cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Untangling the Web of Lymphoma Somatic Mutations.

In this issue of Cell, Reddy et al. report integrative genetic characterization of diffuse large B cell lymphomas (DLBCL), including large-scale exome capture, transcriptomes, CRISPR screens, and integrative clinical biomarker studies. This provides the first comprehensive overview of DLBCL biology and the basis for future precision medicine approaches to this disease.
Long-Term Ventricular Assist Devices in Children

Abstract The number of children with chronic end-stage heart failure has been increasing in the setting of static organ availability for cardiac transplantation. This has resulted in a growing demand for ventricular assist device (VAD) support. Due to lower risk profiles and the potential for outpatient management, there is an ongoing trend toward the use of adult continuous-flow devices in children. Caution must be taken, however, that there would be inherent issues related to “patient-device size mismatch” with this approach. In addition, it needs to be noted that there are certain situations where the ordinal VAD support may not be a suitable option. Appropriate patient- and device selection are of utmost importance to provide the best possible outcome with pediatric VAD support.
Association between Search Behaviors and Disease Prevalence Rates at 18 U.S. Children's Hospitals.

Background Usage of online resources by clinicians in training and practice can provide insight into knowledge gaps and inform development of decision support tools. Although online information seeking is often driven by encountered patient problems, the relationship between disease prevalence and search rate has not been previously characterized. Objective This article aimed to identify topics frequently searched by pediatric clinicians using UpToDate (http://www.uptodate.com) and explore the association between disease prevalence rate and search rate using data from the Pediatric Health Information System. Methods We identified the most common search queries and resources most frequently accessed on UpToDate for a cohort of 18 children’s hospitals during calendar year 2012. We selected 64 of the most frequently searched diseases and matched ICD-9 data from the PHIS database during the same time period. Using linear regression, we explored the relationship between clinician query rate and disease prevalence rate. Results The hospital cohort submitted 1,228,138 search queries across 592,454 sessions. The majority of search sessions focused on a single search topic. We identified no consistent overall association between disease prevalence and search rates. Diseases where search rate was substantially higher than prevalence rate were often infectious or immune/rheumatologic conditions, involved potentially complex diagnosis ormanagement, and carried risk of significant morbidity ormortality. None of the examined diseases showed a decrease in search rate associated with increased disease prevalence rates. Conclusion This is one of the first medical learning needs assessments to use largescale, multisite data to identify topics of interest to pediatric clinicians, and to examine the relationship between disease prevalence and search rate for a set of pediatric diseases. Overall, disease search rate did not appear to be associated with hospital disease prevalence rates based on ICD-9 codes. However, some diseases were consistently searched at a higher rate than their prevalence rate; many of these diseases shared common features.
Reiteraciones relacionales y activaciones emocionales: hacia una radicalización de la procesualidad de las identidades colectivas

Collective identity has been conceptualized by social movement theories mainly as a definition. In this text, based in feminist theories, I argue that the conceptualization of collective identity as a definition forgets other fundamental dimensions —mainly relations and emotions— and, moreover, limits its processual character. This argument is based on the study of contemporary feminist mobilizations in Spain through a qualitative fieldwork (quasi-biographical interviews, focus groups, participant observations and the analysis of written and graphic materials). The analysis allows the widening of dimensions of collective identities —from definitions to relations and emotions— as well as the radicalization of their processuality by placing the notions of iteration and activation at the heart of the analysis. I offer a theoretical-analytical proposal that understands that collective identities are but partial materializations, always unfinished processes.
Constraint-based explanation and repair of filter-based transformations

Data analysts often need to transform an existing dataset, such as with filtering, into a new dataset for downstream analysis. Even the most trivial of mistakes in this phase can introduce bias and lead to the formation of invalid conclusions. For example, consider a researcher identifying subjects for trials of a new statin drug. She might identify patients with a high dietary cholesterol intake as a population likely to benefit from the drug, however, selection of these individuals could bias the test population to those with a generally unhealthy lifestyle, thereby compromising the analysis. Reducing the potential for bias in the dataset transformation process can minimize the need to later engage in the tedious, time-consuming process of trying to eliminate bias while preserving the target dataset.We propose a novel interaction model for explain-and-repair data transformation systems, in which users inter-actively define constraints for transformation code and the resultant data. The system satisfies these constraints as far as possible, and provides an explanation for any problems encountered. We present an algorithm that yields filter-based transformation code satisfying user constraints. We implemented and evaluated a prototype of this architecture, Emeril, using both synthetic and real-world datasets. Our approach finds solutions 34% more often and 77% more quickly than the previous state-of-the-art solution.
Convergence with the IFRS - Benefits and Challenges for India

In recent times, capital markets have become global and continue to expand. Moreover, there has been significant globalization of production and trade. Investors can trade shares and securities worldwide. Entities are in a position to access the funds globally in the most advantageous markets.
Germinal Centers and Immunological Memory

