cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bariatric endoscopy: state-of-the-art

Purpose of review This review aims to present the current state of the field, highlight recent developments, and describe the clinical outcomes of these endoscopic bariatric and metabolic procedures. Recent findings There are an increasing number of devices and techniques that are available for the endoluminal treatment of obesity. It is now possible to offer FDA approved endoscopic therapies for patients with BMI as high as 55 kg/m2. Although tremendous advances have been made, there is room for additional emphasis with regards to the metabolic improvements seen with these therapies, in addition to highlighting weight loss outcomes. Furthermore, for optimal outcomes, it is imperative that all endoluminal techniques are combined with at least a moderate intensity diet and lifestyle intervention for a minimum of 12 months. Summary This field bridges a gap between lifestyle counseling with or without pharmaceutical treatment and the most effective treatment of obesity, bariatric surgery. Owing to its minimally invasive nature, endoscopic metabolic and bariatric therapy has the potential to appeal patients who either do not qualify or do not want bariatric surgery and have not been adequately treated with medical therapy. In addition, these therapies may be beneficial early on in the onset of obesity.
Longitudinal Milling and Fine Abrasive Finishing Operations to Improve Surface Integrity of Metal AM Components

Abstract Growing market of additive manufacturing and in particular, metal AM has allowed the manufacturers to produce a wide variety of complex designs with near-net shape in minimum time without the need for custom tooling. However, the application of additive manufactured components in various applications, e.g., biomechanical contacts, naval and aerospace components are limited due to its poor surface integrity and part feature tolerance limits. Traditional methods, e.g., milling, do provide solution to some of the post-processing needs, however, results in poor material utilization, requires custom tooling or may be completely infeasible for complex geometries. In the current work, we focus on developing a post-processing strategy by coupling traditional machining processes with non-traditional fine abrasive finishing (FAF) methods. Preliminary results on 316 L stainless steel components fabricated via laser powder-bed fusion suggests that the proposed post-processing strategy can be used to (a) selectively impart surface finish S a
Abstract 16622: Plasma Metabolomic Profiles Differentiate Hemodynamic Subtypes of Pulmonary Hypertension

Introduction: Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is defined as a mean pulmonary artery pressures (mPAP) ≥ 25 mmHg. Within PH, there are distinct hemodynamic subgroups based on the presence of hypertension in the precapillary or postcapillary beds of the pulmonary vasculature: pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH - precapillary PH), passive PH secondary to left heart disease (postcapillary PH) and mixed PH with both precapillary and postcapillary components. Hypothesis: As metabolic abnormalities have been noted in PAH and heart failure, we hypothesized that different hemodynamic subtypes of PH would be associated with distinct plasma metabolomic profiles. Methods: The CATHGEN biorepository consists of biological samples collected on over 9000 individuals undergoing cardiac catheterization at Duke University Medical Center. Of those subjects who had targeted metabolomics studies performed, 282 were identified with mPAP ≥ 25 mmHg. Of these 282 subjects, 133 met criteria for passive PH (PCWP > 15 mmHg, PVR 15 mmHg,...
Analysis and evaluation of the Hop Expansion Routing Algorithm (HERA) for delay-tolerant networks

This paper presents an analysis and evaluation of the Hop Expansion Routing Algorithm, HERA, for delay-tolerant networks. HERA works by computing a reachability metric, akin to the metric used in PRoPHET routing, but with the major distinction that HERA expands the computation of the metric into the contributions of paths of different lengths, thus providing a more flexible metric that allows for the fine tuning of the effects of transitivity. In particular, HERA gives the flexibility to address the question of how many hops of transitivity a routing algorithm should take into account when making forwarding decisions. We present simulation results showing improvement of HERA over PRoPHET in terms of delivery ratio, number of replicas, and latency for several mobility scenarios, including real-life traces.
Slow light brings faster communications

In the last 10 years, technology that can encode information onto pulses of light and then send it around the globe through ultra-thin glass fibres has revolutionized the way we communicate. With the pulses travelling at speeds of up to 200 000kms-1, and suffering very little attenuation, someone in New York can have a telephone conversation with someone in Bangalore almost in real time, even though they are some 13 300 km apart. This is an excellent example of technology bringing people closer together and leading to a truly global economy.
Recognition of Nonverbal Communication of Affect Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Recognition of facial expressions and vocal prosody was examined using the Diagnostic Assessment of Nonverbal Accuracy 2 (DANVA-2) and the Carolina Older Adult Test of Nonverbal Communication (COAT-NC) for 24 individuals with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 24 matched controls. Results demonstrated that participants without TBI scored significantly higher than participants with TBI when presented with adult photo and voice stimuli. No significant group difference was noted with child photo and voice stimuli. Both groups scored significantly higher on photo subtests than on voice subtests for child and younger adult stimuli. For older adult stimuli, both groups scored significantly higher on the voice subtest than on the photo subtest. For the subjects with TBI, a significant relationship was found between scores on the voice subtests and a functional measure of cognition and communication.
Use of Fracture Mechanics Concepts in Testing of Film Adhesion

