cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sobolev Norm Learning Rates for Conditional Mean Embeddings.

We develop novel learning rates for conditional mean embeddings by applying the theory of interpolation for reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces (RKHS). We derive explicit, adaptive convergence rates for the sample estimator under the misspecifed setting, where the target operator is not Hilbert-Schmidt or bounded with respect to the input/output RKHSs. We demonstrate that in certain parameter regimes, we can achieve uniform convergence rates in the output RKHS. We hope our analyses will allow the much broader application of conditional mean embeddings to more complex ML/RL settings involving infinite dimensional RKHSs and continuous state spaces.
Work from home During and After COVID-19

In March 2020, shortly after Microsoft closed its Puget-sound offices because of COVID-19, researchers across the company formed the Future of Remote Work Initiative to coordinate the research happening on work from home (WFH). The initiative was intended to both help coordinate research— making surveys complementary, not redundant and connecting researchers interested in the same questions—and help share the research findings with people across Microsoft as well as outside the company.
A comparison of methods for measuring spatial access to health care

Objective To compare measures of spatial access to care commonly used by policy makers and researchers with the more comprehensive enhanced two-step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) method. Study setting Fourteen southwestern Pennsylvania counties. Study design We estimated spatial access to buprenorphine-waivered prescribers using three commonly used measures-Euclidean travel distance to the closest prescriber, travel time to the closest provider, and provider-to-population ratios-and the E2SFCA. Unlike other measures, the E2SFCA captures provider capacity, potential patient volume, and travel time to prescribers. Data collection/extraction methods We measured provider capacity as the number of buprenorphine prescribers listed at a given address in the Drug Enforcement Agency's 2020 Controlled Substances Act Registrants Database, and we measured potential patient volume as the number of nonelderly adults in a given census tract as reported by the 2018 American Community Survey. We estimated travel times between potential patients and prescribers with Bing Maps and Mapbox application programming interfaces. We then calculated each spatial access measure using the R programming language. We used each measure of spatial access to identify census tracts in the lowest quintile of spatial access to prescribers. Principal findings The Euclidean distance, travel time, and provider-to-population ratio measures identified 48.3%, 47.2%, and 69.9% of the census tracts that the E2SFCA measure identified as being in the lowest quintile of spatial access to care, meaning that these measures misclassify 30%-52% of study area census tracts as having sufficient spatial access to buprenorphine prescribers. Conclusions Measures of spatial access commonly used by policy makers do not sufficiently accurately identify geographic areas with relatively low access to prescribers of buprenorphine. Using the E2SFCA in addition to the commonly used measures would allow policy makers to precisely target interventions to increase spatial access to opioid use disorder treatment and other types of health care services.
What Helps Students Get Help?: An Exploratory Analysis of Factors that Shape Undocumented College Students’ Use of Academic Support Services

Academic support services are an important institutional resource that can support student success and retention. However, little research has examined undocumented students’ resource uptake, aside...
The Indirect Effect of Cigarette Smoking on e-Cigarette Progression via Substitution Beliefs.

Abstract Purpose This study sought to evaluate whether associations between adolescent combustible cigarette smoking and e-cigarette progression were explained by beliefs that e-cigarettes substitute for cigarettes in nonsmoking situations. Methods Adolescents (N = 1,799) from public high schools outside of Philadelphia, PA, completed in-classroom surveys at wave 1 (fall 2016, beginning of ninth grade) and at 6-month intervals for the following 36 months (fall 2019, beginning of 12th grade). Results A parallel process latent growth curve model revealed that the pathway from baseline smoking to e-cigarette use trend through baseline e-cigarette substitution beliefs was significant (B = .02, z = 2.16, p = .03), indicating that the positive effect of greater baseline cigarette smoking on the rate of e-cigarette progression was channeled through e-cigarette substitution beliefs. The indirect effect from baseline smoking to e-cigarette use trend via e-cigarette substitution beliefs trend was also significant, albeit negative (B = -.05, z = -2.61, p = .009). The negative indirect effect suggested that the strong positive effect of baseline cigarette smoking on baseline substitution beliefs was followed by a slowing of the overall rate of change from baseline. Given that the total effect from baseline smoking to e-cigarette trend was not significant (p = .91), the results suggested complete mediation. Conclusions Among adolescents with greater use of combustible cigarettes, beliefs regarding the substitutability of e-cigarettes in nonsmoking situations appear to foster progression in e-cigarette use. Addressing these beliefs in the school setting and through media campaign messaging early in adolescence may help to prevent the use of e-cigarettes and combustible cigarettes.
Application of Electromechanical Window Negativity as an Arrhythmia Risk Correlate in Acquired Long QT Syndrome

Abstract Long QT syndrome is a congenital or acquired condition associated with life-threatening cardiac arrhythmias. Risk stratification measures are paramount to providing life-saving therapy. We...
Beyond Combat: Vietnamese Women in the American Mind

