cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anomaly Analysis: NASA's Engineering and Safety Center Checks Recurring Shuttle Glitches

The NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC), set up in the wake of the Columbia accident to backstop engineers in the space shuttle program, is reviewing hundreds of recurring anomalies that the program had determined don't affect flight safety to see if in fact they might. The NESC is expanding its support to other programs across the agency, as well. The effort, which will later extend to the International Space Station (ISS), is a principal part of the attempt to overcome the normalization of deviance--a situation in which organizations proceeded as if nothing was wrong in the face of evidence that something was wrong--cited by sociologist Diane Vaughn as contributing to both space shuttle disasters.
Target Area Design Issues for Implementing Direct Drive on the National Ignition Facility

NIF will be configured in its baseline design to achieve ignition and gain using the indirect drive approach. However, the requirements require the design to not preclude the conduct of inertial confinement fusion experiments using direct drive. This involves symmetrical illumination of an ICF capsule, where each beam fully subtends the capsule. The re-directing of 24 of the 48 NIF beamlines (2x2 beamlet group each) from 30 and 50{degree} cone angles to 75{degree} cone angles near the chamber `equator` is required. This would be done by adjusting intermediate transport mirrors so that the beams intercept different final mirrors in the Target Bay and be directed into final optics assemblies attached to chamber ports positioned at the new port locations. Space for converting from one irradiation scheme to another is a problem; also NIF user needs cannot be compromised by direct drive needs. Target for direct drive, absent a hohlraum, emits much fewer cold x rays than for indirect drive. Further, the irradiation scheme may not result in the absorption of all the 3{omega} light and this may create a hazard to the NIF chamber first wall. This paper describes possible design features of the NIF Target Area to allow conversion to direct drive and discusses some differences in post-shot conditions created compared to indirect drive.
The Pragmatic Migratory Bird Treaty Act: Protecting "Property"

In 1916, the United States of America entered into a treaty with the United Kingdom, acting on behalf of Canada, to protect migratory birds from unrestrained killing. Two years later, Congress enacted the Migratory Bird Treaty Act (MBTA) to give effect to this convention. The United States subsequently entered into similar agreements with Mexico in 1936, Japan in 1972, and the Soviet Union in 1976, which were thereafter incorporated into the provisions of the MBTA. The MBTA's prohibition against pursuing, hunting, taking, capturing, or killing any migratory bird, or any part, nest, or egg of such birds, however, is not motivated by the desire to protect human property interests. This Note explores America's attachment to wildlife as property under the terms of the conventions, the statutory language, the history, and the caselaw pertaining to the MBTA, with specific focus on the curious distinction between wild and captive-bred mallard ducks. Wild beasts and birds are by right not the property merely of the people today, but the property of the unborn generations, whose belongings we have no right to squander.1
On questions of fairness and temporal logic for conflict-free Petri nets

In this paper, we examine the complexity of the fair nontermination problem for conflict-free Petri nets under several definitions of fairness. For each definition of fairness, we are able to show the problem to be complete for either NP, PTIME, or NLOGSPACE. We then address the question of whether these results extend to the more general model checking problem with respect to the temporal logic for Petri nets introduced by Suzuki. Since many of the model checking problems concerning finite state systems can be reduced to a version of the fair nontermination problem, it would seem plausible that the model checking problem for conflict-free Petri nets would be decidable. However, it turns out that unless the logic is severely restricted, model checking is undecidable for conflict-free Petri nets. In particular, the problem is undecidable even when formulas are of the form Gf ("invariantly f") where f contains no temporal logic operators. On the other hand, we show that model checking for conflict-free Petri nets is NP-complete for L(F,X) — the logic restricted to the operators F (eventually), X (next time), ∧, and ∨, with negations allowed only on the predicates.
The ineffectiveness of enterogastrone on severe chronic peptic ulcer in man.

Summary In a group of thirty-four patients with severe chronic peptic ulcer treated with various doses of oral or parenteral enterogastrone for prolonged periods, eight patients improved clinically. Twenty-six patients had an increase in recurrences, or developed more intense symptoms, or developed ulcer complications such as obstruction, hemorrhage, or perforation. Eighteen patients underwent surgical therapy because of ulcer complications or intractable symptoms. Prolonged administration of oral enterogastrone in a dosage of sixteen grams daily, or intramuscular enterogastrone in a dosage of 200 mg. six times a week did not significantly alter the rate of gastric secretion, free hydrochloric acid content of gastric juice, or pepsin content of gastric juice in these patients. Gastric motility was likewise not altered.
User Experience Driven Multi-Layered Video Based Applications

