cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pixel-based operating modes from surveillance videos for structural vibration monitoring: A preliminary experimental study

Abstract This paper presents a practical and cost effective method for vibration monitoring using multiple surveillance cameras distributed throughout (within) a building structure. Robust feature points in surveillance footage are identified and tracked frame-by-frame (with the Kanade-Lucas-Tomasi tracker) to extract the pixel motions. The relative pixel motions from multiple locations within the structure are analyzed in the frequency domain to estimate dynamic characteristics of the monitored structure (e.g., the dominant frequencies), as well as the pixel-based operating modes. These pixel-based modes importantly are in pixel units, eliminating the need to converted to engineering (physical) units. The method is verified through an experimental parametric study on a three-story lab-scale building structure (with three surveillance cameras) excited by broadband white noise signals. The accuracy and repeatability of the method are assessed to evaluate its application for structural health monitoring.
Adjuvant chemotherapy versus chemoradiation in high‐risk pancreatic adenocarcinoma: A propensity score‐matched analysis

PURPOSE The American Society of Clinical Oncology guidelines recommend adjuvant chemoradiation (ACR) for margin-positive (R1) and/or node-positive (N+) pancreatic cancers. Our goal was to investigate if there is evidence of superiority of adjuvant chemoradiation (ACR) over adjuvant chemotherapy (AC). METHODS We utilized data from the National Cancer Database (NCDB) for N+ and/or R1 pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients diagnosed from 2004 to 2012 who underwent ACR or AC. Patients who received neoadjuvant radiation, no adjuvant treatment, or adjuvant radiation alone were excluded. Propensity score nearest-neighbor 1:1 matching (PSM) was performed between ACR and AC groups based on age, sex, race, insurance, year of diagnosis, comorbidities, tumor site and size, T-stage, nodal status, margin status, grade, and treatment facility. Primary outcome was overall survival (OS). RESULTS A total of 8297 patients were eligible. After PSM, two well-balanced groups of 3244 patients each were analyzed. ACR resulted in superior OS compared with AC alone (Hazard ratio [HR] 0.83, 95% CI 0.79-0.87; median OS 22 vs 19 months, P < .0001). Subset analyses demonstrated OS benefit of ACR compared with AC in N+, R0 patients (HR: 0.82, 95% CI 0.77-0.88; Median OS 24 vs 20 months, P < .001) as well as N+, R1 patients (HR: 0.77, 95% CI 0.68-0.87; Median OS 17 vs 15 months, P < .001); but not in node-negative, R1 patients (HR: 1.12, 95% CI 0.84-1.48; Median OS 18 vs 22 months, P = .63). CONCLUSION The addition of radiation to AC was associated with a clinically small but meaningful increase in survival of patients undergoing curative-intent pancreatic resections. This association was not evident in patients with microscopically positive margins but node-negative disease and larger studies will be needed.
Handbook of music, adolescents, and wellbeing

Editors McFerran, Derrington and Saarikallio collaborate on a well-researched collection of chapters that highlight significant theories on the use of music in working with adolescents, as well as ...
Scratch as the first programming language: tutorial presentation

This workshop is designed for instructors teaching K-12, introductory IT, or Computer Science courses. Participants will learn how to build computer programs using Scratch.
Implicit Racial Bias and Tort Case Decisions

This experiment examines the role of the litigants’ race and the impact of implicit racial bias in tort case decision making using scenarios based on classic tort cases. Participants (N = 1,107) made judgments of legal responsibility and money damages for tort scenarios in which the race of the plaintiff and the defendant were systematically varied. Participants also completed the Implicit Association Test for black/white races. Judgments of responsibility and awards were affected by implicit bias scores and the defendant’s race. Dollar awards to black plaintiffs were lower than awards to white plaintiffs. Results provide support for the view that implicit racial bias may influence tort case decision making.
The rack orientation and curvature problem for retailers

The layout of a retail store directly affects the products to which shoppers are exposed, and ultimately their purchase. Optimizing a layout to increase product visibility can directly benefit both...
Partisanship and perceived threats about immigration

What types of fears does immigration trigger in individuals and how do these fears differ across partisan lines? Prior research explores this question indirectly by linking immigration attitudes to...
Original ContributionsComparison of biopsy and serological methods of diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection and the potential role of antibiotics

Objective: Endoscopic biopsy and serological methods were compared for their ability to detect Helicobacter pylori infection in patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy at a state university hospital. Methods: Subjects were characterized on the basis of gastrointestinal symptoms, endoscopic findings, socioeconomic and demographic features, and the use of certain medications, tobacco, and alcohol. Current infection was detected in gastric antral specimens by rapid urease testing, histopathology, and bacterial culture. Serum levels of IgG to H. pylori were measured by ELISA. Results: Of 240 subjects, 115 (47.9%) were currently infected as determined by rapid urease testing, histopathology, and/or culture results, whereas 63.3% had elevated anti-H. pylori IgG levels (p < 0.001). This difference in the prevalence of current infection and seropositivity was preserved when the study population was analyzed according to age, race, gender, and other characteristics. Prior use of antibiotics was associated with a significant reduction in the frequency of H. pylori infection. Conclusions: Serological evidence of H. pylori infection was consistently greater than the prevalence of infection documented by biopsy methods in this study, suggesting suppression or recent clearance of infection. Further studies are needed to examine the factors that may affect the detection of H. pylori infection.
ON FINDING COEFFICIENT OF GENERATING FUNCTION

