cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Do housing prices reflect water quality impairments? Evidence from the Puget Sound

Abstract Using data from Washington state and empirical methods to control for confounding factors, we estimate the effects of water quality impairments on residential housing prices. We also examine the role of individual water quality parameters such as fecal coliform and dissolved oxygen that are used to judge the attainment of water quality standards. Results indicate that impairments have a negative effect on home values. Using a hedonic model that includes fine-resolution spatial fixed effects, we find that being located adjacent to an impaired waterbody leads to an annualized depreciation of $1942. We find that water quality impairments due to fecal coliform have the largest effects. Given the importance of evaluating the economic benefits of water quality, the use of impairment data to evaluate these benefits on a larger scale could lead to improved allocation of resources to protect the myriad beneficial uses that depend on water quality.
Prevalence of hypogonadism in previously treated germ cell tumor patients.

TPS9658 Background: Germ cell tumors (GCTs) represent a model for a curable malignancy. Most treated patients will live active lives. Patients treated with platinum combination chemotherapy may be ...
Law and Power in China’s International Relations

This Article offers a much-needed updated examination of China’s resort to international law in its international relations, one of the most important and controversial topics facing today’s world. The Article analyzes a range of significant subjects concerning China’s contemporary theory and practice, including its WTO experience, territorial and maritime disputes, bilateral agreements concerning civil and political rights and multilateral human rights treaties. Noting that the current rules-based order appears unable to significantly restrain the exercise of China’s growing power, I argue that Beijing’s present attitude toward international law, which thus far seeks piecemeal changes issue by issue, may be in transition, inching gradually toward a more innovative, broader approach that shapes international law in ways that some observers see as resurrecting traditional China’s prominence in East Asia and that others fear reflect even grander ambitions. China’s growing power, however, is not as securely-based as widely-assumed, and we should not underestimate the extent to which China’s views are influenced by its interactions with the United States and its perception of American practice of international law.
Learning and Adaptation

There are many anatomical differences between speakers, such as the length of the vocal tract, the size of the nasal cavity, etc.. There are also many speaker-dependent speaking habits, such as accent, speed, loudness, etc.. These differences have been considered so extreme that many researchers have forsaken speaker-independent recognition. In the preceding chapters, we have shown that accurate speaker-independent recognition is possible, and that one need not be so pessimistic. However, we do acknowledge these speaker differences, and certainly believe that blindly mixing the parameters of all the speakers discards useful information.
Individual and Contextual Predictors of Involvement in Twelve‐Step Self‐Help Groups After Substance Abuse Treatment

Drawing on ecological and narrative theories of self-help groups, this study tests a multilevel model predicting self-help group involvement among male veterans who received inpatient substance abuse treatment. Following K. Maton (1993), the study moves beyond the individual-level of analysis to encompass variables in the treatment and post-treatment social ecology. Surveys administered to patients (N = 3,018) and treatment staff (N = 329) assessed these predictor domains and self-help group involvement 1 year after discharge. A hierarchical linear model fit to the data indicates that greater involvement in 12-step groups after discharge is predicted by the compatibility between personal and treatment belief systems. The implications of these findings for efforts to facilitate transitions between inpatient professional treatment and community-based self-help groups are discussed.
Feminist activism in digital space: Postfeminist contradictions in #WhyIStayed:

Scholars have argued that digital spaces are key sites for feminist activism, which can be seen in the emergence of “hashtag feminism,” or the use of social media hashtags to address feminist-ident...
A family-centered prevention ameliorates the associations of low self-control during childhood with employment income and poverty status in young African American adults

OBJECTIVE Children with low self-control who grow up in poverty are at elevated risk for living in poverty when they are adults. The purpose of this study was to further understanding of the intergenerational continuity of poverty by (a) examining the likelihood that children with low levels of self-control at age 11 earn less employment income and are more likely to live in poverty 14 years later, at age 25; and (b) determining, via a preventive intervention, whether enhancing supportive parenting during childhood will ameliorate these associations. METHODS Parents and their 11-year-old children from 381 families participated in the Strong African American Families (SAAF) program or a control condition. Teachers assessed children's self-control at 11 years; parents reported their use of supportive parenting when children were 11 and 13 years; emerging adults provided data on cognitive and emotional self-control at 19, 20, and 21 years; and young adults indicated their employment income at 25 years. RESULTS Significant two-way interactions were detected between children's self-control and prevention condition for employment income (b = -183.18, 95% CI [-363.82, -2.53], p < .05) and poverty status (b = 0.257, 95% CI [0.018, 0.497], p < .05). Low self-control at age 11 forecast less employment income and a greater likelihood of living in poverty among children in the control condition, but not among low self-control SAAF participants. Mediated moderation analyses confirmed that enhanced supportive parenting accounted for SAAF's effects on employment income (indirect effect = 63.057, 95% BCA [19.385, 124.748]) and poverty status (indirect effect = -0.071, 95% BCA [-0.165, -0.016]). CONCLUSIONS This study is unique in using a randomized controlled trial to show that preventive interventions designed to enhance parenting and strengthen families can buffer the long-term economic consequences of low self-control.
Using a sequence-specific coarse-grained model for studying protein liquid–liquid phase separation

