cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Knowledge: Levels and Sources

Energy policy questions, including the siting of alternative energy installations, often are complex as well as scientific and technical in nature. At the same time, significant ideological and political pressures produce claims on behalf of the rights of citizens to be involved in decisions about such policies and their implementation. Elsewhere, this has been labeled as the “democracy and the technical information quandary,” namely, how does one legitimately enhance the involvement of the general public in a policy area in which many of its members surely hold a knowledge deficit? But further questions are stimulated as well. Thus, does knowledge of a policy area make any difference in the opinions individuals express? Does knowledge level make any difference in the degree to which individuals can link their policy preferences to their fundamental values? To answer these and other questions, this chapter begins with a look at the knowledge and familiarity citizens bring to their attitudes toward energy policy and energy conditions. This chapter also examines whether knowledge levels are related to respondents’ policy positions on the alternative energy tradeoff preferences.
Weighted particle tempering

Abstract The application of Bayesian methods often requires Metropolis–Hastings or related algorithms to sample from an intractable posterior distribution. In especially challenging cases, such as with strongly correlated parameters or multimodal posteriors, exotic forms of Metropolis–Hastings are preferred for generating samples within a reasonable time. These algorithms require nontrivial and often prohibitive tuning, with little or no performance guarantees. In light of this difficulty, a new, parallelizable algorithm called weighted particle tempering is introduced. Weighted particle tempering is easily tuned and suitable for a broad range of applications. The algorithm works by running multiple random walk Metropolis chains directed at a tempered version of the target distribution, weighting the iterates and resampling. The algorithm’s performance monotonically improves with more of these underlying chains, a feature that simplifies tuning. Through the use of simulation studies, weighted particle tempering is shown to outperform two similar methods: parallel tempering and parallel hierarchical sampling. In addition, two case studies are explored: breast cancer classification and graphical models for financial data.
Shadows of doubt: the uneasy incorporation of identification science into legal determination of paternity in Brazil

The arrival of DNA paternity testing in the 1980s was met with great enthusiasm in the Brazilian courts. Yet, over the past two decades, Brazilian legal doctrine and jurisprudence have increasingly rejected DNA proof as the sine qua non for paternity cases. Instead, DNA paternity testing has generated mountains of litigation, as biological proof has been challenged by the argument that paternity is primarily “socio-affective”. Leading family law specialists describe this new conception of paternity as an outcome of the “revolutionary” provisions of the 1988 Constitution, which recognizes the “pluralism” of family forms in modern society and guarantees equal family rights for all children. Without denying the significance of the constitution’s dignitary framework, we show that new legal understandings of paternity represent less a paradigm shift than a continuation of longstanding historical tensions between biological and socio-cultural understandings of family and identity. In this article, we explore the development of biological and eventually genetic typing in Brazil, both of which had ties to the fields of criminology and race science. Our review suggests that techniques of biological identification, no matter how sophisticated or precise, were ineffective means for establishing identity, whether of individual personhood, as in the case of paternity, or national make-up. Instead, they became incorporated as supplemental methods into complex legal, social, and cultural decision-making around families.
The Walt Disney Company: Mickey Mouse Visits Shanghai

The strategic and tactical problems of managing the operations function in a service environment can be examined through the context of the Walt Disney Company (DIS) opening Shanghai Disneyland. The company and its investors were excited about the Shanghai opening for a good reason: demographics. The resort would be located in the Pudong district of Shanghai, easily the wealthiest of all of China's districts. A massive 330 million people lived with a three-hour driving radius of the resort site, compared with 19.6 million who lived within the same radius at DIS's most profitable park, Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida. Still, risks remained. Construction complications had delayed the opening almost a year longer than expected and cost overruns and alterations had increased the final price tag of the project. The Chinese economy had also hit a rough patch following the Chinese stock market slump in the summer of 2015. With the world watching, could the classic Disney theme park experience be delivered with the right cultural balance to appeal to its largely Chinese customers? Could DIS get it right? Excerpt UVA-OM-1545 Rev. Oct. 3, 2016 The Walt Disney Company: Mickey Mouse Visits Shanghai We're building something that's authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese. It definitely will be Disneyland in China, but we'll obviously be respectful of the Chinese culture and relatable to the people of China. —Walt Disney Company (DIS) Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger Even for a company built on the creative risk-taking culture instilled by founder Walt Disney, the 2016 opening of Shanghai Disneyland (SDL) was an audacious bet. The sixth global Disney resort would occupy nearly 1,000 acres of land in Shanghai, China—twice the acreage used in the Anaheim, California, Disneyland (DL) and almost eight times the size of Hong Kong Disneyland (HKDL) at its launch in 2005. The Shanghai resort, the first in mainland China, would feature several themed lands such as Tomorrowland, Treasure Cove, Disneytown, and the Enchanted Storybook Castle, which would be the biggest and tallest Disney castle ever. Indeed, it wasn't just the exhibits that were large: “We've never built a park as big as this to open on opening day,” said Chairman and CEO Robert Iger. “This is the biggest.” . . .
Clinical judgment in medication administration among nursing students

