cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In-memory fuzzing for binary code similarity analysis

Detecting similar functions in binary executables serves as a foundation for many binary code analysis and reuse tasks. By far, recognizing similar components in binary code remains a challenge. Existing research employs either static or dynamic approaches to capture program syntax or semantics-level features for comparison. However, there exist multiple design limitations in previous work, which result in relatively high cost, low accuracy and scalability, and thus severely impede their practical use. In this paper, we present a novel method that leverages in-memory fuzzing for binary code similarity analysis. Our prototype tool IMF-SIM applies in-memory fuzzing to launch analysis towards every function and collect traces of different kinds of program behaviors. The similarity score of two behavior traces is computed according to their longest common subsequence. To compare two functions, a feature vector is generated, whose elements are the similarity scores of the behavior trace-level comparisons. We train a machine learning model through labeled feature vectors; later, for a given feature vector by comparing two functions, the trained model gives a final score, representing the similarity score of the two functions. We evaluate IMF-SIM against binaries compiled by different compilers, optimizations, and commonly-used obfuscation methods, in total over one thousand binary executables. Our evaluation shows that IMF-SIM notably outperforms existing tools with higher accuracy and broader application scopes.
The Late Theory of Thought

Substantively the key change in the late view is that now space and time are explicitly brought under rules in the context of empirical representation or the representation of the full scope of possible experience. Recall that in attempting to resolve the original second antinomy Kant was led to the idea of a general rule for further bisecting; i.e. to the idea that explicit rules for spatial behavior are involved in representing empirical reality (or the world).1 Such rules required a switch to a new basis and a new design of the mathematical antinomies. In this new design the argument against the realist is, in effect, that he cannot incorporate spatializing and temporizing in general rules without antinomy. What Kant or the idealist is left with is that bisecting, moving off, and coming in upon temporizing are all explicitly in the content of our rules for representing possible experience or appearances either singularly or generally. Thus the explicit incorporation of spatio-temporizing in rules that represent what is so empirically emerges directly out of the transition to the late view in the mathematical antinomies.2
The seminal vesicle

The seminal vesicles are elongated (~ 1–2 × 6 cm), paired male accessory sex glands which lie, one on each side of the midline, posterior to the urinary bladder, superior to the prostate and lateral to the vas deferens. There is moderate variation among individuals in how and precisely where the seminal vesicles join the vas deferens to form the ejaculatory ducts as well as the extent to which each gland coils upon itself. When the connective tissue binding the coils is cut, the glands usually unravel to form tubular structures (~ 15 cm long) composed of a mucosa, muscularis and adventitia.
SECross: securing cross cloud boundary

Multi-cloud system may be cost-efficient and practical to integrate resources of multiple clouds. However, different clouds are usually managed by different organisations with different security policies and management platforms. When some components of a multi-cloud system are compromised, attackers can potentially have a high privilege that impacts the rest of system. We analysed the threats to overall system when some components of the multi-cloud system in a public cloud are compromised. We developed a model we call SECross for fine-grain database access policy for SECross components, and the method for users to access computing machines. We analysed how SECross resists various potential attacks when any of SECross components are compromised.
The effect of interlayer cooling on the mechanical properties of components printed via fused deposition

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of interlayer cooling on the mechanical properties of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) structures that are 3D printed using fusion based material extrusion. Two different types of samples were prepared, one designed to measure the compressive strength of the structural material, and the other designed to measure the shear strength of the structural material. Both types of samples were printed with various interlayer wait times by pausing for an allotted amount of time to allow for additional cooling before printing the sequential layer. The samples were then compressed using a Mark-10 ESM 1500 Tension and Compression Tester in accordance with ASTM D695-15. As the wait time in between layers was increased, the effective yield strength was decreased for both types of samples. Temperature data was collected from the top layer of the structures after each successive layer deposition. This data revealed significant cooling over the wait times being considered. These trends prove that additional care needs to be taken when selecting the print settings for structural components that are manufactured using fused filament fabrication. This study shows that printing processes that require additional time (i.e. larger parts, finer geometries, etc.) will inherently lead to a reduction in the mechanical strength of the printed structure.
Convergence and Divergence of UNFCCC Nationally Determined Contributions

The wide spectrum of national priorities and attendant climate positions among parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been a hallmark of international cl...
Analysis of Inpatient Palliative Care Consultations for Patients With Metastatic Prostate Cancer

Objective:To characterize the use of palliative care for patients with metastatic prostate cancer and identify its associations with costs, hospital course, and discharge.Materials and Methods:Usin...
The Negative Intelligence–Religiosity Relation: New and Confirming Evidence:

