cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The shape of our bodies and health: deconstructing the panopticon of separation towards an empowered dance through the world

This paper initiates a forum for Malin Ideland and Claes Malmberg’s article titled Body talk—students’ identity construction while discussing a socioscientific issue. Ideland and Malmberg explore issues of health and body through teachers’ use of a pedagogical approach that foregrounds exploration of a socioscientific issue. This paper explores how the Panopticon of separation is embodied in the language and approaches to learning discussed and employed in Ideland and Malmberg’s article. It explores the concept of empowerment as integral to transformative learning and contrasts this to autonomy. Furthermore, it examines how educators and students can learn in ways that lead to greater health and empowerment through more ecological and connected forms of language and approaches to learning. Excerpts from Ideland and Malmberg’s article are juxtaposed with other perspectives as a means of generating edges, making differences apparent, and deconstructing the taken for granted both for the author and for Ideland and Malmberg. A feminist, poststructural approach is employed in this work as a means of embodying the uncertainty that students and educators are consistently learning to dance through with greater empowerment, which leads to improved health.
Standard bases and geometric invariant theoryI. Initial ideals and state polytopes

We characterise the set of monomial ideals that can occur as the initial ideals of a given homogeneous ideal Q in a polynomial ring, as one varies the monomial order used within a fixed coordinate system. This set is canonically bijective to the set of vertices of the state polytope of Q, a convex polytope arising in the geometric invariant theory of the Hilbert point of Q.
Confidence bounds and propagation of uncertainties in system availability and reliability computations

Abstract : This paper develops bounds on the uncertainties in system availabilities or reliabilities which have been computed from structural (series, parallel, etc.) relations among uncertain subsystem availabilities or reliabilities. It is assumed that the highly available (reliable) subsystems have been tested or simulated to determine their unavailabilities (unreliabilities) to within some small percentages of uncertainty. It is shown that series, parallel and r out of n structures which are nominally highly available will have unavailability uncertainties whose percentage errors are of the same order as the subsystem uncertainties. Thus overall system analysis errors, even for large systems, are of the same order of magnitude as the uncertainties in the component probabilities. Both systematic (bias type) uncertainties and independent random uncertainties are considered.
The privilege of the physical and the status of ontological debates

Theodore Sider in his latest book provides a defense of the substantivity of the first-order ontological debates against recent deflationary attacks. He articulates and defends several realist theses: (a) nature has an objective structure, (b) there is an objectively privileged language to describe the structure, and (c) ontological debates are substantive. Sider’s defense of metaontological realism, (c), crucially depends on his realism about fundamental languages, (b). I argue that (b) is wrong. As a result, Sider’s metaontological realism fails to establish the substantivity of certain ontological disputes. Nonetheless, I will argue denying metaontological realism does not require giving up on the realism about structure, (a), that most of us would like to preserve: namely the idea that there are objective similarities and differences in the world that we try to wrap our minds around.
Geographic variation in a facultative mutualism: consequences for local arthropod composition and diversity

Geographic variation in the outcome of interspecific interactions may influence not only the evolutionary trajectories of species but also the structure of local communities. We investigated this community consequence of geographic variation for a facultative mutualism between ants and wild cotton (Gossypium thurberi). Ants consume wild cotton extrafloral nectar and can protect plants from herbivores. We chose three sites that differed in interaction outcome, including a mutualism (ants provided the greatest benefits to plant fitness and responded to manipulations of extrafloral nectar), a potential commensalism (ants increased plant fitness but were unresponsive to extrafloral nectar), and a neutral interaction (ants neither affected plant fitness nor responded to extrafloral nectar). At all sites, we manipulated ants and extrafloral nectar in a factorial design and monitored the abundance, diversity, and composition of other arthropods occurring on wild cotton plants. We predicted that the effects of ants and extrafloral nectar on arthropods would be largest in the location with the mutualism and weakest where the interaction was neutral. A non-metric multidimensional scaling analysis revealed that the presence of ants altered arthropod composition, but only at the two sites in which ants increased plant fitness. At the site with the mutualism, ants also suppressed detritivore/scavenger abundance and increased aphids. The presence of extrafloral nectar increased arthropod abundance where mutual benefits were the strongest, whereas both arthropod abundance and morphospecies richness declined with extrafloral nectar availability at the site with the weakest ant–plant interaction. Some responses were geographically invariable: total arthropod richness and evenness declined by approximately 20% on plants with ants, and extrafloral nectar reduced carnivore abundance when ants were excluded from plants. These results demonstrate that a facultative ant–plant mutualism can alter the composition of arthropod assemblages on plants and that these community-level consequences vary across the landscape.
Effect of iprindole on norepinephrine turnover and transport

