cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of the Institutional Arrangements on the Success of Government Web Portals

Digital government1 research suggests the existence of a series of factors that are present in successful projects. Institutional arrangements constitute a specific set of factors that are particularly relevant for digital government projects. Institutional Arrangements are the formal and informal rules that shape an organization and organizational activity. Those rules are both, rigid and flexible, in a way that can influence and be influenced by other factors as the enacted technology and for the organization itself. Although there is general agreement on the influence of institutional arrangements in project success, we know less about the specific mechanisms through which they operate. In this paper, we use qualitative methods and the case of the State Government Portals in Mexico to uncover some of these mechanisms.
Preliminary observations on the effects of water flow on Protozoan populations

Provasoli (1958) has said, ""The ecological arena is populated by the products of the continuous challenge of nature to the potentialities of the organisms."" Protozoa are in close contact with their environment and should have a rapid and sensitive response to changes. Since one of the most striking variables in a lotic environment is the rate of flow, it was decided to see what effect two markedly differing rates had on the species composition of the protozona ""community"".
Abstract 2482: Inhibition of RAD51 with a cell penetrating antibody, 3E10

Many human malignancies arise in the setting of defective DNA repair pathways, leading to genetic instability, carcinogenesis and tumor progression. However, DNA repair deficiency can provide for a therapeutic window that can be exploited with targeted agents. One such anti-cancer agent is 3E10, a unique cell penetrating, anti-DNA autoantibody. 3E10 by itself is considered non-toxic to normal cells but has been shown to have deleterious effects on cells with DNA repair deficiencies. Specifically, 3E10 has been shown to reduce the efficiency of homologous recombination (HR). This has been attributed to its ability to preferentially binding to ssDNA tails, thereby inhibiting Rad51 mediated strand exchange. Prior work has shown that treatment with 3E10 alone can selectively kill cells with genetic mutations that lead to abnormal DNA repair. For example, 3E10 has been shown to be synthetically lethal in BRCA2 deficient human cancer cells. Additionally, 3E10 sensitizes cells to radiation and other DNA damaging therapies. The goal of this project is to characterize the specific mechanism by which 3E10 inhibits DNA repair pathways. Previously, the mechanism by which 3E10 inhibits HR was attributed to 3E10’s DNA binding ability. Through the biochemical evaluation of 3E10 variants, new evidence now suggests that 3E10 inhibits HR independently of 3E10’s ability to bind DNA. We have found that this HR inhibition is a result of a physical interaction between 3E10 and Rad51. Biochemical analysis revealed that 3E10 binds to the N-terminal domain of Rad51, the domain that plays a role in Rad51 homo-oligomerization and filament formation. This 3E10-Rad51 interaction impairs Rad51’s ability to localize to the nucleus and form repair foci. Taken together, this data suggests that 3E10 inhibits HR by physically interacting with Rad51. Overall, 3E10 holds promise as a novel therapeutic agent for certain subsets of cancer. Citation Format: Peter M. Glazer, Audrey Turchick. Inhibition of RAD51 with a cell penetrating antibody, 3E10 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 2482. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-2482
Changes in Pharmacy Residency Training Design Between 2012 and 2017: A Perspective of Academic Medical Centers:

Purpose:The role of health-system pharmacists continues to expand, and this area of pharmacy practice increasingly requires augmented baseline training. It is unclear how Post Graduate Year 1 (PGY-...
Prevailing knowledge about Male and Female lifestyle habits and In Vitro Fertilization in the 21st century

At least one million infants have been born in the United States with the help of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or other assisted reproductive technologies. Lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, stress, lack of physical activity, and obesity in men and women, which may profoundly influence IVF success rates. Nevertheless, many women and men about to undergo fertility treatment make poor lifestyle choices that may possibly affect their chances of becoming pregnant. A follow-up systematic review was conducted in PubMED (MEDLINE) from 2005-2017 to evaluate the effects of male and female lifestyle habits on success rates of IVF. There was strong evidence that smoking affects almost every endpoint of IVF. There is also mounting evidence that obesity profoundly affects pregnancy, live birth rates, and is also associated with cancelled cycles. The literature on stress and IVF continues to be contradictory. The results were almost equally divided between four studies that found a negative effect of stress on number of oocytes, embryo transfer, and pregnancy, and three studies that reported no effect on IVF outcomes. The evidence for an association for exercise, alcohol, caffeine, and recreational drugs and IVF is inadequate based on a paucity of studies. In order to resolve this dilemma, national or international databases could be used to effectively and accurately capture lifestyle habits over time on thousands of couples undergoing IVF. This information could eventually help create guidelines for primary care physicians, specialists, and infertile patients. From a medical standpoint, it is probably advisable for men and women contemplating IVF to be encouraged to engage in healthy lifestyles. At this time, a structured educational program, ongoing wellness support, and therapeutic interventions (e.g., smoking cessation, relaxation techniques, substance abuse counseling) could be part of the comprehensive care received at fertility clinics in order to promote healthy lifestyle changes.
SYGL-1 and LST-1 link niche signaling to PUF RNA repression for stem cell maintenance in Caenorhabditis elegans.