Recent theories dealing with immunologically competent cells favor the idea that a major difference between primary and secondary responses lies in the much larger number of cells responding after a secondary than after a primary exposure to a given antigen. Experimental evidence has been put forth [1] to show that, in the spleens of mice, the number of immunologically competent cells reacting to a specific antigen, such as heterologous erythrocytes, is 100-fold larger during the secondary than during the primary response. Histological observations on the lymphoid tissues draining the sites of antigen injections also support this concept, since many more large lymphoid blast cells and antibody-forming cells arise within a few days after a secondary than after a primary injection of antigen [2–4].
The Role of VATS Pleurodesis in the Management of Initial Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax

“Initial primary spontaneous pneumothorax” refers to a first time pneumothorax occurring in a patient with no known lung disease in the absence of a precipitating event. Historically, the age-adjusted incidence of primary spontaneous pneumothorax is 7.4/100,000/year for males and 1.2/100,000/year for females, with a male-to-female incidence of 6.2:1.1 Smoking appears to significantly increase the risk in young men by as much as a factor of 20.2
Client/Server Computing

Table des matieres : Part1. Introduction to client/server computing : Chap1. Overview of client/server computing, Chap2. Evolution of client/server computing, Chap3. Overview of client/server application, Chap4. Understanding client/server computing ; Part2. The client : Chap5. Client hardware and software, Chap6. Client software products, Chap7. Client requirements ; Part3. The server : Chap8. Server hardware, Chap9. Server environment, Chap10. Server operating systems, Chap11. Server requirements, Chap12. Server data management and access tools ; Part4. The network : Chap13. Overview of networking, Chap14. LAN hardware and software ; Part5. Development and deployment : Chap15. Development methodology, Chap16. Application development tools, Chap17. Managing tue production environment, Chap18. Production requirements ; Part6. Future trends : Chap19. Mobile computing.
Help Wanted: Consumer Privacy Behavior and Smart Home Internet of Things (IoT) Devices

The infrastructure of smart home IoT devices is complex and the combination of data streams that run throughout it is convoluted. This poses a threat to consumer privacy. However, consumers fall short of adopting privacy protection measures. This study employed two qualitative and one quantitative research methodology in a mixed method research design to examine the role of privacy preferences with respect to home IoT devices. Protection Motivation Theory was used as the theoretical framework. Results suggest that individuals do care about the dangers associated with having one's privacy violated by an IoT device and are more willing to engage in protective measures if they believe they are able to understand the various mechanisms for doing so, but only if the costs are not too high. However, consumers in general have little knowledge related to the privacy issues rampant in smart home IoT devices, but do appear concerned when presented with that information directly.
Flexibility and strength training in asthma: A pilot study.

ABSTRACTObjective: Although less is known about musculoskeletal factors that may contribute to asthma symptoms, body-based treatments addressing movement restrictions of the chest and shoulders may be a useful adjunct to asthma pharmacotherapy. In this pilot study, we compared asthma symptoms, pulmonary function tests, and medication use before and after a course of resistance flexibility and strength training (RFST) treatments in human subjects with asthma. Methods: Patients with asthma (n = 10; mean age 23 years) completed questionnaires (Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (AQLQ), Asthma Control Test (ACT)), spirometry, chest wall excursion, and shoulder range of motion (ROM) before and after a series of four RFST treatments over 47 ± 21 days. Each treatment consisted of a one-hour session involving eccentric stretching of the arm, shoulder, and chest while lying in a supine position. Results: Significant clinical improvement was observed for mean ACQ scores from pr...
Generating dark and antidark beams using the genuine cross-spectral density function criterion.

In this work, we demonstrate how to generate dark and antidark beams—diffraction-free partially coherent sources—using the genuine cross-spectral density function criterion. These beams have been realized in prior work using the source’s coherent-mode representation and by transforming a J0-Bessel correlated partially coherent source using a wavefront-folding interferometer. We generalize the traditional dark and antidark beams to produce higher-order sources, which have not been realized. We simulate the generation of these beams and compare the results to the corresponding theoretical predictions. The simulated results are found to be in excellent agreement with theory, thus validating our analysis. We discuss the pros and cons of our synthesis approach vis-a-vis the prior coherent modes work. Lastly, we conclude this paper with a brief summary, and a discussion of how to physically realize these beams and potential applications.
Active sites for the selective hydrodeoxygenation of m-cresol on WOx-modified Pt

