cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Propagation of Air Waves from Nuclear Explosions: Nuclear explosions provide data on the relation of air-wave propagation to atmospheric structure.

S>An examination of low-frequency pressure waves generated by large thermonuclear explosions provided data on the relation of air wave propagation to atmospheric structure. These waves can be detected days after the time of detonation. Because these waves travel under the joint influence of the acoustic properties of the atmosphere and gravity, they are called acoustic-gravity waves, in distinction to pure acoustic waves and pure gravity waves. Information as to how they are propagated and detected as well as the theory behind these processes were included in order to predict theoretically the observed properties of the waves described and to gain an understanding of the mechanisms by which the waves propagate. Methods of making frequency analyses with respect to seismograms were applied to the analysis of pressure records from nuclear explosions. (C.E.S.)
Learning production rules for consultation systems

Production rules, with associated measures of probability or confidence, play an important role in contemporary consultation systems. Procedures have been developed which learn a set of probabilistic production rules from a training sample. We have experimented with these methods, by deriving a set of production rules from a medical data base.
How to be an adverbialist about phenomenal intentionality

Kriegel has revived adverbialism as a theory of consciousness. But recent attacks have shed doubt on the viability of the theory. To save adverbialism, I propose that the adverbialist take a stance on the nature of adverbial modification. On one leading theory, adverbial modification turns on the instantiation by a substance of a psychological type. But the resulting formulation of adverbialism turns out to be a mere notational variant on the relationalist approaches against which Kriegel dialectically situates adverbialism. By contrast, I argue that the way to be an adverbialist is to adopt an event ontology, emphasizing the active contribution of the mind to the phenomenology of experience. My close examination of the semantics of adverbial modification throws this metaphysical distinction into sharp relief. The event-based semantics overcomes recent objections in a way superior to the methods that would have been obviously available in the absence of a sophisticated semantics.
A Quality-Driven Recommender System for IaaS Cloud Services

As the number of cloud services continues to increase, selecting services of interest across one or more cloud service environments using existing service selection methods raises a number of concerns such as performance, efficiency, end-to-end reliability and most importantly quality of search results. Clients often spend a considerable amount of time manually reading cloud providers’ documentation to determine services that can meet their objectives and satisfy the application’s requirements. Furthermore, cloud service providers’ Quality of Service (QoS) claims for published services might not always be trustworthy and current cloud service selection methods do not take into consideration the dynamism of cloud environments as they are constantly changing. In addressing these challenges, we developed the Cloud Application Management (CAM), a multilayered framework that employs a meta-heuristic approach that is based on QoS for cloud services (QSCS) for enabling clients to effectively manage and control the quality of their applications deployed in the cloud. CAM supports the self-adaptive nature of the service selection process and adapts to the changes in clients’ requirements and interests.
The Lawrence D. Dorr Surgical Techniques & Technologies Award: Why Are Contemporary Revision Total Hip Arthroplasties Failing? An Analysis of 2500 Cases.

Abstract Background As revision implants and techniques have evolved and improved, understanding why contemporary revision total hip arthroplasties (THAs) fail is important to direct further improvement and innovation. As such, the goals of this study are to determine the implant survivorship of contemporary revision THAs, as well as the most common indications for re-revision. Methods We retrospectively reviewed 2589 aseptic revision THAs completed at our academic institution between 2005 and 2015 through our total joint registry. Thirty-nine percent were isolated acetabular revisions, 22% isolated femoral revisions, 18% both component revisions, and 21% head/liner component exchanges. The mean age at index revision THA was 66 years, and 46% were male. The indications for the index revision THA were aseptic loosening (21% acetabular, 15% femoral, 5% both components), polyethylene wear and osteolysis (18%), instability (13%), fracture (11%), and other (17%). Mean follow-up was 6 years. Results There were 211 re-revision THAs during the study period. The overall survivorship free of any re-revision at 2, 5, and 10 years was 94%, 92%, and 88%, respectively. The most common reasons for re-revision were hip instability (52%), peri-prosthetic fracture (11%), femoral aseptic loosening (11%), acetabular aseptic loosening (9%), infection (6%), polyethylene wear (3%), and other (8%). Conclusion Compared to historical series, the 88% survivorship free of any re-revision at 10 years in a revision cohort at a referral center is notably improved. As implant fixation has improved, aseptic loosening has become much less common after revision THA, and instability has come to account for more than half of re-revisions.
Nonhomogeneous Variances in the Mixed AOV Model; Maximum Likelihood Estimation

This paper considers maximum likelihood estimation for the general mixed analysis of variance model when the variances associated with the random errors are unequal between groups of observations. A general computational algorithm is given to obtain estimators of the fixed effects, variance components, and error variances in which nonnegative constraints are imposed upon all of the variances involved. Special algorithms are then developed for models used by Grubbs in determining the imprecision of measuring instruments extended to include unbalanced data. The efficiency of the algorithms is demonstrated through examples which are given.
Extending ζ-factor microanalysis to boron-rich ceramics: Quantification of bulk stoichiometry and grain boundary composition

