cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From Art to Ethics

Heidegger’s understanding of the role of art is that it opens up a clearing where objects or structures fall away from their everyday meanings and uses, opening up a different world. The artwork thematizes the world explicitly for a people who already understand it implicitly. The artwork brings the implicit background of the world into the open, and makes it manifest. Heidegger sought to breathe new meaning into the philosophy of art by reorienting the work of art as one aspect of his analysis of a theory of truth, as a process of unconcealing meaning and, I will argue, opening up a path for ethics.
Challenges in Biosensor Development--Detection limit, detection time, and specificity

Biosensors are widely used to detect the presence of biological entities (pathogens, harmful chemicals, and toxins) in a sample, but their application is subject to several limitations, including detection limit and detection time. The detection limit is the minimum amount of a biological entity that can be detected. The detection limit is especially important when the threshold limit of a pathogen--the amount that could make a person sick--is very low. A biosensor is only useful if its detection limit is lower than the threshold limit of the pathogen in question.
The relationship of job performance to exercise adherence in a corporate fitness program.

An investigation of the relationship between exercise adherence and job performance was conducted over a six-month period among a group of white-collar workers (3,231) eligible to participate in a corporate fitness program. The study population was divided into four job categories - management (561), professional (1,265), clerical (1,078), and other (327) - and five exercise adherence groups - nonmember (1,090), nonexerciser (926), exercised less than one time per week (738), exercised one to two times per week (238), and exercised more than two times per week (239). Current job performance ratings were determined for all individuals. A strong association (p less than .01) was observed between above average performance and increasing adherence levels. An inverse relationship was demonstrated between poor performance and increasing adherences levels (p less than .0001). In each adherence group no differences in performance were noted when prior performance was compared with current performance. On the basis of these findings there appears to be a positive although probably noncausal relationship between exercise adherence in a corporate fitness program and above average job performance.
The Mission Continues: A Conceptual Framework and Selected Brief Screening Measures For Evaluating Civic Service and Health Outcomes Among Returning U.S. Veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan

Selecting indicators and outcome measures is an essential step in program evaluation. Given the distinctiveness and specificity of many community-based programs, nonprofit managers, evaluators, and research teams rarely share the design, development, and decision-making process that transforms good ideas into a cohesive evaluation plan. However, for some national non-profit organizations that serve vulnerable target populations, such as military service members recently returned from Iraq and Afghanistan, outcomes based accountability and program effectiveness are mission-centric. This paper aims to describe the background, framework, and lessons learned from a multi-year, national program evaluation of The Mission Continues’ Fellowship Program. For this summative evaluation, standardized measures were used to assess the biopsychosocial outcomes of participating in this veteran-focused civic service and leadership program with post-9/11/01 veterans. Consistent use of rigorous program evaluation methods and standardized measures supports the optimization and dissemination of best practices and evidence-based programs for the military and veteran populations.
1974 Caenorhabditis elegans Behavioral Genetics

All of the genes in a species can be known and their roles determined, and this can specifically be applied to analysis of behavioral phenotypes.
Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears: Impact of Delayed Presentation on Intra-Articular Injuries:

Objectives:Chronic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury is associated with increased risk for meniscal and chondral injuries. The purpose of this study was to examine what intra-articular injuries occur related to the cartilage and meniscus in the setting of chronic ACL deficiency.Methods:A cross-sectional cohort study was conducted using a retrospective chart review for all patients who sustained an ACL injury and underwent reconstruction from January 1, 2009 to May 14, 2015. Demographic variables were age, gender, and BMI (Body Mass Index). Additionally, days from injury to surgery, presence of meniscus tears and presence of articular cartilage injury were recorded. Data was analyzed to determine the association between delay of surgery and cartilage or meniscus injury as well as gender, BMI and age at the time of surgery.Results:410 patients were included in this study. The average age was 27 ± 8.8 years (range of 14-59 years). 58.5% of patients had a BMI >25. 70.5% of the patients were male. 27.3% ...
Dietary Design in Fat and Cancer Research

The role of dietary lipids in the etiology of cancer has been a subject of investigation since the early 1930’s. Interest in this area has intensified tremendously as the specific processes that are modified by diet are elucidated. Data from epidemiological and experimental studies indicate that incidences of certain types of cancers (breast, prostate and colorectal cancer) are higher in populations with high dietary fat intake. A number of mechanisms have been proposed to explain the influence of dietary fat on cancer, including modification of carcinogen metabolism, endocrine function, and bile acid/fecal steroid excretion, for example (1). It is sometimes difficult, however, to attribute differences in experimental outcome in this research solely to differences in dietary fat due to flaws in dietary formulation and/or feeding regimens. Proper diet formulation is a critical consideration in the design of animal experimentation yet it is often overlooked and slighted. The purpose of this section is to review and evaluate the most commonly used nutritional protocols in fat and cancer experimentation.
Assessment of a Single Decoupling Alchemical Approach for the Calculation of the Absolute Binding Free Energies of Protein-Peptide Complexes

