cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Subsurface Reactive Transport with High Performance Computing

Abstract It has long been recognized that modeling of the transport and fate of contaminants is a computational challenge of the first magnitude, a so called "grand challenge," because of the complexity, variation in temporal and spatial scales, requirements of accuracy, and urgency of the problems at hand. What has been less appreciated is the scope of the many multiple interconnected challenges that must be addressed to make substantial progress in the computational modeling of these complex physical, chemical, and biological systems. This paper presents the advances in high-performance computing of subsurface reactive transport. The physical bases of reactive transport are outlined first. Then the development of parallel two-dimensional and three-dimensional subsurface reactive transport codes at Sandia National Laboratory and Oak Ridge National Laboratory using different hardware platforms is discussed. Performance of these highly parallel codes against their serial counterparts and the application of these codes to a benchmark problem and a proposed waste disposal site are given.
O13-3 Risk assessment: conventional diesel exhaust and lung cancer

Studies in railroad workers, truck drivers, and miners reveal diesel exhaust to be carcinogenic. Although technology has evolved, a large capacity in the U.S and globally still comprises traditional diesel engine design in transportation, mining, construction and farming. The Diesel Exhaust in Miners Study (DEMS) with an extensive exposure assessment investigated 200 lung cancer deaths in non-coal and non-metal miners. A DEMS dataset was used to calculate the excess lifetime risk for airborne concentrations of respirable elemental carbon (REC). A healthy worker survivor effect and possible confounding by non-diesel power generation and other mining exposures (e.g., explosives) were investigated along with dose-rate effects using Poisson regression methods with high-resolution classification. Lung cancer mortality declined with employment duration and more so when REC and non diesel exposure effects were also estimated, revealing a strong survivor bias. Attenuation of the REC effect was also observed with increasing (lagged) cumulative REC exposure. In underground miners, the excess relative rate of lung cancer mortality was 0.67 (p 3 REC, a typical underground exposure. At occupational REC exposures of 200, 10 and 1 µg/m 3 the excess lifetime risks, respectively, were 119, 43 and 8.7 per thousand. The estimated lifetime risk was greater than some previous estimates not accounting for heathy worker survival bias. This bias was addressed using employment duration and mine above/below ground status. A model-fitted function of cumulative exposure accommodated attenuation of exposure effect. The estimated excess lifetime risks of lung cancer at old diesel REC exposure levels common in occupational groups in the past exceed 5%.
Recent Developments in Disease Management

Fumigants are vital agents in the production of many food crops, particularly the high-value crops such as strawberries, tomatoes, and grapes, which are susceptible to nematodes and other soil-borne pests. However, fumigants are highly volatile compounds that warrant exceptional safeguards to minimize environmental pollution and to ensure safety through improved application technology. It is therefore important to understand the transformation and behavior of fumigants in soil to better design optimum application techniques that would require minimal chemical input while maintaining adequate efficacy for controlling target organisms. This chapter examines the behavior mechanisms of soil fumigants that are considered potential replacements for methyl bromide, and that should lead to more informed decisions regulating fumigant use and application.
Design criteria for uncertain models with structured and unstructured uncertainties

This paper introduces and solves a weighted game-type cost criterion for estimation and control purposes that allows for a general class of uncertainties in the model or data. Both structured and unstructured uncertainties are allowed, including some special cases that have been used in the literature. The optimal solution is shown to satisfy an orthogonality condition similar to least-squares designs, except that the weighting matrices need to be modified in a certain optimal manner. One particular application in the context of state regulation for uncertain state-space models is considered. It is shown that in this case, the solution leads to a control law with design equations that are similar in nature to LQR designs. The gain matrix, however, as well as the Riccati variable, turn out to be state-dependent in a certain way. Further applications of these game-type formulations to image processing, estimation, and communications are discussed in [1–3].
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Unfolded Protein Response in Cartilage Pathophysiology; Contributing Factors to Apoptosis and Osteoarthritis

Chondrocytes of the growth plate undergo apoptosis during the process of endochondral ossification, as well as during the progression of osteoarthritis. Although the regulation of this process is not completely understood, alterations in the precisely orchestrated programmed cell death during development can have catastrophic results, as exemplified by several chondrodystrophies which are frequently accompanied by early onset osteoarthritis. Understanding the mechanisms that underlie chondrocyte apoptosis during endochondral ossification in the growth plate has the potential to impact the development of therapeutic applications for chondrodystrophies and associated early onset osteoarthritis. In recent years, several chondrodysplasias and collagenopathies have been recognized as protein-folding diseases that lead to endoplasmic reticulum stress, endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation, and the unfolded protein response. Under conditions of prolonged endoplasmic reticulum stress in which the protein folding load outweighs the folding capacity of the endoplasmic reticulum, cellular dysfunction and death often occur. However, unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling is also required for the normal maturation of chondrocytes and osteoblasts. Understanding how UPR signaling may contribute to cartilage pathophysiology is an essential step toward therapeutic modulation of skeletal disorders that lead to osteoarthritis.
Apoptosis suppression by bcl-2 is correlated with the regulation of nuclear and cytosolic Ca2+