Nursing education includes the area of pharmacological therapies. Nursing educators may benefit from having students think like a nurse related to medication administration. The increased use of prescription medication and the complexities of medication administration present the need for clinical judgment. Simulation is used as an educational strategy to provide the opportunity for students to practice safe interventions which require the use of judgment to notice changes and interpret and intervene correctly. The comparison of low-fidelity and high-fidelity simulation experience in a study sample (n = 126) is examined for the effect on clinical judgment. The Lasater Clinical Judgment Rubric (LCJR) is used to score students after the simulation related to medication administration. Two of the items in the LCJR, noticing deviations ( p = .35) and self analysis ( p = .32), are positively affected by the level of fidelity of the simulation. A diverse, nontraditional student study sample demonstrated consistency in LCJR scoring. The outcome of increased clinical judgment may improve safety and nursing care in medication administration among nursing students.
Correlating the interface resistance and surface adhesion of the Li metal-solid electrolyte interface

Abstract Solid electrolytes could enable stable cycling of metallic Li anodes, which can offer drastic increases to the capacity of Li-ion batteries. However, little is known about the mechanics of the Li-solid electrolyte interface. This study combines electrochemical and mechanical characterization to correlate interface kinetics with adhesive strength. Cubic garnet with the Li6·25Al0·25La3Zr2O12 (LLZO) formulation was selected as a model solid electrolyte based on its high conductivity and stability against Li metal. Symmetric Li-LLZO cells were tested using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy to determine the interfacial resistance, Rint, and the adhesive strength of the Li-LLZO interface, σadh, was measured using a unique tensile test in an inert atmosphere. It was determined that the Rint is directly correlated to the adhesive strength of Li on LLZO. At the highest Rint in this study, 330 k·cm2 the σadh was 1.1 kPa and at the lowest Rint in this study, 7 ·cm2, σadh was 8 MPa. Furthermore, by optimizing the surface chemistry the wettability of LLZO was enhanced resulting in σadh exceeding the ultimate tensile strength of Li metal. The relationship demonstrated provides a deeper understanding of the mechanical properties of the Li-electrolyte interface, which will play an important role in the design of batteries employing metallic Li anodes.
The Stop Test

The stop test demonstrates isometric detrusor contractions in situations where the pressure generated by a detrusor contraction cannot be measured under ordinary circumstances. Pressure recording under such conditions is not possible due to the absence of urethral resistance with unobstructed free flow through the bladder neck. This test allows for the observation of the hidden contraction and the measurement of the intravesical pressure it generates. This test is helpful when it is important to know precisely whether or not the detrusor is actually contracting.
Report of the President’s 2003 Commission on the Fall of Medicine

I come before you today on a special mission from the President’s Commission on the Fall of Medicine in the year of your future 2003 — a year highlighted by the remarkable achievement of time travel and the dismal events which occurred in medicine. Time travel works much like transubstantiation whereby spiritual essences are exchanged in physical bodies retaining their external qualities, and hence, although the commentator on Professor Moskop’s interesting, careful paper [4] appears to be Gregory Pence, this is not so. Instead, I, Stewart Lawrence Randolph III, have replaced the soul of Professor Pence for this presentation. Why the Commission sent me at this particular time and place is not for me to question or understand; I shall accept the opportunity graciously.
FRP-steel bond study of IM and UHM CFRP strips

Abstract Prior research has highlighted the premature debonding failure in spliced Ultra High Modulus (UHM) CFRP laminates. This study is the initial step in developing an alternate to spliced laminates by introducing CFRP strip panels that provide continuity through a finger joint between two consecutive panels. The panels are fabricated using narrow CFRP strips (e.g., 5 mm) mounted on a fabric mesh designed to preserve the required clear spacing between individual strips. The objective herein is the determination of the bond strength and development length for the individual strips in the finger joint. Initially, an estimate of the development length for both Intermediate Modulus (IM) and UHM CFRP laminates is derived from tests conducted on steel plate specimens doubly reinforced with CFRP laminates. Tests on double lap shear specimens, for both IM and UHM CFRP, were carried out to derive the bond characteristics for the 50 mm wide laminates and the 5 mm and 10 mm wide CFRP strips. The laminates and the strips have the same thickness. The development length was 50 mm and 75 mm, and the bond strength was 1.9 kN/mm and 3.0 kN/mm for the IM and UHM CFRP strips (both 5 mm and 10 mm), respectively. These findings will be used in future studies to develop a “finger joint” that connects the CFRP strip panels to form a continuous externally bonded reinforcement. The experimental results showed that CFRP strips having a low CFRP strip to steel width ratio have higher bond strength per unit width when compared to both IM and UHM CFRP and 50 mm wide laminates.
Political Power and Manufacturing Consent: The Case of the 1953 Plzeň Protests

