cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CLUSTER NUMBERS FROM THE POTTS MODEL

The average number of clusters for the q-state Potts model on a square lattice at the critical point is calculated exactly for all values of q between zero and four. At q=1 this is the number of clusters in bond percolation, while other values of q have significance in polymer gelation. The fluctuation in the number of clusters in bond percolation at the critical point is also presented.
Arbitration Federalism: A State Role in Commercial Arbitration

Two decades ago the Supreme Court interpreted the Federal Arbitration Act of 1925 as proclaiming a "national policy favoring arbitration." Since then the Court has significantly federalized commercial arbitration. The essay outlines a blueprint of "arbitration federalism" - preemption principles under the judicially-revitalized FAA - that permits states a collaborative role in advancing the Supreme Court's national policy favoring commercial arbitration. At the blueprint's center lies the strong preemptive core of the FAA, which the Supreme Court has used to strike down state laws that undermine the validity of commercial arbitration agreements; states can at most mimic the federal pro-arbitration standards. Beyond this core, however, lies a murky boundary where the FAA speaks, but without the same clarity and force as in the legislation's provisions on enforceability and arbitrability, implicating a state role to provide guidance consistent with the pro-arbitration rules of the FAA. Beyond this boundary, in a large penumbra mostly involving the arbitral process, the FAA is silent. State law has great promise to specify default procedural rules, limited only by the FAA's pro-arbitration imperative. State arbitration rules, particularly when cast as default rules from which parties can opt out, offer wide hope: the efficient filling of gaps left in parties' agreements, economical specification of cumbersome terms, instructive experimentation among the states, and sensitivity to specific commercial practices. The January 2001 promulgation of the Revised Uniform Arbitration Act (RUAA) by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) portends a new era in state involvement in the arbitration process. The essay reviews and critiques RUAA's attempt to rationalize the arbitration process, measuring it against the Supreme Court's preemption blueprint. It lays out considerations for state legislative drafters and state judges who will be responsible for formulating a new state role in the revamped "arbitration federalism."
Evolutionary Aspects of Chloroplast Development

Life began nearly 3.8 billion years ago, within a remarkably short time after formation of the earth. The rapidity in the appearance of living structures raises the possibility that this event could have happened more than once. Nevertheless, the near universality of the genetic code can be explained most directly by assuming that all current genomes are derived from a single, original genome.
Continuation and multi-grid for nonlinear elliptic systems

Recently the authors have developed and successfully applied a continuation technique for the numerical solution of parameter-dependent nonlinear elliptic boundary value problems. The method was integrated into an existing multi-grid package based on an adaptive finite element discretization. An extension to nonlinear systems of differential equations is considered. Since one important field of application is the VLSI device simulation we discuss this problem and present preliminary numerical results for a MOSFET device.
Exploring Diversification In Non-factoid Question Answering

Retrieving short, precise answers to non-factoid queries is an increasingly important task, especially for mobile and voice search. Many of these questions may have multiple or alternative answers. In an environment where answers are presented incrementally, this raises the question of how to generate a diverse ranking to cover these alternatives. Existing search diversification algorithms generate diverse document rankings using explicit or implicit methods based on topical similarity. The goal of this paper is to evaluate the impact of applying these existing document diversification frameworks to the problem of answer diversification to determine if topical diversity is related to answer diversity. Using two common diversification algorithms, xQUAD and PM-2, and three question answering test collections, we show that topic diversification can help to generate more effective rankings but is not consistent across different queries and test collections.
Structural and Compositional Factors That Control the Li-Ion Conductivity in LiPON Electrolytes

Amorphous Li-ion conductors are important solid-state electrolytes. However, Li transport in these systems is much less understood than for crystalline materials. We investigate amorphous LiPON electrolytes via ab initio molecular dynamics, providing atomistic-level insight into the mechanisms underlying the Li+ mobility. We find that the latter is strongly influenced by the chemistry and connectivity of phosphate polyanions near Li+. Amorphization generates edge-sharing polyhedral connections between Li(O,N)4 and P(O,N)4, and creates under- and overcoordinated Li sites, which destabilizes the Li+ and enhances their mobility. N substitution for O favors conductivity in two ways: (1) excess Li accompanying 1(N):1(O) substitutions introduces extra carriers; (2) energetically favored N-bridging substitutions condense phosphate units and densify the structure, which, counterintuitively, corresponds to higher Li+ mobility. Finally, bridging N is not only less electronegative than O but also engaged in strong c...
Foliar Fungicides in Alfalfa Production: A Four Year Summary

and Implications Four years of research with foliar fungicides in alfalfa production indicate that the best chance for profitability is with an application in spring to first crop growth at a six to eight inch canopy height. Fungicide applications to later crops during the season are of questionable economic value, and highly dependent on crop yield potential and environments more conducive for disease development.
Forest structure and climate mediate drought-induced tree mortality in forests of the Sierra Nevada, USA.