Beauty queen candidates decked out in sequins, black lace gloves, false eyelashes, and padded bras, cloaked in the scent of hairspray, filled the Rex Movie Hall in Saigon on a May evening in 1971. As electric fans tried in vain to cool the packed room, young Vietnamese women, their made-up faces glistening, paraded across a catwalk for audience members who drank Pepsi, smoked, and ate ice cream. The spectacle was Saigon's first beauty pageant, attended by a crowd of Saigon's small but influential middle class, along with American diplomats. The high ticket prices kept most soldiers – American or Vietnamese – from going. Rejecting the miniskirt, which had become one of the symbols of an American cultural invasion, the women in the pageant wore the ao dai , a traditional Vietnamese outfit consisting of a long dress with thigh-high slits on either side, worn over loose-fitting pants. As one of the promoters of the pageant put it, “Saigon is invaded by miniskirts and hot pants, and we are opposed to it. We think the Vietnamese women are so beautiful in their own dress they do not need to vulgarly display their charms.” Despite the attempts to stress Vietnamese cultural autonomy, the pageant blatantly signified Saigon's Westernization, from the audience members’ consumption of American soft drinks to contestants’ desires to become Hollywood stars. It was a pageant of contradictions with Vietnamese women at the center, and it encapsulated a set of images and ideas that had become hallmarks of U.S. intervention in Vietnam. The women were emblems of exotic sexuality, but also of Vietnamese modernity, objects of desire whose superficial familiarity masked their intractable otherness. Those contradictions reflected the contentious notions of masculinity and femininity that shaped women's roles during the Vietnam War, pointing to the unresolved ideological tensions that would play a crucial role in the unraveling of the American military mission. By 1971, the United States, deeply entrenched in the Vietnam War, was slowly extricating itself from the conflict. The ideology that had influenced American intervention in Vietnam had become embedded in the culture of the war, reflected in a series of images of Vietnamese women, which dictated their daily interactions with American soldiers. U.S. policymakers, as well as many ordinary citizens influenced by newspaper and magazine coverage, viewed Vietnam through the lenses of gender and race, seeing a land and a people that were at once alluring and dangerous. Three images, each with a long history in western attitudes toward Asia, were particularly important in relation to Vietnamese women. First, the women represented the dangerous Asia that threatened U.S. interests in the Cold War world. Second, they were damsels in distress who needed to be protected. Third, they were sexual objects to be dominated and possessed. The contradiction between the image of protection and the reality of domination, justified by the need to ward off the “dragon lady,” completed a contradictory loop in which the United States dominated what it was protecting.
Deficit and money growth in the United States: Reply

Abstract Evidence from annual data that larger federal government budget deficits have led to faster growth of the monetary base since World War II is not robust to simple diagnostic checks against spurious regression.
State of Groin Design and Effectiveness

An annotated bibliography on groins, compiled by Balsillie and Bruno (1972J, has provided the background for this paper. A review of functional design criteria is presented including groin length, height, spacing, permeability-adjustability, and orientation. A discussion of coastal processes and their relationship to groin design and effectiveness is" also given.
Fresh Renderings of Physics

Reading Popular Physics. Disciplinary Skirmishes and Textual Strategies. By Elizabeth Leane. Ashgate, Aldershot, Hampshire, England, 2007. 208 pp. $99.95, £50. ISBN 9780754658504. Viewing popular science as the presentation of science content through the techniques of literature, the author explores popular presentations of quantum mechanics, the big bang, chaos, and complexity.
Hyperkalemia Associated with Rapid Infusion of Conventional and Lipid Complex Formulations of Amphotericin B

A child developed hyperkalemia and cardiac arrest with infusion of an amphotericin B lipid complex 5.0 mg/kg over 1 hour. Another child, with chronic renal failure, developed hyperkalemia after infusion of conventional amphotericin B deoxycholate 1.0 mg/kg over 2 hours. Rapid infusion of the agent causes hyperkalemia in dogs and humans that is exacerbated in the setting of renal failure. A lipid formulation of amphotericin B is commercially available, and no reports of hyperkalemia are associated with its administration.
Mental and Physical Gendered Health Links

Mental health research clearly shows that women have higher rates of internalizing disorders, including mood and anxiety disorders, while men have higher rates of externalizing disorders, including impulse control and substance use disorders. Physical health research demonstrates that while women are more likely to have chronic debilitating conditions, such as arthritis and migraines, men are more likely to have life threatening conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease. In this entry, we discuss the evidence that gender differences in mental health contribute to gender differences in physical health. Keywords: gender; sociology of health and illness; sociology of mental health
Absent Presence, Presenting Absence: A Review of Bisexuality: Making the Invisible Visible in Faith Communities

“Are you sure, sweetheart, that you want to be well?”“Just so's you're sure, sweetheart, and ready to be healed, cause wholeness is no trifling matter. A lot of weight when you're well.”—-Minnie Ra...
Designing Student Work Groups for Increased Learning: An Empirical Investigation

