cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Schedulability Analysis of Tasks with Corunner-Dependent Execution Times

Consider fixed-priority preemptive partitioned scheduling of constrained-deadline sporadic tasks on a multiprocessor. A task generates a sequence of jobs and each job has a deadline that must be met. Assume tasks have Corunner-dependent execution times; i.e., the execution time of a job J depends on the set of jobs that happen to execute (on other processors) at instants when J executes. We present a model that describes Corunner-dependent execution times. For this model, we show that exact schedulability testing is co-NP-hard in the strong sense. Facing this complexity, we present a sufficient schedulability test, which has pseudo-polynomial-time complexity if the number of processors is fixed. We ran experiments with synthetic software benchmarks on a quad-core Intel multicore processor with the Linux/RK operating system and found that for each task, its maximum measured response time was bounded by the upper bound computed by our theory.
Vocal Self-stimulation: From the Ring Dove Story to Emotion-Based Vocal Communication

Publisher Summary The nest coo, a two-note song is a repetitive vocal courtship display of the ring dove ( Streptopelia risoria ). Although the nest coo is the simplest songs uttered by birds, the two–syllable notes form a socially communicative message that shares the many attributes for which animal vocal sounds are selected. The female nest coo is warm and seductive. The male ring dove understands the message of the nest coo and wastes no time in pursuing copulatory behavior. The hypothalamus plays a critical role in the effect of endocrine changes on behavior as well as in the effect of environmental stimuli on endocrine changes. Thus, the chapter illustrates how the behavioral and endocrine events interact to engineer behavioral and endocrine changes. Vocal-endocrine feedback mechanisms may also apply to male coos. The vocal-endocrine feedback system may be a mechanism involved in emotional sharing that leads to vocal recognition. The chapter also describes the affective states in acoustic communication. The specialized forebrain nuclei of songbirds are developed for vocal learning. The anterior forebrain pathway, once thought to be exclusive to the vocal learner, is found in a less specialized form in the non-vocal learner. Therefore, comparisons of vocal versus non-vocal learners and simple versus complex calls reveal the nature of emotional involvement in different forms of vocal communication. The chapter postulates a hierarchy of vocalization, vocal learning, and recognition involving three interrelated levels of emotional circuity: (1) amygdala-hypothalamus circuitry at the base, (2) ‘‘cortical’’ connections at the top, and (3) dorsal posterior thalamus connections in between.
Supporting Science Gateways Using Apache Airavata and SciGaP Services

The Science Gateways Platform as a service (SciGaP.org) project provides a rapid development and stable hosting platform for a wide range of science gateways that focus on software as a service. Based on the open source Apache Airavata project, SciGaP services include user management, workflow execution management, computational experiment archiving and access, and sharing services that allow users to share results and other digital artifacts. SciGaP services are multi-tenanted, with clients accessing services through a well-defined, programming language-independent API. SciGaP services can be integrated into web, mobile, and desktop clients. To simplify development for new clients, SciGaP includes the PGA, a generic PHP-based gateway client for SciGaP services that also acts as a reference implementation of the API. Several example gateways using these services are summarized.
Computer Modeling of Polymer Structure and Fundamental Properties

Computer modeling of polymers can be pursued with a variety of motivations. An important intellectual motivation is the development of a fundamental understanding, at the atomic level, of the origin of the physical properties of macromolecules. The emphasis on an atom-based model for the modeling is stressed here, because then the modeling is performed with structures that make immediate and unambiguous contact with the language used by the chemists who synthesize the polymers. The atom-based models also permit incorporation in the software of information obtained from firmly based experimental and theoretical studies of appropriately chosen molecules of low molecular weight.
Practical, Epistemological, and Ethical Challenges of Participatory Action Research: A Cross-Disciplinary Review of the Literature

This article extends recent discussions on the practical, epistemological, and ethical challenges of participatory action research (PAR) for community-engaged scholars through a cross-disciplinary literature review. It focuses on how practitioners across fields define power, engage with conventional research approval processes, and manage risk. The review demonstrates that PAR can be a valuable research approach for community-engaged scholars, but problematic practices and disparities must be addressed. For instance, although PAR practitioners consistently articulate a commitment to empowering the community and shifting structures of oppression, contradictions around how to define and respond to power, engage with standard IRB practices, and cope with high levels of risk are prevalent. We conclude by offering a set of recommendations, highlighting the need for more transparent and self-reflexive methods; transdisciplinary practices; metrics designed to assess risk, inclusion, and power-sharing; ongoing dialogues across disciplinary and institutional divides; and inclusive authorship and open-access publishing practices.
piRNA-8041 is downregulated in human glioblastoma and suppresses tumor growth in vitro and in vivo