Extreme drought stress and associated bark beetle population growth contributed to an extensive tree mortality event in California, USA, resulting in more than 129 million trees dying between 2012 and 2016. Although drought is an important driver of this mortality event, past and ongoing fire suppression and the consequent densification of forests may have contributed. In some areas, land management agencies have worked to reduce stand density through mechanical treatments and prescribed fire to restore forests to less dense, more open conditions that are presumably more resilient to disturbance and changing climate. Here, we evaluate if stand structural conditions associated with treated (e.g., thinned and prescribed burned) forests in the Sierra Nevada of California conferred more resistance to the bark beetle epidemic and drought event of 2012-2016. We found that, compared to untreated units, treated units had lower stand densities, larger average tree diameters, and greater dominance of pines (Pinus), the historically dominant trees. For all tree species studied, mortality was substantially greater in climatically drier areas (i.e., lower elevations and latitudes). Both pine species studied (ponderosa pine [Pinus ponderosa] and sugar pine [Pinus lambertiana]) had greater mortality in areas where their diameters were larger, suggesting a size preference for their insect mortality agents. For ponderosa pine, the tree species experiencing greatest mortality, individual-tree mortality probability (for a given tree diameter) was significantly lower in treated stands. Ponderosa pine mortality was also positively related to density of medium- to large-sized conspecific trees, especially in areas with lower precipitation, suggesting that abundance of nearby host trees for insect mortality agents was an important determinant of pine mortality. Mortality of incense cedar (Calocedrus decurrens) and white fir (Abies concolor) was positively associated with basal area, suggesting sensitivity to competition during drought, but overall mortality was lower, likely because the most prevalent and effective mortality agents (the bark beetles Dendroctonus brevicomis and D. ponderosae) are associated specifically with pine species within our study region. Our findings suggest that forest thinning treatments are effective in reducing drought-related tree mortality in forests, and they underscore the important interaction between water and forest density in mediating bark beetle-caused mortality.
Impacts of Coordinated, Hospital-wide Use of Alcohol-based Nasal Decolonization on Infection Rates, Patient Care and Cost Savings

BACKGROUND To optimize infection rate reduction and increase safety and quality of care in our patients, in April 2016 we initiated a two-phase process to unify Infection Prevention (IP) protocols involving nasal decolonization across our 311-bed Community Hospital. Trial of an alcohol-based nasal decolonizing antiseptic in orthopedic, spine, and breast surgeries transitioned to its use in all surgeries by June 2017. In the second phase, begun in April 2017, alcohol-based nasal decolonization of all adult in-patients was initiated. METHODS In the year prior to the trial, surgical IP included pre-/post-operative chlorhexidine gluconate (CHG) bathing and pre-operative nasal decolonization with povidone iodine. By June 2017, surgical protocol changes were completed, in which pre-operative iodine was replaced by pre-/post-operative alcohol-based nasal decolonization. Starting in April 2017, all adult inpatients and new admissions received daily nasal decolonization and contact precautions (CP) for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-colonized patients were discontinued. Decolonization compliance was monitored through the pre-op checklist and daily work-list. RESULTS In the 17 months following replacement of pre-operative iodine with pre- and post-operative alcohol-based antiseptic starting in June 2017, Staphylococcus aureus surgical site infection (SSI) rates decreased by 50.7% from 0.148/100 to 0.073/100 (P = 0.08), compared to the one-year pre-replacement baseline. In the 19 months following hospital-wide in-patient nasal decolonization, CP use decreased by 39%, while maintaining low rates of MRSA bacteremia. Work-list audits of nasal antiseptic compliance in May-June 2017 and January 2018 showed rates of 96% and 97%, respectively. Annualized savings of $223,150, net of decolonization costs, were estimated from CP, screening and SSI cost reductions. CONCLUSIONS Hospital-wide use of the alcohol-based nasal decolonizing agent to reduce the risk of nasal carriage-associated infections resulted in SSI rate reduction beyond the prior iodine-based protocol and improved nursing-care patient accessibility and cost-savings through reduction in CP use.
Fitch and Mary

There is a rather famous “Fitch argument” that not everything that is true is knowable. There is a rather famous “Mary argument” that is often used to argue that reductive physicalism is false. This paper sets out the two side by side as the Fitch Knowability Paradox and the Mary Knowability Paradox. It is found that they have the same logical form and thus the question of validity can be evaluated with the same tools. Likening the two is useful, since it avoids the problem that since the logical forms involved in intentional and experiential contexts are unknown, we cannot be in a position to evaluate whether the Mary is deductively valid without begging questions.
Acute Exertional Compartment Syndrome of Bilateral Upper Extremities After a Push-up Contest