This paper review the method of determining the coefficients of a generating function. Generating functions are a convenient tool for handling special constraints in selection and arrangement problems. It can be used in recurrence relations, inclusion exclusion events study, and polya’s enumeration formula. It may also help to solve some other combinatorial problems. Generating functions are a kind of abstract problem-solving technique once we understand it may easy to model a broad spectrum of combinatorial problems. In this paper, we will usesome vivid examples to demonstrate both the theoretical and applicable results of generating function.
How to Find a Book Publisher

Although good books differ from one another in a multitude of ways, good book proposals are surprisingly similar. All of them have a set of standard features. In this chapter, I will describe what these features are. CHOOSING A PUBLISHER One thing you should realize right away is that whereas a scientific article generally may be submitted to only one scientific journal at a time, a book proposal typically may be submitted to several publishers simultaneously. It is to your advantage to submit the proposal to multiple publishers, because what greatly interests one publisher may be of limited or no interest to another. Each publisher has its own set of priorities and standards for judging proposals. Before sending a book proposal to a given publisher, look at some of that publisher's recent books in order to determine if your book would be a good match. Or you may even want to write the publisher a letter of inquiry, briefly describing what you would like to do and asking whether the house would be interested in seeing a full-length proposal. In this way, you can save yourself and the publisher the bother of a submission if the proposal does not fit into its publishing program. Publishers vary in the level of prestige, the quality of the books they produce, the amount of royalties they pay, and in many other respects.
All-Inside Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using Quadrupled Semitendinosus: Comparable 2-Year Outcomes in Male and Female Patients.

Purpose To determine 2-year functional outcomes using an all-inside quadrupled semitendinosus anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction technique in male and female patients. Methods A total of 100 patients who underwent quadrupled semitendinosus all-inside hamstring ACL reconstruction by a single surgeon were enrolled. Patient-reported outcome scores collected preoperatively and postoperatively included visual analog scale, Veterans Rand 12-Item Health Survey (VR-12; Physical and Mental), Marx Activity Scale, Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Scores (KOOS), and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC). Results A total of 100 ACL reconstructions comprising 62 female, and 38 male patients were included in this study. Mean graft diameter was 9.4 mm in female and 9.8 mm in male patients (range, 9-11). Outcome scores demonstrated improvement from preoperative to 2-year postoperative respectively: visual analog scale pain 3.18, 1.07, VR-12 physical 36.35, 52.64, VR-12 mental 53.96, 54.65, KOOS pain 59.17, 89.03, KOOS symptoms 52.64, 80.79, KOOS Activities of Daily Living 69.38, 95.4, KOOS Sport 28.97, 81.25, KOOS Quality of Life 27.54, 71.56, WOMAC Pain 71.56, 92.65, WOMAC Stiffness 60.55, 84.13, and WOMAC Function 69.38, 95.4. Marx activity score decreased from baseline (10.98) to 2 years’ postoperatively (8.75). At 2 years, patient expectations were met or exceeded with regards to pain (94%), motion and strength (91%), normal function of daily living (95%), and return to sport (79%). Conclusions Anatomic all-inside quadrupled semitendinosus ACL reconstruction improves functional outcomes similarly to previous studies between baseline and clinical follow-up at 1-year and 2-years postoperatively and is comparable in both male and female patients. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective comparative study.
Microfluidic photoreactor to treat neonatal jaundice.

While in most cases, jaundice can be effectively treated using phototherapy, severe cases require exchange transfusion, a relatively risky procedure in which the neonate's bilirubin-rich blood is replaced with donor blood. Here, we examine extracorporeal blood treatment in a microfluidic photoreactor as an alternative to exchange transfusion. This new treatment approach relies on the same principle as phototherapy but leverages microfluidics to speed up bilirubin removal. Our results demonstrate that high-intensity light at 470 nm can be used to rapidly reduce bilirubin levels without causing appreciable damage to DNA in blood cells. Light at 470 nm was more effective than light at 505 nm. Studies in Gunn rats show that photoreactor treatment for 4 h significantly reduces bilirubin levels, similar to the bilirubin reduction observed for exchange transfusion and on a similar time scale. Predictions for human neonates demonstrate that this new treatment approach is expected to exceed the performance of exchange transfusion using a low blood flow rate and priming volume, which will facilitate vascular access and improve safety.
Neocortical Dynamics: Implications for Understanding the Role of Neurofeedback and Related Techniques for the Enhancement of Attention