The constant-compliance and applied-moment double-cantilever beam tests for adhesive fracture energy have been adapted to the measurement of the adhesion of thick-film metallizations on alumina substrates. The thick-film tests involve beams soldered to metallization strips and measure the strain energy release rate, G c . The fracture results are compared with peel strengths from solder-wire peel tests of the same metallizations. Both the fracture and peel tests indicate failure in the thick films but near the film/alumina boundary. The constant-compliance and the peel test data exhibit a bimodal distribution. The magnitude of the fracture energies indicate that failure usually occurs in the glass phase of the film but that film adherence is greatly enhanced by interlocking between the metal and glass phases. This interlocking and thus the film adhesion are strongly dependent on firing time and temperature.
Novel Antiviral Agents: Design, Identification and Characterization of Interfacially Active Peptide Entry inhibitors

Enveloped virus infection is dependent on viral-host membrane interaction and fusion, a process that frequently occurs in the endosome of the host cell following viral binding and endocytosis. Due ...
The ATL08 land and vegetation product for the ICESat-2 Mission

Abstract After being launched in September 2018, measurements from the ICESat-2 (Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2) will be available to the science community starting in the Spring of 2019. These data offer new possibilities for the mapping of global terrain and vegetation as well as monitoring of the Earth's carbon stocks. The Advanced Topographic Laser Altimeter System (ATLAS) instrument on-board ICESat-2 will utilize photon counting technology for the altimetry observations. Photon counting technology is relatively new to the vegetation mapping community thus requires development of new algorithm approaches for terrain surface and canopy height retrievals. Photon counting systems provide range measurements for individual photons given the instrument's detection sensitivity. The sensitivity enables higher laser repetition rates for improved spatial coverage but is susceptible to solar background noise making the separation of signal and noise challenging and the data volume large. The algorithm developed specifically for the extraction of terrain and canopy heights from the ATLAS point clouds produces the ATL08 geophysical data product. This paper provides a detailed description of the ATL08 methodology, presents the data format, discusses many of the critical parameters likely to be of interest to future ICESat-2 data users, and describes the predicated uncertainties for terrain and canopy heights using two simulated ATLAS data sets. The first critical function in the ATL08 algorithm needs to accurately retrieve the surface is to identify the signal photons apart from the noise photons. Using a series of iterative filters, the ground and top of canopy surfaces are then identified in the signal. Next, individual photons are classified as either noise, canopy, or ground photons based on their distance above (or below) the estimated ground and top of canopy surfaces. The ATL08 algorithm has been tested on several simulated ATLAS data sets, and the results from two different ecosystems are described. The terrain extraction results saw sub-meter RMSE for the Alaska Tundra/Taiga ecotone and
Defensive Driving: Directing HIV-1 Vaccine-Induced Humoral Immunity to the Mucosa with Chemokine Adjuvants

A myriad of pathogens gain access to the host via the mucosal route; thus, vaccinations that protect against mucosal pathogens are critical. Pathogens such as HIV, HSV, and influenza enter the host at mucosal sites such as the intestinal, urogenital, and respiratory tracts. All currently licensed vaccines mediate protection by inducing the production of antibodies which can limit pathogen replication at the site of infection. Unfortunately, parenteral vaccination rarely induces the production of an antigen-specific antibody at mucosal surfaces and thus relies on transudation of systemically generated antibody to mucosal surfaces to mediate protection. Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissues (MALTs) consist of a complex network of immune organs and tissues that orchestrate the interaction between the host, commensal microbes, and pathogens at these surfaces. This complexity necessitates strict control of the entry and exit of lymphocytes in the MALT. This control is mediated by chemoattractant chemokines or cytokines which recruit immune cells expressing the cognate receptors and adhesion molecules. Exploiting mucosal chemokine trafficking pathways to mobilize specific subsets of lymphocytes to mucosal tissues in the context of vaccination has improved immunogenicity and efficacy in preclinical models. This review describes the novel use of MALT chemokines as vaccine adjuvants. Specific attention will be placed upon the use of such adjuvants to enhance HIV-specific mucosal humoral immunity in the context of prophylactic vaccination.
Synergistic effect of selenium compounds with radiation therapy in human A549 lung xenografts

