cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Tackling Imbalanced Data in Cybersecurity with Transfer Learning: A Case with ROP Payload Detection.

In recent years, deep learning gained proliferating popularity in the cybersecurity application domain, since when being compared to traditional machine learning, it usually involves less human effort, produces better results, and provides better generalizability. However, the imbalanced data issue is very common in cybersecurity, which can substantially deteriorate the performance of the deep learning models. This paper introduces a transfer learning based method to tackle the imbalanced data issue in cybersecurity using Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) payload detection as a case study. We achieved 0.033 average false positive rate, 0.9718 average F1 score and 0.9418 average detection rate on 3 different target domain programs using 2 different source domain programs, with 0 benign training data samples in the target domain. The performance improvement compared to the baseline is a trade-off between false positive rate and detection rate. Using our approach, the number of false positives is reduced by 23.20%, and as a trade-off, the number of detected malicious samples is reduced by 0.50%.
A Novel Smart Memory Alloy Re-centering Damper for Passive Protection of Structures Subjected to Seismic Excitations Using High-Performance NiTiHfPd Material

This research proposes and evaluates a superelastic memory alloy re-centering damper system for improving the reaction of steel frame buildings that have been exposed to several levels of seismic threat. The planned superelastic memory alloy re-centering damper (SMARD) relies on high-performance shape memory alloy (SMA) bars for its abilities of recentering and augments its deformation potential with friction springs. To begin, this study investigates the superelastic reaction of NiTiHfPd SMAs under a variety of conditions and shows how they can be used in seismic applications. To gather experimental results, uniaxial experiments on superelastic NiTiHfPd SMAs are performed at temperatures ranging from -35 to 25 oC and loading frequencies ranging from 0.05 to 1 Hz with four distinct strain amplitudes. We explore the impact of loading rate and temperature on the superelastic properties of NiTiHfPd SMAs. The complex answer of 6-floor and 9-floor steel special moment frame buildings with built SMARDs is then determined using an empirical model. Finally, nonlinear reaction time background simulations are used to characterize the actions of managed and unregulated buildings while 44 ground motion data are used. The results indicate that SMARDs will significantly reduce the dynamic behavior of steel-frame buildings at various seismic threat levels while simultaneously improving their post-earthquake functionality.
Complex contingencies

Four rats were each fixed with two chronically indwelling bipolar electrodes for intracranial stimulation (ICS). ICS with one bipolar electrode was rewarding, and ICS with the other was aversive. After demonstration of the efficacy of ICS, rats were placed in a chamber with a retractable lever. A depression of the lever yielded four trains of ICS. All possible combinations of positive and negative ICS within the constraint of four events were then tested with high intensities of both rewarding and aversive ICS at intertrain intervals of.125,.25, and 1.0 sec, and with different intensities of ICS. It was found that the rats pressed more for the contingencies containing the greater number of positive ICS. The sequence of rewarding and aversive ICS was also shown to be an important variable in determining pressing rates. It was concluded that knowing the net positiveness of complex contingencies and knowing whether the first event was rewarding or aversive was sufficient to predict closely the acceptability of a contingency.
Conceptualizing STEM teacher professional knowledge for teaching ELs: Initial impact of subject matter and disciplinary literacy PD on content knowledge and practice

This paper advances the conceptualization of STEM teacher professional knowledge reflecting the specialized knowledge needed to support English learner (EL) language development during science and ...
HPV immunization among young adults (HIYA!) in family practice: A quality improvement project.

Aims Thousands of anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers every year might be prevented through increased receipt of vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). This project aimed to (1) increase the rate of HPV vaccination status assessment, and (2) improve HPV vaccine initiation and completion rates among 18 to 26-year-old patients in the family practice setting. Design Quality improvement project, pre/post intervention design. Methods This project implemented the HIYA! (HPV Immunization among Young Adults) Intervention in a private sports and family practice in central New Jersey. HIYA! implemented 10 pre-, during, and post-visit outcome measures during every family medicine visit with an 18 to 26-year-old patient for HPV. Data collection involved retrospective chart review of every eligible patient during the 12-week implementation period from 17 August to 06 November 2020 and during the same 12-week control period in 2019. Results/findings One hundred sixteen charts from 2019 and 129 charts from 2020 were reviewed for assessment of HPV vaccination status and HPV vaccine initiation and/or completion. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that participants in the control group were 84% less likely to be assessed for HPV vaccination status and were 91% less likely to initiate and complete HPV vaccination compared with the intervention group. Conclusion This QI project found HIYA! to be an effective and feasible strategy to improve HPV vaccination rates among 18 to 26-year-old patients in a family practice setting. Impact The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States, and causes thousands of cancers annually. Although vaccination against HPV can prevent these cancers, vaccination rates remain low, particularly among young adults ages 18 to 26 years. The positive impact of HIYA! was evident based on its success despite the unique challenges presented during the implementation period due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iraq's Displaced: Where to Turn?