The growing popularity for video based applications has put an enormous strain on the network and causes the network to be more prone to congestion. The study of congestion control and bandwidth allocation problems is often formulated into Network Utility Maximization (NUM) framework, and the existing solutions for NUM generally focus on single-layered applications. However, today's quality of video is divided into several layers, where each layer provides different level of enhancement of quality. In this paper, we study how multi-layered video based applications impact network performance and pricing through NUM formulation, in particularly traffic from video streaming. In our investigation, we design and implement a new multi-layered user utility model that leverages on studies of human visual perception. Then, using this new utility model to examine network activities, we demonstrate that solving NUM with multi-layered utility is intractable, and that rate allocation and network pricing may oscillate due to user behavior specific to multi-layered applications. To address this, we propose a new approach for admission control to ensure quality of service and experience.
Departure from multiplicative interaction for catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype and active/passive exposure to tobacco smoke among women with breast cancer

Women with homozygous polymorphic alleles of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT-LL) metabolize 2-hydroxylated estradiol, a suspected anticarcinogenic metabolite of estrogen, at a four-fold lower rate than women with no polymorphic alleles (COMT-HH) or heterozygous women (COMT-HL). We hypothesized that COMT-LL women exposed actively or passively to tobacco smoke would have higher exposure to 2-hydroxylated estradiol than never-active/never passive exposed women, and should therefore have a lower risk of breast cancer than women exposed to tobacco smoke or with higher COMT activity.
Experiments on the Effect of Atomic Electrons on the Decay Constant of Be7 II.

In an attempt to detect a possible influence of the atomic electrons on the radioactive decay constant of ${\mathrm{Be}}^{7}$ we have measured ${\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{BeO}}\ensuremath{-}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{Be}}$ and found $(\ensuremath{-}3.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}1.8){10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}{\ensuremath{\lambda}}_{\mathrm{Be}}$. We also describe a method to measure mean lives of radioactive substances in a time short compared with the mean life.
Effect of altitude and wind velocity on optical-turbulence measurement with fine-wire resistance temperature transducers

The response of fine wire resistance temperature transducer was analyzed including the effects of (i) conductive heat transfer between wire and the supporting prong and (ii) a thermal boundary layer which can form around the prongs especially at low stream velocities. The transfer function H(w) varied substantially with frequency of turbulence and density and velocity of the air stream. The a.c. gain of the sensor was evaluated as a function of altitude (0-30 km) and air stream velocity. Variation in a.c. gain with altitude can lead to a significant error in the measurement of turbulence with (delta)T probes. The error becomes even larger if the velocity of air stream (relative to sensor) becomes very small.
Mujeres al mando de la imprenta: la educación científica de la mujer en la prensa femenina argentina del siglo XIX

?por que pues, se niega el cultivo, a una mitad de los seres de la tierra? ?Como querer desconocer que estamos dotadas de las mismas facultades ligadas a los mismos intereses, y en la misma posibilidad de ilustrar, y de ser ilustradas?....La Patria precisa que se hagan universal el conocimiento de las ciencias en ambos secsos, porque asi puede esperar, que la nueva generacion de ciudadanos utiles y capaces de sostituir, a los que hoy presiden los altos destinos de la Republica. Rosa Guerra, La Camelia (enfasis mio)1
Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in pediatric major depression.

Abstract Background: Neurobiologic abnormalities in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) are believed to be involved in the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD). Although MDD commonly emerges during childhood and adolescence, to our knowledge, no prior study has examined the DLPFC in pediatric patients with MDD. Methods: In this study, choline compounds (Cho), N-acetylaspartate (NAA), and creatine/phosphocreatine (Cr) were measured in left and right DLPFC using a multislice proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging sequence with validated phantom replacement methodology in 11 treatment-naive MDD patients, 10–16 years of age, and 11 case-matched healthy control subjects. Results: A significant increase in Cho was observed in left but not right DLPFC in MDD patients versus control subjects (32.5% higher). No significant differences in NAA or Cr were observed between case-control pairs. Conclusions: These results provide new evidence of localized functional neurochemical marker alterations in left DLPFC in pediatric MDD. Our results must be considered preliminary, however, given the small sample size.
Does Sex Make a Difference? Trials and Tribulations of Late-Nineteenth-Century Gynecological Surgery

On the surface, Regina Morantz-Sanchez has written a richly textured, often riveting history of a highly controversial, though now largely forgotten, latenineteenth-century female gynecological surgeon, Mary Amanda Dixon Jones. However, Conduct Unbecoming a Woman is much more than just that. A deeply contextual account that encompasses numerous aspects of late-nineteenthcentury life, the book explores fundamental relationships between culture and medicine and how each informs and helps constitute the other. The specific details of why surgeons and, in particular, a maverick female physician resorted to radical gynecological surgery gives way to more substantive questions about the construction of gender, interconnections between ideology and medical practice, and the broader role of culture in what is deemed as scientific.
Duration of Nerve Root Compressive Trauma Modulates the Subsequent Thermal Hyperalgesia and Spinal Expression of the Glutamate Transporter, GLT1

