cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modeling Starbursts in Interacting Galaxies

Dynamical modeling of colliding galaxies is often used to study the triggering mechanism and evolution of merger-driven starburst galaxies. Here I briefly discuss modeling techniques and results, and examine the robustness of predictions of inflow triggering and starburst properties. The properties of the models are then compared to observed interacting systems to determine the successes and failures of these dynamical models of starburst mergers. Finally, I present new data on a poststarburst “E+A” galaxy which may present difficulties for the standard picture of merger-induced starburst activity.
The Alcoholic Personality

It is generally agreed that personality factors play a role in the development of alcoholism, along with sociocultural and physiological components. It has been difficult, however, to pin down just what personality characteristics are involved, and why they should lead to this particular disorder. Studies in this area have produced a wide variety of disparate findings; a review of the literature indicates that nearly every personality characteristic has been implicated in alcoholism in one study or another. Nevertheless, during the past decade substantial progress has been made in isolating personality factors involved in alcoholism. In this chapter the major studies contributing to this progress will be discussed.
Reflections on the job: Joe Edney, 1956-1983

This magazine article is a reflection on how the connections a law professor makes over a career pop up in the most remote places — in this case, at an outdoor restaurant in a small fishing village on the West Coast of Mexico.
Molecular chaperone function of the SV40 large T antigen.

The SV40 large T antigen (T antigen) is a potent viral oncogene capable of inducing tumours in test animals and transforming cells in culture. T antigen possesses multiple transforming functions that act in a cell-type dependent manner. One of these transforming functions requires a physical association between T antigen and the cellular tumour suppressor p53, while another requires T antigen binding to the retinoblastoma family of tumour suppressors. A third transforming function, >, maps to the amino terminus of large T antigen, sequences also present in small t antigen. Our recent studies have shown that Activity X: (i) is a J-domain and that T antigen possesses the biochemical properties of a DnaJ molecular chaperone; (ii) must act in cis with the T antigen Rb-family binding motif to transform; and, (iii) must act in cis with some factor through its carboxy terminal half of T antigen, possibly p53, to transform.
Exercising the Right of Privacy

This chapter discusses privacy from the perspective of the consumer of e-services. It proposes a technique for risk management assessment designed to help consumers evaluate a situation to identify and understand potential privacy concerns. The technique centers around a series of questions based on common principles of privacy protection. The chapter discusses how a consumer can understand exposure risks and how information can be controlled and monitored to mitigate the risks. It also proposes a method for assessing the consumer’s value of personal information, and a mechanism for automated negotiation is presented to facilitate fair, private information exchange. The authors believe that these or similar techniques are essential to give consumers of e-services meaningful control over the personal information they release. This forwardlooking chapter provides a foundation for developing methods to empower users with control over their private information. IDEA GROUP PUBLISHING This paper appears in the publication, Privacy Protection for E-Services edited by George Yee © 2006, Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200, Hershey PA 17033-1240, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.idea-group.com ITB12162
The Antineoplastic Agent Bryostatin-1 Induces Proinflammatory Cytokine Production in Human Monocytes: Synergy With Interleukin-2 and Modulation of Interleukin-2Rγ Chain Expression

The antineoplastic agent bryostatin-1 (bryo-1) possesses powerful immunomodulatory properties and can function as a biological response modifier in vivo. However, there is currently little information regarding the effects of bryo-1 on cells of the monocytic lineage. In this study, we demonstrate that bryo-1 can potently induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines from human peripheral blood monocytes. Stimulation of monocytes with subnanomolar concentrations of bryo-1 significantly upregulated the constitutive levels of interleukin-8 (IL-8) mRNA and induced the expression of IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), and IL-6 mRNA in a time and dose-dependent manner. Accordingly, secretion of all four proinflammatory cytokines was induced after monocyte exposure to bryo-1. Furthermore, we showed that bryo-1 selectively synergized with IL-2 in triggering monocyte activation, and this effect seemed to be dependent, at least in part, on the ability of bryo-1 to upregulate IL-2Rγ chain expression. Finally, we demonstrated that the responses of monocytes to bryo-1 could be blocked by the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors staurosporine and UCN-01, indicating a role for PKC in monocyte activation by bryo-1. These results show for the first time that bryo-1 is a powerful activator of human monocytes and suggest that stimulation of monokine secretion by bryo-1 may represent at least one of the mechanisms responsible for the in vivo antitumor activity of this drug.
Long-term Results of Mucous Membrane Grafting in Ocular Cicatricial Pemphigoid: Implications for Patient Selection and Surgical Considerations