The computational modeling of peptide inhibitors to target protein-protein binding interfaces is growing in interest as these are often too large, too shallow, and too feature-less for conventional small molecule compounds. Here, we present a rare successful application of an alchemical binding free energy method for the calculation of converged absolute binding free energies of a series of protein-peptide complexes. Specifically, we report the binding free energies of a series of cyclic peptides derived from the LEDGF/p75 protein to the integrase receptor of the HIV1 virus. The simulations recapitulate the effect of mutations relative to the wild-type binding motif of LEDGF/p75, providing structural, energetic and dynamical interpretations of the observed trends. The equilibration and convergence of the calculations are carefully analyzed. Convergence is aided by the adoption of a single-decoupling alchemical approach with implicit solvation, which circumvents the convergence difficulties of conventional double-decoupling protocols. We hereby present the single-decoupling methodology and critically evaluate its advantages and limitations. We also discuss some of the challenges and potential pitfalls of binding free energy calculations for complex molecular systems which have generally limited their applicability to the quantitative study of protein-peptide binding equilibria.
It Takes Two to Tango: Autocratic underbalancing, regime legitimacy and China’s responses to India’s rise

What factors do autocracies evaluate when responding to perceived threats and why might they fail to balance appropriately? I posit that autocratic leaders may choose greater exposure to an externa...
Reasons for Changes in Average Weekly Plant Hours from 1929 to 1976

This chapter is a statistical analysis of factors that account for the change in average weekly plant hours from 1929 to 1976. Using the detailed industry as the unit of observation, the analysis focuses on long-run rather than cyclical influences. The chapter begins with a discussion of the theory of shift work. The theory that has developed applies to the individual firm under static conditions, but it has applicability to long-run changes. Partly on the basis of the theory, this study analyzes variations in average weekly plant hours by industry in 1976 and 1929 and then takes up industry changes over time.
A novel compaction scheme for routing tables in TCAM to enhance cache hit rate

Routing table lookup is an important operation in packet forwarding. The speed at which this operation is performed has a great influence on the overall performance of the network processors. Routing tables are usually stored in main memory with a large access time. Consequently, small fast cache memories have been used to improve access time. In this paper, we propose a novel routing table compaction scheme to reduce the size of routing table stored in ternary content addressable memory (TCAM) and improve cache hit rate. Two or more routing entries are compacted into one using don't care element in TCAM. A small compacted routing table helps to increase cache hit rate; this in turn provides fast address lookups. We have evaluated the compaction scheme through extensive simulations involving IPv4 routing tables and traces. The original routing tables have been compacted over 60%. The cache hit rate has improved by up to 20% over the original tables depending on both cache size (number of cache entries) and traces. We have also analyzed the impact of port errors caused by caching technique, and chose sampling technique to alleviate this problem. The proposed scheme has been extended to IPv6 with similar results.
Toward Understanding the Colligative Properties of a Solution

An alteration in the solvent, attributable to the dispersal of finely divided substances throughout the solvent, induces the colligative properties of the solution. These properties of the solution include its osmotic pressure, its melting temperature and boiling temperature and the vapor pressure of the solvent. There is, however, no adequate theoretical treatment which provides a coherent account of these properties even for water solutions. We have reviewed in Chapter I the history of venerable thought concerning the colligative properties, especially the osmotic pressure of a solution; and, as we have noted, the foundations for understanding these properties have been frequently misunderstood. Therefore, we shall reexamine these foundations and derive what we believe to be the only admissible account of the colligative properties of a solution. We shall conclude that the alteration in the solvent, which is attributable to the dispersal of solute throughout the solvent, is an enhanced negative hydrostatic pressure in the solvent within the solution (35 b).
Identification of novel blood biomarker panels to detect ischemic stroke in patients and their responsiveness to therapeutic intervention.

The use of blood biomarkers for stroke has been long considered an excellent method to determine the occurrence, timing, subtype, and severity of stroke. In this study, venous blood was obtained from ischemic stroke patients after stroke onset and compared with age and sex-matched controls. We used a multiplex panel of 37 inflammatory molecules, analyzed using Luminex MagPix technology, to identify the changes in plasma proteins after ischemic stroke. We identified eight key molecules that were altered within the blood of stroke patients as compared to controls. Plasma levels of interleukin 6 signal transducer (sIL-6Rβ/gp130), matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), osteopontin, sTNF-R1 and sTNF-R2 were significantly higher in stroke patients compared to controls. Interferon-β, interleukin-28, and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) were decreased in plasma from stroke patients. No other immunological markers were significantly different between patient groups. When stroke patients were treated with tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), plasma levels of interferon-α2 significantly increased while interleukin-2 and pentraxin-3 decreased. The discriminatory power of the molecules was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. According to ROC analysis, the best markers for distinguishing stroke occurrence were MMP-2 (AUC = 0.76, sensitivity 62.5%, specificity 88.5%), sTNF-R2 (AUC = 0.75, sensitivity 83.3%, specificity 65.3%) and TSLP (AUC = 0.81, sensitivity 66.7%, specificity 96.2%). Multivariate logistic regression, used to evaluate the combination of proteins, identified a biomarker panel with high specificity and sensitivity (AUC = 0.96, sensitivity 87.5%, specificity 96.2%). These results indicate a novel set of blood biomarkers that could be used in a panel to identify stroke patients and their responsiveness to therapeutic intervention.
Exercises Integrating High School Mathematics with Robot Motion Planning