Acute exertional compartment syndrome (AECS) involving the upper extremity is a rare form of compartment syndrome that occurs after physical activity. Despite its infrequent occurrence, AECS has devastating sequelae, including muscle necrosis and nerve injury. It is imperative to promptly evaluate for AECS in any patient who has notable pain and sensory changes in the context of recent physical activity because of the dire consequences of a missed diagnosis. A 34-year-old man presented to the emergency department with excruciating pain and diffuse paresthesias in his bilateral arms and forearms after participating in a push-up contest. He also had pain with passive stretch of his triceps. Because of these physical examination findings and uncontrollable pain, a clinical diagnosis of AECS was made and was managed with fasciotomies. Postoperatively, the patient's pain and paresthesias slowly resolved, and he was eventually able to return to work at full capacity as a construction worker. This example of AECS of bilateral upper extremities emphasizes that it is a condition that, although rare, is real and must be taken seriously. With appropriate clinical suspicion, a prompt diagnosis can be made, and potentially devastating consequences can be avoided.
Toppling the Ethical Balance — Health Care Refusal and the Trump Administration

Toppling the Ethical Balance A new rule from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services creates a wide-ranging right to refuse to provide health care services. If it goes into effect, patient...
Autism and Dopamine

In this chapter we present data from two mutant mouse strains (lurcher and Fmr1) that share in common with patients diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, the characteristic of developmental cerebellar neuropathology involving Purkinje cells. Evidence is presented indicating that Purkinje cell number has a profound influence on behaviors that are commonly disrupted in autism spectrum disorders including hyperactivity, increased repetitive behavior, and deficits in executive function. Additional experiments are presented which indicate that these behavioral deficits stem from developmental loss of cerebellar output that occurs as a function of Purkinje cell loss. Loss or dysregulation of Purkinje cell output to the deep cerebellar nuclei such as the cerebellar dentate nucleus in turn results in alterations in the functionality of cerebellar projections via the thalamus and ventral tegmental area to the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). This loss of functionality prominently includes reductions in cerebellar-mediated mPFC dopamine release. The reduction in mPFC dopamine release is likely caused by coincident reductions in glutamate available for release from cerebellar projections to the thalamus and ventral tegmental area (VTA). This loss of functionality also includes a shift in the balance of influence of the cerebellum on the mPFC, away from the cerebellar circuitry projecting to the ventral tegmental area, towards cerebellar projections to the thalamus. All of these changes consistently occurred in both lurcher and Fmr1 mutant mice. In addition to modulating mPFC dopamine, the possibility that the cerebellum may also influence dopamine dynamics in the caudate and nucleus accumbens is also considered.
Intense-Pulsed Light (IPL) for Telengiectasia and Reticular Veins

The use of Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy in the treatment of a variety of dermatologic conditions has increased in use since the early 1990’s. In particular, it has become more popular in the treatment of disorders of chronic venous insufficiency, including reticular veins and telangiectasias. In the past, sclerotherapy and traditional lasers had been used for this purpose, however these procedures may leave patients with adverse long-term effects. The IPL source emits light from a wide spectrum of wavelengths but use of selective cut-off filters allows safe and effective treatment according to an individual’s skin type. This helps reduce adverse effects such as blistering, erythema, and burns that are commonly seen when traditional therapy is used. When proper patient selection and methodology is implemented, IPL has proven to be a successful alternative to traditional therapies and has been very effective, specifically for their use in treatment of facial telangiectasias. Further studies need to be done to elucidate their effects in the treatment of reticular veins alone, however the few studies that have been done are promising.
Active targeting and transport

Abstract Actively targeted nanoparticles (NPs) are founded on the ability of ligands to bind with a surface marker of a target cell or tissue. Unlike passively targeted NPs that depend solely on the leakiness of blood vessels and passive diffusion, actively targeted NPs bind to target cells, allowing better distribution in target tissue, higher internalization into target cells, accumulation on circulating neoplastic cells, and passage across semipermeable barriers. Despite the many potential advantages of actively targeted NPs, there are no currently approved actively targeted NPs used clinically. This chapter focuses on the chemical interactions of actively targeted NPs with their target, the differences between commonly used ligands for actively targeted NPs and associated challenges, and the various diseases that have been studied using actively targeted NPs.
Massively elevated creatine kinase levels in antihistamine-induced rhabdomyolysis

Rhabdomyolysis is the destruction of skeletal muscle tissue with release of intracellular components into the circulation. Elevation of creatine kinase levels in serum is indicative of muscle damage and is associated with acute kidney injury. Antihistamines are a rare cause of nontraumatic rhabdomyolysis. Herein we describe a case of intentional ingestion of diphenhydramine resulting in rhabdomyolysis with subsequent elevation in creatine kinase levels exceeding 2 million IU/L. Aggressive intravenous volume expansion rapidly lowered creatine kinase levels and improved renal function.
Crisis económica y derechos sociales irreductibles. Valor de la dignidad humana como criterio para los derechos sociales