Abstract Although instructors traditionally have used student group projects as an educational tool, little guidance is available to faculty on how to establish groups to maximize student learning. The study reported in this article examined 97 graduate students to identify relevant antecedent, structural, and process variables that would affect student group learning. The findings indicate that method of group selection, initial preference to be in a group, and level of interpersonal conflict are significantly associated with learning. The authors present implications for faculty interested in helping students learn to work in task groups, to learn from each other, and to learn about the course content.
Deep-space radiation exposure analysis for solar cycle XXI (1975-1986)

Ionizing radiation exposures and associated dosimetric quantities are evaluated for the 11-year solar cycle ending in 1986. Solar flare fluences for the 55 largest flares occurring during the cycle are superimposed on the Galactic cosmic ray flux. Published summaries of flare data from the Interplanetary Monitoring Platform (IMP)-7 and IMP-8 satellites are used that include flares whose integrated fluences are greater than 10 to the 7th protons/sq cm for energies in excess of 10 MeV. A standard cosmic ray environment model for ion flux values at solar minimum and maximum is invoked with an assumed sinusoidal variation between the lower and upper limits. The radiation shielding analysis is carried out for equivalent water-shield thicknesses between 2 and 15 g/sq cm. Results are expressed in terms of cumulative incurred dose equivalents for deep-space missions lasting between 3 months and 3 years. It was found that medium-to-large flare contributions are of greatest importance for the shorter term missions, while the Galactic component dominates for the longer duration missions.
Abstract 13973: Impaired Right Ventricular Hemodynamics Suggest Preclinical Pulmonary Hypertension in Patients With Metabolic Syndrome

Introduction: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is associated with preclinical metabolic heart disease (MHD) as reflected by left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction. Very little is known about right ventricular (RV) function and/or pulmonary hypertension in MetS or early MHD. Hypothesis: We tested the hypothesis that that MetS is associated with subclinical RV dysfunction and pulmonary hypertension. Methods: A total of 164 subjects with MetS but without cardiovascular disease (mean age 45 years, 71% women, mean BMI 41 kg/m2), 40 similarly obese controls without MetS, and 36 non-obese healthy controls underwent echocardiography, including pulsed-wave Doppler measurement of pulmonary artery acceleration time (PAAT) and ejection time (ET). PA systolic pressure was estimated from PAAT using validated equations. Results: MetS was associated with lower tricuspid valve e', shorter PAAT, shorter ET, and larger PA diameter compared with controls (Table). A total of 24% of individuals with MetS had an abnormal PAAT (<100 msec). Estimated PA systolic pressure based on PAAT was 42±10 mmHg in MetS compared with 32±10 and 32±9 mmHg in healthy and obese controls (P for ANOVA <0.0001). In contrast, RV structure and systolic function were similar in MetS compared with controls ( Table ). After adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes, and body-mass index, MetS remained associated with shorter PAAT (P=0.03 vs healthy; P=0.0005 vs obese). Among MetS, PAAT was correlated with mitral mean e’ (r=0.20, P=0.004), E/A ratio (r=0.21, P=0.008), and tricuspid e’ (r=0.20, P=0.04). A total of 40% of participants with abnormal PAAT also had low mean e’ (<8 cm/s). Conclusions: MetS is associated with abnormal RV hemodynamics as evidenced by shorter PAAT, which correlates with measures of LV diastolic function. Estimated PA systolic pressures are significantly higher in preclinical MetS and MHD, and raise the possibility that pulmonary hypertension contributes to the pathophysiology of MHD. ![][1] [1]: /embed/graphic-1.gif
The Magnitudes of Economic and Non-Economic Factors on the Demand for U.S. Domestic Air Travel

The primary purpose of this study is to analyze air carriers’ behavior in capturing market share by examining the economic factors affecting passenger behavior toward air travel. This study also examines non-economic factors such as seasonality, unexpected events (9/11 attack), mergers, and trends. Because the airlines included in this study compete with each other, seemingly unrelated regression estimation (SURE) is used to estimate the parameters of the demand models which have correlated error terms. The economic and statistical relationship of the factors with air passenger miles provides valuable information to understand the nature of the demand for the U.S. air passenger industry. In examining demand determinants, this study concludes that air fare, income, seasonality, and mergers play significant roles in determining the demand for air passengers.
The effect of resin toughness and modulus on compressive failure modes of quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates

Compressive failure mechanisms in quasi-isotropic graphite/epoxy laminates were characterized for both unnotched and notched specimens and also following damage by impact. Two types of fibers (Thornel 300 and 700) and four resin systems (Narmco 5208, American Cyanamid BP907, and Union Carbide 4901/MDA and 4901/mPDA) were studied. For all material combinations, failure of unnotched specimens was initiated by kinking of fibers in the 0-degree plies. A major difference was observed, however, in the mode of failure propagation after the 0-degree ply failure. The strength of quasi-isotropic laminates in general increased with increasing resin tensile modulus. The laminates made with Thornel 700 fibers exhibited slightly lower compressive strengths than did the laminates made with Thornel 300 fibers. The notch sensitivity as measured by the hole strength was lowest for the BP907 resin and highest for the 5208 resin. For the materials studied, however, the type of fiber had no effect on the notch sensitivity.
Empirical Support for the Gender-as-Culture Hypothesis: An Intercultural Analysis of Male/Female Language Differences.