750 This laboratory has confirmed synergistic antitumor activity of selenium containing compounds, Se-(methyl)-Selenocysteine (MSC) and Seleno-L-Methionine (SLM) with a wide range of anticancer drugs including taxanes, fluoropyrimidines, irinotecan, platinum compounds and cyclophosphamide (Cao et.al., Cl Cancer Res., 2004; 10:2561-2569). This synergism was only observed in vivo but not in vitro with tumor cells evaluated to date and the effects were neither drug nor host or tumor specific. Studies with anticancer drugs were extended to determine whether therapeutic synergy also exists between selenium and radiation (RT) in xenografts bearing human non-small cell lung cancer, A549. Tumor bed (~200 mg in size) was radiated with the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of 8 Gy/d x 5 and selenium was administered orally at 0.2 mg/mouse/d x 19 (MTD) with the first dose administered daily for seven days prior to and concurrent with radiation treatment. Treatment outcome was assessed 90 days after termination of therapy and quantitated as partial response (PR, ≥50% reduction in tumor size), complete tumor response (CR), and the results are as tabulated below. Results indicate that while 10% of xenografts treated with RT alone, achieved CR; in combination with either SLM or MSC, CR rate increased significantly to 46 and 60% respectively. In addition, the total response rate (CR+PR) with RT alone and in combination with selenium was increased from 30% to 100%. Similar to what was achieved therapeutically with anticancer drugs, MSC appears to be a better modulator of therapeutic synergy in this tumor model than SLM and similar results were achieved with lower doses of radiation and selenium. The observed increase in therapeutic synergy was achieved without toxicity to the host. The therapeutic data generated provide the rationale for clinical validation of this new and novel approach.
Indium(III) Triflate — A Catalyst for Greener Aromatic Alkylation Reactions.

In(O-Tf)3 immobilized in a water-insoluble ionic liquid is shown to be a highly efficient catalyst for the alkylation of aromatic hydrocarbons with benzyl and secondary alcohols.
Satellite L–band vegetation optical depth is directly proportional to crop water in the US Corn Belt

Abstract NASA's Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and ESA's Soil Moisture Ocean Salinity (SMOS) carry satellite L-band radiometers whose primary missions are to measure soil moisture. However, they also allow retrieving of vegetation optical depth (VOD), the degree to which vegetation attenuates microwave radiation. Because attenuation is primarily a function of the total amount of liquid water in a vegetation canopy that is contained within vegetation tissue, VOD could be used to monitor seasonal changes in this quantity, which we call crop water, in major agricultural regions such as the US Corn Belt. There are two main advantages of L-band VOD: it observes the entire canopy volume because soil moisture sensitivity is maintained throughout the growing season; and since it is unaffected by cloud cover there are close to daily measurements. To show its value, we compare SMAP and SMOS VOD to satellite-scale estimates of crop productivity created using the Agricultural Integrated BIosphere Simulator (Agro-IBIS) and observed weather at the South Fork SMAP Core Validation Site in the Corn Belt state of Iowa. We find that SMAP and SMOS VOD are directly proportional to crop water. New empirical models that relate crop water to crop dry mass were required to make this finding. We created these models with in situ data spanning multiple years and stages of crop development. The value of the proportionality constant (or “b-parameter”) relating VOD to crop water at the satellite scale is about half as large as previous estimates. Because L-band VOD is directly proportional to crop water at the satellite scale, and because we understand the relationship between crop water and crop dry mass, SMAP and SMOS have the potential to evaluate the large-scale performance of crop models in the Corn Belt on a near daily basis.
Designing value sensitive social networks for the future

With the dramatic increase in popularity and growth of social networks it has never been more important to teach our students studying computer science to be mindful of the values they impart into the design of social networking applications. By approaching the design of a social network using a value sensitive framework a deeper understanding of all stakeholders and the potential implications and benefits to them may be discovered. This study uses a value sensitive design approach combined with an analysis of how social networks are currently being used. Based on the findings, general social network design recommendations are offered.
A role for tectorial membrane mechanics in activating the cochlear amplifier

The mechanical and electrical responses of the mammalian cochlea to acoustic stimuli are nonlinear and highly tuned in frequency. This is due to the electromechanical properties of cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs). At each location along the cochlear spiral, the OHCs mediate an active process in which the sensory tissue motion is enhanced at frequencies close to the most sensitive frequency (called the characteristic frequency CF). Previous experimental results showing an approximate 0.3 cycle phase shift in the OHC-generated extracellular voltage relative the basilar membrane displacement that is initiated at a frequency approximately one-half octave lower than the CF are repeated in the present paper with similar findings. This shift is significant because it brings the phase of the OHC-derived electromotile force near to that of the basilar membrane velocity at frequencies above the shift, thereby enabling the transfer of electrical to mechanical power at the basilar membrane. In order to seek a candidate physical mechanism for this phenomenon, we used a comprehensive electromechanical mathematical model of the cochlear response to sound. The model predicts the phase shift in the extracellular voltage referenced to the basilar membrane at a frequency approximately one-half octave below CF, in accordance with the experimental data. In the model, this feature arises from a minimum in the radial impedance of the tectorial membrane and its limbal attachment. These experimental and theoretical results are consistent with the hypothesis that a tectorial membrane resonance introduces the correct phasing between mechanical and electrical responses for power generation, effectively turning on the cochlear amplifier.
Bisbiphenyl Phosphines: Structure and Synthesis ofGold(I) Alkene π‑Complexes with Variable Phosphine Donicityand Enhanced Stability