Bcl-2 expression is associated with the progression of prostate cancer from androgen-dependence to androgen-independence. Bcl-2 is an integral membrane protein which localizes to mitochondria, endoplasmic reticulum, and the nuclear envelope. Using spectrofluorometry and laser confocal microscopy, the ability of bcl-2 to modulate intracellular Ca2+ was examined in the Dunning G prostate carcinoma cell line following apoptosis induction by adriamycin. Adriamycin and thapsigargin, an endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+-pump inhibitor, were effective inducers of apoptosis in control, but not bcl-2 transfected, cells. Treatment with adriamycin was accompanied by a sustained rise in cytoplasmic Ca2+ in control and bcl-2 transfected cells. An increase in intranuclear Ca2+ was observed in control cells only. Apoptosis induction by thapsigargin was associated with an increase in cytoplasmic Ca2+ in control cells that was not detected in the resistant bcl-2 transfectants. Ca2+ was excluded from nuclei isolated from bcl-2 expressing cells, but was sequestered in control nuclei, following the addition of ATP. These findings suggest that bcl-2 may regulate levels of intranuclear Ca2+ independently of cytosolic Ca2+ levels. The ability of bcl-2 to modulate, directly or indirectly, sustained increases in both cytosolic and intranuclear Ca2+ may provide a common basis for bcl-2 function in different subcellular compartments.
Nucleation and Growth Process of Water Adsorption in Micropores of Activated Carbon Revealed by NMR

Properties of liquids at solid interfaces play a central role in numerous important processes in nature. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) is particularly useful for probing liquid/graphitic carbon interfacial properties. In particular, the nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) provides a sensitive measure of the distance between adsorbates and the graphitic carbon surface on the subnanometer scale, enabling NMR to acquire subnanometer scale spatial resolution. Here, by combining the information on thermodynamics obtained from in situ NMR-detected water isotherm and spatially resolved information on structure and dynamics obtained by NICS-resolved NMR, the microscopic process of water nucleation and growth inside the micropore of activated carbons is investigated. The formation of water clusters at surface sites, the cooperative growth process of pore bridging, and the final stage of horizontal pore filling are revealed in detail, demonstrating the potential of this comprehensive NMR approach for study...
A System Qualification Platform for FPGA board level testing and automated regression

This paper introduces a practical platform called the System Qualification Platform (SQP). The SQP is designed to execute FPGA Software (SW) and Silicon (HW) co-verification at the board level and becomes an effective complementary solution to current SW validation methods which are based on simulation. With the SQP the user can develop cases, manage test suites/boards, launch testing, and analyze on-board running results on a PC. Moreover, the SQP's flexible architecture makes it a best practice for integrating new SW products and correspondingly-supported HW products, while offering more test cases to improve coverage. Automated regression can be easily fulfilled when the development phase ends.
DFT study of adsorption behavior of NO, CO, NO2, and NH3 molecules on graphene-like BC3: A search for highly sensitive molecular sensor

Abstract The adsorption behaviors of toxic gas molecules (NO, CO, NO2, and NH3) on the graphene-like boron carbide (BC3) are investigated using first-principle density functional theory. The graphene-like BC3 monolayer is a semiconductor with a band gap of 0.733 eV. It is discovered that all the above gas molecules are chemisorbed on the BC3 sheet while they retain their molecular forms. It is also revealed that the NO2 gas molecule could be dissociated into NO and O species through the adsorption process. The amounts of charge transfer upon adsorption of CO and NH3 gas molecules on the BC3 are found to be small. The band gap changes in BC3 as a result of interactions with CO and NH3 are only 4.63% and 16.7%, indicating that the BC3-based sensor has a low and moderate sensitivity to CO and NH3, respectively. Contrariwise, upon adsorption of NO or NO2 on the BC3, significant charges are transferred from the molecules to the BC3 sheet, causing a semiconductor-metal and semiconductor-p type semiconductor transition. Our study suggests that the BC3-based sensor has a high potential for NO and NO2 detection due to the significant conductance changes, moderate adsorption energy, and short recovery time. More excitingly, the BC3 is a likely catalyst for dissociation of the NO2 gas molecule.
Using Self-Monitoring of Performance With Self-Graphing to Increase Academic Productivity in Math:

Self-regulation skills have been found to be an important predictor of achievement in mathematics. Teaching a student to regulate his or her behavior during independent math work sessions using sel...
LSST and the Epoch of Reionization Experiments

