cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Accountability in Public Services: Exit, Voice and Control

Abstract This paper argues that the positive impact of public accountability on public service performance and governance in general can be augmented by moving away from an exclusive reliance on control mechanisms such as hierarchical monitoring and use of organizational incentives to a system that uses “exit” or “voice” mechanisms in conjunction with control. Whether the public will resort to exit or voice will depend on the relative costs associated with these options and the expected value to them of the performance improvement resulting from their use in a specific context. Public services can be categorized in terms of the exit and voice potential they afford the public by reference to certain barriers and characteristics. The paper provides a framework for the analysis of the features and barriers of public services and of the publics involved that can be used to predict the potential for the use of exit and voice in specific service contexts. A menu of options for improving public accountability through the use of exit and voice mechanisms and their policy implications are also presented.
CD44 protein levels and its biological activity are regulated in Balb/c 3T3 fibroblasts by serum factors and by transformation with the ras but not with the sis Oncogene

CD44s (standard isoform) levels and hyaluronan-binding activity were investigated in Balb/c 3T3 cells and their derivatives transformed with ras or sis oncogenes as a function of serum concentration in the medium. 3T3 cells contained low levels of CD44 and did not bind hyaluronan when grown in medium containing 0.5 or 10% serum. In 5% serum, however, the cells had much higher levels of CD44 and were able to bind hyaluronan. CD44 levels also increased in 3T3 cells restimulated with either 5 or 10% serum after prior maintenance in low serum. In cells restimulated with 5% serum, high levels of CD44 were sustained for at least 72 hr. In cells restimulated with 10% serum, however, the increase in CD44 levels reverted by 48 hr. Transformation of 3T3 cells with ras (but not with sis) oncogene rendered CD44 levels insensitive to serum modulation: ras-transformed cells contained high levels of CD44 and bound hyaluronan at all serum concentrations and at all time points tested. Sis-transformed cells behaved like 3T3 cells in these modulatory changes. Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), when supplementing 0.5% serum, mimicked the effects of serum on the levels and hyaluronan-binding capacity of CD44 in 3T3 cells and the CD44-upregulating activity of serum was neutralized by incubation with anti-PDGF antibodies. These data demonstrate that serum factors, specifically PDGF, mediate regulation of CD44 levels in BAlb/c 3T3 cells and that transformation of 3T3 cells by ras renders CD44 expression insensitive to the modulating effects of serum in vitro. These results correlate with the metastatic capacity of these cells in vivo.
REGENERATIVE EFFECTS OF TRANSPLANTED MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS IN FRACTURE HEALING

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have a therapeutic potential in patients with fractures to reduce the time of healing and treat nonunions. The use of MSC to treat fractures is attractive for several reasons. First, MSCs would be implementing conventional reparative process that seems to be defective or protracted. Secondly, the effects of MSCs treatment would be needed only for relatively brief duration of reparation. However, an integrated approach to define the multiple regenerative contributions of MSC to the fracture repair process is necessary before clinical trials are initiated. In this study, using a stabilized tibia fracture mouse model, we determined the dynamic migration of transplanted MSC to the fracture site, their contributions to the repair process initiation, and their role in modulating the injury-related inflammatory responses. Using MSC expressing luciferase, we determined by bioluminescence imaging that the MSC migration at the fracture site is time- and dose-dependent and, it is exclusively CXCR4-dependent. MSC improved the fracture healing affecting the callus biomechanical properties and such improvement correlated with an increase in cartilage and bone content, and changes in callus morphology as determined by micro-computed tomography and histological studies. Transplanting CMV-Cre-R26R-Lac Z-MSC, we found that MSCs engrafted within the callus endosteal niche. Using MSCs from BMP-2-Lac Z mice genetically modified using a bacterial artificial chromosome system to be beta-gal reporters for bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP-2) expression, we found that MSCs contributed to the callus initiation by expressing BMP-2. The knowledge of the multiple MSC regenerative abilities in fracture healing will allow design of novel MSC-based therapies to treat fractures.
Protein Synthetic Activity of Heart Microsomes and Ribosomes during Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Rabbits

Certain aspects of cytoplasmic protein synthesis have been studied during the early stages (0 to 5 days) of left ventricular hypertrophy produced by supravalvular constriction of the ascending aorta in adult rabbits. At 5 days after constriction, cell-free protein synthesis by microsomal preparations from hypertrophied heart muscle was increased, both from free phenylalanine or leucine (50 to 130%), and from phenylalanyl-soluble RNA, both with (70 to 250%) or without (70 to 150%) polyuridylic acid as artificial messenger. Such increased activity was observed as early as 24 hr, and persisted to 5 days (the limit of the study). Sham preparations also displayed increased activity at 24 hr, which subsided by 5 days. The increased activity could be localized to the microsomal fraction: no differences were found when soluble fractions from normal, sham, and hypertrophied hearts, or from liver, were interchanged. Ribosomes from hypertrophied hearts were no more active than normal ribosomes. Increased yields of microsomal, ribosomal, and soluble RNA were found. It is suggested that the increased protein synthesis occurring in hypertrophy is localized in the microsomes, that soluble factors are not of major significance, and that an increased number of ribosomes (and microsomes) play a major role.
Crack nucleation in columnar ice due to elastic anisotropu and grain boundary sliding