Central questions in regenerative biology include how stem cells are maintained and how they transition from self-renewal to differentiation. Germline stem cells (GSCs) in Caeno-rhabditis elegans provide a tractable in vivo model to address these questions. In this system, Notch signaling and PUF RNA binding proteins, FBF-1 and FBF-2 (collectively FBF), maintain a pool of GSCs in a naive state. An open question has been how Notch signaling modulates FBF activity to promote stem cell self-renewal. Here we report that two Notch targets, SYGL-1 and LST-1, link niche signaling to FBF. We find that SYGL-1 and LST-1 proteins are cytoplasmic and normally restricted to the GSC pool region. Increasing the distribution of SYGL-1 expands the pool correspondingly, and vast overexpression of either SYGL-1 or LST-1 generates a germline tumor. Thus, SYGL-1 and LST-1 are each sufficient to drive "stemness" and their spatial restriction prevents tumor formation. Importantly, SYGL-1 and LST-1 can only drive tumor formation when FBF is present. Moreover, both proteins interact physically with FBF, and both are required to repress a signature FBF mRNA target. Together, our results support a model in which SYGL-1 and LST-1 form a repressive complex with FBF that is crucial for stem cell maintenance. We further propose that progression from a naive stem cell state to a state primed for differentiation relies on loss of SYGL-1 and LST-1, which in turn relieves FBF target RNAs from repression. Broadly, our results provide new insights into the link between niche signaling and a downstream RNA regulatory network and how this circuitry governs the balance between self-renewal and differentiation.
The effect of pit closure on futures trading

Abstract Motivated by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange’s (CME) decision to close down most of the futures pits in July of 2015, we analyze how this event may have affected the livestock and treasury futures markets. We find that although the already declining futures pit trading decreased further after the pit closure, it has not completely disappeared. Execution costs, following the pit closure, appear to have increased for livestock futures and declined for treasury futures transactions on the electronic platform. We, also, find that pit users, who had been active in both trading venues, remain active in the electronic market. However, there is no evidence of pit traders (locals) transitioning to the electronic market. Nevertheless, some of them are still active in options pits. When we explore the changes in daily trading patterns, we observe an ongoing shift in the timing of trading hours for livestock futures, but we note that this shift is unlikely to be driven by the pit closure.
Toward a Multidimensional Model of Entrepreneurship: The Case of Achievement Motivation and the Entrepreneur:

The results of studies attempting to link achievement motivation and entrepreneurship are reviewed. Despite variability among the studies regarding samples, operationalization of achievement motiva...
Development of a health education model

Changing demographics, patterns of funding, and demands of society present policy-makers with a severe challenge when allocating resources to higher education for both general education and for health services education. The full impacts of resource decisions may not be seen until one or more four-year educational cycles have been completed. Policy-makers require tools that will let them easily assess the impacts of a range of possible choices. We present preliminary work on both a Systems Dynamics model and a Markov model designed to do just that. The Markov model is a simple chain of transition probabilities, designed to validate the Systems Dynamics model over a linear range. The Systems Dynamics model presents a more friendly user interface, and is capable of dealing with recursive and non-linear effects of the system. This presentation will describe the structure of the Oregon state higher education system, and show how it is captured in the present model. Some preliminary results will be described.
Incidence of diplopia after division and reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle during orbital fracture repair.

Abstract Background Wide surgical access to the orbital floor and medial wall is often impaired by the course of the inferior oblique muscle. There is no current consensus on the optimal surgical approach for exposure, and techniques involving inferior oblique division are generally shunned for concern of possible complications. Objective To determine the safety and outcomes of inferior oblique division and reattachment for surgical access to the orbital floor and medial wall during orbital fracture repair. Methods Retrospective, single-center, review of 85 patients that underwent orbital floor, medial wall or combined fracture repair with division and reattachment of the inferior oblique near its origin. Measured characteristics include surgical approach, type of surgery, time to surgery, pre- and post-operative diplopia, enophthalmos, and complications. Results Forty-five patients (52.9%) with no pre-operative diplopia were followed up for a mean of six months. Of these, six patients (13.3%) developed post-operative binocular diplopia that resolved in all patients on an average of three months (range 2–6 months). No patients developed torsional diplopia. One patient developed a hematoma two years later attributable to capsular contraction around the implant. Conclusion Division and reattachment of the inferior oblique muscle is a safe method that allows for panoramic surgical visualization of the inferior and medial orbit.
Vernacularization as Global and Local Experiences: The Huang–Lu Affair in Film and Literature