Mechanical compression of the cervical nerve roots is a common injury modality [1] and a frequent source of neck pain, affecting 30–50% of adults each year [2]. Since the nerve root is viscoelastic in compression (Fig. 1) [3,4], its response to loading from different injury scenarios is also likely a function of the duration of the applied tissue insult, which varies with the type of injury. For example, the nerve root undergoes brief periods of compression during sports and auto-related trauma, whereas a more prolonged compression occurs for a bulging disc or foraminal stenosis [1]. Similarly, mechanical sensitivity (i.e. pain) after root compression is has been shown to be duration-dependent [3,4]. Compression of the cervical nerve root is only sufficient to induce mechanical sensitivity in a rat model if the compression is applied for more than 3 minutes [3]. Yet, mechanical sensitivity is only one behavioral sequelae of radicular pain and it is not known whether the duration dependent response is similar for other types of evoked pain, such as thermal sensitivity.© 2013 ASME
Field evaluation of the Welch Allyn SureSight vision screener: incorporating the vision in preschoolers study recommendations.

Introduction The prospective Vision in Preschoolers (VIP) study evaluated 11 methods of screening and proposed referral criteria for the Welch Allyn SureSight ™ Vision Screener with 90% and 94% specificity. The SureSight had a higher sensitivity than most other screening techniques when these criteria were applied. We evaluated the usefulness of these criteria in a field study of healthy preschool children. Methods The SureSight software was altered to recommend referral using the VIP referral criteria with 90% specificity. Lions Club volunteers screened preschool children throughout Tennessee. Referred children underwent comprehensive eye examinations with cycloplegic refraction. Examination failure criteria were based upon published standards. Reanalysis using the 94% specificity criteria was then performed. Outcomes included referral rate and positive predictive value. Results The SureSight was used to screen 4,733 children, and screening was successful in 99.7% of children. The referral rate using the 90% specificity criteria was 12.2%. Most children (73%) were referred for suspected astigmatism. The positive predictive value was 30%. Using the 94% specificity criteria from the VIP study decreased the referral rate to 7.9% and substantially decreased over referral for suspected astigmatism; however, several anisometropes went undetected. Higher specificity was achieved by raising astigmatism referral criteria to 2.2 diopters while leaving the anisometropia criteria unchanged. Conclusions The SureSight can be used successfully for preschool screening in the field provided that criteria with high specificity are incorporated into the instrument's software program. Higher rates of positive predictive value can be achieved without jeopardizing sensitivity by raising astigmatism referral criteria to 2.2 diopters.
SocialMapExplorer: visualizing social networks of massively multiplayer online games in temporal-geographic space

Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs) provide unique opportunities to investigate large social networks, such as player (working-group), trading, and communication (chat) networks. This paper presents a visualization tool -- SocialMapExplorer - that allows users to explore these networks over temporal-geographic space. Implemented on the GoogleMap framework, this web-based interactive tool applies visual features, including color, size, shape, weight and font, to represent various network features. Unlike other similar tools, SocialMapExplorer visualizes data on a real map and couples time and spatial information with other attributes. To meet the challenge of intensive computation, this tool runs on high performance computers. Three modules have been implemented: (1) NetViewer that analyzes network dynamics by visualizing social networks in time series; (2) GroupDetector that investigates group assembly and evolution by tracing groups in visualized data flow; and (3) CorrelationFinder that studies the correlation between selected census variables (such as age, gender, race, population, income, education, occupation, and marital status) and game-play variables (such as play time, play frequency, achievement, and loss) by overlapping the measurements of census data and game log data. We performed this study on EverQuestII (EQII) game logs. This demonstration of the tool shows how it can help us discover events that trigger a group to emerge, shrink, and expand, and explore the relationship between census data and game data. This paper presents the design of this visualization tool, demonstrates its functions on real game data, and discusses its applications to virtual social network analysis associated with temporal-geographic space.
Spontaneous mutation in mice provides new insight into the genetic mechanisms that pattern the seminal vesicles and prostate gland.