The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope (LSST), a next generation astronomical survey, sited on Cerro Pachon in Chile, will provide an unprecedented amount of imaging data for studies of the faint optical sky. The LSST system includes an 8.4m (6.7m effective) primary mirror and a 3.2 Gigapixel camera with a 9.6 sq. deg. field of view. This system will enable about 10,000 sq. deg. of sky to be covered twice per night, every three to four nights on average, with typical 5-sigma depth for point sources of r = 24.5 (AB). With over 800 observations in the ugrizy bands over a 10-year period, these data will enable coadded images reaching r = 27.5 (about 5 magnitudes deeper than SDSS) as well as studies of faint time-domain astronomy. The measured properties of newly discovered and known astrometric and photometric transients will be publicly reported within 60 sec after closing the shutter. The resulting hundreds of petabytes of imaging data for about 40 billion objects will be used for scientific investigations ranging from the properties of near-Earth asteroids to characterizations of dark matter and dark energy. For example, simulations estimate that LSST will discover about 1,000 quasars at redshifts exceeding 7; this sample will place tight constraints on the cosmic environment at the end of the reionization epoch. In addition to a brief introduction to LSST, I review the value of LSST data in support of epoch of reionization experiments and discuss how international participants can join LSST.
PISS-IoT: Person Identification and Spotting System in an Internet-of-Things Way

Missing persons has become one of the most serious issues in many countries around the world. It has been a fact to worry not only for those persons who lost their relatives but also for the law and order officials to search them and find them. So with this kind of problem statement in mind we have created a person identification and spotting system using the Internet-of-Things concept. Our system uses android mobile phone cameras and a server system coded with LBPH Facial recognition along with email sending functions. All these components are interconnected through Amazon AWS cloud in an Internet-of-Things fashion. This is a unique, novel, scalable and better approach, when compared to the previous works because instead of focusing on face detection and recognition in just a single device, our system involves interconnection of face detecting cameras with the face recognition and verification system which is running elsewhere. Also, our system includes the automatic email sending component interconnected with the identification system through cloud which has not been performed in any of the previous works. Experiments were conducted in real-time with real subjects at various locations around the university campus and the system worked very well where the average timings measured from the detection of face till notifying the user with the spotted location was within the range of 30 seconds to 1 minute and 40 seconds with an average value of accuracy ranging from 92 to 96 percent.
Minimally Invasive Ureteroureterostomy

Technological advances have not only enhanced our ability to detect urological disease but also resulted in dramatic changes/advancements in the tools available to treat them. Up until recently, laparoscopic techniques in pediatric urology had been confined mainly to academic centers given the challenges associated in learning the techniques or the high learning curve. However, the addition of the robot to our surgical armamentarium has dramatically expanded the role of minimally invasive surgery as well as its breadth of use. Pioneers continue to develop and push the boundaries as innovations evolve. The scope of procedures performed is now ever expanding, and it includes complex ureteral surgery. Previously, the delicate nature of intracorporeal suturing and the fine tissue handling required limited the applicability of laparoscopic techniques of this sort to very few expert laparoscopists. The robotic systems, however, have facilitated a shortened learning curve in addition to improved precision and performance. As these changes have occurred, surgeons have begun to tackle more challenging problems including the ureteroureterostomy. The general concept of repair remains the same: restore the normal flow of urine. In this chapter, the author describes in detail his approach to an obstructed superior moiety ureter of a duplex system associated with a normal inferior moiety ureter and collecting system. The author has performed these both laparoscopically and robotically, but his preference now is to use the robot. A detailed description of his preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative management follows.
Effects of clay minerals on Cr(VI) reduction by organic compounds.

The objective of this study is to examine the effect of clayminerals (illite, montmorillonite, and kaolinite) on chromate (Cr(VI)) reduction by several low molecular weightorganic compounds. Batch experiments at pH ranging from 3.0 to6.0 and 25 °C showed that 2:1 layered clays illite andsmectite catalyzed Cr(VI) reduction by oxalate. The catalyticeffect increased as pH was decreased. The 1:1 clay kaolinite hadno catalytic effect under comparable conditions. Direct Cr(VI)reduction by reactive moieties associated with illite andmontmorillonite was observed, but at a much slower rate than thecatalytic pathway. Cr(VI) reduction by glyoxylic acid, glycolicacid, lactic acid, and mandelic acid was accelerated by illite,although aqueous phase reduction might occur in parallel. Theseresults suggest that Cr(VI) reduction rates in subsurfaceenvironments rich in organic compounds may be elevated throughcatalysis of surface-bound metals and/or soluble species from theclay minerals, and as a result, higher than those expected fromaqueous phase reaction alone. Such rate enhancement for Cr(VI)reduction needs to be accounted for when developing new remedialtechniques for chromium site remediation or assessing its naturalattenuation.
Vom Grundgesetz zum Europarecht