Abstract Adsorption and reaction of m-cresol on Pt(111) and WOx-modified Pt(111) surfaces was characterized using temperature programmed desorption (TPD), high resolution electron energy loss spectroscopy (HREELS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results of this study show that on Pt(111) a strong interaction between the aromatic ring and the Pt surface facilitates C C bond cleavage resulting in decomposition at relatively low temperatures. In contrast, on WOx-modified Pt(111), m-cresol bonds to oxygen vacancy sites on the WOx deposits via the hydroxyl oxygen with the aromatic ring tilted away from the surface, resulting in a bonding configuration that promotes selective C O bond cleavage and limits ring hydrogenation. XPS results also show that interactions at the Pt-WOx interface help stabilize submonolayer WOx deposits in a partially reduced state, thereby maintaining a high concentration of the oxygen vacancy adsorption sites.
"We are Jamaicans. We are Brothers": History, Brotherhood, and Independence in Kerry Young's Pao

Kerry Young’s first Novel, Pao, is written in the “voice” of a Chinese Jamaican, a voice that exhibits little if no syntactical or grammatical difference from those with whom he works and lives in the underworld of Chinatown in Kingston, Jamaica. Pao, our central protagonist, arrives to Jamaica in 1938, a time of tremendous social upheaval. The novel charts Pao’s growing political consciousness through his romantic relationships with: the “improper” black prostitute and madam, Gloria Campbell, who is the site of romantic love, and the “proper” Fay Wong, daughter of a grocery store chain owner and link to respectability. This article explores, not so much Pao’s linguistic assimilation, but his acquisition of a language of critique. The novel, I argue, functions as a dialogic interaction of evolving contexts of a public discourse over the representation of independence, the efficacy of rebellion, and “nation.” The China Pao’s family leaves “had become a country that was half feudal and half colonized,” a land that Pao’s father and uncle Zhang fought to wrest from “foreign control” to make China a land that would provide the “ordinary man” with opportunity to fend for himself and have a “decent life” (49). The Jamaica that greets the family is simultaneously a land of possibility and alienation. In the course of the novel, we see Pao as a “fixer,” a protector of women, children, sexual minorities, and local Jamaican businesses. One seminal moment in the novel occurs when he and his friends come to the defense of a Black local fruit cart salesman, who has been attacked by an American, and are called a “chink” and “niggers,” respectively. With his foot literally on the neck of the American, he announces that he is not a “Chink and these boys are not Niggers. We are Jamaicans. We are brothers” (33). This paper explores that which makes the claim “We are Jamaicans. We are brothers” possible.
How Can Human-Computer “Superminds” Develop Business Strategies?

Many people might think that strategic planning is one of the most difficult places for artificial intelligence—and computers more generally—to be useful in management. Tom Malone highlights that corporate strategic planning provides a useful illustration of several broad lessons about how computers are likely to be used in business. First, what matters most is not how smart the computers are alone but how smart the humans and computers are together. Second, in many cases, the most valuable contributions of computers will not just be their artificial intelligence but also their ability to provide hyperconnectivity—connecting people to other people in rich new ways. And finally, the most important uses of computers are not likely to be in replacing humans but in allowing people and computers to do things better together than either could do alone.
Cyanobacteria and cyanolichens: can they enhance availability of essential minerals for higher plants?

In both field and greenhouse studies, cyanobacterial and cyanolichens of cold-temperature deserts often enhance growth and essential uptake by associated herbs. That effect is associated with better seedling establishment and larger seedlings. The following are possible mechanisms for these effects: (1) the microbiota concentrate essential elements in available forms in soil surface layers, (2) the microbial surface covers are usually darker colored than the soil itself and produce warmer soils during cool seasons when soil water is most available, (3) the gelatinous sheaths of several cyanobacterial genera common on alkaline deserts contain chelating compounds, and (4) conditions that favor persistent microbial growths on soil surfaces also favor maintenance of larger populations of microorganisms that form mycorrhizal and/or rhizosheath associations with seed plants. There is evidence that associated animals may be nutritionally benefited by the enhanced mineral content of forage plants growing in well-developed cyanobacterial crusts.
Real-Time Observation of the Diffusion Mechanism Progression from Liquid to Solid State of Transition Metal Complexes

Copper complexes have recently shown remarkable performance upon conversion from liquid-based to solid-state hole transport materials (HTMs) in mesoscopic solar cells; however, the diffusion mechanism is not clear. In this work, we apply an in situ solidification analysis of the charge diffusion and find that the dominant mechanism of [Cu(dmbpy)2]2+/+ (dmbpy = 6,6′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine) changes from ionic to electronic diffusion. Through use of the modified Dahms–Luff equation, a fast self-exchange rate constant of hole-hopping in the HTM of 8.3 × 108 (±5 × 107) M–1 s–1 is calculated, which indicates a small reorganization energy of 0.47 eV. These results introduce a new methodology to analyze the transport mechanism of solids, reveal the mechanism of charge transport in molecular-based HTMs, and offer insight into ways to control the flow of charge in optoelectronic systems.
Impact of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic on Parents' Perception of Health Behaviors in Children With Overweight and Obesity.