The seminal vesicles and prostate gland are anatomically adjacent male sex-accessory glands. Although they arise from different embryonic precursor structures and express distinct sets of secretory proteins, these organs share common features in their developmental biology. A key shared developmental feature is the elaboration of complex secretory epithelia with tremendous surface area from simple precursor structures with juxtaposed epithelial and mesenchymal cells. In this study, new insight into the nature of the biological processes that underlie glandular morphogenesis is achieved by analyzing the phenotypes present in mice that harbor a spontaneous mutation, seminal vesicle shape (svs), previously identified for causing altered seminal vesicle morphology in adults. An examination of seminal vesicle development in svs mice provides the first evidence that the concurrent processes of epithelial branching and epithelial infolding are distinct processes under separate genetic control. It also provides the first direct evidence that the thickness and topology of the smooth muscle layer in the seminal vesicles are determined by interaction with the glandular epithelium during the branching process. In addition, the seminal vesicle phenotype in svs mice is shown to phenocopy the morphologic form present in certain other mammals such as the guinea pig, raising the possibility that the svs mutation is the sort of variant that arises during evolution. By also including an investigation of the prostate gland, this study also identifies previously unrecognized phenotypes in svs prostates, including increased gland size and dramatically reduced levels of branching morphogenesis. Finally, this study advances the goal of identifying the svs gene by mapping the svs mutation relative to known molecular markers and testing Fgfr2 as a candidate gene. The finding that the svs mutation maps to a genomic region syntenic to a region frequently deleted in human prostate tumors, together with the prostatic phenotype present in svs mice, further raises the interesting possibility that the svs mutation will identify a candidate prostate tumor suppressor gene.
Game‐based teaching: what educators can learn from videogames

Most teachers only dream of their students spending the amount of motivation, attention, passion, and critical thinking on their classes that some students do playing videogames. This investigation examines the success, pitfalls, and lessons learned from incorporating videogame‐like components into an educational technology class. For example, just as videogames are composed of levels, students in this class chose various levels at which to complete assignments but had to earn a certain number of points before being able to move on to the next assignment. Students' think‐aloud data as they completed assignments show parallels between their cognitive, motivational, and affective processes and those of gamers. Comparing course evaluations, student comments, and focus group data across several iterations of the class, including a traditional version that primarily consisted of direct‐teaching, suggests that integrating principles of videogames into the structure of a class can help motivate learners, differe...
Modeling acoustic scattering from the seabed using transport theory

Radiative Transfer (RT) theory has established itself as an important tool for electromagnetic remote sensing in parallel plane geometries with random distributions of scatterers, and most recently it has also been proposed as a model for the propagation of elastic waves in layered ocean sediments. In this work the capabilities of this model are illustrated, as the RT method is used to predict backscattering strength from laboratory models of random media. The RT model is characterized by its flexibility on accommodating scatterers in a broad variety of sizes, shapes, and acoustic contrast relative to the background media. Additionally, this formulation is easily expandable to include multiple layering and elastic effects. In this paper, a comparison between the RT model and the results from two laboratory experiments in the optics and the Mie regime are presented. The experiments were designed to measure volume scattering at high frequencies between 280 kHz and 400 kHz in monostatic configuration. The first experiment used large aluminum spheres suspended with thin filaments, and it serves as a benchmark for testing the RT formulation due to its high signal-to-noise ratio, and the absence of reflective boundaries or background attenuation. Measurements of frequency dependent backscattering at normal incidence angle are shown for two fractional volumes. For the second experiment, the scattering media is a well characterized slab of a lossy resin background containing a uniform distribution of glass beads, and angle- and frequency-dependent measurements are presented. The levels of volume scattering from both experiments are found in agreement with predictions from the steady state RT model.
Fabric: a platform for secure distributed computation and storage

Fabric is a new system and language for building secure distributed information systems. It is a decentralized system that allows heterogeneous network nodes to securely share both information and computation resources despite mutual distrust. Its high-level programming language makes distribution and persistence largely transparent to programmers. Fabric supports data-shipping and function-shipping styles of computation: both computation and information can move between nodes to meet security requirements or to improve performance. Fabric provides a rich, Java-like object model, but data resources are labeled with confidentiality and integrity policies that are enforced through a combination of compile-time and run-time mechanisms. Optimistic, nested transactions ensure consistency across all objects and nodes. A peer-to-peer dissemination layer helps to increase availability and to balance load. Results from applications built using Fabric suggest that Fabric has a clean, concise programming model, offers good performance, and enforces security.
Preventing deep vein thrombosis in hospital inpatients

#### Summary points Most hospital inpatients are at risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and the associated complications of fatal or non-fatal pulmonary embolism and post-thrombotic syndrome. Recognised risk factors for DVT are generally related to one or more elements of Virchow's triad (stasis, vessel injury, and hypercoagulability), and include surgery, trauma, immobilisation, malignancy, use of oestrogens, heart or respiratory failure, and smoking (box 1).1 Surveillance studies have found that the absolute risk of DVT is 10%-20% among general medical patients and up to 40%-80% in patients having hip surgery, knee surgery, or major trauma (table⇓).1 View this table: Absolute risk of deep vein thrombosis in hospital inpatients #### Box 1 Risk factors for deep vein thrombosis (adapted from Geerts et al1) ##### Stasis ##### Vessel injury ##### Hypercoagulability It is difficult to predict …
Selection Bias into Health Plans with Specific Characteristics: A Case Study of Endogeneity of Gatekeeper Requirements and Mammography Utilization