Background: Buccal mucous membrane grafting was performed in 26 eyes of 20 patients with advanced ocular cicatricial pemphigoid. The disease causes abnormalities of the eyelid margin and conjunctiva, which results in mechanical damage to the cornea. The authors' short-term results showed that mucous membrane grafting was effective in reversing these abnormalities if the disease was first medically controlled by chemotherapy or was in remission. Methods: At the end of 2 years of follow-up, the authors reviewed all records and photographs of these patients. Results: Serious postoperative corneal complications developed in 16 eyes (61.5%), causing worsened visual acuity in 8. The postoperative complications were associated with severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca in 14 eyes (87.5%), progression of subepithelial conjunctival fibrosis and postoperative exacerbation of ocular cicatricial pemphigoid inflammatory activity in 8 eyes, and advanced ankyloblepharon in 7 eyes. The condition of one eye was unchanged. The beneficial effect of grafting was maintained in nine eyes. Conclusions: The authors' observations indicate that mucous membrane grafting should not be performed when patients have severe keratoconjunctivitis sicca, very advanced ocular cicatricial pemphigoid, or active conjunctival inflammation uncontrolled by immunosuppression. The authors suggest complete control of inflammation before surgery and perioperative treatment with systemic prednisone while maintaining any ongoing immunosuppressive chemotherapy. The selection of alternative surgical approaches is discussed.
L-band remote-sensing increases sampled levels of global soil moisture-air temperature coupling strength

Abstract Due to their shallow penetration of the soil column, remote-sensing (RS) soil moisture retrievals are often considered ill-suited for measuring the strength of soil moisture-air temperature coupling. Consequently, soil moisture proxies derived from antecedent rainfall considerations are commonly applied in their place. However, the suitably of satellite RS products has not yet been examined for newer soil moisture products derived from L-band microwave radiometry. This study globally compares correlations between monthly soil moisture and the monthly number of summertime hot days (NHD) for the case of three separate RS-based soil moisture products and a fourth soil moisture proxy derived from the standard precipitation index (SPI). Compared with SPI-based estimates, C- and X-band RS soil moisture products demonstrate a significantly (at p = 0.05 [-] confidence) weaker correlation with NHD. However, 2010–2018 L-band Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) based soil moisture-NHD correlation is generally comparable to the SPI case. Furthermore, utilizing higher-precision 2015–2018 soil moisture products from the L-band Soil Moisture Active and Passive (SMAP) mission further strengthens soil moisture-NHD correlation and leads to stronger sampled correlations than SPI over global hot-spot regions (significant at p = 0.05 [-] confidence). Combined with the general equivalence of monthly surface and root zone soil moisture anomalies, these results suggest that the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR, i.e. the relative size of soil moisture signal and random observation error variances) of RS-based surface soil moisture product, instead of their vertical measurement depth, is the key limiting factor determining their ability to quantify land-atmosphere coupling strengths. Based on this, we argue that L-band soil moisture products have reached a sufficient level of SNR to be of value for the study of land-atmosphere coupling.
Smooth Muscle Transcriptome Browser: offering genome-wide references and expression profiles of transcripts expressed in intestinal SMC, ICC, and PDGFRα + cells

Transcriptome data on the quantitative numbers of transcriptional variants expressed in primary cells offer essential clues into specific cellular functions and biological processes. We have previously collected transcriptomes from primary smooth muscle cells (SMC), interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), and PDGFRα+ cells (fibroblast-like cells) isolated from murine jejunal and colonic smooth muscle and/or mucosal tissues as well as transcriptomes from the associated tissues (jejunal smooth muscle, colonic smooth muscle, and colonic mucosa). In this study, we have built the Smooth Muscle Transcriptome Browser (SMTB), https://med.unr.edu/physio/transcriptome , a web-based, graphical user interface that offers genetic references and expression profiles of all transcripts expressed at both the cellular (SMC, ICC, and PDGFRα+ cells) and tissue level (smooth muscle and mucosal tissue). This browser brings new insights into the cellular and biological functions of the cell types in gastrointestinal smooth muscle biology.
Perception of police officer effectiveness in China: Does organisational support matter?:

The primary objective of this study is to examine the influence of officers’ perceptions of organisational support on their perceived effectiveness in China. The study also examined demographic dif...
Endemic North American Plants as Potentially Suitable Agents for Wound Cleaning Under Resource Scarce Conditions

Introduction Skin and subcutaneous infections are dangerous sequelae of soft tissue injuries, especially in austere situations where medical technology is not available. Numerous plant species endemic to North America have been described as having antibacterial properties. Of these, St. John's wort (Hypericum perforatum), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), and white oak (Quercus alba) were selected for testing against Staphylococcus aureus. Our objective was to assess the suitability of all 3 plants as potential antiseptic agents using methods easily replicated in a resource-scarce environment. Methods Water-soluble natural products were extracted from different concentrations of each plant part using either mechanical agitation at ambient temperature or boiling in unsterilized tap water. Antibacterial activity of each extract against S aureus was assessed using a conventional agar well diffusion bioassay. Zones of inhibition were measured using electronic calipers and were compared to tap water as the negative control. Results Aqueous extracts of St. John's wort and white oak bark displayed antibacterial effects against S aureus, with St. John's wort being more potent. Chamomile displayed no inhibitory properties at the concentrations examined. Conclusions These data suggest that both St. John's wort and white oak are potential candidates for infection prophylaxis and therapy in austere wilderness scenarios, with St. John's wort being the more potent agent. White oak may be more logistically feasible because the larger surface area of a white oak tree allows for harvesting a larger quantity of bark compared to the smaller surface area of the St. John's wort plant.
Computing a Minimum Color Path in Edge-Colored Graphs

