cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
“The One, the Few or the Many?”: Using Independence As a Strategy in Engineering Development and Modeling

There are choices about the number of ways to approach and understand a problem. Sometimes finding the one right analytical approach is sufficient. Other times, such as with the Manhattan Project, the use of many approaches is desirable. Increasing independence among multiple analytical approaches, i.e. using a pluralistic approach, can be a good strategy to get knowledge to make decisions and understand a system. We considered two frameworks that have attempted to provide advice to engineering and scientific practitioners on when and how to use multiple analytical approaches. The RAND Corporation’s parallel path strategy, as described by R.R. Nelson, is a way of using independent engineering efforts to explore what parts of the design space are feasible, as well as what the cost and schedule would be for different designs. Richard Levins and William Wimsatt’s focus on model independence provides motivation and insights for using multiple models to assess the same system. While these approaches may appear different, both rely on using a group of analytical approaches where the individual members are independent – or different from—one another. Comparing these two approaches provides suggestions about how to utilize independence to address uncertainties in design and model-systems. We argue that the deliberate creation of independence among engineering developments and models should be tied to key uncertainties in the model or system. With relatively low uncertainty, choosing one approach may be acceptable. Both suggest that there can be (but are not always) benefits from using multiple approaches, which can increase accuracy and reduce cost. Using a few independent approaches – as opposed to many – may be more desirable when there are only a few bounded uncertainties about the system.
Space Debris: Flux in a Two Dimensional Orbit

The debris circling the Earth has become an important environmental problem. In particular it creates nonnegligeable risk for spacecraft and satellites. This paper discusses a method to bound the rate of passage of objects through an arc segment in the plane of motion, given random initial conditions for the orbiting object. An advantage of the approach of this paper is that the initial conditions may be arbitrary and that moments beyond the first may be computed in a similar manner.
Helminths from Emoia physicae (Squamata: Scincidae) from Papua New Guinea

Twenty-one specimens of the scincid lizard Emoia physicae from Papua New Guinea were examined for gastrointestinal helminths. Found were two species of Cestoda, Cylindrotaenia hickmani and Ophiotaenia greeri, and five species of Nematoda: Skrjabinodon derooijae, Skrjabinodon sheai, Abbreviata sp., Porrocaecum sp., and Rictulariidae gen. sp. Rictulariidae had the highest prevalence (29%) and Porrocaecum sp. had the greatest mean intensity (21.5 ± 9.2). Emoia physicae are infected by generalist helminths that also infect other species. Three helminth species are endemic to Papua New Guinea (O. greeri, S. derooijae, S. sheai); one is known from Australia, Papua New Guinea, and Oceania (C. hickmani); and three are paratenic larvae belonging to widely distributed groups (Abbreviata sp., Porrocaecum sp., Rictulariidae). All are new host records for E. physicae.
THE FIRST MAYA TRADE WARE? NEW DATA ON MIDDLE PRECLASSIC-PERIOD MARS ORANGE PASTE WARE FROM HOLTUN, GUATEMALA

This study reports on type: variety-mode classification, digital stereomicroscopy, petrography, neutron activation analysis, and previously published reports and characterizes production and distribution of Mars Orange Paste Ware in the Middle Preclassic-period Maya Lowlands. The sample consists of 2028 sherds of Mars Orange Paste Ware from Holtun, Guatemala, and 4105 sherds reported from sites in Central Belize and Peten Guatemala. The combined data suggest Mars Orange Paste Ware was a “short-distance” trade ware produced in the northeastern Maya Lowlands and distributed from Central Belize to the west.
Estimating the pressure-limited CO2 injection and storage capacity of the United States saline formations: Effect of the presence of hydrocarbon reservoirs

Abstract The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) national assessment of carbon dioxide (CO2) storage capacity evaluated 192 saline Storage Assessment Units (SAUs) in 33 U.S. onshore sedimentary basins that may be utilized for CO2 storage (see USGS Circular 1386). Similar to many other available models, volumetric analysis was utilized to estimate the initial CO2 injection and storage capacity of these SAUs based on aquifer characteristics and buoyant and residual trapping. The factor being almost always overlooked in most CO2 storage capacity models is that many of the evaluated SAUs contain large numbers of both conventional and unconventional discovered and undiscovered oil and gas reservoirs. The hydrocarbon production and pressure distribution of the resident oil and gas reservoirs may be negatively influenced by the propagated CO2 plume and pressure front resulting from a CO2 injection and storage operation in the surrounding SAU. To have a more realistic and accurate estimation of CO2 injection and storage capacity in saline formations, a model was previously developed that considers the CO2 injectivity of a given formation, underground pressure build-up limitations imposed by the rock fracturing pressure and the presence of hydrocarbon reservoirs within these aquifers. The developed method estimates the pre–brine extraction, pressure-limited CO2 injection and storage capacity of a saline formation by applying 3D numerical simulation only on the effective injection area (Aeff) surrounding each CO2 injection well utilizing TOUGH2-ECO2N simulation software.
Range Expansion of Sigmodon hispidus (Hispid Cotton Rat) into Reclaimed Coal Surface-Mines in Southeastern Kentucky