PIWI-interacting RNAs (piRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that partner with PIWI proteins to protect germline tissues from destabilizing transposon activity. While the aberrant expression of PIWI proteins has been linked with poor outcomes for many cancers, less is known about the expression or function of piRNAs in cancer. We performed array-based piRNA expression profiling in seven pairs of normal brain and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) tissue specimens, and identified expression of ~350 piRNAs in both tissues and a subset with dysregulated expression in GBM. Over-expression of the most down-regulated piRNA in GBM tissue, piR-8041, was found to reduce glioma cell line proliferation, induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, and inhibit cell survival pathways. Furthermore, pre-treatment with piR-8041 significantly reduced the volume of intracranial mouse xenograft tumors. Taken together, our study reveals reduced expression in GBM of piR-8041 and other piRNAs with tumor suppressive properties, and suggests that restoration of such piRNAs may be a potential strategy for GBM therapy.
Improved Knowledge Distillation from Bi-Directional to Uni-Directional LSTM CTC for End-to-End Speech Recognition

End-to-end automatic speech recognition (ASR) promises to simplify model training and deployment. Most end-to-end ASR systems utilize a bi-directional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) acoustic model due to its ability to capture acoustic context from the entire utterance. However, BiLSTM models have high latency and cannot be used in streaming applications. Leveraging knowledge distillation to train a low-latency end-to-end uni-directional LSTM (UniLSTM) model from a BiLSTM model can be an option. However, it makes the strict assumption of shared frame-wise time alignments between the two models. We propose an improved knowledge distillation algorithm that relaxes this assumption and improves the accuracy of the UniLSTM model. We confirmed the advantage of the proposed method on a standard English conversational telephone speech recognition task.
Structural properties of D-mannopyranosyl rings containing O-acetyl side-chains

The crystal structures of 1,2,3,4,6-penta-O-acetyl-α-d-manno­pyran­ose, C16H22O11, and 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-manno­pyranosyl-(1→2)-3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-α-d-manno­pyranosyl-(1→3)-1,2,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-manno­pyran­ose, C40H54O27, were determined and compared to those of methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-α-d-manno­pyran­oside, methyl α-d-manno­pyran­oside and methyl α-d-manno­pyranosyl-(1→2)-α-d-manno­pyran­oside to evaluate the effects of O-acetyl­ation on bond lengths, bond angles and torsion angles. In general, O-acetyl­ation exerts little effect on the exo- and endocyclic C—C and endocyclic C—O bond lengths, but the exocyclic C—O bonds involved in O-acetyl­ation are lengthened by ∼0.02 A. The conformation of the O-acetyl side-chains is highly conserved, with the carbonyl O atom either eclipsing the H atom attached to a 2°-alcoholic C atom or bis­ecting the H—C—H bond angle of a 1°-alcoholic C atom. Of the two C—O bonds that determine O-acetyl side-chain conformation, that involving the alcoholic C atom exhibits greater rotational variability than that involving the carbonyl C atom. These findings are in good agreement with recent solution NMR studies of O-acetyl side-chain conformations in saccharides. Experimental evidence was also obtained to confirm density functional theory (DFT) predictions of C—O and O—H bond-length behavior in a C—O—H fragment involved in hydrogen bonding.
A Preliminary Study of How Child Welfare Interviews are Conducted at Schools: do Differences Exist Based on Grade Level

ABSTRACTChild welfare workers routinely use schools as a location to interview children who are the alleged victims of child abuse and neglect. This study analyzed the survey responses from 109 pri...
Reconstructing the complex evolutionary history of the fused Aco2 gene in fission yeast.

The Aco2 gene of Schizosaccharomyces pombe was formed by gene fusion between curious partners, namely genes encoding the enzyme aconitase and a mitochondrial ribosomal protein. In addition to a full-length transcript, a truncated mRNA encoding only the N-terminal aconitase domain is produced by polyadenylation at an internal site. Protein products of the gene are found in the nucleus, mitochondria and cytoplasm, consistent with the presence of multiple subcellular targeting signals. To reconstruct the evolution of this complex gene, we studied homologous genes from a range of related species. We find evidence for a dynamic history within Taphrinomycotina, including: early evolution of a nuclear localization signal; creation of a 3 prime intron that could be involved in regulating subcellular targeting; evolution of multiple peroxisomal targeting signals in different lineages; and recurrent gene loss. We present a likely stepwise model for the evolution of this remarkable gene and discuss alternative scenarios.
Design-Based stereology and binary image histomorphometry in nerve assessment.