Accurate quantification of light elements which produce only soft X-ray lines via X-ray energy dispersive spectrometry (XEDS) has been traditionally difficult due to poor X-ray emission and detector efficiencies at low energies and significant X-ray absorption effects. The ζ-factor microanalysis method enables one to correct for these shortcomings; however, ζ-factor microanalysis has not yet been thoroughly applied to inorganic materials which are entirely or mostly composed of light elements such as boron carbide, boron nitride, or boron suboxide. This work successfully extended ζ-factor microanalysis to boron-rich ceramics and accurately determined stoichiometries of multiple boron carbides and measured grain boundary compositions of a boron carbide mixed with additives consisting of rare-earth ions. Various strategies were employed to experimentally determine a full range of ζ-factors and measurements were validated using materials of known composition including silicon hexaboride and silicon carbide. Overall, this work has shown that XEDS is a viable technique for light element quantification in (scanning) transmission electron microscopy, in terms of both the accuracy and precision, which is comparable or superior to the complementary electron energy loss spectrometry.
Silica exposure and chronic virus infection synergistically promote lupus-like systemic autoimmunity in mice with low genetic predisposition

Considerable evidence indicates that autoimmune disease expression depends on both genetic and environmental factors. Among potential environmental triggers, occupational airway exposure to crystalline silica and virus infections have been linked to lupus and other autoimmune diseases in both humans and mouse models. Here, we hypothesized that combined silica and virus exposures synergize and induce autoimmune manifestations more effectively than single exposure to either of these factors, particularly in individuals with low genetic predisposition. Accordingly, infection with the model murine pathogen lymphocytic choriomenigitis virus (LCMV) in early life, followed by airway exposure to crystalline silica in adult life, induced lupus-like autoantibodies to several nuclear self-antigens including chromatin, RNP and Sm, concurrent with kidney lesions, in non-autoimmune C57BL/6 (B6) mice. In contrast, given individually, LCMV or silica were largely ineffectual in this strain. These results support a multihit model of autoimmunity, where exposure to different environmental factors acting on distinct immunostimulatory pathways complements limited genetic predisposition and increases the risk of autoimmunity above a critical threshold.
Results of a Perceptual Study on Human Error in Computer Systems Based on Bailey’s Research

Human error in computer systems is often involved in system malfunctions. Human error can be reduced by understanding seven causal factors and their implications for system performance. These factors, as described by Bailey, are: Environment Human computer interface Organizational accuracy requirements Personal factors System design Training Written Instructions Of these factors, there are three over which the system designer has no control. These are personal factors, organizational accuracy requirements, and environmental factors. Since these can only be affected in a positive manner through managerial policy and subsequent enforcement, it is critical to the long-term success of the system that management pay close attention to these factors.
Assessment of Hurricane Irma Impacts on South Florida Seagrass Communities Using Long-Term Monitoring Programs

Hurricanes are some of the largest environmental drivers of change in coastal systems. We investigated the impacts of Hurricane Irma on benthic macrophyte communities in Florida Bay (FB) and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS), USA. Spatiotemporal analyses were performed at multiple hierarchical levels (site, zone, region) to identify potential changes in the Braun-Blanquet (BB) densities of total seagrass (TSG) and total calcareous green macroalgae (TCAL) post-disturbance and to determine whether changes were attributable to hurricane impacts or normal seasonal and inter-annual variability. There were significant decreases in TSG in one of five zones in FKNMS and in one of six zones in FB, but no change in TCAL was recorded in either system. TSG in the Lower Keys Bayside declined from a mean BB score of 2.6 to 1.2, resulting from storm-induced erosion, whereas TSG in coastal FB declined from 1.05–2.4 to 0.36–2.0, likely due to prolonged hyposalinity and low dissolved oxygen following stormwater drainage. Overall, impacts to South Florida benthic macrophyte communities from Hurricane Irma were not catastrophic and were limited in spatial extent. Our results suggest that coastal areas hit by a storm with heavy winds are more likely to sustain direct physical impacts to the benthos, whereas estuarine areas with longer residence times are more at risk of the indirect effects of stormwater runoff and retention. Our analyses placed putative hurricane impacts within the context of recent variability and historical system baselines through the use of long-term monitoring data coordinated by multiple governmental and academic entities.
Simplification of ART in a patient living with multidrug resistant HIV-1: A case report using twice daily cobicistat and darunavir.