Zuckerman et al. (2013) conducted a meta-analysis of 63 studies that showed a negative intelligence-religiosity relation (IRR). As more studies have become available and because some of Zuckerman et al.'s (2013) conclusions have been challenged, we conducted a new meta-analysis with an updated data set of 83 studies. Confirming previous conclusions, the new analysis showed that the correlation between intelligence and religious beliefs in college and noncollege samples ranged from -.20 to -.23. There was no support for mediation of the IRR by education but there was support for partial mediation by analytic cognitive style. Thus, one possible interpretation for the IRR is that intelligent people are more likely to use analytic style (i.e., approach problems more rationally). An alternative (and less interesting) reason for the mediation is that tests of both intelligence and analytic style assess cognitive ability. Additional empirical and theoretical work is needed to resolve this issue.
The arrow program: a software engineering case study for CS1---nifty assignment

This paper describes The Arrow Program, a thorough programming assignment suitable for an introductory level course in computer programming. The assignment teaches students how to construct programs modularly from functions and allows them to gain a well-rounded understanding of the three types of control structures: sequential, selection, and repetition. Moreover, the assignment is suitable for implementation in both programming paradigms: procedural (using C/C++) and object-oriented (using Java).
The value of early-stage phenotyping for wheat breeding in the age of genomic selection

Genomic selection using data from an on-going breeding program can improve gain from selection, relative to phenotypic selection, by significantly increasing the number of lines that can be evaluated. The early stages of phenotyping involve few observations and can be quite inaccurate. Genomic selection (GS) could improve selection accuracy and alter resource allocation. Our objectives were (1) to compare the prediction accuracy of GS and phenotyping in stage-1 and stage-2 field evaluations and (2) to assess the value of stage-1 phenotyping for advancing lines to stage-2 testing. We built training populations from 1769 wheat breeding lines that were genotyped and phenotyped for yield, test weight, Fusarium head blight resistance, heading date, and height. The lines were in cohorts, and analyses were done by cohort. Phenotypes or GS estimated breeding values were used to determine the trait value of stage-1 lines, and these values were correlated with their phenotypes from stage-2 trials. This was repeated for stage-2 to stage-3 trials. The prediction accuracy of GS and phenotypes was similar to each other regardless of the amount (0, 50, 100%) of stage-1 data incorporated in the GS model. Ranking of stage-1 lines by GS predictions that used no stage-1 phenotypic data had marginally lower correspondence to stage-2 phenotypic rankings than rankings of stage-1 lines based on phenotypes. Stage-1 lines ranked high by GS had slightly inferior phenotypes in stage-2 trials than lines ranked high by phenotypes. Cost analysis indicated that replacing stage-1 phenotyping with GS would allow nearly three times more stage-1 candidates to be assessed and provide 0.84–2.23 times greater gain from selection. We conclude that GS can complement or replace phenotyping in early stages of phenotyping.
Research progress of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in the treatment of retinopathy

Stem cell therapy for retinal disease is under way, and several clinical trials are currently recruiting.These trials use human umbilical cord tissue-derived stem cells and bone marrow-derived stem cells to treat visual disorders such as age-related macular degeneration, and retinitis pigmentosa.Mesenchymal stem cells(bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, BMSCs) belong to adult pluripotent stem cells, capable of unlimited self-renewal, have the potential multi-directional differentiation, and more recent researches, mainly through such cells can differentiation into retinal characteristics and morphology similar to or the same structural characteristics of functional impairment, which is widely used in the treatment of retinal diseases.In recent years' researches, whether in the vivo or in vitro experiments, BMSCs have the potential to differentiate into nerve cells offering the selectivity of treatment in retinal injury and diseases.So, this view discussed the biological characteristics of BMSCs and bone marrow in the mechanism of action of retinopathy, relevant treatment. Key words: Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell; Biological characteristics; Retinopathy
Traveling for Pancreatic Cancer Care Is Worth the Trip

BACKGROUND Centralized care for patients with pancreatic cancer is associated with longer survival. We hypothesized that increased travel distance from home is associated with increased survival for pancreatic cancer patients. METHODS The National Cancer Database user file for all pancreatic cancer patients was investigated from 2004 through 2015. Distance from the patients' zip code to the treating facility was determined. Survival was investigated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Cox hazard ratios (CoxHRs) were determined based on stage of disease, distance traveled for care, and clinical factors. RESULTS 340 780 patients were identified. In the average age of 68 ± 12 years, 51% were male and 83% were Caucasian. For all stages of cancer, longer survival was associated with traveling farther (P < .001). The survival advantage was longer for Caucasians than African Americans (3.7 months vs. 2.6 months, P < .001) Travel was associated with a 13% decrease in risk of death (P < .001). Even controlling for the pathologic stage, traveling farther was associated with decreased risk of death (CoxHR = .91, P < .001). DISCUSSION Traveling for care is associated with improved survival for pancreatic cancer patients. While a selection bias may exist, the fact that all stages of patients investigated benefited suggests that this is a real phenomenon.
Newborn mice form lasting CA2-dependent memories of their mothers