Abstract Background Stereology and histomorphometry are widely used by investigators to quantify nerve characteristics in normal and pathological states, including nerve injury and regeneration. While these methods of analysis are complementary, no study to date has systematically compared both approaches in peripheral nerve. This study investigated the reliability of design-based stereology versus semi-automated binary imaging histomorphometry for assessing healthy peripheral nerve characteristics. New Method Stereological analysis was compared to histomorphometry with binary image analysis on uninjured sciatic nerves to determine nerve fiber number, nerve area, neural density, and fiber distribution. Results Sciatic nerves were harvested from 6 male Lewis rats, aged 8–12 weeks for comprehensive analysis of 6 nerve specimens. From each animal, sciatic nerve specimens were fixed, stained, and sectioned for analysis by light and electron microscopy. Both histomorphometry and stereological peripheral nerve analyses were performed on all specimens by two blinded and independent investigators who quantified nerve fiber count, fiber width, density, and related distribution parameters. Comparison with existing methods Histomorphometry and stereological analysis provided similar outcomes in nerve fiber number and total nerve area. However, the light microscopy, but not electron microscopy, stereological analysis yielded higher nerve fiber area compared to histomorphometry or manual measurement. Conclusion Both methods measure similar fiber number and overall nerve fiber area; however, stereology with light microscopy quantified higher fiber area. Histomorphometry optimizes throughput and comprehensive analysis but requires user thresholding.
Posterior Spinal Fusion With Multilevel Posterolateral Convex Disc Releases for the Treatment of Severe Thoracolumbar Scoliosis.

ABSTRACT Background: Severe, rigid thoracolumbar scoliosis presents a surgical challenge to achieve 3-dimensional correction, maximize distal motion segments, and avoid operative morbidity conferred by combined anterior-posterior approaches or 3-column osteotomies. We present a new approach for releasing these curves, using multilevel posterolateral convex disc release (PCDR) and posterior instrumented fusion. Methods: There were 3 adults and 1 adolescent (mean age, 31.8 years; 2 females) with severe progressive thoracic and transforaminal lumbar (major) idiopathic scoliosis (IS) who were treated with 3-level PCDR, multiple posterior column osteotomies, and posterior instrumented thoracolumbar fusion with all–pedicle screw constructs. Results: Restoration of global coronal and sagittal alignment was achieved for all patients (minimum 2-year follow-up). Lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) was L4 in 2 patients and L3 in the remaining 2. All except 1 were fused to the lower end vertebra. Postoperatively, mean thoracolumbar curve was reduced from 77.3° (range, 69°–91°) to 21.8° (72%Δ), LIV tilt decreased from 26.8° to 8.3°, and LIV translation improved (2.5–1.2 cm; 58%Δ), whereas lumbar lordosis remained unchanged. Average central sacral vertical line shift measured via C7 sagittal vertical axis changed from 1.4 to −0.7 cm. There were no complications except for dysesthesias in the lower extremity on the side of the PCDR in 1 patient, which resolved after 3 months. Conclusions: Severe thoracolumbar IS presents a surgical challenge to achieve 3-dimensional correction, minimize fusion levels, and avoid procedural morbidity. PCDR is a novel technique that may facilitate this correction with minimal procedure-related morbidity.
Transabdominal Motor Action Potential Monitoring of Pedicle Screw Placement During Minimally Invasive Spinal Procedures: A Case Study.

Precise pedicle screw placement is a critical skill during minimally invasive spinal surgeries but can pose various challenges. Techniques such as electromyography (EMG) have been traditionally utilized for this purpose but have several shortcomings. Transabdominal motor action potential (TaMAP) has been examined as a possible effective neuromonitoring alternative and is hypothesized to provide important data on symptomatic malpositioned pedicle screws. The current study seeks to determine whether TaMAP may be an advantageous technique in the neuromonitoring of percutaneous pedicle screw placement during minimally invasive spinal procedures. The methodology involved recording TaMAP signals at the outset and the conclusion of spinal surgical procedures in human participants, for which comparisons were made of pre- and post-operative data. Results revealed that TaMAP signals remained stable during accurate pedicle screw placement and degraded during a case of inaccurate placement, for which initial misplaced hardware altered the depolarization threshold and resulted in substantial signal alteration. These results suggest that TaMAP, which is stable, repeatable, and reflects real-time information, can potentially be used as a reliable and more precise indication of accuracy in pedicle screw placement during spinal surgeries. This is the first TaMAP study conducted in human participants.
Commercial art galleries as canon-makers: the Moscow art scene in the early 1990s

This article explores the emergence of private art galleries in Moscow in the early 1990s. It argues that instead of being driven by commercial objectives, these institutions took on the functions ...
The Age Profile of Life-Satisfaction after Age 65 in the U.S

Although income and wealth are frequently used as indicators of well-being, they are increasingly augmented with subjective measures such as life satisfaction to capture broader dimensions of individuals’ well-being. Based on data from large surveys of individuals, life satisfaction in cross-section increases with age beyond retirement into advanced old age. It may seem puzzling that average life satisfaction would be higher at older ages because older individuals are more likely to experience chronic or acute health conditions, or the loss of a spouse. Accordingly, this empirical pattern has been called the “paradox of well-being.” We examine the age profile of life satisfaction of the U.S. population age 65 and older in the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) and also find increasing life satisfaction at older ages in cross-section. But based on the longitudinal dimension of the HRS life satisfaction significantly declines with age and the rate of decline accelerates with age. Widowing and health shocks play important roles in this decline. We reconcile the cross-section and longitudinal measurements by showing that both differential mortality and differential non-response bias the cross-sectional age profile upward: individuals with higher life satisfaction and in better health tend to live longer and to remain in the survey, causing average values to increase. We conclude that the optimistic view about increasing life satisfaction at older ages based on cross-sectional data is not warranted.
Self-weighing among young adults: who weighs themselves and for whom does weighing affect mood? A cross-sectional study of a population-based sample

