cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harmless interpolation of noisy data in regression

A continuing mystery in understanding the empirical success of deep neural networks has been in their ability to achieve zero training error and yet generalize well, even when the training data is noisy and there are more parameters than data points. We investigate this "overparametrization" phenomena in the classical underdetermined linear regression problem, where all solutions that minimize training error interpolate the data, including noise. We give a bound on how well such interpolative solutions can generalize to fresh test data, and show that this bound generically decays to zero with the number of extra features, thus characterizing an explicit benefit of overparameterization. For appropriately sparse linear models, we provide a hybrid interpolating scheme (combining classical sparse recovery schemes with harmless noise-fitting) to achieve generalization error close to the bound on interpolative solutions.
Abstract A36: Organoid models for deciphering roles of the evolving landscape of epigenetic heterogeneity during aging in cancer development

Background: Tumor initiation and development occur not necessarily by genetic changes alone, but in the context of the epigenome and cell microenvironment. Growing evidence indicate that cancer risk factors, such as aging and inflammation, may primarily modulate the epigenome, causing predisposition to cancer development by driver mutations. Thus, there is a need to study and model epigenetic changes preceding and associating with cancer development. We have developed ex vivo models for investigating the evolution and roles of DNA methylation changes during normal cell divisions and how these epigenetic changes play critical roles in early stages of tumor development. Results: We showed that spontaneous epigenetic changes, specifically promoter-DNA hypermethylation, have a very important role in tumor initiation by oncogenic driver mutations. We addressed the precursor role of aging-like spontaneous promoter-DNA hypermethylation in initiating tumorigenesis. Using mouse colon-derived organoids, we show promoter hypermethylation spontaneously arises in cells mimicking the human “aging-like” phenotype. The silenced genes activate the Wnt pathway, causing a stemlike state and differentiation defects. These changes render aged organoids profoundly more sensitive than young ones to transformation by BrafV600E producing the typical human proximal BRAFV600E-driven colon adenocarcinomas characterized by extensive, abnormal gene promoter CGI methylation or the methylator phenotype (CIMP). Conversely, CRISPR-mediated simultaneous inactivation of a panel of the silenced genes markedly sensitized to BrafV600E-induced transformation. We showed that “spontaneous” promoter hypermethylation, arising in an “aging-like” scenario, sufficiently affects genes with roles in negative regulation of Wnt pathway. Inactivation of these genes leads to increased stem cell state and defects in differentiation. Conclusion: Our studies tightly link aging-like epigenetic abnormalities to intestinal cell fate changes and predisposition to oncogene-driven colon tumorigenesis. The organoid-based model opens up an opportunity to study mechanisms underlying epigenetic heterogeneity arising during normal cellular processes and their role in cancer predisposition. Citation Format: Yong Tao, Byunghak Kang, Daniel Petkovich, Steve Baylin, Hariharan Easwaran. Organoid models for deciphering roles of the evolving landscape of epigenetic heterogeneity during aging in cancer development [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on the Evolving Landscape of Cancer Modeling; 2020 Mar 2-5; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A36.
Large contribution of organics to condensational growth and formation of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) in the remote marine boundary layer

Abstract. Marine low clouds strongly influence global climate, and their radiative effects are particularly susceptible to the concentration of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). One major source of CCN is condensational growth of pre-CCN particles, and sulfate has long been considered the major condensing species in remote marine boundary layer. While some studies suggested that secondary organic species can contribute to the particle growth, its importance remains unclear. Here we present the first long-term observational evidence that organics play an important role in particle growth over remote oceans. To the contrary of traditional thinking, sulfate dominated condensational growth for only a small (∼18 %) fraction of the 62 observed growth events, even fewer than the organic-dominated events (24 %). During most (58 %) growth events, the major condensing species included both organics and sulfate. Potential precursors of the secondary organics are volatile organic compounds from ocean biological activities and those produced by the air-sea interfacial oxidation. Our results indicate that the condensation of secondary organics contributes strongly to the growth of pre-CCN particles, and thereby the CCN population over remote oceans.
Exploring the Intersections of Disability, Race, and Gender on Student Outcomes in High School:

This study explored the intersections of disability, race, sexual orientation, and gender on peer victimization, suicidal ideation, and school connectedness. Participants were 11,353 high school st...
Dried plum mitigates spinal cord injury-induced bone loss in mice.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is accompanied by rapid loss of bone and increased risk of low impact fractures. Current pharmacological treatment approaches have proven to be relatively ineffective in preventing or treating bone loss after SCI. Dietary supplementation with dried plum (DP) has been shown to have dramatic effects on bone in various other disease models. In this study, we tested the efficacy of DP in preventing bone loss after SCI and restoring bone that has already been lost in response to SCI. Male C57BL/6J mice (3-month-old) underwent SCI and were fed a diet containing 25% DP by weight or a control diet for up to 4 weeks to assess whether DP can prevent bone loss. To determine whether DP could restore bone already lost due to SCI, mice were put on a control diet for 2 weeks (to allow bone loss) and then shifted to a DP supplemented diet for an additional 2 weeks. The skeletal responses to SCI and dietary supplementation with DP were assessed using microCT analysis, bone histomorphometry and strength testing. Dietary supplementation with DP completely prevented the loss of bone and bone strength induced by SCI in acutely injured mice. DP also could restore a fraction of the bone lost and attenuate the loss of bone strength after SCI. These results suggest that dietary supplementation with DP or factors derived from DP may prove to be an effective treatment for the loss of bone in patients with SCI.
Online Community Detection for Event Streams on Networks.

A common goal in network modeling is to uncover the latent community structure present among nodes. For many real-world networks, observed connections consist of events arriving as streams, which are then aggregated to form edges, ignoring the temporal dynamic component. A natural way to take account of this temporal dynamic component of interactions is to use point processes as the foundation of the network models for community detection. Computational complexity hampers the scalability of such approaches to large sparse networks. To circumvent this challenge, we propose a fast online variational inference algorithm for learning the community structure underlying dynamic event arrivals on a network using continuous-time point process latent network models. We provide regret bounds on the loss function of this procedure, giving theoretical guarantees on performance. The proposed algorithm is illustrated, using both simulation studies and real data, to have comparable performance in terms of community structure in terms of community recovery to non-online variants. Our proposed framework can also be readily modified to incorporate other popular network structures.
MFG-E8 Signaling Promotes Elastolysis and Calcification in the Aging Aortic Wall

Abstract Objective The proinflammatory phenotypic shift of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) is closely linked to the elastolysis and calcification in the aging arterial wall. Degradation of tropoelastin (TPELN) is a key molecular event which often accompanies the proinflammatory phenotypic shift of VSMCs, arterial elastolysis and calcification with aging. Milk fat globule-EGF factor 8 (MFG-E8), secreted mainly from VSMCs, predominantly binds to degenerated elastin fibers, and alters VSMCs phenotypes. Here, we investigated how MFG-E8 proinflammatory signaling in the arterial wall, in vivo, and VSMCs, in vitro, affects arterial elastolysis and calcification with advancing age. Methods and Results In vivo immunostaining and immunoblotting studies indicated that MFG-E8, elastic lamina breaks, and calcium-phosphorus products were markedly increased while intact TPELN (∼70Kda) protein was dramatically decreased in aortic walls or isolated aortic VSMCs harvested from old (30-month-old) vs. young (8-month-old) Fischer 344 × Brown Norway rats (FXBN). In vitro studies demonstrated that (1) treating either young or old VSMCs to recombinant human MFG-E8 (rhMFG-E8) for 24 hours significantly reduced intact TPLEN levels and this effect was reduced by SB203580, a p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor; (2) activated MMP-2 levels were significantly increased in both young and old VSMCs treated with rhMFG-E8, and this activation was also inhibited by SB203580; (3) MMP-2 physically interacted with TPLEN and cleaved intact TPLEN from VSMCs; (4) downregulation of either MFG-E8 or MMP-2 in VSMCs via siRNA significantly increased the levels of intact TPELN; (5) rhMFG-E8 treatment markedly reduced contractile protein, smooth muscle 22-alpha, and anti-calcification protein, fetuin-A, levels in both young and old VSMCs, which were blocked by SB203580. Notably, MMP-2 activity, elastic laminae degeneration, and calcium deposits were significantly increased while fetuin-A levels are markedly decreased in old WT vs. MFG-E8 mice. Conclusions Taken together, our current findings suggest that MFG-E8, via p38 signaling in VSMCs, promotes MMP-2-associated elastolysis and calcification in the aging arterial wall.
Chickpea Seed Rot and Damping-Off Caused by Metalaxyl-Resistant Pythium ultimum and Its Management with Ethaboxam.

Metalaxyl and its isomer mefenoxam have been the primary fungicides used as seed treatments in managing Pythium seed rot and damping-off of chickpea (Cicer arietinum). However, outbreaks of seed ro...
Financial Transaction Costs Reduce Benefit Take-Up: Evidence from Zero-Premium Health Plans in Colorado

With the passage of the American Recovery Plan Act of 2021, roughly 12 million Americans are eligible to purchase zero-premium Health Insurance Marketplace plans. What difference does a premium of zero make, relative to a slightly positive premium? Using a regression discontinuity design and administrative data from Colorado, we find that zero-premium plans increase coverage substantially, primarily by helping low-income households begin coverage sooner. The main mechanism is eliminating the transaction costs of having to make on-time payments to begin coverage. Transaction costs may be a meaningful barrier to subsidized insurance coverage take-up, particularly for low-income families.
Risks of the Relationship between Man and Technology