Iprindole, an antidepressant drug clinically similar to other tricyclic antidepressants, was administered to rats chronically. Such treatment did not alter the rate of decline of the log of brain norepinephrine levels after norepinephrine synthesis inhibition with α-methyltyrosine methyl ester. In addition, a single dose of iprindole did not significantly alter uptake of intracisternally administered H3-norepinephrine or the amount of H3-normetanephrine formed from such administration. Furthermore, iprindole added in vitro showed very low potency in blocking the uptake of labelled norepinephrine, metaraminol, serotonin, and dopamine into crude synaptosomal preparations. The bearing of these findings on the hypothesized mechanism of action of the tricyclic antidepressants, which affect all of the above parameters, is discussed.
APPLICATIONS OF A SENSITIVE LASER POLARIMETRIC HPLC DETECTOR: CONFIRMATION OF ENANTIOMERIC EXCESS FOR DANOFLOXACIN AND ANALYSIS OF A NOVEL MACROLIDE

A commercially available laser-based polarimetric detector (Chiral Detector) was used to confirm the enantiomeric excess of danofloxacin and to analyze a novel macrolide. The detector is based on the work of Yeung et al.[1] and uses a low noise laser diode which emits 675 nm radiation. Selectivity is obtained not through chromatographic resolution but through the sign and magnitude of detector response. An area ratio of the detector signals (Chiral/UV) was used to calculate Danofloxacin's optical purity. By calculating the ratio of the two detector signals an accurate measure of optical purity or enantiomeric excess can be calculated relative to standard responses without concern for potency, optical rotation of impurities, exact sample concentration or injection precision. The molecule is ideal for this type of determination since it absorbs UV radiation strongly, has a large optical rotation and the HPLC method resolves potential process impurities, synthetic byproducts and degradation products. The sig...
Analytic generalized inverse for transmission+reflection tomography

This short note presents a 1-D analytic generalized inverse for VSP transmission + reflection tomography. Its validity is restricted to evenly layered media and negligible ray bending. The significance of the result is that the reliability estimate of slowness for 1-D VSP tomography can be analyzed analytically, rather than by empirical guesswork. This can lead to the design of optimal tomography algorithms and field experiments. For example, Salo and Schuster (1989) observed empirically that reflection + transmission VSP data provided a better velocity reconstruction than do transmission VSP data alone. However, the underlying reason for this improvement was not clearly identified. This short note gives an unambiguous explanation.
Observation of fracture features in fused quartz with laser-induced internal flaws

Abstract Pulsed-laser light was used to generate internal flaws in fused quartz. The size of the flaw was proportional to the laser pulse energy above a threshold value of 2.5 mJ. Specimens which fractured under four-point bending, either from surface origins or from the internal flaws with a size less than 0.25 mm, exhibited the commonly observed fracture features of sequential mirror, mist, hackle and branching, and the transition from the mirror to other features was gradual. However, in specimens with internal flaws of a size greater than 0.25 mm, a new “demarcation” line (a smoothly curved boundary line between the mirror and other fracture features) was observed. Its characteristic varied with the flaw size and the relative position along the line. It is suggested that the formation of the demarcation line is caused by the combination of the dynamic process of crack propagation and environmental effects.
New advances in the pharmacological management of chronic heart failure

The management of heart failure has evolved in parallel with advances in the understanding of the disease process. Inotropes and diuretics are used to combat pump failure and fluid overload. While no convincing data has emerged regarding the long-term safety of inotropes, new exciting data concerning the role of diuretics, especially aldactone, has led to a renewed interest in this class of drug therapy. Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) were noted to not only affect symptomatology but also decrease mortality by interfering with the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system. Recent research has focused on more complete blockade of the renin-angiotensin system than that achieved with ACE inhibitors alone with the addition of direct angiotensin II receptor blockers. This new class of drugs may become not only a reasonable alternative to ACE inhibitors in patients intolerant of the drug but also a possible addition to ACE inhibitors in the battle to prevent progression of remodelling and disease. beta-blockers are the most exciting new class of drugs used to combat heart failure. They appear not only to combat the remodelling process that occurs in the progression of disease but also other pathological events such as apoptosis and cellular oxidation. New medical therapies currently being investigated include novel agents such as endothelin antagonists, natriuretic peptides, vasopressin antagonists and anticytokine agents--all part of a new era in drug management of heart failure that has evolved with continued advances in the understanding of chronic heart failure (CHF).
Modeling Disease In Vivo With CRISPR/Cas9

The recent advent of CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing has created a wave of excitement across the scientific research community, carrying the promise of simple and effective genomic manipulation of nearly any cell type. CRISPR has quickly become the preferred tool for genetic manipulation, and shows incredible promise as a platform for studying gene function in vivo. I discuss the current application of CRISPR technology to create new in vivo disease models, with a particular focus on how these tools, derived from an adaptive bacterial immune system, are helping us to better model the complexity of human cancer.
Symmetries and Asymmetries in Evidential Support

