cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Black carbon semi-direct effects on cloud cover: review and synthesis

Abstract. Absorbing aerosols (AAs) such as black carbon (BC) or dust absorb incoming solar radiation, perturb the temperature structure of the atmosphere, and influence cloud cover. Previous studies have described conditions under which AAs either increase or decrease cloud cover. The effect depends on several factors, including the altitude of the AA relative to the cloud and the cloud type. We attempt to categorize the effects into several likely regimes. Cloud cover is decreased if the AAs are embedded in the cloud layer. AAs below cloud may enhance convection and cloud cover. AAs above cloud top stabilize the underlying layer and tend to enhance stratocumulus clouds but may reduce cumulus clouds. AAs can also promote cloud cover in convergent regions as they enhance deep convection and low level convergence as it draws in moisture from ocean to land regions. Most global model studies indicate a regional variation in the cloud response but generally increased cloud cover over oceans and some land regions, with net increased low-level and/or reduced upper level cloud cover. The result is a net negative semi-direct effect feedback from the cloud response to AAs. In some of these climate model studies, the cooling effect of BC due to cloud changes is strong enough to essentially cancel the warming direct effects.
The Python's Embrace: Clinical Research Regulation by Institutional Review Boards

Subject consent and its waiver are critical topics in contemporary research. Institutional review boards (IRBs), acting under the wary eye of the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), typically may waive consent when research involves no more than minimal risk, waiver would not harm the subjects, and the research would be impracticable without the waiver.1 IRBs constrict research when they cautiously interpret “impracticable” to mean “impossible” and insist on consent. And, in an ironic twist, IRBs can thus injure the vulnerable groups they imagine they are protecting. A disturbing pair of articles by Rich and his colleagues, one from 20102 and the second in this issue of Pediatrics ,3 demonstrate how this works. SUPPORT, the parent study, investigated the impact of different respiratory care regimens on lung disease, retinopathy, and survival in premature infants born between 24 and 27 weeks’ gestational age.4,5 Eighteen IRBs reviewed the protocol; all required that consent be obtained, even though these interventions are routinely provided without specific consent in everyday practice. This study reveals 3 of the resultant costs. The first cost is time and money. Obtaining consent drained $200 000 from the project, and if 75% of the eligible but not enrolled infants had been included, recruitment would … Address correspondence to Simon N. Whitney, MD, JD, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Dr, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098. E-mail: swhitney{at}bcm.edu
Modulation of the Pancreatic Islet β-Cell-delayed Rectifier Potassium Channel Kv2.1 by the Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Arachidonate

Abstract Glucose stimulates both insulin secretion and hydrolysis of arachidonic acid (AA) esterified in membrane phospholipids of pancreatic islet β-cells, and these processes are amplified by muscarinic agonists. Here we demonstrate that nonesterified AA regulates the biophysical activity of the pancreatic islet β-cell-delayed rectifier channel, Kv2.1. Recordings of Kv2.1 currents from INS-1 insulinoma cells incubated with AA (5 μm) and subjected to graded degrees of depolarization exhibit a significantly shorter time-to-peak current interval than do control cells. AA causes a rapid decay and reduced peak conductance of delayed rectifier currents from INS-1 cells and from primary β-cells isolated from mouse, rat, and human pancreatic islets. Stimulating mouse islets with AA results in a significant increase in the frequency of glucose-induced [Ca2+] oscillations, which is an expected effect of Kv2.1 channel blockade. Stimulation with concentrations of glucose and carbachol that accelerate hydrolysis of endogenous AA from islet phosphoplipids also results in accelerated Kv2.1 inactivation and a shorter time-to-peak current interval. Group VIA phospholipase A2 (iPLA2β) hydrolyzes β-cell membrane phospholipids to release nonesterified fatty acids, including AA, and inhibiting iPLA2β prevents the muscarinic agonist-induced accelerated Kv2.1 inactivation. Furthermore, glucose and carbachol do not significantly affect Kv2.1 inactivation in β-cells from iPLA2β-/- mice. Stably transfected INS-1 cells that overexpress iPLA2β hydrolyze phospholipids more rapidly than control INS-1 cells and also exhibit an increase in the inactivation rate of the delayed rectifier currents. These results suggest that Kv2.1 currents could be dynamically modulated in the pancreatic islet β-cell by phospholipase-catalyzed hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids to yield non-esterified fatty acids, such as AA, that facilitate Ca2+ entry and insulin secretion.
Automatically Fixing C Buffer Overflows Using Program Transformations

