cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reducing Conservativeness in Safety Guarantees by Learning Disturbances Online: Iterated Guaranteed Safe Online Learning

Reinforcement learning has proven itself to be a powerful technique in robotics, however it has not often been employed to learn a controller in a hardware-in-the-loop environment due to the fact that spurious training data could cause a robot to take an unsafe (and potentially catastrophic) action. One approach to overcoming this limitation is known as Guaranteed Safe Online Learning via Reachability (GSOLR), in which the controller being learned is wrapped inside another controller based on reachability analysis that seeks to guarantee safety against worst-case disturbances. This paper proposes a novel improvement to GSOLR which we call Iterated Guaranteed Safe Online Learning via Reachability (IGSOLR), in which the worst-case disturbances are modeled in a state-dependent manner (either parametrically or nonparametrically), this model is learned online, and the safe sets are periodically recomputed (in parallel with whatever machine learning is being run online to learn how to control the system). As a result the safety of the system automatically becomes neither too liberal nor too conservative, depending only on the actual system behavior. This allows the machine learning algorithm running in parallel the widest possible latitude in performing its task while still guaranteeing system safety. In addition to explaining IGSOLR, we show how it was used in a real-world example, namely that of safely learning an altitude controller for a quadrotor helicopter. The resulting controller, which was learned via hardware-inthe- loop reinforcement learning, out-performs our original handtuned controller while still maintaining safety. To our knowledge, this is the first example in the robotics literature of an algorithm in which worst-case disturbances are learned online in order to guarantee system safety.
History of Pediatric Anesthesia and Pediatric Cardiac-Congenital Surgery

Pediatric surgery has a long history that dates back to the early twentieth century. In the early 1900s, pediatric medicine and surgery were undistinguishable from general adult surgical care, therefore, adult and pediatric patients were treated in a similar manner. Pediatric cardiac and congenital surgery focuses upon the surgical correction of major anomalies pertaining to the heart and surrounding vascular structures. As the subspecialty of pediatric surgery evolved in the mid-1900s, pediatric surgical care became more commonly based at children’s specialty hospitals throughout Europe and the United States. In the pre-1850s, U.S hospitals generally had no place for children outside of the maternity ward. In 1850, the Children’s Hospital of Pennsylvania (CHOP) in Philadelphia opened its doors. By 1871, CHOP was performing its first pediatric surgeries, and in 1871 the first pediatric-centered medical training program was established. Pediatric surgical pioneers began to emerge as early as 1917, and a small cadre of surgeons developed the field that eventually became the norm around the United States. The birth of modern pediatric anesthesia first began in the 1930s and was closely tied to the advances being made by the respective pediatric surgeons. In the 1960s and 1970s, pediatric anesthesia entered into its first explosive period of growth fueled by translational discoveries in human biology, including fundamental understandings of the transition from fetal to postnatal circulation. The field of congenital surgery and anesthesiology was the amalgamation of multiple separate sectors coalescing into one hybridized field encompassing pediatrics, anesthesiology, cardiology, surgery, and interventional radiology.
Information and Digital Literacies in a Kindergarten Classroom: An I-LEARN Case Study

This case study, part of a larger qualitative research project, involved 24 kindergarteners and their teacher in the design, development, and evaluation of a research project built around the I-LEARN model (Neuman, Learning in information-rich environments: I-LEARN and the construction of knowledge in the 21st Century. Springer, New York, 2011b). I-LEARN is a six-step learning model (Identify, Locate, Evaluate, Apply, Reflect and kNow) designed to guide research for twenty first-century learning. The objectives of the study were both to improve the digital and information literacies of the participants and to validate the I-LEARN model for use in an early childhood classroom. The findings have implications for information literacy, digital literacy, and developmentally appropriate practices.
The state of the petroleum industry in Iran

Abstract Iran is one of the largest oil and natural gas producing and exporting nations on the global scene, yet many aspects of its petroleum industry have been unreported in the West since 1979. Iran ranks second in the world in natural gas reserves and fourth in proven crude oil reserves. Iran also ranks sixth in oil production and third in oil export among all nations. In this paper, we briefly review the history and current state of the petroleum industry in Iran and the opportunities for international collaborations.
The Veil of Esteem: On Seeing Oneself Being Seen (Part Three: A Loan)