In this paper, we study the problem of computing a min-color path in an edge-colored graph. More precisely, we are given a graph \(G=(V, E)\), source s, target t, an assignment \(\chi :E \rightarrow 2^{\mathcal {C}}\) of edges to a set of colors in \(\mathcal {C}\), and we want to find a path from s to t such that the number of unique colors on this path is minimum over all possible \(s-t\) paths. We show that this problem is hard (conditionally) to approximate within a factor \(O(n^{1/8})\) of optimum, and give a polynomial time \(O(n^{2/3})\)-approximation algorithm. We translate the ideas used in this approximation algorithm into two simple greedy heuristics, and analyze their performance on an extensive set of synthetic and real world datasets. From our experiments, we found that our heuristics perform significantly better than the best previous heuristic algorithm for the problem on all datasets, both in terms of path quality and the running time.
Transesterification of waste canola oil by lithium/zinc composite supported on waste chicken bone as an effective catalyst

Abstract In this work, lithium/zinc based chicken bone catalyst (Li/Zn-Cb) was synthesised by wet impregnation method using different metal ratios (Li:Zn = 1:2, 2:2, and 2:1). The synthesised Li/Zn-Cb catalyst was characterized by FESEM, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller surface area (BET), X-ray diffraction (XRD), TG-DSC and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The feasibility and activity of Li/Zn-Cb catalyst for transesterification of waste canola oil (WCO) were investigated under different operating conditions. The results showed that integrating the chicken bone powder with Li:Zn = 2:2 could enhance the FAME content significantly (> 4 folds) to 98% at 60 °C reaction temperature, 3.5 h reaction time, catalyst dosage of 4% and 18:1 molar ratio of MeOH/WCO. The kinetic studies revealed that transesterification reaction follows the pseudo first order model with 23.20 kJ mol−1 activation energy (Ea). The reusability studies show only 2% reduction in the FAME content after the 7th cycle of use.
Predictive analysis of Bitcoin price considering social sentiments.

We report on the use of sentiment analysis on news and social media to analyze and predict the price of Bitcoin. Bitcoin is the leading cryptocurrency and has the highest market capitalization among digital currencies. Predicting Bitcoin values may help understand and predict potential market movement and future growth of the technology. Unlike (mostly) repeating phenomena like weather, cryptocurrency values do not follow a repeating pattern and mere past value of Bitcoin does not reveal any secret of future Bitcoin value. Humans follow general sentiments and technical analysis to invest in the market. Hence considering people's sentiment can give a good degree of prediction. We focus on using social sentiment as a feature to predict future Bitcoin value, and in particular, consider Google News and Reddit posts. We find that social sentiment gives a good estimate of how future Bitcoin values may move. We achieve the lowest test RMSE of 434.87 using an LSTM that takes as inputs the historical price of various cryptocurrencies, the sentiment of news articles and the sentiment of Reddit posts.
Hispanic participants in the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Clinical Trials Network: A scoping review of two decades of research.

Abstract Introduction Hispanics significantly underutilize substance abuse treatment and are at greater risk for poor treatment outcomes and dropout. Two decades of research from the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) offers an opportunity to increase our understanding in how to address the disparities experienced by Hispanics in substance abuse treatment. Methods A scoping review was utilized to determine what has been learned from the CTN about Hispanic populations with substance use disorder. A systematic search was conducted within the CTN Dissemination Library and nine databases. Potentially relevant studies were independently assessed by two reviewers for inclusion. Results Twenty-four studies were included in the review. Results identified issues in measurement, characteristics of Hispanic substance use, effective interventions, and gaps for future research. Characteristics that interfere with treatment participation were also identified including low employment rates, less likelihood of having insurance, lower rates of internet access, and increased travel time to services, as were treatment issues such as high rates of alcohol and tobacco use. Effective interventions were identified; however, the effectiveness of these interventions may be limited to specific factors. Conclusions Despite efforts to improve inclusion of minority populations, Hispanics remain underrepresented in clinical trials. Future research including Hispanic populations should examine measurement equivalence and consider how cultural and historical experiences, as well as patient characteristics, influence utilization of services. Finally, more studies are needed that examine the impact of structural factors that act as barriers to treatment access and engagement and result in significant disparities in treatment outcomes.
Accelerating the Convergence of Auxiliary-Field Quantum Monte Carlo inSolids with Optimized Gaussian Basis Sets