Extant research has investigated the relationship between the powerful and the powerless in a variety of contexts. Understanding the processes undergirding political power is critical to uncovering...
Implementation of a Partial Overlay Technique for the Characterization of the Electromagnetic Properties of Conductor-Backed Materials

A partial overlay technique is described for measuring the permittivity and permeability of conductor-backed material samples. Error analysis shows that the method is nearly as robust as the two-thickness method. Experimental results will be presented at the conference.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary Disorders in Childhood Cancer Survivors : Prevalence, Risk Factors and Long-Term Health Outcomes

Context Data on hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) disorders in systematically evaluated childhood cancer survivors are limited. Objective To describe prevalence, risk factors, and associated adverse health outcomes of deficiencies in GH deficiency (GHD), TSH deficiency (TSHD), LH/FSH deficiency (LH/FSHD), and ACTH deficiency (ACTHD), and central precocious puberty (CPP). Design Retrospective with cross-sectional health outcomes analysis. Setting Established cohort; tertiary care center. Patients Participants (N = 3141; median age, 31.7 years) were followed for a median 24.1 years. Main outcome measure Multivariable logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and 95% CIs for associations among HP disorders, tumor- and treatment-related risk factors, and health outcomes. Results The estimated prevalence was 40.2% for GHD, 11.1% for TSHD, 10.6% for LH/FSHD, 3.2% for ACTHD, and 0.9% for CPP among participants treated with HP radiotherapy (n = 1089), and 6.2% for GHD, and 30 Gy for ACTHD), alkylating agents (GHD, LH/FSHD), intrathecal chemotherapy (GHD), hydrocephalus with shunt placement (GHD, LH/FSHD), seizures (TSHD, ACTHD), and stroke (GHD, TSHD, LH/FSHD, ACTHD). Adverse health outcomes independently associated with HP disorders included short stature (GHD, TSHD), severe bone mineral density deficit (GHD, LH/FSHD), obesity (LH/FSHD), frailty (GHD), impaired physical health-related quality of life (TSHD), sexual dysfunction (LH/FSHD), impaired memory, and processing speed (GHD, TSHD). Conclusion HP radiotherapy, central nervous system injury, and, to a lesser extent, chemotherapy are associated with HP disorders, which are associated with adverse health outcomes.
OSTEOPATHIA STRIATA WITH CRANIAL SCLEROSIS

Background Osteopathia striata with cranial sclerosis (OSCS) is a rare x-linked genetic disorder that has variable clinical findings but specific radiographic features, which include marked sclerosis of the long bones and axial skeleton, including the skull. Linear striations, commonly seen in the long bones, are the basis for the name osteopathia striata. Maxillofacial manifestations can include a cleft palate, high palatal vault, midface hyperplasia, hypoplastic maxillary sinuses, enlarged alveolar bone processes, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) abnormalities, and dense mandibular bone with variable striations. Dental abnormalities have been poorly documented but include delayed eruption of permanent teeth, missing teeth, short roots, and microdontia. Study Design A 44-year-old male was referred to the University of Florida College of Dentistry for evaluation and treatment of temporomandibular disorder (TMD). A pantomograph was exposed to assess TMJ dysfunction related to progressive bony overgrowth of craniomaxillofacial skeleton and ankylosis, which had previously been surgically treated. His medical history was significant for OSCS, cleft lip and palate, obstructive sleep apnea, bronchitis, asthma, disk herniation, arthritis, diabetes, and chronic kidney disease. The radiographic assessment was limited because of severe sclerosis of the cranium, displayed as multiple lobulated appearances and homogeneous radiopaque entities superimposed on the maxilla, TMJs, and the sphenoid, mastoid, and temporal bones. The visualized cortical outlines of the maxilla and the mandible appeared dense, thick, and sclerotic. Discussion/Conclusions OSCS is a rare disorder. Diagnosis can often be challenging because other diseases, such as osteopetrosis, pyknodysostosis, Paget disease of bone, and other sclerosing bone dysplasias, make this difficult to diagnose. Radiologists should be aware of the specific radiographic appearance of this condition to aid in the proper diagnosis and management of these patients.
Respiratory syncytial virus

Abstract Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a leading cause of hospitalization and mortality associated with lower respiratory tract illness in infants and young children worldwide. The World Health Organization recognizes the need to develop and implement prevention strategies to reduce the impact of RSV in early life as a global health priority. RSV vaccination during pregnancy is a feasible strategy to achieve this goal. Vaccines for maternal immunization against RSV are in active development and could be implemented in the near future within existing maternal-child health platforms. In addition, infant protection may be achieved through either passive antibody administration or active immunization, depending on infant health status, given that options for these complementary interventions are being developed in parallel to vaccines for maternal immunization.
Policy, Context and Schooling: The Education of English Learners in Rural New Destinations.