Fixing C buffer overflows at source code level remains a manual activity, at best semi-automated. We present an automated approach to fix buffer overflows by describing two program transformations that automatically introduce two well-known security solutions to C source code. The transformations embrace the difficulties of correctly analyzing and modifying C source code considering pointers and aliasing. They are effective: they fixed all buffer overflows featured in 4,505 programs of NIST's SAMATE reference dataset, making the changes automatically on over 2.3 million lines of code (MLOC). They are also safe: we applied them to make hundreds of changes on four open source programs (1.7 MLOC) without breaking the programs. Automated transformations such as these can be used by developers during coding, and by maintainers to fix problems in legacy code. They can be applied on a case by case basis, or as a batch to fix the root causes behind buffer overflows, thereby improving the dependability of systems.
Comparison of direct transesterification of algal biomass under supercritical methanol and microwave irradiation conditions

Abstract In this comparative study, direct conversion of algal biomass into biodiesel using supercritical methanol (SCM) and microwave-assisted (MW) transesterification methods was investigated. Wet algal biomass was used as feedstock in the supercritical methanol process and dry algal biomass for the microwave-assisted transesterification. Experimental runs were designed using a response surface methodology and the process parameters such as wet/dry algae to methanol ratio, reaction temperature, reaction time and catalyst concentrations were optimized for both processes. The microwave-assisted approach improves extractions of algae significantly, with a higher efficiency, reduced extractive-transesterification time and increased yield. While the non-catalytic supercritical methanol method produces highly purified extracts (free of harmful solvents and catalyst residues), and reduces energy consumption in separation and purification steps. The algal biodiesel samples from SCM and MW processes were compared using FT-IR and TGA analysis methods to identify the functional group attributions and thermal stability of the biofuel samples, respectively. The transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis of algal biomass and lipid extracted algae (LEA) and energy requirements for the two processes are also presented.
Impact of uremia on female reproductive cyclicity, ovulation, and luteinizing hormone in the rat

Impact of uremia on female reproductive cyclicity, ovulation, and luteinizing hormone in the rat. Background Impaired reproductive function accompanies chronic renal insufficiency (uremia) in both the human and experimental animal. Clinical hypogonadism occurs in both genders. The present studies were designed to investigate possible anti-ovulatory effects of uremia in the female rat, a species that produces multiple ova during the normal estrous cycle. Methods Renal insufficiency (uremia) was induced by 5/6 nephrectomy. Two control groups comprised sham-operated animals fed ad libitum (sham) or pair-wise with the uremic animals (pair-fed). Estrous cycles were determined by cytology of vaginal lavage. We examined concomitant changes in the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge by radioimmunoassay (RIA), immunoradiometric assay (IRMA), and bioassay. Repetitive LH measurements were made from blood samples taken by intra-atrial catheter throughout the afternoon and evening of proestrus. The following morning (estrus), ovaries were collected, and ova were enumerated per oviduct. Results Experimentally uremic animals manifested a threefold elevation of plasma creatinine and urea nitrogen and concomitantly a more than 50% impoverishment of ova production. Analyses of a large group of animals ( N = 83) by RIA revealed uremia-associated attenuation of the preovulatory LH surge. Further measurements of the preovulatory LH surge by independent IRMA and LH bioassay ( N = 26) corroborated this attenuation. Additional experiments indicated that these hormonal changes, but not changes in ovulation, might further reflect modulation of LH release by the anesthesia used in the preparative nephrectomy and catheterization surgeries. When normalized to body weight, the ovaries of uremic rats were found to weigh more than those of either the sham or pair-fed animals. Conclusions The present experiments take advantage of an experimental uremic model to document a consistent decrease in the number of ova released during estrus in the uremic animal. Possible disruption of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian regulation is further highlighted by attenuation in the preovulatory LH surge. These results provide a basis for further studies of neuroendocrine pathophysiology in a rodent model of uremia-associated ovulatory disruption.
Patterns of growth hormone-releasing factor and somatostatin secretion into the hypophysial-portal circulation of the rat

The interrelation between the secretion of two hypophysiotropic peptides, growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) and somatostatin (SRIF), in the generation of episodic growth hormone (GH) secretion was inferred from direct measurements of immunoreactive GRF and immunoreactive SRIF concentrations in the hypophysial-portal plasma of the rat. Secretion of immunoreactive GRF was found to be episodic, with maximal concentrations present during periods of expected GH secretory episodes. Secretion of immunoreactive GRF was accompanied by a moderate reduction in portal plasma levels of immunoreactive SRIF. Passive immunoneutralization of SRIF was associated with increased concentrations of immunoreactive GRF in hypophysial-portal plasma. On the basis of these observations, it appears that each GH secretory episode is initiated by pulsatile secretion of immunoreactive GRF into the portal circulation, which is preceded by or is concurrent with a moderate reduction of inhibitory tone provided by portal immunoreactive SRIF. These experiments provide direct insights into central and adenohypophysial mechanisms by which GRF and SRIF interact to generate episodic secretion of GH.
Management of Metastatic Breast Cancer With Second-Generation Antibody-Drug Conjugates: Focus on Glembatumumab Vedotin (CDX-011, CR011-vcMMAE)