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) HIV can be complicated to manage. Patients are often on a high pill burden regimen, taking antiretrovirals twice daily, and often have other comorbidities. This study is a...
Community Resilience: One Community’s View of Recovery from the Opioid Epidemic

Communities across the United States are implementing strategies to support recovery from the opioid epidemic. One rural community in the Midwest with high rates of opioid use and hepatitis C adopted a recovery-oriented systems of care approach to achieve community resilience. While multiple definitions of community resilience exist, including identification of characteristics and elements of community resilience, little is found in the literature about resilience relative to the opioid epidemic. The purpose of this study was to determine how individuals, families and the community describe resilience from this epidemic to support development of a recovery-focused online data sharing hub. A community-engaged approach guided by a community resilience framework was used for this qualitative research. Three 60-min focus groups were conducted using pre-determined questions concerning what indicators reflect recovery and what data is available or desired. A grounded theory approach was used by two researchers independently to code and analyze transcripts of the recorded sessions and written notes to identify common categories. 28 individuals including those in active or long-term recovery and community service providers participated in focus group sessions. Nine categories of indicators were identified. This research project identified meaningful indicators of recovery at the individual, family, and community level, conveying an overall picture of the effectiveness of recovery efforts in this county. These results supported development of a data sharing hub to disseminate evidence of resilience and effective approaches to prevention and treatment of this public health crisis.
The immune signatures of multiple sclerosis: Lessons from twin studies

The advances of immunology in the last decades have been spectacular, both at the basic and the translational level. This progress has led to the discovery of many immunotherapies for autoimmune diseases and cancer. Besides, whole-genome sequencing studies have confirmed that the genetic susceptibility for autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS) is mainly driven by the HLA and other immune genes regulating the adaptive and innate immune response (1). However, the same level of advances has not materialized for understanding how autoimmune responses are generated and damage the central nervous system (CNS) in patients with MS (2). Decades of efforts searching for the antigen targeted in autoimmune CNS diseases have provided some successes, such as the identification of aquaporin-4 in the case of neuromyelitis optica (3) or myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) in MOG antibody-associated encephalomyelitis (4). However, antigens responsible for the autoimmune response in MS have remained elusive (5, 6), even though new candidate antigens have been recently discovered (7, 8) which may involve cross-reactivity or epitope spreading processes (9). Identification of target antigens is critical for the development of antigen-specific tolerization as a path for restoring the homeostasis of the immune system and preventing tissue damage (10). Similarly, the search for the cells and molecules responsible for CNS damage in MS has been intensive. Still, it has failed to provide definite evidence for the involvement of one or several encephalitogenic immune cells that drives the autoimmune response against the CNS or orchestrates the chronic compartmentalized inflammation inside the CNS (11). However, the high efficacy of anti-CD20 therapies in MS has placed B cells in the spotlight (12). There are many reasons behind the lack of success for identifying such autoimmune signature in MS, including 1) the heterogeneity of MS patients in terms of genetic, infection-related, … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: pvillos{at}stanford.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Radial limits of capillary surfaces at corners

Click on the DOI link to access the article (may not be free). All articles published by MSP become open access after five years past publication (meaning on the fifth January 1st after the publication date). The Annals of Mathematics, while not published by MSP, also becomes open access after five years.
Hemostatic wound dressings

Abstract: Hemorrhage is uncontrolled bleeding from a wound. Various studies indicate that hemorrhage is a major cause of ‘potentially preventable’ deaths in combat as well as civilian trauma. New methods and products for hemorrhage control are therefore a research priority to avoid potentially survivable deaths. A better understanding of the correlation between surface properties and their hemostatic potential (i.e. ability to form a blood clot) would result in an effective hemostatic wound dressing. This chapter describes the blood clotting mechanism and the effect of foreign surfaces on the coagulation cascade. Finally, a review of the various approaches to develop an ideal hemostatic material is presented.
The Early Impact of COVID-19 on Ophthalmology Resident Training and Wellness

Objective The aim of this article is to assess the initial impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on ophthalmology resident training and wellness. Design Online national survey of ophthalmology residents distributed by residency program directors and education coordinators of participating programs. Setting US ophthalmology residency programs during the COVID-19 pandemic (May 20th, 2020 to June 10th, 2020). Participants Ophthalmology residents enrolled in the US residency programs currently in postgraduate years two through four of training. Results Two-hundred thirty-six of 785 (30.1%) residents responded to the survey. One-hundred eighteen of 234 (50.4%) residents reported exposure to known COVID-19 positive patients, and of those exposed, 44 of 118 (37.2%) felt that they did not have adequate personal protective equipment. One-hundred ninety-five of 233 (83.7%) residents reported a decrease in primary surgical cases during the pandemic, with 68 (29.2%) reporting a loss of more than 50 primary cases. One-hundred sixty-four of 234 (70.1%) residents were concerned that the pandemic would negatively impact their surgical skills beyond residency, and 15% reported that they were more likely to pursue fellowship due to the pandemic. 31.0% of residents met criteria of burnout, 9.1% were depressed, and 13.4% had generalized anxiety. Concerns about COVID-19 infection were correlated with increased anxiety and burnout during the pandemic. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has decreased resident surgical and clinical volumes and has negatively impacted ophthalmology residency training. Residents with increased concern for contracting COVID-19 and those actively engaged in a job search had significantly higher odds of increased anxiety.
Hospital Location and Socioeconomic Disadvantage of Emergency General Surgery Patients.