In recent decades, globalization has widened the gap between wealth and poverty, a situation that has worsened the plight of the most poverty stricken due to the economic and social crisis which has seriously threatened the social economic model of the market. Given this, it is necessary to recover the concept of the state as a Social State and one of justice, which means establishing some minimum criteria in which the presence of the State should ensure that ideal of justice. Along with this, it is necessary to establish criteria to allow the establishment and management of social priorities in matters pertaining to welfare; to draw the line between what is essential and secondary, indispensable and dispensable in the ﬁeld of social achievements. After analyzing the historical foundations of the welfare state as a necessary starting point to learn about the framework of social rights at legal and institutional levels, this editorial considers whether the legal recognition and guarantee of social rights can be placed above the whole political and economic climate, since currently it seems that we are witnessing a dismantling of the welfare state as a result of the crisis. The answer to this question leads us to a possible redeﬁnition of the social rights to be protected by the State and to establish what might be the possible keys to setting an “indispensible social minimum”.
Pharmacokinetics of gemcitabine and its amino acid ester prodrug following intravenous and oral administrations in mice

Abstract Gemcitabine is an intravenously administered anti-cancer nucleoside analogue. Systemic exposure following oral administration of gemcitabine is limited by extensive first-pass metabolism via cytidine deaminase (CDA) and potentially by saturation of nucleoside transporter-mediated intestinal uptake. An amino acid ester prodrug of gemcitabine, 5′-l-valyl-gemcitabine (V-Gem), was previously shown to be a substrate of the intestinally expressed peptide transporter 1 (PEPT1) and stable against CDA-mediated metabolism. However, preliminary studies did not evaluate the in vivo oral performance of V-Gem as compared to parent drug. In the present study, we evaluated the pharmacokinetics and in vivo oral absorption of gemcitabine and V-Gem following intravenous and oral administrations in mice. These studies revealed that V-Gem undergoes rapid systemic elimination (half-life
Reconfigurable Gyration and Isolation through Nonreciprocal Coupling to Resonators with Tunable Q-Factor

This paper presents experimental measurements of a 1.4 GHz gyrator and isolator based on modulation-induced nonreciprocal coupling, implemented in a microstrip circuit. A tunable microwave amplifier is used to tune the Q-factor of the resonant circuit, which can be reconfigured between lossless gyration and lossy isolation. Bandwidth tuning is also demonstrated for both gyration and isolation.
Trustworthy Computational Evidence Through Transparency and Reproducibility

Many high-performance computing applications are of high consequence to society. Global climate modeling is a historic example of this. In 2020, the societal issue of greatest concern, the still-raging COVID-19 pandemic, saw a legion of computational scientists turning their endeavors to new research projects in this direction. Applications of such high consequence highlight the need for building trustworthy computational models.
Technical and economic implications of using recycled fiber-reinforced polymer waste as aggregate in concrete

Abstract Fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials have a number of outstanding mechanical properties; some surpass those of commonly used structural materials such as steel. Nevertheless, developing techniques for efficient recycling of FRP has proven to be challenging, leading to a number of negative long-term economic consequences. The existing techniques either have significant environmental footprints or turn FRP waste into products with functions markedly inferior to those of the original products that were recycled. This chapter focuses on a specific method of recycling FRP—mechanically processing FRP waste into particles or pieces that replace aggregates in concrete. Studies on this topic reveal that aggregates obtained by processing FRP waste tend to impair the mechanical performance of concrete. Large fiber-like cut pieces of FRP, known as “needles,” have been shown to improve the tensile and shear load-carrying capacities of concrete. However, from both technical and economic perspectives, further evidence is needed to justify recycling FRP into needles for use in concrete.
Pole positions of He 5 resonances from various models of the n − He 4 interaction

The pole positions of the ${p}_{\frac{3}{2}}$ and ${p}_{\frac{1}{2}}$ resonances in $n\ensuremath{-}^{4}\mathrm{He}$ scattering are compared for various models of the interaction.NUCLEAR REACTIONS $n\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}$ scattering, resonance poles determined and compared.
Breaking Resistance: Role of Nitric Oxide in the Sensitization of Cancer Cells to Chemo- and immunotherapy

Nitric oxide (NO) has recently joined the clinical area of cancer therapy. There has been an increasing amount of preclinical data supporting the specific role of NO in the sensitization of resistant cancerous cells to radio-, chemo-, and immunotherapy. Hypoxia has been long related to the survival and resistance of tumor cells to either the host immune response or therapeutic interventions. Although some times controversial, NO has been demonstrated to improve the levels of oxygenation in the tumor tissue by directly increasing blood flow (by “normalization” of the tumor vasculature) and by the regulation of many factors that will counteract the hypoxic environment of the tumor. By increasing the levels of oxygen in the malignant tissue, NO will increase the effectiveness of anticancer chemotherapeutic drugs, thereby decreasing their potential secondary effects. In addition, NO can also act in the modulation of the immune system on the enhancement of tumor-specific immune response and also in the sensitization of resistant tumor cells to immune-related effector mechanisms by regulating the expression of apoptosis-related genes including those belonging to the TNF receptor family. There are promising clinical data pointing toward the potential use of NO-releasing compounds for the sensitization of resistant tumor cells to conventional chemo- and immunotherapy. Herein, the role of NO will be discussed in the sensitization of tumor cells to radio-, chemo-, and immunotherapy in light of the most recent reports included in this volume by Thomas Efferth, Peter Siesjo, and Marion Cortier and collaborators.
Acoustic Characterization of Morphologically Textured Short-Fiber Composites: Estimation of Physical and Mechanical Properties