Some of the most enduring social connections begin when infants first recognize their caregivers, memories that form the basis of many family relationships. It remains unknown whether these early social memories persist into adulthood in mice and, if so, which brain regions support them. Here we show that mice form memories of their mother within days after birth and that these memories persist into adulthood. Pups display greater interest in the mother than in an unfamiliar dam before weaning, after which this preference reverses. Inhibition of CA2 neurons in the pup temporarily blocks the ability to discriminate between the mother and an unfamiliar dam, whereas doing so in adulthood prevents the formation of short-term memories about conspecifics, as well as social discrimination related to long-term memories of the mother. These results suggest that the CA2 supports memories of the mother during infancy and adulthood with a developmental switch in social preference.
A constraint partially observable semi-Markov decision process for the attack–defence relationships in various critical infrastructures

Gaining a better understanding of the relationship between attackers and defenders in cybersecurity domains to protect computer systems is of great importance. From the defender’s side, it is criti...
Measuring Human Adaptation to AI in Decision Making: Application to Evaluate Changes after AlphaGo

Across a growing number of domains, human experts are expected to learn from and adapt to AI with superior decision making abilities. But how can we quantify such human adaptation to AI? We develop a simple measure of human adaptation to AI and test its usefulness in two case studies. In Study 1, we analyze 1.3 million move decisions made by professional Go players and find that a positive form of adaptation to AI (learning) occurred after the players could observe the reasoning processes of AI, rather than mere actions of AI. These findings based on our measure highlight the importance of explainability for human learning from AI. In Study 2, we test whether our measure is sufficiently sensitive to capture a negative form of adaptation to AI (cheating aided by AI), which occurred in a match between professional Go players. We discuss our measure's applications in domains other than Go, especially in domains in which AI's decision making ability will likely surpass that of human experts.
Locoregional Flaps in Lower Extremity Reconstruction

Locoregional flaps play an important role in soft tissue reconstruction of the lower extremity and should be considered an effective option in soft tissue reconstruction. The medial hemisoleus muscle flap and the distally based sural artery flap can be elevated because of unique vascular anatomy and more advanced surgical techniques in flap dissection. Each flap can replace free tissue transfer as the first choice for soft tissue reconstruction of a less extensive wound in the distal third of the leg. Patient selection and detailed knowledge of the flap and its advanced technique for flap dissection are keys to success.
Old problems and new solutions: antibiotic alternatives in food animal production

The antimicrobial resistance crisis is a Global Health challenge that impacts humans, animals, and the environment alike. In response to increased demands for animal protein and by-products, there has been a substantial increase in the use of antimicrobial agents in the animal industry. Indeed, they are extensively used to prevent, control, and (or) treat disease in animals. In addition to infection control, in-feed supplementation with antimicrobials became common practice for growth promotion of livestock. Unfortunately, the global overuse of antimicrobials has contributed to the emergence and spread of resistance. As such, many countries have implemented policies and approaches to eliminate the use of antimicrobials as growth promoters in food animals, which necessitates the need for alternate and One Health strategies to maintain animal health and welfare. This review summarizes the antimicrobial resistance crisis from Global Health and One Health perspectives. In addition, we outline examples of potential alternate strategies to circumvent antimicrobial use in animal husbandry practices, including antivirulence agents, bacteriophages, and nutritional measures to control bacterial pathogens. Overall, these alternate strategies require further research and development efforts, including assessment of efficacy and the associated development, manufacturing, and labor costs.
Generalized divisor functions in arithmetic progressions: I

Abstract We prove some distribution results for the k-fold divisor function in arithmetic progressions to moduli that exceed the square-root of length X of the sum, with appropriate constrains and averaging on the moduli, saving a power of X from the trivial bound. On assuming the Generalized Riemann Hypothesis, we obtain uniform power saving error terms that are independent of k. We follow and specialize Y.T. Zhang's method on bounded gaps between primes to our setting. Our arguments are essentially self-contained, with the exception on the use of Deligne's work on the Riemann Hypothesis for varieties over finite fields. In particular, we avoid the reliance on Siegel's theorem, leading to some effective estimates.
Microprocessor Based Systems in the Automobile: Custom Integrated Circuits Provide an Effective Interface

While the MOS microprocessor chip has been used as a cost effective electronic building block for simultaneously meeting the goals of fuel management, emissions and reliability, it has also created the need for additional interface electronics. Interface circuits are necessary to buffer and protect the sensitive MOS circuitry from the loading and electrical transients of mechanical switches, sensors, solenoids and indicators. In some instances, the interface can be solved using a few inexpensive discrete parts, but the complexity of new systems justifies the design of custom ICs to fulfill the requirements. This paper describes how custom bipolar ICs can be used to reduce system cost and improve noise immunity, as well as reliability, when designing interface electronics.
Using the Teaching and Guidance Policy Essentials Checklist to Build and Support Effective Early Childhood Systems