Abstract The phenomenon of crack nucleation from grain triple junctions is investigated in columnar freshwater ice at rates of loading where the dislocation pile-up process is inhibited. Two mechanisms are explored. First, crack nucleation due to elastic anisotropy-induced singular stress field at the triple junction is investigated. To this end, both the singularity exponent and the energy release values associated with crack nucleation are provided for random orientations of the grain boundaries and material axes of the grains. The computed energy release rate values fall much short of those required for nucleation. Next, by assuming a linear viscous response for the boundary, the stress concentrations due to grain boundary sliding are computed, and the resulting energy release rate values are shown to be sufficiently high to overcome the barrier for crack nucleation. Experimental evidence for grain boundary sliding-induced boundary decohesions at — 10°C are presented in the companion paper. At such temperatures, sliding is activated even though the strain rate of loading invokes an overall brittle response from the polycrystal.
Understanding Constraints on Nonprofit Leadership Tactics in Times of Recession

The impact of the global recession has served to increase resource pressures on voluntary organizations in many social service sectors, serving to constrain the choices that organizational leaders can make in the face of changing resource niches. Not all organizational leaders face the same set of viable choices in the face of both changing demands from funding bodies and highly dynamic resource niches. Drawing on theories of organizational change, it is possible to identify three key factors that will serve to limit the tactics that voluntary organizations can employ: niche-level dynamics, niche density, and the presence of organizational champions. These three factors are illustrated through an analysis of the effects of the economic recession in Northern Ireland on two subsectors: community development and youth-serving organizations. We conclude with a call for greater theoretical and empirical development of the resource niche as the appropriate unit of analysis.
ortho-metalation of ferrocene

Abstract The first example of intramolecular ortho -metalation of a metallocene by a transition metal is described.
Cartilage Damage in the Unstable Knee is Related to Tibio-Femoral Contact Mechanics

Joint instability may lead to modified and excessive mechanical stresses on the articular surfaces. This repetitive, chronic mechanical overload is one possible source behind the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). However, the mechanisms by which excessive mechanical force may lead to OA remain unknown. It has been proposed that a change in the location of load bearing regions following joint instability may initiate OA, while the progression of OA is driven by increased tangential shear loading [1]. In addition to changing the load location, joint instability may modify bone kinematics, and in turn articulating surface interactions (e.g. sliding, pivoting and rolling contacts). These altered surface interactions may result in novel and damaging loading applied to the articular cartilage.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Structural and replicative forms of mitochondrial DNA in tissues from adult and senescent BALB/c mice and Fischer 344 rats

Age-related changes in the structure and replication of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were investigated in different organs from young adult (9-10 months' old) and senescent (28-29 months' old) BALB/c mice and Fischer 344 rats. Total mtDNA from brain, heart, kidney and liver was isolated by centrifugation in ethidium bromide-CsCl gradients and examined for the occurrence of complex forms and replicative intermediates by electron microscopy. The frequency of catenated mtDNA (interlinked molecules containing two or more circular units) varied from about 2.5% to 5% in adult tissues and showed a small increase in the majority of senescent organs. The frequency of double-sized circular molecules, or circular dimers, was very low in adult tissues, with an average of about 0.04% in mice and 0.1% in rats. The frequency of circular dimers increased with aging to 1.9% in mouse brain and 1.5% in rat kidney, with smaller increases (0.4% and 0.7%) in heart mtDNA from both species; there was no significant increase in the other organs. It is suggested that the increase in the frequency of circular dimer mtDNA reflects an overall deterioration of tissue physiology rather than intrinsic senescent changes in the mitochondria. The frequencies and types of the various replicative forms of mtDNA varied significantly according to tissue but not according to species or donor age. The only exception was a significant increase in the frequency of larger replicative forms in senescent mouse liver, to about 20% compared with 12% in adult liver, suggesting an age-related change in the rate of mtDNA replication and/or turnover in this organ.
A p120 Catenin Isoform Switch Affects Rho Activity, Induces Tumor Cell Invasion, and Predicts Metastatic Disease