Several forms of symmetry in degrees of evidential support areconsidered. Some of these symmetries are shown not to hold in general. This has implications for the adequacy of many measures of degree ofevidential support that have been proposed and defended in the philosophical literature.
Multivariate Dyadic Regression Trees for Sparse Learning Problems

We propose a new nonparametric learning method based on multivariate dyadic regression trees (MDRTs). Unlike traditional dyadic decision trees (DDTs) or classification and regression trees (CARTs), MDRTs are constructed using penalized empirical risk minimization with a novel sparsity-inducing penalty. Theoretically, we show that MDRTs can simultaneously adapt to the unknown sparsity and smoothness of the true regression functions, and achieve the nearly optimal rates of convergence (in a minimax sense) for the class of (α, C)-smooth functions. Empirically, MDRTs can simultaneously conduct function estimation and variable selection in high dimensions. To make MDRTs applicable for large-scale learning problems, we propose a greedy heuristics. The superior performance of MDRTs are demonstrated on both synthetic and real datasets.
A Scientific Answer to a Scientific Question: The Gender Debate on Intimate Partner Violence.

This article addresses Winstok's critiques and comments on my review and analysis of the status of scientific information on intimate partner violence (IPV). I present some background on the development of the Revised Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2), an analysis of issues related to the operationalization of gender symmetry in IPV, and an evaluation of the hypotheses put forth by Winstok and others to explain the multimethod divergence in estimates for IPV gender patterns. Happily, we know much more about IPV than we did at the time of the creation and publication of the CTS2 in the mid-1990s, and excellent data can be brought to bear on many of these hypotheses. A scientific evaluation indicates that these hypotheses do not explain all of the data showing multimethod divergence. In some cases, these hypotheses have been repeatedly disconfirmed. On the other hand, increasing amounts of data indicate that choices regarding the operationalization of IPV in surveys have a substantial impact on gender patterns. Fairly simply methodological modifications can improve multimethod convergence. Evidence-based suggestions for measures showing multimethod convergence are provided. The field needs to continue to invest in increasing the scientific precision of violence measures. Language: en
Time relaxed spatiotemporal trajectory joins

Many spatiotemporal applications store moving object data in the form of trajectories. Various recent works have addressed interesting queries on trajectorial data, mainly focusing on range queries and Nearest Neighbor queries. Here we examine another interesting query, the Time Relaxed Spatiotemporal Trajectory Join (TRSTJ) which effectively finds groups of moving objects that have followed similar movements in different times. We first attempt to address the TRSTJ problem using a symbolic representation algorithm, which we have recently proposed for trajectory joins. However we show experimentally that this solution produces false positives that grow rapidly with the increase of the problem size. As a result, it is inefficient for TRSTJ queries as it leads to large query time overhead. In order to improve query performance, we propose two important heuristics that turn the symbolic represenation approach effective for TRSTJ queries. Our first improvement, allows the use of multiple origins when processing strings representing trajectories. The experimental evaluation shows that the multiple-origin approach drastically reduces query performance. We then present a ``divide and conquer'' approach to further reduce false positives through symbolic class separation. The proposed solutions can be combined together, which leads to even better query performance. We present an experimental study revealing the advantages of using these approaches for solving Time Relaxed Spatiotemporal Trajectory Join queries.
The missing link in the mystery of normal automaticity of cardiac pacemaker cells

Earlier studies of the initiating event of normal automaticity of the heart's pacemaker cells, inspired by classical quantitative membrane theory, focused upon ion currents (IK, I f) that determine the maximum diastolic potential and the early phase of the spontaneous diastolic depolarization (DD). These early DD events are caused by the prior action potential (AP) and essentially reflect a membrane recovery process. Events following the recovery process that ignite APs have not been recognized and remained a mystery until recently. These critical events are linked to rhythmic intracellular signals initiated by Ca2+ clock (i.e., sarcoplasmic reticulum [SR] cycling Ca2+). Sinoatrial cells, regardless of size, exhibit intense ryanodine receptor (RyR), Na+/Ca2+ exchange (NCX)-1, and SR Ca2+ ATPase-2 immunolabeling and dense submembrane NCX/RyR colocalization; Ca2+ clocks generate spontaneous stochastic but roughly periodic local subsarcolemmal Ca2+ releases (LCR). LCRs generate inward currents via NCX that exponentially accelerate the late DD. The timing and amplitude of LCR/I NCX-coupled events control the timing and amplitude of the nonlinear terminal DD and therefore ultimately control the chronotropic state by determining the timing of the I CaL activation that initiates the next AP. LCR period is precisely controlled by the kinetics of SR Ca2+ cycling, which, in turn, are regulated by 1) the status of protein kinase A-dependent phosphorylation of SR Ca2+ cycling proteins; and 2) membrane ion channels ensuring the Ca2+ homeostasis and therefore the Ca2+ available to Ca2+ clock. Thus, the link between early DD and next AP, missed in earlier studies, is ensured by a precisely physiologically regulated Ca2+ clock within pacemaker cells that integrates multiple Ca2+-dependent functions and rhythmically ignites APs during late DD via LCRs-I NCX coupling.
A Survey of Factors Affecting Blunt Leading-Edge Separation for Swept and Semi-Slender Wings