Refugees and IDPs are hardly a new phenomenon for Iraq. Under Saddam Hussein’s long and brutal rule forced displacement was a deliberate state policy.1 The government used expulsions as a tool to subdue recalcitrant populations and punish political opponents, mainly the Kurds and the Shi’as. Expulsions were also used to take over fertile and oil-rich land. From the Kirkuk region, Saddam Hussein uprooted more than 100,000 Kurds and also members of the smaller Turkmen and Assyrian (Christian) minorities in an effort to ‘Arabize’ the area. In all, when the United States invaded in 2003 close to one million people were internally displaced in Iraq. Another one to two million Iraqis lived abroad. The U.S. invasion and the toppling of Saddam Hussein, far from resolving the problem made it worse. It catapulted the country into a near civil war between Shi’a, who had largely been excluded by Saddam Hussein’s regime, and Sunnis who until then had dominated the government. The combination of intense and bloody sectarian violence, coalition military action, fighting among Shi’a militias and between the government and the Mahdi army, and generalized violence and criminality caused massive uprooting. In 2007, some 60,000 Iraqis were reported to be fleeing their homes each month.2 New displacement diminished sharply in 2008 as overall security improved in Iraq. But together with those who had been displaced earlier, some fifteen to twenty percent of the Iraqi population—or 4.7 million people out of a total population of 27 million—remained
Analysis of Lunar Occultation Data

The technique of model fitting has been applied to the analysis of data obtained from photoelectric measurements of lunar occultations. A model occultation curve is generated and fitted, by least squares, to the observed light curve, and by this method the values of the model parameters are determined, together with their formal errors. This technique is contrasted with Scheuer’s deconvolution procedure by applying both methods to the same observed data.
Hydrophobic affinity partition in aqueous two-phase systems of erythrocytes from different species. Systems containing polyethylene glycol-palmitate.

Abstract We have examined the partition of erythrocytes from different species in dextran-polyethylene glycol aqueous two-phase systems containing sodium chloride and small quantities of polyethylene glycol-palmitate. The partition of erythrocytes in these phases depends on the hydrophobic affinity of the membrane surface to the palmitoyl residue. It was shown that: 1. 1. The partition coefficient of human erythrocytes is not decreased by neuraminidase treatment indicating that membrane charge of cells is not a determinant of their partition. 2. 2. The partition of erythrocytes is species-specific and appears to depend, to a great extent, on the ratio of poly/mono-unsaturated fatty acids in their membranes. 3. 3. By combining isotopic labeling techniques with countercurrent distribution of rat red cells age-dependent alterations in the partition coefficient of erythrocytes were found which ( a ) reflect changes in the membrane lipid composition of red cells during maturation and aging; and ( b ) are different from the changes observed in a dextran-polyethylene glycol two-phase system with phosphate but no polyethylene glycol-palmitate (a system which reflects membrane charge [3]). 4. 4. Changes in partition coefficient of human erythrocytes as a function of storage occur.
Careers and Ethical Issues in the Traumatic Stress Field

There are several career paths within the traumatic stress field, including ones that are primarily focused on clinical service or developing and administering clinical services as well as ones that are more oriented toward research or teaching—and combinations of all of the above. For the sake of illustration, this chapter presents five general career paths, using the careers of actual clinicians, scientists, educators and program administrators in the traumatic stress field to show how each path actually has been taken and the contributions that can be made by taking that path. Following the description of career paths, the chapter concludes with a discussion of the core ethical (value) issues that confront traumatic stress professionals on all of these career paths.
Does History Help? An Experiment on How Context Affects Crowdsourcing Dialogue Annotation

Crowds of people can potentially solve some problems faster than individuals. Crowd sourced data can be leveraged to benefit the crowd by providing information or solutions faster than traditional means. Many tasks needed for developing dialogue systems such as annotation can benefit from crowdsourcing as well. We investigate how to outsource dialogue data annotation through Amazon Mechanical Turk. We are in particular interested in empirically analyzing how much context from previous parts of the dialogue (e.g. previous dialogue turns) is needed to be provided before the target part (dialogue turn) is presented to the annotator. The answer to this question is essentially important for leveraging crowd sourced data for appropriate and efficient response and coordination. We study the effect of presenting different numbers of previous data (turns) to the Turkers in annotating sentiments of dyadic negotiation dialogs on the inter annotator reliability and comparison to the gold standard.
Incorporation of nonzero echo times in the SPGR and bSSFP signal models used in mcDESPOT

