cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Resolving cognitive conflict in requirements definition: a blackboard-based model and system architecture

Many IS managers consider requirements definition to be one of the most difficult phases in a system analysis and design project. It is also felt that no other phase contributes as much to the potential success or failure of the final product. One of the reasons that a successful requirements analysis is so elusive is because the information needed for an accurate solution is distributed among the individual designers and domain experts that comprise the design team.Inherent in a requirements analysis are two problems: the actual problem of understanding and defining the artifact under design, and the problem of eliciting the ideas and information that each individual possesses and integrating these into a coherent and comprehensive design specification.This paper explores this problem of cognitive conflict within a requirements analysis domain. The characteristics of the problem are examined and a proposed process of resolution is considered. A blackboard-based framework is presented as a possible vehicle for implementing the proposed resolution scheme. The characteristics of the blackboard model are discussed and it's applicable features are examined in detail. The requirements of a system to support requirements analysis are presented along with the design details of BARD, a blackboard assisted requirements definition system. Implications for design and directions for future research are outlined.
SPATIAL COHERENCE OF FORWARD-SCATTERED LIGHT IN A TURBID MEDIUM

We study spatially coherent forward-scattered light propagating in a turbid medium of moderate optical depth (0-9 mean free paths). Coherent detection was achieved by using a tilted heterodyne geometry, which desensitizes coherent detection of the attenuated incident light. We show that the degree of spatial coherence is significantly higher for light scattered only once in comparison with that for multiply scattered light and that it approaches a small constant value for large numbers of scattering events.
Sputtered electrochromic V2O5 films

Abstract Vanadium oxide films were deposited by reactive d.c. magnetron sputtering from a vanadium target in argon-oxygen gas mixtures. The composition and structure of these films were investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. Films with the approximate composition V 2 O 5 were amorphous when deposited at room temperature and had a reversible color change when lithium was electrochemically injected. Because the color change is slight, these films could be used as a counterelectrode to a more strongly coloring material.
Penicillin aerosol in the prevention and treatment of respiratory infections in allergic patients.

Abstract 1.1. Steam-generated aerosols of penicillin have been found useful in the treatment of infections associated with allergy, i.e., infective asthma, bronchiectasis, bronchitis, and sinusitis. The relief obtained, however, is frequently temporary in nature. 2.2. The use of propylene glycol for stabilizing the aerosol, and the application of various methods of conserving the aerosol, such as a chamber, tent, and breathing box, are described. 3.3. The prophylactic application of penicillin aerosol in infective asthma and chronic respiratory infections is illustrated. 4.4. The importance in status asthmaticus of preliminary treatment with aerosols of aminophyllin and/or ammonium chloride, prior to penicillin aerosol therapy is emphasized.
A Visual Analytics Multimedia Mobile System for Emergency Response

We present a novel visual analytics system and multimedia enabled mobile application that allows emergency management (EM) personnel access to timely and relevant disaster situation information. The system is able to semantically integrate text-based emergency management disaster situation reports with related disaster imagery taken in the field by EM responders and community residents. In addition, through an intuitive and seamless Apple iPad application, users are able to interact with the system in diverse places and conditions and thus provide a more effective response. The system is demonstrated via its iPad application which aims at providing relevant and actionable information.
Evaluating Cross-blended Hypsometric Tints: A User Study in the United States, Switzerland, and Germany

Cross-blended hypsometric tints locally adjust colors to match the differing natural environments of world regions. This paper presents the results of a survey comparing cross-blended hypsometric tints with conventional hypsometric tints. Over 200 participants in the US and Switzerland/Germany were asked to identify the meaning of color on both types of hypsometric maps. The survey revealed significant differences between map readers in the US and the two European countries, and a general difficulty to correctly interpret hypsometric colors. Most participants perceived hypsometric tints as representing both topography (elevation and land forms) and environmental phenomena.
Measurement of boron concentration and isotope ratios in biological samples by inductivey coupled plasma mass spectrometry with direct injection nebulization