A survey is presented of factors affecting blunt leading-edge separation for swept and semi-slender wings. This class of separation often results in the onset and progression of separation-induced vortical flow over a slender or semi-slender wing. The term semi-slender is used to distinguish wings with moderate sweeps and aspect ratios from the more traditional highly-swept, low-aspect-ratio slender wing. Emphasis is divided between a selection of results obtained through literature survey a section of results from some recent research projects primarily being coordinated through NATO s Research and Technology Organization (RTO). An aircraft context to these studies is included.
Efficient separation of small molecules using a large surface area hypercrosslinked monolithic polymer capillary column.

Monolithic poly(styrene-co-vinylbenzyl chloride-co-divinylbenzene) precursor capillary columns have been prepared and then hypercrosslinked to afford a monolith containing an array of small pores. This monolithic column exhibited a surface area of 663 m2/g or more than 1 order of magnitude larger than measured for the precursor column. Because it contains mesopores, this monolithic column affords good separation of uracil and alkylbenzenes in isocratic mobile phase mode and also proved useful for separations in size exclusion mode. A column efficiency as high as 73 000 plates/m was determined for uracil. In contrast, the presence of mesopores in this hypercrosslinked monolithic column had a detrimental effect on the separation of proteins.
Hypercoagulable state testing and malignancy screening following venous thromboembolic events

Mounting interest in hypercoagulability, increased availability of hypercoagulable state test 'panels' and enhanced ability to identify abnormalities in tested patients have prompted widespread testing. Testing for acquired and inherited hypercoagulable states uncovers an abnormality in over 50% of patients presenting with an initial venous thromboembolic event (VTE) but may have minimal actual impact on management in most of these patients. Such laboratory screening should be reserved for patients in whom the results of individual tests will significantly impact the choice of anticoagulant agent, intensity of anticoagulant therapy, therapeutic monitoring, family screening, family planning, prognosis determination, and most of all duration of therapy. Testing 'just to know' is neither cost-effective nor clinically appropriate. The most important testing in patients following acute VTE may be age- and gender-specific cancer screening. Cancer screening following VTE seems most prudent in older individuals and in those with idiopathic VTE and no laboratory evidence for an inherited hypercoagulable state. Cancer screening should focus on identification of treatable cancers and those where diagnosis in an early stage favorably impacts patient survival. Extensive searches for occult malignancy employing whole-body computed tomography and serum tumor markers may identify more cancers but without affecting patient outcome. We advocate that physicians should focus their attention more on VTE prophylaxis and proper treatment and less on costly and, at times, invasive testing of questionable value.
Prefrontal Phase Locking to Hippocampal Theta Oscillations

The interactions between cortical and hippocampal circuits are critical for memory formation, yet their basic organization at the neuronal network level is not well understood. Here, we demonstrate that a significant portion of neurons in the medial prefrontal cortex of freely behaving rats are phase locked to the hippocampal theta rhythm. In addition, we show that prefrontal neurons phase lock best to theta oscillations delayed by approximately 50 ms and confirm this hippocampo-prefrontal directionality and timing at the level of correlations between single cells. Finally, we find that phase locking of prefrontal cells is predicted by the presence of significant correlations with hippocampal cells at positive delays up to 150 ms. The theta-entrained activity across cortico-hippocampal circuits described here may be important for gating information flow and guiding the plastic changes that are believed to underlie the storage of information across these networks.
Automatic verification of estimate functions with polynomials of bounded functions

The correctness of some arithmetic functions can be expressed in terms of the magnitude of errors. A reciprocal estimate function that returns an approximation of 1/x is such a function that is implemented in microprocessors. This paper describes an algorithm to prove that the error of an arithmetic function is less than its requirement. It divides the input domain into tiny segments, and for each segment we evaluate a requirement formula. The evaluation is carried out by converting an arithmetic function to what we call a polynomial of bounded functions, and then its upper bound is calculated and checked if it meets the requirement. The algorithm is implemented as a set of rewriting rules and computed-hints of the ACL2 theorem prover. It has been used to verify reciprocal estimate and reciprocal square root estimate instructions of one of the IBM POWERTM processors.
Effect of ethanol on folate binding by isolated rat renal brush border membranes.