For nearly 25 years, EEG biofeedback (neurofeedback) has been utilized in research and clinical settings for the treatment and investigation of a number of disorders ranging from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder to seizure disorders as well as many other established and investigational applications. Until recently, mechanisms underlying the generation and origins of EEG have been poorly understood but now are beginning to become much more clarified. Now it is important to combine the information gathered on the genesis of EEG and neocortical dynamics with the findings from neurofeedback investigations. This will help us to develop models of how neurofeedback might operate in producing the changes in EEG and in clinical symptomatology. We know that the cortex operates in terms of resonant loops between neocortical columns of cells known as local, regional, and global resonances. These resonances determine the specific EEG frequencies and are often activated by groups of cells in the thalamus known as pacemakers. There are complex excitatory and inhibitory interactions within the cortex and between the cortex and the thalamus that allow these loops to operate and provide the basis for learning. Neurofeedback is a technique for modifying these resonant loops, and hence, modifying the neurophysiological and neurological basis for learning and for the management of a number of neurologically based disorders. This paper provides an introduction to understanding EEG and neocortical dynamics and how these concepts can be used to explain the results of neurofeedback training and other interventions particularly in the context of understanding attentive mechanisms and for the management of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders.
Non-interactive zaps and new techniques for NIZK

In 2000, Dwork and Naor proved a very surprising result: that there exist “Zaps”, two-round witness-indistinguishable proofs in the plain model without a common reference string, where the Verifier asks a single question and the Prover sends back a single answer. This left open the following tantalizing question: does there exist a non-interactive witness indistinguishable proof, where the Prover sends a single message to the Verifier for some non-trivial NP-language? In 2003, Barak, Ong and Vadhan answered this question affirmatively by derandomizing Dwork and Naor's construction under a complexity theoretic assumption, namely that Hitting Set Generators against co-nondeterministic circuits exist. In this paper, we construct non-interactive Zaps for all NP-languages. We accomplish this by introducing new techniques for building Non-Interactive Zero Knowledge (NIZK) Proof and Argument systems, which we believe to be of independent interest, and then modifying these to yield our main result. Our construction is based on the Decisional Linear Assumption, which can be seen as a bilinear group variant of the Decisional Diffie-Hellman Assumption. Furthermore, our single message witness-indistinguishable proof for Circuit Satisfiability is of size O(k|C|) bits, where k is a security parameter, and |C| is the size of the circuit. This is much more efficient than previous constructions of 1- or 2-move Zaps.
“Slow Down, You Move Too Fast”: Literature Circles as Reflective Practice

Abstract Becoming an effective literacy learner requires a bit of slowing down and appreciating the reflective nature of reading and writing. Literature circles support this instructional direction because they provide opportunities for immersing students in discussions that encourage their personal responses. When students feel their personal responses are nurtured and respected, they develop confidence to grow beyond status-quo thinking and to engage in critical perspectives on meaning making. These reflective practices from personal to critical are important ingredients for effective literacy learning.
Exact robot navigation in geometrically complicated but topologically simple spaces

Navigation functions on forests of stars, geometrically complicated C-spaces (configuration spaces) that are topologically indistinguishable from a simple disc punctured by disjoint smaller discs representing model obstacles, are constructed. For reasons of mathematical tractability, each C-space obstacle is approximated by a Boolean combination of linear and quadratic polynomial inequalities (with sharp corners allowed), and a calculus of implicit representations is used to effectively represent such obstacles. Evidence is provided of the effectiveness of this technology of implicit representations in the form of several simulation studies. >
Impact of Income Inequality on Workers’ Life Satisfaction in the U.S.: A Multilevel Analysis

Over the last two decades, the issue of income inequality has taken center stage in discussions of the economy and how workers’ perceptions of their relative pay affect their overall life satisfaction. Using National Study of Changing Workforce data from 1997 to 2008, this study examined how income inequality affects workers’ life satisfaction in the U.S. Income inequality was measured by calculating each state’s Gini coefficient, a representative inequality index. Results from analysis of multilevel ordered logit models suggest a significant association between income inequality and workers’ self-rated life satisfaction. As income inequality in the U.S. grew dramatically between 1997 and 2008, workers’ self-reported life satisfaction decreased by 33.8 %. Interestingly, this negative impact of income inequality is significant for men, but not for women when analyzed separately. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.
Adolescent Psychological Development: Rationality, Morality, and Identity

Contents: Preface. Introduction: Development, Psychology, and Adolescence. Part I: Cognitive Development. Piaget's Theory of Formal Operations. The Nature of Rationality. The Construction of Rationality. Part II: Moral Development. Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development. The Nature of Morality. The Construction of Morality. Part III: Identity Formation. Erikson's Theory of Identity Formation. The Nature of Identity. The Construction of Identity. Part IV: Advanced Psychological Development. Rational Moral Identity. Pluralist Rational Constructivism. Rationality and Liberty in Secondary Education.
Spatiotemporal analysis of black spruce forest soils and implications for the fate of C