Self-weighing is widespread among young adults and is sometimes recommended by healthcare providers for weight management. The present study aims to deepen our understanding of who is frequently self-weighing among young adults, and to examine for whom self-weighing impacts mood based on weighing frequency and other eating and weight-related characteristics. Survey data were collected from a large population-based sample of young adults (31.1 ± 1.6y) participating in Project EAT-IV (n = 1719). Cross-sectional data were stratified across sex and analyzed with chi-square, t-tests, and linear and logistic regressions controlling for age, ethnicity/race, education level, and income. Self-weighing frequency was higher among male and female young adults with a current eating disorder, those trying to lose weight or who endorsed any disordered eating behaviors or cognition, and females with higher BMI. Young adult females were significantly more likely than males to report that self-weighing impacted their mood (53% vs 27%, p < 0.05). Among both male and female young adults, there was a higher probability of participants reporting that self-weighing impacted their mood among those who were self-weighing more frequently, had higher BMI, were trying to lose weight, and endorsed disordered eating behaviors or cognitions. Findings suggest that for many young adults, particularly females and those with weight-related concerns, self-weighing is a behavior that comes with emotional valence. The emotional consequences of self-weighing should be considered when making public health and clinical recommendations regarding the usefulness of self-weighing.
High Performance Perovskite Solar Cells by Perovskites Co-Crystallized with Polymers

Extensive interest has been raised by perovskite materials as emerging alternatives for low-cost and efficient perovskite solar cells (PSCs) in the past decade. However, achieving high-performance and stable PSCs with negligible photocurrent hysteresis behavior is still a challenging task due to the intrinsic foibles of perovskites. In this work, we report efficient and stable PSCs with dramatically suppressed photocurrent hysteresis by CH3NH3PbI3 co-crystallized with poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). It is found that PEO-CH3NH3PbI3 thin film exhibit superior film morphology and significantly enlarged crystal grains as compared with CH3NH3PbI3 thin film. Systematical investigations reveal that the introduction of PEO in CH3NH3PbI3 could improve the charge transport and reduce the charge carrier recombination and promote the charge carrier extraction time within PSCs. As a result, PSCs by PEO-CH3NH3PbI3 thin film exhibit a power convention efficiency of 20.73%, which is over 20% enhancement as compared with that (17.42%) from PSCs by CH3NH3PbI3 thin film. Moreover, photocurrent hysteresis is dramatically suppressed in PSCs by PEO-CH3NH3PbI3 thin film. In addition, PSCs by PEO-CH3NH3PbI3 thin film exhibit boosted stability. All these results demonstrate that perovskites co-crystallized with polymers is an efficient approach towards high performance PSCs.
The Case for Anatomy

As anatomy programs around the country turn away from use of cadavers, it is important to underline the unique experience that gross anatomy provides to medical students. This article provides commentary on anatomy as a fourth year medical student, looking back on the gross anatomy course after the chance to return as a teaching assistant.
The Science of Children's Religious and Spiritual Development

This Element provides a comprehensive yet concise account of scientific research on children's religious and spiritual (RS) development. After providing a historical sketch of definitional issues in the science of RS, the first section reviews basic descriptive information on children's RS development as well as wholistic theoretical models and measures of children's RS development. The second section covers evidence about links of child and parental RS to children's psychosocial adjustment, and highlights the need for more research that discriminates specific positive and negative manifestations of RS for children's development. The third section summarizes evidence about the robust influence of parents on their children's RS development and parents' perceptions of their role in this process. The fourth section focuses on cognitive-developmental research on children's cognitions about God/deities and prayer. The Element concludes with a synopsis of key themes and challenges that researchers face to advance the science of children's RS development.
Covert Computation in Staged Self-Assembly: Verification Is PSPACE-Complete.

Staged self-assembly has proven to be a powerful abstract model of self-assembly by modeling laboratory techniques where several nanoscale systems are allowed to assemble separately and then be mixed at a later stage. A fundamental problem in self-assembly is Unique Assembly Verification (UAV), which asks whether a single final assembly is uniquely constructed. This has previously been shown to be Π^{p}₂-hard in staged self-assembly with a constant number of stages, but a more precise complexity classification was left open related to the polynomial hierarchy. Covert Computation was recently introduced as a way to compute a function while hiding the input to that function for self-assembly systems. These Tile Assembly Computers (TACs), in a growth only negative aTAM system, can compute arbitrary circuits, which proves UAV is coNP-hard in that model. Here, we show that the staged assembly model is capable of covert computation using only 3 stages. We then utilize this construction to show UAV with only 3 stages is Π^{p}₂-hard. We then extend this technique to open problems and prove that general staged UAV is PSPACE-complete. Measuring the complexity of n stage UAV, we show Π^{p}_{n - 1}-hardness. We finish by showing a Π^{p}_{n + 1} algorithm to solve n stage UAV leaving only a constant gap between membership and hardness.
"The Urinary Proteomic Profile Implicates Key Regulators for Urologic Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome (UCPPS): A MAPP Research Network Study".