This paper describes the synthesis and characterization of RP­(o-biphenyl)2 phosphine ligands (where R = PhO, Ph, and t-Bu), corresponding gold­(I) chloride precatalysts, gold­(I) triflate catalysts, and gold­(I) π-complexes. All ligands and gold chlorides and three π-complexes were characterized in the solid state. The most significant differences between complexes in the solid state were varying P–Au bond lengths, a consistent reflection of the different electronic character of each phosphine. NMR spectroscopic data on enol ether π-complexes is consistent with increasing cationic character in the alkene fragment, from R = t-Bu to R = Ph and OPh. The intermolecular alkene exchange process for [LAu­(methoxypropene)]­SbF6 (L = PhO­(o-biphenyl)2P) is faster than that of the analogous complex with t-Bu2(o-biphenyl)­P, presumably due to the higher electrophilicity of the former complex. Examination of a series of vinyl silane π-complexes with triaryl phosphine ligands reveals increasing stability and ease of preparation (Ph3P < Ph2P­(o-biphenyl) < PhP­(o-biphenyl)2). These results reveal that incorporation of a second biphenyl substituent into ligand architectures allows preparation of a series of gold π-complexes with increased stability over a range of phosphine donicity.
Unlawfully-Issued Sovereign Debt

In 2016, its economy in shambles and looking to defer payment on its debts, the Venezuelan government of Nicolas Maduro proposed a multi-billion dollar debt swap to holders of bonds issued by the government’s crown jewel, state-owned oil company Petroleos de Venezuela S.A. (“PDVSA”). A new government now challenges that bond issuance, arguing it was unlawful under Venezuelan law. Bondholders counter that this does not matter—that PDVSA freed itself of any borrowing limits by agreeing to a choice-of-law clause designating New York law. The dispute over the PDVSA 2020 bonds implicates a common problem. Sovereign nations borrow under constraints imposed by their own laws. Loans that violate these constraints may be deemed invalid. Does an international bond—i.e., one expressly made subject to the law of a different jurisdiction—protect investors against that risk? The answer depends on the text of the loan’s choice-of-law clause, as interpreted against the backdrop of the forum’s rules for resolving conflict of laws problems. We show that the choice-of-law clauses in many international sovereign bonds—especially when issued under New York law—use language that may expose investors to greater risk. We document the frequent use of “carve outs” that could be interpreted to require the application of the sovereign’s local law to a wide range of issues. If interpreted in this way, these clauses materially reduce the protection ostensibly offered by an international bond. We explain why we think a narrower interpretation is more appropriate.
Crystallographic and spectroscopic characterization of 3-chloro-5-fluoro­salicyl­aldehyde

The title compound (systematic name: 3-chloro-5-fluoro-2-hy­droxy­benzaldehyde), C7H4ClFO2, is a dihalogenated salicyl­aldehyde derivative that has been studied for its anti­bacterial characteristics. The salicyl­aldehyde engages in intra­molecular hydrogen bonding with an O—H⋯O distance of 2.6231 (19) A while the mol­ecules pack together via weak inter­molecular C—H⋯O, C—H⋯F and F⋯O inter­actions and offset face-to-face π-stacking.
Sensitivity of Alternaria spp. from potato to pyrimethanil, cyprodinil, and fludioxonil

Abstract Early blight, caused by Alternaria solani, and brown leaf spot, caused by a number of small-spored Alternaria spp. including Alternaria alternata sensu stricto, Alternaria arborescens, and Alternaria tenuissima, are observed annually in all midwestern potato production areas. However, Alternaria spp. have developed reduced sensitivity and/or resistance to many single-site mode of action fungicides such as quinone outside inhibitor (QoI; FRAC group 11), succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor (SDHI; FRAC group 7), and anilinopyrimidine (AP; FRAC group 9). Mean in vitro sensitivity EC50 values (effective concentration where fungal growth is inhibited by 50%) of A. alternata (n = 16), A. arborescens (n = 3), A. tenuissima (n = 5), and A. solani (n = 58) in response to the AP fungicides pyrimethanil and cyprodinil and the phenylpyrrole (PP) fungicide fludioxonil were determined via mycelial growth assays. Significant fungicide by isolate interactions were observed for all Alternaria spp. evaluated in vitro, indicating reduced-sensitivity of some isolates to individual fungicides. EC50 values for three non-baseline A. solani isolates collected in 2010, 2011 and 2013 were within the baseline for all three fungicides. A significant correlation was observed between pyrimethanil and cyprodinil EC50 values among A. alternata isolates, but no relationship was observed with the other fungicides or in A. solani. In greenhouse evaluations, a significant loss of disease control was observed for some non-baseline A. solani isolates, and this was more pronounced in the AP fungicides, pyrimethanil and cyprodinil. No significant correlation was observed between in vitro EC50 value and area under the dose response curve based on greenhouse assays, likely due to the limited number of isolates evaluated. Further research is needed to determine if these reductions affect control of early blight and brown leaf spot in potato under field conditions. Results from this study indicate that fludioxonil and cyprodinil are potentially good additions into fungicide rotation programs or as co-pack chemistries for control of leaf spot diseases and fungicide resistance management.
62 – Gender Influences on the Development and Progression of Brain Tumors