This investigation provided a test of the gender-as-culture, or two cultures, hypothesis proposed by Maltz and Borker (1982) to explain male/female differences in language use. Analysis of previous empirical investigations located 16 language features that had consistently been shown to indicate communicator gender and these were tested within the framework of the four dimensions of intercultural style proposed by Gudykunst and Ting-Toomey (1988): direct versus indirect, succinct versus elaborate, personal versus contextual, and instrumental versus affective. Study 1 provided preliminary evidence supporting the hypothesized language-feature-by-dimension relationships (e.g., male directives were rated more direct and female uncertainty verbs more indirect). In Study 2, respondents rated multiple exemplars of the 16 language features, as well as 16 contrasting foil sentences, on all four dimensions, finding that nearly all of the variables fell on the hypothesized intercultural dimensions. In Study 3, respondents rated four sets of naturally occurring target sentences and matching foil sentences, representing all language variables, on their appropriate intercultural dimensions in order to establish dimensional polarity, Results across the three studies supported the hypothesized language feature-by-stylistic dimension relationships for 15 of the 16 variables: The 6 male language features were rated as more direct, succinct, personal, and instrumental, whereas 9 of the 10 female features were perceived as more indirect, elaborate, and affective. The findings demonstrate that gender preferences for language use function in ways that area consistent with stylistic preferences that distinguish national cultures.
Abstract B27: The differential effect of all-trans retinoic acid and fenretinide in regulating differentiation and apoptosis, respectively of liver cancer cell

All-trans retinoic acid (RA) and its synthetic analog fenretinide [N-(4-hydroxyphenyl) retinamide] have very different effect on cancer cells. All-trans RA is a powerful differentiation agent and fenretinide is a reactive oxygen species (ROS) inducer that causes apoptosis of various types of cancer cell. It seems that both differentiation and apoptosis effect of these retinoids is mediated through retinoic acid receptor β (RARβ). In addition, both chemicals can induce the level of RARβ mRNA. However, our data showed that all-trans RA was a more effective RARβ inducer than fenretinide. The induction occurred within 30 min upon all-trans RA treatment vs. 3 hrs after fenetinide treatment in Huh7 cells. Moreover, both chemicals induced the expression level of LC3. However, the conversion of LC3-I to LC3-II, a hallmark of autophagy, was substantially higher in all-trans RA than fenretinide treated Huh7 cells. These data suggested the all-trans RA, but not fenretinide, was an effective autophagy inducer. In addition, the level of signaling adaptor p62, which is crucial for activation of death receptors and caspase 8-mediated apoptosis, was significantly lower in all-trans RA than fenrentinide treated Huh7 cells. Consequentially, all-trans RA-mediated autophagy might reduce ROS generation and inhibit apoptosis, whereas fenretinide caused ROS generation and cell death. The role of RARβ in differential regulation of LC3 expression and conversion as well as p62 expression remains to be determined. Taken together, the differential autophagy induction and p62 degradation might account for the different effect of all-trans RA and fenretinide in controlling the fate of liver cancer cells. (This research is supported by NIH grant CA53596.) Citation Information: Clin Cancer Res 2010;16(7 Suppl):B27
Simultaneous collection and processing of energy-filtered stem images using a fast digital data acquisition system

Abstract A Vacuum Generators HB5 Scanning Transmission Electron Microscope which is coupled to a PDP 11/34 minicomputer has been used to simultaneously collect and store up to three digitized, energy-filtered images. The computer and interfacing hardware control the scan of the microscope's beam in synchronization with the scan coils of the energy analyzer so images can be obtained from different spectrometer windows. Replay of the images in conjunction with an Analogic AP400 hardware array processor makes it possible to extrapolate and suppress the background signal for each separate region of the specimen.
Two-Stage Countercurrent Enzyme-Assisted Aqueous Extraction Processing of Oil and Protein from Soybeans

Enzyme-assisted aqueous extraction processing (EAEP) is an increasingly viable alternative to hexane extraction of soybean oil. Although considered an environmentally friendly technology where edible oil and protein can be simultaneously recovered, this process employs much water and produces a significant amount of protein-rich aqueous effluent (skim). In standard EAEP, highest oil, protein and solids yields are achieved with a single extraction stage using 1:10 solids-to-liquid ratio (extruded flakes/water), 0.5% protease (wt/g extruded flakes), pH 9.0, and 50 °C for 1 h. To reduce the amount of water used, two-stage countercurrent EAEP was evaluated for extracting oil, protein and solids from soybeans using a solids-to-liquid ratio of 1:5–1:6 (extruded flakes/water). Two-stage countercurrent EAEP achieved higher oil, protein and solids extraction yields than using standard EAEP with only one-half the usual amount of water. Oil, protein and solids yields up to 98 and 96%, 92 and 87%, and 80 and 77% were obtained when using two-stage countercurrent EAEP (1:5–1:6) and standard single-stage EAEP (1:10), respectively. Recycling the second skim obtained in two-stage countercurrent EAEP enabled reuse of the enzyme, with or without inactivation, in the first extraction stage producing protein with different degrees of hydrolysis and the same extraction efficiency. Slightly higher oil, protein and solids extraction yields were obtained using unheated skim compared to heated skim. These advances make the two-stage countercurrent EAEP attractive as the front-end of a soybean biorefinery.
Nontemporal effect of ITI on discriminated one-way avoidance responding