[1] Post-fire storage of carbon (C) in organic-soil horizons was measured in one Canadian and three Alaskan chronosequences in black spruce forests, together spanning stand ages of nearly 200 yrs. We used a simple mass balance model to derive estimates of inputs, losses, and accumulation rates of C on timescales of years to centuries. The model performed well for the surface and total organic soil layers and presented questions for resolving the dynamics of deeper organic soils. C accumulation in all study areas is on the order of 20–40 gC/m2/yr for stand ages up to ∼200 yrs. Much larger fluxes, both positive and negative, are detected using incremental changes in soil C stocks and by other studies using eddy covariance methods for CO2. This difference suggests that over the course of stand replacement, about 80% of all net primary production (NPP) is returned to the atmosphere within a fire cycle, while about 20% of NPP enters the organic soil layers and becomes available for stabilization or loss via decomposition, leaching, or combustion. Shifts toward more frequent and more severe burning and degradation of deep organic horizons would likely result in an acceleration of the carbon cycle, with greater CO2 emissions from these systems overall.
The Twenty-Seventh Amendment and Constitutional Change by Stealth

The 27th Amendment to the US Constitution, which states that any adjustment in compensation to legislators could take effect only after a new election was held, was ratified in 1992, some 203 years after it was first proposed. The amendment passed as a reaction of voters to a 1989 proposal by legislators for a increase in their salaries by 51%, from $89,500 to $135,000 per annum. A question as to the constitutionality of an amendment that took more than two centuries to pass is being raised.
Specifying Languages and Verifying Programs with K

K is a rewrite-based executable semantic framework for defining languages. The K framework is designed to allow implementing a variety of generic tools that can be used with any language defined in K, such as parsers, interpreters, symbolic execution engines, semantic debuggers, test-case generators, state-space explorers, model checkers, and even deductive program verifiers. The latter are based on matching logic for expressing static properties, and on reachability logic for expressing dynamic properties. Several large languages have been already defined or are being defined in K, including C, Java, Python, Javascript, and LLVM.
Tobacco use and recovery of gait and balance function in older adults.

Abstract Bishop MD, Robinson ME, Light KE. Tobacco use and recovery of gait and balance function in older adults. Objective To examine the influence of tobacco use status on outcome after an exercise program designed to improve gait and balance. Design Review of clinical database. Setting Standardized assessment clinic in a tertiary care setting. Participants Patients (N=136, 77.2±5.8y, 3 women) who were attending a Gait and Balance Disorders clinic. Interventions Individualized home exercise programs based on findings of an extensive gait and mobility examination. Patients were evaluated every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. Main Outcome Measures Berg Balance Scale (BBS), Dynamic Gait Index (DGI), and Medical Outcomes Study 36-item Short Form Health Survey Physical Functioning subscale (SF-36 PF). Differences were assessed preintervention, and separate hierarchical linear regression models were used to examine the unique contribution of tobacco use to changes in each of primary outcome measures. Results Current tobacco users had higher frequencies of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( P =.009) and depression (0.037). No differences were noted on preintervention measures of the primary outcomes based on tobacco use. Tobacco use explained a significant amount of additional variance in the postintervention score on each of the primary outcomes (BBS, 25.4%; DGI, 8.7%; SF-36 PF, 30.3%) after controlling for preintervention score, depression, and limb strength. Inspection of the adjusted means indicated that the group that had never used tobacco showed greater improvement than the current users for all variables after adjusting for factors used in the regression models. Conclusions Older adults who never used tobacco showed greater improvement than the current users for all variables after adjusting for factors used in the regression models. Current tobacco users perceived themselves to be more limited by their health after participation in the rehabilitation exercise program.
Composite materials: Inelastic behavior, damage, fatigue and fracture

Contributions of solid mechanics research to the development of composite materials and structures are reviewed. The main topics include the tensile and compressive strength of fibrous composites; transformation and residual fields in composite and laminated microstructures; plasticity and viscoplasticity of composites during processing, under thermomechanical service loads, and in the presence of evolving fatigue damage; delamination, damage and fracture; and future research needs.
A reappraisal of the principle underlying the conventional actuarial estimator of qx

Abstract This paper considers the principle underlying the conventional actuarial estimator of q x . A new rationale of this estimation method is described, providing an alternative to the rationale set out by Cantelli (1914), from time to time the focus of controversy. It is pointed out that the product limit estimator also conforms to this new rationale. Discussion of the new rationale identifies an instructive analogy between the conventional actuarial estimator and a money-weighted rate of return in a financial transaction, and between the product limit estimator and a time-weighted rate of return.
Effectiveness of Pseudoephedrine as Adjunctive Therapy for Neurogenic Shock After Acute Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Series