We investigated the issue of selection bias in a case study of mammography utilization using a potentially endogenous predictor, the presence of gatekeeper requirements in an individual's health plan. Data from the 2000 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and the linked 1998/1999 National Health Interview Survey were used. We employed and compared results from an extensive list of estimation methods: single equation estimations including standard probit and linear probability models, two-stage instrumental variables (IV), and bivariate probit models. Specification tests were used to inspect the relevance and validity of candidates for instrumental variables. Given the best instruments available to us, we did not find evidence that correcting for selection bias improved the estimates. Standard single equation estimations remained the preferred approach in our study.
Habit and nonhabit systems for unconscious and conscious behavior: Implications for multitasking

The study of human consciousness has demonstrated that there are both conscious and unconscious systems. Other work, particularly in animals, has shown that there are habit and nonhabit systems and that these involve different brain regions and memory processes. Here we argue that habits can be equated with unconscious behavior and nonhabits with conscious behavior. This equation makes the extensive physiological literature on habit/nonhabit relevant to the less tractable issue of consciousness. On the basis of this line of reasoning, it appears that different parts of the BG and different memory structures mediate conscious and unconscious processes. It is further argued here that the unconscious system is highly capable; it can both process sensory information and produce behavior. The benefit of such a dual system is multitasking: The unconscious system can execute background tasks, leaving the conscious system to perform more difficult tasks.
The electrical conductivity of Mn3O4

Abstract The electrical properties of Mn3O4 in equilibrium with the ambient oxygen atmosphere were found to be different from those reported previously on quenched specimens. The differences appear to arise from the presence of a second phase in the quenched specimens. The present results suggest a band-to-band excitation rather than hopping conduction.
Effects of Stimulus Intensity on Odor Enhancement by Taste

Enhancement of retronasal odors by sucrose has been shown to be a reliable perceptual phenomenon of taste–odor interactions. It is unknown, however, whether stimulus intensity modulates the degree of odor enhancement. The present study was therefore designed to investigate how the intensity of odor and taste alone affects the degree of odor enhancement. In the first experiment, subjects rated the intensities of taste and odor for aqueous solutions of sucrose and citral at three concentrations, both alone and in binary mixtures. The results showed that sucrose significantly increased the “citrus” ratings to an extent that was inversely related to the intensity of citral alone. Interestingly, the increase in sucrose intensity had insignificant effects on odor enhancement. To test the reliability of the relationship between odor intensity and the degree of enhancement, a second experiment was conducted in which subjects inhaled three concentrations of citral in vapor phase via the mouth while tasting sucrose. This procedure also provided an opportunity to rule out the possibility that the odor enhancement is the result of, at least in part, physicochemical interactions between sucrose and volatiles. Consistent with the previous results, the presence of sucrose in the mouth significantly enhanced the “citrus” ratings compared to when citral was inhaled alone, and the odor intensity relationship was preserved. These findings demonstrate that odor enhancement by sucrose is a perceptual phenomenon that occurs independent of physicochemical interactions between flavor components and that the degree of enhancement is greater when retronasal odors are weak.
Space Operations Center orbit altitude selection strategy

The strategy for the operational altitude selection has to respond to the Space Operation Center's (SOC) maintenance requirements and the logistics demands of the missions to be supported by the SOC. Three orbit strategies are developed: two are constant altitude, and one variable altitude. In order to minimize the effect of atmospheric uncertainty the dynamic altitude method is recommended. In this approach the SOC will operate at the optimum altitude for the prevailing atmospheric conditions and logistics model, provided that mission safety constraints are not violated. Over a typical solar activity cycle this method produces significant savings in the overall logistics cost.
Mechanical properties of polymer mixtures: Effect of compatibility

Abstract The effect of compatibility on the mechanical properties of polymer mixtures is discussed. From solution thermodynamics we conclude that for compatible mixtures of high molecular weight polymers the excess internal energy of mixing must be negative. For most polymer mixtures, this results in a negative excess volume of mixing. The excess entropy of mixing is therefore also negative. These general conclusions point to a stiffening of the solid lattice and a reduction in chain mobility. In dynamic mechanical behavior, the relaxation of molecular moieties responsible for the specific interaction should be shifted to intermediate temperatures, and the relaxation of other moieties should be shifted to higher temperatures if the potential well is inter-molecular. In finite deformation behavior craze initiation stress and shear yielding stress should both be higher than a linear combination of the properties of the pure components.
Morphologic types of diffuse large-cell lymphoma

