cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Notch signaling, brain development, and human disease

The Notch signaling pathway is central to a wide array of developmental processes in a number of organ systems, including hematopoiesis, somitogenesis, vasculogenesis, and neurogenesis. These processes involve maintenance of stem cell self-renewal, proliferation, specification of cell fate or differentiation, and apoptosis. Recent studies have led to the recognition of the role of the Notch pathway in early neurodevelopment, learning, and memory, as well as late-life neurodegeneration. This review summarizes what is currently known about the role of the Notch pathway in neural stem cells, gliogenesis, learning and memory, and neurologic disease.
Stability of rotational couette flow of polymer solutions

The onset of secondary flow between rotating cylinders (Taylor vortices) was observed for a dilute polymer solution whose viscometric flow properties were characterized rheogoniometrically. The critical Taylor number (flow onset) was predicted accurately by linear stability theory with a stress constitutive equation describing viscometric behavior. The cell spacing differed significantly from that predicted by linear theory. A nonlinear analysis shows that Linear theory will predict the ultimate cell size only for an inelastic liquid. For an elastic liquid a larger wave number (closer spacing) is a lower energy configuration than the linear theory spacing. This is consistent with experiment.
Knowledge Spaces and Scientific Data

As scientific work becomes more complex, contextual information is critical to enable its use. We have developed the concept of Knowledge Spaces that manage such information and scope the space of data, metadata, and algorithms relevant to the work of a Virtual Organization. This enables scientists to produce and manage descriptive metadata, process description, data provenance, as well as VO-specific quality assertions, vocabulary mappings, inferences, computation, approximations, and security policies. We have developed middleware and cooperating applications that demonstrate the potential of Knowledge Spaces in the production and dissemination of scientific data.
Effect of induced subclinical hypocalcemia on physiological responses and neutrophil function in dairy cows

The objectives were to study the effects of induced subclinical hypocalcemia [SCH, blood ionized Ca (iCa(2+)) <1.0mM, without recumbency] on physiological responses and function of immune cells in dairy cows. Ten nonpregnant, nonlactating Holstein cows were blocked by lactation and assigned randomly to a normocalcemic (NC; intravenous infusion of 0.9% NaCl i.v. plus 43 g of oral Ca, as Ca sulfate and Ca chloride, at -1 and 11h) or an induced SCH [SCHI, 5% ethylene glycol tetraacetic acid (EGTA), a selective iCa(2+) chelator, intravenous infusion] treatment for 24h, using a crossover design. The sequence of treatments was either NC-SCHI or SCHI-NC, with a 6-d washout period. Ionized Ca was evaluated before, hourly during the infusion period, and at 48 and 72 h, to monitor concentrations and adjust the rate of infusion, maintaining blood iCa(2+) <1.0mM in SCHI throughout the 24-h infusion period. Additional measurements included heart and respiratory rates, rectal temperature, dry matter intake, rumen contractions, whole-blood pH, concentrations of glucose and K in whole blood, concentrations of total Ca, Mg, nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, and insulin in plasma, and urinary excretion of Ca. Total and differential leukocyte count in blood was also performed. The concentration of cytosolic iCa(2+) in neutrophils and lymphocytes was quantified and neutrophil function was assayed in vitro. Infusion of a 5% EGTA solution successfully induced SCH in all SCHI cows, resulting in decreased blood iCa(2+) concentrations throughout the 24-h treatment period (0.77 ± 0.01 vs. 1.26 ± 0.01 mM iCa(2+)). Induction of SCH reduced dry matter intake on the day of infusion (5.3 ± 0.8 vs. 9.1 ± 0.8 kg/d) and rumen contractions (1.9 ± 0.2 vs. 2.7 ± 0.2 contractions/2 min) for the last 12h of infusion. Cows in SCHI had decreased plasma insulin concentration (1.44 ± 0.23 vs. 2.32 ± 0.23 ng/mL) evident between 6 and 18 h after the beginning of the infusion, accompanied by increased concentrations of glucose (4.40 ± 0.04 vs. 4.17 ± 0.04 mM). Plasma nonesterified fatty acids concentration was greater for SCHI than NC cows (0.110 ± 0.019 vs. 0.061 ± 0.014 mM). Neutrophils of cows in SCHI had a faster decrease in cytosolic iCa(2+) after stimulation with ionomycin (9.9 ± 1.0 vs. 13.6 ± 1.4 Fluo-4:Fura Red post-end ratio) in vitro. Furthermore, induction of SCH reduced the percentage of neutrophils undergoing phagocytosis (22.1 ± 2.1 vs. 29.3 ± 2.1%) and reduced the oxidative burst response after incubation of pathogenic bacteria (16.1 ± 1.7 vs. 24.2 ± 1.7%). Subclinical hypocalcemia compromised appetite, altered metabolism, and impaired function of immune cells in dairy cows.
In vivo evaluation of injectable thermosensitive polymer with time-dependent LCST.

