cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Human Nutrition and Atmospheric Change

We have been hearing and will be hearing about the consequences of the direct effects of atmospheric changes on human health. But the most serious consequences now appear to be the late indirect effects, namely food shortages. In 1989, for the third year in a row, world grain production fell short of consumption. After increasing a phenomenal 2.6-fold from 1950 to 1984, world output has essentially leveled off while population continues to leap ahead, as L.R. Brown points out (1). The 1989 grain harvest of 1.66 billion tons is exactly the same as that of 1984, only there are 440 million more people to feed. This short-fall is experienced predominantly in the developing world. In 1980, there were 340 million people in 87 developing countries not getting enough calories to prevent stunted growth and serious health risks. This represents a 14% increase in numbers over the prior decade, and the World Bank predicts that these numbers are likely to continue to grow (2). Between the 1984 peak of production and 1988, world grain production per person fell 14%, while in Africa, since 1967, the decline has been 27% (3). These figures are but the harbinger of what the future portends.
Child Psychotherapy Involving Physical Restraint: Techniques Used in Four Approaches

This paper describes four forms of child psychotherapy that are unusual in their use of physical restraint as a therapeutic technique rather than simply as a safety procedure. Detailed information about these approaches was derived from published material, from training and parent education videotapes, and in one case from testimony in the trial of two practitioners following the death of a child during restraint. Caution in referring families to these types of therapies is advised, and it is suggested that parent education is important when families learn of restraint-oriented treatments through the Internet.
ESTIMATION OF POPULATION CHARACTERISTICS

This chapter highlights the estimation of population parameters from sample statistics, in particular averages and standard deviations. One can never even hope to hit the population parameter exactly, but choose, as estimates, those with desirable properties, such as, unbiasedness and efficiency. The point estimates are single values, such as y, s for measurement data, or p = y/n for binomial data, or y or ρ for Poisson data. They are calculated from the data at hand. Point estimates that are used in general are unbiased and efficient as well as consistent and sufficient. The other form of estimation is that of setting from the data at hand an interval, which prior to drawing the sample, had a 1 – α probability of containing the parameter. If two samples and populations are involved, one may set confidence limits on the difference of two corresponding parameters or on σ 1 /σ 2 possibly. The interpretation of such intervals is that one may be 100(1- α) % confident of the parameter or parameter function lying within the interval.
Use of the False-Profile Radiographic View to Measure Pelvic Incidence.

Background:Pelvic incidence (PI) is an important variable in assessing spinopelvic balance that is associated with hip pathology. A lateral radiograph of the pelvis can be used to measure PI, but this view is not routinely performed in the clinical setting during evaluation of hip pain. The false-profile (FP) radiographic view of the hip is commonly obtained to measure acetabular coverage.Purpose:To evaluate the tolerance of PI measurements to pelvic rotation and assess the feasibility of using an FP radiograph to obtain an accurate measurement of PI.Study Design:Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.Methods:A mathematical model was developed to predict the change in PI with rotation. Fluoroscopic images were obtained of 6 reconstructed cadaveric adult pelvis and femur specimens at varying degrees of rotation, including a perfect lateral and FP image. PI was measured with the midpoint between the centers of the femoral heads as a reference point. The findings were confirmed clinically by retrospe...
The End of Life Within Social Work Literature: A Conceptual Review:

The current conceptual review sought to identify and describe how the end of life was conceptualized and operationalized in top-ranking, peer-reviewed social work journals considering the highly in...
Numerical Simulation of Dendritic Solidification on Non-Graded Adaptive Cartesian Grids

We present a new computational paradigm to simulate time dependent two-dimensional dendritic solidification of pure substances. The method is based on a finite difference approximation of the heat equation and implicit level set tracking of the liquid-solid interface. We use the quadtree data structure to discretize the computational domain and a simple recursive algorithm to automatically generate the non-graded adaptive Cartesian grids, i.e., grids for which the size ratio between neighboring cells is not constrained. In our adaptive grids, the finest cells are placed around the liquid-solid interface and cells far away from the interface have much coarser resolutions. We demonstrate the second-order accuracy for both the temperature and its gradients in terms of both the average and the maximum errors. Since the evolution velocity of the interface is related to the jump of the temperature gradient across the interface, we also achieve second-order accuracy in the locations of the evolving interface. Numerical results demonstrate that our method can simulate physical effects such as surface tension and crystalline anisotropy. We also demonstrate the tremendous saving in computational time with our choice of non-graded adaptive grids.
A longitudinal scanline based vehicle trajectory reconstruction method for high-angle traffic video