Exploiting the highly targeted nature of monoclonal antibodies to deliver selectively to tumor cells a cytotoxic payload is an attractive concept and the successful precedents of the recent past set the stage for broader applications in the future. Antibody–drug conjugates may currently hold an unprecedented potential; however, there are multiple unique challenges in their development, and the recent successes have come hand in hand with significant technologic advances in their chemistry and manufacturing. Over the years, multiple factors have been identified to affect the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of an antibody–drug conjugate, but many important details remain to be further investigated. These factors pertain to the target antigen, antibody, conjugate, linker, as well as the nature of the malignancy under treatment. Glembatumumab vedotin is an antibody–drug conjugate targeting glycoprotein non-metastatic B (GPNMB) expressed in multiple malignancies, including breast cancer. The expression of this protein has been associated with an aggressive malignant phenotype, invasive growth, angiogenesis, and generation of skeletal metastases. Glembatumumab vedotin is currently in early stages of clinical development in melanoma and breast cancer. Although in unselected patients with metastatic breast cancer glembatumumab vedotin was not superior to other agents, by virtue of its target being frequently and highly expressed in triple-negative breast cancer, its activity was particularly promising in this subset of patients. Results from the clinical studies in breast cancer as well as companion studies in melanoma indicate that a biomarker-informed approach is the optimal pathway for the future development of this drug.
13C nmr studies of aurothioglucose: Ligand exchange and redox disproportionation reactions

Abstract 13 C nmr studies of gold thioglucose, AuSTg, and solutions containing added β-1-D-thioglucose, TgSH, have been conducted at PD 7.4 and interpreted in terms of complexation and ligand exchange reactions that are consistent with the known preference of gold(I) for linear two-coordinate structures. The upper limit of the half-life for ligand exchange between 0.25 M Au(STg) 2 − and TgSH at pD 7.4 is 2.2 msec. The 13 C nmr spectra of various thioglucose derivatives have been assigned. A novel oxidation reduction reaction was discovered that leads to the formation of metallic gold and a product tentatively identified as the sulfinic acid derivative of thioglucose. The presence of sulfinic acid in AuSTg was indicated by the infrared absorption at 1050 cm −1 . The same product was formed by slow hydrolysis of thioglucose disulfide. A mechanism for the formation of the sulfinic acid derivative from AuSTg is proposed.
Intersections of Inequality: Understanding Marginalization and Privilege in the Post-Civil Rights Era

The post-civil rights era has left an important dilemma in U.S. politics. Despite the fact that the United States has become more integrated across racial and gendered lines since the 1960s, inequality, particularly economic inequality, has grown. Although much of that inequality continues to fall along racial, gender, and class lines, the opportunities afforded by the “rights revolution” have also created an important heterogeneity of privilege within marginal groups. As social scientists, how best can we identify the sources and results of this inequality? More specifically, how can we better understand the crosscutting political effects of both marginalization and privilege within and among groups in U.S. society? I contend that intersections theory may be a useful place to begin, and that the idea of intersectionality could provide a fruitful framework with which to understand issues of inequality in the post-civil rights era. Such a framework would help address some of the theoretical problems that sometimes arise within empirical work on marginal groups in political science and, ideally, allow scholars to understand better how experiences of marginalization and privilege affect the shape and character of American political life.
Diffraction, Dielectric Waveguides, Optical Fibers, and the Kerr Effect

Physical conductors (metals) that model adequately the behavior of a perfect conductor at microwave frequencies are too lossy at optical frequencies to provide low-loss enclosures. The same holds for reflectors. Whereas a metallic reflector is perfectly adequate at microwave frequencies, at optical frequencies reflectors have to be constructed using layered dielectrics of the proper thickness and dielectric constant. Total internal reflection is utilized in the construction of dielectric waveguides at microwave frequencies as well as at optical frequencies. At optical frequencies these dielectric waveguides are realized as fibers. Optical beams can also be contained in free space, if periodically refocused by lenses or mirrors. Optical resonators can be built with two or more curved mirrors that balance the diffraction of the beam bouncing back and forth and maintain a resonance mode in the space between the mirrors. The modes in dielectric waveguides and the modes of optical resonators share many of the properties of microwave waveguides and resonators discussed in the preceding chapter.
A Survey Study of U.S. Collegiate and K–12 Steel Band Directors’ Attitudes Relating to Steel Band Curriculum and Pedagogy

Steel bands were introduced into U.S. schools and universities during the 1950s and 1960s. There are now more than 600 U.S. school and university steel bands. The range of teaching methods and repe...
Association of human metapneumovirus with acute otitis media.