Abstract Deficiency of folic acid, an essential vitamin involved in critical metabolic pathways, occurs in several conditions, including alcoholism. In humans and animal models, chronic ethanol consumption leads to decreased plasma levels and increased urinary levels of folate. An isolated perfused rat kidney model has shown that ethanol produces increased urinary excretion of folate, suggesting a direct effect of ethanol on the kidney. Because the folate binding protein, located in the brush border membrane (BBM) of proximal tubule cells, is thought to be involved in renal folate reabsorption, the effects of ethanol on BBM binding of folate were assessed. Binding studies were conducted using isolated rat kidney cortex BBM preparations, incubated with 3 H-labeled 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-CH 3 H 4 PteGlu) at varying concentrations (0.1–100 nM). Ethanol at 500 mg/dl did not significantly affect [ 3 H]5-CH 3 H 4 PteGlu binding in BBM. The structural analogue, folic acid, decreased [ 3 H]5-CH 3 H 4 PteGlu binding under similar conditions. Because of the lack of effect of ethanol on binding to isolated BBM, the effects of ethanol probably occur at other steps in the renal uptake and metabolism of folate.
Electromagnetic induction by finite wavenumber source fields in 2-D lateral heterogeneities; the transverse electric mode

Electromagnetic induction in a laterally homogeneous earth is analyzed in terms of a source field with finite dimensions. Attention is focused on a time-varying two-dimensional current source directed parallel to the strike of a two-dimensional anomalous structure within the earth, i.e., the E-parallel mode. The spatially harmonic source field is expressed as discontinuities in the magnetic (or electric) field of the current in the source. The model is applied to describing the magnetic gradients across megatectonic features, and may be used to predict the magnetic fields encountered by a satellite orbiting above the ionosphere.
A novel quartz crystal microbalance gas sensor based on porous film coatings. A high sensitivity porous poly(methylmethacrylate) water vapor sensor

We describe a novel and generally applicable approach for creating voids in films deposited on the surface of solid substrates. Such films are advantageous when a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) is the basis of a sensor. We show that films with large void volumes produce more sensitive sensors than with the original film. Poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) was used as the polymer layer deposited on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) to demonstrate our technique for the model system of water vapor analysis in flowing nitrogen gas. A film of pure PMMA on a QCM is a sensor for water vapor in a gas phase. A more sensitive sensor was created by dip coating QCM crystals into solutions containing mixtures of PMMA and poly(d,l-lactide) (PDLL) and then evaporating the solution films on the QCM crystals to form mixed polymer films of varying PDLL content. The PDLL was then removed from the mixed polymer films by exposure to a NaOH solution to form pure PMMA films having various void volumes. A leached PMMA film that originally contained 50% by weight PDLL had a 3.7 times larger QCM sensitivity for water vapor than a pure PMMA film.
In Vivo Interaction between NPR1 and Transcription Factor TGA2 Leads to Salicylic Acid–Mediated Gene Activation in Arabidopsis

The Arabidopsis NPR1 protein is a key regulator of salicylic acid (SA)-mediated gene expression in systemic acquired resistance. Based on yeast two-hybrid analysis, NPR1 has been suggested to interact with members of the TGA family of transcription factors, including TGA2 (AHBP-1b). However, genetic evidence demonstrating that the NPR1-TGA interaction occurs in planta is still lacking, and the role of this interaction in SA-mediated gene activation has yet to be determined. In this study, we expressed a truncated form of TGA2 in Arabidopsis and found that the resulting transgenic lines displayed phenotypes similar to those of npr1 mutants. This dominant-negative effect of the TGA2 mutant shows that TGA2 and NPR1 interact in planta. We also present biochemical evidence indicating that this interaction is specific and enhanced by SA treatment. Moreover, using a chimera reporter system, we found that a chimeric TGA2GAL4 transcription factor activated a UAS(GAL)::GUS reporter gene in response to SA and that this activation was abolished in the npr1 mutant. NPR1 is required for the DNA binding activity of the transcription factor. These genetic data clearly demonstrate that TGA2 is a SA-responsive and NPR1-dependent transcription activator.
Managing For Wildlife: A Key Component for Social Acceptance of Compatible Forest Management

Why manage for wildlife in U.S. forests? American society demands it. Which species should be favored? The social and cultural value of individual species continue to evolve. Large changes have taken place in less than 40 years; Kimmins (2002) states that changes in societal values have produced “future shock” in the forestry profession, with foresters and their institutions unable to adapt. Public demand for wildlife conservation has resulted in a long chain of legislation governing federal lands and supporting state and private wildlife conservation efforts (Hunter 1990). Nevertheless, controversies over forest management continue, and have led to a shift from active management for wildlife to establishment of large reserves off limits to active management (Hunter 1999). Now attention is shifting to second-growth forests where the public is concerned about biodiversity and ecosystem health (Hunter 1999, Lindenmayer and Franklin 2002, Shields et al. 2002).
Semiautomatic improvements of system-initiative spoken dialog applications using interactive clustering