Abstract In this paper, a robust and efficient High-angle Spatial-Temporal Diagram Analysis (HASDA) model is built to reconstruct high-resolution vehicle trajectories from infrastructure traffic surveillance videos. A combined methodology was developed, comprising of scanline-based trajectory extraction and feature-matching coordinate transformation. A scanline-based trajectory extraction technique is introduced to separate vehicle strands from pavement background on the spatial-temporal diagram by considering color features, gradient features, and motion features. Particular cleaning algorithms for removing static object noises, shadows, and occlusions are also established. Feature-matching coordinate transformation converts the pixel coordinates to the real-world coordinates to generate the physical vehicle trajectory. To evaluate the algorithm, generated trajectory results were compared to the reconstructed version of the Next Generation Simulation (NGSIM) dataset. 15-min NGSIM video was divided into a 5-min dataset for the calibration and the remaining 10-min data for evaluation. Model parameters calibrated based on the 5-min video data are then applied to the 10-min testing data. Two levels of performance measurements are considered to evaluate both trajectory-level and point-level results. A reference algorithm based on mainstream motion-based detection and tracking methods are used as a baseline algorithm. Based on the evaluation results, the proposed method shows promising trajectory detection results, that on average more than 90% of vehicle trajectories are constructed by the proposed methods from the NGSIM videos. The HASDA model outperforms the reference algorithm and shows superior transferability in the training-testing experiment. Further work needs to be done to improve the algorithm performance against shadows and occlusions by incorporating more intelligent and advanced techniques.
Improved Understanding of Concrete Compressive Strength Utilizing Cement Paste Testing

This article provides information for use of cement paste (mixture of water, cementitious materials, and possibly admixtures but no coarse or fine aggregates) in compressive strength testing to improve understanding of concrete. Cement paste testing has potential value because test cylinders can be produced much more easily than concrete. Results from almost 5,000 data points showed that cement paste strength trends were linear with respect to water to cementitious ratio, especially at earlier test days. Cement paste variability was greater than concrete variability in some cases. Cement paste strengths at later ages were disproportionately stronger than concrete and became less useful. Cement paste helped diagnose behaviors seen in concrete. Portland-limestone cement paste strength was always greater than ordinary portland cement paste within a group of several cements. In some cases, cement paste results showed that concrete with portland-limestone cement performed better than ordinary portland cement because of a better paste system. In other cases, cement paste results were able to provide strong evidence that concrete with portland-limestone cement performed better because of paste-aggregate bond improvements relative to ordinary portland cement mixtures. In a third set of cases, cement paste results showed that portland-limestone cement improved paste strength, but this improvement did not translate to concrete strength.
Total assignment of the 1H and 13C NMR spectra of benzo[f][1]benzothieno[2,3-c]quinoline by inverse-detected two-dimensional NMR techniques

The proton and carbon nmr spectra of benzo[f][1]benzothieno[2,3-c]quinoline have been totally assigned using a combination of 2D nmr methods including concerted use of HMQC (heteronuclear multiple quantum correlation) and HMBC (heteronuclear multiple bond correlation) experiments.
Calculation of Chemical Reaction Barrier Heights by Multiconfiguration Pair-Density Functional Theory with Correlated Participating Orbitals

The accurate description of reaction barrier heights is challenging for quantum mechanical methods due to the need for a balanced treatment of dynamic and static correlation energies because their importance varies during the course of a chemical reaction. While some regions of potential energy surfaces are well-described by a single-reference wave function or by Kohn-Sham density functional theory, in other cases a multireference treatment is needed. For systems with many active electrons, most accurate multireference methods have prohibitive computational scalings with system size. Multiconfiguration pair-density functional theory, MC-PDFT, is a more affordable multireference approach that computes the total electron correlation energy in a single step by using the multiconfiguration kinetic energy, density, and on-top pair density and an on-top density functional. In this work, we apply MC-PDFT to a benchmark database (DBH24/18) of 24 diverse reaction barrier heights. We explore the role of active space and basis set selection on the performance of MC-PDFT. We find that MC-PDFT is able to calculate reaction barrier heights with a similar accuracy to complete active space second order perturbation theory, CASPT2, but at a lower computational cost, and we find that MC-PDFT is less dependent on basis set selection than CASPT2.
The effectiveness of adding fire for air quality benefits challenged: A case study of increased fine particulate matter from wilderness fire smoke with more active fire management

Abstract The Lion Fire 2011 (LF11) and Lion Fire 2017 (LF17) were similar in size, location, and smoke transport. The same locations were used to monitor both fires for ground level fine particulate matter (PM2.5). Ground level PM2.5 is used to determine the relative smoke exposure from fire management tactics used during LF11 and LF17. The LF11 had a defined and determined perimeter and the fire, largely, grew to the containment lines with meteorological and fire conditions often determining the fire spread and intensity. For smoke management and air quality concerns, the LF17 introduced additional fire in an effort to speed up the burn and take advantage of good dispersal conditions similar to a prescribed fire. The LF17 had 2151 ha of fire added while the LF11 had only 874 ha. While emissions of PM2.5 for the LF17 (8062 Mg) were less than half the LF11 (19,105 Mg), ground level concentrations of PM2.5 were greater for the LF17 at all smoke impacted sites. The sites of Johnsondale and Camp Nelson experienced the highest concentrations for both fires with an increase mean concentration for the entirety of the fires from 5.8 µgm−3 for the LF11 to 26.0 µgm−3 for the LF17 at Johnsondale (p = 0.003) and 4.9 µgm−3 (LF11) to 35.9 µgm−3 (LF17) at Camp Nelson (p = 0.01). The National Ambient Air Quality 98th percentile daily average increased from the LF11 to the LF17 from 35.0 µgm−3 to 57.3 µgm−3 at Johnsondale and 28.0 µgm−3 to 52.6 µgm−3 at Camp Nelson. Adding fire as a tactic for good smoke dispersal to mitigate smoke exposure, as was one of the decision parameters for LF17, increased ground concentrations and exposure of smoke to surrounding communities above what was experienced during the LF11.
Migration, remittance, and agricultural productivity: Evidence from the Nepal Living Standard Survey