Three groups of hooded rats were exposed to a safe platform for different proportions of the ITI duration, in a signaled 1-way avoidance experiment. The rats with longer safe-platform exposure performed better than the ones with less exposure. These results are consistent with Denny’s (1971) relaxation theory of avoidance learning.
Factors influencing the relation of infant feeding to asthma and recurrent wheeze in childhood

BACKGROUND The relationship between infant feeding and childhood asthma is controversial. This study tested the hypothesis that the relation between breast feeding and childhood asthma is altered by the presence of maternal asthma. METHODS Healthy non-selected newborn infants (n=1246) were enrolled at birth. Asthma was defined as a physician diagnosis of asthma plus asthma symptoms reported on ⩾2 questionnaires at 6, 9, 11 or 13 years. Recurrent wheeze (⩾4 episodes in the past year) was reported by questionnaire at seven ages in the first 13 years of life. Duration of exclusive breast feeding was based on prospective physician reports or parental questionnaires completed at 18 months. Atopy was assessed by skin test responses at the age of 6 years. RESULTS The relationship between breast feeding, asthma, and wheeze differed with the presence or absence of maternal asthma and atopy in the child. After adjusting for confounders, children with asthmatic mothers were significantly more likely to have asthma if they had been exclusively breast fed (OR 8.7, 95% CI 3.4 to 22.2). This relationship was only evident for atopic children and persisted after adjusting for confounders. In contrast, the relation between recurrent wheeze and breast feeding was age dependent. In the first 2 years of life exclusive breast feeding was associated with significantly lower rates of recurrent wheeze (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.2 to 0.9), regardless of the presence or absence of maternal asthma or atopy in the child. Beginning at the age of 6 years, exclusive breast feeding was unrelated to prevalence of recurrent wheeze, except for children with asthmatic mothers in whom it was associated with a higher odds ratio for wheeze (OR 5.7, 95% CI 2.3 to 14.1), especially if the child was atopic. CONCLUSION The relationship between breast feeding and asthma or recurrent wheeze varies with the age of the child and the presence or absence of maternal asthma and atopy in the child. While associated with protection against recurrent wheeze early in life, breast feeding is associated with an increased risk of asthma and recurrent wheeze beginning at the age of 6 years, but only for atopic children with asthmatic mothers.
Mitochondrial depolarization and electrophysiological changes during ischemia in the rabbit and human heart

Instability of the inner mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm) has been implicated in electrical dysfunction, including arrhythmogenesis during ischemia-reperfusion. Monitoring ΔΨm has led to conf...
A small oil spill prevention education strategy

Prevention is the most cost‐effective means of protecting coastal marine environments from releases of oil and oil products. Emphasis is shifting from required oil spill prevention activities to pr...
The fine structure of cellular junctions in a marine bryozoan: gap junctions.

Four morphologically distinct types of gap junctions have been identified in the tissues of the marine bryozoan Membranipora serrilamella by means of correlated light microscopy, electron microscopy, and freeze-fracture techniques. Gap junctions are present in all tissues of this species with the exception of nervous tissue. P-Type junctions appearing as distinct plaques that range in diameter from 0.16 to 0.53 μ m are the most prevalent. Their intramembranous particles average 11 nm in diameter, adhere preferentially to the P fracture face, and lack precise geometrical packing. Complementary E-face pits have a similar distribution. This type of junction may occupy up to 32% of the lateral surface area on epithelial cells of the stomach and rectum. Two variants of the P-type junction are also present. The first appears as a loose skein of P-face particles or E-face pits and is restricted in distribution to a specific region of the tentacular epidermis. The second variant is a heterocellular gap junction between rectal epithelial cells and cytoplasmic extensions of investing peritoneal cells. The particle-packing density in this junctional type is greater than in the two other P-type junctions. Some rectal epithelial cells possess E-type gap junctions rather than the more common P-type configurations. The junctional particles average 12.9 nm in diameter, remain preferentially with the E fracture face, and appear to be associated with a nonparticulate matrix. These observations are discussed in relation to the functional significance of gap junctional diversity in M. serrilamella and more broadly, to the evolution of gap junctions.
Femtosecond hybrid mode-locked semiconductor laser and amplifier dynamics