This essay is the third and final of a three-part series titled “The Veil of Esteem: On Seeing Oneself Being Seen.” Inspired by Walter Benjamin’s “reflection through vignette” method, I inquire into the notions and interconnections between memory and esteem. Esteem is the truth of oneself through the eyes of the other, and any truth of esteem must be told from the perspective of that other, through the spectating other. Thus, I find that any story of esteem is veiled. This final part, A Loan, posits that our unified recollection is a fiction culled from fragmented truths. This isn’t all bad. It’s the only way we can shape the heterogeneous multiplicity of happy accidents, shaping it in a poetic way. We need to look back from the future to cultivate things that may turn out to be desirable that are happening now. In other words, we can’t leave accident to chance. Otherwise, we’re left with a nothingness that’s but a lack of vision. The story is narrated not as a representation of a person or of people, but the discourse through which I have been lent her voice. I am the translator through which she is now speaking. The translator is the producer of the discourse that suffocates her and allows her to breathe in gasped breaths, the producer of the discourse that both takes away her voice and gives her voice. The first part of this series, “Fragment/Never Thinking of Tomorrow,” appears in International Review of Qualitative Research, Volume 5, Issue 1; the second part, “Riddle and Accident,” appears in Cultural Studies ↔ Critical Methodologies, Volume 12, Issue 2.
Empowerment for Our Clients and for Ourselves

Knowing how power and powerlessness operate in human systems is a key to effective intervention. Strategies based on this knowledge offer both client and worker an opportunity for constructive mana...
Load Sensitive Energy Efficient Heterogeneous Wireless Networks

A major challenge in designing protocols for wireless networks is to make them self-adaptive to the ever changing wireless environment. We present two adaptive power control schemes that adapt the transmission power based on the dynamic network conditions and node residual energy. In the first approach, all nodes use the same transmission power. In the second approach, nodes use independent transmission powers and operate in a purely distributed fashion. We show that through energy management the lifetime could be significantly extended. Our evaluation shows that adaptation leads to a further improvement of 15% to 50% both in end-to-end delay and in duty cycles of the nodes.
Open Streaming Operation Patterns

We describe our canonical dataflow operator framework for distributed stream analytics. This framework is characterized by the notion of open-executors. A dataflow process is composed by chained operators which form a graph-structured topology, with each logical operator executed by multiple physical instances running in parallel over distributed server nodes. An open executor supports the streaming operations with specific characteristics and running pattern, but is open for the application logic to be plugged-in. This framework allows us to provide automated and systematic support for executing, parallelizing and granulizing the continuous operations.
Cellular microinjection for therapeutic and research applications

Abstract: This chapter focuses on the specific technology of microinjection, that is, transfection or delivery of biomolecules (such as drugs, DNA, and RNA) into cells via direct injection. The significance of cellular injection is discussed, along with a description of prevalent techniques – chemical, biological, and mechanical. Developments in microinjection technology are reviewed from the ‘MEMS’ perspective. Specific MEMS-based enhancements to the injection technique are outlined, such as use of microneedles, micromanipulation, and sensory force feedback. Finally, the future of cellular microinjection is discussed, with an emphasis on automating the technique.
Hierarchical System Design with Vertical Contracts

We propose the notions of heterogeneous refinement and vertical contracts as additions for any contract framework to provide full methodological support for multi-view and multi-layer system design with heterogeneous models. We rethink the relation of contract refinement in the context of layered design and discuss how it can be extended, via heterogeneous refinement and vertical contracts, to deal with hierarchies of models that present heterogeneous architectures as well as behaviors expressed by heterogeneous formalisms. We then show via design examples that such an extension can, indeed, encompass a richer set of design refinement relations, including support for synthesis methods and optimized mappings of specifications into implementations.
Teaching and Learning Inquiry Framework

This article describes the development of the Teaching and Learning Inquiry Framework (TLIF) and applications for its use. For decades teacher preparation and support has been dictated by a narrow mindset in which academic disciplines have been taught in isolation. This landscape, however, is evolving to align with the view that the world is rarely experienced in disciplinary silos. Interdisciplinary approaches to teaching and learning can enable students to make more holistic connections to the world around them and be better prepared for college and career. With the recent publication in the USA of four related standards-based reform documents across each of the core subject areas, teacher preparation and professional development programs are evolving to offer teachers opportunities to examine the implications of the new standards. To address these complexities, a guiding conceptual framework is needed that focuses in on how inquiry can serve as an entry point to frame the integration of content within and across disciplines. The TLIF was developed out of the hypothesis that teachers need to be prepared to teach in a more interdisciplinary way using inquiry methods. There are six recursive stages to the TLIF: 1) stage and engage, 2) ask and pose, 3) plan and monitor, 4) search and gather, 5) analyze and create, and 6) communicate and apply.
An integrative review of personalized feedback interventions for pain and alcohol

Interrelations between pain and alcohol consumption are considered to be bidirectional in nature, leading to greater pain and increased drinking over time. Personalized feedback interventions (PFIs), which typically aim to motivate behavior change via presentation of personalized and normative feedback, hold great promise for integrated treatment. There has been no previous review of PFIs for pain, and limited work has focused on examining the utility of PFIs for more established, adult drinkers. Our review of the literature revealed that brief, computer-based PFIs can improve pain outcomes and decrease problematic alcohol consumption. Future research would likely benefit from developing integrated, computer-based PFIs for pain and alcohol misuse. Such approaches offer potential for broad impact, while simultaneously reducing patient and healthcare provider burden.
A standardized method for collection of human placenta samples in the age of functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Current methods for placental tissue collection assess a delivered organ without direct functional correlates; therefore, the four-quadrant biopsy protocol utilized by many researchers may provide ...
Canopy gap regime as a function of woodland age in the Kansas Cross Timbers