The focus of this study was to examine the biocompatibility, time-dependent LCST, and bioerodable properties of a copolymer system composed of NIPAAm, dimethyl-γ-butyrolactone (DMBL), and acrylic acid (AAc). Sprague Dawley rats were subcutaneously injected with 25 wt % solutions of poly(NIPAAm-co-DMBL-co-AAc). At predetermined times, animals were sacrificed and polymer implants were recovered for characterization via 1H-NMR. In addition, polymer-contacting tissue sections were harvested and processed for histology. The biocompatibility of the implants was assessed by counting the number of fibroblasts and leukocytes present at the tissue-implant interface. The LCST data obtained from the in vivo implants was shown to agree with that of in vitro findings. Implant mass was shown to decrease after 4 days, indicating accelerated diffusion rates with increased implant swelling, hydrolytic degradation was confirmed with 1H-NMR measurements. The cellular presence at the copolymer implant-tissue interface was shown to return to that of normal tissue 30 days postimplantation, which suggests a normal wound healing response. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res, 2009
An Arcanobacterium (Actinomyces) pyogenes Mutant Deficient in Production of the Pore-Forming Cytolysin Pyolysin Has Reduced Virulence

Pyolysin (PLO), the hemolytic exotoxin expressed by Arcanobacterium (Actinomyces) pyogenes, is a member of the thiol-activated cytolysin family of bacterial toxins. Insertional inactivation of the plo gene results in loss of expression of PLO with a concomitant loss in hemolytic activity. The plo mutant, PLO-1, has an approximately 1. 8-log10 reduction in the 50% infectious dose compared to that for wild-type A. pyogenes in a mouse intraperitoneal infection model. Studies involving cochallenge of wild-type and PLO-1 bacteria resulted in recovery of similar numbers of both strains, suggesting that PLO production is required for survival in vivo. Recombinant, His-tagged PLO (His-PLO) is cytotoxic for mouse peritoneal macrophages and J774 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Protection against challenge with A. pyogenes could be afforded by vaccination with formalin-inactivated His-PLO, suggesting that PLO is a host-protective antigen, as well as a virulence determinant.
Maximum Entropy in Option Pricing: A Convex‐Spline Smoothing Method

Applying the principle of maximum entropy (PME) to infer an implied probability density from option prices is appealing from a theoretical standpoint because the resulting density will be the least prejudiced estimate, as “it will be maximally noncommittal with respect to missing or unknown information.”1 Buchen and Kelly (1996) showed that, with a set of well-spread simulated exact-option prices, the maximum-entropy distribution (MED) approximates a risk-neutral distribution to a high degree of accuracy. However, when random noise is added to the simulated option prices, the MED poorly fits the exact distribution. Motivated by the characteristic that a call price is a convex function of the option's strike price, this study suggests a simple convex-spline procedure to reduce the impact of noise on observed option prices before inferring the MED. Numerical examples show that the convex-spline smoothing method yields satisfactory empirical results that are consistent with prior studies. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 21:819–832, 2001
Grayscale enhancement techniques of x-ray images of carry-on luggage

Very few image processing applications dealt with x-ray luggage scenes in the past. In this paper, a series of common image enhancement techniques are first applied to x-ray data and results shown and compared. A novel simple enhancement method for data de-cluttering, called image hashing, is then described. Initially, this method was applied using manually selected thresholds, where progressively de-cluttered slices were generated and displayed for screeners. Further automation of the hashing algorithm (multi-thresholding) for the selection of a single optimum slice for screener interpretation was then implemented. Most of the existing approaches for automatic multi-thresholding, data clustering, and cluster validity measures require prior knowledge of the number of thresholds or clusters, which is unknown in the case of luggage scenes, given the variety and unpredictability of the scene’s content. A novel metric based on the Radon transform was developed. This algorithm finds the optimum number and values of thresholds to be used in any multi-thresholding or unsupervised clustering algorithm. A comparison between the newly developed metric and other known metrics for image clustering is performed. Clustering results from various methods demonstrate the advantages of the new approach.
A NEW SPECIES OF LEODIA (CLYPEASTEROIDA: ECHINOIDEA) FROM THE NEOGENE OF VENEZUELA AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN THE PHYLOGENY OF MELLITID SAND DOLLARS

Leodia divinata new species is described from Early Pliocene deposits in Venezuela. It is only the second known species of Leodia, which was otherwise represented by a single extant and Late Pleistocene species, L. sexiesperforata. We also provide an overview of the characters that distinguish Leodia from other mellitid genera and that distinguish L. divinata from L. sexiesperforata. The evolutionary importance of L. divinata is discussed, along with its contribution to our knowledge of the phylogeny of the Mellitidae. It is now possible to partially fill a major and previously vexing gap in the stratigraphic record of the mellitids, and place in a phylogenetic context the strong preference of modern Leodia for biogenic, calcareous sand bottoms.
Wiener–Hopf Type Operators and Their Generalized Determinants

We recall some results on generalized determinants which support a theory of operator τ -functions in the context of their predeterminants which are operators valued in a Banach–Lie group that are derived from the transition maps of certain Banach bundles. Related to this study is a class of Banach–Lie algebras known as L *-algebras from which several results are obtained in relationship to tau functions. We survey the applicability of this theory to that of Schlesinger systems associated with (operator) equations of Fuschsian type and discuss how meromorphic connections may play a role here.
Partial shade stress test for thin-film photovoltaic modules