We describe the generation of femtosecond high power optical pulses using hybrid passive-active mode-locking techniques. Angle stripe geometry GaAs/AlGaAs semiconductor laser amplifiers are employed in an external cavity including prisms and a stagger-tuned quantum-well saturable absorber. An identical amplifier also serves as an optical power amplifier in a stretched pulse amplification and recompression sequence. After amplification and pulse compression this laser system produces 200 fs, 160 W peak power pulses. We discuss and extend our theory, and supporting phenomenological models, of picosecond and subpicosecond optical pulse amplification in semiconductor laser amplifiers which has been successful in calculating measured spectra and time-resolved dynamics in our amplifiers. We have refined the theory to include a phenomenological model of spectral hole-burning for finite intraband thermalization time. Our calculations are consistent with an intra-band time of approximately 60 fs. This theory of large signal subpicosecond pulse amplification will be an essential tool for understanding the mode-locking dynamics of semiconductor lasers and for analysis of high speed multiple wave-length optical signal processing and transmission devices and systems based on semiconductor laser amplifiers.
Efficient cancer therapy using Boolean networks and Max-SAT-based ATPG

Cancer and other gene related diseases are usually caused by a failure in the signaling pathway between genes and cells. These failures can occur in different areas of the gene regulatory network, but can be abstracted as faults in the regulatory function. For effective cancer treatment, it is imperative to identify faults and select appropriate drugs to treat the fault. In this paper, we present an extensible Max-SAT based automatic test pattern generation (ATPG) algorithm for cancer therapy. This ATPG algorithm is based on Boolean Satisfiability (SAT) and utilizes the stuck-at fault model for representing signalling faults. A weighted partial Max-SAT formulation is used to enable selection of the most effective drug. Several usage cases as presented for fault identification and drug selection. These include the identification of testable faults, optimal drug selection for single/multiple known faults, and optimal drug selection for overall fault coverage. Experimental results on growth factor (GF) signaling pathways demonstrate that our algorithm is flexible, and can yield an exact solution for each feature in much less than 1 second.
Some effects of fire and ash on the infiltration capacity of soils

This paper is a preliminary report on the effects of certain physical and chemical relationships that may influence the movement of water into soils and the infiltration rates of some typical brushland soils. Factors studied were the effects of the presence of ash, the application of heat, the burning of brush, and the chemical constituents of the brush ash and their ramifications. Results tend to indicate that infiltration rates of soils may be influenced by burning brush and the presence of ash on the surface of soils. On the soils tested no decrease in infiltration rates occurred.
Chitin synthesis in larval and pupal epidermis of the Indian meal moth, Plodia interpunctella (Hübner), and the greater wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.)

Abstract The level of chitin synthesis was determined in whole last-instar larvae and in pupae of Plodia interpunctella, and in epidermal tissue from similar stages of Galleria mellonella. The incorporation of radiolabelled N-acetyl- d -glucosamine into chitin was used to measure synthesis. Chitin production was similar in both species with peaks of synthesis occurring at the beginning of the last larval instar, in prepupae, in white pupae and prior to adult emergence. P. interpunctella also exhibited an additional small increase at mid-instar. Exposure of larval epidermis of P. interpunctella to 20-hydroxyecdysone in vitro stimulated chitin synthesis, but only after a 24 hr lag period subsequent to exposure to the hormone. This hormonal stimulation of chitin synthesis was inhibited by actinomycin-D and cycloheximide which suggested that 20-hydroxyecdysone-stimulated production of chitin depended on synthesis of RNA and protein. Comparison of the synthesis of chitin in epidermis of G. mellonella with previously published ecdysone titres, indicated that chitin production in vivo is preceded by an elevated ecdysone titre.
Matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization of high‐mass molecules by Fourier‐transform mass spectrometry

Following the first demonstrations of high-mass analysis using time-of-flight matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) techniques by Hillenkamp, Tanaka and their co-workers, there have been significant efforts in a number of laboratories to adapt the new methodology to Fourier-transform mass spectrometry (FTMS). The motivation for this research is obvious. Namely, it would be desirable to couple the unparalleled high mass resolution of FTMS with the extended mass range provided by MALDI, particularly for analysis of polymers and biomolecules. Unfortunately, prior to the present work, attempts to mate FTMS and MALDI have met with limited success. The highest mass matrix-assisted laser-desorption-FTMS result previously obtained appears to be the unpublished low resolution spectrum of bovine insulin recently reported by Russell and co-workers. We, Campana and co-workers, and Hettich and Buchanan have had some success with MALDI-FTMS of biomolecules with masses lower than 3000 Da, including melittin, a variety of lower mass peptides, and oligonucleotides with masses lower than 1800 Da. Furthermore, with the single exception of Campana's report of obtaining mass resolution of 5000 for the molecular ion of melittin, such spectra have not displayed high resolution. Here, we report successful development of MALDI-FTMS, demonstrated with spectra obtained from a variety of high-mass polymer and biomolecule samples, using 355 nm radiation from an excimer-pumped dye laser for desorption/ionization and sinapinic acid as matrix. Some of these spectra are of much higher mass resolution than is possible with current time-of flight mass spectrometers.
Propagators for lattice gauge theories in a background field

We prove regularity and decay properties for propagators connected with the renormalization group method in lattice gauge theories. These propagators depend on an external gauge field configuration, called a background field.
An Empirical Field Study of the Yield Shift Theory of Satisfaction