The article deals with aspects of human-technology relations, the influence of high technologies on modern society and human beings in particular.
A Review of Common Thoracic Surgical Procedures For The Nuclear Medicine Physician Utilizing Simple Unique Clay Models

2057 Objectives: Review of nuclear medicine procedures requires a review of patient history and an understanding of the patient9s thoracic, abdominal and pelvic surgeries to render an appropriate diagnosis. Resident and attending reviewers may not be familiar with certain surgical procedures which can result in limitations of study evaluation. Although these procedures can be subsequently reviewed in a textbook, this may still not clearly show the details of these procedures. We demonstrate a variety of common surgical procedures using simple clay models. The models can be created by the resident as a teaching tool to utilized as an inexpensive, simple 3D didactic model to demonstrate surgical concepts for the nuclear physician. Methods: We demonstrate a variety of surgical procedures using simple clay models to help the nuclear physician in the understanding of surgical procedures they may encounter on daily reading of nuclear medicine cases. The clay models are especially useful when interpreting various PET/CT studies and SPECT/CT studies. The process of creating these models allows the resident to be immersed in a virtual environment to enhance the learning experience. They create an overall sense of reality and inspire the imagination. Results: Residents and attendings who create various surgeries using clay models result in better understanding of various surgical procedures due to the process of active learning while working with 3D models. There is increased retention due to a focused attention and visual stimulation. An improved understanding leads to more accurate and detailed nuclear medicine reports. Understanding these surgeries with clay models also allows an improved understanding of the possible surgical complications. We discuss a variety of surgical procedures with clay models including the Ivor-Lewis procedure, roux en y, whipple procedure, Billroth 1 and 2 procedures, various pelvic surgeries, etc. Conclusions: A clear understanding of various surgical procedures of the chest, abdomen and pelvis can provide the nuclear medicine reader with knowledge for improved and more accurate reporting of cases. We demonstrate with simple 3D clay models a variety of common surgeries which may be encountered during daily readouts of cases. This tool can lead to improved understanding and retention of information for all members of the nuclear medicine care team. They are an inexpensive simple method of instruction providing a unique teaching tool to the department.
Patient Report of Hearing in Neurofibromatosis Type 2: Recommendations for Clinical Trials

Objective To systematically evaluate published patient-reported outcome measures for the assessment of hearing function and hearing-related quality of life (QoL) and recommend measures selected by the Response Evaluation in Neurofibromatosis and Schwannomatosis International Collaboration (REiNS) as endpoints for clinical trials in neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2). Methods The REiNS Patient-Reported Outcomes Working Group systematically evaluated published patient-reported outcome measures of (1) hearing function and (2) hearing-related QoL for individuals with hearing loss of various etiologies using previously published REiNS rating procedures. Ten measures of hearing functioning and 11 measures of hearing-related QoL were reviewed. Measures were numerically scored and compared primarily on their participant characteristics (including participant age range and availability of normative data), item content, psychometric properties, and feasibility for use in clinical trials. Results The Self-Assessment of Communication and the Self-Assessment of Communication–Adolescent were identified as most useful for adult and pediatric populations with NF2, respectively, for the measurement of both hearing function and hearing-related QoL. Measures were selected for their strengths in participant characteristics, item content, psychometric properties, and feasibility for use in clinical trials. Conclusions REiNS recommends the Self-Assessment of Communication adult and adolescent forms for the assessment of patient-reported hearing function and hearing-related QoL for NF2 clinical trials. Further work is needed to demonstrate the utility of these measures in evaluating pharmacologic or behavioral interventions.
Rapid Hygiene Assay Sensitive to Cumulative Adenylate Homologues Exhibits Equal or Higher Frequencies of Soil Contamination Detection than Assay Limited to ATP Detection

ABSTRACT Based upon regulatory and food industry-driven food safety standards, there is a need for rapid, accurate methods for assessing sanitary conditions. A commonly used assay is based on the assessment of the biochemical molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP). A more recent assay, the total adenylate homologue-based (AXP) assay, targets the cumulative presence of ATP and its dephosphorylated homologues, adenosine diphosphate and adenosine monophosphate. Yet there is little information that compares the practical performance of these two assays. This work examined these two assay types with a comparative study in a grade A dairy foods processing plant and a licensed and inspected meat processing facility. A total of 1,920 concomitant analyses were conducted with main variables of assay type, processing facility type, and hygiene zone category. Statistical process control methodology was used to calculate 95% confidence control limits; data beyond those limits were considered contamination events. Results demonstrated that overall, the AXP assay detected contamination events approximately two times more often than the assay based on ATP only. This increase in the rate of contamination event detection was especially prevalent in the meat processing facility, where across all hygienic zones, there were 38 versus 85 contaminations events detected for the ATP and AXP assays, respectively. Across hygiene zones, the AXP data displayed either an equal or an increased incidence of soil detection compared with data from the ATP assay. This study provides applied evidence that assays solely dependent on ATP concentrations are less able to detect soil contaminants under conditions that favor ATP dephosphorylation reactions. HIGHLIGHTS
Information Technologies for Supply Chain Management