This chapter is devoted to studying the filmic and literary works about the love affair. Chinese filmmakers borrowed ideas and techniques from their Hollywood counterparts to represent Huang Huiru as a victimized adolescent girl in the precarious urban milieu. D. W. Griffith’s stereotype of an innocent girl’s falling prey to male desire empowered Chinese intellectuals to call for policing women’s aberrant behaviors. Novels about the elopement fall into the category of “social fiction,” whose writers were committed to exposing the darker side of society and assisting immigrants in drawing up a cognitive map of the labyrinthine cosmopolitan city. I argue that social fiction, structurally and thematically, instilled in its readers the notion that Shanghai was their community for everyday activities despite all sorts of perils and ills. Hence, social fiction writers shared a common ground with left-wing and modernist novelists to imagine the woman as a potential threat to the urban environment.
A non-alkalophilic mutant of Bacillusalcalophilus lacks the Na+H+ antiporter

A non-alkalophilic mutant strain of Bacillusalcalophilus grows on L-malate over a pH range from 5.0 to 9.0. The mutant does not exhibit the energy-dependent efflux of Na+ that has been used to assay a Na+H+ antiporter in the wild type organism. The mutant also fails to transport α-aminoisobutyric acid, at pH 9.0, either in the presence or absence of Na+; at pH 5.5, the amino acid analogue is taken up by a Na+-independent mechanism. The properties of the mutant constitute strong evidence that the Na+H+ antiporter is involved in maintaining an acidified cytoplasm in B. alcalophilus.
New Discoveries for the Treatment of Lung Cancer and the Role of Small Biopsy Material

While shifts in the treatment paradigms for cancer have been altogether infrequent, a common thread that links many of them is the pairing of an oncogenic driver event with a rationally targeted therapy. Thus, imatinib is used for the treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia (bcr-abl translocations) and gastrointestinal stromal tumors (c-kit mutations), all-trans-retinoic acid for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia (t(15;17)(q22;q21)), and vemurafenib for the treatment of melanoma (BRAF V600E mutations). 2004 marked the therapeutic paradigm shift for lung cancer, when sequencing efforts by multiple groups identified activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene from rare lung adenocarcinoma patients who had substantial responses to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors then under study in a number of clinical trials.
Do Bilinguals Have an Advantage in Theory of Mind? A Meta-Analysis

Bilingualism might help children develop Theory of Mind, but the evidence is mixed. To address the disagreement in the literature, a meta-analysis was conducted on studies that compared bilingual and monolingual children on false belief and other Theory of Mind tests. The meta-analysis of 16 studies and 1,283 children revealed a small bilingual advantage (Cohen’s d=.22, p=.050). A secondary analysis was conducted on studies (k=8) that statistically adjusted the Theory of Mind scores to correct for a bilingual disadvantage in language proficiency. This secondary analysis indicated a medium-size bilingual advantage (Cohen’s d=.58, p<.001). There was no evidence for publication bias in either analysis. Taken together, the results provide support for a beneficial effect of acquiring two languages on mental state reasoning. Explanations for this bilingual advantage, which include bilingual-monolingual differences in executive functioning, metalinguistic awareness, and socio-pragmatic abilities, are discussed.
Catalysis and Reactivity of Electrophilic Reactions in Room Temperature Chloroaluminate Molten Salts

The molten salt composed of 1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium chloride and aluminum chloride may be used as a medium for several types of electrophilic aromatic substitution reactions. The melt is liquid at room temperature and its acidity may be readily adjusted. The types of reactions found to be catalyzed by the melt were Friedel-Crafts alkylations and acylations, chlorinations and nitrations. In some cases, the reactive electrophile intermediate could be isolated from the melt.
Quasi-Coherent Demodulation of Ambient FM Signal Backscatter

Ambient backscatter is is a relatively-recent technique being considered for communication from ultra-low power devices. Unlike typical backscatter applications where a dedicated reader-generated signal is used to power the tag, ambient backscatter uses readily available ambient signals such as FM radio, TV or WiFi signals. In this paper, we propose a simple, yet effective way to implement the receiver for a tag backscattering incident FM radio signals. The technique is based on treating the ambient FM as a carrier, which can be recovered using a phase-locked loop or another FM receiver. Coherent demodulation of the backscattered signal is then possible. Significant performance improvement can be expected over receivers that use energy-detection or other non-coherent demodulation techniques that are commonly used for ambient backscatter in the literature. We show that the FM radio signal can be recovered with a high fidelity even in the presence of the tag signal, with about 20-50 dB SINR in practical scenarios. Our results show up to 5 dB improvement in error performance over non-coherent reception.
Cleft Lip and Palate in Newborns Diagnosed With Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

ObjectiveCleft lip and/or cleft palate (CLP) is the most common major congenital malformation of the head and neck. Previous studies suggested an association between fetal opioid exposure and CLP. ...
High-Flow Oxygen and High-Flow Air for Dyspnea in Hospitalized Patients with Cancer: A Pilot Crossover Randomized Clinical Trial