tudy Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of pseudoephedrine as adjunctive therapy for neurogenic shock in patients with acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Design Case series. Setting Academic medical center. Patients Thirty-eight patients admitted to the trauma intensive care unit between September 2005 and October 2012 with an acute SCI and who received more than 1 day of pseudoephedrine for one or more of the following: treatment of bradycardia (heart rate < 50 beats/min), treatment of hypotension (systolic blood pressure < 90 mm Hg), or were receiving intravenous vasopressor support. Measurements and Main Results The effect of adjunctive pseudoephedrine (PSE) was categorized as a success if vasopressors were discontinued after the initiation of PSE or improvement in the number of episodes of bradycardia was noted after the initiation of PSE as evidenced by decreased use of atropine. The effect of pseudoephedrine was categorized as a failure if it did not meet one of the criteria for success. The effect of pseudoephedrine was categorized as inconclusive if there were confounding factors such as vasopressors being restarted for another indication after initial discontinuation. Pseudoephedrine was successful in 31/38 (82%) patients, failed in 2/38 (5%) patients, and had inconclusive results in 5/38 (13%) patients. The mean ± SD time to successful weaning of intravenous vasopressors was 7 ± 7 days. Daily maximum pseudoephedrine doses ranged from 60–720 mg. Mean ± SD duration of pseudoephedrine therapy was 32 ± 23 days (range 2–135 days), with 64.5% of surviving patients discharged while receiving pseudoephedrine. Conclusion These data suggest that pseudoephedrine is an effective adjunctive therapy in facilitating the discontinuation of intravenous vasopressors and/or atropine in patients with acute SCI with neurogenic shock, although patients will typically require long durations of therapy.
Degradation of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan enhances the neurite-promoting potential of spinal cord tissue.

The contribution of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) in the suppression of axonal growth in rat spinal cord has been examined by means of an in vitro bioassay in which regenerating neurons are grown on tissue section substrata. Dissociated embryonic chick dorsal root ganglionic neurons were grown on normal and injured adult spinal cord tissue sections treated with chondroitinases. Neuritic growth on normal spinal cord tissue was meager. However, both the percentage of neurons with neurites and the average neurite length were substantially greater on sections treated with chondroitinase ABC. Enzymes that specifically degraded dermatan sulfate or hyaluronan were ineffective. Neuritic growth was significantly greater on injured (compared to normal) spinal cord and a further dramatic increase resulted from chondroitinase ABC treatment. Neurites grew equally within white and gray matter regions after chondroitinase treatment. Observed increases in neurite outgrowth on chondroitinase-treated tissues were largely inhibited in the presence of function-blocking laminin antibodies. These findings indicate that inhibitory CSPG is widely distributed and predominant in both normal and injured spinal cord tissues. Additionally, inhibitory CSPG is implicated in negating the potential stimulatory effects of laminin that might otherwise support spinal cord regeneration.
Properties of a polyimide gas separation membrane in natural gas streams

Abstract Carbon dioxide and methane permeabilities have been measured for dense film and asymmetric membrane prepared from an aromatic polyimide (6FDA/DMB). Selectivities for CO 2 CH 4 of up to 55 were determined for mixture oof these gases. Permeability of gases through the membrane was found to be dependent upon the carbon dioxide and higher hydrocarbon concentrations that can also be present in natural gas streams. In addition to carbon dioxide having an impact on methane permeability, the presence of hexane or toluene cut CO 2 CH 4 selectivities in half. Lowered selectivities from ideal test conditions are a result of plasticization of the polyimide by these components. Results for the polyimide are contrasted with values obtained from cellulose acetate films which are less impacted by hydrocarbon impurities. The polyimide depends more upon diffusivity factors than cellulose acetate to generate high selectivity. Thermal and physical properties of 6FDA/DMB polymer and membrane are also described.
Strain Dependence of the Dynamic Properties of Filled Elastomers

The dynamic properties of a filled elastomer are obtained over a broad frequency range. This extended frequency range is obtained by shifting the isotherms obtained over a limited frequency range. The response at a number of strain amplitudes from 0.5% to 14% is obtained. The material response is nonlinear at strains of 1% and larger. The strain dependent characterization in the context of a nonlinear theory of visco elasticity is marginally successful. The broad frequency range over which data is obtained permits a graphical approach to the characterization of the strain dependence.
Nanofluidics of Mammalian Hearing

The inner hair cell stereocilia bundle performs the role of transducer in mammalian hearing. Acoustic stimuli deflect the hair bundle to open ion channels, resulting in cation influx and the subsequent release of a neurotransmitter at the base of the cell. Hypotheses for this transduction include fluid shear-driven motion between the tectorial membrane and the reticular lamina to deflect the bundle. It is presumed that ‘molecular gates’ sense tension in tip-links that connect adjacent stepped rows of stereocilia to open the channels. However, almost nothing is known about the endolymphatic flow in the micron-sized gap surrounding the bundle and the nanoscale sized gaps between individual stereocilia rows and between individual bundles. Here we show with nanometer resolution, how each row of stereocilia, their associated tip links and gates and the corresponding flow patterns move in response to acoustical input.© 2011 ASME
Locations of modules for Brauer tree algebras

Abstract Suppose Λ is a Brauer tree algebra. We determine the location of a Λ -module M in the stable Auslander–Reiten quiver of Λ from the description of M as a multi-pushout of elementary modules. This is done by introducing a new combinatorial object associated to M , which is a certain walk around the Brauer tree of Λ . These walks have applications to determining universal deformation rings and stable homomorphism groups.
Preliminary results of alternating combination chemotherapy (CT) and hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HART) in advanced rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS)