Abstract Background Emergency general surgery (EGS) patients are more socioeconomically vulnerable than elective counterparts. We hypothesized that a hospital's neighborhood disadvantage is associated with vulnerability of its EGS patients. Materials and methods Area deprivation index (ADI), a neighborhood-level measure of disadvantage, and key characteristics of 724 hospitals in 14 states were linked to patient-level data in State Inpatient Databases. Hospital and EGS patient characteristics were compared across hospital ADI quartiles (least disadvantaged [ADI 1-25] “affluent,” minimally disadvantaged [ADI 26-50] “min-da”, moderately disadvantaged [ADI 51-75] “mod-da”, and most disadvantaged [ADI 76-100] “impoverished”) using chi2 tests and multivariable regression. Results Higher disadvantage hospitals are more often nonteaching (affluent = 38.9%, min-da = 53.5%, mod-da = 72.1%, and impoverished = 67.6%), nonaffiliated with medical schools (50%, 72.4%, 81.8%, and 78.8%), and in rural areas (3.3%, 9.2%, 31.2%, and 27.9%). EGS patients at higher disadvantage hospitals are more likely to be older (43.9%, 48.6%, 49.1%, and 46.6%), have >3 comorbidities (17.0%, 19.0%, 18.4%, and 19.3%), live in low-income areas (21.4%, 23.6%, 32.2%, and 42.5%), and experience complications (23.2%, 23.7%, 24.0%, and 25.2%). Rates of uninsurance/underinsurance were highest at affluent and impoverished hospitals (18.0, 16.4%, 17.7%, and 19.2%). Higher disadvantage hospitals serve fewer minorities (32.6%, 21.3%, 20.7%, and 24.0%), except in rural areas (2.9%, 6.7%, 6.5%, and 15.5%). In multivariable analyses, the impoverished hospital ADI quartile did not predict odds of serving as a safety-net or predominantly minority-serving hospital. Conclusions Hospitals in impoverished areas disproportionately serve underserved EGS patient populations but are less likely to have robust resources for EGS care or train future EGS surgeons. These findings have implications for measures to improve equity in EGS outcomes.
Genomic and Transcriptomic Characterization of Relapsed SCLC Through Rapid Research Autopsy.

Abstract Introduction Relapsed SCLC is characterized by therapeutic resistance and high mortality rate. Despite decades of research, mechanisms responsible for therapeutic resistance have remained elusive owing to limited tissues available for molecular studies. Thus, an unmet need remains for molecular characterization of relapsed SCLC to facilitate development of effective therapies. Methods We performed whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing of metastatic tumor samples procured from research autopsies of five patients with relapsed SCLC. We implemented bioinformatics tools to infer subclonal phylogeny and identify recurrent genomic alterations. We implemented immune cell signature and single-sample gene set enrichment analyses on tumor and normal transcriptome data from autopsy and additional primary and relapsed SCLC data sets. Furthermore, we evaluated T cell-inflamed gene expression profiles in neuroendocrine (ASCL1, NEUROD1) and non-neuroendocrine (YAP1, POU2F3) SCLC subtypes. Results Exome sequencing revealed clonal heterogeneity (intertumor and intratumor) arising from branched evolution and identified resistance-associated truncal and subclonal alterations in relapsed SCLC. Transcriptome analyses further revealed a noninflamed phenotype in neuroendocrine SCLC subtypes (ASCL1, NEUROD1) associated with decreased expression of genes involved in adaptive antitumor immunity whereas non-neuroendocrine subtypes (YAP1, POU2F3) revealed a more inflamed phenotype. Conclusions Our results reveal substantial tumor heterogeneity and complex clonal evolution in relapsed SCLC. Furthermore, we report that neuroendocrine SCLC subtypes are immunologically cold, thus explaining decreased responsiveness to immune checkpoint blockade. These results suggest that the mechanisms of innate and acquired therapeutic resistances are subtype-specific in SCLC and highlight the need for continued investigation to bolster therapy selection and development for this cancer.
A clinician's guide to what kills lambs and kids, as diagnosed by necropsy

It is common for neonatal losses to exceed 10% of lambs and kids delivered. A simple on-farm necropsy technique for examining these animals and determining the probable cause of death is described. Important categories for mortality include abortion, stillbirth, dystocia, hypothermia and starvation, umbilical infections, diarrheal diseases, septicemia, pneumonia, and abomasal bloat. Once the relative importance of these conditions in the herd has been determined, appropriate samples can be sent to a diagnostic laboratory and suggestions for management changes can be tailored to address the problems of the greatest economic importance.
Trends in Analog and Digital Intensive Compute-in-SRAM Designs