Oaks (Quercus spp.) have low or intermediate shade-tolerances and forest canopy gaps can promote their regeneration. Current fire frequencies and/or intensities in eastern North America are less than they were historically, thus changing gap dynamics and allowing mesic, fire-intolerant, shade-tolerant species to fill canopy gaps on many sites. Hence, many oak forests are changing in tree species composition. By contrast, it has been hypothesized that oak ecosystems are stable on xeric, nutrient-poor sites despite fire regime changes. We characterized the canopy gap regime and investigated changes in tree species composition in woodlands at the xeric edge of North American eastern deciduous forest. We used the line-intersect method to quantify canopy gap frequency, size, cause, and identities of gap replacement species in four young and four old post oak (Quercus stellata) woodlands in the Cross Timbers ecosystem of Kansas, USA. Woodland age did not affect gap characteristics. Canopy gap regime in these xeric woodlands was characterized by infrequent, small gaps that primarily form from snags or snapped boles. Through gap formation and filling, gradual change in the canopy composition of Kansas Cross Timbers woodlands is likely. Post oak dominates the canopy and forms the largest proportion of gaps, but it is the canopy replacement species in far-fewer gaps. By contrast, species that are minor components of the canopy, including hickories (Carya sp.), eastern redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) and more mesic-associated oaks, fill more gaps than they form. These xeric oak woodlands appear to be unstable under the current regional disturbance regime.
Initial Validation of an Instrument for Measuring Entrepreneurial and Intrapreneurial Intentions in Student Pharmacists.

Objective. To develop a questionnaire for measuring entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions among student pharmacists and to identify characteristics and personality traits that are associated with these intentions. Methods. A 105-item survey instrument was developed and administered to all Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students (incoming to third year) at a large public university. It consisted of nine scales pertaining to entrepreneurism including previously validated and some newly developed scales adapted for use among student pharmacists. Data analysis consisted of factor analysis to determine scale constructs, reliability assessment, and systematic item-reduction analysis. Multiple linear regression and structural equation modeling was used to determine and confirm the association of personality traits and demographic characteristics with entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions. Results. Of 289 students surveyed, 286 useable survey instruments were included in the analysis. Factor analysis was conducted for each scale, and items that did not load on their theorized factor or had cross-loadings above the permissible limits were removed, reducing the survey to 69 items. Findings demonstrated that gender, joint degree program, and autonomy were significant predictors of entrepreneurial intentions, and achievement motivation, leadership self-efficacy, and problem-solving were significant predictors of intrapreneurial intentions. Conclusion. A multi-dimensional questionnaire to measure entrepreneurial and intrapreneurial intentions of student pharmacists was developed and a few key predictors of such intentions were identified. When fully validated, the questionnaire may be used in pharmacy schools for several purposes, including in the PharmD admission process to gain additional insights into a student’s potential to become a future innovative entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial practitioner.
Software for universal noiseless coding

An overview is provided of the universal noiseless coding algorithms as well as their relationship to the now available FORTRAN implementations. It is suggested that readers considering investigating the utility of these algorithms for actual applications should consult both NASA's Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC) and descriptions of coding techniques provided by Rice (1979). Examples of applying these techniques have also been given by Rice (1975, 1979, 1980). Attention is given to reversible preprocessing, general implementation instructions, naming conventions, and calling arguments. A general applicability of the considered algorithms to solving practical problems is obtained because most real data sources can be simply transformed into the required form by appropriate preprocessing.
Structure, magnetism, and Congo Red dye degradation catalysis of a copper coordination polymer with a new 4,10-connected self-penetrated topology

Abstract Crystals of [Cu4(OH)2(sip)2(bpu)(H2O)4]n (1, sip = 5-sulfoisophthalate, bpu = bis(4-pyridyl)urea) were prepared by hydrothermal methods. A single-crystal structure determination showed the presence of [Cu4(OH)2(sip)2(H2O)4] kgd layer motifs bearing “butterfly” {Cu4(OH)2} tetranuclear cluster units. These are linked by sulfonate oxygen atoms and the bpu tethers into a self-penetrated 4,10-connected binodal network with an unprecedented (46)2(41251661275) topology. Variable temperature magnetic susceptibility data showed antiferromagnetic interactions within the tetrameric “butterfly” cluster units (g = 2.094(9), J1 = –8.2(3) cm−1, and J2 = –14.3(6) cm−1). Compound 1 also demonstrated utility as a heterogeneous catalyst for the UV-mediated degradation of Congo Red dye in the presence of hydrogen peroxide oxidant.
A Systematic Review of Standardized Assessments of Couple and Family Constructs in GLBT Populations