Abstract Objective To understand the impact of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on parental perceptions of health behaviors and food insecurity among children with overweight and obesity living in San Francisco and to assess the relationship between food insecurity and dietary intake during the pandemic. Methods Parents of children ages 4 to 12 in San Francisco with body mass index ≥85th percentile measured at a clinic visit at a Federally Qualified Health Center or academic practice from January 1st to March 15th, 2020 were eligible to participate. Parents completed a survey reporting on child health behaviors and household food insecurity prior to and since the start of the pandemic. Survey items were abstracted from validated surveys with adaptations. Regression models evaluated associations between food insecurity and dietary intake variables. Results Most participants (n = 145) were publicly insured (90%), Latino (77%), and spoke Spanish at home (70%). Parents perceived that child mean daily nonacademic screen time was higher during the pandemic compared to before (3.8 hours vs 1.6 hours). Mean daily physical activity was reported to be lower compared to prior to the pandemic (1 hour vs 1.8 hours). On average, reported bedtime shifted 1.6 hours later. Food insecurity increased significantly but was not associated with intake of fruits, vegetables, sugar-sweetened beverages, or foods with added sugar during the pandemic. Conclusions Parents of children with overweight or obesity in San Francisco perceive increased child screen time, decreased physical activity and later bedtimes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings suggest a need for policies that support healthy lifestyle behaviors among low-income children during the pandemic.
“No, Teach Yourself!”: College Women’s Expectations for White Men’s Awareness of Privilege and Oppression

Addressing gender inequities in higher education must begin with the acknowledgement that men play a key role in creating change. The purpose of this qualitative study is to center and raise the experiences of women students, and to communicate to men who are students, faculty, and administrators what women students expect from them in terms of privilege and oppression awareness. Findings indicate that women students felt criticized, judged, and underestimated by men, and expected men to self-educate to become aware of and interrogate their own privileges. The authors provide recommendations for higher education teaching and learning, focusing on attitudes and behaviors of White men in the academy.
Isolating Natural Adeno-Associated Viruses from Primate Tissues with a High-Fidelity Polymerase.

Adeno-associated viruses (AAVs) are advantageous as gene-transfer vectors due to their favorable biological and safety characteristics, with discovering novel AAV variants being key to improving th...
Lithium Abundances of Solar-Type Stars in Open Clusters

This paper discusses the lithium abundances of late-F through mid-F dwarfs in the nearby open clusters. That means that I am considering young disk stars, of course, with metallicities similar to the Sun’s. I will not discuss the chasm seen among mid-F dwarfs. Li is not easily studied because only one spectroscopic feature is available and that feature is often weak. Thus high spectroscopic resolution and good signal to noise are needed. But Li is still the most easily studied of the light-element pentateuch (D, He, Li, Be, B). The few clusters now accessible to large telescopes at high spectroscopic resolution include the Hyades, Pleiades, a Persei, as well as smaller samples in a few others (such as Coma, M67, NGC 752, the Ursa Major Group). The samples within clusters are often substantial, and allow one to examine differences in Li between stars of the same mass, age, and composition. However the total number of clusters observed is still small, so one must assume that each cluster is fully representative for its age and composition. Much recent work on Li in stars has been for Population II objects because of the importance of Li for cosmology. We study Li in Pop I stars for three reasons: First, to understand how the Galaxy has come to be enriched in Li since the Pop II stars formed. Second, to understand the stellar physics behind Li depletion in Pop I stars as a means to understanding what happens in the outer layers of such a star over time. Third, to apply that understanding of the stellar physics to Pop II stars so we can correctly infer the Big Bang Li abundance.
A Fission Fragment Reactor Concept for Nuclear Space Propulsion

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has proposed a new nuclear thermal propulsion concept that uses fission fragments to directly heat the propellant up to 1000K or higher above the material tempera...
Isometric Equivalence of Isometries on $ H^p $

We consider a natural notion of equivalence for bounded linear operators on $H^p,$ for $p\neq 2.$ We determine which isometries of finite codimension are equivalent. For these isometries , we classify those which have the Crownover property.
New Structural Systems for Zero-Maintenance Pavements

Unique and infrequently used concepts and systems suitable for zero-maintenance pavements are identified. For this study, a zero-maintenance pavement is defined as one that will provide at least 20 years of maintenance-free operation and at least 10 more years of routine maintenance operation on a high volume road. Based on the criterian and guidelines established in this study, seven innovative concepts and one modified conventional system are presented and discussed. Detailed analytical investigation of one of the seven concepts is presented. The environmental and mechanical load imposed stresses are analyzed for an anchored pavement and a conventional slab and comparisons are presented. The study concludes that since a significant portion of pavement distress mechanism is contributed by subgrade failure, the transmission of loads to a deeper zone within the subgrade would considerably reduce related failure.
Parameterized Special Theory of Relativity (PSTR)