The unprecedented growth in Deep Neural Networks (DNN) model size has resulted into a massive amount of data movement from off-chip memory to on-chip processing cores in modern Machine Learning (ML) accelerators. Compute-In-Memory (CIM) designs performing DNN computations within memory arrays are being explored to mitigate this ‘Memory Wall’ bottleneck of latency and energy overheads. Among the incumbent embedded memories, the Static Access Random Memory (SRAM) built using high performance logic transistors and interconnects can enable custom CIM designs while offering low pJ/bit access energy, high-endurance, high-performance, and high-bandwidth. The wordline and bitline voltages and pulse-widths are modulated to realize analog or digital domain multiply-and-accumulate (MAC) computations using multiple SRAM bitcell variants. This paper describes the trends in recent CIM-SRAM designs utilizing such analog and digitally-intensive approaches. In an analog CIM-SRAM design, the inputs/activations are transformed into analog voltage or pulsewidth and applied on wordlines and/or bitlines. Multibit MAC computations often involve peripheral data converter circuits which need to be optimized significantly to minimize the area and energy overheads. On the other hand, digitally-intensive CIM-SRAM approaches try to avoid analog circuits by implementing smaller bit-width wordline/bitline computations and utilize sense amplifiers for performing basic logic operations and/or employ small digital logic block next to the SRAM column I/O circuits forming compute-in/near SRAM designs. Key design trends in both the approaches and qualitative comparisons are presented with a perspective on future CIM-SRAM designs.
Wideband PPT Class Φ2 Inverter using Phase-Switched Impedance Modulation and Reactance Compensation

The Class Φ2 is a suitable power amplifier (PA) topology for applications that demand low device voltage stress and simple gate driving. The push-pull with T network (PPT) version of this architecture can be advantageous over a conventional single-ended Φ2 due to higher power capabilities through interleaving and simple closed-form design equations. The downside with this and many other switch-mode PAs is that they perform efficiently only at a single frequency with the power degrading outside the nominal point of operation. To solve this issue, we incorporate a phase-switched impedance modulation (PSIM) variable capacitor and a reactance compensation network so that the PPT Φ2 can function across broadband. We experimentally demonstrate a 300 W PA for a 50 Ω load impedance using silicon (Si) devices. The PA achieves above 90% efficiency over approximately a 30% fractional bandwidth. In addition, the PA can also operate across broadband with light loads, where above 80% efficiency is maintained for up to 5 times higher load resistances. This switch-mode PA is one of the first to demonstrate such performance under load variation across a wide bandwidth.
Black Lady Classroom

In 2019, the Black Lady Sketch Show aired on HBO, making it the first comedy sketch show to have a cast of all Black women and be produced and written by Black women. A particular skit that has since gone viral across social media platforms depicted a scenario where Black women entered a courtroom to perform their respective duties. To their surprise, the six women found that everyone within the space was a Black woman, creating the Black Lady Courtroom. In the spring of 2020, seven students and a professor shared a similar experience that we coined the Black Lady Classroom. In authoring this piece, we hope to provide a model for others who may find themselves in a similar classroom setting.
The Time Evolution of Photonic Crystal Bandgaps

The concept of a scaled group delay time is applied to a finite one-dimensional periodic array of dielectrics as a means of obtaining a group velocity. The scaling factor is shown to be the physical distance and this derived group velocity is compared to the group velocity of an infinitely periodic structure. Joint time-frequency analysis is performed on the response of a one-dimensional structure and the time-to-formation of the pass bands is shown to be determined by the peak group velocity in a given band. These concepts are then extended to three-dimensional photonic crystals and shown to give good agreement.
Src glutathionylation and its role in oxidant and TGFβ1-mediated Src activation (1095.13)

Src is a critical enzyme involved in epithelial-mesenchymal transition that contributes to metastasis and possibly fibrosis. Previous studies have demonstrated that oxidants are involved in Src act...
Increased serum IGF‐1 levels protect the musculoskeletal system but are associated with elevated oxidative stress markers and increased mortality independent of tissue igf1 gene expression

Although the literature suggests a protective (anabolic) effect of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) on the musculoskeletal system during growth and aging, there is evidence that reductions in IGF-1 signaling are advantageous for promoting an increase in life span through reduction in oxidative stress-induced tissue damage. To better understand this paradox, we utilized the hepatocyte-specific IGF-1 transgenic (HIT) mice, which exhibit 3-fold increases in serum IGF-1, with normal IGF-1 expression in other tissues, and mice with an IGF-1 null background that exclusively express IGF-1 in the liver, which thereby deliver IGF-1 by the endocrine route only (KO-HIT mice). We found that in the total absence of tissue igf1 gene expression (KO-HIT), increases in serum IGF-1 levels were associated with increased levels of lipid peroxidation products in serum and increased mortality rate at 18 months of age in both genders. Surprisingly, however, we found that in female mice, tissue IGF-1 plays an important role in preserving trabecular bone architecture as KO-HIT mice show bone loss in the femoral distal metaphysis. Additionally, in male KO-HIT mice, increases in serum IGF-1 levels were insufficient to protect against age-related muscle loss.
Vitamin A Transport in Rat Plasma: ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RETINOL-BINDING PROTEIN