Gender may influence the development and progression of various types of brain tumors. Both children and adults exhibit the same gender trend, that is males have a greater overall incidence of brain tumors than females. Skewed sex distributions are found across specific central nervous system (CNS) tumor subtypes: although males are twice as likely to develop a glioma, meningiomas are diagnosed twice as often in females. Puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause—periods of relative hormonal excess, have all been observed to affect the incidence and outcomes of certain CNS tumors in women and men. This chapter reviews the pertinent literature on the role of hormones in brain tumors from childhood through adulthood. It examines several areas: childhood CNS cancers particularly gliomas, germ cell tumors, and meningiomas; adult brain tumors with an emphasis on gliomas, acoustic neuromas, and meningiomas; and changes in brain tumors through puberty, menstruation, menopause, and pregnancy. The chapter examines the therapeutic value of steroid hormones such as mifepristone and tamoxifen. There is a growing body of evidence supporting pivotal roles of estrogen, progesterone, and androgens in a variety of primary brain cancer subtypes.
SU-E-T-352: Effects of Skull Attenuation and Missing Backscatter On Brain Dose in HDR Treatment of the Head with Surface Applicators

Purpose: To calculate the effect of lack of backscatter from air and attenuation of bone on dose distributions in brachytherapy surface treatment of head. Existing treatment planning systems based on TG43 do not account for heterogeneities, and thus may overestimate the dose to the brain. While brachytherapy generally has rapid dose falloff, the dose to the deeper tissues (in this case, the brain) can become significant when treating large curved surfaces. Methods: Applicator geometries representing a range of clinical cases were simulated in MCNP5. An Ir-192 source was modeled using the energy spectrum presented by TG-43. The head phantom was modeled as a 7.5-cm radius water sphere, with a 7 -mm thick skull embedded 5-mm beneath the surface. Dose values were calculated at 20 points inside the head, in which 10 of them were on the central axis and the other 10 on the axis connecting the central of the phantom with the second to last source from the applicator edge. Results: Central and peripheral dose distributions for a range of applicator and head sizes are presented. The distance along the central axis at which the dose falls to 80% of the prescribed dose (D80) was 7 mm for a representative small applicator and 9 mm for a large applicator. Corresponding D50 and D30 for the same small applicator were 17 mm and 32 mm respectively. D50 and D30 for the larger applicator were 32 mm and 60 mm respectively. These results reflect the slower falloff expected for larger applicators on a curved surface. Conclusion: Our results can provide guidance for clinicians to calculate the dose reduction effect due to bone attenuation and the lack of backscatter from air to estimate the brain dose for the HDR treatments of surface lesions.
'Can,' Compatibilism, and Possible Worlds

Most compatibilists have sought to defend their view by means of an analysis of the concept of 'can' in terms of subjunctive conditionals.1 Keith Lehrer opposes this analysis;2 he nevertheless embraces compatibilism.3 In a recent paper he has proposed a novel analysis of the concept of 'can' within the framework of possible-world semantics.4 The paper has provoked considerable discussion.5 In it Lehrer claims that he demonstrates the truth of compatibilism (p. 241).6 Others have claimed that this is not so,7 but at least one commentator has asserted that Lehrer's analysis strongly supports compatibilism.8 In this section I shall give a brief exposition of relevant portions of Lehrer's account of 'can' and then in the next section I shall seek to show that it fails to render compatibilism any more plausible than incompatibilism. Indeed, I shall seek to show that, if one of Lehrer's primitive concepts (the concept of an 'advantage') is understood as it seems it should be understood, then there would seem to be good reason to believe that his analysis supports not compatibilism but incompatibilism.
Graphs with no Minor Containing a Fixed Edge

It is well known that every cycle of a graph must intersect every cut in an even number of edges. For planar graphs, Ford and Fulkerson proved that, for any edge e, there exists a cycle containing e that intersects every minimal cut containing e in exactly two edges. The main result of this paper generalizes this result to any nonplanar graph G provided G does not have a minor containing the given edge e. Ford and Fulkerson used their result to provide an efficient algorithm for solving the maximum-flow problem on planar graphs. As a corollary to the main result of this paper, it is shown that the Ford-Fulkerson algorithm naturally extends to this more general class of graphs.
On the way to total integration of prosthetic pylon with residuum

Two decades after introducing threaded titanium dental implants, Dr. Per-Ingvar Branemark used a similar technique in the 1980s to pioneer the direct skeletal attachment (DSA) of limb prostheses. He and his colleagues used convincing clinical experience to overcome the skepticism of their peers, affording a new dimension of prosthetic rehabilitation to almost 100 individuals with amputation. As a result, more research has been initiated worldwide to move DSA to a level of greater safety, longevity, and reliability. This review highlights the trends and milestones in current DSA development. It also identifies ideas from previous studies in various fields that may be useful in future DSA development.
Cryptanalysis of Discrete-Sequence Spread Spectrum Watermarks