We have parameterized Einstein’s thought experiment with atomic clocks, supposing that we knew neither if the space and time are relative or absolute, nor if the speed of light was ultimate speed or not. We have obtained a Parameterized Special Theory of Relativity (PSTR) (1982). Our PSTR generalized not only Einstein’s Special Theory of Relativity, but also our Absolute Theory of Relativity, and introduced three more possible Relativities to be studied in the future. After the 2011 CERN’s superluminal neutrino experiments, we recall our ideas and invite researchers to deepen the study of PSTR, ATR, and check the three new mathematically emerged Relativities 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5.
The Pathogenesis of Varicella-Zoster Virus Neurotropism and Infection

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is both a neurotropic and lymphotropic human alphaherpesvirus that causes varicella, which is commonly known as chickenpox, as the primary infection in susceptible individuals. During primary infection, VZV gains access to sensory ganglia of the peripheral nervous system and establishes latency within neurons. VZV reactivation from latency causes herpes zoster, called “shingles,” and is associated with a vesicular rash localized to one of the cutaneous dermatomes. While the clinical manifestations of varicella and herpes zoster are well documented, knowledge about the mechanisms of VZV pathogenesis in the human host is limited because infections are rarely fatal and VZV is highly species-specific for the human host. VZV infection of human (hu) dorsal root ganglia (DRG), skin, and thymus/liver (T cell) xenografts in the severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse model has provided a system for investigating molecular mechanisms of VZV pathogenesis. SCIDhu xenografts are infected with recombinant VZV mutant viruses that have targeted deletions or mutations of specific genes or their promoters, which enables the assessment of functions of VZV protein subdomains during VZV replication in intact human tissues in vivo. Use of these models has provided opportunities to examine VZV neuropathobiology and has shown the importance of intrinsic and innate responses that modulate VZV infection in vivo and in the absence of an adaptive immune response, which SCID mice lack. Using these tools to investigate VZV pathogenesis has provided insight into the clinical manifestations of varicella, herpes zoster and VZV-associated neurologic sequelae.
A Ground-based Albedo Upper Limit for HD 189733b from Polarimetry

We present 50 nights of polarimetric observations of HD 189733 in the B band using the POLISH2 aperture-integrated polarimeter at the Lick Observatory Shane 3-m telescope. This instrument, commissioned in 2011, is designed to search for Rayleigh scattering from short-period exoplanets due to the polarized nature of scattered light. Since these planets are spatially unresolvable from their host stars, the relative contribution of the planet-to-total system polarization is expected to vary with an amplitude of the order of 10 parts per million (ppm) over the course of the orbit. Non-zero and also variable at the 10 ppm level, the inherent polarization of the Lick 3-m telescope limits the accuracy of our measurements and currently inhibits conclusive detection of scattered light from this exoplanet. However, the amplitude of observed variability conservatively sets a 99.7% confidence upper limit to the planet-induced polarization of the system of 60 ppm in the B band, which is consistent with a previous upper limit from the POLISH instrument at the Palomar Observatory 5-m telescope. A physically motivated Rayleigh scattering model, which includes the depolarizing effects of multiple scattering, is used to conservatively set a 99.7% confidence upper limit to the geometric albedo of HD 189733b of A_g < 0.40. This value is consistent with the value A_g = 0.226 ±0.091 derived from occultation observations with Hubble Space Telescope STIS, but it is inconsistent with the large A_g = 0.61 ± .012 albedo reported by Berdyugina et al.
Volumes of balls in Riemannian manifolds and Uryson width

If (Mn,g) is a closed Riemannian manifold where every unit ball has volume at most ϵn (a sufficiently small constant), then the (n − 1)-dimensional Uryson width of (Mn,g) is at most 1.
Pyramid capitalism : political connections, regulation, and firm productivity in Egypt

This paper uses an original database of 469 politically connected firms under the Mubarak regime in Egypt to explore the economic effects of close state-business relations. Previous research has shown that political connections are lucrative. The paper addresses several questions raised by this research. Do connected firms receive favorable regulatory treatment? They do: connected firms are more likely to benefit from trade protection, energy subsidies, access to land, and regulatory enforcement. Does regulatory capture account for the high value of connected firms? In the sample, regulatory capture as revealed by energy subsidies and trade protection account for the higher profits of politically connected firms. Do politically connected firms hurt aggregate growth? The paper identifies the growth effects of the entry of politically connected firms by comparing detailed 4-digit sectors where they entered, between 1996 and 2006, and sectors that remained unconnected. The entry of connected firms into new, modern, and previously unconnected sectors slows aggregate employment growth and skews the distribution of employment toward less productive, smaller firms.
Natural Resources and Economic Development