Purpose To analyze the effect of neglecting nonzero echo times (TEs) in the conventional model of multicomponent driven equilibrium single pulse observation of T1 and T2 (mcDESPOT). Theory and Methods Formulations of the two-component spoiled gradient recalled echo (SPGR) and balanced steady state free precession (bSSFP) models that incorporate nonzero TE effects are presented in the context of mcDESPOT and compared with the conventionally used SPGR and bSSFP models which ignore nonzero TEs. Relative errors in derived parameter estimates from conventional mcDESPOT, omitting TE effects, are assessed using simulations over a wide range of experimental and sample parameters. Results The neglect of nonzero TE leads to an overestimate of the SPGR signal and an underestimate of the bSSFP signal. These effects can introduce large errors in parameter estimates derived from conventional mcDESPOT under realistic imaging conditions. Conclusion SPGR and bSSFP signal models accounting for nonzero TE effects should be incorporated into quantitative mcDESPOT analyses. Magn Reson Med, 2015. Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Effects of the freshwater turtle Trachemys scripta elegans on ecosystem functioning: an approach in experimental ponds

The effect of red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) on aquatic ecosystem processes and macroinvertebrate community was investigated in artificial ponds that were stocked with turtles or kept free of them. Compared to ponds without turtles, ponds with turtles displayed significantly higher values of pH, conductivity, sediment accumulation, and leaf litter decomposition rates, as well as a higher abundance of invertebrates, specifically that of the Hemiptera and Ephemeroptera. The biomass of periphyton was not affected by the presence of turtles. These results suggest that the presence of T. s. elegans affects environmental conditions in ponds, and thus potentially ecosystem processes. Reduced abundance or loss of turtles in aquatic systems could therefore result in significant consequences on ecosystem functioning.
Application of a performance measure reduction technique to categorical safety data

Abstract This research proposes an interdisciplinary approach that combines correspondence–analytic, information–theoretic, and approximation–theoretic concepts to derive a fast reduction procedure suitable for categorical data. The procedure can also be applied to metric data where it proves to perform as well as linear regression on multivariate-normal data and superior otherwise. All types of monotone relationships, linear or non-linear, are handled well. In addition, the procedure is robust to outliers, which makes it especially desirable for exploratory and control purposes. The procedure also has a very limited data requirement, which distinguishes it from other information–theoretic procedures whose data requirement increases exponentially with the number of variables and which, in turn, are numerically highly unstable. An application of the procedure to an aviation safety data set is presented. The new procedure performs well on this data set and is shown to be analytically robust and consistent with expert judgment.
Closed-Form Equation for Thermal Conductivity of Unsaturated Soils at Room Temperature

AbstractThermal conductivity is a fundamental physical property governing heat transfer in soil. It depends on soil types, pore structure, temperature, and moisture content, and can vary over an order of magnitude. Some theories have been established to address the effect of temperature on thermal conductivity. Other theoretical works focus on the effect of moisture content on thermal conductivity of different sandy and loamy soils. This work addresses the effect of all soil types and moisture content on thermal conductivity for ambient temperatures from 20 to 25°C. Thermal conductivity varies little within the hydration and capillary regimes, varies moderately within the funicular regime, and varies greatly within the pendular regime. A closed-form equation is proposed and validated by explicitly considering the soil-water retention regimes. Results taken from the literature for 25 soils and from the current study for two clay soils show that the closed-form equation can accurately predict thermal conduc...
INTERACTIONS BETWEEN THE BRAIN RENIN-ANGIOTENSIN SYSTEM AND BRAIN PROSTANOIDS IN THE CONTROL OF VASOPRESSIN SECRETION

Experiments were carried out in conscious, unrestrained, male rats to evaluate possible interactions between brain prostanoids and the brain renin-angiotensin system in the control of vasopressin release and in cardiovascular regulation. The intracerebroventricular (icv) administration of prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) resulted in transient increases in the plasma vasopressin concentration (PAVP) and heart rate and a gradual increase in mean arterial blood pressure (MABP). Pretreatment icv with saralasin, an angiotensin II-receptor antagonist, moderately attenuated the vasopressin response to PGD2, but had no effect on the heart rate and blood pressure responses. Angiotensin II icv increased both PAVP and MABP. This vasopressin response was almost completely prevented by prior icv meclofenamate, a cyclooxygenase inhibitor, and the blood pressure response was attenuated. These observations, combined with previous studies of the role of central angiotensin II and central prostanoids in the physiological control of vasopressin release, suggest that there may be important interactions between brain prostanoids and the brain renin-angiotensin system in this control.
Activation of Pro-death Bcl-2 Family Proteins and Mitochondria Apoptosis Pathway in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α-induced Liver Injury