Viele Namen, Abkurzungen und Organisationen - falls Sie sich nach dieser Achterbahnfahrt durch das Europaische Vertrags- und Konferenzwesen noch nicht entschlossen haben, eine Pause zu machen, so bietet das Europarecht noch weitere Ah-, Oh- und Ach-so-Effekte.
Parity-Time (PT) symmetric photonic system based on Parametric Gain

We report the first demonstration of PT symmetry based on parametric gain. We show control of the coupling between two counterpropagating modes in a single Si3N4 microring and observe the typical merging of eigenvalue branches as the gain of one of the modes is increased.
WWW Retrieval Handling Optimization wρ3: A metric for webpage timeout setting performance evaluation and comparison

Abstract The rise of HTTP-based communications and the employment of HTML5 for cross-platform application development gives rise to a continuous increase of traffic over all types of networks and a continuous demand for caching of content. However, a remaining underlying problem is the timeout of resources, typically configured server-side and dependent on the type of web site that offers content. With common web server implementations, individual webobjects constituting the overall content cannot be readily configured independently, which results in premature timeouts of webobjects with undesired consequences on download times, rendering speed, and energy needed. We present and evaluate WWW Retrieval Handling Optimization w ρ 3 , which provides optimization potentials for webpages. w ρ 3 can also be used to derive hints for fine-tuning the performance of the server-side configurations and to compare the performance of timeouts between web sites of different categories. Our metric features a tunable preference between counts of webobjects and the amount of data required and is a function of the re-visiting time. We showcase the applicability of w ρ 3 over a range of different web sites and categories, additionally evaluating the applicability over time horizons and worldwide request locations. The overarching flexibility and ease of use together with its overall performance evaluation results make w ρ 3 an ideal candidate as a generic web site performance measurement tool.
Enhancing responsiveness of human jejunal enteroids to host and microbial stimuli

Key points Enteroids are a physiologically relevant model to examine the human intestine and its functions. Previously, the measurable cytokine response of human intestinal enteroids has been limited following exposure to host or microbial pro-inflammatory stimuli. Modifications to enteroid culture conditions facilitated robust human cytokine responses to pro-inflammatory stimuli. This new human enteroid culture methodology refines the ability to study microbiome:human intestinal epithelium interactions in the laboratory. Abstract The intestinal epithelium is the primary interface between the host, the gut microbiome and its external environment. Since the intestinal epithelium contributes to innate immunity as a first line of defence, understanding how the epithelium responds to microbial and host stimuli is an important consideration in promoting homeostasis. Human intestinal enteroids (HIEs) are primary epithelial cell cultures that can provide insights into the biology of the intestinal epithelium and innate immune responses. One potential limitation of using HIEs for innate immune studies is the relative lack of responsiveness to factors that stimulate epithelial cytokine production. We report technical refinements, including removal of extracellular antioxidants, to facilitate enhanced cytokine responses in HIEs. Using this new method, we demonstrate that HIEs have distinct cytokine profiles in response to pro-inflammatory stimuli derived from host and microbial sources. Overall, we found that host-derived cytokines tumour necrosis factor and interleukin-1α stimulated reactive oxygen species and a large repertoire of cytokines. In contrast, microbial lipopolysaccharide, lipoteichoic acid and flagellin stimulated a limited number of cytokines and histamine did not stimulate the release of any cytokines. Importantly, HIE-secreted cytokines were functionally active, as denoted by the ability of human blood-derived neutrophil to migrate towards HIE supernatant containing interleukin-8. These findings establish that the immune responsiveness of HIEs depends on medium composition and stimuli. By refining the experimental culture medium and creating an environment conducive to epithelial cytokine responses by human enteroids, HIEs can facilitate exploration of many experimental questions pertaining to the role of the intestinal epithelium in innate immunity.
“The Right of Suffrage Has Been Thrust on Me”: The Reluctant Suffragists of the American West

From nearly the moment the woman's suffrage movement began at Seneca Falls in 1848, anti-suffragists actively campaigned against it, claiming that woman suffrage would only destroy both American politics and the American family. However, despite their best efforts, states in the American West passed equal suffrage laws. Interestingly, once it passed in their states, anti-suffragists in the American West—albeit begrudgingly—exercised their right to vote. As equal suffrage continued to expand, the Western anti-suffragist strategy became the strategy of anti-suffragists everywhere. This essay examines three states that represent pivotal moments in the development of the anti-suffrage movement: Colorado, California, and Oklahoma. Shortly after Colorado passed equal suffrage in 1893 and California passed equal suffrage in 1911, anti-suffragists organized state and national associations. By the time Oklahoma passed its equal suffrage law in 1918, anti-suffragists were not only voting—they were also willing to run for office. Anti-suffragist strategy and rhetoric relied on how suffrage worked in the West, or at least anti-suffrage perceptions of it. In other words, women's suffrage in the West served as a catalyst for the anti-suffragist movement.
Simultaneous maxillary and mandibular reconstruction with a single Osteocutaneous fibula free flap: A description of three cases