p120 catenin is a cadherin-associated protein that regulates Rho GTPases and promotes the invasiveness of E-cadherin-deficient cancer cells. Multiple p120 isoforms are expressed in cells via alternative splicing, and all of them are essential for HGF signaling to Rac1. However, only full-length p120 (isoform 1) promotes invasiveness. This selective ability of p120 isoform 1 is mediated by reduced RhoA activity, both under basal conditions and following HGF treatment. All p120 isoforms can bind RhoA in vitro, via a central RhoA binding site. However, only the cooperative binding of RhoA to the central p120 domain and to the alternatively spliced p120 N terminus stabilizes RhoA binding and inhibits RhoA activity. Consistent with this, increased expression of p120 isoform 1, when compared with other p120 isoforms, is predictive of renal tumor micrometastasis and systemic progression, following nephrectomy. Furthermore, ectopic expression of the RhoA-binding, N-terminal domain of p120 is sufficient to block the ability of p120 isoform 1 to inhibit RhoA and to promote invasiveness. The data indicate that the increased expression of p120 isoform 1 during tumor progression contributes to the invasive phenotype of cadherin-deficient carcinomas and that the N-terminal domain of p120 is a valid therapeutic target.
Scale breaking in dense nuclear matter.

We extend the standard relativistic mean-field treatment of dense nuclear matter to make it consistent with the anomalous trace of the energy-momentum tensor of QCD. This is accomplished by introducing a field for scalar gluonium and coupling it to nucleons and to scalar and vector mesons. Only the gluonium potential, proportional to the bag constant, breaks scale invariance. A physically sensible, first-order, phase transition to quark matter occurs at high baryon density.
Ubiquitin-Induced Oligomerization of the RNA Sensors RIG-I and MDA5 Activates Antiviral Innate Immune Response

RIG-I and MDA5 detect viral RNA in the cytoplasm and activate signaling cascades leading to the production of type-I interferons. RIG-I is activated through sequential binding of viral RNA and unanchored lysine-63 (K63) polyubiquitin chains, but how polyubiquitin activates RIG-I and whether MDA5 is activated through a similar mechanism remain unresolved. Here, we showed that the CARD domains of MDA5 bound to K63 polyubiquitin and that this binding was essential for MDA5 to activate the transcription factor IRF3. Mutations of conserved residues in MDA5 and RIG-I that disrupt their ubiquitin binding also abrogated their ability to activate IRF3. Polyubiquitin binding induced the formation of a large complex consisting of four RIG-I and four ubiquitin chains. This hetero-tetrameric complex was highly potent in activating the antiviral signaling cascades. These results suggest a unified mechanism of RIG-I and MDA5 activation and reveal a unique mechanism by which ubiquitin regulates cell signaling and immune response.
Automorphisms and Fitting factors of finite groups

It is proved that for every prime p, there exists a function fp such that, if G is a finite solvable group with an automorphism α of order p, then G contains a nilpotent normal subgroup of index at most fp(¦CG(α)¦). The question is first reduced to a representation theoretic problem which is then analyzed along the lines of the well-known Theorem B of Hall and Higman. Using an elementary argument of Brauer and Fowler, it is shown further that in the case p = 2, the assumption of solvability may be omitted. Thus, there is a function f such that for any group G of even order and any involution x in G, the Fitting factor group GF(G) has order at most f(¦CG(x)¦).
Hepatogastric Fistula following Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization of Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Hepatogastric fistula (HGF) formation following transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) leads to increased morbidity and mortality. A 51-year-old Caucasian male with chronic hepatitis B virus-associated cirrhosis and unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) presented to the Interventional Radiology Unit for TACE to achieve tumor necrosis. Following the procedure, the patient was admitted with symptoms of fever, epigastric and right upper quadrant pain secondary to the development of an abscess. The abscess was drained; however, an exceedingly rare HGF resulted that was favored to represent a direct invasion of HCC. HGF, the rare complication following TACE, leads to grave consequences and vigilant monitoring, for the development of this entity is recommended to reduce patient mortality. We present a case and literature review of HGF development following TACE for HCC.
Permanent income and long-run stability in a generalized multiplier/accelerator model

Abstract The relationship between the permanent-income hypothesis (PIH) and long-run stability of nominal national output is explored using a generalized multiplier/accelerator model; the analysis is couched in terms of forward- and back-difference equations. Samuelson's original model of this type appears as a special case. It is shown that the introduction of a PIH-type consumption function to this type of model unambiguously makes stability more likely, provided current measured income influences permanent income. However, when only previous measured incomes influence permanent income, then the PIH-type consumption function may actually be destabilizing.
Methodology to assist physicians in the selection of electronic health records software

This paper describes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and associated reimbursement incentives that are being offered to promote wide scale adoption of electronic health records (EHRs) software by physicians and hospitals. A methodology is described to help physicians select EHR software that meets their practice needs, and complies with new government standards for meaningful use that must be satisfied in order to qualify for ARRA incentives.
Antibodies to Plasmodium vivax transmission-blocking vaccine candidate antigens Pvs25 and Pvs28 do not show synergism.