The interest in Supply Chain (SC) decision-making problem is fast growing. There is an increasing use of information and knowledge based engineering and management technologies in supply chain problem solving. Furthermore, the trend is towards product data and information & knowledge globalization in the SC network. The purpose of a SC is to transform incomplete information about the market and available production resources into co-ordinated plans for production and replenishment of goods and services in the network formed by co - operating units. The value of this information is critical to managing the network, built on principles of a co-operative supply chain (CSC). The goal of SC information and knowledge management is to facilitate knowledge transfer and sharing in the context of SC structures, thereby integrating the customer and the supplier. Ontology oriented knowledge management tools for SC configuration utilize reusable components and configure knowledge as needed, in order to interactively assist users (agents) in decision-making. This chapter discusses a generic development methodology for information support and decision-making for supply chain management.
I Must Think of a Way

House (1970), The Solo Press (1973), and The Fault Press (1976), respec tively; and Slices, the small collection of poems written in collaboration with Ann Menebroker, was published by the Grande Ronde Press in 1972. We would like to thank all of these magazines and presses for having published Mechem's work in the first place, and for giving us the opportunity of re printing some of it here. Mechem, as is widely known, likes to collaborate on poems and short fic tions with women, and in addition to the poems with Ann Menebroker, we include here story collaborations with Sydney Martin and Mardy Murphy. We also invited other writers to contribute anything to this feature which might relate to Mechem and his writing?fictions, criticism, poems, paro dies, etc.?and four such responses are also included: imaginative essays by Ursule Molinaro and Carol Berge, a short fiction by Sydney Martin, and an epistolary tale by Kent H. Dixon, as well as two new Molinaro and Berge stories appropriate to the occasion. The brief italicized paragraphs which punctuate the feature are excerpts from Mechem's stories and letters to the editor, mostly about writers and writing.
Effects of measurement resolution on the analysis of temperature time series for stream-aquifer flux estimation

[1] From its inception in the mid-1960s, the use of temperature time series (thermographs) to estimate vertical uxes has found increasing use in the hydrologic community. Beginning in 2000, researchers have examined the impacts of measurement and parameter uncertainty on the estimates of vertical uxes. To date, the effects of temperature measurement discretization (resolution), a characteristic of all digital temperature loggers, on the determination of vertical uxes has not been considered. In this technical note we expand the analysis of recently published work to include the effects of temperature measurement resolution on estimates of vertical uxes using temperature amplitude and phase shift information. We show that errors in thermal front velocity estimation introduced by discretizing thermographs differ when amplitude or phase shift data are used to estimate vertical uxes. We also show that under similar circumstances sensor resolution limits the range over which vertical velocities are accurately reproduced more than uncertainty in temperature measurements, uncertainty in sensor separation distance, and uncertainty in the thermal diffusivity combined. These effects represent the baseline error present and thus the best-case scenario when discrete temperature measurements are used to infer vertical uxes. The errors associated with measurement resolution can be minimized by using the highestresolution sensors available. But thoughtful experimental design could allow users to select
A 17 b algorithmic ADC

An analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is presented which uses auto gain-ranging to achieve signal amplification without the associated amplification of input-referred errors. The part, fabricated in a BiCMOS process, has a 108-dB dynamic range limited by white noise and DC errors >
On the Galactic Dynamo

We critically review the status of our current understanding of galactic dynamo theory. In brief, a definitive model for the production of magnetic fields on galactic scales remains to be constructed.
Suicidality prospectively predicts greater urges to smoke following a cessation attempt: Mediation through perceived barriers to cessation

Growing interest in developing more effective smoking cessation treatments has facilitated the need to further investigate cognitive–affective factors that inhibit successful smoking cessation, such as urges to smoke. Research has strongly supported an association between suicidality and smoking, yet no work has investigated whether suicidality may increase urges to smoke. The current study sought to evaluate the impact of suicidality on smoking-related cognitive–affective factors predictive of smoking relapse among a community sample of 209 daily smokers engaged in a smoking cessation program. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to test the effects of self-reported pre-cessation suicidality on urges to smoke 1 month post-cessation as well as whether this effect was mediated by greater barriers to cessation. Results indicated that internal barriers to cessation significantly mediated the effect of pre-cessation suicidality on greater urges to smoke 1 month following smoking cessation attempt. These findings suggest that elevated suicidality may affect perceived internal barriers to cessation and subsequently urges to smoke 1 month following a quit attempt.
Factors Influencing Computational Predictability of Aerodynamic Losses in a Turbine Nozzle Guide Vane Flow