Abstract This paper analyzes the relationship between migration, remittances, and agricultural productivity using microdata from Nepal. Instead of focusing on total agricultural yield, a common approach in the existing literature, our innovation is to examine the impact of remittances on household-level agricultural productivity, measured by output per labor-hour. Methodologically, we follow a three stage least squares (3-SLS) method in order to overcome potential endogeneity concerns. Overall results demonstrate that remittance-receiving households exhibit a higher level of productivity. More interestingly, quantile regressions show a bigger effect in households with lower productivity compared to their counterparts, suggesting remittance as a driver of agricultural productivity in Nepal. Additionally, we show that the impact can be different depending on the ecological belt. Given these salient observations, we draw important policy implications to improve agricultural productivity in Nepal and other similar developing countries.
Estimating Light-Duty Vehicle Emission Factors using Random Forest Regression Model with Pavement Roughness:

Pavement roughness would affect the running of vehicle movement, and thus possibly impact fuel consumption and vehicle emissions, the numerical relationships and analytical steps of which are, howe...
COVID-19 interventions in some European countries induced bifurcations stabilizing low death states against high death states: An eigenvalue analysis based on the order parameter concept of synergetics

Taking a dynamical systems perspective, COVID-19 infections are assumed to spread out in a human population via an instability. Conversely, government interventions to reduce the spread of the disease and the number of fatalities may induce a bifurcation that stabilizes a desirable state with low numbers of COVID-19 cases and associated deaths. The key characteristic feature of an infection dynamical system in this context is the eigenvalue that determines the stability of the states under consideration and is known in synergetics as the order parameter eigenvalue. Using a SEIR-like infection disease model, the relevant order parameter and its eigenvalue are determined. A three stage methodology is proposed to track and estimate the eigenvalue through time. The method is applied to COVID-19 infection data reported from 20 European countries during the period of January 1, 2020 to June 15. It is shown that in 15 out of the 20 countries the eigenvalue switched its sign suggesting that during the reporting period an intervention bifurcation took place that stabilized the desirable low death state. It is shown that the eigenvalue analysis also allows for a ranking of countries by the degree of the stability of the infection-free state. For the investigated countries, Ireland was found to exhibit the most stable infection-free state. Finally, a six point classification scheme is suggested with groups 5 and 6 including countries that failed to stabilize the desirable infection-free low death state. In doing so, tools for assessing the effectiveness of government interventions are provided that are at the heart of bifurcation theory, in general, and synergetics, in particular.
What Is the Mechanism of Therapeutic and Adverse Effects of Gabapentinoids

Voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) are essential for the function of excitable cells by permitting Ca2+ entry in response to membrane depolarization. The high-voltage-activated channels, including the presynaptic P/Q-type (Cav2.1) and N-type (Cav 2.2) channels, comprise the main pore-forming subunit, α1, along with the auxiliary subunits β and α2δ. Although not directly involved in Ca2+ transport, Cavβ and Cavα2δ are critical for VGCC function by regulating kinetics and cell surface expression of these channels. Gabapentinoids, including gabapentin and pregabalin, are extensively used for treatment of neuropathic pain, restless legs syndrome, and focal seizures. Their efficacy in these disorders is primarily attributed to their effects in inhibiting the functions of the α2δ subunit of presynaptic VGCCs, thereby reducing neurotransmitter release. Recent studies on Cα2δ function and effects of gabapentinoids provide further insight into both the therapeutic and adverse effects of these drugs (figure).
Equitable resource allocation for municipal safety: A data envelopment analysis

Abstract To improve local roadway safety, the diverse nature of municipalities must be considered given their differing needs associated with their unique population characteristics and physical environments. Yet, these differences are not accounted for in the current funding frameworks that support local highway departments. This paper explores the factors that impede the ability of municipalities to efficiently and equitably distribute highway funding to improve local road safety. Data envelopment analysis is conducted by fusing municipal highway staff data, municipal highway expenditure data, crash data, geographic data, and demographic data. Among other findings, this study concludes that non-white and rural regions require more financial support to equitably improve safety. Further, data envelopment analysis is demonstrated to be a beneficial method to consider equity disparities at a local level. The results suggest where local highway resources should be invested to efficiently and equitably improve local roadway safety.
Prioritizing financial knowledge and skills within the doctor of pharmacy curriculum.