Abstract Transmission-blocking vaccines against malaria parasites target molecules expressed by sexual stage parasites to elicit antibodies that prevent the infection of the mosquito vector. Pvs25 and Pvs28, expressed on the surface of ookinetes, are potential candidates for such a vaccine and induce antibodies that block the infectivity of Plasmodium vivax in immunized animals. To improve the ability to induce transmission-blocking antibodies, Pvs25 and Pvs28 were produced as a single fusion protein by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Mice immunized with a low dose of the chimeric molecule (Pvs25–28) developed higher antibody responses compared with mice immunized with either Pvs25 or Pvs28. In membrane feeding assays, both anti-Pvs25–28 and anti-Pvs25 antisera had similarly potent transmission-blocking activities (and both were much greater than anti-Pvs28). Furthermore, serum from mice simultaneously immunized with both Pvs25 and Pvs28, or serum mixtures of anti-Pvs25 alone and anti-Pvs28 alone did not enhance the efficacy over anti-Pvs25 serum alone, demonstrating that there is no synergism in the ability to block transmission of P. vivax between anti-Pvs25 and anti-Pvs28 antibodies.
BOOK REVIEW: "Innovation, Markets and Sustainable Energy: The Challenge of Hydrogen and Fuel Cells", Edited by Stefano Pogutz, Angeloantonio and Paolo Migliavacca

Energy and sustainability have been on the agendas of all kinds of institutes in the recent years. There have been an enormous number of studies exploring models of sustainable energy alternatives. This book specifically focuses on hydrogen economy and the fuel cell technology. It is one of the rare studies that actually provides a complete technology assessment framework for many other emerging energy alternatives and validates it through the analysis of the fuel cell technology. The authors review the technology along three perspectives. The first one is the technical perspective which Linstone describes in his multiple perspectives approach. The authors call it an overview, however it is really the analysis of the technology from a technical perspective which some also call as the rational aspect of the technology. The second perspective is the personal perspective again from Linstone’s approach. The authors prefer the diffusion of technological innovation which actually is expressed through analyzing the components of different factors and their role in the adoption and diffusion process. Finally the political perspective reviews the policies around the world which matches with the organization perspective as defined by Linstone. There are several good chapters with detailed analyses of the fuel cell technology. One chapter provides a patent analysis and another one a network analysis. The patent data gives us an idea on the rate of innovation where as the network analysis provides an overview of the actors and how they are connected to each other. Further studies are required to expand on the work that this book is representing so that we can make better informed decisions on the energy alternatives of the future.
The Galileo fault tree analysis tool

We present Galileo, a dynamic fault tree modeling and analysis tool that combines the innovative DIF-Tree analysis methodology with a rich user interface built using package-oriented programming. DIFTree integrates binary decision diagram and Markov methods under the common notation of dynamic fault trees, allowing the user to exploit the benefits of both techniques while avoiding the need to learn additional notations and methodologies. Package-oriented programming (POP) is a software architectural style in which large-scale software packages are used as components, exploiting their rich functionality and familiarity to users. Galileo can be obtained for free under license for evaluation, and can be downloaded from the World-Wide Web.
Blast-wave impact-mitigation capability of polyurea when used as helmet suspension-pad material

Abstract Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is generally considered as a signature injury of the current military conflicts, with costly and life-altering long-term effects. Hence, there is an urgent need to combat this problem by both gaining a better understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the blast-induced TBI and by designing/developing more effective head protection systems. In the present work, the blast-wave impact-mitigation ability of polyurea when used as a helmet suspension-pad material is investigated computationally. Towards that end, a combined Eulerian/Lagrangian fluid/solid transient non-linear dynamics computational analysis is carried out at two levels of blast peak overpressure: (a) one level corresponding to the unprotected-lung- injury-threshold; and (b) the other level associated with the corresponding 50% lethal dose (LD50), i.e. with a 50% probability for lung-injury induced death. To assess the blast-wave impact-mitigation ability of polyurea, the temporal evolution of the axial stress and the particle (axial) velocity at different locations within the intra-cranial cavity are analyzed. The results are compared with their counterparts obtained in the case of a conventional foam suspension-pad material. This comparison showed that, the use of polyurea suspension pads is associated with a substantially greater reduction in the peak loading experienced by the brain relative to that observed in the case of the conventional foam. The observed differences in the blast-wave mitigation capability of the conventional foam and polyurea are next rationalized in terms of the differences in their microstructure and in their mechanical response when subjected to blast loading.
The Structure of Survey-Based Brand Metrics