Partial shade of monolithic thin-film PV modules can cause reverse-bias conditions leading to permanent damage. In this work, we introduce a partial shade stress test for thin-film PV modules that quantifies permanent performance loss. The test reproduces shading and loading conditions that may occur in the field. It accounts for reversible light-induced performance changes and for the effects of light-enhanced reverse breakdown. We simulated the test procedure using a computer model that predicts the local voltage, current and temperature stress resulting from partial shade. We also performed the test on three commercial module types. Each module type we tested suffered permanent damage during masked ash testing totaling < 2 s of light exposure. During the subsequent stress test these module types lost 4%{11% in Pmp due to widespread formation of new shunts. One module type showed a substantial worsening of the Pmp loss upon light stabilization, underscoring the importance of this practice for proper quantification of damage.
Electrospun Carbon Nanofibers as Supports for Bioelectrodes

A wide range of carbon nanofiber (CNF) mats with controlled properties of fiber diameter, surface area, porosity, and conductivity were fabricated via a facile and economical electrospinning method. CNFs are used as supports for bioelectrodes to enhance enzyme utilization. This study employed glucose oxidase (GOx) in a redox hydrogel system, which mediates electron transfer via osmium metal center, to create a glucose bioelectrode. CNFs reduces the hydrogel thickness and enhances the electron transport. CNFs exhibit promising glucose oxidation current density reaching 10 mA cm−2 that is higher than those of commercial carbon materials such as multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT), Bucky paper, Pyrograf, and Toray paper.
Moving beyond the anthropos and reclaiming the geo in intercultural communication: The transculturation of the martial art practice of Aikido

ABSTRACTThis ethnographic study examines the practice of Aikido, a martial art style originating from Japan, by a community of non-Japanese practitioners in the southwestern region of the United States. This paper recounts the second nature-making of the art's skillful responsiveness as a thing to be explained from the ground, rather than leaving its cultural dynamics and their appropriative relations unchallenged as a relatively homogenous process of globalization and increased contact. In the case of Shining Energy (a pseudonym), the “taking” of another's cultural elements and “making” it a fully habituated and naturalized way of moving and being (second nature) are predicated on geo-making, the production of ontologizing resources (first nature) that enable culturally sanctioned modes of somatic engagements with the world. The process of appropriating Aikido entails an inversion between the figure and ground that foregrounds the geo-making of the ground/field for activity itself.
Multifidelity Uncertainty Propagation for Optimization Under Uncertainty

In optimization under uncertainty problems, estimating the statistical parameters that comprise the objective function and/or constraints many times during the search for the optimum can be computationally intensive. As a rst step towards multidelity optimization under uncertainty, uncertainty propagation through a computationally expensive, highdelity numerical model is considered. In many practical situations, low-delity models are available and can provide useful information about the outputs of the high-delity model at a lower cost. To take advantage of these low-delity models in a rigorous manner, this paper proposes a multidelity approach to Monte Carlo estimation of parameters such as the mean and the variance of the high-delity model outputs based on the control variate variance reduction method. Numerical experiments suggest that the multidelity approach is eective in reducing the variance of the estimator over regular Monte Carlo simulation for the same computational eort. When applied to evaluate the objective function of the acoustic horn robust optimization problem, multidelity Monte Carlo simulation demonstrated 80% lower computational cost.
Two Conceptions of Virtue.

The general questions are: what is virtue and how can it be cultivated? The specific focus is on the conceptions of virtue in the works of Immanuel Kant and John Rawls. Kant regarded virtue as a good will that is also strong enough to resist contrary passions, impulses, and inclinations. Childhood training can prepare children for virtue, but becoming virtuous requires an empirically inexplicable commitment and effort that is up to each individual. Rawls explains a sense of justice as a civic virtue that he conjectures will develop naturally, according to certain psychological laws, if the basic structure of society is just. Rawls’ reliance on empirical studies addresses questions left mysterious by Kant, but his theory faces problems of its own.
Oral manifestation of mycosis fungoides

Abstract A case of mycosis fungoides with severe involvement of the oral mucous membranes has been reported.
Who is entitled to double effect

The doctrine of double effect continues to be an important tool in bioethical casuistry. Its role within the Catholic moral tradition continues, and there is considerable interest in it by contemporary moral philosophers. But problems of justification and correct application remain. I argue that if the traditional Catholic conviction that there are exceptionless norms prohibiting inflicting some kinds of harms on people is correct, then double effect is justified and necessary. The objection that double effect is superfluous is a rejection of that normative conviction, not a refutation of double effect itself. This justification suggests the correct way of applying double effect to controversial cases. But versions of double effect which dispense with the absolutism of the Catholic tradition lack justification and fall to the objection that double effect is an unnecessary complication.
Reproduction and denning by urban and rural San Clemente Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis clementae)