Abstract Introduction Over the past decade, pharmacy school tuition and the subsequent amount of student debt has risen significantly. Additionally, the debt-to-income ratio for pharmacy school graduates increases, making it extremely important to manage personal finance during pharmacy school and beyond. To assess a personal finance elective's effect on students' financial literacy and confidence, a course evaluation study was pursued at Northeast Ohio Medical University (NEOMED). Methods NEOMED's College of Pharmacy graduating Classes of 2018 through 2021 completed a voluntary, anonymous survey to determine the need and interest for a finance elective in the curriculum. Survey results were grouped by enrollment in the personal finance elective course (i.e. students enrolled and students not enrolled). Students self-identified the category describing their knowledge and confidence in financial decision-making using Likert-style scales. Results Of the 106 students who responded, 57 (54%) were not enrolled and 49 (46%) were enrolled in the personal finance elective course. Students in the elective reported significantly higher financial literacy and financial decision-making confidence in many areas, including budgeting, loans, debt, investing, and retirement planning. Ninety-seven percent of study participants determined that a personal finance elective should be made available to students. Conclusions Students' financial knowledge and confidence can be positively impacted by a personal finance course. With the increasing student-loan-debt and expected 3% decline in the 10-year job outlook for pharmacist workforce positions, it is essential to provide future pharmacists with financial resources to make sound financial decisions impacting their careers and lives.
World War I and the Jews: conflict and transformation in Europe, the Middle East, and America

The book under review here, the result of a conference organized in New York City by the Center for Jewish History in November 2014, claims to be ‘one of the first academic works devoted expressly ...
Screening mammography: update and review of publications since our report in the New England Journal of Medicine on the magnitude of the problem in the United States.

Rationale and Objectives After a half century of clinical trials, expansive observations, vigorous advocacy and debate, screening mammography could not be in a more controversial condition, especially the potential harm of overdiagnosis. Despite a simple rationale (catch the cancer early and either prevent death or at least decrease the amount of therapy needed for cure), the estimates to date of overdiagnosis rates are conflicting and the interpretations complex. Materials and Methods Since the author's 2012 publication in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), the peer-reviewed publications on overdiagnosis caused by screening mammography are reviewed and the NEJM analyses updated with three additional calendar years of results. Results The recent peer-reviewed medical literature on screening mammography induced overdiagnosis of breast cancer has increased exponentially, nearly 10-fold in 10 years. The average estimate of overdiagnosis is about 30%, but the range extends from 0% to 70+%. An update of the NEJM report estimates that in the US, 78,000 women and 30%–31% of those diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 40 years or older during 2011 were overdiagnosed. Conclusions Until we have better screening procedures that identify who really has cancer and needs to be treated, the risk of overdiagnosis relative to the benefit of screening merits more effective public and professional education. Radiologists, pathologists, and other professionals involved with screening mammography should recognize that the potential harm of overdiagnosis is downplayed or not discussed with the patient and family, despite agreement that the objective is informed choice.
Functional Incidental Training: A Randomized, Controlled, Crossover Trial in Veterans Affairs Nursing Homes

Objectives: To test the effects of a rehabilitative intervention directed at continence, mobility, endurance, and strength (Functional Incidental Training (FIT)) in older patients in Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) nursing homes. Design: Randomized, controlled, crossover trial. Setting: Four VA nursing homes. Participants: All 528 patients in the nursing homes were screened; 178 were eligible, and 107 were randomized to an immediate intervention group (Group 1; n=52) and a delayed intervention group (Group 2; n=55). Intervention: Trained research staff provided the FIT intervention, which included prompted voiding combined with individualized, functionally oriented endurance and strength-training exercises offered four times per day, 5 days per week, for 8 weeks. Group 1 received the intervention while Group 2 served as a control group; then Group 2 received the intervention while Group 1 crossed over to no intervention. A total of 64 subjects completed the intervention phase of the trial. Measurements: Timed measures of walking or wheeling a wheelchair (mobility), sit-to-stand exercises, independence in locomotion and toileting as assessed using the Functional Independence Measure (FIM), one-repetition maximum weight for several measures of upper and lower body strength, frequency of urine and stool incontinence, and appropriate toileting ratios. Results: There was a significant effect of the FIT intervention on virtually all measures of endurance, strength, and urinary incontinence but not on the FIM for locomotion or toileting. The effects of FIT were observed when Group 1 received the intervention and was compared with the control group and when Group 2 crossed over to the intervention. Group 1 deteriorated in all measures during the 8-week crossover period. Within-person comparisons also demonstrated significant effects on all measures in the 64 participants who completed the intervention; 43 (67%) of these participants were “responders” based on maintenance or improvement in at least one measure of endurance, strength, and urinary incontinence. No adverse events related to FIT occurred during the study period. Conclusion: FIT improves endurance, strength, and urinary incontinence in older patients residing in VA nursing homes. Translating these positive benefits achieved under research conditions into practice will be challenging because of the implications of the intervention for staff workload and thereby the costs of care.
Constructing climate knowledge with computer models.