Sigmodon hispidus (Hispid Cotton Rat) is the most wide-spread species of Sigmodon in North America. In recent years, this species has expanded northward and westward in the western part of its range due to changes in habitat and climate. Evidence suggests northward expansion is also occurring in Kentucky. Since the 1980s, extensive coal mining via surface mining and mountain-top removal has transformed more than 2300 km2 of hardwood forests on the Cumberland Plateau of eastern Kentucky. Mining has transformed the landscape, once characterized by forests with deep valleys, steep slopes, and narrow, winding ridgetops into reclaimed sites with a relatively flat landscape dominated by grasses and forbs suitable for run-making rodents. Hispid Cotton Rat is thus poised to expand into the reclaimed mines of eastern Kentucky. We report the first record of Hispid Cotton Rat from a reclaimed-mine site and predict this species will expand its range north and east through this new habitat.
Quantitative assessment of LASSO probe assembly and long-read multiplexed cloning

Long Adapter Single-Stranded Oligonucleotide (LASSO) probes were developed as a novel tool for massively parallel cloning of kilobase-long genomic DNA sequences. LASSO dramatically improves the capture length limit of current DNA padlock probe technology from approximately 150 bps to several kbps. High-throughput LASSO capture involves the parallel assembly of thousands of probes. However, malformed probes are indiscernible from properly formed probes using gel electrophoretic techniques. Therefore, we used next-generation sequencing (NGS) to assess the efficiency of LASSO probe assembly and how it relates to the nature of DNA capture and amplification. Additionally, we introduce a simplified single target LASSO protocol using classic molecular biology techniques for qualitative and quantitative assessment of probe specificity. A LASSO probe library targeting 3164 unique E. coli ORFs was assembled using two different probe assembly reaction conditions with a 40-fold difference in DNA concentration. Unique probe sequences are located within the first 50 bps of the 5′ and 3′ ends, therefore we used paired-end NGS to assess probe library quality. Properly mapped read pairs, representing correctly formed probes, accounted for 10.81 and 0.65% of total reads, corresponding to ~ 80% and ~ 20% coverage of the total probe library for the lower and higher DNA concentration conditions, respectively. Subsequently, we used single-end NGS to correlate probe assembly efficiency and capture quality. Significant enrichment of LASSO targets over non-targets was only observed for captures done using probes assembled with a lower DNA concentration. Additionally, semi-quantitative polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed a ~ 10-fold signal-to-noise ratio of LASSO capture in a simplified system. These results suggest that LASSO probe coverage for target sequences is more predictive of successful capture than probe assembly depth-enrichment. Concomitantly, these results demonstrate that DNA concentration at a critical step in the probe assembly reaction significantly impacts probe formation. Additionally, we show that a simplified LASSO capture protocol coupled to PAGE (polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) is highly specific and more amenable to small-scale LASSO approaches, such as screening novel probes and templates.
Information Network Cascading and Network Re-construction with Bounded Rational User Behaviors.

Social media platforms have become increasingly used for both socialization and information diffusion. For example, commercial users can improve their profits by expanding their social media connections to new users. In order to optimize an information provider’s network connections, this paper establishes a mathematical model to simulate the behaviours of other users to build connections within the information provider’s network. The behaviours include information reposting and following/unfollowing other users. We apply the linear threshold propagation model to determine the reposting actions. In addition, the following or unfollowing actions are modeled by the boundedly rational user equilibrium (BRUE). A three-level optimization model is proposed to maximize total number of connections, which is the goal of the top level. The second level is to simulate user behaviours under BRUE. The third or bottom level is to maximize the other users’ utility used in the second level. This paper solves this problem by using exact algorithms for a small-scale synthetic network.
Help Oneself in Helping the Others: the Ecology of Online Support Groups

With the increasing popularity of online support groups, more and more people turn to the web for mental health support. However, the effectiveness of such online communities has not been quantified or evaluated. Taking advantage of the rich textual data in an online health forum DailyStrength, we propose a novel approach to quantifying individual users’ recovery process based on the linguistic features in their posts. In addition, we conduct a fine-grained analysis on the role of demographics in the forum users’ mental status. Our experimental results suggest that the users of the online support groups experience significant improvements along the three dimensions in the recovery process including symptoms, life satisfaction, and self-esteem.
TIME TO STRIP THE HEART? OPPORTUNE TIMING OF PERICARDIECTOMY IN TREATMENT OF IDIOPATHIC CONSTRICTIVE PERICARDITIS

Idiopathic constrictive pericarditis is a chronic inflammatory process ultimately leading to low cardiac output and advanced heart failure if untreated. The only definitive treatment is complete pericardiectomy; a long, technically complex and dangerous procedure. Timing of surgery is important as
A geologic model for lunar ice deposits at mining scales