BACKGROUND The effect of high-flow oxygen (HFOx) and high-flow air (HFAir) on dyspnea in nonhypoxemic patients is not known. We assessed the effect of HFOx, HFAir, low-flow oxygen (LFOx), and low-flow air (LFAir) on dyspnea. SUBJECTS, MATERIALS, AND METHODS This double-blind, 4×4 crossover clinical trial enrolled hospitalized patients with cancer who were dyspneic at rest and nonhypoxemic (oxygen saturation >90% on room air). Patients were randomized to 10 minutes of HFOx, HFAir, LFOx, and LFAir in different orders. The flow rate was titrated between 20-60 L/minute in the high-flow interventions and 2 L/minute in the low-flow interventions. The primary outcome was dyspnea numeric rating scale (NRS) "now" where 0 = none and 10 = worst. RESULTS Seventeen patients (mean age 51 years, 58% female) completed 55 interventions in a random order. The absolute change of dyspnea NRS between 0 and 10 minutes was -1.8 (SD 1.7) for HFOx, -1.8 (2.0) for HFAir, -0.5 (0.8) for LFOx, and - 0.6 (1.2) for LFAir. In mixed model analysis, HFOx provided greater dyspnea relief than LFOx (mean difference [95% confidence interval] -0.80 [-1.45, -0.15]; p = .02) and LFAir (-1.24 [-1.90, -0.57]; p < .001). HFAir also provided significantly greater dyspnea relief than LFOx (-0.95 [-1.61, -0.30]; p = .005) and LFAir (-1.39 [-2.05, -0.73]; p < .001). HFOx was well tolerated. Seven (54%) patients who tried all interventions blindly preferred HFOx and four (31%) preferred HFAir. CONCLUSION We found that HFOx and HFAir provided a rapid and clinically significant reduction of dyspnea at rest in hospitalized nonhypoxemic patients with cancer. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings (Clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02932332). IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE This double-blind, 4×4 crossover trial examined the effect of oxygen or air delivered at high- or low-flow rates on dyspnea in hospitalized nonhypoxemic patients with cancer. High-flow oxygen and high-flow air were significantly better at reducing dyspnea than low-flow oxygen/air, supporting a role for palliation beyond oxygenation.
Ayn Rand: The Blinkered Visionary

Ayn Rand is perhaps the most famous free-marketeer of the 20th century. Her hugely-popular books all featured anti-regulation superhumans who, like Donald Trump, built empires out of courage, unrivaled insight, and the sweat of their brows. Unfortunately, Rand’s “greed is good” philosophy doesn’t hold water in the real world. In the real world, free-marketeers like Donald Trump leech off of the public teat until they bleed it dry. When it all starts falling down around their ears those selfsame free-marketeers transform into rabid socialists. When COVID-19 popped his bubble, Donald Trump plundered every available federal coffer to arrest the USA’s economic freefall. Ayn Rand never bothered to tell that side of the story.
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Double Taxation

President Bush claims that double taxation is "unfair" and "doesn't make any sense." He is wrong on both counts.
Supervised Capacity Preserving Mapping: A Clustering Guided Visualization Method for scRNAseq data

The rapid development of scRNA-seq technologies enables us to explore the transcriptome at the cell level in a large scale. Recently, various computational methods have been developed to analyze the scRNAseq data such as clustering and visualization. However, current visualization methods including t-SNE and UMAP are challenged by the limited accuracy of rendering the geometic relationship of populations with distinct functional states. Most visualization methods are unsupervised, leaving out information from the clustering results or given labels. This leads to the inaccurate depiction of the distances between the bona fide functional states. In particular, UMAP and t-SNE are not optimal to preserve the global geometric structure. They may result in a contradiction that clusters with near distance in the embedded dimensions are in fact further away in the original dimensions. Besides, UMAP and t-SNE cannot track the variance of clusters. Through the embedding of t-SNE and UMAP, the variance of a cluster is not only associated with the true variance but also is proportional to the sample size. We present supCPM, a robust supervised visualization method, which separates different clusters, preserves global structure, and tracks the cluster variance. Compared with six visualization methods using synthetic and real datasets, supCPM shows improved performance than other methods in preserving the global geometric structure and data variance. Overall, supCPM provides an enhanced visualization pipeline to assist the interpretation of functional transition and accurately depict population segregation.
cis-Di­chloro­tetrakis(2-mercapto-1-tert-butyl­imidazole)­lead(II)

The crystal and molecular structure of the title compound, [PbCl2(C7H12N2S)4], the first mononuclear lead complex containing a 2-mercapto-1-alkyl­imidazole ligand to be structurally characterized, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The six-coordinate Pb atom displays a distorted octahedral geometry and is surrounded by four thione groups and two cis chloro ligands, with average Pb—S and Pb—Cl bond distances of 2.946 (3) and 3.058 (2) A, respectively.
Failed amniocentesis: The role of membrane tenting