The purpose of this study is to aid practitioners and researchers in identifying standardized couple and family measures appropriate for use with gay, lesbian, bisexual, and trans (GLBT) population...
Plastid biogenesis in malaria parasites requires the interactions and catalytic activity of the Clp proteolytic system

The human malaria parasite, Plasmodium falciparum, contains an essential plastid called the apicoplast. Most apicoplast proteins are encoded by the nuclear genome and it is unclear how the plastid proteome is regulated. Here, we study an apicoplast-localized caseinolytic-protease (Clp) system and how it regulates organelle proteostasis. Using null and conditional mutants, we demonstrate that the P. falciparum Clp protease (PfClpP) has robust enzymatic activity that is essential for apicoplast biogenesis. We developed a CRISPR/Cas9-based system to express catalytically dead PfClpP, which showed that PfClpP oligomerizes as a zymogen and is matured via transautocatalysis. The expression of both wild-type and mutant Clp chaperone (PfClpC) variants revealed a functional chaperone-protease interaction. Conditional mutants of the substrate-adaptor (PfClpS) demonstrated its essential function in plastid biogenesis. A combination of multiple affinity purification screens identified the Clp complex composition as well as putative Clp substrates. This comprehensive study reveals the molecular composition and interactions influencing the proteolytic function of the apicoplast Clp system and demonstrates its central role in the biogenesis of the plastid in malaria parasites.
Corporate Governance Contagion Through Overlapping Directors

Directors at large, publicly-listed firms tend to hold several directorships. The literature on "social networks" suggests that directors with multiple directorships may spread what they learn on one board to another board. This suggests that overlapping directors may cause corporate governance practices to be propagated across firms in contagion-like fashion. The first goal of this paper is to empirically test the hypothesis that director overlap leads to governance similarity. Fourteen governance practices are targeted for this examination to see if firms that share directors have governance practices that are more similar than those of other firms that do not. Strong supporting evidence is found for most of the fourteen governance practices examined. The second goal is to examine whether these results are driven by a "familiarity effect" or an "influence effect". The familiarity effect says that the relationship between director overlap and governance similarity arises because firms are simply selecting directors who are already serving at firms with similar governance practices. The influence effect says that the relationship arises because a director - even one currently serving at firms with dissimilar governance practices - exerts influence on the firm's governance practices after joining the board. Since influence is based on what the director has learned from the other directorships, governance practices tend to become more similar. Empirical support is found for both the familiarity and influence effects.
How is Cancer Complex

Cancer is typically spoken of as a “complex” disease. But, in what sense are cancers “complex”? Is there one sense, or several? What implications does this complexity have – both for how we study, and how we intervene upon cancers? The aim of this paper is first, to clarify the variety of senses in which cancer is spoken of as "complex" in the scientific literature, and second, to discover what explanatory and predictive roles such features play.
EGFR increased copy number is frequent in non-small cell lung cancer with brain metastasis

2163 The brain is one of the main metastatic sites for lung cancer, occurring in ~50% of patients with non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). Despite recent advances in lung cancer targeted therapy, there is limited information on the molecular characteristics of lung cancer brain metastasis. In NSCLC, EGFR gene increased copy number has been involved in tumor development and it has been detected in ~23% of surgically resected tumors. In advanced tumors, it has been associated to prediction of response of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. To better characterize NSCLC brain metastasis, we investigated the EGFR copy number by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in 58 paired NSCLC primary tumors (42 adenocarcinomas, 14 squamous cell carcinomas, and 2 others) and corresponding brain metastasis using tissue microarrays. We correlated these findings with the immunohistochemical expression of HER family ligands and receptors in the same tumor specimens, including EGF, amphiregulin, TGFα, EGFR, p-EGFR, Her2, Her3, and p-Her3. EGFR FISH (+) or increased copy number was defined as high-polysomy and/or gene amplification. Higher frequency of EGFR FISH+ was seen in brain metastasis (68%), especially gene amplification (29%), compared to corresponding primary tumors (FISH+ 59%; gene amplification 17%). Correlation of FISH status between primary tumor and corresponding metastasis was 78%. In primary tumors and brain metastases the frequency of FISH+ was higher in adenocarcinomas (64% and 71%, respectively) compared to squamous cell carcinomas (43% and 57%, respectively). In primary tumors, similar high level of EGFR FISH+ was found comparing stages I/II (60%) and III/IV (62%). EGFR FISH+ correlated with higher expression of amphiregulin (P=0.011) and Her2 (P=0.006) in primary tumors, and with pEGFR (P=0.024) in brain metastases. Primary tumors with EGFR gene amplification demonstrated the shortest time for brain metastasis development after surgical resection with curative intent. Our findings indicate that NSCLC brain metastasis and their corresponding primary tumors demonstrate a high frequency of EGFR increased copy number by FISH, especially gene amplification, suggesting that this molecular abnormality may be involved in tumor progression phenomenon (Supported by Grant W81XWH-05-2-0027).
Understanding senior's daily mobility patterns in California using human mobility motifs