The number of immigrant English learners attending schools in new destinations across the US is rapidly increasing. We draw on the sociological scholarship on ΓC£contexts of receptionΓC¥ and scholarship on sociocultural approaches to policy to examine the educational contexts faced by immigrant English learners in new destination communities and how these contexts shape their educational experiences. Using data from qualitative case studies of rural school districts in Wisconsin, we examined local discourses surrounding new immigrant populations, and how they shaped the ways in which local educators interpreted and enacted educational policies on the ground. We argue that policy implementation is influenced by local understandings of immigrant English learners and their educational needs, such that potentially inclusive educational policies become assimilative in practice.
Readability of Cancer Clinical Trials Websites.

Clinical trials are critically important for the development of new cancer treatments. According to recent estimates, however, clinical trial enrollment is only about 8%. Lack of patient understand...
Comparison of Radiologist-Assigned Categories and Quantitative Measures of Background Parenchymal Enhancement on Breast MRI

Abstract Background parenchymal enhancement (BPE) on multi-parametric breast magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) reflects the volume and intensity of gadolinium uptake. We developed a semi-automated segmentation algorithm to extract and quantify measures of BPE and investigated the agreement of computed measures of BPE with radiologist-assigned categories. We retrospectively identified 123 high risk patients with breast mpMRI performed for screening indications. Pre- and post-gadolinium T1-weighted series with and without fat suppression were co-registered. Using Otsu’s method and an active contours method, the breast tissue was segmented from the chest wall and non-fat voxels were clustered to identify the amount of fibroglandular tissue. Median and inter-quartile ranges for the absolute volume of BPE (BPE cm3) and the percentage of BPE (BPE%) using a threshold PE of 30% were computed within the segmented FGT on the first post-contrast phase. Student’s t-test was used to evaluate BPE volume and BPE% by radiologist-assigned categories. Both BPE volume and BPE% differed significantly between minimal/mild and moderate/marked radiologist assigned categories (p=0.030 and 0.004, respectively). Using our newly developed semi-automated segmentation pipeline, we quantified fibroglandular tissue and BPE. The overlapping ranges of quantitative BPE corresponding to the radiologist-assigned BPE categories showcases the inter-reader variability with visual estimation of BPE.
“If They Don’t Like You, They Are Not Going to Eat for You”: Individual and Interpersonal Factors Affecting Certified Nursing Assistants’ Ability to Provide Mealtime Assistance to Residents With Dementia

Background and objectives In long-term care facilities in the United States, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide mealtime assistance to residents with dementia, a task that substantially increases caregiver burden due to the time and attention required. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the individual and interpersonal barriers and facilitators CNAs experience when providing mealtime assistance to residents with dementia. Research design and methods Focus group questions were developed based on the corresponding levels of the Social Ecological Model. Using purposive sampling, nine focus groups were conducted with 53 CNAs who had at least one year of experience as a CNA working with older adults. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analyzed using the directed content analysis approach. Results CNAs reported individual skills, training, and personal characteristics that affected their ability to provide mealtime assistance. At the interpersonal level, CNAs identified their relationships with residents, residents' family members, and other healthcare professionals as factors that impact their ability to provide mealtime assistance. Discussion and implications These findings provide evidence for strategies that administrators can utilize to reduce caregiver burden by improving the mealtime experience. First, CNAs need adequate training, particularly to develop communication skills. Developing verbal communication skills may improve interpersonal relationships between CNAs and residents' family members and other coworkers. Developing nonverbal communication skills may foster an improved relationship between CNAs and their residents with dementia. Future research should evaluate interventions that seek to improve these skills to determine their impact on the mealtime experience.
“It’s a mix of authenticity and complete fabrication” Emotional camping: The cross-platform labor of the Real Housewives:

Despite popular interest in reality television, social media, and self-branding, much scholarship focuses on a single platform and places the burden of self-branding on the individual alone. Drawin...
Lamellar cells in Pacinian and Meissner corpuscles are touch sensors

The skin covering the human palm and other specialized tactile organs contains a high density of mechanosensory corpuscles tuned to detect transient pressure and vibration. These corpuscles comprise a sensory afferent neuron surrounded by lamellar cells. The neuronal afferent is thought to be the mechanical sensor, whereas the function of lamellar cells is unknown. We show that lamellar cells within Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles detect tactile stimuli. We develop a preparation of bill skin from tactile-specialist ducks that permits electrophysiological recordings from lamellar cells and demonstrate that they contain mechanically gated ion channels. We show that lamellar cells from Meissner corpuscles generate mechanically evoked action potentials using R-type voltage-gated calcium channels. These findings provide the first evidence for R-type channel-dependent action potentials in non-neuronal cells and demonstrate that lamellar cells actively detect touch. We propose that Meissner and Pacinian corpuscles use neuronal and non-neuronal mechanoreception to detect mechanical signals.
Affect and Personality: Ramifications of Modeling (Non-)Directionality in Dynamic Network Models