The prevalence of preschool expulsion, coupled with racial disparities in expulsion rates and the potential long term negative effects of challenging behaviors in the early years, has created an urgent need to build early childhood systems to address these issues. The teaching and guidance policy essentials checklist (TAG-PEC) has been developed to assess nine essential features of high quality early childhood discipline policies and can be used by early childhood programs in a variety of settings to evaluate, refine, and revise existing policies or guide in the development of new policies. Using data from 282 guidance policies assessed using the TAG-PEC, the authors use a framework for systems building developed by Coffman (A framework for evaluating systems initiatives, 2007) to position the TAG-PEC as a powerful tool that can be used to help build and support an effective and cohesive early childhood system. Findings indicate that, overall, discipline policies were not high quality and there was a great deal of variability in the TAG-PEC scores. By bringing evidence based practices to the field via a simple to use checklist, the authors hope to help contribute to the development of a comprehensive early childhood system and that supports programs in the provision of high quality services to children and families.
V Deformation Invariant, Space-Variant Optical Pattern Recognition

Publisher Summary This chapter is concerned with optical pattern recognition applications. Specifically, it considers practical pattern recognition problems in which differences exist between the input and reference functions to be correlated. The approach to be emphasized involves the development of space-variant optical pattern recognition systems that are invariant to various expected deformations that can arise between the input and reference functions to be correlated. The specific type of space-variant optical processor is realized by applying a coordinate transformation preprocessing operation to the input and reference data. The vital approach to optical pattern recognition is needed if optical correlators are to see extensive use in real, practical applications and if they are to supplant sophisticated digital pattern recognition systems with their extensive algorithms but slow speed high cost.
Pliny's Women: Constructing Virtue and Creating Identity in the Roman World

1. Pliny: enemy of tyrants 2. Pliny: model protege 3. Pliny: champion of the vulnerable 4. Pliny: creator of the ideal wife 5. Pliny: arbiter of virtue.
Ascent to altitude as a weight loss method: The good and bad of hypoxia inducible factor activation

Objective Given the epidemic of obesity worldwide there is a need for more novel and effective weight loss methods. Altitude is well known to be associated with weight loss and has actually been used as a method of weight reduction in obese subjects. This review demonstrates the critical role of hypoxia inducible factor (HIF) in bringing about reductions in appetite and increases in energy expenditure characteristic of hypobaric hypoxia Design and Methods A MEDLINE search of English language articles through February 2013 identified publications associating altitude or hypobaric hypoxia with key words to include HIF, weight loss, appetite, basal metabolic rate, leptin, cellular energetics, and obesity. The data from these articles were synthesized to formulate a unique and novel mechanism by which HIF activation leads to alterations in appetite, basal metabolic rate, and reductions in body adiposity. Results A synthesis of previously published literature revealed mechanisms by which altitude induces activation of HIF, thereby suggesting this transcription factor regulates changes in cellular metabolism/energetics, activation of the central nervous system, as well as peripheral pathways leading to reductions in food intake and increases in energy expenditure. Conclusions Here a unifying hypothesis is present suggesting that activation of HIF under conditions of altitude potentially leads to metabolic benefits that are dose dependent, gender and genetic specific, and results in adverse effects if the exposure is extreme.
Confidence intervals for predicted outcomes in regression models for categorical outcomes

We discuss methods for computing confidence intervals for predictions and discrete changes in predictions for regression models for categorical outcomes. The methods include endpoint transformation...
Oxidative addition reaction of perfluoro-n-butyl iodide to (COD)PtMe2 to give (COD)PtMe(nC4F9).: The molecular structure of (COD)PtMe2

Abstract Reaction of (COD)PtMe2 (COD=1,5-cyclooctadiene) with one molar equivalent of C4F9I in hexanes produces the perfluoroalkylplatinum product (COD)PtMe(C4F9) (1) along with the known Pt(IV) complex [PtMe3I]4. This result stands in contrast to previous reports that attempts to synthesize platinum complexes with fluoroalkyls larger than CF3 gave only inseparable mixtures. An essential condition to the controlled synthesis of 1 is the use of only one equivalent of perfluoroalkyl iodide. Similar reactions reported previously employed an excess of iodoperfluorocarbon, which gave rise to mixtures of products due to successive oxidative addition and reductive elimination reactions. The X-ray crystal structure (COD)PtMe2 was determined.
Conservative management and female gender are associated with increased cancer-specific death in patients with isolated primary urothelial carcinoma in situ.