The formation of membraneless organelles (MLOs) via liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of biomolecules is a topic that has garnered significant attention in the scientific community recently. Experimental studies have revealed that intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) may play a major role in driving the formation of these droplets via LLPS by forming multivalent interactions between amino acids. To quantify these interactions is an arduous task as it is difficult to investigate these interactions at the amino acid level using currently available experimental tools. It becomes necessary to complement experimental studies using appropriate computational methods such as coarse-grained models of IDPs that can allow one to simulate biomolecular LLPS using general-purpose hardware. Here, we summarize our coarse-grained modeling framework that uses a single bead per amino acid resolution and the co-existence sampling technique to study sequence-specific protein phase separation using molecular dynamics simulations. We further discuss the caveats and technicalities, which one must consider while using this method to obtain thermodynamic phase diagrams. To ease the learning curve, we provide our implementations of the coarse-grained potentials in the HOOMD-Blue simulation package and associated python scripts to run such simulations.
Loyal to the Executive: The Effect of State Capacity on Local Horizontal Accountability

The literature suggests that state capacity has a reinforcing effect on democracy. This paper focuses on local democracy and draws on the comparative method to evaluate how bureaucratic capacity and usability can affect a critical component of democracy—horizontal (or intrastate) accountability. Contrasting with the literature, this paper argues that, even in democratic regimes, state capacity can discourage accountability agents that are elected through popular vote. Bureaucracies that are well funded, highly professionalized, and usable can give local executives an ample capacity to discourage accountability agents (municipal councils). When local bureaucracies lack these characteristics, executives can still manage to influence horizontal accountability by exchanging council members’ support for access to municipal resources. Municipal councils’ inclination towards accountability is greater when local bureaucracies are highly capable but not usable. In these cases, the local executive lacks influence on council members’ electoral support and, therefore, on their disposition for accountability.
Direct electron acceleration in multi-kilojoule, multi-picosecond laser pulses

The physics mechanism behind the acceleration of electrons to energies much higher than the laser ponderomotive potential is reported. While electrons with these energies have been observed for the last twenty years at the one percent level, it is only with the recent advent of high power lasers with extended pulse durations, large focal spots, and high intensities that significant numbers ( > 10 %) of the so-called “superponderomotive” electrons have been observed. Evidence is provided that the dominant acceleration mechanism of superponderomotive electrons is direct acceleration by the electromagnetic (EM) wave of the laser as they co-propagate in an under-dense plasma; one-dimensional particle-in-cell simulations yield electron spectra with typically ten times the ponderomotive temperature. Direct acceleration requires tens of plasma wavelengths of under-dense plasma, as well as pulse durations of tens of plasma periods, conditions that can be found in large focal spot multi-picosecond laser pulses. It is shown that the plasma simply provides the source of accelerated electrons and a variety of methods to inject a significant population of electrons into the EM waves at relativistic energy.
Learning Robust Multi-label Sample Specific Distances for Identifying HIV-1 Drug Resistance.

Acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) is a syndrome caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). During the progression of AIDS, a patient’s the immune system is weakened, which increases the patient’s susceptibility to infections and diseases. Although antiretroviral drugs can effectively suppress HIV, the virus mutates very quickly and can become resistant to treatment. In addition, the virus can also become resistant to other treatments not currently being used through mutations, which is known in the clinical research community as cross-resistance. Since a single HIV strain can be resistant to multiple drugs, this problem is naturally represented as a multi-label classification problem. Given this multi-class relationship, traditional single-label classification methods usually fail to effectively identify the drug resistances that may develop after a particular virus mutation. In this paper, we propose a novel multi-label Robust Sample Specific Distance (RSSD) method to identify multi-class HIV drug resistance. Our method is novel in that it can illustrate the relative strength of the drug resistance of a reverse transcriptase sequence against a given drug nucleoside analogue and learn the distance metrics for all the drug resistances. To learn the proposed RSSDs, we formulate a learning objective that maximizes the ratio of the summations of a number of \(\ell _1\)-norm distances, which is difficult to solve in general. To solve this optimization problem, we derive an efficient, non-greedy, iterative algorithm with rigorously proved convergence. Our new method has been verified on a public HIV-1 drug resistance data set with over 600 RT sequences and five nucleoside analogues. We compared our method against other state-of-the-art multi-label classification methods and the experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of our proposed method.
Performance Analysis of Short and Mid-Term Wind Power Prediction using ARIMA and Hybrid Models