Abstract. The use of dynamic network models has grown in recent years. These models allow researchers to capture both lagged and contemporaneous effects in longitudinal data typically as variations...
Tri-Co LIASE: Cross- and Intra-Institutional Collaboration to Build and Sustain Student-Focused Embedded Study in Asia

In this paper, Swarthmore College and Bryn Mawr College faculty and administrators share reflections on the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE) grants from the Henry Luce Foundation for the enhancement of curriculum on Asia and the environment and the cultivation of collaborations between US and Asian institutions. Supported by LIASE exploration grants in 2013 and a LIASE implementation grant awarded to the Tri-College Consortium of Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore Colleges in 2015, curricular innovations included the creation of courses with travel components and the introduction of topics on Asia and the environment across disciplines. Topics of discussion include fostering curricular innovation and interdisciplinarity across academic divisions; building effective and sustainable collaborations with local institutions in Asia; forging strategic partnerships with administrators in grants, advancement, and finance; leveraging institutional relationships to secure funding to pilot and sustain initiatives; and the importance of reciprocity in building long-term, cross-cultural exchanges.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation as the Initial Presentation of Metastatic Prostate Adenocarcinoma

Disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) can be caused by cancer. However, it is rare to be the presenting sign of malignancy. The manifestations of bleeding or thrombosis in DIC depend on the balance of the fibrinolytic system. This case centers on a 52-year-old male who presented with DIC and spontaneous bruising, and no obvious cause for DIC. He was found to have metastatic prostate adenocarcinoma. DIC related to solid tumors typically have an indolent course and is only apparent on laboratory analysis. Further, DIC with excessive fibrinolysis in prostate cancer is associated with lower median survival. Treatment involves treating prostate cancer, and supportive treatment with blood products. Epsilon-aminocaproic acid may have a role in life-threatening bleeds, while prophylactic heparin treatment can be given for DIC associated with thrombosis.
Impact of Opioid Administration in the Intensive Care Unit and Subsequent Use in Opioid-Naïve Patients.

BackgroundOpioids are a mainstay of therapy for patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) as part of the analgesia-first approach to sedation. Despite knowledge of acute consequences of opioid base...
Toward an Alaskan Critical Regionalist Pedagogy: Mapping the Cruise Ship Industry through Visual Spatial Tactics

In an era when urban space is theorized as an educative science enhancing productivity, business, and management, we witness the emergence of teaching as a dominant productive force for the first time in the history of capital. Given the decisive role of knowledge production in the development of globalized urbanization it becomes vital to identify critical pedagogies that not only engage the production of space but grasp the production of space as pedagogical. To do so, I attend to interventions into regionalist studies and the global city to argue for visual spatial tactics as a tool for a critical regionalist pedagogy capable of linking material, affective, and discursive practices with a placed-based approach to globalized urbanization. Students design a collaborative website documenting the spatial history of cruise ship tourism in Alaska as an argument over the right to the city. Identifying this living process—framing the cruise industry as a constitutive system fusing discourse, space, and identity to restructure history, nature, and region—becomes a means of questioning and revising otherwise generalized theories often brought to bear on tourist landscapes, on Alaska, and on critical pedagogy itself. This case study shows the emergence of the cruise ship city as inseparable from the onset of globalized urbanization and how it, in turn, provides edifying material to mobilize a critical regionalist pedagogy within contemporary forms of educative landscapes.
Pharmacy student reflections and perceptions of competency and predictors of success in remediation

Abstract Introduction Pharmacy programs employ a variety of remediation methods intended to bring underperforming students to a level of competency. Our objective was to evaluate pharmacy students' perceptions of eligibility criteria and academic outcomes of remediation and potential predictors for lack of success in the original and remediated course. Methods Palm Beach Atlantic University School of Pharmacy revised its remediation policy in fall 2017, shifting from a course-centric to student-centric policy. Pharmacy students (N = 265) were surveyed in spring 2019 regarding eligibility criteria and academic outcomes of remediation. Enrolled students who remediated under the revised policy were surveyed on the lack of success in the original course and the remediation process. Results Students viewed remediation as an opportunity to prevent delayed graduation. They agreed with the revised, student-centric eligibility criteria and with the new approach allowing all courses to be remediated. First-year students provided lower scores, whereas students who never failed a course gave higher scores. Students agreed that remediation produces proficient students who are as competent as those who passed the original course. The main reason for failing the original course was lack of study time. Students who failed remediation tended to spend more time on external activities and used less remediation resources. Conclusions A student-centric approach to remediation with active involvement from students and faculty support was successful in producing students who are viewed just as proficient and competent as students who passed the original course. Predictors for success were study time and the use of remediation resources.
Our Enduring Legacy from Otto Stern