Abstract Water ice has been detected at the lunar poles, but existing and near-future orbital datasets do not have the capabilities to determine its horizontal and vertical distribution at meter to hundred-meter scales relevant for mining operations. Additionally, there has not yet been a coherent geologic model put forward for how ice deposits have formed and evolved that can be used to assist in planning prospecting campaigns or developing relevant hardware. Here, we propose a system model for understanding these deposits at scales of meters to hectares. The model considers sources of water ice, capture at and below the surface, and retention; it focuses heavily on impact gardening as a modifying process that drives changes in how ice is distributed. 3-dimensional stochastic impact simulations are then used to test the system model and explore how ice deposits might evolve over an area the size of a potential mining outpost. The simulation results showed ice concentrations should eventually become fairly homogeneous at meter to hectare scales due to impact gardening, and high concentrations are distributed randomly rather than clustered in Earth-like ore bodies. We found the best ice deposits for extracting likely exist 10s of cm deep or more, even in locations where ice is currently stable at the very surface. Terrestrial mining software was then used to create block models and grade/tonnage curves that can inform future in-situ resource utilization demonstration missions and future mining operations planning.
A comparison of experimental designs for calibration

Abstract The impact of experimental design choice on the performance of statistical calibration is largely unknown. Calibration is a technique that uses available experimental data to model the relationship between input and response variables to ultimately infer inputs based on newly observed response values. The purpose of this article is to investigate the performance of several experimental designs with regards to inverse prediction via a comprehensive simulation study. Specifically, we compare several design types including traditional response surface designs, algorithmically generated variance optimal designs, and space-filling designs. Results indicate that the choice of design has an impact on calibration performance and provides overall support for the use of I-optimal designs.
Integration of Web GIS with High-Performance Computing: A Container-Based Cloud Computing Approach

In this chapter, we present a Web GIS framework, called GeoWebSwarm, which is driven by containers-based cloud computing technologies. Web GIS applications have been widely used for the dissemination of spatial data and knowledge. However, the computationally intensive nature of these applications prevents the use of Web GIS to explore large spatial data when using traditional single-server paradigms—i.e., a big data challenge. Containers as a service (CaaS) are a potential solution to implementing responsive and reliable Web GIS applications while handling big data. CaaS is made possible through cyberinfrastructure-enabled high-performance computing. Our container-based framework is designed using container orchestration to integrate high-performance computing with Web GIS, which results in improvements on the capacity and capability of Web GIS over single-server deployments. Map tile requests are distributed using a load balancing approach to multiple Web GIS servers through cloud computing based technologies. Through experiments measuring real-time user request performance of multiple Web GIS containers, we demonstrate significant computing performance benefits in response time and concurrent capacity. Utilizing the GeoWebSwarm framework, Web GIS can be efficiently used to explore and share geospatial big data.
Shellfish Gathering and Shell Midden Archaeology

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses those methodological and theoretical problems that are of greatest concern to shell midden archaeologists. Archaeologists dealing with problems posed by shell middens often seem oblivious of substantial contributions made in previous work—understandably so, because the published literature of this subdiscipline is voluminous and has never been adequately synthesized. As a consequence, many archaeologists have busied themselves with reinventing the wheel, rediscovering useful methods or cogent explanations originally developed years before. While shell middens offer exceptional opportunities to study certain aspects of food gathering, they are by no means exclusively the product of hunting and gathering societies. The chapter reviews ethnographic and ethnohistoric data on shellfish gathering by members of many types of societies, whether primarily dependent on food gathering or food production, to the extent possible given the often incomplete nature of such sources. The chapter presents a comparison of the salient characteristics of different molluscan exploitative strategies and presents some hypotheses relating to the origins, maintenance, and decline of intensive molluscan exploitation.
Influences of Fasting on Stress Response and Withdrawal Symptoms in Habitual Khat Users

Background Fasting changes mood and physiological states. Substance use, such as khat use, is prohibited during fasting during Ramadan, a traditional practice among Muslims. Habitual khat use is associated with increased negative affect and altered psychobiological stress responses. Effects of fasting on stress responses, mood, and withdrawal symptoms among khat users have not been examined. Methods In this study, 80 individuals completed an ambulatory monitoring period and a laboratory assessment session. Participants who completed the study while fasting during Ramadan were matched by gender and khat use status with participants who completed the study while not fasting. This resulted in 40 participants (12 females and 28 males; 25 khat users and 15 nonusers) in each fasting group. Cardiovascular (blood pressure and heart rate) and subjective measures were collected throughout the laboratory stress session. A mental arithmetic challenge was used to induce stress. In addition, self-reported mood and withdrawal measures were collected multiple times during the ambulatory assessment. Results Khat users reported greater negative affect than nonusers. Results from the ambulatory study indicated that withdrawal symptoms were lower during evening hours in the fasting group than in the no-fasting group. Stress-related changes in positive and negative affects were flattened in the fasting group relative to the no-fasting group. Khat users reported reduced blood pressure responses relative to nonusers. Conclusion These preliminary results demonstrate that fasting is associated with reduced negative affect and withdrawal symptoms in khat users. Khat use was related to blunted blood pressure stress responses, but this was independent of fasting. Due to the small sample size, these results should be replicated with a large sample and comprehensive stress tasks.
Anti-spoofing Face Recognition Using Infrared Structure Light