This paper deals with the computational predictability of aerodynamic losses in a turbine nozzle guide vane (NGV) flow. The paper shows that three-dimensional (3D) computations of Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations have the ability to adequately represent viscous losses in the presence of laminar flows, transitional regions, and fully turbulent flow areas in the NGV of an high pressure (HP) turbine stage. The Axial Flow Turbine Research Facility (AFTRF) used for the present experimental results has an annular NGV assembly and a 29-bladed HP turbine rotor spinning at 1330 rpm. The NGV inlet and exit Reynolds numbers based on midspan axial chord are around 300,000 and 900,000, respectively. A general purpose finite-volume 3D flow solver with a shear stress transport (SST) k–ω turbulence model is employed. The current computational study benefits from these carefully executed aerodynamic experiments in the NGV of the AFTRF. The grid independence study is performed with static pressure coefficient distribution at the midspan of the vane and the total pressure coefficient at the NGV exit. The effect of grid structure on aerodynamic loss generation is emphasized. The flow transition effect and the influence of corner fillets at the vane–endwall junction are also studied. The velocity distributions and the total pressure coefficient at the NGV exit plane are in very good agreement with the experimental data. This validation study shows that the effect of future geometrical modifications on the turbine endwall surfaces will be predicted reasonably accurately. The current study also indicates that an accurately defined turbine stage geometry, a properly prepared block-structured/body-fitted grid, a state-of-the-art transitional flow implementation, inclusion of fillets, and realistic boundary conditions coming from high-resolution turbine experiments are all essential ingredients of a successful turbine NGV aerodynamic loss quantification via computations. This validation study forms the basis for the successful future generation of nonaxisymmetric endwall surface modifications in AFTRF research efforts.
A fast algorithm for two-point seismic ray tracing

A new approximate algorithm for two-point ray tracing is proposed and tested in a variety of laterally heterogeneous velocity models. An initial path estimate is perturbed using a geometric interpretation of the ray equations, and the travel time along the path is minimized in a piecewise fashion. This perturbation is iteratively performed until the travel time converges within a specified limit. Test results show that this algorithm successfully finds the correct travel time within typical observational error much faster than existing three-dimensional ray tracing programs. The method finds an accurate ray path in a fully three-dimensional form even where lateral variations in velocity are severe. Because our algorithm utilizes direct minimization of the travel time instead of solving the ray equations, a simple linear interpolation scheme can be employed to compute velocity as a function of position, providing an added computational advantage.
Benefits of SPECT/CT in sentinel node lymphoscintigraphy studies

2206 Objectives As melanoma cases increase rapidly in the United States, the localization of sentinel nodes using lymphoscintigraphy has been proven to be a benefit for preoperative planning and critical in reducing operating room time. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and determine the benefits of SPECT/ CT in comparison to SPECT scanning in melanoma patients. Methods For this study, a small number of patients with melanoma had SPECT/ CT scans done using a Phillips Precedence© after SPECT planar images were done on a gamma camera, prior to surgical biopsies of their sentinel nodes. Results SPECT/CT was able to show exact depth and size of the sentinel nodes, where planar images alone were not able to. SPECT/CT was also able to differentiate nodes localized near injection sites and from other patient artifacts. Using SPECT/ CT physicians were able to determine the ideal localization of optimal node excision. Conclusions SPECT/CT is more sensitive and accurate in the localization of sentinel nodes. Patients that have known melanoma near multiple lymph node beds should be imaged using SPECT/CT for more definitive results and to lessen the time a patient is under anesthesia during biopsy.
Bacteria Colonizing the Ocular Surface in Eyes With Boston Type 1 Keratoprosthesis: Analysis of Biofilm-Forming Capability and Vancomycin Tolerance.

PURPOSE To analyze the bacterial microbiota colonizing the ocular surface of patients with Boston type 1 keratoprostheses (K-Pros) for antibacterial resistance patterns and capacity to form biofilms. METHODS Twenty-seven eyes with a Boston type 1 K-Pro and 16 fellow control eyes from 26 patients were enrolled. The surface of the K-Pro optic and/or the inferior conjunctival fornix was swabbed and plated separately on culture media. Positive cultures were processed to assess for biofilm-forming capability. Microtiter plate adherence assay and polymerase chain reaction for ica and atlE genes were used. An in vitro assay of vancomycin tolerance was performed on isolated strains and compared to standard controls with and without biofilm-forming capability. RESULTS Eighty-five percent of K-Pro eyes and 69% of control eyes had positive cultures (P = 0.20). All Gram-positive strains exhibited susceptibility to vancomycin by standard testing. Biofilm-forming bacterial isolates were detected in 57.7% of K-Pro eyes and 53.3% of control eyes. A vancomycin tolerance assay showed that the antibiotic susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococcus (CNS) within biofilms was significant in only three of five biofilm-forming strains (P < 0.05). In all strains, bacterial cells in planktonic form were more susceptible to vancomycin than in biofilm form (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Coagulase-negative staphylococcus can be isolated from K-Pro surfaces despite the use of vancomycin prophylaxis. In this study, the majority of isolated strains had biofilm-forming capability. In vitro vancomycin tolerance assays suggest that biofilm formation decreases susceptibility to vancomycin. This may contribute to higher rates of infectious complications observed in these patients.
'Convivencia' in Medieval Spain: A Brief History of an Idea

