. This greatly improved students’ chances of success, as defined by achieving “white light fringes”. When presenting these new features to the students, high importance is placed on understanding why alignment was so difficult with the original design, and why the changes made alignment easier. By exposing the rationale behind the improvements, students can observe the process of problem‐solving in an optical engineering scenario. Equally important is the demonstration that solutions can be devised or adapted based on the parts at hand, and that implementations only achieve a highly “polished’ state after several design iterations.
Hamilton–Jacobi equation, reaction action surface and the emergence of the force concept in chemical reaction dynamics

ABSTRACTA combination of Hamilton–Jacobi equation and fast marching algorithm can be used to study reaction dynamics by converting the potential energy surface to a reaction action surface. The reaction action surface has been found to be an important tool in theoretical chemistry, allowing us to provide a different force-based perspective of chemical reactions. Several properties such as reaction force, reaction force surface, reaction path force and reaction path force constant have been defined and calculated by using the reaction action surface. This paper investigates these newly defined properties in order to understand the role they play in chemical reaction with reference to a model 4-well potential energy surface.
Segregation in the Golgi complex precedes export of endolysosomal proteins in distinct transport carriers

Biosynthetic sorting of newly synthesized transmembrane cargos to endosomes and lysosomes is thought to occur at the TGN through recognition of sorting signals in the cytosolic tails of the cargos by adaptor proteins, leading to cargo packaging into coated vesicles destined for the endolysosomal system. Here we present evidence for a different mechanism in which two sets of endolysosomal proteins undergo early segregation to distinct domains of the Golgi complex by virtue of the proteins' luminal and transmembrane domains. Proteins in one Golgi domain exit into predominantly vesicular carriers by interaction of sorting signals with adaptor proteins, but proteins in the other domain exit into predominantly tubular carriers shared with plasma membrane proteins, independently of signal-adaptor interactions. These findings demonstrate that sorting of endolysosomal proteins begins at an earlier stage and involves mechanisms that partly differ from those described by classical models.
Stretching, spanning, and linear adjacency in Vocabulary Insertion

In studying the mechanisms that create portmanteaux, it is often difficult to distinguish structural constituency from linear adjacency. This paper examines the Irish verbal complex, the particular intricacies of which allow us to disentangle linear adjacency from morphosyntactic constituency. We observe that portmanteaux are formed between linearly adjacent nodes, without reference to structural constituency. A theory is developed in which Vocabulary Insertion operates over linearized structures, allowing Insertion of linearly adjacent nodes. This mechanism is termed ‘Stretching.’ In this way the characteristic slogan of Distributed Morphology (Halle and Marantz 1993) “syntax all the way down” is maintained, but the relevant sense of syntax is one in which post-syntactic processing creates complex structures which imperfectly mirror the narrow syntax. Importantly, it is linear adjacency within these post-syntactic structures which regulates patterns of Vocabulary Insertion, not structural adjacency.
Fat necrosis and polymicrobial wound infection caused partly by Raoultella ornithinolytica after reduction mammoplasty

Raoultella ornithinolytica is a rare opportunistic aerobic gram-negative bacillus that naturally exists in soil, water and plants. The pathogen has been described in association with diabetic foot infections, biliary infections, bacteraemia and native and prosthetic joint infections. Fat necrosis and wound infection following breast reduction surgery or other plastic surgeries caused by this pathogen have not been previously described. We present a case of bilateral fat necrosis, wound infection and dehiscence in a 24-year-old woman with no significant past medical problems. She initially had an uneventful early postoperative course but 3 weeks after surgery noticed pain and discharge from both nipple/areola area of both breasts which later developed into full-thickness fat necrosis and complete destruction of the nipple areolar complex. R. ornithinolytica, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus faecalis were identified from wound exudate cultures. She was treated with surgical debridement and 2 weeks of appropriate antibiotics with a favourable outcome.
In vivo bacterial protease production during Pseudomonas aeruginosa corneal infection.