Assume that we are given a watermark (wm) embedding algorithm that performs well against generic benchmark-type attacks that comprise of simple operations that are independent of the algorithm andg enerally of the input as well. A natural question then is to ask for a nearly perfect cryptanalytic attack for the specific watermarking method. In this paper we present and analyze an attack on a state-of-the-art Discrete-Sequence SpreadS pectrum (dsss) audio watermarking algorithm. Our method uses detailed models for watermarked signal and almost always jams or recovers > 90% of the watermarking-key. It exploits the host and wm correlations, and the fact that one can locally correct errors in the wm estimates if the watermarking coefficients are discrete. It is natural to use error-correction codes in a watermarking algorithm, and we study the effects of the accompanying redundancy as well.
Design and testing of a sliding-window protocol in a protocol testing system

This paper reports on the design, development and testing of a protocol testing system recently developed at the University of Rochester. A case study of a modified Go-Back-N protocol and the obtained performance figures along with the characteristics of the network supervised by this protocol are also presented. >
Sperry's concept of mind as an emergent property of brain function and its implications for the future of humankind.

Abstract Sperry’s proposal that subjective experience plays a major role in brain function and in the emergence of mind, consciousness and human values represent a challenge to behaviorism as the dominant force in psychology. Mind is viewed as an emergent property of the brain, generated from and dependent upon neural activity, but nonetheless separate from it. Macrodeterministic factors result in the evolution of human values, which represent a critical key to world change. Two major conferences resulted from Sperry’s challenge to the scientific community. The Trieste Conference led to a ‘Declaration of Human Responsibilities’, presently under consideration by the United Nations as a corollary to the ‘Declaration of Human Rights’. The Japan Conference inspired work toward a Network University of the Green World, in which computer networking will support international communication in areas of environmental concern.
Ciborra disclosed: aletheia in the life and scholarship of Claudio Ciborra

‘Life is a mess.’ Such were the wise words once imparted to me by my vastly erudite professor of the history of religion, Jonathan Z Smith at the University of Chicago. I knew them to be ‘true’. Ev...
Archeology and the Anthropocene

Abstract A proposal to officially name a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene, based on the pervasive human domination of earth's ecosystems, is being seriously considered, with a proposed beginning date of AD 1800. An arbitrary date for the defining the Anthropocene may be inevitable, but human domination of our planet is the result of a long process of cultural and ecological changes that spans millennia. The archeological study of human impacts to earth's ecosystems provides multiple lines of evidence to understand this process. Considering broad “hard rock” and stratigraphically recognizable evidence for major floral and faunal changes worldwide, we argue that the Anthropocene began roughly 10,000 years ago, after anatomically modern humans spread beyond Africa and Eurasia to Australia and the Americas, then domesticated a variety of plant and animal species. These developments set in motion a cumulative process of human population growth, landscape modification, and environmental changes visible in Holocene soil, pollen, faunal, and other records around the world.
The Impact of Race on the Police Decision to Search During a Traffic Stop A Focal Concerns Theory Perspective

Racial profiling is an important issue in contemporary policing. Research in this area, especially in the decision to search, has relied on an outcomes test and correlates that are largely devoid o...
Cirrus cloud simulations using WRF with improved radiation parameterization and increased vertical resolution

[1] The capability of Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model in the simulation of cirrus clouds has been examined, with a focus on the effects of radiative processes and vertical model resolution. We incorporate in WRF a new radiation module, referred to as the Fu‐Liou‐Gu scheme, which is an improvement and refinement based on the Fu‐Liou scheme, particularly in reference to parameterization of the single‐scattering properties of ice crystal size and shape. We conducted a number of real‐time WRF simulations for cirrus cases that were observed in the coastal and western United States on 29–30 March 2007, and we compared these with available observations from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and GOES visible and IR images over the same areas. Simulation results show that WRF is capable of generating reasonable cirrus cloud fields and their movement and dissipation processes, especially those associated with the large‐scale frontal system. Radiative processes are important in cirrus cloud simulations by affecting the vertical thermal structure and hence convection. The newly implemented radiation module, the Fu‐Liou‐Gu scheme, has been demonstrated to work well in WRF and can be effectively used for studies related to cirrus cloud formation and evolution and aerosol‐cloud‐radiation interactions. With the newly implemented radiation scheme, the simulations of cloud cover and cloud and ice water path (CWP and IWP) have been improved for cirrus clouds, with a more consistent comparison with the corresponding MODIS observations in terms of CWP and IWP means and CWP frequency distribution, especially for optically thin cirrus with an improvement of about 20% in simulated mean IWP. The model‐simulated ice crystal sizes have also been shown to be comparable to those determined from MODIS cloud products. Finally, we have demonstrated that model vertical resolution plays a significant role in cirrus cloud simulation in terms of altering vertical velocity field and the associated regional circulation.
Comparative proximity and remoteness characteristics of conventional electrocardiographic leads