Our goal was to investigate the effect of patient and disease characteristics on the probability of cancer-specific death (CSD) in cases of isolated urothelial carcinoma in situ (CIS). We performed a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with isolated CIS between 1990 and 2010 identified from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. Competing risk analysis using Cox proportional hazard model was used to examine the probability of CSD controlling for possible covariates. Overall (n = 1432), patients were mainly male (75%), mean age at diagnosis was 71 years, median survival 47 months, and 65% of the patients had CIS in their upper urinary tract. Caucasians were the predominant race (90%). CIS was the cause of death in 87/1432(6%) of the total cohort; 69/1239 (6%) of patients who underwent surgery, and 18/193 (9%) of the patients who were managed conservatively (CM). On multivariate analysis, CM [hazard ration (HR) = 2.019, CI: 1.189-3.429, P = 0.009] and female gender (HR = 1.690, CI: 1.041-2.741, P = 0.033) were associated with CSD, while age, site, race and year of diagnosis were non-significant predictors. Female gender and conservative management were positively associated with CSD. Multi-institutional collaboration is needed to validate markers for poor prognosis in cases of isolated CIS.
Systemic exposure to lidocaine and tetracaine is low after an application of a lidocaine 7%-tetracaine 7% peel in adults

Background The lidocaine 7%–tetracaine 7% (LT) peel has been demonstrated to be useful for a variety of dermatologic applications, including cosmetic, laser, and vascular access procedures. Aim To measure and evaluate the detectable plasma levels and safety of lidocaine and tetracaine in adult volunteers after a single application of an LT peel, a novel method of topical anesthesia that does not require occlusion. Methods A randomized, factorial design study was used to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profile of lidocaine and tetracaine after a single application of the LT peel in adult volunteers (n = 36; mean age, 26.6 years). The LT peel was applied to the anterior surface of the left or right thigh of volunteers for 30, 60, or 90 min over a 50-, 100-, or 200-cm2 area. Venous blood samples were collected at 0, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 300, and 420 min after the initial application of the LT peel. Results At all time points, plasma concentrations of lidocaine and tetracaine were below the limits of quantification for the assay: 100 ng/mL and 5 ng/mL, respectively. Because of the lack of concentrations above the limit of quantification, it was not possible to determine the pharmacokinetic parameters, other than the maximum concentrations of < 100 ng/mL for lidocaine and < 5 ng/mL for tetracaine. A single application of the LT peel was well tolerated, and no study subject reported an adverse event. Conclusions A single application of LT peel to up to 200 cm2 of anterior thigh in adults with a duration of up to 90 min produces systemic levels of lidocaine and tetracaine that are of no clinical significance at all time points measured up to 420 min after the initial application.
The "German measles" epidemic in Indiana.

Abstract The rubella epidemic of 1964 in Indiana failed to significantly increase the reported incidence of congenital deformities or the perinatal mortality rate, because the authors estimate that only 0.38 per cent of the women who were delivered in 1964 had rubella, and only 15 per cent of these were delivered of deformed infants. Some of the congenital deformities produced may have gone undiagnosed and, therefore, unreported.
The Sacred and the Search for Significance: Religion as a Unique Process

Although many social scientists have assumed that religion can be reduced to more basic processes, there may be something unique about religion. By definition, religion has a distinctively meaningful point of reference, the sacred. Empirically, studies also suggest that religion may be a unique: form of motivation; source of value and significance; contributor to mortality and health; source of coping; and source of distress. These findings point to the need for: theory and research on the sacred; attention to the pluralization of religious beliefs and practices; evaluation of individual and social interventions that address spiritual problems and apply spiritual resources to their resolution; and collaboration between psychological and religious groups that draws on their unique identities and strengths.
Richard Kearney and Kascha Semonovitch (eds.), Phenomenologies of the Stranger

Review of Richard Kearney and Kascha Semonovitch (eds.), Phenomenologies of the Stranger: Between Hostility and Hospitality
Intermediate Products in the Catabolism of Amino Acids by Rumen Microorganisms

Summary Intermediary products arising from the catabolism of individual amino acids by rumen microorganisms were chromatographically and spectrophotometrically examined. Cheese cloth-strained rumen liquor and washed suspensions of rumen bacteria were employed. Substrate concentrations were 10 μ m/milliliter. l-arginine yielded ornithine, σ -aminovaleric acid, and putrescine. l-ornithine gave rise to σ -aminovaleric acid and putrescine. l-lysine yielded σ -aminovaleric acid and cadaverine. Tests for amine production from casein hydrolysate and five individual amino acids—arginine, lysine, histidine, tryptophan, and phenylalanine—at pH 4.5, 5.5, and 6.5 were negative, except for cadaverine and putrescine. Ammonia production was usually greatest at pH 6.5, less at 5.5, and negligible at 4.5, with these same five amino acids. Lysine decarboxylase activity appeared at a more acid pH than ornithine decarboxylase. Amine production varied among inocula from diffeffrent animals, but was repeatable in both mediums from the same inocula. dl-tryphophan yielded indole and skatole in rumen fluid, but skatole appeared in trace amounts in washed-cell suspensions only in the presence of maltose. Indole and skatole concentrations of 12.8 to 19.2 and 5.7 to 7.8 μ g/ml, respectively, were obtained from 24-hr rumen fluid incubations, whereas indole concentrations were 0.8 to 1.0 and 1.6 to 1.8 μ g/ml in 24-hr and 48-hr washed-cell incubations, respectively. Glutaric acid was not dissimilated in vitro by rumen microorganisms. However, σ -aminovaleric (10 μ m/milliliter) depressed acetic acid production.
Ultramicro photometric titrations using a long-path photometer