Abstract Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα)-induced cytotoxicity contributes to the pathogenesis in inflammatory and immune responses. Here, we studied the role of pro-death Bcl-2 family proteins and the mitochondria apoptosis pathway in the development of TNFα-induced hepatic injury during endotoxemia. After treating mice with lipopolysaccharide or TNFα in the presence ofd-galactosamine, Bid was cleaved and translocated to mitochondria in hepatocytes. Independently, Bax was also activated by the death receptor engagement and translocated to mitochondria. However, its subsequent insertion into the mitochondrial membrane depends on Bid. Nevertheless, Bid was required, but Bax could be dispensed for the mitochondrial release of cytochrome cfrom mitochondria, suggesting that Bid could activate additional downstream molecules other than Bax. The lack of this Bid-dependent mitochondria activation and cytochromec release in the bid-deficient mice was responsible for the significantly delayed effector caspase activation and hepatocyte injury upon endotoxin treatment, culminating in a prolonged survival of the bid-deficient mice. Additional genetic factor(s) could further modify the dependence of TNFα toxicity on the mitochondria pathway as the bid-deficient 129/SvJ mice manifested an even higher resistance than the same type of mice in C57BL/6 background. The functional significance of the mitochondria apoptosis pathway was thus elucidated in the TNFα-mediated pathogenesis in vivo.
The Analysis of Unbalanced Cross-Plied Elliptic Plates Under Uniform Pressure

Unbalanced cross-plied laminated plates with bending-membrane coupling are analyzed for the case of an elliptic planform under uniform pressure. Closed form solutions are presented for two cases of mem brane boundary conditions with the bending boundary conditions assumed to be clamped. Comparisons between various approximations and membrane boundary conditions are made for composite plates of glass, Thornel and boron fibers in epoxy matricies. Circular plates are treated as a special case of elliptic plates.
Case of Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans endocarditis and metastatic infection in an immune compromised host

Staphylococcus schleiferi subspecies coagulans is a relatively recently described organism with limited human pathogenicity. Described case reports of infection are primarily limited to canine external otitis with only one reported case of human involvement, localized to a surgical wound infection. Similarities in phenotypic and microbiological characteristics between S. schleiferi subsp. coagulans and S. aureus have resulted in frequent mistakes using common methods of identification. We describe the first case of disseminated human infection with this species, definitively identified using DNA sequencing, and successfully treated with conventional therapy.
Papillary hidradenoma of the eyelid margin: clinical and immunohistochemical observations further supporting an apocrine rather than an eccrine origin

A 46-year-old woman was evaluated for a "recurring papilloma" of the left medial upper eyelid margin. Beneath the papillary lesion medial to the punctum was a 5-mm diameter cutaneous mass thought to be cystic. After excisional biopsy, histopathologic analysis documented the presence of an epidermal keratinizing squamous papilloma surmounting a circumscribed dermal papillary hidradenoma composed of deeply eosinophilic columnar cells. Additionally, there was intraductal proliferation of tumor extending toward a subclinical poral opening through the epidermis. Immunohistochemistry proved the apocrine nature of the benign, non-cystic lesion by virtue of its nuclear androgen receptor and cytoplasmic gross-cystic disease fluid protein-15 positivity, along with its smooth muscle actin-positive myoepithelial layer. This and prior cases establish that apocrine tumors, both benign and malignant, are strictly localized at or near the eyelid margin where only apocrine glands are found. These tumors are more often papillary than solid adenomas, and most exceptionally can be malignant. We review the differential diagnosis of simulating eccrine eyelid tumors. We recommend wide local excision for benign lesions, in view of possible intraductal extension that can be eccentric to the main tumor and the miniscule potential for malignant transformation.
Filament formation in the diatomSkeletonema costatum

Skeletonema costatum consists of cells joined by open gutter-like connecting spines (strutted tubuli) which form from the margin of the valve face. The intercellular spaces occupied by tubuli are alternately enclosed by finely perforate bands of wall material. The intercellular bands are in the form of overlapping, open ended cylinders attached to the epitheca in the region of the cell girdle. A model is proposed for filament formation explaining the origin of alternating walled and unwalled intercellular spaces.
George Box and Bayesian inference

The Bayesian paradigm was fundamental to George Box's philosophy of statistics. Box's scholarship in statistics was driven by his engagement with other scientists in the process of scientific discovery. In his view, scientific discovery was represented elegantly by Bayes' theorem, in which information from the latest experiment is combined with current knowledge. Applications to real problems was the focus of his research in Bayesian methods, especially problems that were less accessible to classical methods based on sampling theory. These problems typically related to the design of experiments and analysis of experimental data, hierarchical models, the sensitivity of inferences to assumptions about the data, and the use of non-informative priors. His work with a network of collaborators laid the groundwork for widespread application of Bayesian methods facilitated by later advances in computational methods. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Plasticity in the developing brain: Implications for rehabilitation