Abstract Population ageing has been a thorny issue in many countries. One of the challenges is how to improve and change transportation design and transport policy development to adapt to the dramatic changes in the composition of our population. In this paper, we apply a network-based approach of human mobility measurement called “motif” to investigate the distinct patterns in daily travel for seniors (age 60 and above) in California using the 2017 National Household Travel Survey (California-NHTS) data. Motifs are networks of distinct locations visited in a day and the directional movements between them. Using patterns of motifs, we correlate the diverse daily mobility patterns with socio-demographic characteristics as well as built environment factors. We find that 15 distinct motifs can capture approximately 82% and 86% of the total senior respondents on workdays and non-workdays, respectively. Seniors are more likely to have simple motifs with three or fewer distinct locations on non-workdays, while they present more complex motifs during workdays. Given 65% of the included seniors are retired, a large number of seniors present diverse and complex daily mobility patterns instead of staying at home all day. In addition, given the similarity between the urban core, urban district, and urban neighborhood in function and spatial proximity, there is significant heterogeneity in the daily mobility patterns among seniors living in these areas. Furthermore, we find that seniors living in areas with higher percentages of single-family housing units are most likely to stay at home on workdays.
Use of non‐situational identities in teacher‐student interaction

Abstract Instructional environments, including traditional classrooms, one-on-one teacher-student meetings, and writing centers, are complex learning spaces composed of multiple social, cultural, personal, interpersonal, and affective elements. Teacher-student interaction, therefore, is a multifaceted phenomenon, in which participants are likely to draw on various features of their identities above and beyond their institutionally assigned roles of teacher and student, such as those they have outside the institution. It is important to better understand the use of such personal identities in instructional interaction and explore their pedagogical possibilities. This study takes one step in this direction by examining how a writing instructor oriented to various aspects of her and her students’ non-situational identities (i.e., besides situated roles of teacher and student) while discussing students’ work in individual writing conferences. The detailed analysis of three interactional segments demonstrates various instructional situations in which non-situational identities were incorporated, including explaining a concept, providing an example, and relating to a student's concern. The study suggests that non-situational identities may indeed have pedagogical value in teacher-student interaction.
Consensus, Confrontation and Control in the American Electric Utility System: An Interpretative Framework for the Virtual Utility Conference

The turmoil in today’s electric utility system can be understood by examining the changing nature of political and economic power held by various parties. Early in the 20th century, Progressive-era politicians and power company managers came to a consensus that established the structure of the monopoly market and the vertically-integrated industry. With other stakeholders supporting the broad terms of the consensus, utility managers obtained effective control of the system, including domination over supposedly independent regulatory commissions. But the stresses of technological stasis, the 1970s energy crisis, and rise of environmentalism challenged this control. By the early 1990s, regulators, legislators, independent power producers, free-market advocates, and environmental organizations gained status as political “elites” who questioned whether the utility consensus still made sense. As the newly empowered participants in the utility system jockey for influence, a new consensus appears unlikely.
CpG mutations in the reactive site of human C1 inhibitor.

C 1 ¯ inhibitor plays an important role in the regulation of vascular permeability through its ability to inactivate enzymes which release polypeptide kinins. Dysfunctional C 1 ¯ inhibitor molecules are present in the plasma of affected members of the Da and Ri hereditary angioneurotic edema kindreds. We constructed genomic libraries from Da and Ri patient DNAs which had been cleaved with BclI to generate a fragment containing 21 kilobases of the C 1 ¯ inhibitor locus. C 1 ¯ inhibitor gene-containing recombinants originating from mutant Da and Ri alleles were differentiated from those derived from normal alleles by linkage analysis using the intragenic HgiAI restriction fragment length polymorphism. Nucleotide sequencing of the complete protein-coding regions of the mutant alleles identified two different mutations in a CpG dinucleotide corresponding to the first two bases of arginine codon 444. These single base mutations changed the identity of the functionally critical P1 reactive site residue from arginine to cysteine (Da) or histidine (Ri). The additional cysteine residue in C 1 ¯ inhibitor Da suggests how it is covalently bound to albumin in plasma. The presence of CpG dinucleotides in the codons specifying the P1 arginines of C 1 ¯ inhibitor and antithrombin III explains the high incidence of histidine and cysteine substitutions observed among dysfunctional mutants of these serine protease inhibitors.
The Afterpulse Time Spectra of High-Speed Photon Detectors

Recent progress of understanding of the afterpulse time spectra of high-speed photon detectors using photoemission and secondary emission processes is reviewed and summarized. Furthermore, the afterpulse time spectra of high-gain conventionally designed and microchannel plate photon detectors has been investigated. Specifically, the devices studied included RCA 8850, RCA 8854 and ITT F 4129f photomultipliers. Descriptions are given of the measuring techniques.
Distressed and Defaulted Debt Securities: Market Dynamics and Investment Performance