PRENATAL GENETIC ~~~~~~~~~hasbecomeawidely accepted practice in modern perinatal medicine.’ Although the use of ultrasound prior to amniocentesis has reduced the number of needle punctures required to obtain amniotic fluid, occasionally the physician is unsuccessful. This has been attributed to improper placement of the needle, “tenting” of the membranes by the needle tip, or inadequate penetration of the amniotic cavity. We wish to report our modified technique for performing amniocentesis under linear array real-time guidance and describe a case which confirms
The Effect of Interest Rates on the Value of Corporate Assets and the Risk Premia of Corporate Debt

A growing number of papers have applied option pricing techniques to the valuation of risky debt. This paper deals directly with how a firm's relationship to interest rates affects its debt. A sequential binomial model is used to price the zero-coupon bonds of a firm whose value is related to interest rate changes. The results show that the strength of the relationship between firm value and interest rates (interest-rate risk) can have a significant impact on the value of a firm's debt. The model produces its most powerful results when the volatility of firm value is high and the term structure has a steep (negative or positive) slope; there is no impact when the term structure is flat. Our results indicate that empirical studies of yield spreads may have severe shortcomings if the relationship of firm value to interest rate changes is ignored.
The Proposed Bankruptcy Code Amendments and Securitizing Debtors and Their Creditors

The new provisions in Revised Article 9 both reflects the drafters’ decision to enhance secured creditors’ rights, but also includes myriad provisions designed to facilitate securitization transactions. Because bankruptcy law looks to state law (specifically Article 9) to determine the rights of creditors and transferees with respect to personal property, changes to Article 9 are in effect, changes to bankruptcy law. The question raised by the changes to Article 9 is whether these changes are consistent with our historical understanding of bankruptcy policy.
Maternal depression and perceived social support as predictors of cognitive function trajectories during the first 3 years of life for preterm infants in Wisconsin

Background Among families of infants born preterm, the association between post-natal depression and children's cognitive function is not well understood, but thought to be compromised. The purpose of this study is to investigate maternal depressive symptoms and perceived social support as predictors of children's cognitive function trajectories. Methods This is a longitudinal study of a sample of infants born preterm (less than 37 weeks) in Wisconsin. This study includes 130 infants who were hospitalized in one of three Wisconsin neonatal intensive care units in 2002–2005 and followed until 36 months of age. Maternal depressive symptoms were measured using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. Social support was measured using the Maternal Support Scale. Children's cognitive function was measured using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, and the Stanford–Binet Intelligence Scale, 5th Edition. Results Children's cognitive function trajectories declined initially and then increased. Being female (coefficient = 5.14, SE = 1.89) and non-poor (coefficient = 11.26, SE = 5.78), and having a mother who has a graduate degree (coefficient = 7.67, SE = 3.37) was associated with higher levels of cognition initially. Being white was associated with a more optimal cognitive trajectory. Although depression did not predict children's cognitive trajectories, the presence of clinically elevated depressive symptoms at 9 months post term was associated with lower cognitive functioning at 16 months when mothers reported low social support. Conclusion Post-natal depressive symptoms appear to have a meaningful, dynamic influence on the cognitive outcomes of children born preterm, above and beyond family socio-demographic risk when the presence and timing of perceived social support are considered. Interventions to ameliorate developmental risk associated with preterm birth should include repeated assessments of maternal social support and post-natal depression and be targeted towards socially disadvantaged families.
Opening Doors to Disability: A Class Project

ABSTRACT This paper describes and analyzes a community intervention class project in a university community that led to the establishment of an officially recognized campus organization, Open D.O.O.R.S. (Disability Organization for Opportunity, Resources, and Services), to address issues of people with disabilities. It emphasizes the need for providing students knowledge of community strategies at a time when the profession is facing increased social problems and fewer social resources.
MEMS-Based Optical Coherence Imaging

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of biological tissues. Its lateral resolution can be further enhanced by using optical coherence microscopy (OCM). This paper reviews the development status of MEMS-based endoscopic OCT/OCM imaging.
Predictors of Adult Education Program Satisfaction in Urban Community-Dwelling Older Adults

Lifelong learning is receiving greater attention due to population aging in modern societies. Lifelong learning benefits individuals by supporting their physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being. However, older adults generally have lower motivation for learning than younger adults, and facilitating long-term participation in learning activities is still challenging. Previous studies mainly identified negative factors such as barriers and obstacles to individuals’ initial participation in lifelong learning programs. As such, less is known about positive factors that promote long-term participation. To address this gap, data were collected from 330 older adults who participated in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute program in an urban community in the United States. Results from proportional odds ordinal logistic regression analysis demonstrated that gender, number of household members, income, religious affiliation, self-rated health, and number of courses taken were associated with sati...
A variable-free dynamic semantics