This Innovative Practice Work in Progress presents progress in developing exercises for high school students incorporating level-appropriate mathematics into robotics activities. We assume mathematical foundations ranging from algebra to precalculus, whereas most prior work on integrating mathematics into robotics uses only very elementary mathematical reasoning or, at the other extreme, is comprised of technical papers or books using calculus and other advanced mathematics. The exercises suggested are relevant to any differential-drive robot, which is an appropriate model for many different varieties of educational robots. They guide students towards comparing a variety of natural navigational strategies making use of typical movement primitives. The exercises align with Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.
Factors Predictive of Subretinal Fluid Resolution in Coats Disease: Analysis of 177 Eyes in 177 Patients at a Single Center

PURPOSE The aim of this study was to investigate factors predictive of subretinal fluid (SRF) resolution in Coats disease. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. METHODS Institutional review board-approved review of patients diagnosed with Coats disease demonstrating SRF (stage 3-5) at a single center from November 1973 to July 2018 with comparison of eyes that had resolution of SRF to those in which SRF persisted. RESULTS There were 177 cases (154 males, 87%) of Coats disease diagnosed at a mean age of 8 years. After a mean follow-up of 62 months, SRF resolved in 110 (62%) and persisted in 67 (38%) eyes. Comparison (resolved SRF vs persistent SRF) revealed classification as stage 3A [63 (57%) vs 20 (29%)], stage 3B [47 (43%) vs 40 (60%)], or stage 4 [0 (0%) vs 7 (11%)] (P < 0.001). Eyes with resolved SRF presented with fewer clock hours of telangiectasia (mean: 5 vs 7 clock hours, P < 0.001), light bulb aneurysms (mean: 5 vs 7 clock hours, P < 0.001), exudation (mean: 7 vs 10 clock hours, P < 0.001), and extent of SRF (mean: 7 vs 10 clock hours, P < 0.001). Factors predictive of SRF resolution included absence of iris neovascularization on fluorescein angiography [odds ratio 0.05 (95% confidence interval 0.01-0.60), P = 0.02], and less elevated SRF by ultrasonography [odds ratio 0.84 (95% confidence interval 0.76-0.95), P = 0.004). For every 1-mm decrease in SRF, likelihood of SRF resolution increased by 16%. CONCLUSIONS Resolution of SRF was achieved in the majority of eyes (62%) with stage 3 to 5 Coats disease. Predictors of SRF resolution included lack of neovascularization on fluorescein angiography and less elevation of SRF by ultrasonography.
Optimizing O‐negative RBC utilization using a data‐driven approach

Background O-negative red blood cells (ON-RBC) are a precious resource and the international blood banking community has become increasingly concerned with its inappropriate utilization. AABB recently made several recommendations to address the issue. Solutions must be multifaceted and involve donor centers, blood banks, and clinical departments. From the perspective of a hospital blood bank, it is difficult to rely solely on increased donor recruitment and ubiquitous blood typing of the entire in-patient population. We therefore focused on interventions within the blood bank to optimize inventory and policies to ensure appropriate ON-RBC utilization. Study design and methods Transfusion data over one year was examined for the rate of out-of-group/inappropriate ON-RBC. Furthermore, we assessed whether that rate was related to product life on the day of transfusion. We also examined our stock inventory levels and how excess inventory can contribute to inappropriate ON-RBC usage. Results The ON-RBC inventory level was decreased in order to reduce the rate of inappropriate transfusions while maintaining a safe level for optimal patient care. Compared to baseline, our intervention caused ON-RBCs to be transfused earlier in their shelf-life (9.27 vs. 11.15 days from expiration [DFE], p = 0.0012). This reduced the overall rate of inappropriate ON-RBC transfusions (67% vs. 54%, p = 0.0035), approximating 185 units of ON-RBC saved over the course of 6 months. Conclusions A data-driven approach to optimize stock inventory levels is widely applicable; it can be adopted by numerous institutions to improve utilization and establish a benchmark for the broader blood banking community.
A Framework for Analyzing, Designing, and Visualizing Spiking Neural Networks—Part II: Nonlinear Response Surfaces