Studies were conducted to isolate and characterize rat serum retinol-binding protein (RBP), the specific transport protein for vitamin A in the rat. RBP was isolated from rat serum by a sequence of procedures which included: precipitation with ammonium sulfate between 30 and 50% saturation; chromatography on DEAE-Sephadex; gel filtration on Sephadex G-200 and G-100; and preparative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. These procedures resulted in RBP which had been purified approximately 2,300-fold, and which was completely pure by physical and by immunological criteria. Purified rat RBP has α1 mobility, a sedimentation constant (s20,w) of 2.06 S, and a molecular weight of approximately 20,000. The properties of rat RBP resemble those of human plasma RBP in many ways. The two proteins have nearly identical ultraviolet absorption spectra (peak maxima at 280 and 330 nm) and fluorescence emission and excitation spectra. The amino acid compositions of rat and human RBP are somewhat similar, both with a fairly high content of aromatic amino acids. A specific antirat RBP antiserum was prepared in a rabbit. There was no immunological cross-reactivity between rat and human RBP, indicating that the two proteins are immunologically completely distinct. In plasma, rat RBP circulates in the form of a protein-protein complex, with an apparent molecular weight of approximately 60,000 to 70,000. The protein (prealbumin-2) with which RBP interacts to form a complex has an electrophoretic mobility slightly greater than that of rat serum albumin. Purified prealbumin-2 has an apparent molecular weight of approximately 45,000 to 50,000. Prealbumin-2 may also represent a major transport protein for thyroid hormone in the rat.
Efficient solution of load-deflection equations.

Load deflection equation solution based on row operations, involving three passes of coefficient matrix, using wavefront processing and modified Gauss algorithm
Exploring Alternate Ways to Present Estimated Future Retirement Benefits in the Social Security Statement

The Social Security Statement is sent annually to approximately 150 million Americans over age 25 and represents most individuals’ key source of information regarding the Social Security program and the benefits to which they may be entitled. The Statement includes estimates of the future retirement, disability, and survivor benefits that may be payable based on an individual’s earnings record. In many cases, of course, the worker will not be eligible to receive the benefits for many years or even decades into the future. Accordingly, it is important to translate these future nominal benefits into values that are useful and understandable to Americans reading the Statement today. At present, projected future benefits are effectively discounted to the present at the rate of nominal wage growth in the economy. This produces a lower value than would be the result of indexing benefits to inflation. In this project we evaluate first evaluate whether current methods produce reasonably accurate projections of future nominal benefits, then consider alternative ways of presenting estimated Social Security benefits to covered workers. Given the declining share of retirement income provided by Social Security and traditional defined benefit pensions, individuals must take a more active role in their retirement saving decisions. The potential for confusion regarding the presentation of estimated Social Security benefits could complicate this process, making it important that Social Security clarify or alter the way nominal benefits are expressed to current users of the Statement.
O prefixo no português brasileiro: análise prosódica e lexical

Este artigo resume nosso estudo dos prefixos do portugues brasileiro (PB), realizado a luz da Fonologia Prosodica (FP) e da Fonologia Lexical (FL). Quanto a seu status prosodico, propomos que os prefixos do PB estao divididos em dois grupos: prefixos composicionais (PCs) e prefixos legitimos (PLs). Os primeiros configuram-se como palavras fonologicas independentes, enquanto os segundos se estruturam como silabas atonas afixadas a esquerda de uma base. No que respeita ao status lexical dos prefixos, a partir de uma proposta de lexico segmentado em dois niveis, assumimos que PCs fazem o caminho de palavras fonologicas independentes ate o nivel pos-lexical, de onde sao alcados, a fim de sofrer prefixacao no nivel 2, enquanto PLs sao inseridos lexicalmente como silabas pretonicas, distribuidos em duas classes, que se afixam, respectivamente, nos niveis 1 e 2.
Covering Your Face on Facebook

This study examines the ways in which identity is managed on social networking sites through image suppression practices – namely, untagging and requesting deletion on Facebook. Goffman’s theory of impression management is used, focusing on his understudied ideas about how individuals respond to what others communicate about them, by controlling for information that is discrepant with their desired self-presentation. Data are reported from an exploratory set of qualitative interviews and an online quantitative survey. Results showed that many Facebook users engaged in suppression strategies, albeit infrequently. In addition, users were statistically more likely to not post a potentially damaging image than they were to untag it, and were more likely to untag it than to request that another user delete it. The authors suggest that one possibility is that users avoid more overt identity management strategies because they carry the risk of making users look duplicitous. A potential model is suggested that fu...
Battle of Botcraft: fighting bots in online games with human observational proofs