Urologic chronic pelvic pain syndrome (UCPPS) is a condition of unknown etiology characterized by pelvic pain, and urinary frequency and/or urgency. As the proximal fluid of this syndrome, urine is an ideal candidate sample matrix for an unbiased study of UCPPS. In this study, a large, discovery-phase, TMT-based quantitative urinary proteomics analysis of 244 subjects was performed. The subjects included patients with UCPPS (n=82), healthy controls (HC) (n=94) and disparate chronic pain diseases, termed positive controls (PC) (n=68). Utilizing training and testing cohorts, we identified and validated a small and distinct set of proteins that distinguished UCPPS from HC (n=9) and UCPPS from PC (n=3). Validated UCPPS: HC proteins were predominantly ECM/ECM modifying or immunomodulatory/host defense in nature. Significantly varying proteins in the UCPPS: HC comparison were overrepresented by members of several dysregulated biological processes including decreased immune cell migration, decreased development of epithelial tissue and increased bleeding. Comparison with the PC cohort enabled evaluation of UCPPS-specific upstream regulators, contrasting UCPPS with other conditions that cause chronic pain. Specific to UCPPS were alterations in the predicted signaling of several upstream regulators, including alpha-catenin, IL6, EGF, and TGFB1, among others. These findings advance our knowledge of the etiology of UCPPS and inform potential future clinical translation into a diagnostic panel for UCPPS.
Amygdala, Hippocampus, and Ventral Medial Prefrontal Cortex Volumes Differ in Maltreated Youth with and without Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is considered a disorder of recovery where individuals fail to learn and retain extinction of the traumatic fear response. In maltreated youth, PTSD is common, chronic, and associated with comorbidity. Studies of extinction-related structural volumes (amygdala, hippocampus, anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), and ventral medial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC)) and this stress diathesis, in maltreated youth were not previously investigated. In this cross-sectional study, neuroanatomical volumes associated with extinction in maltreated youth with PTSD (N=31), without PTSD (N=32), and in non-maltreated healthy volunteers (n=57) were examined using magnetic resonance imaging. Groups were sociodemographically similar. Participants underwent extensive assessments for strict inclusion/exclusion criteria and DSM-IV disorders. Maltreated youth with PTSD demonstrated decreased right vmPFC volumes compared with both maltreated youth without PTSD and non-maltreated controls. Maltreated youth without PTSD demonstrated larger left amygdala and right hippocampal volumes compared with maltreated youth with PTSD and non-maltreated control youth. PTSD symptoms inversely correlated with right and left hippocampal and left amygdala volumes. Confirmatory masked voxel base morphometry analyses demonstrated greater medial orbitofrontal cortex gray matter intensity in controls than maltreated youth with PTSD. Volumetric results were not influenced by psychopathology or maltreatment variables. We identified volumetric differences in extinction-related structures between maltreated youth with PTSD from those without PTSD. Alterations of the vmPFC may be one mechanism that mediates the pathway from PTSD to comorbidity. Further longitudinal work is needed to determine neurobiological factors related to chronic and persistent PTSD, and to PTSD resilience despite maltreatment.
EXPLORATION OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND CLIMATE SYSTEM OF MARS

ABSTRACT The present understanding of the components of the martian general circulation and the role of the general circulation in controlling the long term balances of carbon dioxide, dust, and water are briefly reviewed. An observational strategy for improving our understanding of the general circulation and its role in regulating the climate system is proposed. The importance of coordinated in situ and remote sensing measurements over an extended time period is emphasized.
An Apology for Administrative Law in 'The Contracting State'

This essay responds to Jody Freeman's Article, "The Contracting State," which will soon appear in the symposium on Regulatory Theory and Administrative Law in the Florida State University Law Review. I agree with Freeman's assessment that regulation by agreement between the state and a contractor or regulated entity adds a significant arrow to the quill of regulatory weapons. Like her, I too have concerns about how the courts will address such contracts. I, however, do not see contract mechanisms as a means of providing regulatory accountability, but rather as a means of avoiding the overbreadth of traditional regulation and of assigning roles required by the regulatory state to those best able to perform them. Moreover, I fear that emphasis on contract as a means of providing accountability will lead to incorporation of contract law principles that will seriously undermine the flexibility of current administrative processes. Unlike Freeman, I am not certain that administrative law's lack of explicit reference to contractual processes reflects ignorance. Rather, I believe that current understandings of administrative law recognize that over the past several decades much of regulation has been implemented through contract like processes, and seek to place such processes within a framework that allows administrative agencies leeway to structure and implement regulatory programs as they think best. So viewed, too a great extent administrative law already accommodates contractual bargaining processes, and with merely a little tweaking provides sufficient accountability for most of the types of bilateral regulatory contracts that Freeman discusses. This essay begins by reviewing the potential benefits of regulatory contracts, stressing in particular that those benefits flow from attributes of contractual relationships other than the desire to hold the government accountable for regulatory policy. It goes on to describe what I consider basic understandings of the current adminstrative state - that the principal checks on agency policymaking are procedure and politics. Finally, the essay considers what these understandings imply about how courts should treat the four types of regulatory contracts that Freeman identifies in her principal paper: (i) procurement contracts, (ii) contracts under which private entities perform government services, (iii) agreements between administrative agencies and regulated entities regarding implementation or enforcement of regulations, and (iv) contracts between an agency and private entity that specify the requirements that govern the regulated conduct of the entity. In particular, the essay analyzes how these understandings inform when and how government contracts should be enforceable by the nongovernment party or by the public beneficiaries of these contracts.
A molecular approach to fertilization: III. Development of a bioassay for sperm capacitation☆