One hundred eighty-seven patients with confirmed diffuse non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were selected from a consecutive series of 391 patients who were evaluated and treated at Stanford University Medical Center. Lymphomas with any degree of nodularity and diffuse lymphomas of "well-differentiated" and "poorly differentiated" lymphocytic type were excluded from this study. Each of four observers identified cases of diffuse large-cell lymphoma from the 187 cases and further subdivided these cases into six morphologic types in accordance with criteria proposed by Strauchen et al. Initial intraobserver and interobserver agreement was relatively low but was greatly enhanced when the initial six morphologic types were grouped as either follicular center-cell or nonfollicular center-cell types. When individual observer results were pooled, statistically significant differences were seen between survival of patients in these two groups, with the patients in the nonfollicular differences were seen between survival of patients in these two groups, with the patients in the nonfollicular center-cell group having a worse prognosis (P = 0.04). This effect of morphologic type appeared to be independent of pathologic stage. Mitotic counts did not correlate with survival.
Complexity and chaos in nuclear dynamics

Abstract The question “Is the idea of quantum chaos productive for nuclear physics?” is answered positively. Generic features of complicated dynamics are expressed in terms of“ many-body chaos”. As applications, dynamic enhancement of weak interaction, damping of single and multiple giant resonances, anharmonicity of soft nuclei and continuum effects are discussed.
A general procedure for deriving distributions

A general procedure for deriving the exact and asymptotic distributions of a certain class of test statistics in multivariate analysis is proposed. The method is based on an asymptotic expansion of gamma ratios in terms of generalized Bernoulli polynomials. The exact and asymptotic results are obtained and the method is illustrated in the problem of testing linear hypotheses in the multinomial case. In this problem the method yields Box's (1949) expansion as a special case.
Assessing Goddard Institute for Space Studies ModelE aerosol climatology using satellite and ground‐based measurements: A comparison study

[1] A physically based aerosol climatology is important to address questions of global climate change. We evaluate the aerosol climatology used in the GISS ModelE (Schmidt et al., 2006), by characterizing and comparing the geographic distribution and seasonal variability of aerosol optical depth (AOD) and particle size via Angstrom exponent (A) against available satellite and ground-based measurements, i.e., MODIS, MISR, POLDER, AVHRR, and AERONET data. There are a number of model parameters, particularly those related to aerosol size specification, that can be better constrained by comparison to satellite data. Our comparison shows that there are large differences in the satellite and ground-based global distributions of AOD. The differences between the observations increase for the Angstrom exponent. Given the uncertainties associated with satellite retrieval results, the agreement in the distributions of global optical depth between GCM aerosols and satellite data is qualitatively reasonable. However, the Angstrom exponent of the GCM aerosol is clearly biased low compared to satellite data, implying that the GCM aerosol sizes are overestimated. There is qualitative agreement of the ModelE aerosol single scattering albedo ϖ with TOMS Aerosol Index (AI) and AERONET data. The comparisons show insufficient aerosol absorption at most locations, suggesting a possible underestimation of black carbon distributions in the GCM. However, a more quantitative comparison first requires a readjustment of the GCM aerosol size specification.
Evaluating the spatiotemporal clustering of traffic incidents

Abstract This research presents both theoretical results regarding the nature of spatiotemporal clustering on a network, and applied outcomes from examining such clustering with regard to traffic incidents. The analysis considers fatal traffic incidents in eastern Fairfax County, Virginia and injury incidents in Franklin County, Ohio. The spatiotemporal analytical methods of Knox and subsequent researchers are reviewed. Specific methods for performing spatiotemporal analysis are outlined, with special attention given to the interpretation of the results for traffic incidents. An argument is made for conducting spatial and temporal cluster analyses independently, in addition to spatiotemporal cluster analysis, a comparative analysis of methods for testing for the significance of spatiotemporal clusters is presented, and suggestions for delineating critical parameters for the Knox statistic are provided.
TNF‐α regulates mouse fetal hepatic maturation induced by oncostatin M and extracellular matrices

Fetal hepatic maturation consists of multisteps and is regulated by several cytokines and cell-cell or cell-matrices interactions. In the mid-to-late fetal stage, hepatocytes have few metabolic functions associated with adult liver homeostasis. Cultured fetal hepatocytes acquire the expression of several mature liver-specific genes through stimulation with hepatic maturation factor oncostatin M (OSM) and matrigel. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFalpha) regulates fetal hepatic maturation stimulated by OSM and matrigel. TNFalpha suppressed expression of mature liver-specific genes such as tyrosine aminotransferase and apolipoproteins. In addition, the expression of hematopoietic cytokines and cyclin A2, repressed by OSM and matrigel, is induced by TNFalpha in the fetal hepatic cultures coincident with cell division. TNFalpha inhibited the induction of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha induced by OSM and matrigel, suggesting that down-regulation of hepatocyte nuclear factor 4alpha expression is involved in the mechanism of suppression of hepatic maturation by TNFalpha. Interestingly, TNFalpha is expressed in the prenatal and postnatal liver but not in adult liver, whereas TNFR1, a TNFalpha receptor, is expressed in both fetal and adult livers. In conclusion, TNFalpha is a suppressive factor of hepatic maturation. The balance between hepatic maturation factor (OSM and extracellular matrices) and TNFalpha is important for liver development.
Effect of Assay Temperature on Activity of Citrus Pectinesterase In Fresh Orange Juice