Short-fiber composites are increasingly being used in a wide range of applications spanning the automotive, computer, communications, aerospace, and home-appliance industries to name a few. They are most often fabricated in the form of short glass or ceramic fibers embedded in a polymer, metal, or ceramic matrix. It is widely accepted that the microstructure of the composite plays a tremendous role on its overall physical and mechanical properties. For a prescribed fiber/matrix system, perhaps the most significant microstructural variable in a short-fiber composite is the fiber-orientation distribution; it dominates the aspect ratio effect. It dictates the overall symmetry of the composite and it strongly affects almost all macroscopic material properties: stiffness, strength, thermal expansion, thermal conductivity, dielectric constant, plastic-deformation behavior, processing-induced residual stresses, and fracture toughness. The fiber orientation distribution is predominately controlled by processing and forming operations.
Linking CO2 Sorption Performance to Polymer Morphology in Aminopolymer/Silica Composites through Neutron Scattering

Composites of poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and mesoporous silica are effective, reversible adsorbents for CO2, both from flue gas and in direct air-capture applications. The morphology of the PEI within the silica can strongly impact the overall carbon capture efficiency and rate of saturation. Here, we directly probe the spatial distribution of the supported polymer through small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Combined with textural characterization from physisorption analysis, the data indicate that PEI first forms a thin conformal coating on the pore walls, but all additional polymer aggregates into plug(s) that grow along the pore axis. This model is consistent with observed trends in amine-efficiency (CO2/N binding ratio) and pore size distributions, and points to a trade-off between achieving high chemical accessibility of the amine binding sites, which are inaccessible when they strongly interact with the silica, and high accessibility for mass transport, which can be hampered by diffusion through PE...
Reconsidering the Pluralist Keyboard: Returning to a Prematurely Foreclosed Debate

This paper challenges the longstanding critique of Floyd Hunter’s Community Power Structure. In reality Hunter’s book is about the role of a city’s civic infrastructure in agenda setting, not about how to measure power in an abstract analytical sense. Community Power Structure’s innovative feature was to examine the interactions among different sectors of the city and how they were related to this agenda process. By a preoccupation with measuring power instead of making use of a cross-sector frame of thinking, the community-power debate became unfruitfully narrow. Hunter’s approach broadly understood is echoed in two important works by urban sociologists, Robert Crain’s 1968 study of the politics of desegregation and Mary Pattillo’s study of Black gentrification in contemporary Chicago. Political science should pay close attention to both. It could also usefully revisit some works of the past. Significantly, participants in the community-power debate failed to engage an early use of Hunter’s approach by political scientist Edwin Rhyne (APSR 1958) in studying county politics. Like Hunter, Rhyne found that research cannot be confined to “institutions which are ostensibly political.” Today we can regain ground lost through misinterpreting Hunter by returning to a tradition shared by Hunter and by V.O. Key’s work on southern politics, a tradition which encompasses race and society along with state and market in considering how political relationships take shape. We can term this a polity approach. Instead of assuming an autonomous, election-centered politics, we need to think about the interpenetrability of urban life. Urban political economy took us part of the way along this path, but we need to take into account race and society to follow a genuine polity path. Along this path there are significant guidelines, Including these three: *There is no in-place capacity to govern for electoral winners to occupy or covert elites to manipulate. Such a capacity has to be constructed on a continuing basis by those inclined and able to share in the task. *Actors represent clusters of perceived liabilities and assets (resources). And, if we think of the system of social stratification as a cluster of such perceived liabilities and assets, then we can see that this system shapes political relationships. *Issues vary in scope and duration. Because big policy efforts call for mobilizing extraordinary resources, few actors are in a position to take part. The process of pursuing a priority agenda is thus inaccessible to most actors without a substantial restructuring of civic infrastructures. These guidelines direct us again to Hunter’s central argument in Community Power Structure, namely that important issues go unaddressed when there is no structured set of relationships through which wide-raging but necessary resources and efforts can be brought to bear.
Corporate Management, Industry Competition and the Sustainability of Firm Abnormal Profitability