Island foxes (Urocyon littoralis (Baird, 1858)) have experienced severe reductions in populations on 4 out of 6 California Channel Islands. Although numbers of foxes on San Clemente Island (SCLI; Urocyon littoralis clementae Mer- riam, 1903) have remained relatively stable, data on reproductive success in urban and rural areas are necessary to better understand population dynamics of foxes and manage the population if it sustains declines. Determining locations and char- acteristics of den sites will also assist in minimizing possible impacts of humans on foxes. We found that 10 female foxes produced at least 19 kits during 2008. Female foxes that spent a greater proportion of time within an urban area had greater probability of reproducing compared with foxes that infrequently utilized urban areas. However, these "urban" foxes often selected den sites nearer to roads, which may expose them to increased mortalities. We located 23 den sites on a mean of 17°-18° slopes with 40% having westerly facing aspects. We recommend avoiding human disturbance to these areas from February through June, which may minimize potential impacts on foxes. Our study should provide insight into managing island foxes, especially in respect to urban areas on other Channel Islands. Resume : Les renards gris insulaires (Urocyon littoralis (Baird, 1858)) ont connu d'importantes reductions de population sur 4 des 6 iles du detroit de Californie. Bien que le nombre de renards sur l'ile San Clemente (SCLI; Urocyon littoralis cle- mentae Merriam, 1903) soit demeure relativement stable, il est necessaire d'obtenir des donnees sur le succes de la repro- duction dans les zones urbaines et rurales afin de mieux comprendre la dynamique de population des renards et de faire la gestion de la population en cas de declins. L'identification des sites des tanieres et de leurs caracteristiques permettra de plus de reduire au minimum l'impact des humains sur les renards. Nous avons observe 10 renards femelles produire au moins 19 renardeaux durant l'annee 2008. Les renards femelles qui passent une plus grande partie de leur temps dans les zones urbaines ont une plus forte probabilite de se reproduire que les renards femelles qui frequentent rarement les zones ur- baines. Cependant, ces renards « urbains » choisissent souvent pour leur taniere des sites plus pres des routes, ce qui peut les exposer a une mortalite accrue. Nous avons trouve 23 sites de tanieres sur des pentes moyennes de 17°-18° et 40 % d'entre eux sont orientes vers l'ouest. Nous recommandons d'eviter les perturbations anthropiques de ces sites de fevrier a la fin de juin, ce qui pourrait reduire au minimum l'impact sur les renards. Notre etude devrait fournir des perspectives sur la gestion des renards gris insulaires sur les autres iles du detroit, particulierement en ce qui regarde les zones urbaines. (Traduit par la Redaction)
Availability-Based Distribution Circuit Design for Shipboard Power System

The electric distribution circuit design problem has been primarily approached from the perspective of minimizing circuit losses. Motivated by the requirement for higher service continuity, we propose a graph theory based approach for the distribution circuit design problem. A mathematical formulation for designing a resilient circuit topology aiming to minimize the number of conductors while satisfying a given network availability constraint is developed first. A computationally efficient algorithm, termed successive minpath generation to solve the formulated topology design problem is proposed next. The proposed algorithm reduces the double exponential search space for the resilient circuit topology to polynomial time allowing a tractable solution for the topology design problem. The algorithm is applied to design the circuit topology for the zonal electric distribution (ZED) circuit of an all-electric ship supplied by single as well as multiple power sources. Compared with grid topology, the proposed approach results in circuit topologies with network availability more than 0.99 by using 3 fewer and 12 fewer conductors for a 15-node and a 30-node ZED, respectively.
Fundamental Methods for Analysis of Acute Lung Injury in Mice

The mouse has been a popular organism for studying mechanisms of acute lung injury (ALI), given the small size, rapid life cycle, and genetic malleability of this animal. The major features of ALI in mice include disruption of the alveolar capillary barrier, histopathological changes in lung architecture, localized inflammation, and physiological dysfunction. In this chapter, we describe the basic techniques that we use in our laboratory to qualitatively and quantitatively assess ALI in mice, focusing particularly on permeability and inflammation. Detailed methodology for performing bronchoalveolar lavage and analyzing components of the lavage is outlined, along with guidelines for processing and evaluation of lung tissue. Mastery of these essential tools will allow any investigator to reliably and reproducibly measure the experimental outcome in multiple mouse models of acute lung injury.
Abstract 176: The Edge Effect: How Syndecan-1 Can Increase the Therapeutic Efficacy of Vasoregulatory Drugs and Growth Factors