Abstract The long-path photometer previously described was adapted for photometric microtitrations. The instrument was tested employing several types of titrations. Turbidimetric titrations of silver with chloride and of barium with sulfate did not yield good results. However, the following titrations gave excellent results down to the levels indicated in parentheses: iron(II) with permanganate (0.4 ppm), zinc with EDTA in the presence of excess Zincon (6 ppm), copper with EDTA in the presence of excess SNAZOXS (9 ppb !), and calcium with EDTA in the presence of excess arsenazo III (100 ppb). The last of these titrations gave good results although a blank of about 25% of the actual volume of titrant required was encountered.
Applications of 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene. Synthesis of 3-methoxy-17α,-(5-iodothien-2-yl)-estra-1,3,5(10)trien-17β-ol

Abstract Monotransmetallation of 2,5-bis(trimethylstannyl)thiophene followed by the addition of estrone 3-methyl ether and iodine yields 3-methoxy-17α,-(5-iodothien-2-yl)estra-1,3,5(10)trien-17β-ol.
Troponin T, N-Terminal Pro–B-Type Natriuretic Peptide, and Incidence of Stroke The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study

Background and Purpose—Increased levels of plasma troponins and natriuretic peptides are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, but only limited information exists on these biomarkers and stroke occurrence. In a prospective epidemiological study, we tested the hypothesis that high-sensitivity troponin T (TnT) and N-terminal pro–B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) are associated positively with incidence of stroke. Methods—The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study measured plasma TnT and NT-proBNP in 10 902 men or women initially free of stroke and followed them for a mean of 11.3 years for stroke occurrence (n=507). Results—Both biomarkers were associated positively with total stroke, nonlacunar ischemic, and especially cardioembolic stroke, but not with lacunar or hemorrhagic stroke. For example, after adjustment for prevalent risk factors and cardiac diseases, the hazard ratios (95% CIs) for jointly high values of TnT and NT-proBNP (versus neither biomarker high) were 2....
Influence of magnesium deficiency and soy protein on magnesium and zinc status in rats

Abstract Female weanling Sprague-Dawley rats were fed casein or soy protein isolate based diets containing approximately 800 or 200 mg Mg/kg diet. Magnesium deficiency was reflected in reduced femur, carcass and plasma magnesium but not in hepatic concentration. Zinc concentration in bone was decreased in magnesium deficient animals. Plasma alkaline phosphatase and hemoglobin were depressed by magnesium deficiency. The enzyme levels were lowest in rats fed soy protein. The adverse effects on magnesium and zinc status were more pronounced than had previously been reported in response to mild magnesium deficiency for a shorter period of time.
Chest radiographs fail to detect right ventricular enlargement and right atrial enlargement in patients with a pure restrictive ventilatory impairment.

The validity of measurements of the cardiac silhouette on chest radiographs for the evaluation of right ventricular enlargement and right atrial enlargement in patients with a pure restrictive ventilatory impairment was investigated in 19 patients. The forced vital capacity (FVC) percent predicted in these patients was 59 ± 12 percent (mean±SD) (range, 29 to 79 percent). Right ventricular enlargement, by two-dimensional echocardiography, was defined as a right ventricular area >20.4 cm 2 and right atrial enlargement was defined as a right atrial area >15.3 cm 2 . Chest radiographic measurements in the posteroanterior (PA) projection included distance from the midline to the farthest point of the right border of the cardiac silhouette, transverse cardiac diameter, and cardiothoracic ratio. Measurements in the lateral projection included the lateral horizontal transverse diameter, ventral portion of the lateral broad diameter, and obliteration of the retrosternal space. Neither the right ventricular area nor the right atrial area correlated with any of these radiographic measurements. There were no differences in these chest radiographic measurements among patients with normal right ventricular and right atrial dimensions, patients with right ventricular enlargement, and patients with right atrial enlargement. We conclude, therefore, that PA and lateral chest radiographs do not reliably detect right ventricular enlargement or right atrial enlargement in patients with a pure restrictive ventilatory impairment.
The labor of surveillance and bureaucratized killing: new subjectivities of military drone operators

As the military's armed surveillance drones have become the iconic weapon of the early twenty-first century, they have also introduced radical transformations in the traditional labor of those who operate them – the pilots, crew, analysts, and commanders. In so doing, these transformations have engendered new kinds of subjectivity, with new ways of experiencing the work of surveillance and killing. This paper investigates the nature of these new subjectivities, how they are constructed through new technologies that combine surveillance with remote agency, the bureaucratization of killing, and the psychological implications for operators. It examines how scientific management strategies from Taylorism to business process re-engineering have contributed to reconstituting the subjectivity of drone pilots and sensor operators through decomposing their labor practices and reconstituting them within professionalized careers and technological systems of supervision and management. It also looks at how the decisi...
Employer Perceptions of Elder Care Assistance Programs

SUMMARY Little research has been conducted to evaluate employer-sponsored elder care service programs. This study assesses the perspectives of senior human resource and employee benefit managers at large U.S. corporations about nine types of elder care services. Survey responses were obtained from 115 employer officials. The majority of employers reported that elder care services help decrease absenteeism, manage employee stress, and boost productivity. Flexible work scheduling and leave programs were considered to have the greatest benefit for employee recruitment and retention. Utilization of elder care services remains low, impeded by lack of employee awareness about the services, inability to measure their impacts, and employer concerns about program costs.
Plant tumors resulting from unregulated hormone synthesis.