Preface 1. Natural resources and developing countries: an overview 2. Natural resource-based economic development in history 3. Does natural resource dependence hinder economic development? 4. Frontier expansion and economic development 5. Explaining land use change in developing countries 6. The economics of land conversion 7. Does water availability constrain economic development? 8. Rural poverty and resource degradation 9. Can frontier-based development be successful? 10. Policies for sustainable resource-based development in poor economies.
Lack of Evidence for PKM2 Protein Kinase Activity

The role of pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) in cell proliferation is controversial. A unique function of PKM2 proposed to be important for the proliferation of some cancer cells involves the direct activity of this enzyme as a protein kinase; however, a detailed biochemical characterization of this activity is lacking. Using [(32)P]-phosphoenolpyruvate (PEP) we examine the direct substrates of PKM2 using recombinant enzyme and in vitro systems where PKM2 is genetically deleted. Labeling of some protein species from [(32)P]-PEP can be observed; however, most were dependent on the presence of ADP, and none were dependent on the presence of PKM2. In addition, we also failed to observe PKM2-dependent transfer of phosphate from ATP directly to protein. These findings argue against a role for PKM2 as a protein kinase.
Fair secure two-party computation

We demonstrate a transformation of Yao's protocol for secure two-party computation to a fair protocol in which neither party gains any substantial advantage by terminating the protocol prematurely. The transformation adds additional steps before and after the execution of the original protocol, but does not change it otherwise, and does not use a trusted third party. It is based on the use of gradual release timed commitments, which are a new variant of timed commitments, and on a novel use of blind signatures for verifying that the committed values are correct.
Notes for the conceptual design of interfaces

This paper presents a design method for user interfaces based on some ideas from conversation analysis. The method uses interaction diagram and it is conceived to design the overall flow of conversation between the user and the computer system in an abstract way, as an architectural prolegomenon to the designer's choice of the actual interface elements that will be used.
3-coloring and other elementary invariants of knots

Classical knot theory studies the position of a circle (knot) or of several circles (link) in R or S = R3∪∞. The fundamental problem of classical knot theory is the classification of links (including knots) up to the natural movement in space which is called an ambient isotopy. To distinguish knots or links we look for invariants of links, that is, properties of links which are unchanged under ambient isotopy. When we look for invariants of links we have to take into account the following three criteria:
Highly-Scalable Searchable Symmetric Encryption with Support for Boolean Queries

This work presents the design and analysis of the first searchable symmetric encryption (SSE) protocol that supports conjunctive search and general Boolean queries on outsourced symmetrically- encrypted data and that scales to very large databases and arbitrarily-structured data including free text search. To date, work in this area has focused mainly on single-keyword search. For the case of conjunctive search, prior SSE constructions required work linear in the total number of documents in the database and provided good privacy only for structured attribute-value data, rendering these solutions too slow and inflexible for large practical databases.
Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and continent orthotopic ileal neobladder performed completely intracorporeally: the initial experience.

Abstract Purpose: We introduce the operative technique of laparoscopic radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder with a Studer limb performed completely intracorporeally. Materials and Methods: The procedure was performed in one man and one woman. Using a 6-port transperitoneal approach, radical cystectomy in the female patient and radical cystoprostatectomy in the male patient were completed laparoscopically with the urethral sphincter preserved. Bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy was done. A 65-cm segment of ileum 15 cm from the ileocecal junction was isolated, and ileo-ileal continuity was restored using Endo-GIA staplers (U.S. Surgical, Norwalk, Connecticut). The distal 45 cm of the isolated ileal segment were detubularized, maintaining the proximal 10-cm segment intact as an isoperistaltic Studer limb. A globular shaped ileal neobladder was constructed and anastomosed to the urethra. Bilateral stented ureteroileal anastomoses were individually performed to the Studer limb. All suturing was done exclusively using free-hand laparoscopic techniques and the entire procedure was completed intracorporeally. An additional case is described of Indiana pouch continent diversion in which the pouch was constructed extracorporeally. Results: Total operative time for laparoscopic radical cystectomy and orthotopic neobladder was 8.5 and 10.5 hs, respectively, with a blood loss ranging from 200 to 400 cc. Hospital stay was 5 to 12 days and surgical margins of the bladder specimen were negative in each case. Both patients with orthotopic neobladder had complete daytime continence. Postoperative renal function was normal and excretory urography revealed unobstructed upper tracts. During followup ranging from 5 to 19 months one patient died of metastatic disease, whereas the other two are doing well without local or systematic progression. Conclusions: Laparoscopic radical cystectomy and orthotopic ileal neobladder performed completely intracorporeally are feasible.
Metric Structures in L1: Dimension, Snowflakes, and Average Distortion