Computer models are powerful tools that allow us to analyze problems in unprecedented detail and to conduct experiments impossible with the real system. Reliance on computer models in science and policy decisions has been challenged by philosophers of science on methodological and epistemological grounds. This challenge is examined for the case of climate models by reviewing what they are and what climate scientists do with them, followed by an analysis of how they can be used to construct new trustworthy knowledge. A climate model is an executable computer code that solves a set of mathematical equations assumed to represent the climate system. Climate modelers use these models to simulate present and past climates and forecast likely and plausible future evolutions. Model uncertainties and model calibration are identified as the two major concerns. Climate models of different complexity address different question. Their interplay helps to weed out model errors, identify robust features, understand the climate system, and build confidence in the models, but is no guard against flaws in the underlying physics. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website
4-Hydroxybenzoate-coenzyme A ligase from Rhodopseudomonas palustris: purification, gene sequence, and role in anaerobic degradation.

Abstract Anaerobic metabolism of most aromatic acids is initiated by coenzyme A thioester formation. Rhodopseudomonas palustris grows well under anaerobic, phototrophic conditions with many aromatic acids, including benzoate and 4-hydroxybenzoate, as a carbon source. A coenzyme A ligase that reacts with 4-hydroxybenzoate was purified from 4-hydroxybenzoate-grown cells of R. palustris. This enzyme required MgATP, reduced coenzyme A, and 4-hydroxybenzoate, benzoate, or cyclohex-1,4-dienecarboxylate for optimal activity but also used phosphopantetheine, cyclohex-2,5-dienecarboxylate, and 4-fluorobenzoate at lower rates. The 4-hydroxybenzoate-coenzyme A ligase differed in molecular characteristics from a previously described benzoate-coenzyme A ligase from R. palustris, and the two ligases did not cross-react immunologically. The gene encoding the 4-hydroxybenzoate enzyme was cloned and sequenced. The deduced gene product showed about 20% amino acid identity with bacterial coenzyme A ligases involved in aerobic degradation of aromatic acids. An R. palustris mutant carrying a disrupted 4-hydroxybenzoate-coenzyme A ligase gene was unable to grow with 4-hydroxybenzoate under anaerobic conditions, indicating that the enzyme is essential for anaerobic degradation of this compound.
125I brachytherapy k-edge dose enhancement with AgTPPS4

Photon activation is a radiotherapy technique in which an element is added to the absorbing medium to raise the probability that a photoelectric interaction will occur, thus causing an increase in the absorption of ionizing radiation. Binding energies of key elements within an absorbing medium are closely matched with the incident photon energies to maximize the production of free electrons and subsequent absorption of their kinetic energies. The purpose of this research was to quantify potential dose enhancement using a silver tetraphenyl sulfonato porphyrin (AgTPPS4) in tumors as a photon activator for use with interstitial 125I brachytherapy. A three-dimensional Monte Carlo dosimetry model was developed using the EGS4 coding system. The photon source was modeled using spectral gamma emissions from models 6702 or 6711 brachytherapy seeds for comparison. Absorbed dose within the tumor volume was calculated for AgTPPS4 concentrations ranging between 0 and 20 mmol/kg tumor weight. These theoretical studies demonstrated linear increases in dose absorbed by the tumor with corresponding increases in AgTPPS4 concentration. The required AgTPPS4 concentration (RSC) to achieve at least a ten percent absorbed dose increase is approximately 6.5 mmol/kg tumor weight for model 6702 seeds. In vivo biodistribution and in vitro toxicity studies were conducted to determine if the theoretically derived RSC could be achieved biologically. Cell toxicity studies showed that TPPS4 porphyrin derivatives were cytotoxic at concentrations required to provide significant brachytherapy dose enhancement. Reverse phase HPLC confirmed that toxicity was due to intrinsic properties of the TPPS4 molecule, not the presence of free silver, drug impurities, or metabolites. Further research is necessary to develop a nontoxic molecular carrier for delivering silver to the DNA of tumor cells.
Phase-transition temperature and character of Cd 2 Nb 2 O 7

The complicated dielectric spectrum of ${\mathrm{Cd}}_{2}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{7}$ around the ``paraelectric-ferroelectric'' (PF) phase transition is greatly simplified due to the suppression of the multiple dielectric relaxation processes under a dc electric field. The PF transition is revealed under a dc electric field and characterized by the Curie-Weiss relation. The results show that the PF phase transition is of second order. The dc electric field influence on the dielectric relaxation modes and PF phase transition for both single crystals and ceramics is discussed.
Jean M. Wilkowski, Abroad for Her Country: Tales of a Pioneer Woman Ambassador in the U.S. Foreign Service