We investigate the use of optimized correlation consistent gaussian basis sets for the study of insulating solids with auxiliary-field quantum Monte Carlo (AFQMC). The exponents of the basis set are optimized through the minimization of the second order Moller--Plesset perturbation theory (MP2) energy in a small unit cell of the solid. We compare against other alternative basis sets proposed in the literature, namely calculations in the Kohn--Sham basis and in the natural orbitals of an MP2 calculation. We find that our optimized basis sets accelerate the convergence of the AFQMC correlation energy compared to a Kohn--Sham basis, and offer similar convergence to MP2 natural orbitals at a fraction of the cost needed to generate them. We also suggest the use of an improved, method independent, MP2-based basis set correction that significantly reduces the required basis set sizes needed to converge the correlation energy. With these developments, we study the relative performance of these basis sets in LiH, Si and MgO, and determine that our optimized basis sets yield the most consistent results as a function of volume. Using these optimized basis sets, we systematically converge the AFQMC calculations to the complete basis set and thermodynamic limit and find excellent agreement with experiment for systems studied. Although we focus on AFQMC, our basis set generation procedure is independent of the subsequent correlated wavefunction method used.
Time-restricted feeding prolongs lifespan in Drosophila in a peripheral clock-dependent manner

Time-restricted feeding/eating (TRF/TRE) - limiting not the amount of food but the daily time window of food intake - is a dietary intervention that has been shown to improve health markers in model organisms and humans, but whether these benefits translate into positive effects on aging and longevity is not clear. We demonstrate here that TRF robustly prolongs lifespan in the short-lived genetically tractable model organism Drosophila melanogaster. Median TRF lifespan extensions range between ~10% and ~50% dependent on sex, reproductive status, TRF duration, and genotype. While TRF animals do not consume less food than ad libitum-fed (ALF) controls - making TRF distinct from dietary restriction - they still lose weight. The positive effect of TRF on longevity is at least in part dependent on a functioning circadian clock and is abolished in arrhythmic per0 and tim01 mutants as well as in constant light, suggesting that timed feeding acts as a zeitgeber partitioning eating and associated metabolic processes into certain phases of day and night. TRF-mediated longevity benefits are unaffected in flies whose neural circadian clocks have been abolished genetically, pointing towards peripheral clocks as the target of TRF mediating lifespan extension.
Healthcare Demand under Simple Prices: Evidence from Tiered Hospital Networks

This paper shows that consumers respond to prices for complex healthcare when they can easily assess out-of-pocket prices. Healthcare cost containment efforts increasingly incentivize price shopping despite a dearth of evidence that this steers consumers toward lower-priced care for major medical services. I show that consumers shift toward lower-priced hospitals in the highly simplified price information environment of insurance plans with tiered hospital networks. Consumers observe a single predictable, well-defined price that applies to a broad range of services within each of at most three hospital tiers. Within three years, expected partial-equilibrium savings reach 8–17 percent of baseline spending.
Evaluation of Modified Activated Carbons for Mercury Reemission Control During Neutralization of a Simulated Wastewater from the Direct Contact Cooler of a Pressurized Oxy-Combustion Process

Pressurized oxy-combustion is one of the most efficient emerging combustion systems for coal-based power generation with CO2 capture. Mercury reemission and the fate of mercury, arsenic, and seleni...
Animated Commentator Enhanced Network Monitoring and Visualization Application for Cyber Security Competition

This paper presents an animated commentator enhanced application for visualization, animated commentary and broadcast of cyber security competitions. The visualization application seeks to engage the audience/spectators at cyber security competitions by presenting information pertinent to understanding the real-time events occurring on networks of competing team as they unfold. This paper focuses on the Network Monitoring and Visualization Application (NMVA) component and the animated commentator component. It also discusses how the two components interoperate. The role of NMVA is to monitor critical services and attacks on blue team networks. NMVA consists of five component types: components for monitoring network traffic, components for reporting various network messages, data storage components and a visualization component. The animated commentator component aims to engage the audience/spectators using a video game like approach.
The Impact of Seattle's Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Tax on Substitution to Sweets and Salty Snacks.