The effect of temperature on pectinesterase activity in crude enzyme extract from Valencia pulp was determined. The effect is best described by the regression equation: LN PEU = 14.3446 −3415 (1/T) with a correlation coefficient of 0.991. The activation energy was determined to be 28,392 joules/mol. This regression equation was used to predict the enzyme activities of different juice samples and verified by assay of Valencia juice at various temperatures. Duncan analysis indicated no significant differences in the predicted pectinesterase activities of the concentration-corrected crude extract and collective means of the Valencia juices at the respective temperature.
Hope and Learning: The Outcomes of Contemporary Student Activism.

Often quietly and behind the scenes,America's college students are effecting positive change in their local communities and around the globe.What do students learn through this kind of activism, and how can educators help them learn it?
Changing coastal levels of South America and the Caribbean region from tide-gauge records

Abstract Tide-gauge records from southern Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Central and South America that span the interval 1940–1970 reveal long-term changes of relative sea level according to regression analysis and eigenanalysis. The results indicate such large variations in both direction and rate of secular movement as to rule out changes in volume of ocean water as being more than a subordinate factor. The only satisfactory explanation is that the land level beneath the tide gauges is rising in some places and sinking in others. Complex spatial patterns of relative seal-level change in southern Mexico and the Caribbean mirror the tectonic regime of these regions, exhibiting both submergence and emergence of the land. Central American tide-gauge records similarly show considerable complexity, responding to relative movement along plate boundaries. The Pacific coast of South America appears to correlate with the depth of the Benioff zone; subduction of aseismic ridges produces local highs in the Benioff zone, flanked by troughs at either side. Near the Benioff highs, relative land level is rising; between these ridges relative land level is falling. Sea-level trends in southern and Atlantic coasts of South America are closely linked with continental crustal rifting and subsidence. Data do not allow unambiguous separation of changes in ocean level from changes in land level, and no simple eustatic ocean level change can be estimated accurately from these data.
Kinetics of aluminum-induced inhibition of δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase In vitro

Abstract Anemia, one consequence of aluminum toxicity, may be due to inhibition of enzymes in the heme biosynthetic pathway. In this study, the in vitro effect of aluminum on rat liver and erythrocyte δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (8-ALA dehydratase), an enzyme that is sensitive to a number of metal ions, was investigated. The presence of 1–10 μM AlCl 3 caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of liver δ-ALA dehydratase activity. The K i for AlCl 3 -induced inhibition of δ-ALA dehydratase was 4.1 μM, and 10 μM AlCl 3 virtually abolished δ-ALA dehydratase activity (99% inhibition). Erythrocyte δ-ALA dehydratase was also inhibited by similar concentrations of AlCl 3 and displayed a K i of 1.1 μM. AlCl 3 (5 μM) decreased the V max by 50% but did not change the K m , suggestive of reversible, noncompetitive inhibition. Sodium citrate (50 μM) when added with AlCl 3 completely restored δ-ALA dehydratase activity to basal levels. Thus, disruption of δ-ALA dehydratase occurred at low micromolar levels of AlClP 3 in vitro , which may help to explain abnormalities in the heme pathway in cases of aluminum poisoning.
An efficient implementation of the generalized method of cells for unidirectional, multi-phased composites with complex microstructures

An efficient implementation of the generalized method of cells micromechanics model is presented that allows analysis of periodic unidirectional composites characterized by repeated unit cells containing thousands of subcells. The original formulation, given in terms of Hill's strain concentration matrices that relate average subcell strains to the macroscopic stains, is reformulated in terms of the interfacial subcell tractions as the basic unknowns. This is accomplished by expressing the displacement continuity equations in terms of the stresses and then imposing the traction continuity conditions directly. The result is a mixed formulation wherein the unknown interfacial subcell traction components are related to the macroscopic strain components. Because the stress field throughout the repeating unit cell is piece-wise uniform, the imposition of traction continuity conditions directly in the displacement continuity equations, expressed in terms of stresses, substantially reduces the number of unknown subcell traction (and stress) components, and thus the size of the system of equations that must be solved. Further reduction in the size of the system of continuity equations is obtained by separating the normal and shear traction equations in those instances where the individual subcells are, at most, orthotropic. Comparison of execution times obtained with the original and reformulated versions of the generalized method of cells demonstrates the new version's efficiency. As demonstrated through examples, the reformulated version facilitates previously unattainable detailed analysis of the impact of fiber cross-section geometry and arrangement on the response of multi-phased unidirectional composites.
A note on classical Gauss--Radau and Gauss--Lobatto quadratures