Neuronal plasticity allows the central nervous system to learn skills and remember information, to reorganize neuronal networks in response to environmental stimulation, and to recover from brain and spinal cord injuries. Neuronal plasticity is enhanced in the developing brain and it is usually adaptive and beneficial but can also be maladaptive and responsible for neurological disorders in some situations. Basic mechanisms that are involved in plasticity include neurogenesis, programmed cell death, and activity-dependent synaptic plasticity. Repetitive stimulation of synapses can cause long-term potentiation or long-term depression of neurotransmission. These changes are associated with physical changes in dendritic spines and neuronal circuits. Overproduction of synapses during postnatal development in children contributes to enhanced plasticity by providing an excess of synapses that are pruned during early adolescence. Clinical examples of adaptive neuronal plasticity include reorganization of cortical maps of the fingers in response to practice playing a stringed instrument and constraint-induced movement therapy to improve hemiparesis caused by stroke or cerebral palsy. These forms of plasticity are associated with structural and functional changes in the brain that can be detected with magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, or transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). TMS and other forms of brain stimulation are also being used experimentally to enhance brain plasticity and recovery of function. Plasticity is also influenced by genetic factors such as mutations in brain-derived neuronal growth factor. Understanding brain plasticity provides a basis for developing better therapies to improve outcome from acquired brain injuries.
What Everybody is Doing but No One is Talking About: Use of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the ANCA Associated Vasculitis Population.

The use and impact of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) associated vasculitis (AAV) has not been reported. AAV patients seeking care at our center inquired about CAM, prompting a formal study. Study objectives were to discern how many AAV patients used CAM and its perceived helpfulness in disease management. Methods : AAV patients completed a CAM questionnaire between July 2011 and May 2012. Patients were 18 years or older and had biopsy proven and/or clinical evidence of AAV. Medical record abstraction supplemented data. Classification detailed CAM type including “Mind” or “Mind-Body”. Perceived helpfulness of CAM was assessed as “very”, “somewhat” or “not at all/don’t know”. Results : A total of 107 patients participated and were a mean age of 53 (range: 18-85), 62% female; 48% proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA, 44% myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA and 8% ANCA-negative. Top organs involved included kidney (87%), joints (55%), lung (53%) and upper respiratory (53%). At least one type of CAM treatment or self-help practice was reported by 81% of study participants, with the most frequent being prayer (64%), exercise (27%) and massage therapy (19%). Mind-based practices were used by 28% (excluding prayer) and Mind-Body practices by 14%. Most practices were used to improve wellbeing, and Mind and Mind-Body were deemed very helpful by 83% and 87% respectively. Only 24% of study participants discussed CAM with their physician. Conclusion : CAM practices were commonly used to improve well-being and found to be beneficial among AAV patients, but more open discussion is needed about CAM between physicians and patients.
A spectroscopic and viscometric study of the metal ion-induced gelation of the biopolymer chitosan

Abstract The gelation of the biopolymer chitosan in solution through crosslinking reactions with Pt( II ) has been investigated by simultaneously monitoring both the viscosity of the system and the number of metal-amine bonds formed per chitosan chain, as probed spectroscopically. The variables studied in the investigations included the chitosan to Pt( II ) concentration ratio, the pH of the reaction solution, and the concentration, molecular weight and degree of deacylation of chitosan. A kinetic model for the time dependence of the formation of crosslinks and a spectral model for the time evolution of the spectra were developed for the gelation process. These models included the effects of light scattering, steric hindrance, pH and variation of pKa as a function of the fraction of monomer units charged, and they were tested successfully against the experimental spectra. The time of gelation was found to decrease with increases in the following experimental parameters while holding all the other parameters constant: (1) concentration of Pt( II ), (2) pH of the reaction solution, (3) molecular weight of chitosan, and (4) concentration of chitosan in solution. In accordance with percolation theory, the calculated crosslink/chain ratios at the time of gelation were found to be quite consistent for the various reaction conditions and to be consistent also with predictions of thresholds for percolation of rigidity by network theories.
Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma in Young Women: A Matched Comparison—Do Outcomes Justify Treatment Intensity?

Background. The incidence of oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) in young women is increasing with uncertain outcomes compared to traditional patients. Published outcomes data are at odds in this cohort of young women. Methods. Retrospective analysis comparing demographic, clinicopathologic, and outcomes data of women OTSCC patients younger than 45 years old matched 1 : 2 by stage with men both younger and older than 45 and women older than 45. Results. No disease-free or overall survival differences were found between cohorts. Young women were significantly more likely to receive radiation therapy, particularly in stage I disease, even when controlling for common pathologic indications. Conclusions. OTSCC in young women was not associated with worse outcomes compared to a matched cohort of other patients. Increased frequency of radiation treatment for this cohort may not be justified.
The economy of photons

Improved and easy-to-implement methods for precise fitting of curves to Poisson-distributed data—such as photons from single emitters—reach the limits of fitting precision.
What's Law Got to Do with It? Judicial Behavioralists Test the "Legal Model" of Judicial Decision Making