Purpose. To establish if active pseudomonal proteases are present in vivo during corneal infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and to determine if the mouse strains used in these and previous studies have the ability to mount a nonocular antibody response to the purified proteases because antibodies to the bacterial proteases were not detected previously during in vivo ocular infection. Methods. At certain times after corneal infection with P. aeruginosa, corneas were harvested and supernatants from the corneal homogenates were analyzed for proteolytic activity by zymography and immunoreactivity by immunoblotting. The efficiency of the extraction procedures used in these studies was determined by incubating uninfected corneal homogenates with the purified proteases. The resultant supernatants were analyzed for alkaline protease and elastase activity. Additionally, mice were immunized intraperitoneally with the purified proteases with and without adjuvant to determine if the animals could mount a nonocular antibody response. Results. Corneas infected with P. aeruginosa demonstrated the presence of alkaline protease, but not elastase, by the two methods examined. The kinetics of the in vivo alkaline protease response closely parallels previously reported bacterial clearance studies in that peak alkaline protease activity was detected in corneal tissue when peak bacterial numbers also were observed in the eye, and it was absent when the eyes were sterile or nearly sterile. In addition, C57BL/6J mice were capable of mounting a nonocular antibody response to microgram quantities of both proteases only in the presence of adjuvant. Conclusions. In the model described, enzymatically active alkaline protease, but not elastase, was demonstrated in corneal tissues during in vivo infection. Concentrations of these proteases were much lower than those required to stimulate an antibody response. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1995 ;36 :1371-1378.
The Location and Characterization of Stationary Points on Molecular Potential Energy Surfaces

A procedure is described for the location of stationary points on potential energy surfaces from computed values of the energy and (if available) energy derivatives. The procedure is based on least-squares fitting of the available data by a polynomial in a nonredundant subset of the Cartesian coordinates of the atoms, followed by location of an appropriate stationary point of the polynomial. This process is iterated with the addition of new data points. Also discussed are the calculation of vibrational frequencies and the location of reaction paths. An application to the CH 5 + ion is described.
Quantitative Security Risk Assessment of Android Permissions and Applications

The booming of the Android platform in recent years has attracted the attention of malware developers. However, the permissions-based model used in Android system to prevent the spread of malware, has shown to be ineffective. In this paper, we propose DroidRisk, a framework for quantitative security risk assessment of both Android permissions and applications (apps) based on permission request patterns from benign apps and malware, which aims to improve the efficiency of Android permission system. Two data sets with 27,274 benign apps from Google Play and 1,260 Android malware samples were used to evaluate the effectiveness of DroidRisk. The results demonstrate that DroidRisk can generate more reliable risk signal for warning the potential malicious activities compared with existing methods. We show that DroidRisk can also be used to alleviate the overprivilege problem and improve the user attention to the risks of Android permissions and apps.
Caloric Content and Energetic Budget of Tropical Seabird Eggs

Although avian egg composition and caloric density have been related to the degree of developmental maturity shown by the hatchling (Romanoff and Romanoff, 1949; Nice, 1962; Ricklefs, 1977; Carey et al., 1980), recent evidence suggests that there is no simple relationship between egg composition and hatchling precocity (Williams et al., 1982). Among tropical seabirds, incubation periods are characteristically prolonged; the incubation period is much greater than predicted on the basis of egg mass (Whittow, 1980). In addition, the energetic cost of prolonged embryonic development is high (Whittow, 1980; Ackerman et al., 1980; Pettit and Whittow, 1983). Accordingly, the energetic content of the freshly-laid egg would be expected to be high since embryonic development can utilize only those nutrients which are incorporated in the egg at the start of incubation, and the oxygen which diffuses through the pores of the eggshell, to meet metabolic requirements.
Conservative numerical methods for ẍ = f(x)

Abstract Two distinctly different numerical methods are developed for solving the conservative initial value problem x = f(x), x(O)= α, dot x (O)= β . Both methods conserve exactly the same total energy as does the given differential equation. Computer examples are described and