Large defects that comprise both the maxilla and mandible prove to be difficult reconstructive endeavors and commonly require two free tissue transfers. Three cases are presented to discuss an option for simultaneous reconstruction of maxillary and mandibular defects using a single osteocutaneous fibula free flap. The first case describes a 16-year-old male with a history of extensive facial trauma sustained in a boat propeller accident resulting in a class IId maxillary and 5 cm mandibular defect status post three failed reconstructive surgeries; the second, a 33-year-old male with recurrent rhabdomyosarcoma of the muscles of mastication with resultant hemi-mandibulectomy and class IId maxillary defects; and lastly, a 48-year-old male presenting after a failed scapular free flap to reconstruct defects resulting from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, which included a 5 cm defect of the right mandibular body and 4.5 cm defect of the inferior maxillary bone. In all cases, a single osteocutaneous fibula free flap was used in two bone segments; one to obturate the maxillary defect and restore alveolar bone and the other to reconstruct the mandibular defect. The most recent patient was able to undergo implantable dental rehabilitation. Postoperatively, the free flaps were viable and masticatory function was restored in all patients during a follow-up range of 2-4 years.
Macrophage Metabolic Signaling during Ischemic Injury and Cardiac Repair

Macrophages are instrumental for the repair of organs that become injured due to ischemia, yet their potential for healing is sensitive to the availability of metabolites from the surrounding milieu. This sensitivity extends beyond anabolic and catabolic reactions, as metabolites are also leveraged to control production of secreted factors that direct intercellular crosstalk. In response to limiting extracellular oxygen, acute-phase macrophages activate hypoxia-inducible transcription factors that repurpose cellular metabolism. Subsequent repair-phase macrophages secrete cytokines to activate stromal cells, the latter which contribute to matrix deposition and scarring. As we now appreciate, these distinct functions are calibrated by directing flux of carbons and cofactors into specific metabolic shunts. This occurs through glycolysis, the pentose phosphate shunt, the tricarboxylic acid cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides, lipids, amino acids, and through lesser understood pathways. The integration of metabolism with macrophage function is particularly important during injury to the ischemic heart, as glucose and lipid imbalance lead to inefficient repair and permanent loss of non-regenerative muscle. Here we review macrophage metabolic signaling under ischemic stress with implications for cardiac repair.
On Federal Deficits and Debt, Monetary and Fiscal Policy

President Biden signed a $1.9 trillion COVID relief package (the “American Rescue Plan”) on March 11, 2021. Without a corresponding increase in taxes, this plan has set off alarm bells for those concerned about the expansion of government deficits and debt. Mainstream economists have raised issues of excessive inflation, “crowding out” of private sector investment, and an unacceptable repayment burden on the young and future generations. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate that these concerns are based on a misunderstanding of the role played by the deficit, debt, and taxes in the U.S. economy, even a misunderstanding of how certain parts of the U.S. financial system actually work. The paper explores the beginnings of paper (fiat) currency and government bonds in the U.S. and demonstrates that without federal deficit spending, the private sector would lose steam and face a recession. Without federal bonds, the government would lose a lever to control interest rates and inflation, not to mention the private sector’s loss of a risk-free, interest-bearing alternative to cash. This is not to say all deficits (or all government expenditures, for that matter) are good. Some actually do cause excessive inflation, exacerbate wealth disparity or have other harmful effects. These are serious problems and they need to be addressed effectively. Simply raising taxes in an amount to match the spending is an example of an approach with limited effectiveness. The ideal is for large spending programs to be designed to be “inflation neutral,” that is, to include federal revenues (taxes) that are specifically designed to mitigate the inflationary impact of spending, to the extent and place it is expected to emerge. If that is not possible, then increased taxes, while possibly serving political, social, or other purposes, are not the solution to address excessive spending-induced inflation. The problem is, when excessive inflation emerges, the most frequently used tool for addressing it, monetary policy, has the pernicious effect of exacerbating the hurt on the most vulnerable citizens, lower-paid workers and, especially, people of color. This paper will also address deficiencies in fiscal and monetary policies, ideally before they actually become serious. In his press conference on March 25, 2021, President Biden identified the "battle between the utility of democracies in the 21st century and autocracies" as the real threat to the United States, noting that “We’ve got to prove democracy works.” The point of this paper is that only with a proper understanding of how our financial system actually works can our leaders make the best decisions impacting our nation for decades to come.
Active Maintenance: A Proposal for the Long-Term Computational Reproducibility of Scientific Results