Summary Objective Human metapneumovirus (hMPV) is a recently described paramyxovirus that has been associated with acute upper and lower respiratory infection (LRI) in infants and children worldwide. We previously observed that one-third of the children with hMPV-associated LRI had been diagnosed with a concomitant acute otitis media (AOM). In the current study, we sought to investigate an association between hMPV and children presenting with AOM as a primary diagnosis. Methods We used realtime RT-PCR for hMPV to retrospectively test 144 paired nasal wash (NW) and middle ear fluid (MEF) specimens that had been prospectively collected from children with AOM during a 3-year period from 1990–1992. RNA was extracted from archived, frozen samples and realtime RT-PCR for hMPV was performed. Results We detected hMPV in 8/144 (6%) NW and 1/144 MEF. Several of the children still tested positive for hMPV in NW 3 days later, showing persistent virus shedding. All were detected from November–May and six had bacterial co-pathogens. Two of the eight (25%) hMPV-infected children had no bacterial pathogen isolated, suggesting that hMPV may be associated with AOM as a sole pathogen. Conclusions These data show that hMPV is associated with a proportion of AOM and thus has additional morbidity and healthcare impact related to these illnesses.
The Effects of Aerobic, Resistance and Combination Training on Insulin Sensitivity and secretion in Overweight Adults from STRRIDE AT/RT: A Randomized Trial

Most health organizations recommend a combination of aerobic training (AT) and resistance training (RT), yet few studies have compared their acute (within 24 h of the last exercise bout) and sustai...
An internal semantics for modal logic

In Kripke semantics for modal logic, “possible worlds” and the possibility relation are both primitive notions. This has both technical and conceptual shortcomings. From a technical point of view, the mathematics associated with Kripke semantics is often quite complicated. From a conceptual point of view, it is not clear how to use Kripke structures to model knowledge and belief, where one wants a clearer understanding of the notions that are primitive in Kripke semantics. We introduce modal structures as models for modal logic. We use the idea of possible worlds, but by directly describing the “internal semantics” of each possible world. It is much easier to study the standard logical questions, such as completeness, decidability, and compactness, using modal structures. Furthermore, modal structures offer a much more intuitive approach to modelling knowledge and belief.
Shear and Swirl Coaxial Injector Studies of LOX/GCH4 Rocket Combustion Using Non-Intrusive Laser Diagnostics

Uni-element liquid rocket experiments were completed for two different swirl coaxial injector configurations and a shear coaxial injector configuration using liquid oxygen/gaseous methane propellants. Several different non-intrusive optical techniques such as OH planar laser induced fluorescence, OH* chemiluminescence, laser light scattering and shadowgraph imaging, were employed to observe flame position and liquid core structure. All measurements were made in the near injector region of the chamber for steady state chamber pressures of approximately 4.14 MPa and propellant mass flowrates of 0.118 kg/s and 0.039 kg/s for liquid oxygen (LOX) and gaseous methane respectively. The two swirl injectors studied varied in the size of the methane annulus, maintaining the LOX post diameter constant. The shear coaxial injector was identical in size to the swirl injector with the smallest fuel annulus but the liquid flow was not swirled. The application of optical diagnostics, particularly those involving simultaneous measurements using two different techniques, provided detail information on the spray and flame structure for each injector. OH radicals were observed to be located in fuel rich areas of the flow while OH* chemiluminescence resided very close to the edge of LOX core as determined by light scattering measurements. Differences in the OH-PLIF signal location in this study and previous studies using hydrogen (H2) and LOX were explained by differences in injector geometry and mixing processes. The flow structures, atomization process and mixing were found to have a major effect on the location of OH-PLIF, OH* chemiluminescence and the combustion efficiency.
Mission Not Yet Accomplished? Massachusetts Contemplates Major Moves On Cost Containment

There is growing concern in Massachusetts that rising health care costs will derail the state’s move to universal health coverage. A special state panel has recommended moving from fee-for-service to a new system of global payments as the best way to reduce unnecessary care and expenses, while improving the health of patients. The commission points to specific examples in the state where global payments seem to be working. But other providers are pushing back.
Estimating the Burden of Total Knee Replacement in the United States

Background: In the last decade, the number of total knee replacements performed annually in the United States has doubled, with disproportionate increases among younger adults. While total knee replacement is a highly effective treatment for end-stage knee osteoarthritis, total knee replacement recipients can experience persistent pain and severe complications. We are aware of no current estimates of the prevalence of total knee replacement among adults in the U.S. Methods: We used the Osteoarthritis Policy Model, a validated computer simulation model of knee osteoarthritis, and data on annual total knee replacement utilization to estimate the prevalence of primary and revision total knee replacement among adults fifty years of age or older in the U.S. We combined these prevalence estimates with U.S. Census data to estimate the number of adults in the U.S. currently living with total knee replacement. The annual incidence of total knee replacement was derived from two longitudinal knee osteoarthritis cohorts and ranged from 1.6% to 11.9% in males and from 2.0% to 10.9% in females. Results: We estimated that 4.0 million (95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.6 million to 4.4 million) adults in the U.S. currently live with a total knee replacement, representing 4.2% (95% CI: 3.7% to 4.6%) of the population fifty years of age or older. The prevalence was higher among females (4.8%) than among males (3.4%) and increased with age. The lifetime risk of primary total knee replacement from the age of twenty-five years was 7.0% (95% CI: 6.1% to 7.8%) for males and 9.5% (95% CI: 8.5% to 10.5%) for females. Over half of adults in the U.S. diagnosed with knee osteoarthritis will undergo a total knee replacement. Conclusions: Among older adults in the U.S., total knee replacement is considerably more prevalent than rheumatoid arthritis and nearly as prevalent as congestive heart failure. Nearly 1.5 million of those with a primary total knee replacement are fifty to sixty-nine years old, indicating that a large population is at risk for costly revision surgery as well as possible long-term complications of total knee replacement. Clinical Relevance: These prevalence estimates will be useful in planning health services specific to the population living with total knee replacement.
Using traces based on procedure calls to reason about composability