Convivencia refers to the ‘coexistence’ of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities in medieval Spain and by extension the cultural interaction and exchange fostered by such proximity. The term first appeared as part of a controversial thesis about Spanish historical identity advanced by Americo Castro in 1948. Since then interest in the idea of convivencia has spread, fueled in part by increased attention to multi-culturalism and rising concern about religiously framed acts of violence. The application of social scientific models has gone a long way toward clarifying the mechanisms of acculturation at work in medieval Spain and tempering the tendency to romanticize convivencia.
Do antiphospholipid antibodies develop for a purpose

There is a growing body of literature suggesting that antiphospholipid antibodies develop for a purpose, that they play several key roles in the innate immune response, and are only rendered pathologic in susceptible people under adverse intravascular conditions. This paper will review evidence that the autoantibodies associated with the antiphospholipid syndrome develop from natural autoantibodies for purposes that are beneficial to host defense, and are only rendered pathologic as a result of adverse intravascular events.
An analysis of the heat and solute transport during solidification of an aqueous binary solution—I. basal plane region

Abstract A mathematical analysis of the steady, dendritic solidification of an aqueous binary solution has been developed. The energy and solute transport equations were solved using a simple “two-zone” technique. In this procedure, the coupled energy and solute equations are solved first in a zone near the basal plane, and then independently solved in a zone near the dendrite tips, to obtain families of temperature, concentration and dendrite shape profiles in each region. Geometric and thermodynamic matching criteria are employed to determine the specific temperature, concentration and dendrite shape profile in each region that is mutually compatible and satisfies the overall boundary conditions. Heat and mass transport phenomena near the basal plane are analyzed in the present work, while the tip region analysis and matching procedure will be accomplished in an accompanying paper. The results of the basal region analysis indicate that solidification at a higher rate (larger basal heat flux) produces shorter dendrites that are more blunt. A non-dimensional axial similarity variable was found which describes the temperatures and concentration fields independent of the rate of freezing.
150-mJ 1550-nm KTA OPO with good beam quality and high efficiency

ABSTRACT Weve demonstrated a nanosecond KTA OPO utilizing a high Fresnel-number quasi-monolithic image-rotatingnonplanar-ring optical cavity to eciently generate 1550 nm light with beam quality M 2 4. The OPO waspumped at 1064 nm and injection-seeded at 1550 nm and was tested using either one or two 10 × 10 × 17 mm 3 KTAcrystals. Total measured conversion eciencies were as high as 45% and 55% respectively, with corresponding1550 nm energies of approximately 135 mJ and 170 mJ. While energy and eciency were high, agreement withnumerical models that included walko, diraction, and geometry of the nonplanar-ring, was poor near theoscillation threshold. Single-crystal oscillation revealed dierent thresholds for each KTA crystal. When testedby observing unphasematched 2 generation, each crystal appears to contain a single ferroelectric domain,suggesting that refractive index inhomogeneity, or some other type of defect, prevents perfect phasematching.Keywords: Nonlinear optics, optical parametric oscillator, image rotation, nonplanar ring oscillator
Microflow and Crack Formation Patterns in Drying Sessile Droplets of Liposomes Suspended in Trehalose Solutions

Anhydrobiotic preservation potentially provides a means of long-term storage of mammalian cells in carbohydrate glasses under ambient conditions. During desiccation, sessile droplets of glass-forming carbohydrate solutions exhibit complex phenomena, including fluid flow, droplet deformation, and crack formation, all of which may alter the cell preservation efficacy. Cell-sized liposomes were employed as a model system to explore these phenomena in diffusively dried sessile droplets of trehalose solutions. Two factors were identified that strongly influenced the features of the desiccated droplets: the underlying surface and the liposomes themselves. In particular, the surface altered the droplet shape as well as the microflow pattern and, in turn, the moisture conditions encountered by the liposomes during desiccation. A ring deposit formed when the droplets were dried on polystyrene, as would be expected owing to the capillary flow that generally occurs in pinned droplets. In contrast, when dried on the ...
Re-forming the SSSP: Questions of “praxis”

The Society for the Study of Social Problems (SSSP) emerged from a social movement of sociologists who wanted to apply their social science knowledge to a society riddled by cruel inequities. Recently the distinctive mission of SSSP has come under scrutiny. The organization must make some structural innovations to generate fresh and critical approaches to contemporary social problems. These innovations would include: restructuring annual meetings to reflect the urgency of social problems; being reflexive about forms of knowledge; increasing the interdisciplinary emphasis of research; promoting activism within society and the social sciences; experimenting with alternative formats of meetings.
Lepton spin motion in a weak electromagnetic trap