Abstract 1. 1. The proximity and remoteness characteristics of 10 conventional lead connections were estimated by a comparison of experimental lead fields with ideal proximate and remote lead fields. 2. 2. The experimental lead fields were determined by mapping the isopotential function upon the body surface of 7 human subjects and in the sagittal plane of a homogencous torso model. A simplified mapping technique in electrolytic models is introduced and described. 3. 3. Certain theoretical implications of the various lead characteristics are discussed. 4. 4. Some of the limitations of the present study are noted, and the possibility of performing a more advanced type of experimental analysis in the future is briefly considered.
Microbial accumulation of neptunium

Resting cells of several species of microorganisms removed neptunium (Np) from an aqueous solution. Concentrations of up to 15 mg Np per g cells (dry weight) were obtained. Maximum uptake byMicrococcus luteus occurred in less than 10 min.
Characterizing Loop Dynamics and Ligand Recognition in Human- and Avian-Type Influenza Neuraminidases via Generalized Born Molecular Dynamics and End-Point Free Energy Calculations

The comparative dynamics and inhibitor binding free energies of group-1 and group-2 pathogenic influenza A subtype neuraminidase (NA) enzymes are of fundamental biological interest and relevant to structure-based drug design studies for antiviral compounds. In this work, we present seven generalized Born molecular dynamics simulations of avian (N1)- and human (N9)-type NAs in order to probe the comparative flexibility of the two subtypes, both with and without the inhibitor oseltamivir bound. The enhanced sampling obtained through the implicit solvent treatment suggests several provocative insights into the dynamics of the two subtypes, including that the group-2 enzymes may exhibit similar motion in the 430-binding site regions but different 150-loop motion. End-point free energy calculations elucidate the contributions to inhibitor binding free energies and suggest that entropic considerations cannot be neglected when comparing across the subtypes. We anticipate the findings presented here will have broad implications for the development of novel antiviral compounds against both seasonal and pandemic influenza strains.
Differential pulse voltammetric study of the complexation of an iron porphyrin at substoichiometric levels of ligand

Abstract A new approach is presented for elucidating the complex identities of iron porphyrins when both the electrode reactant and product are strongly coordinated by an equal number of ligands. The current is monitored for each electroactive form of the complex at substoichiometric levels of ligand. The increased resolution afforded by the differential pulse technique is used to elucidate the stepwise formation of complexes. Current—voltage curves are described for perchlorato(2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaethylporphinato) iron(III), in the presence of low levels of imidazole. At imidazole:porphyrin ratios of less than 2, the mono-adduct is reduced at a peak potential of —0.11 V while the bis-ligand adduct is reduced at —0.38 V. This marks the first electrochemical evidence for a mono-ligated imidazole—Fe(III) species.
The formation of molecular oxygen by alkaline hydrolysis of peroxyacetyl nitrate

Abstract Alkaline hydrolysis of peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) vapor was found to produce molecular oxygen in mole for mole yield. This accounts for the oxygen which was missing in the hydrolysis experiments of Nicksic, Harkins and Mueller.
Effects of Adaptive Lane Departure Warning System on Driver Response to a Surprise Event

A lane departure warning (LDW) system monitors the current lane position of a vehicle and presents a driver alert when one of the vehicle's front tires crosses a threshold, for example, the nearest lane line. The primary intent of such warning systems is to prevent or mitigate road departures and related crashes caused by driver distraction or drowsiness. The present evaluation compared adaptive and nonadaptive versions of an LDW system. The adaptive version adapted to the driver's state, whereas the nonadaptive version did not. The adaptive LDW system alerted the driver only if a driver state monitor (DSM) indicated that the driver was looking away from the road ahead for 2 s or longer at about the time when a lane line was crossed. Forty volunteers drove a high-fidelity, moving-base driving simulator in a study to compare driver responses to a surprise lane departure when they used a nonadaptive LDW system and then an adaptive LDW system or vice versa. The results indicated that in the adaptive LDW mode...
Changes in undergraduate medical education. A critique.

MOMENTUM FOR fundamental change in the education of American medical students is mounting. Alterations of training are suggested as a logical solution for uneven quality of care, lack of primary physicians, and even widespread disability from long-term disease. 1 There is strong sentiment that such modifications also would improve the personal values, attitudes, and professional behaviors of physicians. 2 Statements supporting this impetus include the following: "the nation is in a health care crisis, [and] to meet this challenge, change in the education of physicians is required"; 3 and there have been "no important changes in the organization of medical education over half a century." 4 Tarlov 5 summarized this philosophy in an eloquent plea for a "revised conceptual frame-work" in which behavioral, sociocultural, and biologic phenomena cast a new configuration for physicians; if adopted, his suggested structure would require substantial changes in medical education. Such pronouncements are persuasive and
A box model of the Arctic natural variability