We demonstrate an anti-spoofing face recognition system that is able to differentiate real human face with 3D printed materials. Face images captured in infrared structure light are analyzed for surface materials and spatial structure.
NMR of Liquid Crystalline Lipids in Biological Membranes

Every living cell is surrounded by a membrane containing lipid, protein, and often carbohydrate. The membrane serves, at the very least, to distinguish the outside from the inside world of the cell, thus conferring identity on the cell. The membrane can regulate the vectorial transport of nutrients, waste, and exogenous materials such as drugs, as well as provide a site for cell-specific antigens and hormone receptors. In the cells of higher organisms, we find more specialized membranes such as those of nuclei, mitochondria, or endoplasmic reticulum.
From Task Delegation to Role Delegation

Roles may be analyzed in many ways: “abstract agents”; as power positions; as sets of obligations; etc. For sure one of the main facets of roles is their Delegation-Adoption nature. This is exactly the perspective we assume here: it is a partial view of roles, but a fundamental one.
Couples and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Closer Look at the Affordances and Use of the Channel

The use of the Internet, mobile phones, and other technology is becoming commonplace for the purpose of interpersonal communication. Romantic relationships are one type of interpersonal relationship that utilizes computer-mediated communication (CMC). This study assesses the use of CMC by couples for problem-solving-type discussions. Ninety-four individuals (47 couples) engaged in problem-solving discussions in both face-to-face (FtF) and CMC conditions. Couples also participated in a semi-structured interview where they were asked how and why they use CMC in their relationship. Results suggest that couples experienced similar levels of satisfaction in the CMC and FtF conditions and that attitudes and history of CMC use significantly predict levels of satisfaction in the CMC condition. Couples also reported experiences of using CMC for conflict-resolution-type purposes. Results from the interviews suggest that the use of CMC allows for de-escalation of conflict and increases time to construct ideas.
Is healthcare in the United States too big to fail

'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness', thus wrote Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence. The statement was renewed by Abraham Lincoln in his Gettysburg address of 1863, which highlighted the contradiction between the American Declaration of Independence and the issue of slavery which had vexed the new born country into a bloody civil war. There were clearly more pressing issues on Lincoln's mind than the relevance of healthcare to the ideals of American society in 1863, however, in 2008 his prospective successors to office must consider the issue of whether the United States should ensure that its citizens enjoy access to universal high quality healthcare and if so, how this should be achieved. Onlookers might ponder the relevance of good health to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Studies on the physiological functions of thiamine: V. Effects of thiamine deprivation and thiamine antagonists on blood pyruvate and lactate levels and activity of lactate dehydrogenase and its isozymes in blood and tissues

Abstract Rats were made thiamine deficient by thiamine deprivation and treatment with the thiamine antagonists, oxythiamine and pyrithiamine. Thiamine deprivation and oxythiamine treatment caused significant elevations of blood pyruvate and lactate, the changes being greatest after oxythiamine. Neither had any effect on plasma lactate dehydrogenase activity. Pyrithiamine-treated rats showed no elevation in blood lactate nor pyruvate if tested before convulsions started, but showed marked elevations in both, and also in plasma lactate dehydrogenase activity after 24–36 h in convulsions. No significant changes were observed in lactate dehydrogenase activity in brain and kidney in thiamine-deprived and pyrithiamine-treated rats, but an increase was observed in oxythiamine-treated rats. A decrease in lactate dehydrogenase activity was found in the heart in thiamine-deprived rats and in the liver of rats exhibiting all three types of experimental deficiencies. A decrease in the relative abundance of LDH 3 and LDH 4 isozymes and an increase in LDH 1 was observed in the hearts of thiamine-deprived, oxythiamine-treated and pyrithiamine-treated rats.
Nuclear Waste Respository in Yucca Mountain: Microbiological Aspects

The Repository Yucca Mountain Applied Microbiology Future Studies Keywords: microbially-influenced corrosion (MIC); nuclear waste repository; radiation effect on bacteria; Yucca Mountain
What Do We Need to Know to Land on the Moon Again

Nearly 40 years ago, humans first touched down on the Moon short of fuel and seeking a safe landing spot. In part, this was the result of limited knowledge of the lunar surface. As [Zuber and Garrick-Bethell][1] discuss in their Perspective, future missions (whether human or robotic) will require more information about the lunar surface to achieve safe landings and fulfill the mission goals. The recent Mars rover missions may offer a model: Scientific knowledge was used to inform engineering decisions that in turn enabled scientific discovery. A number of planned lunar orbiters will carry instruments to collect fundamental geophysical, geological, and geochemical data necessary to land safely and maximize the potential for future scientific discoveries. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/310/5750/983
Anger in black and white: race, alienation, and anger.