I propose a variable-free treatment of dynamic semantics. By "dynamic semantics" I mean analyses of donkey sentences ("Every farmer who owns a donkey beats it") and other binding and anaphora phenomena in natural language where meanings of constituents are updates to information states, for instance as proposed by Groenendijk and Stokhof. By "variable-free" I mean denotational semantics in which functional combinators replace variable indices and assignment functions, for instance as advocated by Jacobson. The new theory presented here achieves a compositional treatment of dynamic anaphora that does not involve assignment functions, and separates the combinatorics of variable-free semantics from the particular linguistic phenomena it treats. Integrating variable-free semantics and dynamic semantics gives rise to interactions that make new empirical predictions, for example "donkey weak crossover" effects.
Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to Simulate Large Mixing-Limited Fires Such as Wildfires

A brief qualitative description of work in progress towards using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a variety of physics models to simulate large mixing-limited fires. The assumption is made that the fine-scale details of the fuel source geometry and distribution cannot be resolved, but that average fuel loads and characteristics are known. The majority of the description and all of the results that are shown pertain to the simulations of wildfires. Wildfires have been chosen as the first focus area for this work, because they present a prime example of large mixing-limited fires that burn through fuel beds that can not be precisely numerically resolved and in most cases the details of which are not known. A number of preliminary three-dimensional simulations involving vegetation that is resolved down to the individual trees scales and vegetation that has been homogenized using average bulk characteristics are described. This objective of this text is to incite discussion and collaboration with regard to further application of this type of modeling approach.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
Quantifying sea scallop bed diameter on Georges Bank with geostatistics

Abstract Spatially explicit management strategies require the identification of appropriate spatial scales for the observation, analysis and management of fisheries. Although the mesoscale (km) is the domain of traditional fisheries stock units, there have been few attempts to describe mesoscale aggregations of scallops, typically referred to as beds. We quantified the average bed diameter of sea scallops ( Placopecten magellanicus ) using geostatistics. Data were collected between 1999 and 2007 in the Northern Edge (NE) of Closed Area II and the Nantucket Lightship (NL) Closed Area on Georges Bank. Average bed diameter in the NE varied between 6.5 and 8.6 km with classical variograms, and 7.6–9.8 km with robust variograms. Average bed diameter in the NL varied between 3.0 and 10.1 km with classical variograms, and 4.0–13.22 km with robust variograms. There was more spatial structure in the NE. The spatial structure of the NL was less clearly defined and/or more variable. Kriged maps indicate the presence of multiple beds in both areas. Densities of ca. 1.24 scallops/m 2 appeared to correspond well with the average bed diameters given by variograms. These results can be used as guidelines for the observation and analysis of the sea scallop resource in the NE and NL.
Mining repositories to reveal the community structures of open source software projects

In this paper, I describe a research plan to mine Open Source Software (OSS) repositories to reveal community structure of those projects.
On-Line Computerized Product Testing

This paper presents a general review and discussion of the approach and steps taken in performing a feasibility study of online product testing using a process control computer. The problems involved and factors to be considered for this type of project are pointed out. The philosophy and criteria considered in selecting a computer system are discussed along with the authors' experiences in various aspects of overall system capabilities. The capabilities of the developed experimental computerized testing system are also described.
A Sherlockian experiment

Abstract Members of a Sherlock Holmes society were presented with sentences taken from the Holmes stories. They were asked to identify the story and the immediate context from which the sentence was drawn. Concrete sentences relevant to the story's themes proved to be the most effective cues; descriptions and proper names were ineffective.
Rural Communities: Legacy And Change

Contents Part One: Components of Rural Community: Community Capitals * 1. The Rural Landscape and the Importance of Place * 2. Natural Capital * 3. Cultural Capital and Legacy * 4. Human Capital * 5. Social Capital and Community * 6. Political Capital * 7. Financial Capital * 8. Built Capital Part Two: The Transformation of Community Capitals in a Changing World * 9. The Global Economy 10. Consumption in Rural America * 11. Governance * 12. Generating Community Change
Structure and bonding environments at the calcite surface as observed with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED)

The pure calcite surface was examined using techniques sensitive to the near-surface (XPS and LEED) immediately after fracture in ultra-high vacuum (10−10 mbar) and then following exposure to various atmospheres and aqueous solutions that were free of trace metals. These spectroscopic techniques allow molecular-level observations that offer the possibility of gaining more insight into geochemical processes elucidated from macroscopic solution studies. Several absolute electron binding energies for the atoms in calcite were redetermined with XPS using the gold dot method. The results are 290.1 ± 0.1 eV for C1s, 347.7 and 351.2 ± 0.15 eV for Ca2psol32 and Ca2psol12, respectively, and 531.9 ± 0.15 eV for O1s. Photoelectron energy shifts from main peak positions suggest that immediately after fracture in ultra-high vacuum, bond reconfiguration leads to the formation of carbide-like bonds between Ca and C at the surface. Calcite that has been exposed to water, even as vapour from the atmosphere, shows binding energy shifts that indicate the presence of S · CO3H and S · CaOH where S · represents the calcite surface. Surface hydration is also supported, independently, by the XPS peak intensity ratios and is consistent with adsorption theory derived from macroscopic solution studies. The modified oxygen Auger parameter, α′, (using O1s and O(KVV)), was found to be 1043.9 eV for all samples of calcite tested, whether powder or cleaved from Iceland Spar, clean or contaminated by adventitious carbon, freshly fractured, or exposed briefly to water, or in the process of dissolution or precipitation. LEED patterns of the {101} cleavage surface of samples that were freshly fractured in air and that were exposed to dissolving or precipitating solutions showed that the top few atomic layers exhibit long range order. Lattice spacings at the surface are statistically identical to those of bulk calcite, though some surface CO3 groups may be rotated relative to the bulk structure. This work provides direct, molecular-level evidence for the processes of reconfiguration and hydration at the calcite surface. These results provide a basis for future spectroscopic studies of trace metal adsorption on calcite and subsequent solid-solution formation.
Tritium-labeled meprobamate.