Computational reproducibility, or the ability to reproduce analytic results of a scientific study on the basis of publicly available code and data, is a shared goal of many researchers, journals, and scientific communities. Researchers in many disciplines including political science have made strides toward realizing that goal. A new challenge, however, has arisen. Code too often becomes obsolete within only a few years. We document this problem with a random sample of studies posted to the Institution for Social and Policy Studies (ISPS) Data Archive; we encountered nontrivial errors in seven of 20 studies. In line with similar proposals for the long-term maintenance of data and commercial software, we propose that researchers dedicated to computational reproducibility should have a plan in place for “active maintenance” of their analysis code. We offer concrete suggestions for how data archives, journals, and research communities could encourage and reward the active maintenance of scientific code and data.
A Mouse Model That Mimics AIDS-Related Cytomegalovirus Retinitis: Insights into Pathogenesis

With the appearance of the worldwide AIDS pandemic four decades ago came a number of debilitating opportunistic infections in patients immunosuppressed by the pathogenic human retrovirus HIV. Among these was a severe sight-threatening retinal disease caused by human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) that remains today a significant cause of vision loss and blindness in untreated AIDS patients without access or sufficient response to combination antiretroviral therapy. Early investigations of AIDS-related HCMV retinitis quickly characterized its hallmark clinical features and unique histopathologic presentation but did not begin to identify the precise virologic and immunologic events that allow the onset and development of this retinal disease during HIV-induced immunosuppression. Toward this end, several mouse models of experimental cytomegalovirus retinitis have been developed to provide new insights into the pathophysiology of HCMV retinitis during AIDS. Herein, we provide a summary and comparison of these mouse models of AIDS-related HCMV retinitis with particular emphasis on one mouse model developed in our laboratory in which mice with a murine acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) of murine retrovirus origin develops a reproducible and well characterized retinitis following intraocular infection with murine cytomegalovirus (MCMV). The MAIDS model of MCMV retinitis has advanced the discovery of many clinically relevant virologic and immunologic mechanisms of virus-induced retinal tissue destruction that are discussed and summarized in this review. These findings may extend to the pathogenesis of AIDS-related HCMV retinitis and other AIDS-related opportunistic virus infections.
The Consequences of Constitutional Reform

It is one thing to say that procedural and electoral aspects of constitutional design affect who is in power and another to say that who is in power affects the course of public policy. For example, many political scientists inside and outside of Sweden assert the existence of a broad consensus on what constitutes good public policy. If that were true, the particular political parties in power would not matter much, and, thus, it is possible that constitutional arrangements allow one political party or another to dominate government without significantly affecting policy outcomes. If Swedish voters do, in fact, disagree about public policies, it is still possible that changes in government will not affect policies, because there are several public choice hypotheses that imply “party-neutral” political outcomes.
Kappa Opioid Receptors on Three Related Thymoma Cell Lines

The search for opioid binding sites on leukocytes has been difficult. The presence of opioid binding sites has been reported on human and murine leukocytes (1–3) as well as on some cell lines (4,5). However, in contrast to brain opioid receptors, these sites do not exhibit all of the classical opioid binding characteristics, such as stereoselectivity and high affinity for both alkaloids and peptides (6). In addition, agonist-induced functional responses have not been correlated with these binding sites. It seems likely that only a small population of leukocytes actually express opioid receptors, and possibly only under certain conditions. If this is the case, binding studies with mixed cell populations may not show a detectable signal-to-noise ratio, even when receptors are present.
Photopotential probe of space charge and field profiles at electrolyte/silver halide interfaces

Abstract A unified model for charge, field and potential distributions at silver halide/solution interfaces is developed by combining electrochemical thermodynamics with general and specific ion adsorption models. Important aspects include equality of electrochemical potential across the interface, dopant dependent internal specific adsorption of Ag i + or Ag v − as ionic surface states and specific adsorption of ions from the electrolyte. These two sources of surface charge combine to cancel or reinforce each other such that there is potential continuity between phases to provide Nernstian response. This picture allows oppositely doped silver halide electrodes to have the same interfacial potential difference while having quite different fields at the inner crystal surface. These field differences explain the diversity of photopotential effects observed.
Competition, Contracts, and Innovation

Our paper contributes to the literature on the relationship between innovation and market power by considering how changes in the intensity of product market competition aect innovation when managerial compensation is a linear function of …rm pro…ts. Changes in the intensity of product market competition aect both the return from innovation and the cost of inducing managers to innovate. Several recent papers account for both the returns-to-investment eect and the agency-cost eect in analyzing the eect of additional product market competition on incentives to innovate (see e.g., Schmidt (1997), Raith (2003), and Piccolo, D'Amato, and Martina (2008)). Our model diers from these papers in the type of contract that we assume …rms can use to induce innovation. With linear pro…t- sharing contracts, the cost of a non-drastic innovation declines as product market competition increases because the increment gained from innovation becomes a larger fraction of the total pro…t. We argue that this decline in the cost of attaining innovation as competition increases means that competition will often lead to more innovation even in models where the returns to innovation otherwise would fall as competition increases.
Scalable predictive coding by nested quantization with layered side information