Jean M. Wilkowski has written a memoir of her 35-year career in the U.S. Foreign Service, from her first post as vice-consul in Trinidad in 1944 to her assignment as the first women to serve as an ...
The Endangered Species Act

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is one of the nation's most significant and most controversial environmental laws. Over three-and-a-half decades, it has profoundly influenced both private and federal agency behavior. As the scope of that influence has come to be recognized, a law that is ostensibly to be guided by science has inevitably become entangled in politics. The generality of many of the law's key provisions has produced continuing uncertainty and conflict over some basic issues. Among these are what species or other taxa are potentially subject to the Act's protections, what the extent of those protections is, and whether the Act's ultimate goal of recovery is one that is being effectively achieved. New challenges face the administrators of this law, including that of incorporating climate change considerations into the decisions made under the Act, and responding to the information made available by recent advances in genetics. This paper provides a brief overview of the Endangered Species Act's history and its key provisions, and a more in-depth look at some of the current and recurrent controversies that have attended its implementation.
A trinocular stereo system for highway obstacle detection

Presents a trinocular stereo algorithm that we have developed as part of an obstacle detection system that detects small obstacles at long range on the highway. We describe the stages of the stereo algorithm itself and the reasons behind the design decisions that were made. This is followed by a description of the obstacle detection system that we have built. Finally, we show results from our system for a variety of different obstacles.
An Award for Sticking your Neck Out

The IEEE Society on Social Implications of Technology (SSIT) gives out the Carl Barus Award for outstanding service in the public interest. SSIT gave its first award for outstanding service in the public interest in 1978 and has since given out the award nine times since then. This department presents the 10 awardees, with information about each, taken from the SSIT website.
A non-instrumental, qualitative test for free gold in geological samples

Abstract A relatively unsophisticated method for the qualitative identification of gold in geological samples is described. This method uses a combination of aqua regia digestion, ethyl ether extraction, solution preconcentration, separation by high performance-thin layer chromatography, and flame reduction visualization to achieve selective detection of free gold at concentrations down to 0.09 μg Au g −1 sample. The analytical results obtained with this non-instrumental method demonstrate the feasibility of an inexpensive “gold test kit” for preliminary exploration surveys.
PVM based 3-D Kirchhoff depth migration using dynamically computed travel-times: an application in seismic data processing

Abstract Seismic depth migration is an image reconstruction technique used to generate realistic images of the Earth's interior from surface recordings of sound waves reflected by buried geological structures. Migration algorithms that have been developed for digitally recorded seismic data are computationally intensive and are typically implemented on massively parallel architecture. In this paper we describe a highly accurate method of computing seismic travel-times and study the feasibility of a PVM-based SPMD parallelization of a migration algorithm based on this method. The parallel algorithm developed in this study is coarse grained and utilizes a simple geometrical decomposition of the input problem. We show that near linear speedup can be achieved on a homogeneous cluster and the algorithm can be ported to a variety of platforms, i.e. clusters of Sun workstations, Cray Y-MP, nCUBE-2, Cray T3E and SGI Origin 2000. The performance of the scheme on different computational platforms ultimately depends on a number of different factors, e.g., machine architecture, machine speed, network configuration etc. For a simple test case that was studied in this research, the performances of modest PVM clusters were found to be encouraging. This underscores the advantages of adopting a strategy based on parallelizing computationally intensive tasks and also demonstrates the suitability of the travel-time scheme for developing coarsely parallel applications.
Insulinotropic toxins as molecular probes for analysis of glucagon-likepeptide-1 receptor-mediated signal transduction in pancreatic β-cells

Cholera toxin, pertussis toxin, mastoparan, maitotoxin, and alpha-latrotoxin are complex protein or polyether-based toxins of bacterial, insect, or phytoplankton origin that act with high potency at the endocrine pancreas to stimulate secretion of insulin from beta-cells located in the islets of Langerhans. The remarkable insulinotropic properties of these toxins have attracted considerable attention by virtue of their use as selective molecular probes for analyses of beta-cell stimulus-secretion coupling. Targets of the toxins include heptahelical cell surface receptors, GTP-binding proteins, ion channels, Ca(2+) stores, and the exocytotic secretory apparatus. Here we review the value of insulinotropic toxins from the perspective of their established use in the study of signal transduction pathways activated by the blood glucose-lowering hormone glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). Our analysis of one insulinotropic toxin (alpha-latrotoxin) leads us to conclude that there exists a process of molecular mimicry whereby the 'lock and key'analogy inherent to hormone-receptor interactions is reproduced by a toxin related in structure to GLP-1.
Seizure warning algorithm based on optimization and nonlinear dynamics