Using data from the 1996 General Social Survey and the 1973 Chicago Crowding Study, we test the hypotheses that African Americans feel and express more anger than whites, that sense of control (versus powerlessness) lessens anger and mistrust increases anger, and that these indicators of alienation affect anger differently for African Americans and whites. We find that when age and gender are controlled, African Americans neither feel nor express more anger than whites, despite having a lower average sense of control and higher mistrust. This is partly because the effects of sense of control and mistrust on anger differ by race. Sense of control reduces feelings of anger and anger expression more for African Americans than whites. Mistrust increases feelings of anger for whites, but not African Americans. The results provide further evidence that, in the stress process, social structural location may moderate the effects of “detriments” and “resources” on emotional upset.
Mechanism of β Clamp Opening by the δ Subunit ofEscherichia coli DNA Polymerase III Holoenzyme

The β sliding clamp encircles the primer-template and tethers DNA polymerase III holoenzyme to DNA for processive replication of the Escherichia coli genome. The clamp is formed via hydrophobic and ionic interactions between two semicircular β monomers. This report demonstrates that the β dimer is a stable closed ring and is not monomerized when the γ complex clamp loader (γ3δ1δ1χ1ψ1) assembles the β ring around DNA. δ is the subunit of the γ complex that binds β and opens the ring; it also does not appear to monomerize β. Point mutations were introduced at the β dimer interface to test its structural integrity and gain insight into its interaction with δ. Mutation of two residues at the dimer interface of β, I272A/L273A, yields a stable β monomer. We find that δ binds the β monomer mutant at least 50-fold tighter than the β dimer. These findings suggest that when δ interacts with the β clamp, it binds one β subunit with high affinity and utilizes some of that binding energy to perform work on the dimeric clamp, probably cracking one dimer interface open.
Integrating a security awareness program into an information security course

As Armstrong Atlantic State University (AASU) enters the wireless world during the Spring 2007 semester, it is important that those connecting to the university's network use notebook computers that are free from viruses and malware. In order to help secure this network, Information Technology students were given practical experience by organizing and performing virus and malware scan sessions on student notebook computers. This paper describes the effects of the outcome of this project on using similar hands-on activities in the teaching of Information Security.
Effect of β-sitosterol alone or in combination with chenic acid on cholesterol saturation of bile and cholesterol absorption in gallstone patients

Abstract Studies aimed at testing whether β-sitosterol, a plant sterol known to block cholesterol absorption, would induce bile cholesterol desaturation or enhance the desaturating effect of chenic acid were carried out in 7 gallstone patients. Cholesterol absorption was also measured. β-Sitosterol (250 mg/ kg-day) or chenic acid (10 mg/kg-day) was fed alone or in combination for 6-wk randomized periods. At the end of each period, fasting-state duodenal bile was obtained for lipid analysis and biliary bile acid composition; cholesterol absorption was measured by an isotope ratio technique. β-Sitosterol caused no significant bile desaturation, despite its markedly decreasing cholesterol absorption. Chenic acid lowered bile saturation, but bile remained supersaturated at this low dosage; addition of β-sitosterol induced no additional desaturation. Cholesterol absorption, averaging 48%, remained unchanged (43%) during chenic administration. The results suggest that β-sitosterol has little influence on bile saturation and therefore is of little therapeutic value for the treatment of cholesterol gallstones, either alone or in combination with chenic. The results also indicate that the desaturating effect of chenic, at least at this dosage, is not mediated by changes in cholesterol absorption, and they confirm previous studies showing no association between changes in bile cholesterol and serum cholesterol levels. The results also imply that variations in the amount of dietary cholesterol are unlikely to be an important determinant of bile saturation in gallstone patients.
What can the observation of nonzero curvature tell us

The eternally inflating multiverse provides a consistent framework to understand coincidences and fine-tuning in the Universe. As such, it provides the possibility of finding another coincidence: if the amount of slow-roll inflation in our past was only slightly more than the anthropic threshold, then spatial curvature might be measurable. We study this issue in detail, particularly focusing on the question: ``If future observations reveal nonzero curvature, what can we conclude?'' We find that whether an observable signal arises or not depends crucially on three issues: the cosmic history just before the observable inflation, the measure adopted to define probabilities in the eternally inflating spacetime, and the sign and strength of the correlation between the tunneling and slow-roll parts of the potential. We find that if future measurements find positive curvature at the level ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{k}\ensuremath{\lesssim}\ensuremath{-}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$, then the framework of the eternally inflating multiverse, as currently understood, is excluded with high significance. If the measurements instead reveal negative curvature at the level ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{k}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$, then we can conclude that (1) diffusive (new or chaotic type) eternal inflation did not occur in our immediate past; (2) our pocket universe was born by a bubble nucleation; (3) the probability measure does not reward volume increase; and (4) the origin of the observed slow-roll inflation is an accidental feature of the potential, presumably selected by anthropic conditions, and not due to a theoretical mechanism ensuring the flatness of the potential. Discovery of ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{k}\ensuremath{\gtrsim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ would also give us nontrivial information about the correlation between the tunneling and slow-roll parts of the potential; for example, a strong correlation favoring large $N$ would be ruled out in certain measures. We also address the question of whether the current constraint on ${\ensuremath{\Omega}}_{k}$ is consistent with multiverse expectations; we find the answer to be yes, except that current observations, for many choices of measure, rule out the possibility of strong correlations in the potential which favor small values of $N$. In the course of this work we were led to consider vacuum decay branching ratios, and found that it is more likely than one might guess that the decays are dominated by a single channel. Planned future measurements of spatial curvature provide a valuable opportunity to explore the structure of the multiverse as well as the cosmic history just before the observable inflation.
Optimization of Constrained Queries with a Hybrid Genetic Algorithm