[Behavioral research has] the potential to engender serious confusion over judicial decision making. Even worse, [it] may mislead the unsuspecting … into thinking that judges are lawless in their decision making, influenced more by personal ideology than legal principles…. I have no doubt that careful statistical analysis, cautiously interpreted, may conceivably shed some light on judicial decision making. But serious scholars seeking to analyze the work of the courts cannot simply ignore the internal experiences of judges as irrelevant or disingenuously expressed. (Edwards 1998, 1337-38) [E]ven if Chief Judge Edwards is accurately reporting his perceptions, one must worry about whether those perceptions are in fact an accurate portrayal of the work of his court…. [W]hen leaders tell the public that their institutions function well and that the views of potential critics should be disregarded, skepticism and empirical testing are appropriate. (Revesz 1999, 845)
The new UCSB compact far-infrared FEL

Abstract A 2 MV electrostatic accelerator is being acquired by the FEL development group at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). This machine is being designed to provide an exceptionally low emittance electron beam suitable for a wide range of FEL related experiments. Foremost among these will be development of a compact submillimeter FEL employing “next generation”electrostatic accelerator FEL concepts. It is expected that this machine will serve as prototype for a new generation of FELs all based on commercially available electrostatic accelerators ranging in voltage from 0.5 to 25 MV. Generation of radiation from millimeter to visible wavelengths at power levels from kilowatts to megawatts from relatively cheap and compact machines is anticipated. Components for the 2 MV accelerator have been ordered and high-voltage tests are expected to begin early in 1988.
Dispersion theory for electrons in a random lattice with applications to the electronic structure of alloys

Abstract In a three dimensional atomic lattice, occupied at random by atoms of more than one kind, a complete set of approximate solutions of the one-electron Schrodinger equation is obtained that have the periodicity of a Bloch wave in the average. Equations are given that permit the calculation of their energies, their average behavior, apart from a phase factor, near an atom of any type, and of a damping parameter for each wave. A correspondence is established between a random A-B lattice and a periodic lattice with a complex, energy dependent, potential. The eigenvalue problem in this potential, which can be solved with any of the known methods for a periodic potential, yields the dispersion relation of the system.
EXPRESSION OF THE MAMMALIAN CALCIUM SIGNALING RESPONSE TO TRYPANOSOMA CRUZI IN XENOPUS LAEVIS OOCYTES

Infective stages of the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi contain a soluble factor that induces elevation in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) of mammalian cells. The process is pertussis toxin (PTx)-sensitive, and involves phospholipase C (PLC) activation, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3) formation and Ca2+ release from intracellular stores (Tardieux I, et al. J Exp Med 1994;179:1017–1022; Rodriguez A, et al. J Cell Biol 1995;129:1263–1273). We now report that a molecule exposed on the surface of the target cells is required to trigger the signaling cascade, and that a response with identical characteristics can be induced in Xenopus laevis oocytes injected with mRNA from normal rat kidney (NRK) fibroblasts. Xenopus oocytes do not show an endogenous response to the trypomastigote Ca2+ signaling factor, but a vigorous response in the form of a propagating Ca2+ wave is expressed after injection of NRK cell mRNA. As previously demonstrated for mammalian cells, the response is inhibited when injected oocytes are pretreated with PTx, implicating Gαi or Gαo trimeric G-proteins, and with thapsigargin, which depletes intracellular Ca2+ stores. Moreover, the [Ca2+]i transients triggered by the T. cruzi soluble factor in mRNA-injected oocytes are blocked by the same inhibitors of the parasite oligopeptidase B that abolish the [Ca2+]i response in NRK cells (Burleigh B, Andrews NW. J Biol Chem 1995;270:5172–5180; Burleigh BA et al. J Cell Biol 1997;136:609–620). The NRK mRNA fraction that induces expression of the [Ca2+]i response to the T. cruzi signaling factor contains messages from 1.5 to 2.0 kb, a size range consistent with the family of seven-transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors.
Genomics and Systems Approaches in the Mammalian Circadian Clock

The circadian clock is an endogenous oscillator that regulates daily rhythms in behavior and physiology. In recent years, systems biology and genomics approaches re-shaped our view of the clock. Our understanding of outputs that regulate behavior and physiology has been enhanced through gene expression profiling and proteomic analyses. Systems approaches uncovered underlying principles of transcriptional regulation and robustness of the oscillator through perturbation analysis and synthetic methods. Finally, new clock components and modifiers were identified through cell-based screening efforts and proteomics.
Self-report and startle-based measures of emotional reactions to body image cues as predictors of Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction in female college students