Information flow models are usually conceived in terms of requirements on system traces, while verification that a system satisfies information flow requirements is usually done in terms of a state machine specification. The necessary translation from one model to another may result in a loss of understandability and expressiveness. J. McLean (JACM, Vol.31, no.3, pp.600-627, July 1984) showed how a language based on traces of procedure calls may be used to reason about security, and how one may prove that a program satisfies a specification written in that language. The language that he uses, however, does not easily lend itself to specification of composition of communicating processes. The present work modifies the language so that it is possible to specify the composition of systems. Several different information flow properties analogous to properties that have been defined for other systems, along with their composability, are defined and discussed. >
A survey of carpal and tarsal anomalies.

1. The carpus and tarsus are subject to the same types of anomalous development.2. Congenital anomalies may or may not be hereditary; they may be bilateral or unilateral; and they may undergo pathological changes.3. Teratological data are commonly misused for the fabrication of unsubstantiated phylo
PubChem3D: conformer ensemble accuracy

PubChem is a free and publicly available resource containing substance descriptions and their associated biological activity information. PubChem3D is an extension to PubChem containing computationally-derived three-dimensional (3-D) structures of small molecules. All the tools and services that are a part of PubChem3D rely upon the quality of the 3-D conformer models. Construction of the conformer models currently available in PubChem3D involves a clustering stage to sample the conformational space spanned by the molecule. While this stage allows one to downsize the conformer models to more manageable size, it may result in a loss of the ability to reproduce experimentally determined “bioactive” conformations, for example, found for PDB ligands. This study examines the extent of this accuracy loss and considers its effect on the 3-D similarity analysis of molecules. The conformer models consisting of up to 100,000 conformers per compound were generated for 47,123 small molecules whose structures were experimentally determined, and the conformers in each conformer model were clustered to reduce the size of the conformer model to a maximum of 500 conformers per molecule. The accuracy of the conformer models before and after clustering was evaluated using five different measures: root-mean-square distance (RMSD), shape-optimized shape-Tanimoto (ST ST-opt ) and combo-Tanimoto (ComboT ST-opt ), and color-optimized color-Tanimoto (CT CT-opt ) and combo-Tanimoto (ComboT CT-opt ). On average, the effect of clustering decreased the conformer model accuracy, increasing the conformer ensemble’s RMSD to the bioactive conformer (by 0.18 ± 0.12 A), and decreasing the ST ST-opt , ComboT ST-opt , CT CT-opt , and ComboT CT-opt scores (by 0.04 ± 0.03, 0.16 ± 0.09, 0.09 ± 0.05, and 0.15 ± 0.09, respectively). This study shows the RMSD accuracy performance of the PubChem3D conformer models is operating as designed. In addition, the effect of PubChem3D sampling on 3-D similarity measures shows that there is a linear degradation of average accuracy with respect to molecular size and flexibility. Generally speaking, one can likely expect the worst-case minimum accuracy of 90% or more of the PubChem3D ensembles to be 0.75, 1.09, 0.43, and 1.13, in terms of ST ST-opt , ComboT ST-opt , CT CT-opt , and ComboT CT-opt , respectively. This expected accuracy improves linearly as the molecule becomes smaller or less flexible.
Health disparities among adults with physical disabilities or cognitive limitations compared to individuals with no disabilities in the United States.