In this second part of a two-part study, we extend to nonlinear synaptic responses a new framework, called Response Surfaces (RSs), for analyzing, designing, and visualizing spiking neurons and networks. An RS is the transfer function between input and output firing times of a spiking neuron and shows all the patterns of input spike times that fire a neuron at a given time. Here in Part II, we present four mathematically tractable functions to model more realistic post-synaptic-potential waveforms, and we build on the linear RS framework of Part I to create a nonlinear RS framework. We then discuss the qualitative differences between the linear and nonlinear RSs frameworks and revisit problems of Part I using the nonlinear RSs framework: graphing the transfer function of a nonlinear spiking neuron, designing an efficient spiking-XOR gate, analyzing phase-tracking in recurrent SNNs, and developing transfer functions for calculating the output firing times of a spiking neuron given a set of input firing times. For the nonlinear RS framework, we show that the output firing time of a nonlinear spiking neuron is equivalent to the center-of-mass of input spike times (acting as positions) and weights (acting as masses) plus a fixed delay plus a second-order correction. The second-order centroid correction is one of the main differences between the linear and nonlinear RS frameworks. For recurrent networks, the nonlinear RS framework also shows a more stable behavior compared to linear SNNs, owing to the smooth shapes of nonlinear post-synaptic-potential waveforms.
The Authoritarian Origins of Dominant Parties in Democracies: Opposition Fragmentation and Asymmetric Competition in India

What explains the electoral dominance of a single party over a prolonged period of time in a democracy? Focusing on the case of India’s former dominant party, the Indian National Congress, this article argues that authoritarian-era politics can influence the likelihood of single-party dominance after democratization. More specifically, the axes of political contestation in the authoritarian era interact with the process of democratization to shape democratic-era party systems. When the authoritarian era’s primary socio-political division becomes irrelevant because the democratization process roundly discredits one side of the division, the resulting party system in the democratic period is likely to feature a single major party and a host of small, disorganized, and inexperienced parties. Such asymmetric party competition is particularly likely to produce a dominant party. This explanation not only accounts for the fragmented nature of the opposition in early post-independence India, which was central to sustaining single-party dominance, but it can also potentially shed light on single-party dominance (or its absence) elsewhere in the world.
Why Some Blame Politics for Their Personal Problems

Why do some people blame the political system for the problems in their lives? We explore the origins of these grievances and how people assign responsibility and blame for the challenges they face...
The impact of obesity and severe obesity on postoperative outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy.

Abstract Background The impact of obesity on postoperative outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy remains insufficiently studied. Methods All pancreatoduodenectomy patients were abstracted from the 2014 to 2018 American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program data sets and were stratified into the following 3 body mass index categories: non-obese (body mass index 18.5–29.9), class 1/2 obesity (body mass index 30–39.9), and class 3 severe obesity (body mass index ≥ 40). Analyses tested associations between patient factors and four 30-day postoperative outcomes: mortality, composite morbidity, delayed gastric emptying, and postoperative pancreatic fistula. Multivariable logistic regression models tested independent associations between patient factors and these 4 outcome measures. Results A total of 16,823 patients were included in the study: 12,234 (72.7%) non-obese, 4,030 (24%) obese, and 559 (3.3%) with severe obesity. Bivariable analyses demonstrated significant associations between obesity, severe obesity, and greater proportions of numerous preoperative comorbidities as well as a greater likelihood of postoperative complications, including postoperative pancreatic fistula, delayed gastric emptying, composite morbidity, and mortality (all P ≤ .001). After adjusting for significant covariates, obesity was independently associated with postoperative pancreatic fistula (odds ratio 1.49, 95% confidence interval: 1.33–1.67, P Conclusion Obesity and severe obesity are significantly associated with worse short-term outcomes after pancreatoduodenectomy. Preoperative considerations, such as weight management strategies during individualized treatment planning, could improve outcomes in this population.
Energy and techno-economic analysis of bio-based carboxylic acid recovery by adsorption

Recent works have established bio-based carboxylic acids as adaptable precursors to renewable biofuels and chemicals. However, the separation of carboxylic acids is a major energy and cost driver, accounting for 20–40% of the entire processing cost. Improved downstream separation technologies that reduce operating costs compared to conventional approaches are needed, particularly to enable bio-based commodity fuels and chemicals. Here, we combine techno-economic analysis (TEA) and an energy and environmental assessment with experimental results to compare weak-base adsorption (WBA) processes with the conventional strong ion exchange (IX) process for the recovery of the exemplary product, butyric acid. TEA indicates that WBA has the potential to reduce operating expenses from 34% to 6% relative to the selling price of butyric acid ($1.8 kg−1). Our energy analysis shows that the WBA process has 12.2-fold energy reduction and 9.2-fold GHG emission reduction compared to the conventional IX process.
Virulence Gene Regulation in Bacillus anthracis and Other Bacillus cereus Group Species