While many successful spoken dialog systems have been deployed over telephone networks in recent years, the high cost of developing such applications has led to limited adoption. Despite large research efforts in user-initiative and mixed-initiative systems, most commercial applications follow a system initiative approach because they are simpler to design and are found to work adequately. Yet, even designing such system-initiative spoken dialog systems has proven costly when compared with simpler touchtone systems. To address this issue, we describe in this paper our efforts in building diagnostics tools to let nonexperienced speech developers write usable applications without the need for transcribing calls. Our approach consists of two steps. In the first step, we cluster calls based on Question/Answer (QA) states and transitions, analyze the success rates associated with each QA state and transition, and identify the most problematic QA states and transitions based on a criterion we call Arc Cut Gain in Success Rate (ACGSR). In the second step, we cluster calls associated with problematic QA transitions through an approach we term Interactive Clustering (IC). The purpose of this step is to automatically cluster calls that are similar to those already labeled by the developers to maximize productivity. Experiments on an internal auto-attendant application show that our approach can significantly reduce the time and effort needed to identify problems in spoken dialog applications.
Simulated commissioning of SPEAR3 storage ring

In preparation for the commissioning and operations of SPEAR3 we developed a number of high-level accelerator control applications. We also developed a test platform that simulates the physics of a storage ring. To any application using EPICS Channel Access protocol it appears as a real storage ring: measurable parameters such as orbits and tunes change in response to the changes in the accelerator hardware setpoints.
The Application of Geographic Information Systems and Global Positioning Systems in Humanitarian Emergencies: Lessons Learned, Programme Implications and Future Research

Geographic information systems (GIS), global positioning systems and remote sensing have been increasingly used in public health settings since the 1990s, but application of these methods in humanitarian emergencies has been less documented. Recent areas of application of GIS methods in humanitarian emergencies include hazard, vulnerability, and risk assessments; rapid assessment and survey methods; disease distribution and outbreak investigations; planning and implementation of health information systems; data and programme integration; and programme monitoring and evaluation. The main use of GIS in these areas is to provide maps for decision-making and advocacy, which allow overlaying types of information that may not normally be linked. GIS is also used to improve data collection in the field (for example, for rapid health assessments or mortality surveys). Development of GIS methods requires further research. Although GIS methods may save resources and reduce error, initial investment in equipment and capacity building may be substantial. Especially in humanitarian emergencies, equipment and methodologies must be practical and appropriate for field use. Add-on software to process GIS data needs to be developed and modified. As equipment becomes more user-friendly and costs decrease, GIS will become more of a routine tool for humanitarian aid organisations in humanitarian emergencies, and new and innovative uses will evolve.
Misclassification of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia as having psychogenic postural instability based on computerized dynamic posturography.

Specific criteria have been developed based on computerized dynamic posturography (CDP) to assist clinicians in identifying patients with psychogenic balance problems1-4. Patients with known Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA) meet several of the criteria for psychogenic balance problem and risk being misclassified as having imbalance of psychogenic origin. However, our research shows that patients with SCA may be distinguished from patients with psychogenic balance problems in several ways. We compared test performance on CDP and the observation of specific behaviors that are associated with psychogenic balance problems in patients with SCA (n = 43) and patients with known psychogenic balance problems (n = 40). Chi square analysis was used to determine if there were significant differences between the groups for the frequency of each criterion for psychogenic CDP and Observed Behaviors. Level of significance was Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratios were calculated for each criterion. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to examine whether the two patient groups demonstrated similar groupings of criteria. Comparison of the results of these analyses identified two criteria that were significantly more frequent in the Psychogenic group than in the SCA group: Regular Periodicity of sway and Circular Sway. Sensitivity, specificity and positive likelihood ratios identified two additional criteria, Inconsistent Motor Responses and Large lateral Sway that also seem to suggest a psychogenic component to a person’s imbalance. Prospective studies are needed to validate the usefulness of these findings.
QSAR Analyses of the Toxicity of Aliphatic Carboxylic Acids and Salts to Tetrahymena Pyriformis

Carboxylic acids have been conspicuously absent from the quantitative structure activity relationship (QSAR) literature. This study investigated the aquatic toxicity (log(IGC50(-1)) of selected mono- and di-carboxylic acids and their sodium, or disodium salts, tested in the Tetrahymena population growth assay. The relationship between log(IGC50(-1)) and hydrophobicity as described by the 1-octanol/water partition coefficient (log Kow) revealed a distinct sub-class. The relationship [log(IGC50(-1)) = 0.27(log Kow) - 0.68; n = 16, r2 = 0.943, s = 0.07, F = 233, Pr > F = 0.0001] was derived for mono-carboxylic acids. The QSAR [log(IGC50(-1)) = 0.19(log Kow) - 0.66; n = 9, r2 = 0.951, s = 0.08, F = 135, Pr > F = 0.0001] was generated for the di-carboxylic acids. Regression analysis of data for the monosodium carboxylic acid salts yielded the model, log(IGC50(-1)) = 0.60 (log Kow) + 0.58; n = 4, r2 = 0.932, s = 0.19, F = 41.2, Pr > F = 0.008. Values for the ionization constant (pKa) and the energy of the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (ELUMO) do not vary within the sub-class for saturated acids. Moreover, pKa and ELUMO did not describe differences in toxicity between sub-classes of saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids and salts. However, these descriptors did vary for unsaturated acids. Inclusion of unsaturated acids afforded the derivation of a global response-surface for all aliphatic carboxylic acids, log(IGC50(-1)) = 0.25(log Kow) - 0.13(ELUMO) - 0.54; n = 34, r2 = 0.850, s = 0.138, F = 87.9, Pr > F = 0.0001. Outliers to the response-surface included small molecules that provided 2-positions in which the molecule could potentially undergo electrophilic attacked and other more large, hydrophobic molecules.
Power and ground plane inductance (for single-chip package)