Abstract Background National survey data indicate the number of individuals reporting a disability is rising. Those with disabilities experience a large number of barriers to health promotion and disease prevention programming. However, only a limited number of studies have used nationally representative data to examine the health status of individuals with disabilities in comparison to those without disabilities. Objective/Hypothesis We used the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS) to examine whether disability is associated with higher prevalence rates for common chronic diseases, lower use of preventive care and higher health care expenditures. Our research hypothesis was that nationally, adults with either physical disability or cognitive limitations experience significant health disparities in comparison to those with no disability. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis comparing the health of adults (18 and over) with physical disabilities or cognitive limitations to individuals with no disability using data from the 2006 full year consolidated data file from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey (MEPS). We used chi-squared tests, t-tests, and logistic regression to evaluate the association. Results Individuals with physical disabilities or cognitive limitations had significantly higher prevalence rates for 7 chronic diseases than persons with no disabilities. The disability groups were also significantly less likely than the no disability group to receive 3 types of preventive care. Conclusions These data suggest that adults with disabilities and chronic conditions receive significantly fewer preventive services and have poorer health status than individuals without disabilities who have the same health conditions. This indicates a need for public health interventions that address the unique characteristics of adults with disabilities, many of whom are at risk for high cost, debilitating conditions that may not have as severe an effect on other population segments.
Does the Behavioral Immune System Prepare Females to Be Religiously Conservative and Collectivistic

Previous research has indicated that females are more likely than males to endorse collectivistic values and religious conservatism. The present research investigated an evolutionary explanation for these sex differences. More specifically, the sex differences in social conservatism may be due to variation in the behavioral immune system (BIS). The BIS is a set of psychological mechanisms that are proposed to be evolved solutions to disease threat. Four studies were conducted to examine this evolutionary explanation. In Study 1, BIS measures (e.g., disgust sensitivity) fully mediated sex differences in collectivism. This effect was specific to sexual disgust (Study 2). In Studies 3 and 4, the effect was extended to other forms of social conservatism (i.e., religious conservatism) and measures of the BIS. Together, these results suggest that sex differences in collectivism and religious conservatism may be explained in part by sex differences in the BIS.
Work in progress-comparing assessment tools in computer science education: empirical analysis

The paper discusses the usage of multiple-choice and open-ended constructed response questions for measuring the performance of undergraduate students in computer science courses. A goal of this research is to investigate if "guessing" plays a significant role in multiple-choice answering. An experiment was constructed in two academic institutions over a two-semester period involving students in four introductory programming classes. The quizzes consisted of pairs of similar questions, where each pair contained a multiple-choice and an open-ended constructed response question of equal difficulty and weight.
Fault table generation using Graphics Processing Units

In this paper, we explore the implementation of fault table generation on a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU). A fault table is essential for fault diagnosis and fault detection in VLSI testing and debug. Generating a fault table requires extensive fault simulation, with no fault dropping, and is extremely expensive from a computational standpoint. Fault simulation is inherently parallelizable, and the large number of threads that a GPU can operate on in parallel can be employed to accelerate fault simulation, and thereby accelerate fault table generation. Our approach, called GFTABLE, employs a pattern parallel approach which utilizes both bit-parallelism and thread-level parallelism. Our implementation is a significantly modified version of FSIM, which is pattern parallel fault simulation approach for single core processors. Like FSIM, GFTABLE utilizes critical path tracing and the dominator concept to reduce runtime. Further modifications to FSIM allow us to maximally harness the GPU's huge memory bandwidth and high computational power. Our approach does not store the circuit (or any part of the circuit) on the GPU. Efficient parallel reduction operations are implemented in our implementation of GFTABLE. We compare our performance to FSIM*, which is FSIM modified to generate a fault table on a single core processor. Our experiments indicate that GFTABLE, implemented on a single NVIDIA GeForce GTX 280 GPU card, can generate a fault table for 0.5 million test patterns on average 7.85x faster when compared with FSIM*. With the NVIDIA Tesla server, our approach would be potentially 34.82x faster.
Does concomitant mastoidectomy improve outcomes for patients undergoing repair of tympanic membrane perforations

BACKGROUND Although tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy is a common procedure, failures of perforation closure are not a rare occurrence. 1 Optimization of the tympanoplasty procedure would lead to improved patient outcomes and increased patient satisfaction. Controversy currently exists amongst otologists regarding the appropriate treatment of tympanic membrane perforations resulting from chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma. Proponents for mastoidectomy with tympanoplasty for this patient population contend that surgical opening of the mastoid pneumatic system buffers pressure changes in the middle ear according to Boyle’s Law and allows for the debridement of infected tissue and devitalized bone that may not be otherwise effectively treated. Anecdotal and empirical data supporting this theory are prevalent within the literature. However, several recent studies investigating tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy refute the claim that mastoidectomy improves otologic outcomes following perforation repair. 2,3 We review the current body of literature in an effort to elucidate the best practice. LITERATURE REVIEW Several studies have retrospectively reviewed outcomes of tympanoplasty with or without mastoidectomy for the treatment of noncholesteatomatous chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) (Table I and Table II. Balyan et al. 2 reviewed 323 patients with CSOM. The patients were separated into three groups: group I (n ¼ 53) consisted of patients with draining CSOM treated with tympanoplasty alone, group II (n ¼ 28) consisted of patients with draining CSOM treated with tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy, and group III (n ¼ 242)
A Probabilistic Model for Canonicalizing Named Entity Mentions