This paper models the sustainability of firmabnormal profitability and uses theeffectiveness of corporate managementcapabilities as a test to examine its impact onthe sustainability of firm abnormalprofitability. The role of industry competitionas a moderator between the effectiveness ofcorporate management capabilities and thesustainability of firm abnormal profitabilityis also examined. Consistent with theresource-based view of the firm, we found thatthe effectiveness of corporate managementcapabilities positively influence thesustainability of firm abnormal profitability.This implies that corporate managementcapabilities are important contributors to theentire bundle of firm-specific resources andcapabilities which enable some firms togenerate competitive advantages that aresustainable. The effectiveness of corporatemanagement capabilities has a larger influenceon the sustainability of firm abnormalprofitability for firms in lowly competitive ormonopolistic industries than firms in highlycompetitive industries. The findings supportthe notion that not only do firm capabilitiesyield sustainable competitive advantages andabnormal profitability, but also industrycompetition reinforces the impact of firmcapabilities in yielding sustainable abnormalprofitability.
Optimal Control of Two Differing Servers

Customers arrive at a buffer in a Poisson stream. The buffer is served by two servers, both having an exponentially distributed service time, but with different mean service times. The goal is minimize the average time spent in the system by the customers, or equivalently, the mean number of customers in the system. Customers can be assigned from the buffer to an idle server. The service is non-preemptive, i.e. a customer, once assigned to a server, completes his service without interruption. One motivation for this problem arises in communication systems. Here messages are received at a buffer where they are stored until transmittal. Two transmission lines to the destination are available, with each transmission line having a different mean transmission time. What is the policy governing the transmission of messages? We show here that the optimal policy is of threshold type. Whenever the faster service becomes idle, it should be fed a customer from the buffer (provided of course that the buffer is nonempty). However, the slower server, when it becomes idle, should not always be fed a customer from the buffer. It should be fed a customer only when the number of customers in the buffer exceeds a readily computable threshold value. This proof that the optimal policy is of threshold type verifies an earlier conjecture of Larsen [1].
Optical Theorem and Finite-Range Effect for Nuclear Reactions in Astrophysics

Optical theorem formulations of low-energy nuclear two-body and three-body reactions are presented. We obtain analytical formulae for the cross-section σ(E) which exhibit explicitly the energy and charge dependences of σ(E) and may provide a better physical understanding of anomalous low-energy enhancement of σ(E) observed in nuclear fusion reactions relevant for the primodal nucleosynthesis and stellar evolution.
5-HT1A agonists: alcohol drinking in rats and squirrel monkeys

Rationale Increased alcohol intake after administration of low doses of 5-HT1A agonists is thought to be due to a reduction in 5-HT impulse flow due to activation of 5-HT1A somatodendritic receptors, whereas decreased alcohol drinking found after administration of higher doses of 5-HT1A agonists may be mediated by action at postsynaptic 5-HT1A receptors.
A Review of “Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World, 4th Ed”

When I was reading Critical Pedagogy: Notes from the Real World, I found myself transported to another space and time, but one that I could remember. As I engaged with this text, the smell of old b...
Totally Model-Free Learned Skillful Coping.

The author proposes a neural-network-based explanation of how a brain might acquire intuitive expertise. The explanation is intended merely to be suggestive and lacks many complexities found in eve...
The concept of test and item reliability in relation to factor pattern

It is shown that approaches other than the internal consistency method of estimating test reliability are either less satisfactory or lead to the same general results. The commonly attendant assumption of a single factor throughout the test items is challenged, however. The consideration of a test made up ofK sub-tests each composed of a different orthogonal factor disclosed that the assumption of a single factor produced an erroneous estimate of reliability with a ratio of (n−K)/(n−1) to the correct estimate. Special difficulties arising from this error in application of current techniques to short tests or to test batteries are discussed. Application of this same multi-factor concept to item-analysis discloses similar difficulties in that field. The item-test coefficient approaches √1/K as an upper limit rather than 1.00 and approaches √1/n as a lower limit rather than .00. This latter finding accounts for an over-estimation error in the Kuder-Richardson formula (8). A new method of isolating sub-tests based upon the item-test coefficient is proposed and tentatively outlined. Either this new method or a complete factor analysis is regarded as the only proper approach to the problem of test reliability, and the item-sub-est coefficient is similarly recommended as the proper approach for item analysis.
Parametric tests for static and dynamic equilibrium

Econometric estimates of the characteristics of production are highly sensitive to the choice of dynamic specification. In this paper we propose a new approach for testing whether inputs are in static equilibrium. The procedure, which is based on the use of a generalized cost function, tests for divergences between the actual and static equilibrium quantities of all inputs simultaneously and symmetrically. We apply it to two widely used data sets, one at a high level of aggregation and the other at the firm level, and strongly reject static equilibrium in both cases.
Characterization of interactions between phencyclidine and amphetamine in rodent prefrontal cortex and striatum: Implications in NMDA/glycine-site-mediated dopaminergic dysregulation and dopamine transporter function