BACKGROUND Sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) taxes may have broad effects on purchases of untaxed foods, and substitution of SSBs with untaxed sweets and/or salty snacks could offset the intended dietary and health effects of these policies. OBJECTIVES To test whether there were changes in sales and calories sold for untaxed foods in response to the SSB tax in Seattle, Washington, at 12 and 24 months post-tax implementation. METHODS On 1 January 2018, the City of Seattle levied a 1.75 cents per ounce excise tax on distributors selling targeted SSBs. We utilized universal product code-level store scanner data and employed a difference-in-differences approach to assess the impacts of the tax on the changes in 1) sales of sweets and salty snacks; and 2) total calories sold for sweets in Seattle relative to changes in its comparison site of Portland, Oregon, at 12 and 24 months post-tax. RESULTS In the 12 months post-tax, sales of sweets increased by 4% [ratio of incidence rate ratios (RIRR), 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.05] in Seattle relative to the changes in Portland; at 24 months post-tax, sweet sales increased by 6% (RIRR, 1.06; 95% CI, 1.05-1.07) relative to the pretax period. There was no significant change in sales of salty snacks at 12 months (RIRR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.99-1.01) or 24 months (RIRR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.98-1.02) post-tax. Total calories sold for sweets increased by 3% (RIRR, 1.03; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05) in Seattle compared with Portland at 12 months post-tax and by 4% (RIRR, 1.04; 95% CI, 1.02-1.05) at 24 months after implementation. CONCLUSIONS There was modest substitution of SSBs for sweets in Seattle following tax implementation. However, this increase in sales and calories sold is not likely to offset previously identified tax-related reductions in the demand for taxed beverages in Seattle. Thus, SSB taxes are a promising policy tool to reduce caloric intake in the United States.
A Pilot Evaluation of a Social Justice and Race Equity Training for Volunteer Mentors.

Mentor training on cultural humility is an area of needed support in formal youth mentoring relationships. This pilot study used an experimental design to examine the role of a social justice and race equity training on volunteer mentors' cognitive and affective outcomes related to cultural humility in mentoring. The sample included 99 volunteer mentors paired with adolescent mentees in an established formal mentoring program. Mentors predominantly identified as White (89%), and the majority (72%) were paired with youth of color. Participants were randomly assigned to either the training or control condition. Findings from intention-to-treat analyses indicated that training group participants (n = 49) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants in the control group (n = 50). As-treated analyses indicated that training attendees (n = 23) exhibited greater increases in self-efficacy to provide racial/ethnic support over time than participants who did not attend the training (n = 76). Results indicated no significant changes over time in participants' training content knowledge, awareness of racial privilege, ethnocultural empathy, or social justice interest and behavioral intentions. Analyses also indicated an attendance bias within the training condition, such that mentors who attended the training reported significantly more awareness of racial privilege, social justice interest, and social justice behavioral intentions compared to training condition mentors who were invited but did not attend the training. Implications for training volunteer mentors within formal mentoring programs are discussed.
Lessons Learned from the Development and Implementation of Virtual and Telehealth Interprofessional Educational Clinics.

Purpose The Interprofessional Educational (IPE) Clinic at Duke is a clinical experience that has allowed an interprofessional team, including health professions students, to care for patients in the emergency department (ED) since 2015. COVID-19 presented fundamental challenges to the structure of this experience, such as student restrictions on attending clinical experiences and limitations on the number of providers in a patient room, which necessitated a transition from face-to-face encounters to virtual ones. Materials and methods As a result, two virtual experiences were implemented; one was based in the ED with in-person faculty and patients with virtual learners and one staffed by ambulatory providers engaging in telehealth clinics. These experiences sought to provide an interprofessional clinical experience for students while following appropriate safety guidelines. Surveys were distributed to students post-clinic to gather student demographics and their feedback regarding the experience. Additionally, faculty preceptors provided insight into the experience, especially regarding logistics and infrastructure. Results The virtual experiences successfully allowed teams of students to participate remotely in aspects of care including history taking, physical assessments, and medical decision-making. Additionally, the virtual care team structure allowed for senior students to mentor junior learners and for faculty members to provide point of care feedback. Students gained practical experience in telehealth that included logistics and challenges of providing virtual care and appreciating how technological barriers such as lack of access to internet-connected devices can be a source of disparity. Conclusion The COVID-19 pandemic required the reconfiguration of an in-person clinical experience to a virtual experience and this pivot was well received by students and faculty. The lessons learned can be generalizable to other professional schools who may be seeking to develop an interprofessional clinical experience and are exploring telehealth options.
The Regulation of RNA Synthesis in Bacteria

Publisher Summary The chapter discusses the regulation of RNA synthesis in bacteria. The regulation of RNA synthesis in bacterial cells has been explained in this chapter. Formation of these macromolecules seems to be geared in a precise and unique manner to the over-all protein-synthesizing potential of a cell in its particular environment. The synthesis of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA) is a variable fraction of a cells total biosynthetic activity, depending on the growth rate, so that the concentration of rRNA in a cell is a simple linear function of the over-all rate of protein synthesis during steady state growth. The conclusion that the constancy of the rate of protein synthesis calculated per unit of rRNA is the prime physiological function of this integration. The regulation seems to be achieved, by a reversible inhibition of the RNA-forming machinery of the cell, and most of the available evidence is consistent, with a model, in which amino acids reverse this inhibition, perhaps by combining with their respective sRNA. The shortcomings and limitations of the techniques most frequently is used in studying the regulation of macromolecule synthesis and pointed out the need for a different approach to this study is discussed in this chapter. The method shows promise of becoming an important tool for analyzing cellular regulatory devices.
Merging models based on given correspondences

A model is a formal description of a complex application artifact, such as a database schema, an application interface, a UML model, an ontology, or a message format. The problem of merging such models lies at the core of many meta data applications, such as view integration, mediated schema creation for data integration, and ontology merging. This paper examines the problem of merging two models given correspondences between them. It presents requirements for conducting a merge and a specific algorithm that subsumes previous work.
Autonomous Weapons: Are You Sure These are Killer Robots? Can We Talk About It?