In an attempt to reduce treatment (Rx) related acute toxicity and improve protocol compliance without compromising local control nor overall survival, a Phase II single arm pilot employing alternating intensive multiagent CT and radiotherapy (RT) in children with gross residual or metastatic RMS was begun at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) in 1984. Hyperfractionated radiotherapy (HART) was adopted to allow for timely delivery of both the RT and CT. From July, 1984 through July, 1986 12 patients (pts), aged 2 to 23 yr (median 10 yr) were enrolled on study. CT treatment was delivered over approximately 14 months and included 2 induction and 5 maintenance cycles. The induction CT consisted of two repetitive cycles of Vincristine, Dactinomycin, Cyclophosphamide, Adriamycin, Bleomycin, and Methotrexate; the maintenance CT included the same agents as reduced drug doses. The HART was delivered to the primary site during cycle I of induction at fractions of 150 cGy BID to a total dose of 5400 cGy in 2 courses of 3000 cGy and 2400 cGy, respectively. One hundred percent of patients completed the recommended dose of HART; 0% required unplanned interruptions of HART due to treatment toxicity. With a median follow-up (f/u) from diagnosis of surviving patients of 25 months (range 20-30), the local control rate is 83% (10/12 pts) and the overall survival, 58% (7/12 pts). The median time (MT) to any failure, local or metastatic, is 9 months (mo); and to death, 14 mo. Comparison of results with 12 historical controls with concomitant split-course standard fractionation RT (180-200 cGy/per fraction) and T6 CT during a MSKCC trial from 1975-1984, matched by site and stage of primary, revealed that 9 pts (75%) completed the recommended dose of RT, and 7 pts (58%) required interruptions of RT. With a median f/u of 78 mo (range 34-109), the local control rate was 75% (9/12 pts) and the overall survival, 42% (5/12 pts). The MT to any failure was 14 mo; and to death, 18 mo. These results indicate that the mode of alternating CT and HART (HART T6) as employed in this pilot study is well tolerated. It appears to offer a significant improvement in protocol compliance over previous protocols using concomitant CT and RT without any apparent compromise in local primary control or survival rates with a median f/u suggestive of adequate elapsed time for the appearance of most relapses and deaths in advanced RMS.
Behavioral effects of corticotropin-releasing factor: localization and characterization of central effects

Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has potent behavioral effects when administered intracerebroventricularly to rats. CRF and its receptors are found in an uneven distribution in the brain. In an effort to localize the site of the anorectic effect of CRF, exogenous CRF or saline was injected into cannulas directed toward the paraventricular hypothalamic nucleus (PVN), lateral hypothalamus, ventromedial hypothalamus, globus pallidus, or striatum of rats. CRF decreased food intake only when injected into the PVN. In subsequent experiments PVN injections of CRF were shown to (1) increase grooming and movement; (2) not induce a conditioned taste aversion to saccharin in a single bottle test; and (3) inhibit the increase in feeding induced by injections of norepinephrine into the PVN. These results suggest that CRF induces not only anorexia, but also increased movement and grooming by action in the PVN.
The α-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in neurodegeneration

Altered energy metabolism is characteristic of many neurodegenerative disorders. Reductions in the key mitochondrial enzyme complex, the alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase complex (KGDHC), occur in a number of neurodegenerative disorders including Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The reductions in KGDHC activity may be responsible for the decreases in brain metabolism, which occur in these disorders. KGDHC can be inactivated by several mechanisms, including the actions of free radicals (Reactive Oxygen Species, ROS). Other studies have associated specific forms of one of the genes encoding KGDHC (namely the DLST gene) with AD, Parkinson's disease, as well as other neurodegenerative diseases. Reductions in KGDHC activity can be plausibly linked to several aspects of brain dysfunction and neuropathology in a number of neurodegenerative diseases. Further studies are needed to assess mechanisms underlying the sensitivity of KGDHC to oxidative stress and the relation of KGDHC deficiency to selective vulnerability in neurodegenerative diseases.
Intensive parameters of enstatite chondrite metamorphism

A geothermometer based on the assemblage kamacite-quartz-enstatite-oldhamite-troilite found in enstatite chondrites is described. Data obtained with the geothermometer reveal that the EL6 meteorites experienced temperatures exceeding 1000 C. These temperatures imply a metal-sulfide melting event that may have fractionated the melt from the source region.
Biosynthesis of monoterpenes: Preliminary characterization of bornyl pyrophosphate synthetase from sage (Salvia officinalis) and demonstration that geranyl pyrophosphate is the preferred substrate for cyclization