Meprobamate has been labeled with tritium by exposure to tritium gas. Its radiochemical purity has been convincingly demonstrated, and the distribution of tritium within the molecule has been determined. The specific activity of 300 mc. per Gm. is the highest thus far reorted for a product labeled by this technique.
The Mercuri multimedia laboratory at Honeywell

Multimedia information will play a significant role in the next generation of mission-critical applications such as industrial process control, crisis management, and military command and control. Unlike multimedia applications for entertainment (such as video-on-demand services) and office automation (such as videoconferencing), multimedia in mission-critical applications has several unique requirements; on-line processing with real-time constraints due to its event driven nature; the ability to distinguish the criticality of concurrent streams with different degrees of importance; fault tolerance to hostile environments, and adaptability to system changes.
Words that matter : Lexical choice and gender ideologies in women's magazines

Abstract This article reports on a lexical study of four US women's magazines ( Good Housekeeping , Cosmopolitan , Working Woman and Ms. ). Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methodologies, I explore the connections between the vocabulary and the dominant gender ideology of each magazine. I argue that magazines are powerful instruments in maintaining and challenging gender ideologies in US society, and I propose that the ideological weight of each magazine is partly sustained by particular uses of the lexicon. Using the WordSmith Tools program, I first study the most frequent and relevant vocabulary of each magazine and then use this information to examine the use of certain lexical items in the specific contexts where they appear. Results show that the most frequent and relevant vocabulary of each magazine is not exclusively related to topicality but appears distributed across texts, thus functioning as an ideological resource for the description and evaluation of people and situations. The analysis also shows that certain words (e.g., “woman”, “man”, or “work”), despite being very frequent in all four magazines, are used in ways that reveal the magazines’ position towards women and femininity, especially regarding their emphasis on gender as an individual or a social issue.
Carrier-acoustic plasmon instability in semiconductor quantum wires.

A novel carrier-acoustic instability is predicted for quasi-one-dimensional plasmas in semiconductor quantum wires with nonequilibrium carrier distributions. The complete collective excitation spectrum of the one-dimensional quantum plasma is obtained solving the complex dispersion relation in the random-phase approximation.
Introduction: genetic determinants of mid- and late-life dementias

We introduce a series of papers dealing with genetic aspects of a subset of dementias of mid-life and late-life in order to illustrate four principles. First, there appear to be many genetic loci with the potential to modulate susceptibility to such dementias. Second, most of those so far discovered are autosomal dominants and none are autosomal recessives. Third, the autosomal dominant mutations are individually rare. Their frequencies in a given population are likely to be functions of genetic drift. Fourth, despite their rarity, they may inform us about the pathogenesis of more common late-life dementias, notably dementias of the Alzheimer type, which have polygenic determinants. The most important such modulation so far discovered involves polymorphic forms of the APOE locus.
An alternative scoring method for skin conductance responding in a differential fear conditioning paradigm with a long-duration conditioned stimulus

Researchers examining skin conductance (SC) as a measure of aversive conditioning commonly separate the SC response into two components when the CS-UCS interval is sufficiently long. This convention drew from early theorists who described these components, the first- and second-interval responses, as measuring orienting and conditional responses, respectively. The present report critically examines this scoring method through a literature review and a secondary data analysis of a large-scale study of police and firefighter trainees that used a differential aversive conditioning procedure (n=287). The task included habituation, acquisition, and extinction phases, with colored circles as the CSs and shocks as the UCS. Results do not support the convention of separating the SC response into first- and second-interval responses. It is recommended that SC response scores be derived from data obtained across the entire CS-UCS interval.
SU-E-T-108: EBT2 Film Based Dosimetry Incorporating Correction for Spatial-Temporal Dose Response Variation