The best-studied members of the Bacillus cereus group, B. anthracis, B. thuringiensis, and B. cereus sensu stricto, are pathogens with common and unique features that facilitate their ability to cause disease. As the etiological agent of anthrax, B. anthracis is the most renowned member of the B. cereus group. Inhalation or ingestion of B. anthracis spores can result in a lethal hemorrhagic septicemia. Anthrax toxin represents an interesting variation on the classic A-B toxin model: one binding/translocating B component, protective antigen (PA), and two enzymatic A components, edema factor (EF) and lethal factor (LF). Opportunistic infections caused by B. thuringiensis and B. cereus sensu stricto are relatively uncommon, but they can have serious consequences whether local or systemic. The chromosomes of B. anthracis, B. thuringiensis, and B. cereus sensu stricto reveal striking sequence similarity and gene synteny, but virulence-associated plasmid content can allow facile discrimination of the three species. A large number of virulence factors have been established for the pathogenic B. cereus group species. Anthrax toxin is the best-studied and arguably the most important virulence factor produced by B. anthracis. The entomopathogenesis of B. thuringiensis is dependent upon the production of characteristic insecticidal parasporal crystals called cryotoxins (Cry) and cytolysins (Cyt). B. anthracis, B. thuringiensis, and B. cereus senso stricto secrete pore-forming toxins of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin (CDC) family.
Geographic Location and Regional Variation in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurial activity does not exist within a vacuum; rather, it is an activity which is firmly rooted in the context in which it is being undertaken. Ventures are created and grown, and succeed or fail within specific geographic contexts that may be more or less munificent along a number of dimensions. These dimensions include risk capital, skilled labor, technical and scientific knowledge, specialized suppliers, supportive cultural norms and values, and social capital/networks. This entry begins with a review of the literature on geographic location and entrepreneurial activity. Specifically, this entry will look at the research on the impact of labor pooling, specialized suppliers, knowledge spillovers, culture, and amenities on entrepreneurial activity and conclude with suggestions of areas for future research. Keywords: entrepreneurship; geographic location; agglomeration; clusters; knowledge spillovers
Primary Pure Angiosarcoma of the Testis: A Case Report

Angiosarcoma is a rare and aggressive, malignant neoplasm of endothelial-cell origin. A primary angiosarcoma originating in the testicle is extremely rare, with only five previous cases reported in the current literature. We report a case of primary, pure angiosarcoma of the testis in a 63-year-old patient with no history of previous chemotherapy or radiation therapy. By histology, the tumor was a high-grade spindle cell neoplasm, arranged in sheets and poorly-formed vascular channels. The tumor cells were positive for vascular markers (CD31, CD34) by immunohistochemical staining. No evidence of a germ cell component was seen by morphology, immunohistochemistry, or molecular genetic studies. This finding is unique in that it is one of only three reported cases of primary angiosarcomas of the testicle without a germ cell precursor or component.
Does piemontite represent only greenschist facies metamorphism

Piemontite (Mn+3-bearing epidote) has been shown to occur stably in amphibolite facies rocks, whether or not there is coexisting garnet, so that published statements assigning piemontite exclusively to lowest greenschist facies are incorrect. Examples of such piemontite-bearing rocks are known from several areas in northern New Mexico and southern California. The associated mineral assemblage, hematite-phlogopite-microcline, reflects highly oxidizing conditions, and under such conditions Mn+3 can be present. During progressive metamorphism the Mn+3 is preferentially incorporated into piemontite rather than coexisting garnet, probably because of crystal field effects.
Schooling the Freed People: Teaching, Learning, and the Struggle for Black Freedom, 1861 —1876

Review of: "Schooling the Freed People: Teaching, Learning, and the Struggle for Black Freedom," by Ronald E. Butchart.
Rationality of the zeta-function of a set of equations over a finite field

If F is a field, let \(\mathbb{A}_{F}^{n}\) denote “n-dimensional affine space over F,” i.e., the set of ordered n-tuples (x 1, …, x n ) of elements x i of F. Let f(X 1,…, X n ) ∈F[X 1…, X n ] be a polynomial in the n variables X 1 ,…, X n .
Validity and reliability in social science research

Concepts of reliability and validity in social science research are introduced and major methods to assess reliability and validity reviewed with examples from the literature. The thrust of the paper is to provide novice researchers with an understanding of the general problem of validity in social science research and to acquaint them with approaches to developing strong support for the validity of their research.
Cluster-Partitioning Approaches to Mapping Parallel Programs onto a Hypercube

The process-to-processor mapping problem is addressed in the context of a local-memory parallel computer with a hypercube interconnection topology. Two heuristic cluster-based mapping strategies are compared - 1) a nearest-neighbor approach and 2) a recursive-clustering scheme. The nearest-neighbor strategy is shown to be very effective with planar graphs and graphs with a high degree of locality while the recursive partitioning heuristic is better with highly irregular graphs.
Evidence for stable transformation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a pUC-based plasmid

Pseudomonas aeruginosa was transformed with pUC8:16, a pUC-based plasmid bearing the gene (vgb) encoding Vitreoscilla (bacterial) hemoglobin (VHb). Transformation was initially indicated by an increase in ampicillin resistance from 1500 to 2500 mg l(-1). Presence of the plasmid in P. aeruginosa was confirmed by amplification of a portion of vgb from and detection of VHb in the transformant but not the untransformed host. Southern blot analysis further indicated that pUC8:16 existed as an autonomous plasmid rather than integrated into the chromosome of the P. aeruginosa transformant.
NASA communications technology research and development