The abuse of online games by automated programs, known as game bots, for gaining unfair advantages has plagued millions of participating players with escalating severity in recent years. The current methods for distinguishing bots and humans are based on human interactive proofs (HIPs), such as CAPTCHAs. However, HIP-based approaches have inherent drawbacks. In particular, they are too obtrusive to be tolerated by human players in a gaming context. In this paper, we propose a non-interactive approach based on human observational proofs (HOPs) for continuous game bot detection. HOPs differentiate bots from human players by passively monitoring input actions that are difficult for current bots to perform in a human-like manner. We collect a series of user-input traces in one of the most popular online games, World of Warcraft. Based on the traces, we characterize the game playing behaviors of bots and humans. Then, we develop a HOP-based game bot defense system that analyzes user-input actions with a cascade-correlation neural network to distinguish bots from humans. The HOP system is effective in capturing current game bots, which raises the bar against game exploits and forces a determined adversary to build more complicated game bots for detection evasion in the future.
Constitutive nitric oxide synthase from cerebellum is reversibly inhibited by nitric oxide formed from L-arginine.

Abstract The objective of this study was to determine whether constitutive nitric oxide (NO) synthase from rat cerebellum could be regulated by the two products of the reaction, NO and L-citrulline, utilizing L-arginine as substrate. NO synthase activity was determined by monitoring the formation of 3 H-citrulline from 3 H-L-arginine in the presence of added cofactors. The rate of citrulline formation in enzyme reaction mixtures was non-linear. Addition of superoxide dismutase (SOD; 100 units) inhibited NO synthase activity and made the rate of product formation more non-linear, whereas addition of oxyhemoglobin (HbO 2 ; 30 μM) increased NO synthase activity, made the rate of product formation linear and also abolished the effect of SOD. Added NO (10 μM) inhibited NO synthase activity and this inhibition was potentiated by SOD and abolished by HbO 2 . Added L-citrulline (1 mM) did not alter NO synthase activity. The two NO donors, S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (200 μM) and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (200 μM) mimicked the inhibitory effect of NO and inhibition of NO synthase activity by NO was reversible. These observations indicate clearly that NO formed during the NO synthase reaction or added to the enzyme reaction mixture causes a reversible inhibition of NO synthase activity. Thus, NO may function as a negative feedback modulator of its own synthesis.
ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OF WOOD OF CALLIXYLON AND CORDAITES

A B S T R A C T Replicas and ultrathin sections of the wood of two Paleozoic genera, Callixylon and Cordaites, were examined with the electron microscope. The pattern of wall layering of Callixylon closely resembles that of extant plants. An electron-dense compound middle lamella markedly thickened at the corners of cells, a thin, electron-transparent Si layer of the secondary wall, and a thick, electron-dense, partiallv decayed S2 layer of the secondary wall are evident in transverse sections of tracheids. No S3 layer seems to be present. The structure of the bordered pit-pairs of Callixylon is described in detail. The slitlike outer pit apertures are conspicuously narrower and shorter than the inner pit apertures. Both sections and replicas of the bordered pit-pairs display pit membranes lacking tori. Microfibrillar structure is obscure in both sections and replicas of Callixylon wood. Replicas of the bordered pits of Cordaites wood are very similar to those of Callixylon. Pit membranes lack tori, and microfibrillar structure is not very discernible. Knowledge about the evolution of the torus is summarized. It is postulated that the type of pit membrane of Callixylon and Cordaites, which is very homogeneous in structure and lacks a torus, represents a primitive condition among gymnosperms from which structurally more complex pit membranes and the torus later evolved.
Embodied metaphor and the “true” self: Priming entity expansion and protection influences intrinsic self-expressions in self-perceptions and interpersonal behavior.

Drawing on conceptual metaphor perspectives and embodied cognition theories, we proposed that the intrinsic self-concept–who people think they truly are–is represented metaphorically as a physical entity, and that expressions of the intrinsic self-concept are therefore conceptualized in terms of entity activity. Using an empirical strategy for experimentally investigating conceptual metaphor, we tested whether exposure to pictorial primes depicting entity expansion and protection produces metaphor-consistent effects on self-perceptions and interpersonal behaviors expressive of the intrinsic self-concept. In Study 1, participants primed with entity expansion perceived themselves as more self-actualized and less concerned with satisfying extrinsic contingencies of self-esteem. Study 2 showed that this effect was mediated by the increased accessibility of the concept entity expansion. In Study 3, expansion-primed participants conformed less to other people's opinions. In Study 4, participants primed with entity protection were less willing to disclose intimate, but not non-intimate, self-knowledge to a stranger.
Comment on “Columbia River volcanism: the question of mantle heterogeneity or crustal contamination” by R. W. Carlson, G. W. Lugmair and J. D. Macdougall

Abstract Strontium and neodymium isotopic data on basalts from the Columbia River province are consistent with an unfractionated source for the magmas, and do not necessarily indicate large amounts of crustal contamination. This conclusion is based on the observation that 1. (1) the ϵ Nd values of 99% of the basalts are positive and sharply bounded at ϵ Nd = 0, 2. (2) the trace element patterns can be modelled without crustal assimilation, 3. (3) there is no associated rhyolitic volcanism, and 4. (4) the isotopic ratios correlate with geographic position as well as chemical composition.
Studies of superconducting oxides with a solid-state ionic technique