Otto Stern’s scientific legacy continues to animate discoveries on a rapidly advancing research frontier.
Healthcare Reform: Implications for Mental Health in Rural America

Rural communities are significantly impacted by mental health and substance use disorders. Reform is needed to solve these issues. The Biden Administration’s Public Option and Representatives Pramila Jayapal and Debbie Dingell's Medicare for All Act of 2021 aim to improve the United State’s health care system. While each of these pieces of legislation are steps in the right direction, additional investment is needed in mental health infrastructure in order to make meaningful improvements in rural communities.
Blanket execution: dynamic similarity testing for program binaries and components

Matching function binaries--the process of identifying similar functions among binary executables--is a challenge that underlies many security applications such as malware analysis and patch-based exploit generation. Recent work tries to establish semantic similarity based on static analysis methods. Unfortunately, these methods do not perform well if the compared binaries are produced by different compiler toolchains or optimization levels. In this work, we propose blanket execution, a novel dynamic equivalence testing primitive that achieves complete coverage by overriding the intended program logic. Blanket execution collects the side effects of functions during execution under a controlled randomized environment. Two functions are deemed similar, if their corresponding side effects, as observed under the same environment, are similar too. We implement our blanket execution technique in a system called BLEX. We evaluate BLEX rigorously against the state of the art binary comparison tool BinDiff. When comparing optimized and un-optimized executables from the popular GNU coreutils package, BLEX outperforms BinDiff by up to 3.5 times in correctly identifying similar functions. BLEX also outperforms BinDiff if the binaries have been compiled by different compilers. Using the functionality in BLEX, we have also built a binary search engine that identifies similar functions across optimization boundaries. Averaged over all indexed functions, our search engine ranks the correct matches among the top ten results 77% of the time.
MO-E-213-01: Increasing Role of Medical Physicist in Radiation Protection

The focus of work of medical physicists in 1980’s was on quality control and quality assurance. Radiation safety was important but was dominated by occupational radiation protection. A series of over exposures of patients in radiotherapy, nuclear medicine and observation of skin injuries among patients undergoing interventional procedures in 1990’s started creating the need for focus on patient protection. It gave medical physicists new directions to develop expertise in patient dosimetry and dose management. Publications creating awareness on cancer risks from CT in early part of the current century and over exposures in CT in 2008 brought radiation risks in public domain and created challenging situations for medical physicists. Increasing multiple exposures of individual patient and patient doses of few tens of mSv or exceeding 100 mSv are increasing the role of medical physicists. Expansion of usage of fluoroscopy in the hands of clinical professionals with hardly any training in radiation protection shall require further role for medical physicists. The increasing publications in journals, recent changes in Safety Standards, California law, all increase responsibilities of medical physicists in patient protection. Newer technological developments in dose efficiency and protective devices increase percentage of time devoted by medical physicists on radiation protection activities. Without radiation protection, the roles, responsibilities and day-to-day involvement of medical physicists in diagnostic radiology becomes questionable. In coming years either medical radiation protection may emerge as a specialty or medical physicists will have to keep major part of day-to-day work on radiation protection. Learning Objectives: 1. To understand how radiation protection has been increasing its role in day-to-day activities of medical physicist 2. To be aware about international safety Standards, national and State regulations that require higher attention to radiation protection than in past 3. To be aware about possible emergence of medical radiation protection as a specialty and challenges for medical physicists.
Relative projectivity and ideals in cohomology

In this section we investigate methods of representing ideals in cohomology by exact sequences. Parts of the section will appear in joint work with Wayne Wheeler [CW] and with Chuang Peng [CP]. The foundation for our investigation was laid in the results at the end of Sect. 6. The point is that we will characterize ideals in cohomology by the modules in kG mo∂ whose cohomology the ideals annihilate. To make the investigation more meaningful we begin by quoting the theorem on finite generation of Evens and Venkov (see [E]). One of the main facts which we use is that the ideals in cohomology are finitely generated.
The roots of prosocial behavior in children: “Person” variables and prosocial behavior

A number of characteristics of individuals that may be correlated with prosocial tendencies do not fit neatly into any of our major categories of determinants . We refer to variables such as sex, class membership, age, ordinal position, and some personal attributes, such as sociability, selfesteem, and emotional adjustment. In general, these cannot be considered process variables; they do not refer to mechanisms, actions, or operations that in themselves influence prosocial responses or predispositions, nor can they directly promote or diminish these. However, characteristics such as age, gender, and socioeconomic class may be functionally connected with process variables (such as socialization practices or cognitive factors) that do influence or regulate prosocial behavior. To cite one example, the disciplinary practices parents use in rearing their daughters can differ considerably from those applied in rearing their sons. Therefore, if we discover that there are sex differences in prosocial predispositions, we might attribute these, at least in part, to the differential socialization of boys and girls. Similarly, as we shall see, age is significantly correlated with level of donating. This correlation may simply reflect a link between age and two classes of determinants of prosocial behavior: socialization practices and cognitive processes. Parents of older children, compared with parents of younger ones, may more frequently use socialization techniques conducive to the development of helping and sharing. An alternative explanation of the observed correlation involves cognitive maturity: Older children have attained higher levels of cognitive functioning and moral reasoning than younger ones, resulting in higher levels of prosocial behavior among the older ones.
Intelligent Decision Making in Information Retrieval