We present a statistical model for canonicalizing named entity mentions into a table whose rows represent entities and whose columns are attributes (or parts of attributes). The model is novel in that it incorporates entity context, surface features, first-order dependencies among attribute-parts, and a notion of noise. Transductive learning from a few seeds and a collection of mention tokens combines Bayesian inference and conditional estimation. We evaluate our model and its components on two datasets collected from political blogs and sports news, finding that it outperforms a simple agglomerative clustering approach and previous work.
A Comparison of Two Pain Measures for Asian American Cancer Patients

Although two of the most commonly used multidimensional pain scales are the McGill Pain Questionnaire-Short Form (MPQ-SF) and the Brief Pain Inventory-Short Form (BPI-SF), there has been little psychometric analysis of these tools used among ethnic minority populations. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare psychometric properties of these two pain scales among 119 Asian American cancer patients. The Cronbach's alpha coefficients of the MPQ-SF and the BPI-SF were high (alpha = .85-.97). The correlation coefficients of the item analyses were .12 to .88 for the MPQ-SF and .44 to .90 for the BPI-SF. Two factors were extracted for both instruments. Correlations between pain scores and the usage of pain medications were low for the MPQ-SF (r = .23-.33) and moderate for the BPI-SF (r = .40-.42). The results of this study indicated that, among Asian Americans, both the pain scales were internally consistent; some items in each instrument were redundant; and the BPI-SF is more valid than the MPQ-SF.
Exploratory analysis of time-lapse imagery with fast subset PCA

In surveillance and environmental monitoring applications, it is common to have millions of images of a particular scene. While there exist tools to find particular events, anomalies, human actions and behaviors, there has been little investigation of tools which allow more exploratory searches in the data. This paper proposes modifications to PCA that enable users to quickly recompute low-rank decompositions for select spatial and temporal subsets of the data. This process returns decompositions orders of magnitude faster than general PCA and are close to optimal in terms of reconstruction error. We show examples of real exploratory data analysis across several applications, including an interactive web application.
Prey naivety in the behavioural responses of juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) to an invasive predator

SUMMARY 1. Non-native predators might inflict proportionally higher mortality on prey that have no previous experience of them, compared to species that have coexisted with the predator for some time. 2. We tested whether juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) were less able to recognise a non-native than a native predator, by investigating behavioural responses to the chemical cues of the invasive smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) and the native northern pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus oregonensis) in both laboratory and field experiments. 3. Laboratory results demonstrated strong innate antipredator responses of individual juvenile Chinook salmon to northern pikeminnow; fish spent 70% of time motionless and exhibited 100% greater panic response than in controls. By contrast, antipredator responses to the chemical cues of smallmouth bass did not differ from controls. 4. These results were supported by similar differences in recognition of these predator odours by groups of juvenile Chinook salmon in fully natural conditions, though responses reflected a greater range of antipredator behaviours by individuals. In field trials, responses to northern pikeminnow odour resulted in increased flight or absence, reductions in swimming and foraging, and increased time spent near the substratum, compared to smallmouth bass odour. 5. Given that survival of juvenile fish is facilitated by predator recognition, our results support the hypothesis that naivety may be an important factor determining the effect of non-native predators on prey populations. Efforts to manage the effect of native and non-native predators may benefit by considering complex behavioural interactions, such as these at the individual and group levels.
Use of Internet Resources in the Biology Lecture Classroom

HE lecture classroom continues to be used as a primary method of teaching biology. Multipurpose classrooms equipped for hands-on oriented teaching have adequately replaced lectures in some cases but, because of large class sizes, lectures often remain as a primary teaching method. Lecture styles that incorporate a variety of innovative teaching methods are essential if one is going to gain the attention of students raised in our media-saturated culture. There is a plethora of media and multimedia resources available that can be used in the lecture classroom to enhance teaching and complement demonstrations and other teaching aids. However, many of the media resources are expensive and in many cases one cannot readily preview the material before purchasing it. Furthermore, media such as video or film offer minimal flexibility of use during the lecture. For example, rewinding or forwarding to a particular video segment can take up valuable lecture time. Laser discs and CD-ROM offer more flexibility of use during the lecture but can be cost prohibitive. The Internet also offers a rich source of potential teaching aids that can be used to enhance the biology classroom lecture. Most of the material can be accessed free of charge or for a small registration fee. In addition, most of the resources can be displayed with a computer system and a monitor or projection system. This setup allows the instructor several options for accessing and displaying the material. I would like to give some examples of how the Internet and resources found on the Internet can be used t o e nhance t he b iology l ecture. I nternet addresses f or s ome o f t he r esources will be documented.
APOPTOSIS INDUCTION BY TUMOR- TARGETED TOXINS