Due to the high market penetration of wind power, efficient prediction methodologies are of paramount importance to promote wind power generation in the electricity market against more secure and dispatchable energy sources. This paper has proposed mix of regression and machine learning methods, such as Auto-Regressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA), Random Forest (RF), Bagging Classification and Regression Trees (BCART), and two hybrid models of ARIMA-RF and ARIMA-BCART to forecast one, two, and seven days of wind power generation. The prediction relies on weather data such as wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, air pressure, and density at hub height. The preliminary results indicate that ARIMA-RF and ARIMA-BCART aids in improving forecasting accuracy (i.e., NMAE 18%-26%) over standalone forecast mode of ARIMA.
Evolutionary History: Uniting History and Biology to Understand Life on Earth

We tend to see history and evolution springing from separate roots, one grounded in the human world and the other in the natural world. Human beings have, however, become probably the most powerful species shaping evolution today, and human-caused evolution in other species has probably been the most important force shaping human history. This book introduces readers to evolutionary history, a new field that unites history and biology to create a fuller understanding of the past than either can produce on its own. Evolutionary history can stimulate surprising new hypotheses for any field of history and evolutionary biology. How many art historians would have guessed that sculpture encouraged the evolution of tuskless elephants? How many biologists would have predicted that human poverty would accelerate animal evolution? How many military historians would have suspected that plant evolution would convert a counter-insurgency strategy into a rebel subsidy? With examples from around the globe, this book will help readers see the broadest patterns of history and the details of their own life in a new light.
Mechanism of Photoreactivation of Pseudorabies Virus

Abstract Primary chick embryo cultures were able to photoreactivate ultraviolet-treated pseudorabies virus. Upon exposure to fluorescent light, infected or uninfected chick cells eliminated thymine dimers induced in their deoxyribonucleic acid by ultraviolet irradiation. In contrast, rabbit kidney cells did not photoreactivate the virus or eliminate thymine dimers. Thus, the capacity for photoreactivation appeared to be determined by the ability of the cell to eliminate thymine dimers.
The Morning Star Ceremony Of The Skiri Pawnee As Described By Alfred C. Haddon

AbstractThis paper presents a typescript written by the British anthropologist, Alfred C. Haddon, which describes his observation of the Morning Star Ceremony of the Skiri Pawnee in 1906 as a guest...
A previllous ovum of eleven days' development.

Abstract The specimen presented is one of an apparently normal human ovum which from menstrual history and state of development is probably just beginning its twelfth day of growth. It compares very closely in development with one described by Hertig and Rock (Carnegie No. 7699) and presents features very similar to those of that specimen.
Viscosities of liquid metal alloys from nonequilibrium molecular dynamics

We have developed a nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) approach to predict viscosity by including external shear rates directly into the Hamiltonian equations of motion. Using the quantum Sutton–Chen (Q–SC) many-body potentials for Au and Cu, we applied NEMD to predict the viscosity as a function of shear rates for AuxCu1−x alloys with x ranging from 0 to 100%. This was done for temperatures of 1500 K to 2000 K. The predicted viscosities are in reasonable agreement with experiment. In particular, we find that fixing the density and changing the temperature leads to very little change in the shear viscosity. Thus, the temperature dependence in viscosity is mainly due to the change in density with temperature.
Correlations of atomic movements in lysozyme crystals

Diffuse scattering data have been collected on two crystal forms of lysozyme, tetragonal and triclinic, using synchrotron radiation. The observed diffraction patterns were simulated using an exact theory for simple model crystals which relates the diffuse scattering intensity distribution to the amplitudes and correlations of atomic movements. Although the mean square displacements in the tetragonal form are twice that in the triclinic crystal, the predominant component of atomic movement in both crystals is accounted for by short-range coupled motions where displacement correlations decay exponentially as a function of atomic separation, with a relaxation distance of approximately 6 A. Lattice coupled movements with a correlation distance approximately 50 A account for only about 5-10% of the total atomic mean square displacements in the protein crystals. The results contradict various presumptions that the disorder in protein crystals can be modeled predominantly by elastic vibrations or rigid body movements.
The effect of inlet conditions on the performance and flowfield structure of a non-premixed swirl-stabilized distributed reaction

A model reactor is used to investigate the extent to which the overall performance and detailed flowfield structure of a non-premixed swirl-stabilized distributed reaction are sensitive to modest changes in inlet conditions (e.g., fuel injection angle, inlet geometry, and swirl vane solidity). Measurements of combustor performance are based on exhaust plane species concentration profiles (HC, CO2, CO, O2), combustion efficiency, and visual observation of combustor stability. The detailed flowfield structure is established by spatially mapping the axial and azimuthal velocity fields using two-component laser anemometry, and the temperature field using a thermocouple probe. The results show that relatively modest changes in inlet conditions can dramatically affect the flowfield structure. As an example, for the model reactor evaluated the addition of a small step at the outer boundary of the swirler yields significantly lower centerline axial velocities and a more uniform thermal structure in the recirculation zone. Furthermore, a modest reduction in swirl vane solidity transforms the aerodynamic structure of the recirculation zone from an off-axis to a central, on-axis structure. These results explain, in part, the contradictory conclusions drawn from data acquired in non-premixed swirl-stabilized distributed reactions, and establish that comparisons and generalizations of such flows require, at a minimum, (1) careful measurements and specification of the inlet conditions, (2) detailed measurements of the flow structure, and (3) an assessment of the effects of modest changes in key operating and configurational variables. © 1988 Combustion Institute.
Central American Enunciations from US Zones of Indifference, or the Sentences of Coloniality