We study the metric properties of finite subsets of L 1. The analysis of such metrics is central to a number of important algorithmic problems involving the cut structure of weighted graphs, including the Sparsest Cut Problem, one of the most compelling open problems in the field of approximation. Additionally, many open questions in geometric non-linear functional analysis involve the properties of finite subsets of L 1.
The effects of spherical aberration on multiphoton fluorescence excitation microscopy

Multiphoton fluorescence excitation microscopy is almost invariably conducted with samples whose refractive index differ from that of the objective immersion medium, conditions that cause spherical aberration. Due to the quadratic nature of multiphoton fluorescence excitation, spherical aberration is expected to profoundly affect the depth dependence of fluorescence excitation. In order to determine the effect of refractive index mismatch in multiphoton fluorescence excitation microscopy, we measured signal attenuation, photobleaching rates and resolution degradation with depth in homogeneous samples with minimal light scattering and absorption over a range of refractive indices. These studies demonstrate that signal levels and resolution both rapidly decline with depth into refractive index mismatched samples. Analyses of photobleaching rates indicate that the preponderance of signal attenuation with depth results from decreased rates of fluorescence excitation, even in a system with a descannd emission collection pathway. Similar results were obtained in analyses of fluorescence microspheres embedded in rat kidney tissue, demonstrating that spherical aberration is an important limiting factor in multiphoton fluorescence excitation microscopy of biological samples.
Class-wise multi-classifier combination based on Dempster-Shafer theory

Multi-classifier combination based on Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence has demonstrated it's superior performance. In the approach based on Dempster-Shafer theory, the basic probability assignments for evidence is usually derived from classifiers' global performance. However, our study discovered that while using classifiers' global performance as basic probability assignments doesn't necessarily improve performance under some circumstances, the alternative approach using classifiers' class-wise performance as basic probability assignments does improve the classification performance and outperforms the traditional one based on classifiers' global performances. Basic probability assignments based on classifiers' class-wise performances results in more accurate calculation of beliefs, thus boosts the combinator's performance.
0-1 Laws for Fragments of Existential Second-Order Logic: A Survey

The probability of a property on the collection of all finite relational structures is the limit as n → ∞ of the fraction of structures with n elements satisfying the property, provided the limit exists. It is known that the 0-1 law holds for every property expressible in first-order logic, i.e., the probability of every such property exists and is either 0 or 1. Moreover, the associated decision problem for the probabilities is solvable. In this survey, we consider fragments of existential second-order logic in which we restrict the patterns of first-order quantifiers. We focus on fragments in which the first-order part belongs to a prefix class. We show that the classifications of prefix classes of first-order logic with equality according to the solvability of the finite satisfiability problem and according to the 0-1 law for the corresponding +11 fragments are identical, but the classifications are different without equality.
Facial, Periorbital and Ocular Injuries Related to Steering-Wheel Airbag Deployments

To determine the frequency of facial injuries from steering wheel airbag deployments, 540 consecutive steering wheel airbag deployments, investigated by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI) personnel, were reviewed. About 1 in 3 drivers sustain an injury to the face. Injuries to the areas surrounding the eye (periorbital) or to the eyeball (ocular) rarely occur. The frequencies of facial or ocular injuries are the same for belted and unbelted drivers. Drivers of short stature had a higher frequency of facial injury. Females sustained ocular injuries more frequently than males. Untethered airbags were not overly involved in drivers with an ocular injury. No specific make or model car were overly represented in the ocular injury cases.
Demand Growth in Developing Countries

This report prepared by a consultant, Dr. David Abler of Penn State University in the United States, examines structural changes in the demand for agricultural products arising from economic growth in a number of large developing and emerging economies comprising primarily the BRIIC group of countries (Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia and China). It reviews and evaluates a number of studies made of the effects of economic growth in large developing and emerging economies on agricultural product demand and the structure of demand. In particular, the report seeks to evaluate the effects of economic growth and rising incomes on the composition of agricultural product demand across product categories (e.g. cereals vs. meat), within product categories (e.g. lower-quality cereals vs. higher-quality cereals) and on the evolution of price and income elasticities of demand for agricultural products - that is, how rapidly are they moving toward the low elasticities seen in many OECD countries. The report also utilises the results of these studies to draw out the possible implications for agricultural commodity demand, commodity prices, and possible price volatility.
Development of a high quality kicker magnet system

As part of the Fermilab Tevatron upgrade, a 6.25 /spl Omega/ ferrite loaded traveling wave kicker magnet has been designed. The critical parameters are the field rise time and flatness during and after the pulse. A picture frame pole piece configuration was chosen which requires two pulses of equal amplitude but opposite polarity. Low inductance, high voltage capacitors placed between each of the pole pieces provide the shunt reactance necessary to achieve the 6.25 /spl Omega/ impedance. Cross coupling adjacent cells is used to improve the transient response of the magnet. The compensated termination resistors are built into the magnet to minimize reflections. Two spark gap pulsers provide the two 4800 A fast rise time current pulses necessary to drive this magnet. The field in this 2.4 m long magnet rises to 1055 G in less than 400 ns. This paper describes the design choices involved with this system and preliminary test results. >
Direct Readout Devices For Streak Cameras