There is growing evidence that temporal lobe seizures are preceded by a preictal transition, characterized by a gradual dynamical change from asymptomatic interictal state to seizure. We herein report the first prospective analysis of the online automated algorithm for detecting the preictal transition in ongoing EEG signals. Such, the algorithm constitutes a seizure warning system. The algorithm estimates STLmax, a measure of the order or disorder of the signal, of EEG signals recorded from individual electrode sites. The optimization techniques were employed to select critical brain electrode sites that exhibit the preictal transition for the warning of epileptic seizures. Specifically, a quadratically constrained quadratic 0-1 programming problem is formulated to identify critical electrode sites. The automated seizure warning algorithm was tested in continuous, long-term EEG recordings obtained from 5 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. For individual patient, we use the first half of seizures to train the parameter settings, which is evaluated by ROC (Receiver Operating Characteristic) curve analysis. With the best parameter setting, the algorithm applied to all cases predicted an average of 91.7% of seizures with an average false prediction rate of 0.196 per hour. These results indicate that it may be possible to develop automated seizure warning devices for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes.
Use of 1,25α dihydroxyvitamin D3 as a cryosensitizing agent in a murine prostate cancer model.

Use of 1,25α dihydroxyvitamin D3 as a cryosensitizing agent in a murine prostate cancer model
RHEOLOGICAL BEHAVIOUR AND MODELLING OF SEMI-SOLID SN-15 % PB ALLOY

The rheological behaviour and modelling of a semi-solid, Sn-15% Pb alloy characterized by a special coaxial-cylinder rheometer over a wide range of process conditions is reported. In particular, the effect of shear rate $$\left( {\dot \gamma } \right)$$ , volume fraction of solid (f s), and cooling rate on the apparent viscosity (η) of the semi-solid Sn-15% Pb alloy under isothermal and various cooling conditions was studied. Based on the experimental data, the shear rate used in preparing the semi-solid alloy as well as the volume fraction of solid have the most dominant effects on the rheological properties of the semi-solid Sn-15% Pb alloy. A viscosity model expressed as $$\eta \left( {\dot \gamma ,f_s } \right) = \left( {1 - f_s /f_s^* } \right)^{ - m\left( {\dot \gamma } \right)} \eta _\infty \left( {f_s } \right)\left\{ {1 + \left[ {\dot \gamma ^ * \left( {f_s } \right)/\dot \gamma } \right]^a } \right\}^{n/a}$$ is proposed in which f s * is the critical solid fraction at which the apparent viscosity goes to infinity, η∞ (F s) corresponds to the asymptotic viscosity at infinity shear rate, and $$\dot \gamma ^ * \left( {f_s } \right)$$ characterizes the transition shear rate between the power-law and Newtonian regions. finally, measurements with a differential scanning calorimeter were made and used to correlate the temperature and volume fraction of solid which, in turn, was corroborated with available data from the literature.
Complexity, Networks, and Non-Uniqueness

The aim of the paper is to introduce some of the history and key concepts of network science to a philosophical audience, and to highlight a crucial—and often problematic—presumption that underlies the network approach to complex systems. Network scientists often talk of “the structure” of a given complex system or phenomenon, which encourages the view that there is a unique and privileged structure inherent to the system, and that the aim of a network model is to delineate this structure. I argue that this sort of naive realism about structure is not a coherent or plausible position, especially given the multiplicity of types of entities and relations that can feature as nodes and links in complex networks.
Reproductive Potential of Stable Flies (Diptera: Muscidae) Fed Cattle, Chicken, or Horse Blood

Reproductive potential was assessed for stable fly cohorts fed cattle, chicken, or horse blood. Flies provided chicken blood oviposited 20% more eggs per day than did those fed cattle or horse blood. However, flies provided cattle or horse blood were fecund 50% longer. When both egg viability and number of eggs produced were considered, lifetime reproductive potential was almost twice as high for flies fed cattle or chicken blood than for flies fed horse blood. Maternal investment, which took egg production and volume into account, was higher in cohorts fed cattle blood (70 mm3) when compared with the other treatments (chicken = 54 mm3, horse = 55 mm3). This is the first report of stable flies producing viable eggs after feeding on bird blood. Results from this study in addition to field observations indicate that stable fly interactions with birds may be limited to relatively low risk scenarios.
The differential effect of attitudes on the use of mental health services.

This study examines the relationship between attitudes and use of mental health related services using data collected from 4838 respondents in the first wave of the Yale Epidemiological Catchment Area (ECA) project. Respondents were asked about their propensity to use mental health services, their perceptions of barriers to using services, and the potential reactions of family members to their receiving mental health treatment. Each of these measures was related to use of mental health services — but only among women meeting DIS-DSM III criteria for a recent psychiatric disorder, our indicator of need for treatment. These findings suggest that increasing the availability and accessability of mental health treatment services will not promote superfluous utilization. On the other hand, such efforts may not be sufficient to reduce unmet need for mental health treatment among men with psychiatric disorders. These findings also contribute to our understanding of the disproportional use of mental health related services by women.
Phase diagram of one-dimensional electron-phonon systems. I. the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model