The market for investing in distressed and defaulted debt is continuing to receive a great deal of attention despite the shrinkage in the supply of new securities in 1993-1995 (first half). This is primarily due to the continued excellent return performance of defaulted bonds, the expected growth in the supply of new distressed and defaulted public and private debt paper, and the clearly documented relatively low correlation of returns with the more traditional debt and equity markets. This study reviews some of the important attributes of this unique investment vehicle and updates our analysis of the risk and return performance of the most extreme component of the distressed market defaulted debt.
Observation of a power law memory kernel for distance fluctuation within a single protein molecule

The fluctuation of the distance between a fluorescein-tyrosine pair within a single protein complex was directly monitored in real time by photo-induced electron transfer, and found to be a stationary, time-reversible and non-Markovian Gaussian process. Within the generalized Langevin equation (GLE) formalism, we experimentally determine the memory kernel, K(t), which is proportional to the autocorrelation function of the random fluctuating force. K(t) is a power-law decay, t- 0.51 ± 0.07 in a broad range of time-scales (10-3 s -10s. Such a long time memory effect, which is associated with sub-diffusion within a harmonic bound, has implications to protein functions.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
G. O. Sars and the Norwegian Cladocera: a continuing frustration

Although G. O. Sars intended to produce a monograph of the Cladocera of Norway, he never continued this endeavor after the first part published in 1865. Because of this objective, Sars published only Latin diagnoses of the 52 species of Cladocera he described from Norway, unaccompanied by any published illustrations except for one species in his 1865 paper. A close study of the Sars archive in the University Library in Oslo revealed a large unpublished manuscript of 1861 containing amplified descriptions and detailed illustrations of the first 36 of these species, and there is a wealth of unpublished colored drawings of these and the other species. Moreover, a 46-year diary details the many other activities that diverted Sars from the Cladocera, and eight unpublished lists of the Cladocera provide insight into his uncertainties regarding the definition and limits of species. The genera Daphnia and, to a lesser extent, Bosmina constituted the greatest problem for him, and it is quite certain that these complex groups of highly variable organisms more than anything else thwarted completion of the project.
Tissue-specific Inhibition of Apolipoprotein B mRNA Editing in the Liver by Adenovirus-mediated Transfer of a Dominant Negative Mutant APOBEC-1 Leads to Increased Low Density Lipoprotein in Mice

APOBEC-1 is a catalytic subunit of an apolipoprotein B (apoB) mRNA editing enzyme complex. In humans it is expressed only in the intestine, whereas in mice it is expressed in both the liver and intestine. APOBEC-1 exists as a spontaneous homodimer (Lau, P. P., Zhu, H.-J., Baldini, A., Charnsangavej, C., and Chan, L. (1994) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A. 91, 8522-8526). We tested the editing activity and dimerization potential of three different mouse APOBEC-1 mutants using in vitro editing activity assay and immunoprecipitation in the presence of epitope-tagged APOBEC-1. One catalytically inactive mutant, mu1 (H61K/C93S/C96S), that retains its capacity to dimerize with wild-type APOBEC-1 was found to inhibit the editing activity of the latter and was thus a dominant negative mutant. Two other inactive mutants that dimerized poorly with APOBEC-1 failed to inhibit its activity. Intravenous injection of a mu1 adenovirus, Admu1, in C57BL/6J mice in vivo resulted in liver-specific expression of mu1 mRNA. On days 4 and 9 after virus injection, endogenous hepatic apoB mRNA editing was 23.3 ± 5.0 and 36.8 ± 5.7%, respectively, compared with 65.3 ± 11 and 71.3 ± 5.2%, respectively, for luciferase adenovirus-treated animals. Plasma apoB-100 accounted for 95 and 93% of total plasma apoB in Admu1 animals on days 4 and 9, respectively, compared with 78 and 72% in luciferase adenovirus animals. Plasma cholesterol on day 9 was 98 ± 17 mg/dl in the mu1-treated animals, substantially higher than phosphate-buffered saline-treated (57 ± 9 mg/dl) or luciferase-treated (71 ± 12 mg/dl) controls. Fast protein liquid chromatography analysis of mouse plasma showed that the intermediate density/low density lipoprotein fractions in the animals treated with the dominant negative mutant adenovirus were much higher than those in controls. We conclude that active APOBEC-1 functions as a dimer and its activity is inhibited by a dominant negative mutant. Furthermore, apoB mRNA editing determines the availability of apoB-100, which in turn limits the amount of intermediate density/low density lipoprotein that can be formed in mice. Liver-specific inhibition of apoB mRNA editing is an important component of any strategy to enhance the value of mice as a model for human lipoprotein metabolism.
Approximate Farkas lemmas and stopping rules for iterative infeasible-point algorithms for linear programming