To better understand how a brand is performing in the marketplace, firms employ a wide variety of measures, with consumer-based surveys often playing a central role. The authors identify some core dimensions of survey-based measures of brand performance, explore how they link to one another, and examine how they vary across both countries and categories. Studies in the United States and China of soft drinks, toothpaste, and fast food suggest that survey-based brand metrics can be categorized into six main dimensions that reflect a fourstage, hierarchy-of-effects awareness‐interest‐desire‐action‐type ordering: (1) comprehension; (2) comparative advantage, interpersonal relations, and history; (3) preference; and (4) attachment. Despite differences in culture and their history, these dimensions usefully portray different brands and products across the different countries. Because of the significant intangible value of brands, building and managing brand equity has become a priority for companies of all sizes in a wide variety of industries and markets. Consequently, monitoring brand metrics, which assess how a brand is performing in the marketplace, is critically important (Ailawadi, Lehmann, and Neslin 2003). Given the crucial role of consumers in a brand’s success, many of these metrics are designed to capture various aspects of consumer beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward brands, often involving consumer surveys as input. Increasingly, such metrics are being summarized in an overall scorecard or dashboard for marketers and senior management (Kaplan and Norton 1992). A key challenge in developing survey-based brand metrics and brand-metrics dashboards is the wide range of possible measures that could be employed and the potential diversity of geographical markets in which those brand metrics might be applied. Differences in survey responses from participants in different markets may result from different interpretations of questions, different beliefs about branding, or another underlying aspect of consumer behavior. Accordingly, our research goal is to suggest a parsimonious set of brand measures, and the relations among them, that can be used to measure brand performance regardless of the country market involved or the particular type of product or service being sold. Cross-cultural research studies show that though there is considerable commonality across countries, significant differences often emerge. Much of the focus of cross-cultural research is on identifying commonalities and differences and the associated underlying factors explaining why these patterns emerge.
Minimal Residual Disease Quantitation in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

The prognosis for patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is heterogeneous. A minority of patients have clinical and biologic features associated with a very high risk of relapse. For the remaining patients, no clear prognostic factors can be identified at diagnosis. The degree of treatment response is likely to be an informative predictor of outcome for these patients. Modern assays to detect AML cells that are undetectable by conventional morphologic techniques, ie, minimal residual disease (MRD), can potentially improve measurements of treatment response. It is plausible that modifications to treatment based on the results of these assays will improve clinical management and ultimately increase cure rates. Established MRD assays for AML are based on either polymerase chain reaction amplification of genetic abnormalities or flow cytometric detection of abnormal immunophenotypes. Residual disease and treatment response can be measured by these assays in a manner that is much more sensitive and objective than that afforded by conventional morphologic examination. The expanding use of MRD testing is beginning to change the definitions of treatment response and of remission. Other clinically informative uses of MRD testing include the detection of early relapse and the evaluation of the efficacy of new antileukemic agents.
Tensile Stress Evolution During the Early-Stage Constrained Sintering of Gadolinium-Doped Ceria Films

In situ measurements during the constrained sintering of Gd-doped ceria reveal tensile stresses up to ∼250 MPa. These large tensile stresses are likely to contribute to the reduced densification (compared with freely sintered material) typically observed during constrained sintering. While existing models postulate that the tensile stress in a densifying constrained film cannot exceed the “sintering stress,”σS, the observed tensile stresses are significantly larger than the estimated σS for these materials. To explain this observation, we propose that the formation and extension of interparticle grain boundaries induce substantial tensile stresses in constrained films. A model of this phenomenon shows that converting excess surface energy to elastic strain energy can produce stresses that are comparable to the measured values. Further, if these “cohesive” stresses exceed σS, grain-boundary diffusion should initially move material from the neck regions into the grain boundaries, not out of the grain boundaries as described by traditional sintering models.
Activating the Countryside: Rural Power, the Power of the Rural and the Making of Rural Politics

Against the current moment of rural doubt, we argue that the material, symbolic and relational practices of the rural continue to be articulate aspects of our politics. We term the material practices ‘rural power’ and the symbolic practices ‘the power of the rural’. The relational practices we term ‘rural constituencies’ when relations are bounded materially and ‘constituencies of the rural’ when they are bounded symbolically. We apply this framework to a critique of contemporary theory, especially mobilities research, which, we argue, typically speaks with a passive rural voice. We argue for recognising the active rural voice in the mobilisation and stabilisation of the rural. soru_512 205..224
The elastic response of the Earth to interannual variations in Antarctic precipitation