The inductance of the power and ground planes and associated vias is investigated for a high-performance single-chip package. The current distribution in the planes is determined using a novel vector potential. The magnetic intensity in all spatial coordinates due to these currents is determined by the Biot-Savart law. The inductance is proportional to the stored magnetic energy. Special methods for finding the inductance of vias are established. The total inductance is determined. The voltage and ground-plane inductance accounts for less than one quarter of the total, and tab leads and vias are the seat of most of the inductance. To reduce that inductance, shorter, fatter leads can be used, and leads carrying currents in opposite directions should be placed close together to provide as much mutual inductance as possible to cancel self-inductance. >
Solution of an Optimal Sensing and Interception Problem Using Idempotent Methods

We consider a problem where one desires to intercept a vehicle before it reaches a specific (target) location. The vehicle travels on a road network. There are unattended ground sensors (UGSs) on the road network. The data obtained by a UGS is uploaded to an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) when the UAV overflies the UGS. There is an interceptor vehicle which may travel the road network. The interceptor uses intruder state estimates based on the data uploaded from the UGSs to the UAV. There is a negative payoff if the intruder is intercepted prior to reaching the target location, and a positive payoff if the intruder reaches the target location without having been previously intercepted. The intruder position is modeled as a Markov chain. The observations are corrupted by random noise. A dynamic programming approach is taken where the value is propagated using a min-plus curseof- dimensionality-free algorithm. The double-description method for convex polytopes is used to reduce computational loads.
Can Clinical Trial Results Databases and Manuscripts Coexist

Recent changes in US legal obligations to disclose clinical trial results have created confounding challenges for sponsors of clinical trials and for editors of medical and scientific journals with policies prohibiting prepublication of clinical trial data. For nearly two centuries, peer-reviewed manuscripts have served as the primary means of scientific communication. In recent years, however, criticisms of the delay in publishing clinical trial data and publication bias have increased. Prominent journal editors have strongly suggested that online clinical trial registration prior to study conduct would mitigate these concerns. With the recent addition of legally mandated clinical trial results disclosure within specified time limits on ClinicalTrials.gov, the very registries and results databases once used in part to address publication bias may now actually jeopardize the ability to publish the results in peer-reviewed medical journals. Both types of disclosure (ie, posting in results databases and publishing traditional manuscripts) play important roles in the dissemination of clinical trial results, but current requirements now test the medical journals’ policies, which effectively reserve the right of the journal to be the primary source for clinical trial data. As sponsors struggle to meet the legal clinical trial disclosure requirements while attempting to get manuscripts published, it is not clear at this time what the final impact will be on sponsors, journals, investigators, health care providers, the media, and the ultimate customer, the patient.
A compact fast variable key size elliptic curve cryptosystem coprocessor

Elliptic curve (EC) cryptosystems have become more attractive due to their small key sizes and varieties of choices of the curves available. However, it is not efficient to implement them with a general-purpose microprocessor because of word size mismatch, less parallel computation, no hardware supported wire permutation and algorithm/architecture mismatch. The solution to this problem is to build a coprocessor. This coprocessor can be optimized for the algorithm of a particular application to enhance performance. Thus, the total hardware utilization can be kept at a very high rate and the computation is speeded up. A compact fast elliptic curve crypto coprocessor with variable key size is introduced, which utilizes the internal SRAM/registers in an FPGA. The generic hardware architecture for the coprocessor is implemented with a parameterized (in term of key size) VHDL description and is synthesized/mapped to a Xilinx FPGA. The algorithms adopted and the architecture developed are suitable for massively parallel computation. The experimental results show that the design can achieve a high utilization of CLBs for the Xilinx 4000 series.
FOSSIL LEAF SPECIES FROM THE FOX HILLS FORMATION (UPPER CRETACEOUS: NORTH DAKOTA, USA) AND THEIR PALEOGEOGRAPHIC SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract Seven fossil leaf species are described from impression fossils collected from the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Fox Hills Formation in south-central North Dakota, USA. They are Marmarthia johnsonii n. sp., Nilssoniocladus yukonensis n. comb., Nilssoniocladus comtula n. comb., Mesocyparis borealis, Rhamnus salicifolius, Paloreodoxites plicatus, and Zingiberopsis magnifolia. These species represent some of the elements of the Fox Hills flora that have paleogeographic ranges to the northwest (N. yukonensis, N. comtula, and M. borealis) and to the southwest (M. johnsonii, R. salicifolius, P. plicatus, and Z. magnifolia) of the Fox Hills type area. The identification and reappraisal of these species represent an effort to understand the biogeographic relationships of Late Cretaceous floras across the Northern Hemisphere.
A grounded theoretical approach to understanding innovation in destination marketing organizations