In exact arithmetic, the simplex method applied to a particular linear programming problem instance with real data either shows that it is infeasible, shows that its dual is infeasible, or generates optimal solutions to both problems. Most interior-point methods, on the other hand, do not provide such clear-cut information. If the primal and dual problems have bounded nonempty sets of optimal solutions, they usually generate a sequence of primal or primaldual iterates that approach feasibility and optimality. But if the primal or dual instance is infeasible, most methods give less precise diagnostics. There are methods with finite convergence to an exact solution even with real data. Unfortunately, bounds on the required number of iterations for such methods applied to instances with real data are very hard to calculate and often quite large. Our concern is with obtaining information from inexact solutions after a moderate number of iterations. We provide general tools (extensions of the Farkas lemma) for concluding that a problem or its dual is likely (in a certain well-defined sense) to be infeasible, and apply them to develop stopping rules for a homogeneous self-dual algorithm and for a generic infeasible-interior-point method for linear programming. These rules allow precise conclusions to be drawn about the linear programming problem and its dual: either near-optimal solutions are produced, or we obtain “certificates” that all optimal solutions, or all feasible solutions to the primal or dual, must have large norm. Our rules thus allow more definitive interpretation of the output of such an algorithm than previous termination criteria. We give bounds on the number of iterations required before these rules apply. Our tools may also be useful for other iterative methods for linear programming. © 1998 The Mathematical Programming Society, Inc. Published by Elsevier Science B.V.
Crinkling of epicardial defibrillator patches: A common and serious problem

The durability and reliability of the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator epicardial patch systems have not been reported. In 128 consecutive patients such systems manufactured by Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. (St. Paul, Minn.) or Medtronic, Inc. (Minneapolis, Minn.) were implanted with 100% follow-up to investigate the rate of patch crinkling and its consequences. A total of 122 patients survived the operation (operative mortality, 6 patients; 4.7%). Ninety-four patients received Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. AICD patches and 28 received Medtronic PCD patches. Patients had chest x-ray studies every 3 to 6 months and function of the defibrillator was checked every 3 months. Late mortality occurred in 17 patients (13%) leaving a total of 105 long-term survivors (82%) to the present. Among 122 survivors, severe crinkling of the patches occurred in 48 patients—33 in the Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. AICD group (36%) and 15 in the PCD group (54%)—within 2 years of the implant. Crinkling of patches caused not only malfunction of the system, but also cardiac pain in three patients. Crinkling occurred as early as 2 months after implant and progressed throughout the period of observation. Fourteen patients later required implant of an additional transvenous defibrillator because of failure of the epicardial system. The percentage of transvenous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator systems needed was higher for the Medtronic group (28%) than for the Cardiac Pacemakers, Inc. AICD group (6.3%). Both systems have shown an unacceptably high rate of patch crinkling that occurs in a relatively short time. There is no difference whether a thoracotomy or midline sternotomy is used or whether the patches are implanted intrapericardially or extrapericardially. The quest should continue for a better patch system design.
Electron affinities and activation energies for reactions with thermal electrons: S F 6 and S F 5

Negative ion mass spectrometry and pulsed discharge electron capture detector data for thermal electron attachment to $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{6}$ are reported. Electron affinities and activation energies for $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{6}$ and $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{5}$ are obtained from these data and literature magnetron, swarm, beam, and collisional ionization data. The thermodynamic and kinetic data cover temperatures from $50\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\text{to}\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}7500\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{K}$. The largest electron affinity of $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{6}$, $2.60(10)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ is assigned to the adiabatic electron affinity. The numbers in parentheses indicate uncertainties. Excited state values are (in eV) 2.45(3), 2.20(3), 2.00(3), 1.80(3), 1.60(3), 1.20(3), 1.04(3), 0.80(3), 0.65(3), 0.45(3), 0.35(3), 0.25(3), and 0.10(10). The activation energies range from near zero to $0.65(2)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$. The adiabatic electron affinity of $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{5}$, $3.85(2)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ and an excited state value, $2.77(5)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ are obtained from a kinetic analysis of published magnetron data. The energies for dissociative electron attachment to give $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{5}(\ensuremath{-})$, $\mathrm{F}(\ensuremath{-})$, and excited state $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{5}(\ensuremath{-})$ are $0.20(11)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, $0.65(10)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$, and $1.28(11)\phantom{\rule{0.3em}{0ex}}\mathrm{eV}$ from the $\mathrm{S}{\mathrm{F}}_{5}\text{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{F}$ dissociation energy, the electron affinity of the fluorine atom, and these values. The average relative anion bond orders for the bonding curves is 0.63(2) and for the antibonding curves is 0.30(2). Fourteen Herschbach ionic Morse Person empirical curves are calculated from these data. Six bonding and six antibonding curves are pseudo-two-dimensional cuts through the multidimensional surface. Representative long-range anionic curves are calculated in reaction coordinates analogous to Marcus parabolas.
Metabolism and distribution of norethynodrel in pregnant and nonpregnant mice.