We show an explicit and simple connection between boundary and interior weights in classical Gauss-Radau and Gauss-Lobatto quadratures in terms of the analyticity of the weight function at the corresponding boundary node.
Ion Implantation-Based Edge Termination to Improve III-N APD Reliability and Performance

We report on the development of ion implantation-based contact-edge termination technique to improve the reliability and performance of p-i-n and p-i-n-i-n GaN ultraviolet avalanche photodiode structures. The GaN photodiode structures were grown on sapphire substrates and implanted along the edge of the p-contact. The implanted devices show an absence of premature breakdown and demonstrate a lower dark-current with reliable ultraviolet photoresponse, compared with the standard unimplanted devices. Device simulations of the implanted structures at the breakdown voltage, show a reduction in crowding and spiking of the electric field along the perimeter of the contact by a factor of $\sim 7$ , compared with the unimplanted structures.
Concentration-dependent isomerization of bacteriophage T2L.

We have studied the concentration and ionic strength dependence of the fiber-reorientation transition in T2L bacteriophage, using sedimentation velocity and quasielastic light scattering diffusion measurements. High-salt and low-phage concentration favor the form with fibers extended. The equilibrium between the two forms is dependent on the phage Concentration. This behavior is unexpected for a reaction that is apparently unimolecular with respect to phage, and attests to the strong increase in excluded volume and other interactions accompanying fiber extension. The fiber-extended form has anomalously high diffusion coefficient and low molecular weight according to the Svedberg equation.
Age-associated increases in the activity of multiple caspases in Fisher 344 rat organs.

Abstract As organisms age, an increase in the number of terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling positive cells has been observed in a variety of tissues and cell types. However, whether this represents the increase of apoptosis has not been validated on molecular level. In this study we examined the endogenous activity of caspases that are known to be responsible for the execution of caspase-dependent apoptosis as a function of age in rat liver, lung, and spleen. We demonstrate that the extent of apoptosis in rat liver increases late during the aging process (i.e. 23–27 month) as indicated by the activation of executioner caspases-3, -6, and -7. We also found that the activity of caspase-3, -6, and -7 increased drastically in rat lung and spleen at late stages of aging. Despite reports that the level of Fas mRNA increases with age in rat liver and that Fas system regulates liver homeostasis, we did not detect activation of caspase-8, a key mediator of Fas-induced apoptosis, in aged liver. We also observed increased activities of two caspases, caspase-2 and caspase-9, which are involved in mitochondrion-mediated apoptosis in livers isolated from old rats, and found that hepatocytes isolated from old animals (>23 month) are more sensitive to oxidative stress that targets the mitochondria compared to those isolated from young (6 month) animals. Lastly, we demonstrate that the level of cytochrome c is lower in liver from old animals, probably as a result of expeditious degradation following its release into cytosol. Collectively, our results demonstrate that aging is associated with an increase in the activity of multiple caspases, suggesting that the extent of apoptosis increases as organs age. In the case of rat liver, this increase in caspase activation is more likely associated with the mitochondrial (i.e. intrinsic) pathway rather than the Fas-mediated caspase-8 (extrinsic) pathway of apoptosis.
Defense Contracting and Domnestic Politics

Scholars have investigated the relationship between defense spending and domestic political constraints. Because of a two-year time lag, however, it is difficult to make a theoretical link between ...
Regional-specific effects of ovarian hormone loss on synaptic plasticity in adult human APOE targeted replacement mice.

The human apolipoprotein e4 allele (APOE4) has been implicated as one of the strongest genetic risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and in influencing normal cognitive functioning. Previous studies have demonstrated that mice expressing human apoE4 display deficits in behavioral and neurophysiological outcomes compared to those with apoE3. Ovarian hormones have also been shown to be important in modulating synaptic processes underlying cognitive function, yet little is known about how their effects are influenced by apoE. In the current study, female adult human APOE targeted replacement (TR) mice were utilized to examine the effects of human APOE genotype and long-term ovarian hormone loss on synaptic plasticity in limbic regions by measuring dendritic spine density and electrophysiological function. No significant genotype differences were observed on any outcomes within intact mice. However, there was a significant main effect of genotype on total spine density in apical dendrites in the hippocampus, with post-hoc t-tests revealing a significant reduction in spine density in apoE3 ovariectomized (OVX) mice compared to sham operated mice. There was also a significant main effect of OVX on the magnitude of LTP, with post-hoc t-tests revealing a decrease in apoE3 OVX mice relative to sham. In contrast, apoE4 OVX mice showed increased synaptic activity relative to sham. In the lateral amygdala, there was a significant increase in total spine density in apoE4 OVX mice relative to sham. This increase in spine density was consistent with a significant increase in spontaneous excitatory activity in apoE4 OVX mice. These findings suggest that ovarian hormones differentially modulate synaptic integrity in an apoE-dependent manner within brain regions that are susceptible to neurophysiological dysfunction associated with AD.