Stakeholders who experience dissatisfaction with a system, even for reasons unrelated to its technology, may decline to adopt it or may abandon it even if there is clear evidence of substantial benefit from its continued use. Yield Shift Theory (YST) proposes a causal explanation for the onset, magnitude, and direction of satisfaction responses. This study of 282 professional knowledge workers in the field doing technology-supported work on real problems finds that the satisfaction responses of the knowledge workers are consistent with the relationships proposed by YST. The relationships held for both causal constructs of YST: shifts-in-utility and shifts-in-likelihood of goal attainment. The relationships held for two objects-of-satisfaction: work processes and work outcomes.
Bladder Management for Patients with Myelodysplasia

Bladder function can simply be defined by two simple processes: storage and emptying. For children born with myelodysplasia, the developmental anomaly can affect both these processes, leading in some situations to upper tract deterioration if myelodysplasia is not recognized in a timely fashion. Clean intermittent catheterization can be employed to empty the bladder, thus improving the situation for children with poor bladder emptying. Pharmacologic measures have been used to improve bladder storage and the combination of pharmacotherapy and clean intermittent catheterization has become the mainstay technique for managing children with myelodysplasia. This article describes current trends in bladder management for children with myelodysplasia.
Utilizing the Multiradionuclide Resolving Power of SPECT and Dual Radiolabeled Single Molecules to Assess Treatment Response of Tumors

Purpose Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) radionuclide pairs having distinct decay rates and different energy maxima enable simultaneous detection of dual gamma signals and real-time assessment of dynamic functional and molecular processes in vivo. Here, we report image acquisition and quantification protocols for a single molecule labeled with two different radionuclides for functional SPECT imaging.
Risk Assessment and Management in the Networked Economy by O. K. Hussain, T. S. Dillon, F. K. Hussain, & E. J. Chang

Organizations across the world are increasingly investing resources in information technology (IT) and related services and resources. IT provides new capabilities but, at the same time, introduces...
The use of stream‐flow records in connection with problems in hydrology

Many of the problems in hydrology must be approached first on a qualitative basis and the phenomena investigated with reference to general relations. A qualitative analysis may be made to determine the kind and nature of the various elementary factors which directly or indirectly enter into the problem, and to arrive at the general form of the relations. For example, the qualitative form of the hydrologic cycle of water may be observed and the fact that precipitation which reaches the surface of the Earth in the several forms of rain, snow, and dew thereafter follows various paths over and through the ground, and finally, with some losses due to evaporation and plant-growth, reaches the ocean and may then complete the cycle by again returning to the atmosphere. The laws governing the movement of water from the clouds to the sea must necessarily be studied qualitatively in order to ascertain all of the factors and the manner in which they are related, one to another. But with the fundamental principles correctly established, the problem takes a quantitative form, and the definite mathematical relations can only be determined by measurements. Although the phenomena of precipitation, runoff, and evaporation are intimately connected, and interdependent, one with another, their relationships for all areas can be expressed only in general terms. The forces of evaporation are in continual operation, whereas the precipitation is intermittent. The surface-runoff is affected by loss to ground-water and by return of ground-water to surface-water flow with many variations due to seasonal and climatic conditions, soils, vegetation, and morphologic features. In general it is true that surface-runoff equals precipitation minus losses, where plant-consumption, evaporation, and transferrence to ground-water are all included in the term “losses.”
The rate of production of electrons in the ionosphere

Abstract Accurate measurements of the variation of electron content in the sunrise period have provided the means of calculating the integrated electron production rate for an overhead Sun. Based on Syncom III observations in Hawaii, the maximum integrated production rate Q 0 is about 1.4(± 0.3) × 10 14 electrons/m 2 sec, corresponding to a peak q 0 ≈ 1300 × 10 6 electrons/m 3 sec for a single constituent atmosphere. Observations from Stanford yield values about 25 per cent higher, but there is less confidence in the results since the observations of Syncom III are made only 17° above the horizon. If rapid recombination of N 2 + is assumed, the total production rate Q 0 (O + + N 2 + ) at noon will be about 60 per cent higher. These results are compared with some previous estimates of production rates and related photometer measurements above the production peak.
Rectal tears in the horse: an analysis of 35 cases

Summary The records of 35 horses with Grade 3 or 4 rectal tears, presented to the Veterinary Medical Center at Texas A&M University over a five year period, were reviewed. Grade 3 tears were sub-classified according to whether the remaining tissue was serosa (Grade 3a) or mesorectum (Grade 3b). Five horses were destroyed on presentation and 30 were treated by primary suture closure (8 horses), faecal diversion alone (9 horses) or in combination with suture closure (11 horses) and packing of the tear with medicated gauze sponges (two horses). Faecal diversion was achieved with a temporary indwelling rectal liner (TIRL) in 19 horses and colostomy in one. Survival was related to classification of the tear, efficacy of first aid measures administered at time of injury and method of treatment. Seventy-four per cent of horses with Grade 3a tears and 44 per cent of those with Grade 3b tears survived. Grade 4 tears had a grave prognosis. Horses given adequate first aid before admission had a better survival rate. With proper patient selection, primary closure of the tear with sutures yielded excellent results. In horses which were not candidates for suture closure alone, a combination of faecal diversion and suturing gave better results than faecal diversion only. In addition, selected horses were treated successfully by packing the rectal tear with gauze sponges. The results demonstrate the value of a TIRL to divert faeces and appropriate first aid measures in treating rectal tears.
Local-Field Corrections to Coulomb Interactions