The development of a 1978 NASA study to identify technology requirements is surveyed, and its principal conclusions, recommendations, and priorities are summarized. In addition, antenna, traveling wave tube, and solid state amplifier developments representing selected items from the current communications technology development programs at the NASA Lewis Research and Goddard Space Flight Centers are described.
Intestinal absorption of fructose in the rat

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the mechanisms involved in intestinal absorption of fructose. The results indicate that adult rats readily absorbed 0.4 g of fructose, an amount equivalent to 1.4–1.6 g fructose/kg body wt. Acute malabsorption of fructose occurred with doses > 0.6 g (2.1–2.4 g/kg body wt). Continued exposure to dietary fructose resulted in a decrease in the evidence of colonic fermentation. Glucose or galactose administered with fructose enhanced the absorption of fructose. The greatest absorption was observed when equal amounts of fructose and glucose were given simultaneously. If glucose was ingested as a polymer (starch or dextrin), the stimulatory effect was dependent on the digestibility of the polymer. Sucrose given with the fructose and glucose diminished the absorption of fructose. Acarbazone, a specific inhibitor of α-glucosidases, including sucrase, also inhibited the facilitating effect of glucose and galactose in absorption of fructose. These results give evidence for joint absorption of the two monosaccharides, fructose and glucose.
Deep ultraviolet light-emitting diodes and photodetectors for UV communications

We present deep UV light-emitting diodes and photodetectors based on high Al-composition AlGaN. We have obtained very short wavelength UV LEDs (<255 nm) with milliwatt level optical output powers, based on an AlGaN multiple-quantum well active region. Solar-blind photodetectors have also been fabricated with quantum efficiencies in excess of 70%. Based on these photodetectors, focal plane arrays have been fabricated.
Real‐time motor current signature analysis tool for undergraduate laboratory

The typical electrical engineering (EE) undergraduate curriculum is packed with foundational materials and offers limited room for other desirable materials that could be readily applied in the power industry. A Motor Current Signature Analysis (MCSA) tool is developed for effectively teaching the concepts of induction motor fault detection within one lecture or laboratory period. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 634–639, 2010; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com; DOI 10.1002/cae.20263
Debugging optimized code via tailoring

Modern compilers perform ambitious optimization analysis and transformations to produce target code that is time and space efficient. Current techniques to debug optimized programs place restrictions on either the application of optimization or the types of debugging capabilities provided. Even with the restrictions, the debugging techniques often have to report the existence of noncurrent values. Ideally, we would like to have no restrictions on the debugging capabilities and optimization, and at the same time, respond to all debugging requests as expected, where expected responses during execution of an optimized program are the same as the responses for an unoptimized version of the same program. However, this is not possible, given the interferences between the optimization and debugging.
Revision of Cambrian Stratigraphy, Silver Island Mountains, Utah: NOTES

On the basis of new fossil collections, there appears to be few, if any, exposed rocks of Middle Cambrian age in the Silver Island Mountains of Utah, and rocks of Dresbachian age are at least 2,400 feet thick. New correlations and nomenclature are presented.
Evaluating nutrient impacts in urban watersheds: Challenges and research opportunities

This literature review focuses on the prevalence of nitrogen and phosphorus in urban environments and the complex relationships between land use and water quality. Extensive research in urban watersheds has broadened our knowledge about point and non-point pollutant sources, but the fate of nutrients is not completely understood. For example, it is not known how long-term nutrient cycling processes in turfgrass landscapes influence nitrogen retention rates or the relative atmospheric contribution to urban nitrogen exports. The effect of prolonged reclaimed water irrigation is also unknown. Stable isotopes have been used to trace pollutants, but distinguishing sources (e.g., fertilizers, wastewater, etc.) can be difficult. Identifying pollutant sources may aid our understanding of harmful algal blooms because the extent of the relationship between urban nutrient sources and algal blooms is unclear. Further research on the delivery and fate of nutrients within urban watersheds is needed to address manageable water quality impacts.
Characteristics of Japanese Language Learners and Their Perceptions of Error Feedback

The studies in this article attempted to establish cross-validation of learners’ perceptions of error feedback in both writing and oral activities by integrating educational psychological theories. Various factors could influence the effectiveness of error feedback in second language learning environments. Although the mode of feedback (i.e., oral or written) is also one of the factors influencing the effectiveness of error feedback, considerable research of both a descriptive and experimental nature has been done to examine the effects of error feedback on oral production (Russell & Spada, 2006). Therefore, this article reports the statistical analysis results of an examination of the relationship between characteristics of learners and their perceptions of error feedback during both oral and writing activities, from social and individual learning perspectives. The study’s findings could help teachers of Japanese as a second language develop appropriate methods of error feedback from students with different characteristics.
Genome-Wide Functional Analysis of the Cotton Transcriptome by Creating an Integrated EST Database