As competition for scarce resources increases, cities are turning toward marketing strategies to attract economic and social development. Innovation is a key component of success for destination ma...
Civic Education and the Making of Citizens in the Digital Age

This study finds that junior high and high school civic education can encourage people to develop political media use habits that persist over time. The findings are strongest for traditional media use and monitoring new media, and are weakest -- but still apparent -- for engaging in politics through social media. Pedagogy that includes discussion of current events and incorporates community-related activities are most strongly correlated with new/social media use. More conventional textbook and current events approaches are related to traditional media use. The study makes use of an original national probability survey.
Site-specific, adult bone benefits attributed to loading during youth: A preliminary longitudinal analysis

We examined site-specific bone development in relation to childhood and adolescent artistic gymnastics exposure, comparing up to 10years of prospectively acquired longitudinal data in 44 subjects, including 31 non-gymnasts (NON) and 13 gymnasts (GYM) who participated in gymnastics from pre-menarche to ≥1.9years post-menarche. Subjects underwent annual regional and whole-body DXA scans; indices of bone geometry and strength were calculated. Anthropometrics, physical activity, and maturity were assessed annually, coincident with DXA scans. Non-linear mixed effect models centered growth in bone outcomes at menarche and adjusted for menarcheal age, height, and non-bone fat-free mass to evaluate GYM-NON differences. A POST-QUIT variable assessed the withdrawal effect of quitting gymnastics. Curves for bone area, mass (BMC), and strength indices were higher in GYM than NON at both distal radius metaphysis and diaphysis (p<0.0001). At the femoral neck, greater GYM BMC (p<0.01), narrower GYM endosteal diameter (p<0.02), and similar periosteal width (p=0.09) yielded GYM advantages in narrow neck cortical thickness and buckling ratio (both p<0.001; lower BR indicates lower fracture risk). Lumbar spine and sub-head BMC were greater in GYM than NON (p<0.036). Following gymnastics cessation, GYM slopes increased for distal radius diaphysis parameters (p≤0.01) and for narrow neck BR (p=0.02). At the distal radius metaphysis, GYM BMC and compressive strength slopes decreased, as did slopes for lumbar spine BMC, femoral neck BMC, and narrow neck cortical thickness (p<0.02). In conclusion, advantages in bone mass, geometry, and strength at multiple skeletal sites were noted across growth and into young adulthood in girls who participated in gymnastics loading to at least 1.9years post-menarche. Following gymnastics cessation, advantages at cortical bone sites improved or stabilized, while advantages at corticocancellous sites stabilized or diminished. Additional longitudinal observation is necessary to determine whether residual loading benefits enhance lifelong skeletal strength.
Who Killed the Hybrid Car? State and Local Green Incentive Programs After Metropolitan Taxicab Board of Trade v. City of New York in the Second Circuit

Unnecessarily broad preemption ruling under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act discourages other states and municipalities from pursuing innovative, environmentally beneficial policies.
Selective brain cooling increases cortical cerebral blood flow in rats

To evaluate the effect of selective brain cooling on cortical cerebral blood flow, we reduced brain temperature in nitrous oxide anesthetized adult rats using a high speed fan while keeping rectal temperature at 37-38 degrees C. During selective brain cooling, cortical cerebral blood flow, as measured by laser-Doppler flowmetry, increased to 215 +/- 26% (mean +/- SE) of baseline at a cortical brain temperature of 30.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C and a rectal temperature of 37.5 +/- 0.1 degrees C. During rewarming, as brain temperature increased, cortical cerebral blood flow decreased. The cerebral vasodilatory response to hypothermia may explain its protective effects during and after cerebral ischemia.
Charting the Future Course for Corporate Management of Genetic and Other Health Risks

Corporations engage in technological activities of benefit to society and thereby also create new health risks for workers, consumers, and communities. Government regulatory agencies deal with this chronic problem by conducting risk analyses and imposing various duties on private firms. Despite agency efforts and corporate compliance, health risks continue to arise and to take their toll. To what extent will private firms voluntarily assume greater responsibility for preventing these risks? This question is of increasing social importance because the limitations of regulatory efforts are now obvious, whereas health risks are now being identified at what appears to be an increasing rate. This question is also of considerable importance to industry because of the economic impact on private firms of toxic tort actions, workers’ compensation claims, and other “losses” that follow from the health risks.