Tumor cell-targeted toxins are recombinant proteins that consist of a targeting domain that preferentially recognizes tumor cells and facilitates entry of the protein into the target cells with a bacterial or plant toxin that kills the tumor cells. A large number of toxins targeted against different kinds of tumor cell have been developed in recent years and the first such toxins are approved for use against specific cancers. In most cases, targeted toxins kill their target cells by inducing caspase-dependent apoptosis. However the mechanism by which the apoptotic machinery is activated may differ with different toxins and in different cell types. Moreover, recent work shows that the same toxin can kill different kinds of tumor cells through different molecular mechanisms.
Export Startup Strategy

Nontraditional export development has been a rallying cry in emerging countries. This recounting of the stages that a new export firm passes through derives from observations in the field. It treats the exporter as an entrepreneur and uses the experience of start-ups to help the entrepreneur overcome start up problems.
Leadership Effectiveness and Motivation in Africa and the African Diaspora (LEAD)

This symposium will report on the results of the Leadership Effectiveness in Africa and the African Diaspora (LEAD) project. The symposium will consist of four presentations, comments on the presen...
Greenways and the Urban form: City of Ankara, Turkey

Greenways can be roughly considered as linear open spaces with connection functions. They are planned along with either natural corridors or other routes designed for multi-functional uses, and differentiated from the remainder of the landscape with its unusual potential and natural character and can be considered as linked parks or greenways. In this paper, greenway concept and the definitions offered for it were discussed. The characteristics of greenways, the benefits and liabilities, goals, landscape context and its sustainability and planning approaches were given. Then, Ankara city, the metropolitan area, was criticized. The existing potential of the urban environment, the possibilities of forming such a greenway system for Ankara, along with the valley systems of the city and their suitability for ecological and recreational purpose, were evaluated. Besides, the vitality of greenways for metropolitan areas/urban development and its positive effects on human health was emphasized.
Some Relations between Events and Attitudes

The assumption that the general public reacts rationally to its changing political and economic environment is basic to democratic theory; for if rational reaction to the complex of events having broad political significance is not general but is limited to a minority of the public, then the rational few must govern the irrational many. Yet this democratic assumption has been little explored empirically. Protagonists of government responsible to the general public assert it; antagonists deny it—both groups basing their judgment on the common sense of everyday observation or on the rigorous a priori requirements of their own political theories, values, and ideologies or of those of such theorists as Plato, Machiavelli, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, and Thomas Jefferson. The assumption cannot be examined indirectly and inferentially from analysis of reactions to nonpolitical stimuli. It is of no political consequence that an individual sensibly responds to a sharp object that touches his body by getting out of the way. It is of no political consequence as such that the hungry individual responds by seeking or fantasying food. It is of political consequence when individuals respond to high prices of food or to the threat of war or the prospect of peace by forming attitudes which are or may become the basis for political action.
Transparency and Repression: An Explanation for the Democratic Civil Peace

In the face of popular opposition, democracies often exert lower levels of repression compared to autocracies. For such a democratic civil peace this paper provides an explanation based on transparency. When the opposition see the level of repression they expect, atrocities are limited and the military does not engage in reprisals. In contrast, when reality diverges from expectations, there will be violent retributions against civilians. Using a tripartite stylization, I account for higher levels of violence in newly established democracies and examine the conditions under which the military's decision to intervene can diverge from the incumbent's order. I use statistics of missing data entries from reports on military expenditure as a measure of transparency and confirm its negative relation with political violence.
Medicolegal Aspects and Informed Consent

With the advent of high resolution CT, MRI, and ultrasound scanning, the frequency of radiologists’ serendipitous discovery of incidental findings (colloquially referred to as “incidentalomas”) on radiological examinations is increasing. Incidentalomas account for approximately 20% of all findings, due to two reasons: (a) the number of hi-tech imaging exams (primarily CT) performed today, and (b) the increasing sophistication of the technology. In the early 1980s when CT scanning was in its infancy, 3 to 5 million scans were performed annually in the US. In the past few years, the annual number of CT scans performed in the US has increased exponentially to well over 80 million. In addition, the specificity of the equipment has advanced geometrically such that abnormalities and/or pseudo-abnormalities 1 mm or a fraction of 1 mm in size that were virtually “invisible” before can now be seen quite easily.
Transforming the Tale: The Auto/body/ographies of Nancy Mairs

In the first essay of her most recent collection, Waist-High in the World (1997), Nancy Mairs poses again the question that has informed her writing for more than a decade: “Who would I be if I didn’t have MS?” (8). Not at all glibly rhetorical, the question lies at the center of Mairs’s autobiographical project, which attempts both to articulate the significance of a disabled female body in the construction of her identity and to invent an aesthetics of that multiply determined self. As she declares in the title essay of Carnal Acts (1990), for instance, writing emphatically about the inseparability of body and mind, “I speak as a crippled woman… No body, no voice; no voice, no body. That’s what I know in my bones… I couldn’t write bodiless prose” (96); and she answers her own question at the start of Waist-High in the World, “Literally, no body. I am not ‘Nancy + MS’” (8).