Information retrieval on the Internet is particularly challenging for the non-expert user seeking technical information with specialized terminology. The user can be assisted during the required search tasks with intelligent agent technology delivered through a decision making support system. This paper describes the technology and its application to suicide prevention searches performed for the National Institute of Mental Health.
Use of embryonic stem cells to study mutations affecting postimplantation development in the mouse.

The generation and analysis of insertional mutations that perturb early postimplantation development provide a means to identify genes required at this stage of embryogenesis. We have been studying two independently generated insertional mutations termed 413.d and H beta 58 that result in early postimplantation lethality. Each mutation is associated with a distinct phenotype. 413.d mutant embryos become profoundly abnormal around the time of gastrulation: no identifiable embryonic axis or mesodermal structures are formed. H beta 58 mutant embryos proceed further in development, forming a relatively normal anteroposterior axis before developmental arrest occurs. We isolated embryonic stem cell lines homozygous for each of these mutations and assessed their differentiation abilities and developmental potential in vitro and after their introduction into wild-type blastocysts. From these studies we conclude that the 413.d mutation acts in a non-cell-autonomous fashion: mutant cells appear capable of participating, in conjunction with wild-type cells, in the formation of derivatives of all three primary cell lineages of the embryo. H beta 58 mutant embryonic stem cells are clearly pluripotent but they appear to be more restricted in their developmental potential, suggesting that the H beta 58 gene product may be required by specific tissues of the embryo.
Steps physicians report taking to reduce diversion of buprenorphine

Background and Objectives Physicians are challenged to effectively treat opioid dependent patients while minimizing diversion of potentially abusable medications, such as buprenorphine. The present study was designed to obtain information on steps physicians report taking to reduce diversion of buprenorphine. Method National quarterly surveys from 2008 to 2009 of qualified physicians who have prescribed buprenorphine were analyzed (N = 2,330). One part of the survey queried physicians about what steps they had taken to reduce abuse and diversion of buprenorphine from a pre-specified list of 12 steps. Other parts of the survey included questions on the physicians' training and experience. Results Physicians reported taking a mean of 4.4 steps. Longer experience prescribing buprenorphine, more buprenorphine-related educational training, and concern about diversion as a limitation on using buprenorphine for maintenance were associated with higher number of steps taken. Conclusions and Scientific Significance Physicians are currently taking multiple steps to reduce diversion. Future research needs to verify if these steps are effective or are instead reducing access to treatment. (Am J Addict 2013; 22:184–187)
Further developments in closure experiments for surface diffuse irradiance under cloud-free skies at a continental site

[1] Direct and diffuse surface irradiances measured with the shaded and ventilated Black and White Eppley pyranometer under cloud-free skies at a continental site are compared with radiative transfer model calculated values. For the measurements in 2002, calculations of irradiance utilizing surface-measured aerosol single scattering albedo (SSA) agree with that measured to within the mutual uncertainties. For the days in 2001 and 2003, the modeled irradiance values agree with that measured only if highly absorbing aerosols of SSA ∼0.7, well below surface-measured SSA, are used. Modeled diffuse/direct irradiance ratios continue to exceed those measured in the visible and near-IR using silicon detector-based radiometers, suggesting problems with measurements and/or model estimates of atmospheric, most likely, aerosol, absorption. A detailed study is therefore required to establish the role of aerosol absorption in shortwave radiative transfer.
Coupled stratigraphic and structural evolution of a glaciated orogenic wedge, offshore St. Elias orogen, Alaska