A total of 28,432 unique contigs (25,371 in consensus contigs and 3,061 as singletons) were assembled from all 268,786 cotton ESTs currently available. Several in silico approaches [comparative genomics, Blast, Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, and pathway enrichment by Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG)] were employed to investigate global functions of the cotton transcriptome. Cotton EST contigs were clustered into 5,461 groups with a maximum cluster size of 196 members. A total of 27,956 indel mutants and 149,616 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified from consensus contigs. Interestingly, many contigs with significantly high frequencies of indels or SNPs encode transcription factors and protein kinases. In a comparison with six model plant species, cotton ESTs show the highest overall similarity to grape. A total of 87 cotton miRNAs were identified; 59 of these have not been reported previously from experimental or bioinformatics investigations. We also predicted 3,260 genes as miRNAs targets, which are associated with multiple biological functions, including stress response, metabolism, hormone signal transduction and fiber development. We identified 151 and 4,214 EST-simple sequence repeats (SSRs) from contigs and raw ESTs respectively. To make these data widely available, and to facilitate access to EST-related genetic information, we integrated our results into a comprehensive, fully downloadable web-based cotton EST database (www.leonxie.com).
Submarine geology and topography in the Northern Marshalls

The atomic bomb tests at Bikini in 1946 provided an opportunity to study the characteristics of atolls using modern surveying techniques. The work has shown that many of the important features, both above and below sea level, are definitely related to the direction of the prevailing winds, waves, and currents. Beyond the windward (north and east) reefs of Bikini, the steep outer slope is broken in most places by a terrace at ten fathoms. The margin of the windward reef is a Lithothamnion ridge, cut by strong grooves or surge channels; large islands are developed on these reefs. Lee reefs have nearly vertical outer slopes near the surface; their margins are smooth and are adapted to light surf; occasional storms have eroded large slump areas; and islands are small and few. Passes are largely confined to the southern reefs. The lagoons studied are 25 to 35 fathoms deep and are bordered by a ten-fathom terrace. The floors are covered with living Halimeda and algal debris surrounded by a belt of foraminiferal and coral sand. Steep coral knolls, some rising nearly to sea level, are scattered in the lagoons. Many flat-topped seamounts are present in the area. The 14 that were well surveyed rise from 2500 fathoms to depths between 470 and 850 fathoms.
Evaluating the efficacy of the cloud for cluster computation

Computing requirements vary by industry, and it follows that NASA and other research organizations have computing demands that fall outside the mainstream. While cloud computing made rapid inroads for tasks such as powering web applications, performance issues on highly distributed tasks hindered early adoption for scientific computation. One venture to address this problem is Nebula, NASA's homegrown cloud project tasked with delivering science-quality cloud computing resources. However, another industry development is Amazon's high-performance computing (HPC) instances on Elastic Cloud Compute (EC2) that promises improved performance for cluster computation. This paper presents results from a series of benchmarks run on Amazon EC2 and discusses the efficacy of current commercial cloud technology for running scientific applications across a cluster. In particular, a 240-core cluster of cloud instances achieved 2 TFLOPS on High-Performance Linpack (HPL) at 70% of theoretical computational performance. The cluster's local network also demonstrated sub-100 μs inter-process latency with sustained inter-node throughput in excess of 8 Gbps. Beyond HPL, a real-world Hadoop image processing task from NASA's Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project (LMMP) was run on a 29 instance cluster to process lunar and Martian surface images with sizes on the order of tens of gigapixels. These results demonstrate that while not a rival of dedicated supercomputing clusters, commercial cloud technology is now a feasible option for moderately demanding scientific workloads.
Nifedipine therapy for coronary-artery spasm. Experience in 127 patients

We report clinical experience with the coronary vasodilator nifedipine in 127 patients with symptoms of myocardial ischemia associated with electrocardiographic or angiographic evidence, or both, of coronary-artery spasm. In the majority of patients conventional antianginal therapy including nitrates and beta-adrenergic blockers failed, and in one third of the patients at least one episode of ventricular tachycardia developed during an attack of angina. Nifedipine (40 to 160 mg every 24 hours) significantly reduced the mean weekly rate of anginal attacks from 16 to two (P less than 0.001). Similar marked reductions in the nitroglycerin requirement were noted. In 63 per cent of the patients complete control of anginal attacks was achieved, and in 87 per cent the frequency of angina was reduced by at least 50 per cent. Nifedipine was generally well tolerated, with only 5 per cent of the patients requiring termination of the drug because of intolerable side effects. This experience with nifedipine suggests that it is a highly effective drug for the treatment of coronary-artery spasm and variant angina.
The Effect of Hemorrhage and Hypertonic Saline upon Plasma Oxytocin and Arginine Vasopressin in Conscious Dogs