Abstract A bioassay utilizing the gametes of Xenopus laevis was developed for use in isolating sperm capacitating factor(s) present in jelly coat material. The procedure employed the methods developed previously ( Wolf and Hedrick, 1971 ) for conducting artificial fertilization with Xenopus laevis gametes except that dejellied eggs were utilized. The preparation and fertilizability of dejellied eggs was described. Conditions used in the preparation of sperm suspensions have a marked effect on the capacitation process. Preparation of sperm in solutions of 0.1 ionic strength appeared to produce artificially capacitated sperm In contrast, capacitation of sperm prepared in solutions of ionic strength 0.01 or less was dependent on the addition of a jelly-coat factor. Capacitating activity was present in jelly-coated eggs or jelly solubilized by mercaptoethanol or ultraviolet irradiation. The capacitating activity of mercaptoethanol-solubilized material was concentration dependent, suggesting a stoichiometric relation between the added factor and the spermatozoa present. The capacitation factor was shown to be a nondiffusible, water-insoluble component of the intact jelly coat. Use of the bioassay in the purification of the jelly-coat capacitation factor(s) from Xenopus laevis was discussed.
Quantization of Systems with Constraints

The quantization of systems with constraints is of considerable importance in a variety of applications. Let \(\left\{ {pj,{q^j}} \right\},1 \leqslant j \leqslant J \) denote a set of dynamical variables, \( \left\{ {{\lambda ^a}} \right\},1 \leqslant a \leqslant A \leqslant 2J \), a set of Lagrange multipliers, and \(\left\{ {{\phi _a}\left( {p,q} \right)} \right\} \) a set of constraints. Then the dynamics of a constrained system may be summarized in the form of an action principle by means of the classical action (summation implied) $$I = \int {\left[ {pj{{\dot q}^j} - H\left( {p,q} \right) - {\lambda ^a}{\phi _a}\left( {p,q} \right)} \right]} dt. $$ (1)
Functional heterogeneity among peritoneal macrophages. 1. Effector cell activity of macrophages against syngeneic and xenogeneic tumor cells.

Abstract Peritoneal exudate cells from immunized and nonimmunized animals were separated into subpopulations by centrifugation on discontinuous bovine serum albumin (BSA) density gradients. Cells in the several subpopulations were then tested for their cytostatic or cytotoxic activity against syngeneic and xenogeneic tumor cells. Nonimmune macrophages isolated at the 8 to 11% BSA interface were highly inhibitory to the growth of syngeneic and xenogeneic tumor cells during coculture for 24 to 48 hr. A second macrophage subpopulation of heavier density was not as effective in preventing tumor growth and frequently augmented it. Cytotoxic activity against (C58NT) D tumor cells could not be detected with macrophages or subpopulations of macrophages from immune as well as nonimmune animals, as determined by a 4-hr chromium release assay. The cytotoxic activity of the immune peritoneal exudate cells observed by this assay could be accounted for by the small percentage of lymphocytes present.
Pregnancy in uterus didelphys

Abstract A case of uterus didelphys with complete septate vagina is reported in which pregnancy occurring in one uterus was terminated by cesarean section because of dystocia. The dystocia was brought about by inability to dislodge the nonpregnant uterus which blocked the inlet to the pelvis. Pregnancy may have occurred as a result of internal migration of the spermatozoa. This presumption is based on the fact that pregnancy occurred in the right uterus while coitus was obviously possible only in the left vagina, there being no demonstrable communication between the two vaginas. It is, of course, possible that external migration of the sperm from the left to the right vagina may have occurred. Vaginitis, resulting from trichomonas infestation, was a complicating factor during the postoperative period. It was very resistant to treatment until measures were taken to insure that not only the insufflation carried out in the clinic but the patient's self-treatment at home was directed simultaneously to both vaginal cavities.
Tidal Triggering Caught in the Act