Measurements of elastic displacements of the bedrock surrounding large ice sheets have been proposed as a means to detect mass changes in these ice sheets. However, accumulation of glacial mass on the ice sheets is a noisy process, subject to large spatial and temporal variations in precipitation. We simulated the response of the Antarctic continent to a stochastic model of interannual precipitation variations and found that interannual variations in the elastic response of the earth are large when compared to the long-term mean of displacements produced by an assumed average ice mass imbalance of 10%. If, as some scientists predict, Antarctic ice mass changes in the future become dramatic, the long-term signal should be large enough to be detected by a few years of geodetic measurements, despite climatic noise.
Delay analysis of timed-token protocol and its application to a hybrid switching system

It is shown that the exact delay expression of the exhaustive service system can be used directly to derive a simple approximate expression for the average packet delay of the timed-token protocol. Simulation results show that this expression provides good estimates for the average packet delay when the ring latency is small relative to packet transmission time (in the case of low-capacity networks) and that its accuracy deteriorates as the ring latency increases (in the case of high-capacity networks). An approximate analytic method is developed that significantly improves the accuracy of the approximate expression and makes it insensitive to ring latency, and packet transmission time. The analytic method is successfully used to evaluate the average data packet delay of a hybrid-switching system in which the frame structure of FDDI II is used to support voice and data traffic. >
Surrogate anatomic/functional sites for evaluating cancer risk: an extension of the field effect.

The goal of cancer research is to reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with this disease. This end point can be achieved either by cure of existing cancer or prevention of new cases of cancer. The enormity of the problem is evident in recent estimates, which suggest that in 1999 about 1,221
Ontology-based active requirements engineering framework

Software-intensive systems are systems of systems that rely on complex interdependencies among themselves as well as with their operational environment to satisfy the required behavior. As we integrate such systems to create information infrastructures that are critical to the quality of our lives and the businesses they support, the need to effectively predict, control and evolve their behavior is ever increasing. To deal with their complexity, an important first step is to understand and model software-intensive systems, their environments and the interdependencies among them at different levels of abstractions from multiple dimensions. In this paper, we present an ontology-based active requirements engineering (Onto-ActRE) framework that adopts a mixed-initiative approach to elicit, represent and analyze the diversity of factors associated with software-intensive systems. The Onto-ActRE framework integrates various RE modeling techniques with complementary semantics in a unifying ontological engineering process. We also present examples from the practice of our framework with appropriate tool support that combines theoretical and practical aspects.
High waist circumference is associated with elevated blood pressure in non-Hispanic White but not Hispanic children in a cohort of pre-adolescent children.

Summary Background Hispanics comprise the most rapidly growing demographic in the US, but little is known about the cardiometabolic risk factors in Hispanic children. This study examined the association of high waist circumference (WC) and elevated blood pressure by race/ethnicity in a cohort of 9 to 13 year olds in New Haven, CT (n = 824). Methods WC, overweight status and blood pressure were measured in 2009, with follow-up in 2011. Results Logistic regression revealed that Hispanic children had increased likelihood of elevated blood pressure at follow-up. High baseline WC was associated with increased likelihood of elevated blood pressure for non-Hispanic White but not Hispanic or non-Hispanic Black pre-adolescents, controlling for baseline age, gender, overweight, and blood pressure. Conclusion Potential racial/ethnic differences in the association between high WC and elevated blood pressure may impact identification of children at risk for elevated blood pressure, especially among Hispanics.
Toward Cloud Resolving Modeling of Large-Scale Tropical Circulations: A Simple Cloud Microphysics Parameterization

Abstract This paper discusses cloud microphysical processes essential for the large-scale tropical circulations and the tropical climate, as well as the strategy to include them in large-scale models that resolve cloud dynamics. The emphasis is on the ice microphysics, which traditional cloud models consider in a fairly complex manner and where a simplified approach is desirable. An extension of the classical warm rain bulk parameterization is presented. The proposed scheme retains simplicity of the warm rain parameterization (e.g., only two classes of condensed water are considered) but introduces two important modifications for temperatures well below freezing:1) the saturation conditions are prescribed based on saturation with respect to ice, not water; and 2) growth characteristics and terminal velocities of precipitation particles are representative for ice particles, not raindrops. Numerical tests suggest that, despite its simplicity, the parameterization is able to capture essential aspects of the ...
Intercomparison of GOME, ozonesonde, and SAGE II measurements of ozone: Demonstration of the need to homogenize available ozonesonde data sets