This essay explores Central American diasporic experiences in the US as sites for the continued exertion and reproduction of coloniality. A longstanding matrix of power transgressing all forms of borders and permeating all aspects of life—an irreversible and transgressive disease—coloniality operates so forcefully that it upholds its own survival. In the process, we live its plural incongruity and even extend its most contemptuous signs. Surveying a series of narrative texts produced from within the Central American diaspora in cities like Los Angeles and New York—Roberto Quesada’s Big Banana, Oscar Rene Benitez’s Inmortales, Hector Tobar’s Tattooed Soldier, and Mario Bencastro’s Odyssey to the North—this article examines the diverse ways through which the diasporic subject experiences coloniality, and how this subject unquestioningly contributes to its endurance. This article is available in Studies in 20th & 21st Century Literature: http://newprairiepress.org/sttcl/vol37/iss2/7 Central American Enunciations from US Zones of Indifference, or the Sentences of Coloniality Oriel Maria Siu University of Puget Sound Cut off from his origins and cut off from his ends, he is a thing tossed into the great sound and fury, bowed beneath the law of inertia. Frantz Fanon, Toward the African Revolution: Political Essays Instead of elaborating historical descriptions of the events that took place in Nazi concentration camps—a place where according to Giorgio Agamben the incursion of power in human life reaches maximum expression—in Homo Sacer (1995), State of Exception (2003) and Remnants of Auschwitz (1998), the Italian philosopher exercises a type of inverse interpretative operation. In these texts, Agamben explores the political and legal structures allowing the occurrence of such events to happen in the first place. This method of interpretation must consider “the concentration camp not as a simple historical fact and an anomaly that—admittedly still with us—belongs nonetheless to the past, but rather in some sense, as the hidden matrix and nomos of the political space in which we still live” (Agamben, Means Without End 37). Operating from a positioning that should have been overcome, the Modern State retains the power to deprive some human beings of their rights and freedoms. This practice, Agamben insists, is achieved by the normalization of a state of exception—or what we here will call a zone of indifference. In this zone, the moment of suspension of the law becomes as it has in the present, the paradigmatic form of Government. Homo sacer is the metaphor Agamben articulates to understand subjects confined to that zone of indifference. A dark figure of Roman law, homo sacer ‘sacred man’ was an individual who could 1 Siu: Central American Enunciations from US Zones of Indifference, or t Published by New Prairie Press
Parallel realization of systems, using factorizations and quotients in categories

Abstract A general theorem concerning the parallel representation of systems is proved, using the also general notions of terminal factorization situation and quotient in a category. Applications are given to the decomposition and synthesis of a number of kinds of systems.
Far-infrared microbolometer detectors

The bismuth microbolometer is a simple, easily made detector suitable for use throughout the far-infrared, which has been integrated with a variety of planar antennas. The general thermal properties of these devices and some of the constraints on bolometer materials are discussed. The fabrication and performance of several different types of microbolometers and microthermocouples are described.
NEWT: A RESTful service for building High Performance Computing web applications

The NERSC Web Toolkit (NEWT) brings High Performance Computing (HPC) to the web through easy to write web applications. Our work seeks to make HPC resources more accessible and useful to scientists who are more comfortable with the web than they are with command line interfaces. The effort required to get a fully functioning web application is decreasing, thanks to Web 2.0 standards and protocols such as AJAX, HTML5, JSON and REST. We believe HPC can speak the same language as the web, by leveraging these technologies to interface with existing grid technologies. NEWT presents computational and data resources through simple transactions against URIs. In this paper we describe our approach to building web applications for science using a RESTful web service. We present the NEWT web service and describe how it can be used to access HPC resources in a web browser environment using AJAX and JSON. We discuss our REST API for NEWT, and address specific challenges in integrating a heterogeneous collection of backend resources under a single web service. We provide examples of client side applications that leverage NEWT to access resources directly in the web browser. The goal of this effort is to create a model whereby HPC becomes easily accessible through the web, allowing users to interact with their scientific computing, data and applications entirely through such web interfaces.
A flexible model for simulation of software development process