Over the past three decades, many researchers have searched for the tidal triggering of earthquakes in the hope that small triggered shocks would illuminate faults critically stressed for failure in future large earthquakes. The results have been equivocal, but not anymore, according to the Perspective by Stein. He highlights a recent paper by Tanaka, Ohtake, and Sato in Earth, Planets and Space, where they report the detection of detected tidal triggering in 10% of the Japanese archipelago and show that earthquakes are only triggered when the tidal stress acts in the same direction as the regional tectonic stress. If the results can be reproduced in places such as California and Taiwan, a long-sought goal of seismology would be achieved.
Sensitivity of Arctic Sea Ice Thickness to Intermodel Variations in the Surface Energy Budget

Sea ice simulations from an ensemble of climate models show large differences in the mean thickness of perennial Arctic sea ice. To understand the large thickness spread, we assess the sensitivity of thickness to the ensemble spread of the surface energy budget. Intermodel thickness and energy flux variations are related through a diagnostic calculation of thickness from surface temperature and energy fluxes. The calculation shows that an ensemble range of 60 W m ―2 in energy fluxes, as simulated by climate models, results in an approximate range of 1―5 m in ice thickness. The ensemble mean value of the melt season energy flux, together with a budget residual term that represents the effects of ocean heat exchange and ice divergence, are the key factors that determine the range in ice thickness owing to the flux spread. The ensemble spread in summertime energy flux is strongly related to the spread in surface albedo, while differences in longwave radiative forcing, due in part to cloud simulation errors, play a smaller role.
Intussusception of the uterine tube

Abstract A case of intussusception of the uterine tube is reported. It is suggested that this condition is not as rare as the paucity of references in the literature indicates, and that it may be the cause of the colicky pain so often observed with tubal pregnancy.
Fetal rabbit intestinal absorption: implications for transamniotic fetal feeding.

Abstract Delivery of nutrients to the fetus via the developing gastrointestinal tract has been advocated as a potential prenatal treatment for intrauterine growth retardation. Previous studies have demonstrated significant increases in fetal length and weight following continuous intraamniotic nutrient infusions in animals. The ideal composition of intraamniotic feedings has yet to be determined. Thirteen time-mated rabbit does underwent cesarean section between gestational days 27 and 33 to deliver 54 fetuses. The everted intestinal sleeve technique was used to measure radiolabeled carbohydrate and amino acid uptake rates from 1-cm segments of midjejunum. Uptake of galactose was more than double that of glucose and fructose. Active uptake of glucose, fructose, and galactose increased by 3.3-fold, 6.2-fold, and 2.1-fold, respectively, during the final 7 days of gestation when expressed as uptake per mg intestine. In contrast, uptake of the amino acids leucine, lysine, and proline decreased by 41%, 34%, and 17%, respectively, during the final 5 days of gestation. The demonstrated changes in intestinal absorption and nutrient delivery in the rabbit model, during the last days of gestation, suggest that certain substrates are absorbed more rapidly than others. Galactose may be the preferred intraamniotic carbohydrate for fetal growth.
Photothermal excitation of resonant structures in fibre optic sensors: Application of computer modelling techniques

Abstract Preliminary results obtained from the development of a simple computer-aided finite-element model of a resonant structure, used with direct optical exc
Ensuring functional safety compliance for ISO 26262

In this paper, we describe the verification flow to ensure safety compliance for ISO 26262 focusing on digital simulation.
Tectonics of mid-ocean ridges

Abstract Various simple models for the emplacement of new material at the mid-oceanic ridge are discussed. Ridges with median valleys and ones without such valleys are considered. The emplacement of both extrusive and intrusive material is taken into account. For each situation a simple pattern of tectonic behavior is suggested which will allow a steady state. It is shown that reverse faulting must occur if median valleys are in a steady state. It is also shown that where extrusive material is present this reverse faulting produces a smearing out of the boundary between zones of oppositely polarized material. The extent of smearing is dependent directly on the total thickness of extrusive material and on the cotangent of the angle of faulting.
Fixation strategies for retinal immunohistochemistry

Immunohistochemical and ex vivo anatomical studies have provided many glimpses of the variety, distribution, and signaling components of vertebrate retinal neurons. The beauty of numerous images published to date, and the qualitative and quantitative information they provide, indicate that these approaches are fundamentally useful. However, obtaining these images entailed tissue handling and exposure to chemical solutions that differ from normal extracellular fluid in composition, temperature, and osmolarity. Because the differences are large enough to alter intercellular and intracellular signaling in neurons, and because retinae are susceptible to crush, shear, and fray, it is natural to wonder if immunohistochemical and anatomical methods disturb or damage the cells they are designed to examine. Tissue fixation is typically incorporated to guard against this damage and is therefore critically important to the quality and significance of the harvested data. Here, we describe mechanisms of fixation; advantages and disadvantages of using formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde as fixatives during immunohistochemistry; and modifications of widely used protocols that have recently been found to improve cell shape preservation and immunostaining patterns, especially in proximal retinal neurons.
Near-prospective test of Coulomb stress triggering