The problem discussed is whether the abnormal continued synthesis of both auxin and cytokinins which is known to occur in crown gall tissue can be the cause of tumor structure. Crown gall is characterized by a low level of organization rather than by a special type of cell growth or cell differentiation, auxin is a major hormonal signal of growing shoot tissues and cytokinins are major hormonal signals of the root. Two control mechanisms by which hormone synthesis could be related to tissue organization are suggested: (a) the limited duration of the stage of rapid growth of any given shoot tissue could be dependent on a control of auxin synthesis, and (b) normal dominance relations between regions of shoot growth depend on the separation of the site of synthesis of two factors and the presence of both is necessary for rapid development. It is shown that the disruption of these two control mechanisms could account for the known structure of crown gall.
Analysis of the decision process for selecting ERP software: the case of Keller Manufacturing

Keller Manufacturing, a mid‐sized furniture manufacturer, completed the purchase of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) software solution in August of 1996 at a cost of US$1 million. From 12 individuals who participated on Keller’s acquisition team, the four principals were interviewed for this case. The structure of the acquisition process that emerged from the data revealed six distinctive iterative, recursive and inter‐related processes that, together, form a complex web of activity and tasks for the acquisition of ERP software. These activities and tasks are described and analyzed as a function of the six processes. The ERP acquisition process developed by Keller for this purchase was atypical of their normal purchasing practices and proved to be a significant learning experience for the entire organization. This case provides a useful illustration of “good practice” and sets forth the framework for the ERP acquisition process.
RADIATIVE DECAY OF THE MUON

The photon spectrum einitted in muon decay is derived in the framework of the two-component theory of the neutrino. The possibility that this effect may be observed with present techniques is discussed. (W.D.M.)
Plinian-type eruptions in the medicine lake highland, california, and the nature of the underlying magma

Abstract Contemporaneous Plinian eruptions of rhyolite pumice from Glass Mountain and Little Glass Mountain during the last 1100 years B.P. were followed by extrusion of lava flows. 1.2 km of material was erupted and 10% by volume is tephra. All of the tephra deposits consist of very poorly sorted coarse ash and lapilli that are mostly pumice pyroclasts. Eruptive sequences, chemical composition and petrographic character of the rhyolites at Little Glass Mountain and Glass Mountain suggest that they came from the same magma body. The 1:9 ratio of tephra to lavas is typical of small silicic magma chambers. Eruption from a small chamber, 4–6 km deep, at vents 15 km apart is possible if magma rose along cone sheets with dips of 45–60°. The caldera rim and arcuate lines of vents near it may represent the surface expression of several concentric cone sheets. Pumice pyroclasts erupted at Glass Mountain and Little Glass Mountain may have formed in the following manner: (1) vesicle growth and coalescence beginning at 1–2 km depths; (2) elongation of the vesicles by flow within the cone sheets; (3) disruption of the vesiculated magma when it reached the surface by an expansion wave passing down through it; and (4) eruption of comminution products as pumice pyroclasts. Plinian activity at Little Glass Mountain and Glass Mountain continued until the volatile-rich top of the magma chamber had been depleted.
MicroRNA regulatory networks in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a chronic, progressive, and fatal scarring lung disease of unknown etiology, characterized by changes in microRNA expression. Activation of transforming growt...
Ethical Voters and Costly Information Acquisition

Game theoretic and statistical models have emphasized the desirable information aggregation properties of large elections. However, such models do not explain why voters choose to acquire costly information. In this paper we use an ethical voter model to endogenize the decision to acquire information. We show that a significant fraction of the electorate will acquire costly information. However, even with negligible costs of acquiring information a fraction of the electorate will remain uninformed. Moreover, we show that as the quality of information increases information aggregation properties of election improve, but the fraction of informed voters may decrease. This result stands in contrast to previous models where the information aggregation properties of elections are insensitive to changes in the fraction informed. In addition, changes in the quality or cost of information affect the relative likelihood that each candidate wins the election.
Small Bowel Lymphangioma