Inadequate use of project management techniques in software development can be traced to the lack of efficient education strategies for managers [1]. Software development processes are complex and therefore it is hard to predict how changes made to some part of the process can affect the overall outcome of the process. Introducing change in the process is often time consuming and there is no assurance that the change implemented will result in an improvement. Simulation of software development process provides an easy way for managers to test the different configurations of the process and understand the effects of various policies.Using agent directed simulation to mimic the software development process at the individual level also would enable us to introduce a new phase of software development without having to change the simulation code. This simulation would start with a given number of agents initialized by the user. At any point of time, the user may change the number of developers or assign developers on different phases of the software development depending on their performance and capabilities.
Nicorandil, a potent cardioprotective agent, acts by opening mitochondrial ATP-dependent potassium channels

Abstract OBJECTIVES To determine the mechanism of cardioprotection afforded by nicorandil, an orally efficacious antianginal drug, we examined its effects on ATP-dependent potassium (KATP) channels. BACKGROUND Nicorandil can mimic ischemic preconditioning, while mitochondrial KATP(mitoKATP) channels rather than sarcolemmal KATP(surfaceKATP) channels have emerged as the likely effectors. METHODS Flavoprotein fluorescence and membrane current in intact rabbit ventricular myocytes were measured simultaneously to assay mitoKATPchannel and surface KATPchannel activities, respectively. In a cell-pelleting model of ischemia, cells permeable to trypan blue were counted as killed by 60 and 120 min of ischemia. RESULTS Nicorandil (100 μmol/liter) increased flavoprotein oxidation but not membrane current; a 10-fold higher concentration recruits both mitoKATPand surfaceKATPchannels. Pooled dose-response data confirm that nicorandil concentrations as low as 10 μmol/liter turn on mitoKATPchannels, while surfaceKATPcurrent requires exposure to millimolar concentrations. Nicorandil blunted the rate of cell death in a pelleting model of ischemia; this cardioprotective effect was prevented by the mitoKATPchannel blocker 5-hydroxydecanoate but was unaffected by the surfaceKATPchannel blocker HMR1098. CONCLUSIONS Nicorandil exerts a direct cardioprotective effect on heart muscle cells, an effect mediated by selective activation of mitoKATPchannels.
Mandating Behavioral or Technological Change: The Case of Auto Safety

Implementing social regulation can entail the choice between changing technology and changing the behavior of individual consumers and workers. A current example of this choice is whether to mandate passive restraint devices in new cars or to require motorists by law to use seat belts. This paper develops and tests a model for predicting individual choice between those two automobile safety policies. The study's implications for auto safety and other types of social regulation are discussed.
Intramolecular dative bonds involving boron with oxygen and nitrogen in boronic acids and esters : a computational study

Abstract The differential affinity of boron towards the oxygen and nitrogen lone pairs of electrons in 2-aminocarbonyl-phenylboronic acid (2-AC-PBA) and its corresponding ester, ethanediol (2-aminocarbonyl) phenylboronate (ED-2-AC-PB), has been investigated computationally using both density functional theory and second-order Moller–Plesset perturbation theory. In vacuo, the optimized boron–oxygen or boron–nitrogen distances in conformers of 2-AC-PBA, that involve either an intramolecular five-membered (:O C–C C–B) or (:N–C–C C–B) ring motif, are long, ∼2.4–3.0 A, and the calculated charge distribution and 11 B chemical shifts for these structures are not indicative of the presence of a B–O or B–N dative bond. In a variety of solvents, however, the optimized B–O or B–N distances from self-consistent reaction field calculations are much shorter, ∼1.7–1.8 A, and the charge distribution and 11 B chemical shifts are consistent with the formation of dative bonds. The results for the ester ED-2-AC-PB are similar, although a conformer with a B–N dative bond is also found in vacuo. The calculations show that conformers with the (:O C–C C–B) ring motif are consistently lower in energy than the corresponding conformers with the (:N–C–C C–B) ring motif, both in vacuo and in solution.
An MDO investigation of the impact of practical constraints on an HSCT configuration

This paper presents results from an MDO (multidisciplinary design optimization) design procedure illustrating the effects of numerous trim, control, and performance requirements for a high speed civil transport. We optimize the design for minimum take off gross weight, including both aerodynamics and structures to find the wing planform and thickness distribution, fuselage shape, engine placement and thrust, using 29 design variables and 70 constraints to insure realistic results. The constraints include the engine-out and crosswind landing requirements, as well as engine nacelle ground strike, rotation to lift-off attitude, balanced field length, and approach trim constraints. We found that the engine-out condition and the engine nacelle ground strike avoidance were critical conditions. The addition of a horizontal tail to allow take-off rotation resulted in a significant weight penalty. We also examined the effect of engine technology and sizing based on cruise and balanced field length constraints. The field length has a large influence on weight. We included a subsonic leg in our mission analysis, which also resulted in a large weight penalty. The cumulative effect of these considerations leads to very large increases in vehicle weight. We conclude with sensitivity studies performed to understand the effect of some of the constraints and the accuracy of the drag prediction on the optimized results. (Author)
First-Year Teaching Experiences: Are They Different for Traditionally versus Alternatively Certified Teachers?