[1] We investigate the large systematic biases, especially in the stratosphere, between ozone profiles retrieved from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME) and ozonesonde observations at some ozonesonde stations. GOME retrievals are intercompared with both ozonesonde data at 33 stations between 75� N and 71� S and Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment II (SAGE II) data during 1996–1999. GOME stratospheric column ozone (SCO) over the altitude range 15–35 km usually agrees with SAGE II SCO to within 2.5 DU (1.5%, 1 DU = 2.69 10 16 molecules cm 2 ) without significant spatiotemporal dependence but is systematically larger than ozonesonde SCO by 8–20 DU (5–10%) over carbon iodine (i.e., an ozonesonde technique) stations and most stations within 30� N–30� S. Evaluation of GOME, SAGE II, TOMS, and Dobson data here demonstrates that those biases mainly originate from ozonesonde underestimates in the stratosphere. GOME retrievals also show large positive biases of 20–70% at carbon iodine stations (except for Syowa) and most stations within 30� N– 30� S over 10–20 km, where ozone concentration is low, while the biases relative to SAGE II data over 15–20 km is usually 10–20%. The discrepancies over this altitude region reflect biases in GOME retrievals as well as ozonesonde measurements. In addition, GOME/sonde biases in both SCO and profiles (especially in the lower stratosphere and upper troposphere) vary from station to station and depend on sonde technique, instrument type, sensor solution, and data processing, demonstrating the need to homogenize available ozonesonde data sets and standardize future operational procedures for reliable and consistent satellite validation.
Efficient Identification of Objects Carrying Elements of High-Order Symmetry By Using Correlated Orbital Angular Momentum (OAM) States

A major contributions of Wigner's work was the introduction of group theory to study both the dynamics and the classification of states in quantum mechanics. The use of rotational symmetry to study the properties of angular momentum eigenstates is partic- ularly associated with him. Following along a similar path, it is shown here that advances in the study of entangled and correlated two-photon states allow the rapid detection of rotational symmetries in complex macroscopic objects, and that knowledge of this sym- metry structure can allow identification, and in some circumstances reconstruction, of the object. The potential for efficient identification of objects carrying elements of high-order sym- metry using correlated orbital angular momentum (OAM) states is demonstrated. The enhanced information capacity of this approach allows the recognition of specific spa- tial symmetry signatures present in objects with the use of fewer resources than in a conventional pixel-by-pixel imaging, representing the first demonstration of compressive sensing using OAM states. This approach demonstrates the capability to quickly evaluate multiple Fourier coefficients directly linked with the symmetry features of the object. The results suggest further application in small-scale biological contexts where symmetry and small numbers of noninvasive measurements are important.
Design, Inference, and the Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism

In a recent article in the American Political Science Review, Robert Pape argues that terrorists adopt suicide tactics to encourage a state to withdraw its military forces from the terrorists’ homeland (Pape, 2003, 344). To support this claim, Pape collects information on every suicide attack between 1980 and 2001. He finds that almost every suicide terror attack is part of a coherent campaign aimed at democracies with forces on what the terrorist group considers its own soil. 1 He concludes that military occupation of the terrorist organization’s homeland by foreign democracies increases the risk of suicide terrorism and, on this basis, makes policy recommendations about the presence of the U.S. military in the Middle East (Pape, p. 357). By examining only instances of suicide terror, Pape “samples on the dependent variable” (Geddes 1990; King, Keohane, and Verba 1994; Shively 2005). 2 As a result, he cannot elucidate the causes of suicide terrorism; he cannot determine why some groups choose suicide tactics rather than other forms of resistance; and he cannot answer questions about the implications of various foreign policy choices on the incidence of suicide terrorism. In this article, we establish sharp quantitative limits on what Pape’s data can tell us about the statistical associations, showing that these data are only minimally informative about the relationship between the strategic environment and organizations’ decisions to use suicide terror tactics. To be clear, we do not address the complexities of moving from statistical associations to statements about causality; we focus on showing why Pape’s research design cannot even reveal
Policy Analysis and Organizational Decisions Toward a Conceptual Revision

Field observation of practicing policy analysts, and review of a growing revisionist literature that examines policy analysis as currently practiced and utilized, produces three themes that diverge...
Bayesian ridge estimation of age-period-cohort models

Age-Period-Cohort (APC) analysis offers a framework to study trends in the three temporal dimensions underlying age by period tables. However, the perfect linear relationship among age, period, and cohort leads to a well-known identification issue due perfect colinearity from the identity Cohort = Period − Age. A number of methods have been proposed to deal with this identification issue, e.g., the intrinsic estimator (IE), which may be viewed as a limiting form of ridge regression. Bayesian regression offers an alternative approach to modeling tabular age, period, cohort data. This study views the ridge estimator from a Bayesian perspective by introducing prior distributions for the ridge parameters, which permits these parameters to be estimated jointly with the substantive parameters rather than being assigned (and fixed) a-priori. Results show that a Bayesian ridge model with a common prior for the ridge parameter yields estimated age, period, and cohort effects similar to those based on the intrinsic estimator and to those based on a conventional ridge estimator with a shrinkage penalty obtained from cross-validation. The performance of Bayesian models with distinctive priors for the ridge parameters of age, period, and cohort effects is, however, affected by the choice of prior distributions. Further investigation of the influence of the choice of prior distributions is therefore warranted.
E-mentoring: Using Computer Mediated Communication To Enhance the Mentoring Process.