Sensitive and highly specific RIAs for arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) were utilized to assess the specificity of neurohypophyseal hormone release after hemorrhage or infusion of hypertonic saline to trained conscious dogs. Phlebotomy of 12.5 and 25 ml/kg produced increases in plasma AVP from 1.0 +/- 0.2 to 7.8 +/- 2.1 and 41.6 +/- 9.7 (SEM) microunit/ml respectively, and both responses differed significantly from values in control experiments (P less than 0.01 after the first phlebotomy and P less than 0.001 after the second phlebotomy). Plasma OT concentrations rose from baseline values of 1.1 +/- 0.4 to 3.3 +/- 0.6 and 8.3 +/- 1.7 microunit/ml (P less than 0.005 and P less than 0.001 compared to controls); plasma osmolality and sodium concentrations were unchanged. Both log AVP and log OT were highly correlated with the quantity of blood removed (r = 0.92 and -0.82, each P less than 0.001). Infusion of hypertonic (20g/dl) NaCl (3.4 meq/kg) over 20 min caused plasma osmolality and sodium to rise from 304 +/- 1.0 mosm/kg and 143 +/- 3.0 meq/liter to 316 +/- 1.0 mosm/kg and 150 +/- 3.0 meq/liter (each P less than 0.001). Plasma AVP rose from 1.5 +/- 0.2 to 2.4 +/- 0.2 microunit/ml (P less than 0.0025) and OT rose from 1.2 +/- 0.5 to 2.6 +/- 0.7 microunit/ml (P less than 0.005). The stimulus response ratios (change in log hormone concentration divided by the rise in plasma osmolality) were comparable for both hormones (0.024 +/- 0.006 for AVP and 0.031 +/- 0.008 for OT; P less than 0.4). The data indicate that hemorrhage or hypertonic saline stimulate release of both AVP and OT. After hemorrhage, there is greater stimulation of AVP than OT, whereas there is comparable stimulation of both peptides after hypertonic saline.
Maternal behavior in male rats: effects of medial preoptic area lesions and presence of maternal aggression.

Male rats exhibit maternal behavior prepuberally and in adulthood, but the neural mechanisms and the ability of males to respond to hormones that stimulate maternal aggression (following arousal of maternal behavior) in females have not been studied. In Experiment 1, males were exposed to pups to stimulate maternal behavior (sensitization) after either radiofrequency lesions of the MPOA or sham lesions with nonactivated electrodes that penetrated the MPOA. Nonsurgical males served as a CONTROL group. The LESION male group showed severe deficits in all components of maternal behavior compared to the latter two groups that showed no behavioral deficits. Females in the LESION group and those given SHAM 1 lesions (produced by electrodes without current introduced into the MPOA) also showed severe deficits in maternal behavior compared to SHAM 2 females (electrode lowered to above the MPOA without current) and nonsurgical CONTROL females. In Experiment 2, prolonged estradiol (E2), progesterone (P) treatment followed by an injection of either 20 μg or 100 μg/kg estradiol benzoate (EB) or oil in castrated males was effective in stimulating short-latency maternal behavior, mainly in the 100 μg/kg EB group. Males of this group also showed a high level of maternal aggression that was inversely correlated with their latencies for maternal behavior. All groups showed maternal aggression when maternal behavior was established. The results indicate the MPOA mediates maternal behavior in males as it does in females; maternal aggression in males accompanies the stimulation of maternal behavior and may be stimulated by the same hormones.
Treating Emotionally Dysregulated and Perfectionistic Youth with Transdiagnostic Cognitive Behavioral Procedures

In clinical child psychology, co-morbidity is the norm rather than exception. Single disorder manuals are limited in their scope and applicability to patients with several presenting problems. Emotion dysregulation and perfectionism are two salient pathways to various internalizing and externalizing mental health disorders in youth. In order to treat these children efficiently and effectively, psychotherapists must be equipped with an approach that is able to target these common corridors to psychopathology. Transdiagnostic modular cognitive behavioral procedures are matched to the individual patients’ contexts. The article begins with a brief discussion of emotional regulation, perfectionism, and transdiagnostic modular cognitive behavior therapy. Three confabulated clinical case examples are presented to illustrate the case conceptualization process and the application of modular CBT.
Quantum Monte Carlo Study of Disordered Fermions

We study a strongly correlated fermionic model with attractive interactions in the presence of disorder in two spatial dimensions. Our model has been designed so that it can be solved using the recently discovered meron-cluster approach. Although the model is unconventional it has the same symmetries as the Hubbard model. Since the naive algorithm is inefficient, we develop an algorithm by combining the meron-cluster technique with the directed-loop update. This combination allows us to compute the pair susceptibility and the winding number susceptibility accurately. We find that the $s$-wave superconductivity, present in the clean model, does not disappear until the disorder reaches a temperature dependent critical strength. The critical behavior as a function of disorder close to the phase transition belongs to the Berezinky-Kosterlitz-Thouless universality class as expected. The fermionic degrees of freedom, although present, do not appear to play an important role near the phase transition.
THE EINSTEIN–PODOLSKY–ROSEN PROPOSITION ON QUANTUM THEORY AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR INTUITIVE CLASSICAL LOGIC

Einstein, Podolsky and Rosen raised foundational questions about the completeness of quantum mechanics, if certain intuitive logical statements regarding the nature of reality were assumed to be true. These questions are ultimately of significance to the information content of the theory, which is currently the focus of intense research. In this presentation, selected investigations that have made progress in addressing the EPR concerns and that shed light on the nature of quantum states are surveyed. The implications for intuitive classical logic are speculated in the concluding remarks.