N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists induced behavioral and neurochemical changes in rodents that serve as animal models of schizophrenia. Chronic phencyclidine (PCP, 15 mg/(kg day) for 3 weeks via Alzet osmotic pump) administration enhances the amphetamine (AMPH)-induced dopamine (DA) efflux in prefrontal cortex (PFC), similar to that observed in schizophrenia. NMDA/glycine-site agonists, such as glycine (GLY), administered via dietary supplementation, reverse the enhanced effect. The present study investigated mechanisms of glycine-induced reversal of PCP-induced stimulation of AMPH-induced DA release, using simultaneous measurement of DA and AMPH in brain microdialysate, as well as peripheral and tissue AMPH levels. PCP treatment, by itself, increased peripheral and central AMPH levels, presumably via interaction with hepatic enzymes (e.g. cytochrome P450 CYP2C11). GLY (16% diet) had no effect on peripheral AMPH levels in the presence of PCP. Nevertheless, GLY significantly reduced extracellular/tissue AMPH ratios in both PFC and striatum (STR), especially following PCP administration, suggesting a feedback mediated effect on the dopamine transporter. GLY also inhibited acute AMPH (5 mg/kg)-induced DA release in PFC, but not STR. These findings suggest that GLY may modulate DA release in brain by producing feedback regulation of dopamine transporter function, possibly via potentiation of NMDA-stimulated GABA release and presynaptic GABAB receptor activation. The present studies also demonstrate pharmacokinetic interaction between AMPH and PCP, which may be of both clinical and research relevance.
TWO-PHOTON GEOMETRICAL PHASE

An advanced wave model is applied to a two-photon interference experiment to show that the observed interference effect is due to the geometrical phase of a two-photon state produced in spontaneous parametric down-conversion. The polarization state of the signal-idler pair is changed adiabatically so that the ``loop'' on the Poincar\'e sphere is opened in the signal channel and closed in the idler channel. Therefore, we observed an essentially nonlocal geometrical phase, shared by the entangled photon pair, or a biphoton.
Clinical use of opioids for cancer pain

Successful management of pain in the cancer patient requires careful assessment of the components of the pain complaint and accurate diagnosis of the cause of pain. Symptomatic management of pain involves pharmacotherapeutic strategies that focus on opioid use. Factors influencing the choice of opioid in patients with cancer pain include the severity of pain, the presence of coexisting disease, response to previous analgesic therapy, pharmacokinetic factors, available formulations, and patient compliance. Long-term opioid prescription always requires individual titration of medication to adequate pain relief, which is determined on an individual patient basis and/or based on manageable adverse effects. Failure to continuously monitor opioid use generally results in overtreatment or undertreatment of pain. The cognitive and psychomotor effects of long-term opioid therapy are not well-defined and merit further study.
On the state of IP spoofing defense

IP source address spoofing has plagued the Internet for many years. Attackers spoof source addresses to mount attacks and redirect blame. Researchers have proposed many mechanisms to defend against spoofing, with varying levels of success. With the defense mechanisms available today, where do we standq How do the various defense mechanisms compareq This article first looks into the current state of IP spoofing, then thoroughly surveys the current state of IP spoofing defense. It evaluates data from the Spoofer Project, and describes and analyzes host-based defense methods, router-based defense methods, and their combinations. It further analyzes what obstacles stand in the way of deploying those modern solutions and what areas require further research.
An integrative-sequential treatment model for posttraumatic stress disorder: A case study of the Japanese American internment and redress

Abstract This article presents a clinical model that integrates classic victimization symptoms with multiple treatment interventions into a coherent process of recovery. The model serves to reduce the fragmentation of the posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) literature, clarify existing treatment modalities in terms of their respective contributions to recovery, and suggest principles underlying the sequencing and/or concurrence of specific interventions for trauma due to intentional, external human design (PTSD-IHD). Parallels are made between symptoms experienced by Vietnam veterans with PTSD and those of Japanese Americans who were interned in U.S. concentration camps during World War II. The psychologically relevant historic and self-help events that preceded and included the Japanese American redress movement elucidate the clinical model.
The permeability transition pore triggers Bax translocation to mitochondria during neuronal apoptosis.

Cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) require depolarization for their survival in culture. When deprived of this stimulus, CGNs die via an intrinsic apoptotic cascade involving Bim induction, Bax translocation, cytochrome c release, and caspase-9 and -3 activation. Opening of the mitochondrial permeability transition pore (mPTP) is an early event during intrinsic apoptosis; however, the precise role of mPTP opening in neuronal apoptosis is presently unclear. Here, we show that mPTP opening acts as an initiating event to stimulate Bax translocation to mitochondria. A C-terminal (α9 helix) GFP-Bax point mutant (T182A) that constitutively localizes to mitochondria circumvents the requirement for mPTP opening and is entirely sufficient to induce CGN apoptosis. Collectively, these data indicate that the major role of mPTP opening in CGN apoptosis is to trigger Bax translocation to mitochondria, ultimately leading to cytochrome c release and caspase activation.
In vitro bioactivity of a synthesized prostaglandin E1-heparin conjugate.