A method for the determination of boron in a variety of biological samples is described. Sample material is fused with sodium carbonate and boron is separated from matrix components by using Amberlite IRA-743 boron selective ion-exchange resin. Boron is eluted with 1% HNO3 and samples are introduced to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer with a direct injection nebulizer. This nebulizer provides a fast sample cleanout of ca. 15 s. The 10B/11B ratio is determined with a relative standard deviation (RSD) of 0.4–1.5%, and the detection limit for boron is approximately 1 ng g−1 in these samples. Stable isotope dilution methodology for quantitation of boron shows that: (1) fusion of sample with sodium carbonate avoids volatilization of boron from samples; (2) approximately 80% of submicrogram amounts of boron from samples can be recovered from the resin with insignificant isotopic fractionation; (3) results for biological reference materials are in agreement with certified values; and (4) the boron concentration of pooled human blood plasma is 24 ± 4 μg l−1 (95% confidence interval).
On Hartshorne's problem for compact C-analytic surfaces M with κ(M)=−∞

Let M be a compact C-analytic surface, let Γ⊂M be a compact analytic subvariety and let X:=M\Γ. The following two problems will be considered: Assume that X does not contain any compact curve and that Γ is an irreducible compact curve in X such that Γ2≥0 (respectively assume that the analytic cohomology groups H1(X,Ωp)=0, for all 0≤p≤2). Is X always Stein? It is our main purpose here to provide an affirmative answer to those two problems, provided M is a (minimal) compact C-analytic surface such that its Kodaira dimension κ(M)=−∞. Also the affine structure of such Stein surfaces will be discussed.
Cocaine up-regulates norepinephrine transporter binding in the rat placenta.

Abstract We investigated the influence of 3 days of continuous cocaine exposure on norepinephrine transporter binding in the rat placenta. On gestational day 17, pregnant rats were implanted subcutaneously with two cocaine-containing Silastic capsules. There were two control groups, one that received capsules with vehicle only and was pair-fed to the cocaine-treated females, and a second group that was untreated and fed ad libitum. Placentas and fetal brains were harvested and frozen on gestational day 20, and subsequently subjected to saturation analyses for norepinephrine transporter binding using the selective ligand [ 3 H]nisoxetine. There was a marked increase in the density ( B max ) of norepinephrine transporter binding sites in the placentas of the cocaine-treated animals compared to both control groups, but no change in the fetal brain. The mechanism underlying this up-regulation of the placental norepinephrine transporter is not yet known, but it could involve a β-adrenoceptor- and cAMP-mediated induction of transporter gene expression.
Molecular-mechanical studies of hormone-protein interactions: the interaction of T4 and T3 with prealbumin

We present molecular-mechanical calculations on the interactions of L-thyroxine (T4) and 3,5,3′-triiodo-L-thyronine (T3) with the binding site of human serum prealbumin. Energy refinement with restraints on the movement of the iodine atoms leads to reasonably low-energy structures with the iodines within 0.2 A of their x-ray determined positions; removal of these restraints leads to larger (∼1.0 A) deviations from these positions. However the relative energies of T3 and T4 complexation are similar in both cases, and the relative calculated energies for these complexes, when corrected by a simple empirical method for the solvation energy differences of the hormones, are in reasonable qualitative agreement with experiment.
Formation of the Hydrophobic Core of Ribonuclease A through Sequential Coordinated Conformational Transitions

With steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence energy-transfer measurements, we determined the distributions of intramolecular distances in nine mutants to study the conformations of wild-type ribonuclease A in the reduced state under folding conditions. Although far-UV-CD measurements show no evidence for a secondary-structure transition, temperature- and GdnHCl-induced changes in intramolecular distance distributions in the reduced state revealed evidence for long-range subdomain structures in the denatured protein. These poorly defined structures, reflected here by wide distributions corresponding to a wide range of energies, form during refolding in a complex sequence of multiple subdomain transitions. A more well-defined structure emerges only when this structural framework, which directs the successive steps in the folding process, matures and is reinforced by stronger interactions such as disulfide bonds.
Dilutional control of prothrombin activation at physiologically relevant shear rates.