Optimization of constrained queries is a growing area of DBMS. Databases are getting larger and users are demanding fast and efficient algorithms for processing queries. Users want the ability to limit the query output set, processing time, or number of records analyzed. Processors have self-imposed constraints which force them to process queries with as little resource as possible. Under these constraints, processors may not be able to produce an entire result, and have to render an optimal partial result. We propose an algorithm that combines statistical sampling and the genetic algorithms idea of survival of the fittest to identify and concentrate in areas of the relation “better fit” for the query result. Our algorithm is also compared to the conventional ones.
Fetal Pains and Fetal Brains

There has been a groundswell of recent scholarship on the question of whether or when unborn humans become capable of feeling pain.1 (Anand and Hickey, 1987; Colette, 2003; Commission of Inquiry into Fetal Sentience, 1996; Derbyshire, 2006, 2008; Glover, 1999; Glover and Fisk, 1996; Kolenc, 2006; Lagercrantz and Changeux, 2009; Lee, Ralston and Drey et al., 2005; Lowery, Hardman and Manning et al., 2007; Mellor, Diesch, Gunn and Bennet, 2005; McCullagh, 1997; Myers, 2006; Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 2010; Saunders, 1997; Savell, 2007; Sonfield, 2005; Stahle, 2007; and Wenger, 2006, among others.) The reason for this rapidly growing literature is not difficult to discern: if unborn human beings are capable of feeling pain, this fact would have potentially enormous implications for how unborn humans ought to be treated, whether in the context of fetal surgery, embryonic and fetal experimentation,2 or induced abortion (hereafter, ‘abortion’). At least for the time being, the practical issues concerning fetal surgery and fetal experimentation have been largely settled. In the first instance, whether or not fetuses are capable of feeling pain while undergoing surgical procedures, not providing anesthesia during fetal surgery appears to have enough other untoward (stress-related and behavioral) effects on the fetus that anesthetizing human fetuses who are undergoing surgery (thanks, primarily, to the work of Anand, Sippel and Aynsley-Green, 1987) has quickly become the standard of care. In the second instance, potentially destructive research on unborn humans has, thus far, only seriously been entertained in very early human embryos that, everyone agrees (or at least everyone should agree), are too young to feel pain. The primary issue, therefore, currently controlling this discussion concerning fetal pain sentience is the issue of abortion. Because methods devised for killing unborn humans include some (e.g., ripping, scraping, burning, breaking, crushing, poisoning, and cutting) that might elicit pain in those beings on whom these methods of killing are employed, the question concerning whether or when human fetuses can feel pain has become a matter of significant clinical, ethical, and, more recently, legal urgency.3 (Collett, 2003; Stahle, 2007)
Managing Multiple Vacancies: Ten Library Directors’ Suggestions for Expediting Multiple Searches and Mitigating the Effects on Staff

Many libraries have a disaster plan for collections and facilities, but few libraries have a plan to address the strategic or practical implications of multiple vacancies. Much has been written about the search process, but little about the considerations involved in multiple search situations.
Molecular cloning and characterization of the complete acetylcholinesterase gene (Ace1) from the mosquito Aedes aegypti with implications for comparative genome analysis.

Abstract Insensitive acetylcholinesterase (AChE) has been shown to be responsible for resistance to organophosphates and carbamates in a number of arthropod species. Some arthropod genomes contain a single Ace gene, while others including mosquitoes contain two genes, but only one confers insecticide resistance. Here we report the isolation of the full-length cDNA and characterization of the complete genomic DNA sequence for the Ace1 gene in the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti. The Ace1 homolog in other mosquito species has been associated with insecticide resistance. The full-length cDNA consists of 2721 bp and contains a 2109 bp open reading frame that encodes a 702 amino acid protein. The amino acid sequence is highly conserved with that of other mosquitoes, including greater than 90% identity with Culex spp. and about 80% identity with Anopheles gambiae. The genomic DNA sequence includes 138,970 bp and consists of eight exons with seven introns ranging from 59 to 114,350 bp. Exons 2 and 8 show reduced amino acid conservation across mosquito species, while exons 3–7 are highly conserved. The Ace1 introns in Ae. aegypti reflect a high frequency of repetitive sequences that comprise about 45% of the total intron sequence. The Ace1 locus maps to the p-arm of chromosome 3, which corresponds to the orthologous genome regions in Culex spp. and An. gambiae.
Volatile retention from cometary impacts on the Moon