The rise of autonomous weapons is creating understandable concern for the international community as it is impossible to predict exactly what will happen with the technology. This uncertainty has led some to advocate for a preemptive ban on the technology. Yet the emergence of a new means of warfare is not a unique phenomenon and is assumed within the Law of Armed Conflict. Past attempts at prohibiting emerging technologies use as weapons — such as aerial balloons in Declaration IV of the 1899 Hague Convention — have failed as a prohibitive regime denies the realities of warfare. Further, those exploring the idea of autonomous weapons are sensitive not only to their legal obligations, but also to the various ethical and moral questions surrounding the technology. Rather than attempting to preemptively ban autonomous weapons before understanding the technology’s potential, efforts should be made to pool the collective intellectual resources of scholars and practitioners to develop a road forward. Perhaps this would be the first step to a more comprehensive and assertive approach to addressing the other pressing issues of modern warfare.
Opioids potentiate electrical transmission at mixed synapses on the Mauthner cell

Opioid receptors were shown to modulate a variety of cellular processes in the vertebrate central nervous system, including synaptic transmission. While the effects of opioid receptors on chemically mediated transmission have been extensively investigated, little is known of their actions on gap junction-mediated electrical synapses. Here we report that pharmacological activation of mu-opioid receptors led to a long-term enhancement of electrical (and glutamatergic) transmission at identifiable mixed synapses on the goldfish Mauthner cells. The effect also required activation of both dopamine D1/5 receptors and postsynaptic cAMP-dependent protein kinase A, suggesting that opioid-evoked actions are mediated indirectly via the release of dopamine from varicosities known to be located in the vicinity of the synaptic contacts. Moreover, inhibitory inputs situated in the immediate vicinity of these excitatory synapses on the lateral dendrite of the Mauthner cell were not affected by activation of mu-opioid receptors, indicating that their actions are restricted to electrical and glutamatergic transmissions co-existing at mixed contacts. Thus, as their chemical counterparts, electrical synapses can be a target for the modulatory actions of the opioid system. Because gap junctions at these mixed synapses are formed by fish homologs of the neuronal connexin 36, which is widespread in mammalian brain, it is likely that this regulatory property applies to electrical synapses elsewhere as well.
Diagnosis of Aortic Dissection in Emergency Department Patients is Rare

Introduction: Aortic dissection is a rare event. While the most frequent symptom is chest pain, that is a common emergency department (ED) chief complaint and other diseases causing chest pain occur much more often. Furthermore, 20% of dissections are without chest pain and 6% are painless. For these reasons, diagnosing dissections may be challenging. Our goal was to determine the number of total ED and atraumatic chest pain patients for every aortic dissection diagnosed by emergency physicians.Methods: Design: Retrospective cohort. Setting: 33 suburban and urban New York and New Jersey EDs with annual visits between 8,000 and 80,000. Participants: Consecutive patients seen by emergency physicians from 1-1-1996 through 12-31-2010. Observations: We identified aortic dissection and atraumatic chest pain patients using the International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision and Clinical Modification codes. We then calculated the number of total ED and atraumatic chest pain patients for every aortic dissection, along with 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: From a database of 9.5 million ED visits, we identified 782 aortic dissections or one for every 12,200 (95% CI [11,400-13,100]) visits. The mean age of dissection patients was 66±16 years and 38% were female. There were 763,000 (8%) with atraumatic chest pain diagnoses. Thus, there is one dissection for every 980 (95% CI [910-1,050]) atraumatic chest pain patients.Conclusion: The diagnosis of aortic dissections by emergency physicians is rare and challenging. An emergency physician seeing 3,000 to 4,000 patients a year would diagnose an aortic dissection approximately every three to four years.
Effects of alcohol consumption on lateralized aggression in Anolis carolinensis