Abstract The recruitment and retention of public school teachers has been an area of concern for many years. Teacher recruitment has been addressed through the development of alternative pathways to teacher certification. Teacher retention has been addressed primarily through induction programs that provide mentoring and other support resources to beginning teachers. Research has looked at the impact of alternative certification programs on teacher recruitment and teacher effectiveness. In addition, there has been extensive research on the impact of induction programs to help retain teachers in the field. This study provides information regarding how teachers who enter the field through alternative certification programs respond to these induction programs, in comparison to those who enter through more traditional programs.
Endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea - Is it due to intermittent hypoxia?

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent disorder causing hypertension. Endothelial dysfunction appears to underlie development of hypertension. It is not known whether hypoxia during sleep is necessarily the prerequisite process for endothelial dysfunction and hypertension in OSA. We therefore examined the relationship between endothelial-dependent vasodilatory capacity, hypoxia and circulating angiogenesis inhibitors in OSA. Methods and results: We studies 95 subjects with and without OSA and hypertension. Endothelialdependent vasodilation was assessed using brachial artery flow-mediated vasodilation method (FMD). Plasma angiogenesis inhibitors, endoglin (sEng) and fms-like tyrosine kinase-1 (sFlt-1), were measured using ELISA. The apneaehypopnea indexes were 41 � 5 and 48 � 4 events/hr in normotensive OSA (NOSA) and hypertensive OSA (H-OSA), respectively, indicating severe OSA. The sleep time spent with SaO 2 < 90% (T < 90%) were 34 � 8 and 40 � 9 min, respectively. FMD was markedly impaired in H-OSA (8.0% � 0.5) compared to N-OSA (13.5% � 0.5, P < 0.0001), H-non-OSA (10.5% � 0.8, P < 0.01), and N-nonOSA (16.1% � 1.0, P < 0.0001). There was no correlation between T < 90% and FMD. Both OSA groups had elevated levels of sFlt-1 (62.4 � 5.9 and 63.9 � 4.7 pg/ml) compared to N-non-OSA (32.1 � 6.5, P ¼ 0.0008 and P ¼ 0.0004, respectively) and H-non-OSA (41.2 � 7.0, P < 0.05 and P ¼ 0.03, respectively). In contrast, sEng was only elevated in H-OSA (4.20 � 0.17 ng/ml) compared with N-OSA (3.64 � 0.14, P ¼ 0.01) and N-non-OSA (3.48 � 0.20, P ¼ 0.01). There was a modest but statistically significant inverse correlation between sEng and FMD in only H-OSA group (r ¼� 0.38, P < 0.05). Conclusion: These data show that patients with OSA and hypertension have marked impairment of FMD, independent of hypoxia exposure, which is associated with increased sEng.
Electromagnetic wave interactions with 2D arrays of single-wall carbon nanotubes

We report, for the first time, the scattering, absorption, and reflection characteristics of 2D arrays of finite-length, armchair, single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) in the visible frequency regime. The analysis is based on the Finite-Element-Method formulation of Maxwell's equations and a 3D quantum electrical conductivity function. Three geometrical models have been considered: solid cylinder, hollow cylinder, and honeycomb. We demonstrate that classical electromagnetic theory is sufficient to evaluate the scattering and absorption cross sections of SWNTs, which revealed excellent agreement againstmeasurements without the need to invoke the effective impedance boundary conditions. The solid and hollow cylindrical models fail to provide accurate results, when both scattering and absorption are considered. Finally, it is shown that reflection and transmission characteristics of both individual and arrays of SWNTs, which are essential for solar cell applications, are strongly influenced by the length and the phenomenological parameters of the SWNT.
Tribone Tilings of Triangular Regions that Cover All but Three Holes

This paper extends the literature of tiling $$n$$n-row triangular arrays ($$T_n$$Tn) with copies of $$1 \times 3$$1×3 trominos discussed by Thurston, Conway, and Lagarias, focusing on tilings which cover all but three holes. We find a set of $$2^{\Omega (n^2)}$$2Ω(n2) such tilings, disproving the conjecture from 1993 that there are only $$2^{o(n^2)}$$2o(n2) such tilings. Furthermore, we show that if three cells are randomly removed from $$T_n$$Tn when $$n \equiv 0,2 \pmod 3$$n?0,2(mod3), then the probability that the remaining region can be tiled by tribones is nonzero.
Modality, invariance, and logical truth