Two techniques are used to obtain a direct readout of an ultrafast streak camera. The first method uses a linear solid state Reticon diode array and the second technique entails the use of a SEC vidicon camera. Both methods use fiber optics to couple the light from the output of the streak camera to the sensor. In addition, the SEC vidicon is interfaced to a PDP 11/40 graphics computer system for direct data processing. For both systems, data will be presented as to (1) dynamic range, (2) spatial resolution, (3) linearity, (4) signal processing techniques, and (5) problems and modifications of the devices including mechanical mounting procedure for attaching fiber optics directly to the array chip.
A Road as a Route and Place: The Evolution and Transformation of the Arroyo Seco Parkway

Author(s): Loukaitou-Sideris, Anastasia; Gottlieb, Robert | Abstract: A predecessor of the modern freeway and a celebrated transportation model of the early 20th century, the urban parkway has fallen on difficult times. Designed for uninterrupted and pleasurable driving through park-like surroundings and a visual connection to the communities the driver passed through, parkways were once hailed as marvels of transportation innovation and design, and as safe and efficient alternatives to non-limited access arterials and boulevards. By the 1950s, however, the goals of pleasurable driving and visual connection had progressively faded in favor of engineering efficiency and higher capacity use. In the meantime, existing parkways became tangled in a web of problems. Originally designed for fewer cars at lower speeds, parkways like the Arroyo Seco Parkway had to accommodate significant increases in vehicles at much higher speeds. This led to traffic congestion (the ten minute trip of 1941 along the Arroyo Seco might now take as long as 40 minutes), bottlenecks, and a major increase in traffic accidents.Today, the Arroyo Seco Parkway stands as a representative example of an urban parkway still in use but fraught with problems due to its disjuncture between its original conception and ultimate evolution. These changes also symbolize some of the problems and challenges in a freeway-centered transportation system. In what follows we will revisit the history and goals of early parkways, focusing in particular on the “first freeway of the West,” the celebrated Arroyo Seco Parkway. We will examine the forces that brought about its painful evolution and transformation from a visually appealing roadway to an accident-ridden freeway. Drawing from the specific example of the Arroyo Seco Parkway, our investigation will trace the change of the parkway model over time. At the core of our discussion lies the desire to examine if early parkways have indeed become “dinosaurs,” obsolete roadways incapable of accommodating contemporary traffic demands, or if they can be revamped and reclaimed as successful elements of an integrated urban transportation network.
Rethinking serializable multiversion concurrency control

Multi-versioned database systems have the potential to significantly increase the amount of concurrency in transaction processing because they can avoid read-write conflicts. Unfortunately, the increase in concurrency usually comes at the cost of transaction serializability. If a database user requests full serializability, modern multi-versioned systems significantly constrain read-write concurrency among conflicting transactions and employ expensive synchronization patterns in their design. In main-memory multi-core settings, these additional constraints are so burdensome that multi-versioned systems are often significantly outperformed by single-version systems.We propose Bohm, a new concurrency control protocol for main-memory multi-versioned database systems. Bohm guarantees serializable execution while ensuring that reads never block writes. In addition, Bohm does not require reads to perform any bookkeeping whatsoever, thereby avoiding the overhead of tracking reads via contended writes to shared memory. This leads to excellent scalability and performance in multi-core settings. Bohm has all the above characteristics without performing validation based concurrency control. Instead, it is pessimistic, and is therefore not prone to excessive aborts in the presence of contention. An experimental evaluation shows that Bohm performs well in both high contention and low contention settings, and is able to dramatically outperform state-of-the-art multi-versioned systems despite maintaining the full set of serializability guarantees.
Profits, poverty and health care: an examination of the ethical base of economics.

Part I of this Article explains the dual analysis of ethics (ethical base of markets as a process and an end result) as it relates to profits and market efficiency. In particular, the author questions whether individuals are able to judge their own welfare and, if so, do individuals accept that they are the best judge. Part II explains the ethics of profit and its relation to poverty. Specifically, the author describes the response to poverty in the context of health care by the consumer and producer. The author concludes by noting that the need for efficiency is in health care is unquestionable, but that markets are not always efficient in this area, especially for the poor. In order to resolve the tension between efficiency and providing health care for the poor, policy makers must articulate the trade-offs between these two social objectives. PROFITS, POVERTY, AND HEALTH CARE: AN EXAMINATION OF THE ETHICAL BASE OF ECONOMICS
Long-Term Structural Price Relationships in Real Estate Markets

This study investigates the long-run stochastic properties of real estate assets by geographical breakdown. We also study their linkages with financial assets. The initial tests find that almost al...