Previous work has suggested that the lizard Anolis carolinensis, like many other reptiles, has a functionally split brain. Specifically, the left eye of this species projects primarily to the right hemisphere (and vice versa), there is no corpus callosum, and the physical placement of the eyes restricts their field(s) of vision to one region of hemispace. The current experiment used this preparation to examine the effect of alcohol administration and withdrawal on lateralized brain functioning during territorial aggression. Thirteen adult males were divided into control (CON) or alcohol (ETOH) groups. Baseline territorial aggression was assessed, following which ETOH subjects were then given twice daily solutions of 19% alcohol. After 19 days of ETOH consumption, territorial aggression was again assessed. Eye use during aggressive encounters was measured either following short periods (24 h) of alcohol withdrawal, or 90 m following alcohol consumption. Control subjects were found to have a predominance of left eye/right hemisphere-mediated aggressive responses, as has previously been reported. Alcohol withdrawn subjects were found to have a suppression of left eye/right hemisphere-mediated aggression. This reached statistical significance on several measures of aggression, including the number of dewlaps and headbob (P<0.001) and the total number of aggressive responses (P=0.001). Consumption of ETOH reversed this pattern and reinstated the normal pattern of left eye/right hemisphere dominance during aggression. Conversely, right eye/left hemisphere mediation of aggression was found to be increased, or not affected, during alcohol withdrawal, and to show no differences from CON following ETOH administration. Extrapolating from other recent findings in this species, these results suggest that the stress caused by ETOH withdrawal on the CNS may differentially effect the right hemisphere of the brain while having little effect on the left.
A unique pair of stereoisomers: synthesis and structures of cis-Mo2(μ-acetate)2[η2-N,N′-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamidinate]2 and trans-Mo2(μ-acetate)2[μ-N,N′-bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamidinate]2

The reaction between lithium bis(trimethylsilyl)benzamidinate and dimolybdenum tetraacetate yields a mixture of two stereoisomers: trans - ( 2a ) and cis -Mo 2 (O 2 CCH 3 ) 2 [PhC(NSi(CH 3 ) 3 ) 2 ] 2 ( 2b ). While the acetates coordinate to the Mo 2 core via bridging mode in both compounds, the benzamidinates are bridging in 2a and chelating in 2b . The MoMo bond lengths are 2.0692(4) and 2.1241(3) A for 2a and 2b , respectively.
Equilibrium and stability in populations whose interactions are age-specific

The continuous equations for a closed set of interacting populations are examined with regard to equilibrium and stability. The novel feature that is introduced is the age-specificity of the interactions between populations as well as the age-specificity of the effects of limited resources. First, single self-limiting populations are studied. Next, a set of interacting populations is examined for equilibrium points. Finally, the formal theory of stability in an age-specific description is detailed. Numerous simple examples are given.
The acute effects of chrysotile asbestos exposure on lung function

Abstract Lung function was determined in 23 men 1.5 months after an intense 5-month exposure to chrysotile asbestos using spirometry, plethysmography for determination of lung volumes and specific conductance, single breath nitrogen washout for determination of closing volume, and rest and postexercise arterial blood gas analysis. Although no man showed evidence of restriction, 12 of the 23 had documented airflow obstruction. Eight months following exposure, 16 of the 23 had a repeat pulmonary evaluation. This included the repetition of all previous testing and determination of the diffusion capacity for carbon monoxide and pulmonary compliance. Three men developed airflow obstruction, as determined by the closing volume, during the interval of study. Seventeen of the 23 had airflow obstruction documented on either the initial or follow-up study. Of these 17, 12 were nonsmokers, current light smokers (less than 10 pack years), or ex light smokers. It is concluded that acute intense chrysotile asbestos exposure causes airflow obstruction.
Impact of Antenatal Diagnosis on Incidence and Prognosis in Abdominal Wall Defects

The authors review data from the Congenital Malformation Registry in South East Thames regarding fetal abdominal wall defects. Over 24 months, 80 cases were observed (40 gastroschisis, 40 exomphalos). Live-born infants with gastroschisis had few associated anomalies and an excellent prognosis (83% survival rate). Exomphalos is associated with an increased rate of life-threatening anomalies and chromosomal defects. The latter cases often are terminated prenatally. If these cases are excluded, the 1-year survival rate for liveborn infants with exomphalos is favorable (close to 80%). Fetuses in whom gastroschisis and exomphalos are identified by ultrasonography but who have no associated life-threatening chromosomal anomalies should have a favorable prognosis.
Investigating bottom-up auditory attention

Bottom-up attention is a sensory-driven selection mechanism that directs perception towards a subset of the stimulus that is considered salient, or attention-grabbing. Most studies of bottom-up auditory attention have adapted frameworks similar to visual attention models whereby local or global "contrast" is a central concept in defining salient elements in a scene. In the current study, we take a more fundamental approach to modeling auditory attention; providing the first examination of the space of auditory saliency spanning pitch, intensity and timbre; and shedding light on complex interactions among these features. Informed by psychoacoustic results, we develop a computational model of auditory saliency implementing a novel attentional framework, guided by processes hypothesized to take place in the auditory pathway. In particular, the model tests the hypothesis that perception tracks the evolution of sound events in a multidimensional feature space, and flags any deviation from background statistics as salient. Predictions from the model corroborate the relationship between bottom-up auditory attention and statistical inference, and argues for a potential role of predictive coding as mechanism for saliency detection in acoustic scenes.
Electronic quenching of the B 2Σ+ state of AlO