Abstract Background Lymphangiomas are uncommon benign tumors found mainly in children. Intra-abdominal lymphangiomas are rare, mostly located in the mesentery. Small bowel lymphangiomas are very rare. Patient and methods A 38-year-old woman presented with recurrent melena and anemia. Bidirectional endoscopy was non-diagnostic. Balloon enteroscopy revealed a 1 cm actively oozing, soft, friable, polypoid lesion in the proximal-mid small bowel. The lesion was white-yellow with "strawberry" mucosal patterns. Endoscopic tattooing was performed and she underwent subsequent laparoscopic segmental small bowel resection. Results Histopathologic features were consistent with a cavernous lymphangioma. At last follow-up, the patient's gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and anemia had resolved. Conclusions Small bowel lymphangiomas can cause gross or occult GI bleeding, anemia, abdominal pain, and/or obstruction. Endoscopists should be aware of this rare tumor and its unique endoscopic features. The optimal treatment is radical excision, since incomplete resection may lead to recurrence. Argon plasma coagulation or polypectomy have been used to achieve endoscopic ablation and palliation of GI bleeding.
SOME ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATIONS ON THE LAMINA PROPRIA OF THE GUT, WITH COMMENTS ON THE CLOSE ASSOCIATION OF MACROPHAGES, PLASMA CELLS, AND EOSINOPHILS.

An electron microscopic study has been made of the constituents of the lamina propria of the stomach, small intestine and large intestine of the mouse. This layer is highly cellular in the intestines, less so in the stomach. The connective tissue cells are often crowded together without detectable fibers or ground substance between. Below the basement (boundary) membrane of the epithelium attenuated fibrocytes form an almost continuous layer. The appearance of a fibroblast in mitotic division is described. In the connective tissue spaces are abundant plasma cells, macrophages, undifferentiated cells and eosinophils. The fine structure of each is described and illustrated. Particularly evident is the frequency with which plasma cells lie in direct contact with macrophages and with eosinophils. In some instances, vesicles of similar appearance occur in apposed plasma cell and macrophage, suggestive of exchange of material. These close relations of macrophages, plasma cells, and eosinophils are discussed in terms of the role each plays in the defense of the organism against foreign antigens.
“It Is Not Wit, It Is Truth:” Transcending the Narrative Bounds of Professional and Personal Identity in Life and in Art

Taking inspiration from the film Wit (2001), adapted from Margaret Edson’s (1999) Pulitzer Prize-winning play, this article explores the particularities of witnessing a cinematic cancer narrative juxtaposed with the author’s own cancer narrative. The analysis reveals the tenuous line between death and dying, illness and wellness, life and living and the resulting identities shaped in the process of understanding both from a personal and professional lens. By framing these representations of illness experience within the narrative constructions of drama, time, metaphor and morality, the personal stories of intellectual knowledge converging with intimate and embodied knowing are revealed.
Reassessment of Piwi Binding to the Genome and Piwi Impact on RNA Polymerase II Distribution

Drosophila Piwi was reported by Huang et al. (2013) to be guided by piRNAs to piRNA-complementary sites in the genome, which then recruits heterochromatin protein 1a and histone methyltransferase Su(Var)3-9 to the sites. Among additional findings, Huang et al. (2013) also reported Piwi binding sites in the genome and the reduction of RNA polymerase II in euchromatin but its increase in pericentric regions in piwi mutants. Marinov et al. (2015) disputed the validity of the Huang et al. bioinformatic pipeline that led to the last two claims. Here we report our independent reanalysis of the data using current bioinformatic methods. Our reanalysis agrees with Marinov et al. (2015) that Piwi's genomic targets still remain to be identified but confirms the Huang et al. claim that Piwi influences RNA polymerase II distribution in the genome. This Matters Arising Response addresses the Marinov et al. (2015) Matters Arising, published concurrently in this issue of Developmental Cell.
Prediction of Co-Translational Protein Folding in Living Cells

Protein folding, the self-assembly of a protein molecule or domain into a tertiary structure, can occur as a protein molecule is being synthesized by the ribosome in a process referred to as co-translational folding. The most convincing demonstration that co-translational folding occurs inside cells comes from pulse-chase experiments in which the synthesis of the cytosolic Semliki Forest virus protein (SFVP) was monitored in Chinese hamster ovarian cells [1]. SFVP is composed of four distinct protein segments, including an N-terminal protease segment (referred to as “C protein”) that auto-catalytically cleaves itself from the SFVP molecule once folded. The pulse-chase experiment revealed that the cleaved C protein appeared well before synthesis of the full-length SFVP was completed, demonstrating that C protein does indeed fold co-translationally in vivo. Here, we show that the time course of such co-translational folding can be accurately predicted by a chemical kinetic model using a domain's bulk folding and unfolding rates and the average rate at which codons are translated in vivo; such quantities have been reported in the literature for a number of different proteins and cell types, suggesting this theoretical approach can be applied to a wide variety of proteins. The model explains the essential features of co-translational folding time courses, and provides a means for predicting how varying the translation rate at different codon positions along a transcript's open reading frame affects this self-assembly process in vivo.[1] Nicola, A. V., Chen, W. & Helenius, A. Co-translational folding of an alphavirus capsid protein in the cytosol of living cells. Nat. Cell Biol. 1, 341-5 (1999).