Purpose: Implementation of radiochromic film, such as GafChromic EBT2 film, as a quantitative 2‐dimensional dosimeter requires an array of equipment calibrations and corrections. We have developed a holistic model‐based calibration/correction mechanism for radiochromic film dosimetry. Methods: One challenge of using radiochromic film is that most of the densitometry scanners in use are designed for qualitative, not quantitative use. We performed careful characterization and quantification of the systematic and random components of all temporal and spatial optical density variations. In the proposed workflow, the spatial‐dependent dose response is estimated in the calibration stage under a novel model‐based optimization framework. A benchmark calibration process has been developed for the full (optical density, space) calibration map. For improved robustness, a simplified model that assumes separability of spatial variation and dose dependence was developed. The corresponding QA tool utilizes a consistent correction principle and maps the observed pixel intensity value based on the estimated spatially varying calibration map. The developed method has been tested on seven plans (both IMRT and VMAT) and compared with commercial software correction results. Dosimetry accuracy was validated against EDR2 film by comparison with treatment planning system calculated dose distribution using 3%‐3mm gamma criterion.Results: Under equivalent test conditions, the proposed method achieves gamma passing rates with EBT2 that are comparable to or better than a correction method of a commercial counterpart. Such corroboration is consistent for both IMRT and VMAT plans under gamma tests Conclusions: We have developed a systematic approach to comprehensively calibrate and use EBT2 film, accounting for temporal and spatial dose response variations. Specifically, a formal generative model and an estimation methodology was developed to achieve good balance between measurement sensitivity and robustness. This process has been implemented with in‐house software. Research supported in part by AACR career development award.
Modeling the rabbit's eye with the Mueller matrix for birefringent properties

The effect of changing corneal birefringence, due to motion artifact, remains a major obstacle to the development of an accurate non-invasive polarimetric glucose sensor for patients with diabetes mellitus. Consequently, there is still a need to characterize fully, and to quantify the relative changes in corneal birefringence to facilitate the optimization of detection algorithms, enabling in vivo accuracy within 10mg/dl. In this paper, we present preliminary results, utilizing a Mueller matrix imaging technique, that demonstrates notable relative changes in the apparent retardance and in the apparent fast axis location of rabbit cornea.
Effects of naltrexone, and d -amphetamine, and their interaction on the stimulus control of choice behavior of rats

The hypothesis that endogenous opioid peptides modulate attentional processes was tested. The effects of the opioid antagonist naltrexone (NALT),d-amphetamine (AMP), and their interaction were investigated in rats trained in a two-choice task in which the position of a short-duration light served as a cue for food-reinforced responses. NALT (0.25, 1.0, 5.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) produced no significant changes in performance (accuracy, choice latency, and food retrieval time). As predicted, AMP induced dose-dependent biphasic effects. Low doses of AMP (0.25 and 0.5 mg/kg) significantly enhanced accuracy, decreased choice latency, and lengthened food retrieval time; 1.25 mg/kg AMP disrupted accuracy, increased choice latency, and further lengthened food retrieval time. The combination of NALT (0.25, 1.0, and 10.0 mg/kg) and subthreshold doses of AMP (0.07 and 0.1 mg/kg) had no effect on performance except for an increase in food retrieval time with 10.0 mg/kg NALT, whereas the combination of NALT and moderate doses of AMP (0.5 and 1.0 mg/kg) disrupted accuracy, increased choice latencies, and lengthened food retrieval time. These results do not support the hypothesis that endogenous opioid peptides play a vital role in attentional processes or that opioid antagonists may be useful in the treatment of attentional deficit disorders.
A new on-line approach for AIDS modeling and prediction through dynamic data systems identification (DDSI) method

A preliminary application of the dynamic data system identification (DDSI) method to AIDS modeling is presented. The historical occurrences of AIDS disease are considered as the output of a stochastic dynamic system stimulated by the random inputs. The AIDS modeling and prediction by DDSI is performed for the US nationwide AIDS monthly observed data. One autoregressive moving-average model and another combined model are established. Several features of AIDS data, including the exponential and periodic growth, are explored by analyzing the established model. >
A definitive mechanism for chorismate mutase.

In previous research presentations, we have described the important features of the chorismate → prephenate reaction using molecular dynamics (MD) and thermodynamic integration studies. This investigation of the reaction in Escherichia coli and water involves QM/MM procedures (SCCDFTB/MM two-dimensional reaction coordinates to identify transition state structures in the water, enzyme, and gas phase followed by B3LYP/6-31+G* single-point computations which allow the determination of activation energies in water and in the E. coli enzyme). Computed activation energies of 11.3 kcal/mol in enzyme and 20.3 kcal/mol in water may be compared to the experimental values of 12.7 and 20.7 kcal/mol, respectively. The transition state structures in the gas phase, water, and enzyme are much the same. The transition states are characteristic of a concerted pericyclic rearrangement. The very small differences in the partial charges of O13 in NAC and TS support only a small preferential (10%) electrostatic stabilization o...
Women’s friendship at work

Abstract This article seeks to explore autobiographically women’s friendship in the gendered workplace. Within Western culture friendship is seen as being appropriately located within the private arena (O’Connor, 1992) . The article focuses on the implications for both friendship and work relationships when this “public/private” boundary is blurred. We argue that despite some negative consequences women’s friendships in the gendered workplace can nevertheless be seen as acts of resistance.