Abstract Electronic quenching rate constants for the B 2 Σ + state of AlO were determined using a pulsed-laser photolysis laser-induced fluorescence technique by examining fluorescence decay rates in the presence of seven atomic and molecular collision partners. The two polar molecules CO and NO were found to have rate constants of 4.8 × 10 −12 and 1.8 × 10 −10 cm 3 s −1 , respectively. The nonpolar gases He, H 2 , N 2 , CO 2 and Xe were found to be poor quenchers with a bimolecular quenching rate constant having an upper bound of 1 × 10 −13 cm 3 s −1 for He, H 2 , N 2 and Xe and 1 × 10 −12 cm 3 for CO 2 .
The Mediating Role of Partner Communication Frequency on Condom Use Among African-American Adolescent Females Participating in an HIV Prevention Intervention

Objective: Although effective HIV prevention interventions have been developed for adolescents few interventions have explored whether components of the intervention are responsible for the observed changes in behaviors postintervention. This study examined the mediating role of partner communication frequency on African American adolescent females condom use postparticipation in a demonstrated efficacious HIV risk-reduction intervention. Methods: As part of a randomized controlled trial African American adolescent females (N = 715) 15-21 years seeking sexual health services completed a computerized interview at baseline (prior to intervention) and again 6 and 12 months follow-up post-intervention participation. The interview assessed adolescents sexual behavior and partner communication skills among other variables at each time point. Using generalized estimating equation (GEE) techniques both logistic and linear regression models were employed to test mediation over the 12-month follow-up period. Additional tests were conducted to assess the significance of the mediated models. Results: Mediation analyses observed that partner communication frequency was a significant partial mediator of both proportion of condom-protected sex acts (p = .001) and consistent condom use (p = .001). Conclusion: Partner communication frequency an integral component of this HIV intervention significantly increased as a function of participating in the intervention partially explaining the change in condom use observed 12 months postintervention. Understanding what intervention components are associated with behavior change is important for future intervention development.
Visualization tools at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

An examination is made of three projects underway at LLNL. The Magic (Machine Graphics in Color) Project is developing techniques to move data from a Cray supercomputer and effectively display it on high-resolution color terminal in the scientist's office. In a follow-on to this project, laser disk technology provides a real-time animation capability. The Graphics Workstation Project has examined visualization applications of workstations with graphics accelerators and is currently extending this work to 'graphics minisupercomputers'. The Advanced Visualization Research Project uses high-end graphics devices to perform algorithm development, especially in the implementation of volumetric methods. >
Evaluation of LED flash performance for camera phones

In this work, LED based flash solutions are evaluated for use in a camera phone application. The performance of a given flash solution is measured in terms of color accuracy and signal to noise ratio (SNR), both of which are standard test methods used in industry. Early in a camera phone design before completed camera modules are available, color accuracy and SNR are evaluated through a model which is based on knowledge of a given image sensor's color response as well as the power spectral distribution of the flash. Later in the design, when working camera modules become available, the evaluation is performed through direct measurement. These direct measurements are also used to verify the results of the aforementioned model. Color accuracy, SNR, how they are related, and the compromise between the two are discussed as well as the efficiency at which electrical power is converted to light that is detectable by the image sensor. Though many issues remain to be investigated, measuring color accuracy and SNR provides an evaluation method that builds on developed techniques and provides a practical foundation for flash evaluation as it applies to the camera phone industry.
Exposure studies of core–shell Fe/Fe3O4 and Cu/CuO NPs to lettuce (Lactuca sativa) plants: Are they a potential physiological and nutritional hazard?

Iron and copper nanomaterials are widely used in environmental remediation and agriculture. However, their effects on physiological parameters and nutritional quality of terrestrial plants such as lettuce (Lactuca sativa) are still unknown. In this research, 18-day-old hydroponically grown lettuce seedlings were treated for 15 days with core-shell nanoscale materials (Fe/Fe(3)O(4), Cu/CuO) at 10 and 20mg/L, and FeSO(4)·7H(2)O and CuSO(4)·5H(2)O at 10mg/L. At harvest, Fe, Cu, micro and macronutrients were determined by ICP-OES. Also, we evaluated chlorophyll content, plant growth, and catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities. Our results showed that iron ions/NPs did not affect the physiological parameters with respect to water control. Conversely, Cu ions/NPs reduced water content, root length, and dry biomass of the lettuce plants. ICP-OES results showed that nano-Cu/CuO treatments produced significant accumulation of Cu in roots compared to the CuSO(4)·5H(2)O treatment. In roots, all Cu treatments increased CAT activity but decreased APX activity. In addition, relative to the control, nano-Cu/CuO altered the nutritional quality of lettuce, since the treated plants had significantly more Cu, Al and S but less Mn, P, Ca, and Mg.