We study the nature of the ground state of the Su-Schrieffer-Heeger model for electron-phonon interactions in one dimension in the half-filled-band case. We consider the cases of spinless electrons ($n=1$) and spin-\textonehalf{} electrons ($n=2$), and discuss the stability of the Peierls-dimerized ground state as a function of the ionic mass and electron-phonon coupling constant. We first consider the zero-mass limit of the theory and extend our results to finite mass using renormalization-group arguments. For spinless electrons, it is found that quantum fluctuations destroy the long-range dimerization order for the small electron-phonon coupling constant if the ionic mass is finite. For spin-\textonehalf{} electrons, the system is dimerized for an arbitrary coupling constant and phonon frequency. Renormalization-group trajectories show that the low-energy behavior of the system is governed by the zero-mass limit of the theory, an $n$-component Gross-Neveu model. Monte Carlo simulations are performed for the model at finite phonon frequencies, and the results are compared with the static limit result. We study in particular the set of parameters appropriate for polyacetylene and find a 15% reduction in the phonon order parameter due to fluctuations of the phonon field. A finite-size scaling analysis of the numerical data for the cases $n=1 \mathrm{and} 2$ is performed, which confirms the results obtained from the renormalization-group analysis.
A Synopsis of the Genera and Species of the Sclerotiniaceae, A Family of Stromatic Inoperculate Discomycetes

(1945). A Synopsis of the Genera and Species of the Sclerotiniaceae, A Family of Stromatic Inoperculate Discomycetes. Mycologia: Vol. 37, No. 6, pp. 648-714.
Interactive exploration of Huffman coding (abstract only)

We present interactive software designed to support students' exploration of concepts involving Huffman coding. This software illustrates the association between binary codewords and paths in a Huffman tree, the greedy algorithm that is used to construct an optimal tree, and the use of the tree in the decoding process. It allows the user to control the input upon which the code is built, to step forward and backward through an animation of the algorithm process for constructing a tree, and to choose data to encode or decode. We have used this software with students in an introductory computing principles course, a first-year data structures course, and an upper-level algorithms course. The software is publicly available as a Java applet at http://cs.slu.edu/~goldwasser/demos/huffman.
MBE Growth of HgCdTe on Large-Area Si and CdZnTe Wafers for SWIR, MWIR and LWIR Detection

Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) growth of HgCdTe on large-size Si (211) and CdZnTe (211)B substrates is critical to meet the demands of extremely uniform and highly functional third-generation infrared (IR) focal-panel arrays (FPAs). We have described here the importance of wafer maps of HgCdTe thickness, composition, and the macrodefects across the wafer not only to qualify material properties against design specifications but also to diagnose and classify the MBE-growth-related issues on large-area wafers. The paper presents HgCdTe growth with exceptionally uniform composition and thickness and record low macrodefect density on large Si wafers up to 6-in in diameter for the detection of short-wave (SW), mid-wave (MW), and long-wave (LW) IR radiation. We have also proposed a cost-effective approach to use the growth of HgCdTe on low-cost Si substrates to isolate the growth- and substrate-related problems that one occasionally comes across with the CdZnTe substrates and tune the growth parameters such as growth rate, cutoff wavelength (λcutoff) and doping parameters before proceeding with the growth on costly large-area CdZnTe substrates. In this way, we demonstrated HgCdTe growth on large CdZnTe substrates of size 7 cm × 7 cm with excellent uniformity and low macrodefect density.
Mass spectrometry screening reveals peptides modulated differentially in the medial prefrontal cortex of rats with disparate initial sensitivity to cocaine.

To better understand why certain individuals are more vulnerable to cocaine abuse and addiction, we identify peptide markers associated with individual variation in sensitivity to the behavioral effects of cocaine. Previous studies in rats show that low, compared to high, cocaine responders are more sensitive to cocaine-induced behavioral plasticity (sensitization), exhibit enhanced conditioning to cocaine’s rewarding effects, and are more motivated to self administer cocaine. In the current study, we combine matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry with multivariate statistical methods to analyze tissue extracts from rat dorsal striatum, nucleus accumbens, and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) to examine trends in peptide changes that coincide with behavioral phenotype. Peptide profiles of these three regions from individual animals were characterized via mass spectrometry. Resulting mass peaks that were statistically different between these groups were identified using principal component analysis. The mass peaks were then identified in pooled samples via multistage liquid chromatography mass spectrometry. A total of 74 peptides from 28 proteins were sequenced from defined brain regions. Statistically significant changes in peak intensities for seven peptides were found in the mPFC of rats given a single injection of 10 mg/kg cocaine, with low cocaine responders showing ∼2-fold increase in peak intensities for the acetylated N terminus peptides of stathmin and Hint 1, as well as truncated ATP synthase. These results suggest that distinct peptide profiles in the mPFC are associated with individuals that exhibit reduced sensitivity to the behavioral effects of cocaine.