Let us sum up. We began with the question, “What is the interest of a model-theoretic definition of validity?” Model theoretic validity consists in truth under all reinterpretations of non-logical constants. In this paper, we have described for each necessity concept a corresponding modal invariance property. Exemplification of that property by the logical constants of a language leads to an explanation of the necessity, in the corresponding sense, of its valid sentences. I have fixed upon the epistemic modalities in characterizing the logical constants: to be a logical constant in the language of a population is to be invariant over a modality describing complete possible epistemic states of that population (or an idealized analogue thereof). The grounds for this characterization are these: (1) It leads, I believe, to an extensionally reasonable demarcation of the logical constants, including clear cases and excluding clear non-cases. It gives a principled criterion for deciding unclear cases. (2) It provides an analysis of the topic-neutrality of logic. (3) It leads to an explanation of the epistemic necessity of the logical truths in terms of the topic-neutrality of the logical constants. All the same, it is reasonable to ask, even if the suggested demarcation of logic is extensionally correct, whether it can reasonably be expected to be fundamental. The epistemic invariance of an expression is a rather striking property, one which we should want to explain. What is missing, then, is an explanation of the distinguishing epistemic properties of the constants in terms of more fundamental properties involving their understanding and use. It would be these that properly define the nature, not just the extent, of logic.
The Influence of Fryer Temperature and Raw Weight on Fry Time of Deep-Fat Fried Chicken Thighs

Abstract Raw, breaded chicken thighs were fried at three different temperatures (163, 177, and 191 C) to an internal end-point temperature of 93 C. Fry time decreased with increasing fryer temperature (P .05).
Chlamydia pneumoniae and atherosclerosis: does the evidence support a causal or contributory role?

The intracellular bacterial pathogen Chlamydia pneumoniae causes respiratory tract infection and has been associated with atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. Since atherosclerosis is a progressive disease and is considered to be a chronic inflammation of the artery vessel wall, the interaction of C. pneumoniae with cells of the vasculature that can result in a local inflammatory response is of paramount importance. In this essay we review the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis in the context of C. pneumoniae infection and present an integrated model that includes the involvement of C. pneumoniae in all stages of atherogenesis including initiation, inflammation, fibrous plaque formation, plaque rupture and thrombosis. We hypothesize that acute and persistent infection of professional immune cells (T-cells, monocytes and macrophages) and non-immune cells (endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells) contributes to a sustained inflammatory response mediated by extensive cellular ‘crosstalk’ and numerous cytokines/chemokines. This cascade of inflammatory mediators may contribute to cellular dysfunction and tissue remodelling of the arterial intima. An improved understanding of the precise mechanism(s) of C. pneumoniae involvement in atherogenesis may help resolve the question of causality however, at the present time, we interpret the data as favoring a contributory rather than a causal role. Future research directed at the discovery of chlamydial virulence factors necessary for intracellular survival and subsequent alterations in host cell gene expression including signalling pathways may be important for the design of future clinical trials.
Inverse estimation of material properties for sheet metals

The main objective of this paper is to estimate the material properties for sheet metals subjected to loading and reverse loading by using an inverse method. Cyclic three-point bending tests are conducted. Bending moments are computed from the measured data, namely, punch stroke, punch load, bending strain and bending angle. Bending moments are also calculated based on the selected constitutive model. Normal anisotropy and non-linear isotropic/kinematic hardening are considered. Material parameters are estimated by minimizing the difference between these two bending moments. Modified Levenberg–Marquardt method is used in the optimization procedure. Stress–strain curves are generated with the material parameters found in this way. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On sequential closed testing dose groups with a control

Methods for a sequential test of a dose-response effect in pre-clinical studies are investigated. The objective of the test procedure is to compare several dose groups with a zero-dose control. The sequential testing is conducted within a closed family of one-sided tests. The procedures investigated are based on a monotonicity assumption. These closed procedures strongly control the familywise error rate while providing information about the shape of the dose-responce relationship. Performance of sequential testing procedures are compared via a Monte Carlo simulation study. We illustrae the procedures by application to a real data set.
Knorosov: The Decipherment of the Mayan Script

Knorosov: The Decipherment of the Mayan Script. Directed by Tiahoga Ruge and Eduardo Herrera. 2000. 57 minutes, color. Distributed by First Run/Icarus Films, 32 Court Street, 21st floor, Brooklyn, NY. http://www.frif.com.
Myocardial disarray at junction of ventricular septum and left and right ventricular free walls in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy

The abnormality of the myocardium in hearts with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HC) was assessed regarding whether the muscle bundle in the mid-wall layer maintains its normal circular and continuous orientation surrounding the left ventricular (LV) cavity. Forty-seven autopsied hearts with HC were examined. The LV wall midway between the base and apex was divided into 6 segments in the transverse plane. Histologically, the circular orientation was destroyed largely or completely due to marked fascicle disarray in 77% of the anterior and posterior junctional segments. In 33% of the middle portion of the ventricular septum and in 34% of the anterior and posterior portions of the LV free wall, the midwall layer showed disarray of muscle fibers or small fascicles. In contrast, the lateral LV free wall was devoid of disarranged fibers in its midwall layer. Myocardial fibrosis usually was predominant in the portion where disarray was marked. There were deep tissue clefts often in the area of junction. In 11 hearts (7 from patients aged > 65 years), the circular unit was intact in almost every segment, as it was in 9 of 10 control hearts. The destruction of the circular unit in the area of septal-free wall junctions in most patients with HC is a previously undescribed morphologic feature of HC. This discontinuity may result from retention of an abnormal fetal myocardial architecture in which the septal latitudinal muscle was continuous with the right ventricular free wall.
Optimal stock picking decisions in automatic storage and retrieval systems