An efficient scalable predictive coding method is proposed for the Wyner-Ziv problem, using nested lattice quantization followed by multi-layer Slepian-Wolf coders (SWC) with layered side information. The proposed coder can support embedded representation and high coding efficiency by exploiting the high quality version of the previous frame in the enhancement-layer coding of the current frame. Specifically, the decoder generates the enhancement-layer side information with an estimation approach to take into account all the available information to the enhancement layer. On the other hand, a practical switching algorithm is applied at the encoder to simplify the correlation estimation on the channel code design by assuming either the current reconstructed base-layer frame or prior enhancement-layer reconstruction as side information. Experiments based on a DPCM model show great benefits to the enhancement layer reconstruction. The paper also discusses the possible adaptation of this approach to practical video compression.
Cloning and expression of an intron-less gene for AKAP 75, an anchor protein for the regulatory subunit of cAMP-dependent protein kinase II beta.

The A-Kinase Anchor Protein AKAP 75 (formerly designated bovine brain P75) is a particulate brain protein that avidly binds the regulatory subunit (RII beta) of cAMP-dependent protein kinase II beta (Bregman, D. B., Hirsch, A.H. and Rubin, C.S. (1991) J. Biol. Chem. 266, 7207-7213). The formation of stable AKAP 75.RII beta complexes provides a potential mechanism for targeting physiological signals carried by cAMP to specific effector sites within neurons and other brain cells. We have now cloned and characterized the AKAP 75 gene. Its coding sequence is novel and unexpectedly short (1284 base pairs) and contains no introns. When the AKAP 75 gene was transfected into HEK 293 cells, a new RII beta-binding protein with an apparent Mr of 75,000 accumulated. A high proportion (approximately 65%) of the AKAP 75 gene product was excluded from the cytoplasm and was recovered in the 40,000 x g pellet derived from disrupted transfected cells. In contrast, cells transfected with a construct encoding 249 amino acids from the central and C-terminal regions of AKAP 75 produced an RII beta-binding protein (apparent Mr = 45,000) that was exclusively cytosolic. AKAP 75 is a novel protein composed of only 428 amino acid residues (Mr = 47,878). A highly acidic C-terminal region mediates the binding of RII beta (and cAMP-dependent protein kinase II beta), whereas a positively charged N-terminal segment contains structural features that are essential for the association of AKAP 75 with the cytoskeleton and/or intracellular membranes.
Amicus Curiae Brief to the New York Court of Appeals in Ace Securities Corp. v. DB Structured Products, Inc.

This amicus brief is submitted on behalf of the defendant’s position, that nothing in the contract at issue, or its commercial context, indicates an intent to depart from New York’s statute-of-limitations default rule. Plaintiff alleges that its claims under residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS) for the cure or repurchase of defective mortgage loans are not time-barred, and that the contractual limitations period does not end, for any defective loan, until six years after a cure-or-repurchase demand as to that loan. The amicus brief maintains that plaintiff’s position contradicts the law, practice, and organization of the securitization market because it would, de facto, create a limitless limitations period, thereby effectively treating the seller of the securitized loans as an ongoing guarantor throughout the life of those loans. That, however, would ignore the essence of securitization — which is to transfer future risk from companies making and selling loans, on the one hand, to investors in securities based on those loan repayments, on the other. Plaintiff also ignores reality in arguing that, but for the claimed lifelong assurances, the RMBS would have been too risky to market. At that time, investors were all too eager to invest in these types of securities; and they did so based principally on the security’s credit rating and interest rate, not the statute of limitations. Finally, plaintiff incorrectly asserts that six years following the loan sale was too short a period within which to detect a breach. The only type of breach that triggered a cure-or-repurchase obligation was a breach of representation and warranty of a loan’s quality at the time of its sale. For loans that are timely repaid for years, subsequent defaults almost certainly would be caused by a change in the borrowers’ circumstances.
Mason Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference Abstracts

The abstracts contained in this issue were presented at the 2015 Mason Interdisciplinary Graduate Conference hosted by the George Mason University’s Graduate and Professional Student Association (GAPSA). The conference was held March 20, 2015 at the Mason Global Center and was open to the entire George Mason community with pre-conference workshops held on March 19th.
Automated requirements management-beware HOW you use tools: an experience report

At NASA and across industry, with multiple release projects, requirement storage is a volatile, dynamic process. The skill with which a project maintains, keeps current, tracks, and traces its set of requirements affects every phase of the project's software development life cycle-including maintenance. The ability to effectively manage requirements influences, months and/or years before project completion, how, when, and how expensively completion, will take place. The Software Assurance Technology Center (SATC) at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center is working to continually evaluate the requirement activities of a multi billion dollar project. This task requires that the SATC evaluate the project's tools, specifically the requirement database management tool. The objective of the paper is to identify a major failing in the use of requirement management tools that causes loss of data, loss of data integrity, and loss of tool functionality. It also shows that bringing engineers and database designers together to define tool use is mandatory; and that each discipline's experience and expertise is required for successful tool implementation. Using experiences from a NASA project, we demonstrate some potential risks when a requirement management tool is incorrectly used, and how this fatal flaw plants the seeds of requirement management destruction and consequent project overruns. This information will benefit any project considering or using requirement management tools.
High-Dose Leucovorin as Sole Therapy for Methotrexate Toxicity