The information age is changing the dynamics of many relationships, including mentoring. This article defines traditional mentoring according to its function and effectiveness and then expands the definition of mentoring to include computer-mediated communication (CMC), or “e-mentoring.” We propose that e-mentoring holds promise for redefining mentoring relationships and changing the conditions under which mentoring is sought and offered. E-mentoring could potentially make mentoring relationships more available to groups that have previously had limited access to mentoring. Benefits of and barriers to e-mentoring are considered, as are strategies for establishing an e-mentoring relationship. E-mentoring resources are reviewed.
Performance optimization of sequential circuits by eliminating retiming bottlenecks

Retiming is an effective technique to optimize the performance of synchronous sequential circuits. This paper proposes a method to improve the effectiveness of retiming by transforming the sequential circuit. Bottlenecks which prevent retiming to achieve a desired clock period are identified. Conditions to eliminate the retiming bottlenecks are derived. These conditions are satisfied by a process of identifying sub-circuits and satisfying a set of timing constraints on the sub-circuits. The transformed circuit, which satisfies the timing constraints, can be retimed to achieve the desired clock period. If the original circuit has its initial state specified, our method always generates the final circuit with an equivalentinitial state. Experimental results on a variety of sequential benchmark circuits demonstrate significant performance improvement.
Regulation of pituitary gonadotrophic secretion; inhibition by estrogen or inactivation by the ovaries?

SummaryBy autotransplantation of both ovaries into the spleen of mature female rats, the ovary continues to be bathed by pituitary gonadotrophins but the pituitary is no longer bathed by estrogens because in essence the liver has been inserted between the ovaries and the pituitary and has inactivated the estrogens.The pituitaries of such rats were assayed for their gonadotrophic content, They more nearly resembled (20.4) that of intact controls (10.3), than that of castrated controls (92.4).From this it was concluded that (1) ovaries normally inactivate gonadotrophins and that the rise of gonadotrophins seen following castration is due to failure of such inactivation to take place. (2) Large and unphysi-ological doses of estrogen are potent inhibitors of pituitary gonadotrophic potency. (3) Physiological amounts of estrogen in the circulation exert very little inhibitory action upon the pituitary.
Two-Dimensional Electronic Spectroscopy Reveals the Dynamics of Phonon-Mediated Excitation Pathways in Semiconducting Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Electronic two-dimensional Fourier transform (2D-FT) spectroscopy is applied to semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes and provides a spectral and time-domain map of exciton–phonon assisted excitations. Using 12 fs long pulses, we resolve side-bands above the E22 transition that correspond with the RBM, G, G′, 2G and other multiphonon modes. The appearance of 2D-FT spectral cross-peaks explicitly resolves discrete phonon assisted population transfer that scatters excitations to the E22 (Γ-pt) state, often through a second-order exciton–phonon coupling process. All 2D-FT peaks exhibit a strong peak amplitude modulation at the G-band period (21 fs) which we show originates from an impulsive stimulated Raman process that populates a ground-state G-band vibrational coherence over a 1.3 ps phonon lifetime.
Women's Wrongs, Religions' Rights: Women, Free Exercise, and Establishment in American Law

This article provides an historical examination of American Constitutional law concerning religion as it has evolved through three periods: the Mormon period of the late nineteenth century; the religious pluralism period of post-WW2 decades; and the multiculturalism period that began around 1990 and that remains underway. It examines Supreme Court interpretations of First Amendment provisions pertaining to religion, and it contextualizes those interpretations to explore their implications for women’s liberty and equality at each of the three periods. Its argument is that Constitutional doctrine relating to religion – through its multiple doctrinal reversals – has consistently entailed and depended upon negative constructions of women, sacrificing women’s liberty and equality interests in order to prefer and to cultivate the liberty and equality interests of churches.
Independent component analysis decomposition of hospital emergency department throughput measures

We present a method adapted from medical sensor data analysis, viz. independent component analysis of electroencephalography data, to health system analysis. Timely and effective care in a hospital emergency department is measured by throughput measures such as median times patients spent before they were admitted as an inpatient, before they were sent home, before they were seen by a healthcare professional. We consider a set of five such measures collected at 3,086 hospitals distributed across the U.S. One model of the performance of an emergency department is that these correlated throughput measures are linear combinations of some underlying sources. The independent component analysis decomposition of the data set can thus be viewed as transforming a set of performance measures collected at a site to a collection of outputs of spatial filters applied to the whole multi-measure data. We compare the independent component sources with the output of the conventional principal component analysis to show that the independent components are more suitable for understanding the data sets through visualizations.