In vitro norethynodrel was found to rapidly metabolize to norethindrone the 3-alpha- and 3 beta-hydroxy metabolites and an unknown complex. From these intermediaries biosynthesis continues to more polar polyhydroxylated products whose hydroxyl positioning is as yet unknown. With autoradiography after administration of 4-carbon-14-norethynodrel high concentrations of radioactivity were found in the liver gallbladder lung stomach intestine renal pelvis ureter urinary bladder adrenal cortex corpora lutea and placenta of the mother. Mother and fetus had comparable amounts of radioactive material. The fetus localized radioactivity in the liver intestine renal pelvis and adrenal cortex. The transport of the radioactive steroid across the placenta and into specific sites of localization was found to be rapid (intrafetal distributions after 30 minutes and after 2 hours almost identical). While norethynodrel and its metabolites were present in the mothers liver intestine and kidney largely in conjugated form more than 1/2 of the labeled steroid in the fetal tissue was free steroid.
RHODNIUS PROLIXUS SALIVARY NITROPHORINS DISPLAY HEME-PEROXIDASE ACTIVITY

Rhodnius prolixus is a blood feeding triatomine bug that contains salivary nitric oxide bound to hemoproteins previously named nitrophorins. Nitrophorins, in addition to storing and transporting NO, have two other functions such as anti-histaminic and anti-clotting (displayed by nitrophorin 2 only). Additionally, nitrophorins display a thiol oxidase reaction, where cysteine is oxidized to cystine with the production of hydrogen peroxide. In this paper the heme-peroxidase reaction of nitrophorins is described. The heme moiety of nitrophorins is destroyed by addition of cysteine or hydrogen peroxide. No biliverdin is produced during this reaction. We have also found that during the thiol oxidase reaction, nitrophorins can destroy norepinephrine, conferring an additional vasodilatory competence for this class of salivary molecules.
Anaesthesia in children with viral respiratory tract infections

The effects and consequences of anaesthesia in a child with a respiratory tract infection (RTI) are controversial. There is a high incidence of viral RTI in children presenting for surgery and anaesthesia. The social and economic impact of postponing the procedure is significant; for the child, family and institution. The clinical effects of the common cold are well known, affecting the respiratory tract from the nose down to the small airways and lung parenchyma. The systemic effects of the toxic viraemic phase are also well recognized but not so the potential risk of a viral myocarditis. There is an increased incidence of intra- and postoperative respiratory related complications up to six weeks after a RTI. These include airway obstruction, laryngeal spasm, vagally mediated reflex bronchoconstriction, increased bronchial secretions, desaturation, atelectasis and postoperative respiratory complications. Children with symptoms of a moderate to severe RTI presenting for elective surgery should be postponed for six weeks. Emergency surgery should proceed with a mask anaesthetic for minor surgery or by adopting a modified rapid sequence induction (atropine but no cricoid pressure) to gain rapid control of the airway to avoid laryngeal spasm and vagally mediated reflex bronchoconstriction; IPPV, awake extubation, postoperative monitoring of respiratory function and appropriate analgesia.
An initial study of void formation during solidification of aluminum in normal and reduced-gravity

Void formation due to volumetric shrinkage during aluminum solidification was observed in real time using a radiographic viewing system in normal and reduced gravity. An end chill directional solidification furnace with water quench was developed to solidify aluminum samples during the approximately 16 seconds of reduced gravity (+/- 0.02g) achieved by flying an aircraft through a parabolic trajectory. Void formation was recorded for two cases: first a nonwetting system; and second, a wetting system where wetting occurs between the aluminum and crucible lid. The void formation in the nonwetting case is similar in normal and reduced gravity, with a single vapor cavity forming at the top of the crucible. In the wetting case in reduced gravity, surface tension causes two voids to form in the top corners of the crucible, but in normal gravity only one large voids forms across the top.
Electrosteric Stabilization of Colloidal Latex Dispersions

Abstract Experimental stability domains of monodisperse aqueous latices, with and without steric stabilizers, are determined in terms of early-stage kinetics of flocculation using photon correlation spectroscopy. Dispersion stability as a function of electrolyte concentration and counterion valence is investigated. A low molar mass poly(ethylene oxide)/poly(propylene oxide) block copolymer is used as the steric stabilizer. Aggregation is induced by the addition of indifferent electrolyte. The rates of aggregate formation are expressed in terms of a stability ratio and interpreted in terms of the particle pair interaction potential function. For the system investigated both electrostatic and steric repulsions are found to be important in maintaining dispersion stability. Consistent with earlier results, systems with adsorbed block copolymer are found to increase the critical coagulation concentration for fast aggregation by nearly an order of magnitude.