PURPOSE: Hemodialysis, hemoperfusion, thymidine, and carboxypeptidase have been recommended together with high-dose (HD) leucovorin (LV) to treat patients at risk for methotrexate (MTX) toxicity. To elucidate the efficacy of high LV rescue as the sole salvage modality for severe MTX intoxication, we studied 13 patients who were treated in this fashion at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY). PATIENTS AND METHODS: To identify patients at high risk for severe MTX toxicity, we performed a retrospective review of all patients with MTX levels greater than 100 μmol/L at 24 hours and greater than 10 μmol/L at 48 hours after HD MTX. RESULTS: A total of 13 patients were identified. The median MTX concentration was 164 μmol/L at 24 hours (range, 102 to 940 μmol/L), 16.3 μmol/L at 48 hours (range, 10.5 to 190 μmol/L), and 6.2 μmol/L at 72 hours (range, 1.35 to 39 μmol/L). MTX levels remained greater than 0.1 μmol/L for an average of 11 ± 3 days (mean ± SD) (range, 7 to 17 days). In addition to suppo...
On the role of arachidonic acid in M-current modulation by muscarine in bullfrog sympathetic neurons

The modulation by muscarine or LHRH of the potassium M-current (IM) in whole-cell voltage-clamped bullfrog sympathetic neurons presents an initial phase of current reduction, followed, after agonist removal, by a transient enhancement or “overrecovery.” Employing a fast solution exchange system, an inhibitory process and an enhancing process were distinguished kinetically. The extent of overrecovery increased with the extent of the preceding inhibition. The rate and degree of inhibition increased with the concentration of agonist. In contrast, the rate of recovery and the extent of overrecovery were independent. The half-lives of the inhibitory and enhancing processes were 21 and 53 sec, respectively. Several observations suggest that arachidonic acid (AA) may be involved in overrecovery: (1) AA enhanced IM in a dose- dependent and reversible manner, with an IC50 of 2.8 microM. (2) Muscarine inhibited the A-current (IA), a potassium current that is blocked by AA. (3) Phospholipase A2 inhibitors (quinacrine and bromophenacyl bromide) and a lipoxygenase inhibitor (nordihydroguaiaretic acid) prevented overrecovery, without affecting the rate or extent of IM inhibition significantly. However, kinetic analysis indicates that these drugs were preventing overrecovery by prolonging the half-life of the inhibitory process to > 80 sec (e.g., not necessarily by blocking the enhancing pathway). In addition, the extent of IA inhibition was less than expected if AA was mediating both IM enhancement and IA inhibition. The observed relation between extent and rate of overrecovery, and the action of arachidonic acid metabolism inhibitors can be accounted for by a model proposing that the agonist alters the equilibrium between three pools of M-channels.
Exploiting the Maximum Entropy Principle to Increase Retrieval Effectiveness.

Several of the drawbacks of conventional information retrieval systems can be overcome by a design approach in which queries consist of sets of terms, either unweighted or weighted with subjective term precision estimates, and retrieval outputs are ranked by probability of usefulness estimated in accordance with the so-called “maximum entropy principle.” A system organized along these lines combines the convenience of a simple input language with a powerful probabilistic inference mechanism capable of exploiting kinds of statistical clues not ordinarily used in systems of traditional design. The sensitivity of the maximum entropy principle to the frequencies and joint frequencies with which terms have been assigned to documents in the collection results in a system design of increased power and expressiveness without a concomitant increase in the complexity of the request language. It incorporates the more important search capabilities of both Boolean and conventional weighted-request languages and facilitates the use of unconventional search clues.
Implications of Hermeneutic Constructivism for Personal Construct Theory: Imaginally Construing the Nonhuman World

The philosophical traditions of hermeneutics and phenomenology have permeated personal construct theory and social constructionist literature for at least the past 20 years. Recently, Chiari and Nuzzo (1996, 2000) proposed a hermeneutic constructivist approach to epistemology and psychotherapy that explicitly acknowledges its roots in these philosophical traditions. This article reviews Chiari and Nuzzo's approach, examining its relevance to Kelly's (1955) personal construct theory (PCT). Drawing from recent hermeneutics and phenomenology literature, suggestions are made for broadening the scope of hermeneutic constructivism in the context of PCT. Specifically, imaginal dialogues and role relationships with the nonhuman world are explored as possibilities for expanding hermeneutic constructivism.