Abstract This paper describes the use of a solid-state ionic technique to prepare Y1Ba2Cu3Ox samples with precisely controlled oxygen contents and to determine the Y Ba Cu O quaternary phase diagram in the vicinity of Y1Ba2Cu3Ox.
Choptuik scaling and quantum effects in 2D dilaton gravity

We study numerically the collapse of massless scalar fields in two-dimensional dilaton gravity, both classically and semiclassically. At the classical level, we find that the black hole mass scales at threshold like $M_{\rm bh} \propto |p-p^*|^{\gamma}$, where $\gamma \simeq 0.53$. At the semiclassical level, we find that in general $M_{\rm bh}$ approaches a non-zero constant as $p \rightarrow p^*$. Thus, quantum effects produce a mass gap not present classically at the onset of black hole formation.
Cut costs using working capital management: Part 2

The March-April 2011 issue of JCAF included the first part of an article by this author on cutting costs by focusing on working capital. This second part of the article covers the next step: how to determine current practice, or the “base” case. Documenting that status helps a firm decide whether change is necessary and feasible—and how much the change will cost. The author demonstrates a useful approach that has been successfully applied to a variety of corporate clients. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Charge optimized many-body potential for aluminum

An interatomic potential for Al is developed within the third generation of the charge optimized many-body (COMB3) formalism. The database used for the parameterization of the potential consists of experimental data and the results of first-principles and quantum chemical calculations. The potential exhibits reasonable agreement with cohesive energy, lattice parameters, elastic constants, bulk and shear modulus, surface energies, stacking fault energies, point defect formation energies, and the phase order of metallic Al from experiments and density functional theory. In addition, the predicted phonon dispersion is in good agreement with the experimental data and first-principles calculations. Importantly for the prediction of the mechanical behavior, the unstable stacking fault energetics along the direction on the (1 1 1) plane are similar to those obtained from first-principles calculations. The polycrsytal when strained shows responses that are physical and the overall behavior is consistent with experimental observations.
Canonical ensembles from chaos II: Constrained dynamical systems

Abstract We present dynamical equations of motion to compute thermodynamic properties of constrained dynamical systems. In particular, we examine systems that can be described by generators of Lie algebras. In this method, additional (noncompact) degrees of freedom are added to the compact phase space to mock the effects of a heat bath. The equations of motion in this extended space are ergodic, and canonical ensemble averages reduce to time averages over the classical trajactory. We compute explicitly the thermodynamic properties of several simple systems, in particular, Hamiltonians with SU(2) and SU(3) symmetry.
Moving Forward by Looking Back: Revisiting Melvin Pollner's "Constitutive and Mundane Versions of Labeling Theory"

Melvin Pollner's article on "Constitutive and mundane versions of labeling theory" appeared in the very first volume of Human Studies, twenty-five years ago. I came upon it in the mid-nineties, as a graduate student in sociology at Boston University. I was studying deviance with Jeff Coulter, who recom? mended Pollner's paper to me as a "must read," more or less in combination with Atkinson's Discovering Suicide: Studies in the Social Organization of Sudden Death (1978). Reading this combination of texts was somewhat of a turning point for me in my graduate studies. I began to appreciate the great variety and the many subtleties of "lay" and professional categorization prac? tices, and I began to appreciate the fact that they, no less than social scientific methods, were seriously addressed to the problem of describing and explain? ing social reality. Consequently, I began to doubt whether the study of such practices really neglects such concerns as "what really happened" and "why did it happen," as critics of ethnomethodology and "qualitative" methods continue to charge. Pollner suggests, for example, that a concern with the correspondence (or lack thereof) between accounts and reality is in the first instance a feature of "mun? dane reason," not the sole prerogative of sociologists. Pollner suggests fur? thermore that laypeople and professionals routinely and methodically evaluate accounts in the course of their mundane, practical activities, making skillful distinctions between truth and falsity, objectivity and subjectivity, etc. On another front, Atkinson illustrates that a concern with understanding the "real" or "true" causes of events, such as sudden deaths, is a practical concern of laypeople and professionals, which they address by complex and subtle pro? cedures of practical action and practical reasoning, or ethnomethods. Thus conventional sociological distinctions and concerns are not only potentially encompassed within the scope of ethnomethodology; they have at times been addressed directly and empirically. Alternative varieties of sociology are oriented to these same ethno concerns and employ these same ethno methods of reasoning, description, explanation, etc., but they do not study mundane reason and ethnomethods as empirical topics in their own right (nor do they expect anything consequential from those who do), and consequently they have not appreciated the ethno origins and
Morphological processing to reduce shading and illumination effects

Optical morphological correlators are considered for shading and illumination problems that arise in robotics and product inspection and for contrast problems that arise in infrared (IR) imagery for automatic target recognition (ATR).© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.