Rationale Vascular smooth muscle cells (vSMCs) in mature animals normally reside in a quiescent state, expressing a distinct combination of contractile proteins, ion channels, and signaling molecules. However, in cases of vascular disease and injury, vSMCs are capable of being activated, shifting their phenotype through a continuum of cell fates. While the heparan sulfate proteoglycans syndecans, residing at cellular edges as transmembrane receptors, have emerged as powerful and complex regulators of cell function, their role in intercepting growth factors and therapeutic molecules modulating vSMC phenotype is unknown. Objective The purpose of this study was to examine the role of syndecan-1 in modulating the vSMC phenotype in the context of endogenous factors and drug treatments used for vascular disease. Methods and Results vSMCs were isolated from wild type (WT) and syndecan-1 knockout (S1KO) mice and cultured in different biochemical environments. Gene and protein expression studies indicated decreased α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and calponin levels in S1KO cells relative to WT under simulated inflammatory conditions. Rapamycin treatment reversed the reduction in expression caused by S1KO, suggesting that the effects were, in part, mediated through mTORC1 signaling. In addition, S1KO vSMCs expressed higher levels of tissue factor, IL-6, and VCAM-1. These differences were maintained under treatment with heparin and TGF-β1, PDGF-BB, or atorvastatin. In-vivo studies with aortae from aged WT and S1KO mice indicated that S1KO arteries stained significantly lower for calponin. Conclusions Our findings not only provide insights into the fundamental cell surface receptors responsible for vSMC differentiation but also identify that the loss of syndecan-1 can make vSMCs more vulnerable to inflammatory molecular signals and potentially cause resistance to treatment with rapamycin and atorvastatin. Thus, preservation or enhancement of syndecan-1 expression may be a potential therapeutic target for altering the course of in-stent restenosis and atherosclerosis.
Of Elephants and Toothaches: Ethics, Politics, and Religion in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Decalogue

Conveniently coinciding with the Criterion Collection’s release of Decalogue (1989), Of Elephants and Toothaches: Ethics, Politics, and Religion in Krzysztof Kieślowski’s Decalogue is an anthology ...
Gravity-driven granular flow in a silo: Characterizing local forces and rearrangements

While the gravity-driven flow of a granular material in a silo geometry can be modeled by the Beverloo equation, the mesoscale-level particle rearrangements and interactions that drive this flow are not wellunderstood. We have constructed a quasi-two-dimensional system of bidisperse, millimeter-scale disks with photoelastic properties that make force networks within the material visible. The system is contained in an acrylic box with an adjustable bottom opening. We can approach the clogging transition by adjusting this opening. By placing the system between cross-polarizers, we can obtain high-speed video of this system during flow, and extract intensity signals that can be used to identify and quantify localized, otherwise indeterminate forces. We can simultaneously track individual particle motions, which can be used to identify shear transformation zones in the system. In this paper, we present our results thus far.
Predicting Medications from Diagnostic Codes with Recurrent Neural Networks

It is a surprising fact that electronic medical records are failing at one of their primary purposes, that of tracking the set of medications that the patient is actively taking. Studies estimate that up to 50% of such lists omit active drugs, and that up to 25% of all active medications do not appear on the appropriate patient list. Manual efforts to maintain these lists involve a great deal of tedious human labor, which could be reduced by computational tools to suggest likely missing or incorrect medications on a patient’s list. We report here an application of recurrent neural networks to predict the likely therapeutic classes of medications that a patient is taking, given a sequence of the last 100 billing codes in their record. Our best model was a GRU that achieved high prediction accuracy (micro-averaged AUC 0.93, Label Ranking Loss 0.076), limited by hardware constraints on model size. Additionally, examining individual cases revealed that many of the predictions marked incorrect were likely to be examples of either omitted medications or omitted billing codes, supporting our assertion of a substantial number of errors and omissions in the data, and the likelihood of models such as these to help correct them.
Clarification of research design, research methods, and research methodology: A guide for public administration researchers and practitioners

Research design is a critical topic that is central to research studies in science, social science, and many other disciplines. After identifying the research topic and formulating questions, selec...
Nitrogen nutrition of hedged stock plants of Loblolly Pine. I. Tissue nitrogen concentrations and carbohydrate status

Hedged stock plants of four full-sib families [27-2 × 27-5, 27-3× 27-1, 27-2 × 27-1, and 27-6 × 27-1 (designated B, G, R, andW)] of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) were fertilized dailywith a complete nutrient solution containing N supplied fromNH4NO3 at either 10, 25, 40, 55, or 70mg·L−1. In May (spring softwood), July(summer softwood), and January (winter hardwood) terminal stem cuttings weretaken for tissue analysis and rooting studies. Averaged over families, meantissue concentrations of N were higher in spring (1.8%) and summer (1.7%) thanin winter (1.3%). Concentrations of N increased linearly with increasing levelsof applied N. Concentrations of total nonstructural carbohydrates (TNC) inwinter (32.8%) were twice those in spring (17.1%) or summer (16.3%), but wererelatively unaffected by N application. In contrast, starch concentrations weresignificantly higher during spring and summer than winter. The greatest numbersof orthotropic shoots ≥ 9 cm in length were produced for thespring, followed by summer, and then winter hedgings. Number of shoots producedper hedge increased with increasing applied N rates, and family B producedsignificantly more shoots than the other three families at all applied N levels.Genetic differences among families were evident as several interactions with Nrates were observed.
U.S. Aircraft Hijackings — Epidemiological Considerations