Abstract Previous studies with soluble enzyme preparations from sage ( Salvia officinalis ) demonstrated that the monoterpene ketone (+)-camphor was synthesized by the cyclization of neryl pyrophosphate to (+)-bornyl pyrophosphate followed by hydrolysis of this unusual intermediate to (+)-borneol and then oxidation of the alcohol to camphor (R. Croteau, and F. Karp, 1977, Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 184 , 77–86) . Preliminary investigation of the (+)-bornyl pyrophosphate synthetase in crude preparations indicated that both neryl pyrophosphate and geranyl pyrophosphate could be cyclized to (+)-bornyl pyrophosphate, but the presence of high levels of phosphatases in the extract prevented an accurate assessment of substrate specificity. The competing phosphatases were removed by combination of gel filtration on Sephadex G-150, chromatography on hydroxylapatite, and chromatography on O -(diethylaminoethyl)-cellulose. In these fractionation steps, activities for the cyclization of neryl pyrophosphate and geranyl pyrophosphate to bornyl pyrophosphate were coincident, and on the removal of competing phosphatases, the synthetase was shown to prefer geranyl pyrophosphate as substrate ( V K m for geranyl pyrophosphate was 20-fold that of neryl pyrophosphate). No interconversion of geranyl and neryl pyrophosphates was detected. The partially purified bornyl pyrophosphate synthetase had an apparent molecular weight of 95,000, and required Mg 2+ for catalytic activity ( K m for Mg 2+ ~ 3.5 m m ). Mn 2+ and other divalent cations were ineffective in promoting the formation of bornyl pyrophosphate. The enzyme exhibited a pH optimum at 6.2 and was strongly inhibited by both p -hydroxymercuribenzoate and diisopropylfluorophosphate. Bornyl pyrophosphate synthetase is the first monoterpene synthetase to be isolated free from competing phosphatases, and the first to show a strong preference for geranyl pyrophosphate as substrate. A mechanism for the cyclization of geranyl pyrophosphate to bornyl pyrophosphate is proposed.
An Integrated Security Framework for GOSS Power Grid Analytics Platform

In power grid operations, security is an essential component for any middleware platform. Security protects data against unwanted access as well as cyber attacks. GridOpticsTM Software System (GOSS) is an open source power grid analytics platform that facilitates ease of access between applications and data sources and promotes development of advanced analytical applications. GOSS contains an API that abstracts many of the difficulties in connecting to various heterogeneous data sources. A number of applications and data sources have already been implemented to demonstrate functionality and ease of use. A security framework has been implemented which leverages widely accepted, robust Java TM security tools in a way such that they can be interchanged as needed. This framework supports the complex fine-grained, access control rules identified for the diverse data sources already in GOSS. Performance and reliability are also important considerations in any power grid architecture. An evaluation is done to determine the overhead cost caused by security within GOSS and ensure minimal impact to performance.
Limits to quantifying climate driven changes in denudation rates with cosmogenic radionuclides

Abstract The hypothesis that climate change significantly modifies the denudation history of an orogen can be tested by reconstructing catchment-wide denudation histories. Cosmogenic radionuclides measured in sediment deposits of known age (e.g. a sequence of fluvial terraces) offer one approach for quantifying catchment-wide paleo-denudation rates. We present a numerical model, and two case studies, that evaluate the utility of this technique for reconstructing different denudation histories. The concentration of cosmogenic beryllium-10 ( 10 Be) is calculated for a sequence of sediments produced from climate driven variations in the mean denudation rate of a drainage basin at sea level and high latitude. The model accounts for the nucleonic and muonic production, and decay of 10 Be as sediment is eroded and stored in deposits of different ages. Two scenarios for different climate driven denudation histories are considered: (1) A sinusoidal variation in the input denudation rate with free parameters of periodicity (23, 41, 100 kyr), amplitude (0.1, 0.5, 1.0), and mean denudation rate (0.01, 0.1, 1.0 mm yr − 1 ). (2) A climate driven denudation history based on oscillations of a global benthic foraminiferal oxygen isotope (δ 18 O) record over the last 2 Myr. Results from both scenarios suggest cosmogenic radionuclides measured in a system with high denudation rates (> ∼ 0.5 mm yr − 1 ), longer periodicity (100 kyr), and low amplitude have the highest potential for reconstructing climate driven paleo-denudation rates. Unfortunately, the high denudation rates preferred in the theoretical consideration are not suitable for paleo-denudation rate determination due to overprinting of nuclides accumulated during denudation by post-depositional decay and irradiation. Hence, a compromise between the capability to determine changes in paleo-denudation rates and the determination of true denudation rates has to be accepted. Application of the model to previous data sets from northwest Europe and southwest North America produce a good agreement, but highlight the need for future work to consider how geomorphic processes (e.g. landsliding) respond to climate change and influence catchment-wide denudation rates. In addition, other climate proxies than the benthic foraminiferal δ 18 O record should be used for specific sample locations.
Affect, Framing, and Persuasion:

Abstract The authors conduct two experiments that indicate that the effectiveness of loss- versus gain-framed messages depends on the affective state of the message recipient. In Experiment 1, the authors find that participants induced with a positive mood are more persuaded by the loss-framed message, whereas participants induced with a negative mood are more persuaded by the gain-framed message. In addition, the authors observe that participants in a positive mood have higher risk estimates and lower costs in response to the loss frame than the gain frame, whereas the reverse is true for participants in a negative mood. The authors replicate these effects in Experiment 2 in which they measure rather than induce the participants’ affective state.
Alkaline phosphatase of the developing down feather: substrates, activators, and inhibitors.