Abstract Recent technological developments have brought on a revolution in the design and operation of warehousing systems. Automatic storage/retrieval systems (AS/RS) driven by embedded computers are becoming increasingly more prevalent. The increased use of AS/RS is creating the need for computerized control algorithms to support the scheduling and logistical decisions in such automated warehouses. In this research we explore the problem of deciding which storage locations to retrieve when confronted with a set of discrete orders for a given inventory item. In addition to the normal costs associated with the retrieval decision, this support introduces the cost of a location “breakdown” as a complicating factor in the retrieval decision. The problem is formulated as a type of mixed zero-one integer program. Computational results from a sample set of problems are reported.
1008-13 Incidence of Femoral Vein Occlusion Following Catheter Ablation in Children: Evaluation with Magnetic Resonance Angiography

Catheter ablation in children requires placement of multiple large bore femoral venous sheaths and catheters. Magnetic resonance (MR) angiography was used to evaluate the effect of indwelling lines on femoral venous blood flow. MR angiography has become an accepted non-invasive technique in evaluating blood vessel anatomy in adults. Between 10/93 and 3/94, eighteen patients scheduled for catheter ablation underwent MR venous angiography. Two-dimensional time of flight MR angiography was performed 24 to 72 hours after catheterization on all patients (13 patients had pre-catheterization studies). All patients received intravenous heparin during the procedure and had aspirin therapy instituted after ablation. Results Nineteen catheter ablations and MR angiography studies were performed on the 18 patients (1 patient underwent repeat ablation during the study period). There were 7 females and 11 males. The mean age was 14.91 ± 4.14 (range 8 to 21) years. Patients had three venous sheaths inserted in the left femoral vein (5, 6 and 7 French with external diameters measuring 1.7 mm, 2.0 mm and 2.3 mm respectively) and one sheath in the right femoral vein (7 French). Five patients (26%) had altered venous flow (3 complete obstruction and 2 partial) following catheterization. None of these patients experienced symptoms or complications. One of these five patients had long term follow-up MR angiography which revealed resolution. Conclusions There is a moderate occurrence (26%) of venous obstruction following catheter ablation but no related complications. MR venous angiography provides a rapid non-invasive method to evaluate venous flow abnormalities and possibly detect patients at risk for complications.
Studies on immunity to Asiatic cholera. VI. Observations on the relation of antibody to effective immunity to experimental enteric cholera, with a note on sulfonamide therapy.

tiply in and remain largely confined to the lumen of the bowel. It was also observed that the experimental infection was modified by prior infection or by immunization with vaccine given parenterally, and that the modification was associated with the occurrence of agglutinating antibody in the feces. Though no doubt far from identical with cholera in man, this experimental guinea pig infection may be regarded as resembling the human disease in at least one important feature, i.e., the infection is for the most part localized in the bowel. It may be anticipated, then, that the immune mechanism operative in the guinea pig infection is similar to that of effective immunity in man. The possibility that the immunity is a consequence of the presence of copro-
An Assessment of the Accuracy of GSN Sensor Response Information

The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 provides a special opportunity to validate the accuracy of sensor sensitivities reported for the IRIS Global Seismic Network (GSN). A goal of the GSN is to publish instrument responses to an accuracy of 1% in amplitude and 1° in phase. This earthquake excited long-period free oscillations such that modes with low decay rates could be observed above ambient noise for many weeks after the event. By examining the subset of modes least sensitive to short wavelength structure, one may test the reliability of published station response information. We investigate here the amplitude of the radial mode S , which is predicted to be uniform globally, by using two different techniques. The IRIS Global Seismic Network (Butler et al. , 2004) is now a fully operational scientific facility routinely used to investigate Earth structure and seismicity in many regions of the world where instrument coverage was previously very poor. The principal goal of the GSN, to place high-performance instruments at 2,000 km spacing around the planet, has largely been achieved except for some parts of the oceans. Several agencies, including the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, NOAA Tsunami Warning Centers, and United Nations Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty Organization, now rely routinely on GSN seismic data. Agencies and individual researchers throughout the world depend upon the accuracy of the metadata provided to them through the IRIS Data Management System (http://www.iris.edu/). The IRIS DMS in turn distributes response information supplied by the GSN network operators, the USGS Albuquerque Seismic Lab (ASL) and the University of California at San Diego's Project IDA (IDA). Both network operators conduct tests to measure the instrument response of the equipment they deploy at GSN sites. The Sumatra-Andaman earthquake of 26 December 2004 affords a rare opportunity to assess independently …