We consider a box model of the Arctic system to examine its natural variability pertaining to the decadal Arctic Oscillation (AO) and the multidecadal Low-Frequency Oscillation (LFO). We distinguish the hierarchical order of the winter over the summer open-areas with only the former perturbing the sea-level pressure to effect coupled balances. From such balances, we discern two feedback loops on the winter open-area: a positive ice-flux feedback that elevates its overall variance and a negative buoyancy feedback that suppresses its low-frequency variance to render a decadal AO peak when subjected to white atmospheric noise. This negative buoyancy feedback may also reproduce observed phasing among LFO signals forced by the AMV (Atlantic Multidecadal Variability), thus resolving some outstanding questions. For the summer open-area, its variance is induced mainly by the winter forcings and insensitive to the base state. Its decadal signal merely reflects the preconditioning winter open-area, but its LFO variance is induced additionally and in comparable measure by the winter SAT (surface air temperature) through the latter’s effect on the melt duration and the first-year ice thickness. As such, the summer open-area signal is dominantly multidecadal, which moreover is several times its winter counterpart, consistent with the observed disparity. Although the model is extremely crude, its explicit solution allows quantitative comparison with observations and the generally positive outcome suggests that the model has isolated the essential physics of the Arctic natural variability of our concern.
On the rational rejection of utilitarianism and the limitations of moral principles

Sleinis' argument against utilitarianism is based on a general feature of a situation considered by J.J.C. Smart. 2 In discussing an "extreme" case in which a utilitarian finds himself in a community committed to a magical taboo ethics, Smart observes that the tendency of the taboo ethics may be more beneficial than the moral anarchy into which the community might fall if its reverence for the taboos were weakened. Smart notes that while this ethic might be markedly inferior to a utilitarian ethic, a utilitarian might well decide on utilitarian grounds to strengthen rather than weaken the taboo system since the adoption of a utilitarian ethic might be difficult or impossible. Sleinis takes the generalization of Smart's point to be that a utilitarian may, on utilitarian grounds, be enjoined to promote in others a nonutilitarian moral system. On this generalization Sleinis bases essentially three types of example which he regards as "fatal" to utilitarianism, and advances a further generalization which he takes to undermine the possibility that consequentialism could be a conceptual truth. His examples are briefly these. He first considers a case in which a utilitarian is located in a community of non-utilitarians who are sufficiently upset at his being a utilitarian that utility would be maximized by his abandoning his utilitarian principles. Assuming that the utilitarian cannot leave the community without causing enormous misery, it seems that utilitarianism requires that he give up his moral beliefs by an act of will or by "put[ting] himself in the hands of a good brainwasher. ''3 Sleinis' second case is very similar. He inquires whether the real world is happier for containing utilitarians. Alleging that no one knows the answer to this
The Construct Validity of Assessment Centre Performance Dimensions

Evidence regarding the construct validity of assessment centre performance dimensions is reviewed. The evidence strongly suggests that variance in ratings tends to reflect exercises more than individual performance dimensions, thus calling into question the construct validity and utility of these dimensions. A number of biases in the assessment centre process, as well as more general rating biases are noted that may be responsible for these pervasive exercise effects. Suggestions are made for enhancing the construct validity of performance dimensions.
Theory of enzyme mechanisms

Abstract Computer simulation techniques such as molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics are beginning to reach the level of accuracy and sophistication that is enabling us to rationalize and understand many features of enzyme catalysis. Over the next decade, the theory is likely to become more predictive in the study of enzyme mechanisms. This will require a level of quantitation which has not yet been achieved in a general way, but which is clearly on the horizon.
Effect of pitch in multislice spiral/helical CT

To understand the effect of pitch on raw data interpolation in multi-slice spiral/helical CT, and provide guidelines for scanner design and protocol optimization. Multi-slice spiral CT is mainly characterized by the three parameters: the number of detector arrays, the detector collimation, and the table increment per X-ray source rotation. The pitch in multi-slice spiral CT is defined as the ratio of the table increment over the detector collimation. In parallel to the current framework for studying longitudinal image resolution, the central fan- beam rays of direct and opposite directions are considered, assuming a narrow cone-beam angle. Generally speaking, sampling in the Radon domain by the direct and opposite central rays is non-uniform along the longitudinal axis. Using a recently developed methodology for quantifying the sensitivity of signal reconstruction from non-uniformly sampled finite points, the effect of pitch on raw data interpolation is analyzed in multi-slice spiral CT. Unlike single-slice spiral CT, in which image quality deceases monotonically as the pitch increases, the sensitivity of raw data interpolation in multi-slice spiral CT increases in an alternating way as the pitch increases, suggesting that image quality does not decrease monotonically in this case. The most favorable pitch can be found from the sensitivity-pitch plot for any given set of multi-slice spiral CT parameters. An example for four-slice spiral CT is provided. The study on the pitch effect using the sensitivity analysis approach reveals the fundamental characteristics of raw data interpolation in multi-slice spiral CT, and gives insights into interaction between pitch and image quality. These results may be valuable for design of multi-slice spiral CT scanners and imaging protocol optimization in clinical applications.