Numerous studies retrospectively observed a strong association between earthquake location and increased static Coulomb stress. In addition to confirming these results for southern California seismicity, we observed prospective forecasting potential in static stress evolution. With 141 seismic and 98 aseismic stress sources, we considered alternate choices of stress components and receiver fault orientations, examined the effect of Coulomb triggering on earthquake magnitude, calculated stress histories for receiver quakes to see if some occurred after their stress had peaked, examined whether stress changes from the Hector Mine earthquake alone changed the earthquake rate as expected, and estimated the conditional distribution of earthquake occurrence given resolved Coulomb stress change. We found that with 95% confidence, M ≥ 2.8 receiver earthquakes nucleate in areas of shear or Coulomb stress change increase. On average, 59% of earthquakes occurred within stress-enhanced zones, regardless of the choice of rupture plane or type of stress change. The 1999 Hector Mine, California, earthquake increased the seismicity in regions of positive and negative stress change but more so in the positive regions. Earthquakes frequently occur after their calculated peak stress has occurred, indicating that elastic calculations do not tell the whole story. We found no significant evidence that stress change affects the magnitude of receiver quakes. Thus, instantaneous Coulomb and shear stress change apparently influence the locations but not the magnitudes of future earthquakes.
On McMullin’s Appreciation of Realism Concerning the Sciences

Abstract Constructive empiricism is indeed set squarely within a common sense realism that was foreign to much of the empiricist tradition. But I do not see this common sense realism, which I take myself to share with many scientific realists, as harboring or leading to scientific realism. That is in part because of the way I separate the opposition between empiricist and realist understanding of science from other issues that divide us in epistemology. This discussion brought to light our quite different conceptions of what is at issue between empiricists and realists in this area. After a response to McMullin’s critique, however, I will be especially concerned to respond to his challenging proposal for a shift in the debate over realism concerning the sciences.
Delayed-accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy for advanced-stage or high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma

The treatment of six patients with advanced-stage or high-risk rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) is described. These patients were treated with a delayed-accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy (DAHFRT) regimen which delivers 5200 cGy over 20 treatment days. Acceptable early toxicity was noted when radiation therapy was given after a full course of chemotherapy and major attempts at resection of the primary tumor. The DAHFRT regimen has inherent biological and time-intensity advantages compared to other fractionation schemes which may be exploited to improve local control. The DAHFRT regimen should be considered as an alternate fractionation scheme for RMS patients and a possible foundation from which dose-escalation of radiation therapy may be attempted using advanced treatment planning technology. Late effects of high-dose radiation therapy, although a major concern, should assume less priority given the high local failure rates of advanced-stage patients and the advent of conformed radiation therapy treatment planning and delivery which can be used to reduce treatment-related toxicity.
Seismic velocity estimation from time migration

We address the problem of estimating seismic velocities inside the Earth which is necessary for obtaining seismic images in regular Cartesian coordinates. The main goals are to develop algorithms to convert time-migration velocities to true seismic velocities, and to convert time-migrated images to depth images in regular Cartesian coordinates. Our main results are three-fold. First, we establish a theoretical relation between the true seismic velocities and the 'time-migration velocities' using the paraxial ray tracing. Second, we formulate an appropriate inverse problem describing the relation between time-migration velocities and depth velocities, and show that this problem is mathematically ill posed, i.e., unstable to small perturbations. Third, we develop numerical algorithms to solve regularized versions of these equations which can be used to recover smoothed velocity variations. Our algorithms consist of efficient time-to-depth conversion algorithms, based on Dijkstra-like fast marching methods, as well as level set and ray tracing algorithms for transforming Dix velocities into seismic velocities. Our algorithms are applied to both two-dimensional and three-dimensional problems, and we test them on a collection of both synthetic examples and field data.
For Better or Worse: Using Wikis and Blogs for Staff Communication in an Academic Library

This case study from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University Libraries, which has one main library, three branches, and more than 110 staff, illustrates one approach to using new technologies as additional methods for internal communication. At large academic libraries, communication within the organization can be challenging. The potential that Web 2.0 tools have to increase opportunities for communication and collaboration is one reason internal staff wiki and blogs were implemented at the University Libraries. The staff wiki is predominantly used to archive committee meeting minutes, policies and procedures, and departmental information, while blogs are used mainly for news items and departmental updates. The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, library staff were surveyed to assess the changes in communication after the implementation of blogs and an internal wiki. The authors theorized that Web 2.0 technologies would reduce barriers and improve communication. Results indicated an overall improvem...
Rapid Annealing for Shallow Junction Formation

The application of rapid thermal annealing (RTA) of ion implanted impurities for the formation of shallow junctions provides advantages of reducing dopant distribution while removing the lattice damage. The higher temperature processing also improves the electrical activity of the dopants. The physical mechanisms of the redistribution and activation of ion implanted impurities are complex and RTA provides a valuable tool for investigating the details.
Generation of reactive intermediates

© 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biochem Mol Toxicol 19:173–174, 2005; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/jbt.20072