Averaging methods are used to discuss the spin and orbital motion of charged leptons confined in a trap formed by perturbing a strong uniform magnetic field with a weak nonuniform magnetic or electric field. The principal result is an expression for the gyromagnetic difference frequency correct up to second order in the perturbing field. The motion is also discussed in the resonant case where the difference frequency is an integral multiple of the longitudinal oscillation frequency of the orbital motion. The two most recent precision measurements of the electron g-factor anomaly are reanalyzed, resulting in the removal of the apparent discrepancy between them and yielding a corrected value for the electron gyromagnetic anomaly: a = (1 159 656.7 +- 3.5) x 10/sup -9/. (AIP)
Attitudes of Catholic and Protestant clergy on euthanasia and abortion.

This study analyzes the attitudes of a random sample of Cleveland clergy toward: (1) acceptance of euthanasia; (2) the establishment of legal guidelines; and (3) the similarity between euthanasia and abortion. Although the clergymen find active euthanasia highly unacceptable, they expressed a definite ranking in priority of the different circumstances under which passive euthanasia would be acceptable. The clergy tend to oppose legalizing euthanasis, and indicate their fear of potential abuses. More than their Protestant counterpart, Catholic clergy significantly oppose any statement linking euthanasia and abortion. Clergymen who define their role as purely spiritual in nature tend to express greater disapproval of the three issues.
The Eady problem with linear horizontal shear

Abstract We consider the quasi-geostrophic linear shear stability analysis of an inviscid, channel flow with linear horizontal and vertical velocities. This modified Eady basic state yields a variety of flow behaviors as the horizontal shear is increased. The presence of y -shear allows for unstable modes with the same growth rate, different phase speeds and different amplitude structures. We speculate that these modes may contribute to amplitude and structural vaccilation. We find that the two-mode truncation in y provides both quantitative, for small horizontal shears, and qualitative, for larger y -shears, results which compare favorably with the 25 y -mode numerical results. The instability in this model is baroclinic modified by the projection of the horizontal basic flow onto the y -modes. The destabilization of relatively short waves, associated with the horizontal shear, is interpreted physically using the constraints provided by energy conservation. It is demonstrated that the presence of a horizontal shear may be interpreted as a reduction in the ‘effective’ vertical channel depth in a baroclinic Eady model. In other words, waves with smaller vertical penetration depth, with wavenumbers larger than the wavenumber of the short-wave cut-off in the Eady model, can maintain the necessary phase relationship to provide instability.
Comparative Hematology of Wild and Captive Cunners

Abstract Hematological variables including erythrocyte numbers, hematocrit, osmotic fragility, differential leucocyte count, and cellular morphology were studied in wild (freshly caught) cunners Tautogolabrus adspersus, and compared with those of cunners held in captivity for 4 days. Statistically significant differences were found between wild and captive fish and between the sexes of wild fish. In captive fish, values for erythrocyte (RBC) numbers, hematocrit, mean erythrocyte volume, osmotic fragility, lymphocytes, eosinophils, and the incidence of degenerating RBCs were depressed, whereas values for immature RBCs, fine granulocytes, and immature fine granulocytes were increased compared with wild fish. Captive male cunners showed more pronounced changes in the incidence of immature fine granulocytes (increased) and hematocrit (depressed) than did females. The hematocrit appears to be a good variable for assessment of erythrocyte hematological status in cunner, based upon significant differences betwee...
Temperature-dependent transitions between normal and inverse equilibrium isotope effects for coordination and oxidative addition of C-H and H-H bonds to a transition metal center.

The temperature dependence of the equilibrium isotope effects (EIEs) for coordination and oxidative addition of C−H and H−H bonds to the tungstenocene species {[H2Si(C5H4)2]W} has been determined with the aid of DFT (B3LYP) calculations. The EIE for coordination of CH4 and CD4 does not exhibit typical van't Hoff type behavior in which there is a monotonic variation of EIE with temperature; rather, the temperature dependence of the EIE exhibits a maximum, with inverse values ( 1) at high temperatures. The temperature dependence of the EIE for oxidative addition of CH4 and CD4 differs significantly from that for coordination, with the EIE being normal at all temperatures and approaching infinity at 0 K. In contrast to oxidative addition of methane which is normal at all temperatures, the EIE for oxidative addition of H2 and D2 exhibits a transition from inverse to normal upon raising the temperature. The existence of inverse EIEs in these systems at low temperatures...
Replacement of censored observations by a constant: An evaluation