The effective charge-charge, charge-dipole, and dipole-dipole Coulomb interactions are calculated for a solid dielectric. The static dielectric screening of the solid is included by using the point-dipole model, which assumes that the host ions are polarizable points. This model allows the dielectric screening of Coulomb interactions to be included exactly, since the local-field corrections can be summed to all orders. The longrange charge-charge interactions are just screened by ${\ensuremath{\epsilon}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, where $\ensuremath{\epsilon}$ is the Lorentz-Lorentz dielectric function. The long-range interactions involving dipoles can be understood by assigning the dipoles an external moment ${\ensuremath{\mu}}_{e}=\frac{(\ensuremath{\epsilon}+2)\ensuremath{\mu}}{3}$, where $\ensuremath{\mu}$ is the moment in a vacuum. This form of the external moment applies only to dipoles in positions of cubic symmetry.
Determination of Ballistic Limits of GLARE 5 Fiber-Metal Laminates: The Influences of Geometry, Thickness and Stacking Sequence

In this paper, GLARE 5 fiber-metal laminates (FMLs) of two different geometries: 152.4mm×101.6mm (6″ ×4″ ) plate and 254mm×25.4mm (10″ ×1″ ) beam and with various thicknesses and stacking sequences were impacted by a 0.22 caliber bullet-shaped projectile using a high-speed gas gun. Velocities of the projectile along the ballistic trajectory were measured at different locations. For both geometries, the incident projectile impact velocity versus the residual velocity was plotted and numerically fitted according to the classical Lambert–Jonas equation for the determination of ballistic limit velocity, V50 . The results showed that V50 varied in a parabolic trend with respect to the metal volume fraction (MVF) and the specimen thickness for both geometries. It was found that by changing the geometry from a plate to a beam, the ballistic limit velocity increased. On the other hand, changing the stacking sequence had a less pronounced effect on V50 for both geometries. The quasi-isotropic beam and plate specimens offered relatively higher ballistic limit velocities compared to other types of stacking sequences in their own geometrical groups. Furthermore, the cross-ply and unidirectional beam specimens showed relatively higher V50 compared to their plate counterparts. Experimental results showed that the ballistic limit was almost the same for the quasi-isotropic layup FMLs of both plate and beam geometries.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
SU‐GG‐I‐33: A General Three‐Material Quantification Method Using Dual‐Energy CT Imaging

Purpose: To propose a general method to quantify the density, atomic number, and mass fraction of three materials using only two energies levels (kVp settings), and evaluate its performance with quantitative simulations. Method and Materials: It is well known that dual‐energy CT can accurately quantify the density and atomic number for two materials in a two‐material object. This is possible because the dual‐energy CT technique provides two spectrally different measurements. For an object with three constituents, an additional measurement is required to solve the dual‐energy equations that now have three unknown values. Under certain conditions, a third physical measurement is not needed to solve for the three unknowns. One such solution is to assume that each material has a constant volume when mixed together, which provides an additional equation regarding the mixture's density. However, the constant volume assumption is not always true. Here, we calculate the mixture's density based on the mass attenuation coefficient, which can be expressed using the effective atomic number and density of the mixture. Then, we use the calculated density of the mixture to solve for the mass fractions of the three materials. To evaluate this method, we made numerical simulations using different densities of hydroxyapatite (HA: Ca 5 ( PO 4 ) 3 OH ). The developed algorithm is applied to the images and the chemical elements Ca, P, and H 2 O are quantified. Results: The numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed method can accurately calculate the effective atomic number, density, and mass fractions of the constituents of a mixture for up to three different materials. Conclusion: The proposed algorithm is a general material‐decomposition method for dual‐energy CT. The number of materials which can be quantified is up to three. Conflict of Interest: CHM and ANP: Research grants from Siemens Medical Solutions.
Secondary-extensional isomorphism and the accuracy of constructional definitions

Nelson Goodman's criterion of accuracy for constructional definitions, proposed in his Structure of Appearance [2], is too restrictive. This is shown by a counterexample, a system of constructional definition which, inaccurate by Goodman's criterion, is nevertheless clearly an adequate system. Moreover, the counterexample provided is one whose adequacy can be seen in the light of the extensionalistic semantic theory developed by Goodman in his paper on 'likeness of meaning' [1]. An alternative, weaker criterion of accuracy for constructional definitions is offered, and an approach to specialized criteria of accuracy for possibly many different purposes for which constructional systems might be developed. The first section of this paper constructs some notions of Goodmanian semantic theory, supplemented, formalized, and cast in more general terms than found in their original presentation by Goodman. The second section employs this vocabulary in presenting the counterexample and approach to weaker criteria of accuracy for constructional definitions.