[1] The St. Elias orogen is the result of ∼10 Myr of oblique convergence and flat-slab subduction in the Gulf of Alaska between North America and the Yakutat microplate. Extensive glaciation and a complex tectonic environment make this region a unique case study in which to examine the details of terrane accretion and the possible coupled influence of climate and tectonic drivers on the structural and topographic evolution of an orogenic wedge. Reflection seismic profiles across the offshore Pamplona zone fold-thrust belt, the frontal St. Elias orogenic wedge, provide constraints for quantifying Pleistocene deformation recorded in the glaciomarine Yakataga formation. The total amount of Pleistocene shortening observed varies from ∼3 to 5 mm/yr, compared to the current GPS-derived Yakutat-North America convergence rate across the St. Elias orogen of ∼45 mm/yr. Growth strata and kinematic fold analysis allow comparison of relative timing of fault activity, which reveals temporal and spatial shifting of active deformation during the glacial period: faulting localized adjacent to the coastline and at the current submarine deformation front. The abandoned, currently inactive region is colocated with the major glacial depocenter in the region, the Bering Trough. These observations imply that glacial processes such as sediment loading and focused erosion during advance-retreat cycles has a direct effect on the evolution of individual faults within the Pamplona zone and the overall deformation pattern in the offshore St. Elias margin. This information provides key constraints for understanding how climatic shifts may have affected the evolution of margin architecture during Pleistocene glacial-interglacial periods.
On Attitude Stabilization of Symmetric Spacecraft with Two Control Torques

It is a well-known fact in the literature of spacecraft stabilization, that a symmetric spacecraft with two control torques supplied by gas jet actuators is not controllable, if the two control torques are along axes that span the two-dimensional plane which is orthogonal to the axis of symmetry. However, feedback control laws can be derived for a restricted problem corresponding to attitude stabilization about the symmetry axis. The final orientation angle about this axis is undetermined. The purpose of this paper is to present a new methodology for constructing feedback control laws for this restricted problem, based on a new formulation for the kinematics.
A Late Prehistoric Dog Burial Associated with Human Graves in Orange County, California

ABSTRACT The aboriginal dog exhumed at CA-Ora-849, a Late Prehistoric camp site in southern Orange County, California, is the only known animal burial from the territory historically occupied by the Juaneno. The specimen was found in association with human burials, a typical occurrence for animal burials in the California culture area. The juvenile canine was placed in its grave in a flexed position, without grave goods. Dog burials in California are interpreted as representing ritualized disposal of deceased pets or the destruction of personal property attendant to the funeral of the animal's owner. Evidence of the dog's diet, a cluster of partly digested rabbit and gopher bones and a deer proximal phalanx, was recovered from the visceral area of the skeleton.
Polypyrrole-PEO∗LiCF3SO3 composites formed by in situ pulsed potentiostatic electropolymerization

Abstract Composites of Polypyrrole and poly(ethylene oxide) ∗ LiCF 3 SO 3 were formed by in situ electropolymerization of polypyrrole at 0.8, 1.0 and 3.0 V vs. a Platinum pseudo-reference electrode. The peak separation in solid state cyclic voltammograms under conditions plasticized by acetonitrile for the in situ formed polypyrrole indicate that the resistance to ion transport within the composites is lower for composites formed by pulsed potentiostatic electropolymerization at 3.0 V, compared to composites grown by stepping the potential to 0.8, 1.0 or 3.0 V.
Homeostatic responses by surviving cortical pyramidal cells in neurodegenerative tauopathy

Cortical neuron death is prevalent by 9 months in rTg(tauP301L)4510 tau mutant mice (TG) and surviving pyramidal cells exhibit dendritic regression and spine loss. We used whole-cell patch-clamp recordings to investigate the impact of these marked structural changes on sponta- neous excitatory and inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sEPSCs and sIPSCs) of layer 3 pyramidal cells in frontal cortical slices from behaviorally characterized TG and non- transgenic (NT) mice at this age. Frontal lobe function of TG mice was intact following a short delay interval but impaired following a long delay interval in an object rec- ognition test, and cortical atrophy and cell loss were pronounced. Surviving TG cells had significantly reduced dendritic diameters, total spine density, and mushroom spines, yet sEPSCs were increased and sIPSCs were unchanged in frequency. Thus, despite significant regres- sive structural changes, synaptic responses were not reduced in TG cells, indicating that homeostatic compen- satory mechanisms occur during progressive tauopathy. Consistent with this idea, surviving TG cells were more intrinsically excitable than NT cells, and exhibited sprouting of filopodia and axonal boutons. Moreover, the neuropil in TG mice showed an increased density of asymmetric synapses, although their mean size was reduced. Taken together, these data indicate that during progressive tauopathy, cortical pyramidal cells compensate for loss of afferent input by increased excitability and establishment of new synapses. These compensatory homeostatic mechanisms may play an important role in slowing the progression of neuronal network dysfunction during neurodegenerative tauopathies.
Effect of Water on the Corrosion Behavior of Mild Carbon Steel in E10 blend

The effect of phase separation in E10 blend upon water addition on the corrosion behavior of mild carbon steel was investigated using electrochemical and morphological techniques. Increase in water addition resulted in increase in corrosion kinetics of steel exposed to water-ethanol phase. Both uniform and localized corrosion were observed on areas of the steel surface in this phase, with the extent of corrosion being the greatest near the interface of the two separating phases.
Added-variable plots in linear regression

This article discusses three well-known methods for obtaining a graphical evaluation of the effect of adding an explanatory variable in linear regression. A new method is also proposed.