During the early part of 1969, the hijacking of American air carrier aircraft to Cuba increased in a manner suggesting an exponential rate of progression for this phenomenon (Figure 1). The rate had reached an average of 2 to 3 hijackings per week in early February, 1969, when positive efforts were initiated to stop this activity.
Extending Linear Dichroism Measurements into the Vacuum Ultraviolet for Improved Information Content

In a flow linear dichroism (LD) experiment on helical nucleic acids with one type of base, there are at least three unknowns: (1) the inclination of the bases, (2) the orientation of the axis around which the bases are inclined, and (3) the coefficient for alignment of the polymer in the flow. If there is more than one kind of base in the nucleic acid, then each type of base may have a different inclination and axis. In an effort to obtain enough information to solve for all of the unknowns, our laboratory has developed a flow linear dichroism instrument that will make measurements into the vacuum ultraviolet region. We have applied our methods to various synthetic nucleic acids with a simple repeating sequence to reach definite conclusions about these inclinations. Flow LD spectra of natural nucleic acids are too complicated to analyze completely even when extended into vacuum UV region. Nevertheless, our work does indicate that the bases are significantly inclined for all forms of DNA including the B form.
Medical Malpractice Analysis in Radiation Oncology: A Decade of Results From a National Comparative Benchmarking System.

Purpose Medical errors in radiation oncology (RO) practice have received significant national attention over the last decade. Medical errors can lead to malpractice cases. Better characterizing these events can educate providers with the goal of improving patient care. Methods and Materials The Controlled Risk Insurance Company Strategies’ Comparative Benchmarking System (CBS) represents approximately 30% of all closed US malpractice cases and includes the experience of more than 30 academic hospitals. Registered nurses trained as clinical taxonomy specialists code each case, and individual case-level details are available. Practicing radiation oncologists extracted all closed RO cases from years 2005 to 2014 and subgrouped them by patient allegation category, clinical injury severity, care setting and academic affiliation, disease site and natural history, treatment modality, and contributing factor. Within categories, χ2 tests were used to test for the variables' association with an indemnity payment. Results RO was the primary service in 102 closed cases (0.2% of all cases in the CBS), accounting for $13,323,578 in indemnity payments (0.1% of all payments in the CBS). The median indemnity payment was $100,000. Head-and-neck and central nervous system tumors accounted for 23.9% and 10.9% of all RO cases, respectively, and 41.3% and 31.4% of all indemnity payments, respectively. Benign diseases and brachytherapy were involved in 12.0% and 15.2% of cases, respectively. Cases involving benign disease (P = .009), treatment of the wrong site (P = .001), or treatment using the wrong dose (P Conclusions We found that although closed malpractice cases involving RO are rare events, certain populations may be overrepresented in closed claims. These data can help inform providers and systems with the goal of ultimately improving patient safety.
Accounting for Ethnicity in Recreation Demand: A Flexible Count Data Approach

We examine ethnicity and individual trip taking behavior associated with natural resource based recreation in the Florida Keys. We estimate trip demand using the travel cost method. We then extend ...
Chaos and Quasi-Periodic Motions on the Homoclinic Surface of Nonlinear Hamiltonian Systems With Two Degrees of Freedom

The numerical prediction of chaos and quasi-periodic motion on the homoclinic surface of a two-degree-of-freedom (2-DOF) nonlinear Hamiltonian system is presented through the energy spectrum method. For weak interactions, the analytical conditions for chaotic motion in such a Hamiltonian system are presented through the incremental energy approach. The Poincare mapping surfaces of chaotic motions for this specific nonlinear Hamiltonian system are illustrated. The chaotic and quasi-periodic motions on the phase planes, displacement subspace (or potential domains), and the velocity subspace (or kinetic energy domains) are illustrated for a better understanding of motion behaviors on the homoclinic surface. Through this investigation, it is observed that the chaotic and quasi-periodic motions almost fill on the homoclinic surface of the 2-DOF nonlinear Hamiltonian system. The resonant-periodic motions for such a system are theoretically countable but numerically inaccessible. Such conclusions are similar to the ones in the KAM theorem even though the KAM theorem is based on the small perturbation.
Genes in space: what Mojave desert tortoise genetics can tell us about landscape connectivity

Habitat loss and fragmentation in the Mojave desert have been increasing, which can create barriers to movement and gene flow in populations of native species. Disturbance and degradation of Mojave desert tortoise habitat includes linear features (e.g. highways, railways, a network of dirt roads), urbanized areas, mining activities, and most recently, utility-scale solar facilities. To evaluate the spatial genetic structure of tortoises in an area experiencing rapid habitat loss, we genotyped 299 tortoises at 20 microsatellite loci from the Ivanpah valley region along the California/Nevada border. We used a Bayesian clustering analysis to quantify population genetic structure across valley and mountain pass habitats. A spatial principal components analysis was used to further investigate patterns with isolation-by-distance. To explicitly consider landscape features (e.g. habitat and anthropogenic linear barriers), we used maximum likelihood population effects analyses. We quantified recent gene flow through relatedness using a maximum likelihood pedigree approach. We detected three genetic clusters that generally corresponded to valleys separated by mountains, with one genetically distinguishable population in a mountain pass. Pedigree analyses showed second order relationships up to 60 km apart suggesting a greater range of interactions and inter-relatedness than previously suspected. Our results support historical gene flow with isolation-by-resistance and reveal reduced genetic connectivity across two parallel linear features bisecting our study area (a railway and a highway). Our work demonstrates the potential for tortoises to use a range of habitats, spanning valleys to mountain passes, but also indicates habitat fragmentation limits connectivity with relatively rapid genetic consequences.
The role of individual animal diagnosis and treatment in the training of food supply veterinarians.