A covalently bound conjugate of commercial grade heparin and prostaglandin E1 (PGE,) was synthesized to provide the dual pharmacological role of decreasing the extent of platelet aggregation and inhibiting fibrin formation during thrombogenesis. The compound was synthesized using a modified mixed carbonic anhydride method of amide bond formation between the carboxylic acid moiety of PGE1, and a primary amine group on heparin. Quantitation of coupling was measured spectrophotometrically by monitoring a degradation product of the prostaglandin E1-heparin conjugate (prostaglandin B1-heparin conjugate). Bioactivity tests on the conjugates (activated partial throm-boplastin time and platelet aggregation) confirmed that both the anticoagulant activity of heparin and the inhibitory effect of PGE1 on platelet aggregation were maintained.
Comment on the electronic structure of polydiacetylenes

Abstract The electronic structure of the excited singlet state in polydiacetylenes corresponding to the first optically allowed transition is examined as a function of the carbon backbone configuration. Comparable band and exciton models, incorporating approximately the requirement of a self-consistent-electron-field, are juxtaposed. It is concluded that the excitonic description of this state is preferred. The excitation energy, contrary to experiment, is predicted to be red shifted (in both band and exciton models) as the carbon backbone changes from the PTS to the TCDU configuration. Possible sources of this discrepancy are discussed.
Subangstrom Crystallography Reveals that Short Ionic Hydrogen Bonds, and Not a His-Asp Low-Barrier Hydrogen Bond, Stabilize the Transition State in Serine Protease Catalysis

To address questions regarding the mechanism of serine protease catalysis, we have solved two X-ray crystal structures of α-lytic protease (αLP) that mimic aspects of the transition states: αLP at pH 5 (0.82 A resolution) and αLP bound to the peptidyl boronic acid inhibitor, MeOSuc-Ala-Ala-Pro-boroVal (0.90 A resolution). Based on these structures, there is no evidence of, or requirement for, histidine-flipping during the acylation step of the reaction. Rather, our data suggests that upon protonation of His57, Ser195 undergoes a conformational change that destabilizes the His57-Ser195 hydrogen bond, preventing the back-reaction. In both structures the His57-Asp102 hydrogen bond in the catalytic triad is a normal ionic hydrogen bond, and not a low-barrier hydrogen bond (LBHB) as previously hypothesized. We propose that the enzyme has evolved a network of relatively short hydrogen bonds that collectively stabilize the transition states. In particular, a short ionic hydrogen bond (SIHB) between His57 Ne2 an...
Errors in unipolar limb leads caused by unbalanced skin resistances, and a device for their elimination.

Abstract 1.1. Unbalanced or dissimilar skin resistances may seriously alter deflections in the unipolar limb leads and lead to important clinical errors. These changes are due to potential variations at the so-called "indifferent" electrode and may occur in either augmented or nonaugmented unipolar extremity leads. 2.2. Changes in amplitude, contour, and direction of P, QRS, and T waves were produced experimentally by altering skin resistances. These changes included the inversion of normally upright T waves and the production of Q waves not present with resistances balanced. 3.3. These errors result from an inadvertent shift in axis of the unipolar leads clockwise or counterclockwise to a maximum of 30 degrees. The amount of shift in axis depends on the degree of imbalance. Thus, aV R (or V R ) may then erroneously resemble Lead I inverted or Lead II inverted; aV L (or V L ) may resemble Lead I or Lead III inverted; and aV F (or V F ) may resemble Lead II or Lead III. 4.4. An electronic coupling device is described which prevents errors in unipolar limb leads due to dissimilar skin resistances even when the imbalance is extreme.
Determination of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase with immobilised enzymes and electrochemical detection

A method for the determination of alanine aminotransferase and asparatate aminotransferase is described based on the oxidation of the dehydrogenase enzyme cofactor NADH at a platinum electrode polarised at 700 mV. This oxidation generates a steady-state current which is proportional to the concentration of the cofactor. Hence the rate of consumption of NADH in such reactions can be measured amperometrically and related to the activity of the dehydrogenase enzyme or to the activity of some other enzyme coupled to the dehydrogenase enzyme reaction. The principle of the method is first illustrated by the determination of lactate dehydrogenase in aqueous and serum samples. Then, after co-immobilising lactate dehydrogenase and malate dehydrogenase on a collagen membrane placed on the surface of a platinum electrode, alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase are determined. No significant decrease in the activity of the immobilised enzymes was observed after about 140 determinations in 14 d.
Epidemiological and Policy Issues in the Measurement of the Long Term Health Effects of Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids

Review of the short term health effects of anabolic-androgenic steroids and description of the methodological issues which must be addressed when studying the long term health impact of these drugs