Abstract The purpose was to compare self-report and psychophysiological assessment techniques in the measurement of emotional response to body image cues. Female college students (n = 53; % Caucasian = 53.6; M body mass index = 26.1 kg/m2) completed the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI-3) and viewed photos of themselves both unaltered and morphed to simulate weight gain. Response to the photos was assessed by self-report and the affect modulated startle paradigm. EDI-3 Drive for Thinness (DT) and Body Dissatisfaction (BD) scale scores were correlated with startled amplitude for the largest simulated weight gain photo. Startle eye blink amplitude predicted more variance in DT and BD subscales than self-reported response to the image. The affect modulated startle paradigm may provide unique information in the assessment of eating disorder symptomatology that cannot be captured via self-report techniques, and has potential to inform evaluation of treatment outcomes of eating and body image disorders.
Historical and recent introductions of non-indigenous marine species into Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaiian Islands

The benthic organisms and fishes of Pearl Harbor were sampled in 1996, and results were compared with all previous collections and observations from Pearl Harbor assembled from published and unpublished literature and specimens in the Bishop Museum collections. Organisms were designated as native, non-indigenous or cryptogenic (i.e. of uncertain origin). Rates of introductions of non-indigenous and cryptogenic species by decade were estimated from the time of first collections in Pearl Harbor at the turn of the century. Of a total of 419 taxa collected or observed in the 1996 surveys, 95 species (23%) were introduced or cryptogenic, including 12 newly introduced species and 12 new cryptogenic species. Analysis suggests two periods of relatively high introduction rates corresponding to wartime periods. Of the 101 introduced species that have been collected from Pearl Harbor since the beginning of the century, we found 69 species (68%) in 1996. Most of the introduced species collected in 1996 with known geographic origins have distributions extending to the Indo-West Pacific; however, several species are known from the Red Sea and the Caribbean Sea. The only species from these recent introductions that has become abundant and widespread in Hawaii is the small intertidal barnacle Chthamalus proteus Dando and Southward, 1980, which was formerly restricted to the Caribbean.
Compelled Third‐Party Participation in the Regulatory Process: Legal Duties, Culture, and Noncompliance

This paper focuses on government’s enlistment of private entities (industries, businesses, professionals) to help in public enforcement. Despite the popularity of this enforcement strategy, there is little systematic research about the behavior of private enforcers in these systems. This article draws together the widely scattered popular and scholarly literature to examine: (a) the settings in which this strategy occurs, (b) its common features, and (c) the responses of private parties to their compelled participation. I then examine existing explanations for private parties’ responses. Very little empirical research has been published. I argue that what exists suggests limitations of a conventional cost-benefit approach to explaining noncompliance, as well as highlights the need for a broader perspective that considers how cultural factors may influence private enforcers’ responses to their mandated duties.
Symptomatic venous thromboembolism: incidence and risk factors in patients with spontaneous or traumatic intracranial hemorrhage.

Objectives The objectives of this study are to determine the incidence of symptomatic venous thromboembolism (VTE) in neurosurgery intensive care unit (NSICU) patients with spontaneous or traumatic intracranial hemorrhage and to identify the common VTE risk factors by injury type.
Planning and user interface affordances

Abstract : This paper takes a first step toward formalizing the concept of affordance in user interfaces. Using a simple example of an AI planning domain, we show how different types of affordance can be described in terms of the costs associated with plan execution. We identify a number of similarities between executing plans and interacting with a graphical user interface, and argue that affordances for planning environments apply equally well to user interface environments. We support our argument with examples of common user interface mechanisms, described in affordance terms.
Plasmon-induced photonic and energy-transfer enhancement of solar water splitting by a hematite nanorod array

Plasmonic nanostructures may enhance solar energy collection. Here, the authors exploit both plasmon-induced resonant energy transfer and surface plasmon polaritons in a hematite–gold nano-array, leading to a tenfold increase in the photocurrent at a bias of 0.23 V in a photoelectrochemical cell.
A discrete-vortex model for the arbitrary motion of a thin airfoil with fluidic control

A low-order model for the arbitrary motion of a thin airfoil with trailing edge fluidic control is derived from basic fluid mechanics principles. The model consist of solving a single ordinary differential equation with a special treatment of a vortex shedding criteria. The model is compared with experimental and high-order numerical simulations and the results give a reasonable means of predicting the lift and moment on a thin airfoil. Furthermore, the model is extended to account for the actuation and control due to the synthetic jet actuation near the trailing edge. The model response is compared to experimental results.
Models for recognizing faces in hyperspectral images