Abstract Impacts of comets and asteroids play an important role in volatile delivery on the Moon. We use a novel method for tracking vapor masses that reach escape velocity in hydrocode simulations of cometary impacts to explore the effects of volatile retention. We model impacts on the Moon to find the mass of vapor plume gravitationally trapped on the Moon as a function of impact velocity. We apply this result to the impactor velocity distribution and find that the total impactor mass retained on the Moon is approximately 6.5% of the impactor mass flux. Making reasonable assumptions about water content of comets and the comet size–frequency distribution, we derive a water flux for the Moon. After accounting for migration and stability of water ice at the poles, we estimate a total 1.3 × 10 8 – 4.3 × 10 9 metric tons of water is delivered to the Moon and remains stable at the poles over 1 Ga. A factor of 30 uncertainty in the estimated cometary impact flux is primarily responsible for this large range of values. The calculated mass of water is sufficient to account for the neutron fluxes poleward of 75° observed by Lunar Prospector. A similar analysis for water delivery to the Moon via asteroid impacts shows that asteroids provide six times more water mass via impacts than comets.
Flies and their bacterial loads in greyhound dog kennels in Kansas.

Breeders of greyhound dogs traditionally feed racing animals and nursing bitches raw meat, and that meat generally is obtained frozen from commercial renderers. Previous studies have shown that the rendered meat is frequently contaminated with enteric bacteria, including Salmonella spp., and that during thawing the rendered meat is exposed to filth flies common in dog kennels. Nursing greyhound pups tend to experience a high morbidity and mortality from intestinal infections, and we attempted to determine in this study whether enterics could be spread to pups through contaminated flies. At intervals during 1995 and 1996, flies were trapped or were net-collected from 10 dog breeding kennels in the region around Abilene, KS. Trapped flies were identified and counted to determine population numbers, and netted flies were cultured in tetrathionate broth and streaked to medium selecting for Salmonella sp. and other lactose-negative Gram (−) bacteria. The relative numbers of different fly species varied with the sampling method, but traps and sweep nets produced similar proportions of the different fly species. Blow flies were twice as likely to be contaminated with enteric bacteria as any other fly. The most common enteric bacteria found were Proteus spp., followed by Providencia spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Salmonella spp. The incidence of Salmonella and Proteus spp. seemed to correlate more with accessibility of flies to dog excrement than to rendered meat. The apparent high incidence of enteric contamination of filth flies clearly implicates them as vectors of enteric diseases in kennels.
Characterization of opioid binding sites in murine neuroblastoma.

The binding of [3H][d-Ala2,MePhe4,Gly-ol5]enkephalin ([3H]DAGO), [3H]d-Ala2,d-Leu5]enkephalin [3H]DADLE) and (±)-[3H]ethylketocyclazocine ([3H]EKC) to neurotumor tissues derived from S20Y neuroblastoma cells transplanted into A/Jax mice was examined. Specific and saturable binding to [3H]DADLE and [3H]EKC was detected, and the data fit a single homogenous binding site for each ligand. Scatchard analysis for [3H]DADLE and [3H]EKC yielded Kd values of 0.65 and 0.45 nM, respectively, and Bmax values of 9.2 and 116 fmol/mg protein. Binding was dependent on time, temperature, and pH, and was sensitive to Na+ and guanine nucleotides. Pretreatment of the tumor homogenates with trypsin markedly reduced binding to both ligands, suggesting that the binding sites were proteinaceous in character. Displacement experiments indicated that delta (δ) receptor related compounds (e.g. DPDPE, ICI 174,864) avidly displaced [3H]DADLE, whereas kappa (κ) related compounds (e.g. U50, 488, dynorphin) markedly competed with [3H]EKC. Mu (μ) receptor drugs (e.g. DAGO, β-FNA, morphine) were not potent in displacing either [3H]DADLE or [3H]EKC. These results are the first to characterize opioid binding sites in tumor tissue. The function of these sites is nuclear, but previous evidence as to the growth regulatory properties of endogenous opioid systems may suggest that either one, or both, binding sites may be involved in carcinogenic events.
Optic tectum of the eastern garter snake, Thamnophis sirtalis. III. Morphology of intrinsic neurons.