Instruction of individual animal skills remains a core component of food supply medicine education. Recent surveys clearly demonstrate that food animal practitioners consider individual animal medicine skills to be central to the practice of veterinary medicine. Instruction of individual animal medicine skills can occur in a variety of venues, including in-house medicine and surgery, traditional ambulatory practice, specialized instruction in production medicine, and private practiced-based instructional experiences. The traditional in-house clinical rotation has both advantages and disadvantages in the instruction of veterinary students. Optimal instructional experiences should attempt to match both the content and context of instructional experiences with students' future professional employment.
HPV vaccine coverage across Hispanic/Latinx subgroups in the United States

Research on HPV vaccine coverage in the United States has typically aggregated Hispanic/Latinx individuals into a single group for analyses, an approach that has potentially masked variation between Hispanic/Latinx subgroups. To address this limitation, we examined HPV vaccine coverage across Hispanic/Latinx subgroups. We analyzed data on Hispanic/Latinx adolescents ages 13–17 (n = 16,335) from the 2012–2016 National Immunization Survey-Teen. Each adolescent was categorized into a subgroup: Mexican, Cuban, Puerto Rican, Central American, South American, other Spanish origin, or multi-subgroup. We examined HPV vaccine initiation (receipt of one or more doses) and completion (receipt of three doses) for males and females separately. Analyses used weighted logistic regression. Vaccine coverage among males was highest among Central Americans (initiation: 57.5%; completion: 31.1%) and lowest among multi-subgroup males (initiation: 46.3%; completion: 19.9%). Among females, initiation ranged from 63.4% among Cubans to 71.2% among Puerto Ricans, and completion ranged from 33.6% among multi-subgroup females to 48.7% among South Americans. Hispanic/Latinx subgroups were similar on these outcomes in regression models. However, within several subgroups, vaccine coverage was higher among adolescents whose parents’ preferred language was Spanish (i.e., potentially less acculturated) compared to those whose parents’ preferred language was English. Modest variation in HPV vaccine coverage exists across Hispanic/Latinx subgroups, with differences found by preferred language within several subgroups. Findings provide insight into HPV vaccine coverage among Hispanic/Latinx subgroups and can help guide future surveillance efforts and vaccination interventions.
Campus Sexual Violence Victims with Disabilities: Disclosure and Help Seeking.

Undergraduate students with disabilities represent an important population on college campuses. Yet the incidence of sexual violence and disclosing/reporting of sexual violence among this populatio...
The Epistemology and Ethics of Taklif: An Analysis of the Legal Subjectivity of the Majnūn

Legal subjectivity, particularly that of the majnūn, is an understudied topic that is often only glossed over or nominaly referenced in academic scholarship on Islamic jurisprudence. In attempting to fill this gap in scholarship, this article aims at examining the epistemological and ethical dimensions of legal subjectivity, particulary as it relates to the insane. The article takes the the concept of taklif in classical Ash'arite works of jurisprudence as the center of its analysis of legal subjectivity. Taklif, it characteristics, the relationship between the law giver and the legal subject, and the host of epistemological and ethical assumptions embedded in assigning legal subjectivity to certain individuals and excluding others from it, were among the main issues that classical Muslim jurists grappled with. Understanding the concept of taklif as a form of prescriptive speech, Ash'arite jurist-theologians went on to articulate a theory of legal subjectivity that emphasized the mental capability of the legal subject to comprehend the moral import of divine prescriptive address and to respond to it with cognizant and intentional obedience. In stressing the value of cognitive ability , Muslim jurists contended that the comprehension of insane individuals fell short of the level necessary to acquire legal subjectivity. Beyond the issue of the legal subjectivity of the insane, this study of the concept of taklif allows us to understand some of the ways Muslim jurists conceived of reason/rationality, the relationship between intentionality, knowledge and action, and the nature of divine speech and its normative value.
The thin blue waveform: Racial disparities in officer prosody undermine institutional trust in the police