Hyperspectral sensors provide useful discriminant for human face identification that cannot be obtained by other sensing modalities. The spectral properties of human tissue vary significantly from person to person. While the visible spectral characteristics of a person's skin may change over time, near-infrared spectral measurements allow the sensing of subsurface tissue change over time, near-infrared spectral measurements allow the sensing of subsurface tissue structure that is difficult for a subject to modify. The high spectral dimensionality of hyper-spectral imagery provides the opportunity to recognize subpixel features which enables reliable identification at large distances. We propose methods for the identification of humans using properties of individual tissue types as well as combinations of tissue types. Intrinsic models for facial tissue types for a person can be constructed form a single hyperspectral image. These models can be used to generate spectral subspaces that model the set of spectra for a face over a range of facial orientations, environmental conditions, and spectral mixtures.
Pseudofacility in untreated glaucoma

Although the absolute value of pseudofacility is identical in normal and glaucoma patients, the percent of total outflow it represents is significantly greater. This would suggest that it may play an important role in the regulation of intraocular pressure under these circumstances.
Topological fluid mechanics of stirring

A new approach to regular and chaotic fluid advection is presented that utilizes the Thurston–Nielsen classification theorem. The prototypical two-dimensional problem of stirring by a finite number of stirrers confined to a disk of fluid is considered. The theory shows that for particular ‘stirring protocols’ a significant increase in complexity of the stirred motion – known as topological chaos – occurs when three or more stirrers are present and are moved about in certain ways. In this sense prior studies of chaotic advection with at most two stirrers, that were, furthermore, usually fixed in place and simply rotated about their axes, have been ‘too simple’. We set out the basic theory without proofs and demonstrate the applicability of several topological concepts to fluid stirring. A key role is played by the representation of a given stirring protocol as a braid in a (2+1)-dimensional space–time made up of the flow plane and a time axis perpendicular to it. A simple experiment in which a viscous liquid is stirred by three stirrers has been conducted and is used to illustrate the theory.
The VraS/VraR two-component regulatory system required for oxacillin resistance in community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Methicillin/oxacillin (Oxa) resistance in Staphylococcus aureus is primarily mediated by the acquired penicillin-binding protein (PBP2a) encoded by mecA. PBP2a acts together with native PBP2 to mediate oxacillin resistance by contributing complementary transpeptidase and transglycosylase activities, respectively. The VraS/VraR two-component regulatory system is inducible by cell-wall antimicrobials (beta-lactams, glycopeptides) and controls transcriptional induction of many cell-wall genes including pbp2 and itself. We investigated the role of VraS/VraR in the phenotypic expression of oxacillin resistance by inactivating vraS in community-acquired MRSA clinical isolates that lack functional genes encoding the mecA regulatory sequences mecI and mecR1. Inactivation of vraS abrogated oxacillin resistance, and complementation with the vraS operon restored the resistance phenotype. mecA transcription increased in the vraS mutants; however, PBP2a abundance was similar to that of the wild type. Although pbp2 transcription decreased in the vraS mutants, overexpression of the pbp2 operon did not restore resistance. These data demonstrate that although expressions of mecA and pbp2 are required for oxacillin resistance, they are not sufficient. Therefore, the vraS/vraR regulatory system plays a crucial role in allowing MRSA to respond to beta-lactams by regulation of a gene target other than the known effectors of methicillin resistance.
Radiation transfer in plant canopies: Scattering of solar radiation and canopy reflectance

The one-dimensional vertical model of radiation transfer in a plant canopy described by Verstraete (1987) is extended to account for the transfer of diffuse radiation. This improved model computes the absorption and scattering of both visible and near-infrared radiation in a multilayer canopy as a function of solar position and leaf orientation distribution. Multiple scattering is allowed, and the spectral reflectance of the vegetation stand is predicted. The results of the model are compared to those of other models and actual observations.
The effects of boreal forest expansion on the summer Arctic frontal zone

Over the last 100 years, Arctic warming has resulted in a longer growing season in boreal and tundra ecosystems. This has contributed to a slow northward expansion of the boreal forest and a decrease in the surface albedo. Corresponding changes to the surface and atmospheric energy budgets have contributed to a broad region of warming over areas of boreal forest expansion. In addition, mesoscale and synoptic scale patterns have changed as a result of the excess energy at and near the surface. Previous studies have identified a relationship between the positioning of the boreal forest-tundra ecotone and the Arctic frontal zone in summer. This study examines the climate response to hypothetical boreal forest expansion and its influence on the summer Arctic frontal zone. Using the Weather Research and Forecasting model over the Northern Hemisphere, an experiment was performed to evaluate the atmospheric response to expansion of evergreen and deciduous boreal needleleaf forests into open shrubland along the northern boundary of the existing forest. Results show that the lower surface albedo with forest expansion leads to a local increase in net radiation and an average hemispheric warming of 0.6°C at and near the surface during June with some locations warming by 1–2°C. This warming contributes to changes in the meridional temperature gradient that enhances the Arctic frontal zone and strengthens the summertime jet. This experiment suggests that continued Northern Hemisphere high-latitude warming and boreal forest expansion might contribute to additional climate changes during the summer.