Abstract Extracellular iontophoretic injections of horseradish peroxidase and Golgi preparations were used to study the distribution and morphology of intrinsic neurons of the garter snake optic tectum. Four morphologically distinct classes of neurons were identified. The type A neuron is found throughout the retinorecipient tectal layers. It has a large, fusiform soma and infrequently branching dendrites that radiate in the horizontal plane and are studded with varicose appendages. An axon arises from the soma or proximal dendrite and gives rise to widely spreading branches that overlap the cell's dendritic field. The type B neuron has a small, spherical soma in sublayer b of the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale. Thick, varicose dendrites ascend from the soma and form a bushy arbor in the overlying sublayer a. A thin axon descends vertically from the soma and arborizes in vertical alignment with the cell's dendritic field in sublayer c of the stratum fibrosum et griseum superficiale and the upper third of the stratum griseum centrale. The type C neuron is a bipolar cell with a small, vertically fusiform soma situated at the upper border of the stratum griseum centrale. Thin, sparsely branching dendrites extend vertically into the superficial and central gray layers. An axon arises from the soma and courses ventrally into the stratum griseum centrale where it gives rise to a plexus of widely spreading branches that extend medially from the cell's dendritic field. The type D neuron is a small, stellate cell with a spherical soma and fine, appendage-laden dendrites that are restricted to the stratum griseum centrale. The axon of the type D cell courses in the central gray where it gives rise to widely spreading branches that extend laterally from the cell's dendritic field.
DOM-based print-link detection for web article extraction

Web article pages usually have hyperlinks (or links) that lead to print-friendly web pages containing mainly the article content. Content extraction using these print-friendly pages is generally easier and more reliable, but there are many variations of the print-link representations in HTML that made robust print-link detection more difficult than it first appears. First, the link can be text-based, image-based, or both. For example, there is a lexicon of phrases used to indicate print-friendly pages, such as "print", "print article", "print-friendly version", etc. In addition, some links use printer-resembling image icons with or without a print phrase present. To complicate the matter further, not all the links contain a valid URL, but instead the pages are dynamically generated either by the client Javascript or by the server, so no URL is available for extraction. We estimate that there are more than 90% of the Web article pages have print-links, of which about 35% of them have valid print-friendly URLs, which is a good percentage. Our solution to the print-link extraction problem takes on two stages: (1) the detection of the print-link, (2) the retrieval of the print-friendly page URL from the link attributes, including the test for its validity. Experimental results based on roughly 2000 web article pages suggest our solution is capable of achieving over 99% precision and 97% recall performance measures.
Comparison of Computer Based Instruction to Behavior Skills Training for Teaching Staff Implementation of Discrete-Trial Instruction with an Adult with Autism.

In the current study, behavior skills training (BST) is compared to a computer based training package for teaching discrete trial instruction to staff, teaching an adult with autism. The computer based training package consisted of instructions, video modeling and feedback. BST consisted of instructions, modeling, rehearsal and feedback. Following training, participants were evaluated in terms of their accuracy on completing critical skills for running a discrete trial program. Six participants completed training; three received behavior skills training and three received the computer based training. Participants in the BST group performed better overall after training and during six week probes than those in the computer based training group. There were differences across both groups between research assistant and natural environment competency levels.
The Use of Fluconazole Prophylaxis in Patients with Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia

Systemic Candida infections are a major cause of infectious morbidity and mortality during chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Because of the unreliability of conventional diagnostic tests to detect systemic infection early in its course, treatment of established disseminated Candida infection has been generally disappointing with mortality rates of 60-80% in leukemia and bone marrow transplant patients and 30-40% in solid tumor patients. The use of empiric amphotericin B in patients with fever not responding to empiric antibacterial agents has been shown to be successful in reducing morbidity and mortality from fungal infections. However, its toxicity has mitigated the success of this approach. Fluconazole given prophylactically at the institution of chemotherapy has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative. It, however, is not active against all fungal species, especially Aspergillus and some of the less virulent Candida species. Some centers have reported break-through infections by these less susceptible organisms. Whether or not these limitations in its spectrum of activity will limit its usefulness in the future remains unanswered at this time and could pose a cloud to an otherwise bright promise.
The nonorientable genus is additive

A graph G is a k-amalgamation of two graphs G1 and G2 if G = G1 ∪ G2 and G1 ∩G2 is a set of k vertices. In this paper we show that γ(G) differs from γ(G1) + γ(G2) by at most a quadratic on k, where γ denotes the nonorientable genus of a graph. In the sequel to this paper we show that no such bound holds for the orientable genus of k-amalgamations.
Transurethral resection of prostate via perineal urethrostomy: Follow-up report

Abstract A controlled, prospective clinical study was undertaken to determine the incidence and cause of urethral strictures after transurethral resection. Patients were assigned to one of three groups. Group A consisted of patients in whom it was considered preferable to perform prostatic resection through perineal urethrostomy; therefore, these were excluded from randomization. All other patients were randomized using a sealed envelope method into Group B who underwent resection via perineal urethrostomy and Group C who underwent resection via the entire urethra. Strictures occurred in 16.4 per cent of 85 patients in Group C and in 2.27 per cent of 88 patients in Group B; a statistically significant difference (p