Abstract In the analysis of water quality data, samples with concentrations below the analytical detection limit are sometimes replaced by a constant between 0 and the detection limit. The performance of this replacement method has previously been examined in Monte Carlo studies by several authors. In this paper, expressions for the expectation of the sample mean and variance, obtained under the replacement method, are given for normally and lognormally distributed data. These expressions provide a simple means of calculating the bias and mean square error of the estimators used in the replacement method and thus large numbers of samples do not need to be generated by computer to evaluate the method. Thus, in a particular situation, the bias to be expected can be calculated if limits on the ranges of the mean, variance and proportion censored are available. It is shown that without knowledge of these qualities, which is the usual situation when data are being analyzed, the size and direction of bias is unknown. More objective methods of estimation are the methods of maximum likelihood and log-probability regression which are either described or made available through references. Two examples are analyzed by the latter methods and the results compared with those of the replacement method.
Potential for reversibility of pulmonary vascular obstructive disease in children after cardiac transplantation.

Abstract Patients with pulmonary vascular obstructive disease (PVOD) are usually not considered candidates for orthotopic cardiac transplantation, because the normal donor's right ventricle may be unable to function because of an acute increase in afterload, especially in the postischemic situation of the arrested and transported donar heart. The accepted guideline is that pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) must be 8 Wood units (mm Hg/liters/min) or lower during maximal medical management. 1,2 Patients whose PVR is between 4 and 8 Wood units are marginal candidates. Combined heart-lung transplantation or heterotopic cardiac transplantation is generally believed to be necessary when the PVR is 8 units. However, among children with a variety of congenital defects, PVOD is often reversible after correction, especially when correction is performed at a young age. This was the case in the patient described herein whose cardiac transplantation was successful despite a PVR of nearly 13 Wood units.
Cellular release of [18F]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose as a function of the glucose-6-phosphatase enzyme system.

[18F]-2-Fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) is a glucose analog currently utilized for positron emission tomography imaging studies in humans. FDG taken up by the liver is rapidly released. This property is attributed to elevated glucose-6-phosphatase (Glc-6-Pase) activity. To characterize this issue we studied the relationship between Glc-6-Pase activity and FDG release kinetics in a cell culture system. We overexpressed the Glc-6-Pase catalytic unit in a Glc-6-Pase-deficient mouse hepatocyte (Ho-15) and in A431 tumor cell lines. Glc-6-Pase enzyme activity and FDG release rates were determined in cells transfected with the Glc-6-Pase gene (Ho-15-D3 and A431-AC3), in mock-transfected cells of both cell lines, and in wild-type mouse hepatocytes (WT10) as control. Although the highest level of Glc-6-Pase activity was measured in A431-AC3, Ho-15-D3 cells showed much faster FDG release rates. The faster FDG release correlated with the level of glucose 6-phosphate transporter (Glc-6-PT) mRNA, which was found to be expressed at higher levels in Ho-15 compared with A431 cells. Overexpression of Glc-6-PT in A431-AC3 produced a dramatic increase in FDG release compared with control cells. This study gives the first direct evidence that activity of the Glc-6-Pase complex can be quantified in vivo by measuring FDG release. Adequate levels of Glc-6-Pase catalytic unit and Glc-6-PT are required for this function. FDG-positron emission tomography may be utilized to evaluate functional status of the Glc-6-Pase complex.
Model determination for nonlinear state-based system identification

A complete methodology for robust nonlinear system identification is derived and illustrated through example. A proven state estimation algorithm is utilized in conjunction with a modified version of a stepwise regression approach to successfully determine the nonlinear dynamics in a “known” truth simulation without a priori knowledge of the system model. First, Minimum Model Error (MME) estimation is derived and illustrated through example. MME is a robust state estimation routine that provides, in addition to smooth states, an estimate of the unmodeled system dynamics is determined from noisy measurement data of known variance. Next, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) model correlation routine where a modified version of a forward stepwise procedure is derived and implemented. The ANOVA approach to model acceptance is well documented primarily in social science literature, but has been sparsely written about for engineering applications. This paper shows a significant improvement in nonlinear model identification when used in conjunction with MME estimation.
Laser pyrolysis of carbonaceous rocks

Abstract Flash pyrolysis on carbonaceous rocks is used to determine total carbon contents as well as the state of thermal maturation of specific samples. Short, intense heating greatly accelerates maturation-like processes. A series of radical fragments are generated leaving complex char residue. These volatile fragments quench into stable molecular species, influenced by the pyrolysis environment. Experiments are described that utilize pulsed laser heating on rock samples. This convenient technique requires minimum sample preparation and is readily automated. Intense laser pulses (2–10 J) generate an acetylene-rich plasma that interacts with the normally short-lived radical fragments. During the rapid quenching process, acetylene-tagged stable compounds are formed as a direct result of acetylene-radical combination processes. Analysis of these acetylenic derivatives by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry gives a unique interpretation of both the sediment and the maturation process.