How do routine police encounters build or undermine community trust, and how might they contribute to racial gaps in citizen perceptions of the police? Procedural justice theory posits that officers' interpersonal communication toward the public plays a formative role, but experimental tests of this hypothesis have been constrained by the difficulties of measuring and manipulating this dimension of officer-citizen interactions. Officer-worn body camera recordings provide a novel means to overcome both of these challenges. Across five studies with laboratory and community samples, we use footage from traffic stops to examine how officers communicate to drivers and whether racial disparities in officers' communication erode institutional trust in the police. Specifically, we consider the cumulative effects of one subtle interpersonal cue: an officer's tone of voice. In Studies 1A, 1B, and 1C, participants rated thin slices of officer speech. Participants were blind to the content of the officer's words and the race of their interlocutor, yet they evaluated officers' tone toward White (vs. Black) men more positively. By manipulating participants' exposure to repeated interactions, we demonstrate that even these paraverbal aspects of police interactions shape how citizens construe the police generally (Study 2), and that racial disparities in prosodic cues undermine trust in institutions such as police departments (Study 3). Participants' trust in the police, and personal experiences of fairness, in turn, correlated with their perceptions of officer prosody across studies. Taken together, these data illustrate a cycle through which interpersonal aspects of police encounters erode institutional trust across race. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
High-resolution interior tomography with a deep neural network trained on a low-resolution dataset

Micro-/nano-CT has been widely used in practice to offer noninvasive 3D high-resolution (HR) imaging. However, increased resolution is often at a cost of a reduced field of view. Although data truncation does not corrupt high-contrast structural information in the filtered back-projection (FBP) reconstruction, the quantitative interpretation of image values is seriously compromised due to the induced shifting and cupping artifacts. State-of-the-art deep-learning-based methods promise fast and stable solutions to the interior reconstruction problem compared to analytic and iterative algorithms. Nevertheless, given the huge effort required to obtain HR global scans as the ground truth for network training, deep networks cannot be developed in a typical supervised training mode. To overcome this issue, here we propose to train the network with a low-resolution (LR) dataset generated from LR global scans which are relatively easily obtainable and obtained excellent results.
Simultaneous Particle Tracking and Temperature Measurements during Additive Manufacturing using a High-speed Spectral Plenoptic Camera

In this work, a high-speed spectral plenoptic camera was used for three-dimensional (3D) simultaneous particle tracking and pyrometry measurements of hot spatter particles ejected during the metal additive manufacturing process. Additive manufacturing (AM) has an increasing role in the aerospace, energy, medical and automotive industry (DebRoy et al., 2018). While this new technology enables the production of highly advanced parts, research on the fundamental mechanisms governing the laser-matter interactions are an ongoing challenge because of the spatial and temporal resolution inherent to the AM process. One challenge is the characterization of spatter particles ejected from the melt pool, as these particles can be incorporated into the final part affecting the mechanical properties (Deng et al., 2020). One potential solution for simultaneously measuring velocity and temperature of the spatter particles is the spectral plenoptic camera.
Observing interaction: Issues in sequential analysis

Independence In classical parametric statistics, we assume that our observations are independent, and this assumption forms part of the basis of our distribution statistics. In the sequential analysis of observational data, on the other hand, we want to detect dependence in the observations. To do this we compare observed frequencies with those we would expect if the observations were independent. Thus, dependence in the data is not a “problem.” It is what we are trying to study. The statistical problem of an appropriate test is not difficult to solve. It was solved in a classic paper in 1957 by Anderson and Goodman (see also Goodman, 1983, for an update). Their solution is based on the likelihood-ratio chi-square test. The likelihood-ratio test applies to the comparison of any two statistical models if one (the “little” model) is a subcase of the other (the “big” model). The null-hypothesis model is usually the little model. In our case, this model is often the assumption that the data are independent (or quasi independent); i.e., that there is no sequential structure. Compared to this is the big, interesting model that posits a dependent sequential structure. As discussed in section 7.6, the difference between the G 2 for the big model (e.g., [01]) and the G 2 for the little model (e.g., [0][1]) is distributed asymptotically as chi-square, with degrees of freedom equal to the difference in the degrees of freedom for the big and little models. “Asymptotic” means that it becomes increasingly true for large N , where N is the number of observations.
Securing a restricted site - biometric authentication at entry point

We evaluated the performance of a commercially available facial recognition algorithm for the verification of an individual's identity (1:1) across three illumination levels. Existing facial recognition technology from still or video sources is becoming a practical tool for law enforcement, security, and counter-terrorist applications despite the limitations of current technology. At this time, facial recognition holds promise and has been implemented in limited applications, but has not been exhaustively researched in adverse conditions, which has initiated continuing research aimed at improving algorithms to compare images or representations of images to recognize a suspect [Paul, R. (2002)]. This evaluation examines the influence of variances in illumination levels on the performance of a facial recognition algorithm, specifically with respect to factors of age, gender, ethnicity, facial characteristics, and facial obstructions.
Surface Modification and Slip Casting of SiC Platelets in Al2O3 Composites

Surface modification by coating of silicon carbide platelets (SiC(p)) by a colloidal-chemistry-based technique is studied to assess the process parameters that affect properties of coatings of Al2O3 particulates. The parameters included surface-cleaning of SiC(p), size distribution of Al2O3 particles, and concentration of Al2O3 particles in the slips. A semiquantitative technique by scanning electron microscopy was developed for the characterization of morphology of surface coatings and degree of surface coverage. These studies indicated that the measurement of electrokinetic sonic amplitude of dispersions by using acoustophoresis is a powerful tool in characterizing the coated and uncoated surfaces. 7 refs.