Abstract 1. 1. The pattern of activity of alkaline phosphatase in the developing down feather and the specificity of the reaction were studied with respect to the following substrates: sodium glycerophosphate, disodium p -nitrophenyl phosphate, glucose-1-phosphate, glucose-6-phosphate, hexose diphosphate, fructose-6-phosphate, muscle and yeast adenylic acids. 2. 2. With the method of Gomori, the pattern of activity was the same, but of varying strength, with all substrates except yeast adenylic acid. Most substrates produced a strong reaction in the mesodermal pulp, with all parts of the cells being blackened by precipitate; the reaction in the epidermis consisted of a moderate blackening of the nucleus and cytoplasm of the cylinder cells lying next to the pulp, and of the nucleoli in more peripheral cells. With yeast adenylic acid there was a prominent reaction in the nucleoli of all cells and a reduction of the activity elsewhere. 3. 3. With the azo dye method, the cytoplasm of the cells of the mesodermal pulp was highly reactive. A weaker reaction was found in the epidermal cytoplasm. 4. 4. The possibility that several phosphatases were contributing to the Gomori reaction was tested by using Mg ++ , Mn ++ , Be ++ , Zn ++ , Fe +++ , HAsO 4 −− , HAsO 3 −− , CN − , semicarbazide, iodoacetate, Versene, glycine, alanine, cysteine, histidine, methionine, proline, valine, serine, lysine, and arginine in conjunction with several of the substrates. 5. 5. Versene, iodoacetate, semicarbazide, Be ++ , CN − , cysteine, histidine, glycine, alanine, arginine, lysine, and methionine in high concentrations inhibited phosphatase activity. Mn ++ , Fe +++ , and HAsO 3 −− had no apparent effect. In low concentrations, methionine, proline, and valine gave some indication of stimulating activity with sodium glycerophosphate. 6. 6. The reactions of the adenylic acids and fructose sugars to the inhibitors differed from those of other substrates. Mg ++ was necessary for activity with muscle adenylic acid, fructose-6-phosphate, and hexose diphosphate. At high concentrations Zn ++ inhibited activity with all substrates except fructose-6-phosphate, and in low concentration stimulated activity with yeast adenylic acid. There was strong nucleolar activity with yeast adenylic acid in concentrations of arsenate which inhibited activity with all other substrates. Glycine promoted activity with muscle adenylic acid. The reactions with fructose sugars were blocked by lower concentrations of inhibitors than with sodium glycerophosphate. 7. 7. Epidermal phosphatase was removed more readily by the inhibiting agents than the phosphatase in the pulp. 8. 8. These data suggest that the developing down feather contains more than one phosphatase capable of utilizing the various substrates at a pH of 9.0–9.4. They also suggest that there is a true nucleolar reaction for alkaline phosphatase.
On the alignment for precession electron diffraction.

Abstract Precession electron diffraction has seen a fast increase in its adoption as a technique for solving crystallographic structures as well as an alternative to conventional selected-area and converged-beam diffraction methods. One of the key issues of precession is the pivot point alignment, as a stationary apparent beam does not guarantee a fixed pivot point. A large precession tilt angle, along with pre-field and post-field misalignment, induces shift in the image plane. We point out here that the beam should be aligned to the pre-field optic axis to keep the electron illumination stationary during the rocking process. A practical alignment procedure is suggested with the focus placed on minimizing the beam wandering on the specimen, and is demonstrated for a (110)-oriented silicon single crystal and for a carbide phase (∼20 nm in size) within a cast cobalt–chromium–molybdenum alloy.
A characterization of digital search trees from the successful search viewpoint

This paper studies the average complexity of digital search trees from the successful search point of view. The average value of the successful search is used to evaluate the search time for a given record, the number of comparisons to insert a record, etc. The average value, however, is rather a poor measure and the need for higher moments of the successful search is obvious. For example, the variance provides information on how well a digital tree is balanced; the third centralized moment is a measure of the skewness property of the distribution, etc. In this paper we concentrate on an open problem: how to evaluate all moments of the successful search in an asymmetric multiway digital search tree? We prove that the mth moment ESmn of the successful search Sn, where n is the number of stored records, satisfies ESmn/lnmn→ 1/hm1 as n → ∞, where h1 is the entropy of the alphabet. In particular, it is shown that the variance of Sn is var Sn=c ln n + O(1) for the asymmetric case, and var Sn=O(1) for the symmetric case. This paper completes a study undertaken by the author to characterize some digital trees such as regular tries, Patricia tries and digital search trees from the average viewpoint.
Synthesis of (SIC)3N4 Films by Ion Implantation

We have investigated the synthesis of carbon-silicon-nitride compounds by ion implantation. In these experiments, 100 keV nitrogen ions were implanted into polycrystalline β-SiC (cubic phase) at various substrate temperatures and ion doses. These thin films were characterized in detail by x-ray diffraction with a position-sensitive detector, transmission electron microscopy with chemical analysis, and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The as-implanted samples show a buried amorphous layer at a depth of 170 nm. The peak concentration of nitrogen saturates at approximately 45 at. % with doses above ~9.0×1017 N/cm2 at 860°C. These results suggest formation of a new phase by nitrogen implantation into β-SiC.