The generation of proteolyzed prothrombin species by preassembled prothrombinase in phospholipid-coated glass capillaries was studied at physiologic shear rates (100–1000 s−1). The concentration of active thrombin species (α-thrombin and meizothrombin) reaches a steady state, which varies inversely with shear rate. When corrected for shear rate, steady-state levels of active thrombin species exhibit no variation and a Michaelis-Menten analysis reveals that chemistry of this reaction is invariant between open and closed systems; collectively, these data imply that variations with shear rate arise from dilutional effects. Significantly, the major products observed include nonreactive species arising from the loss of prothrombin's phospholipid binding domain (des F1 species). A numerical model developed to investigate the spatial and temporal distribution of active thrombin species within the capillary reasonably approximates the observed output of total thrombin species at different shears; it also predicts concentrations of active thrombin species in the wall region sufficient to account for observed levels of des FI species. The predominant feedback formation of nonreactive species and high levels of the primarily anticoagulant intermediate meizothrombin (∼40% of total active thrombin species) may provide a mechanism to prevent thrombus propagation downstream of a site of thrombosis or hemorrhage.
Eighth nerve signs in a case of multiple sclerosis

We evaluated a 25-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis who presented with the acute onset of a profound unilateral high-frequency, sensorineural hearing loss that resolved clinically within 10 days. Click-elicited brain stem-evoked responses were abnormal at the time of presentation and demonstrated only limited recovery over a follow-up period of 11 months. Magnetic resonance imaging disclosed a lesion in the eighth nerve root-entry zone and the cochlear nucleus. Our findings in this case support the hypothesis of eighth nerve root-entry zone involvement in sudden hearing loss in multiple sclerosis and reinforce the notion that click-elicited brain stem-evoked responses are useful primarily to evaluate the high-frequency regions of the auditory system.
Simple Versus Complex Climate Modeling

This Forum is based on my own personal experience with the climate and paleoclimate community during the past several years. This experience includes having read numerous articles and having witnessed numerous interdisciplinary discussions at various conferences. A theme I have frequently encountered is the sense that the resolution of modern state-of-the-art global climate models is so high that—when compared with simple models—their results represent the “absolute truth.” It seems that through genuine efforts to improve aspects of numerical modeling, the point that they are still models and not observational data is occasionally forgotten.
Analysis of Likert-scale data: A reinterpretation of Gregoire and Driver.

L'auteur reanalyse trois experiences posant le probleme de l'influence des donnees ordinales (dans des echelles de type Likert) sur la validite statistique
Getting Even: Some Observations on President Clinton's Would-be Assassin, Francisco Martin Duran

Sunday, 29 October 1994 was cool, partly cloudy, and almost warm when the sun was out, a pleasant autumn day in Washington. Clusters of sightseers strolled along Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House, others sat across the street in Lafayette Square, some of them paying concessionaires to have themselves photographed beside life-size images of President Bill Clinton and his wife. At approximately 2.55 p.m., a man in a long, bulky, tan trench coat stood next to the wrought-iron fence, gazing intently towards the White House. He had been standing there for nearly an hour when two young boys on a field trip ran to a spot near him, pointing excitedly towards a small group of men in dark suits strolling near the north portico of the White House. ‘That looks like Bill Clinton,’ one of them said. ‘Yeah it does,’ replied the other.At that moment, the man near the fence, pushed the boys aside, slipped a semiautomatic assault rifle from beneath his coat, extended its folding stock, and began firing at the person he mistakenly believed was President Clinton. Running back and forth along the fence as he fired, the shooter quickly emptied a clip of thirty rounds at his intended victim as bystanders scattered in panic, one of them leaving unattended an infant in a baby carriage. When he stopped to insert another thirty-round clip, a very courageous tourist, Michael Rokosky, tackled him from behind. As they struggled on the sidewalk, two other courageous bystanders joined Rokosky, subduing the attacker before uniformed Secret Service officers arrived. No one had been injured.Another bystander cooly recorded the whole event on videotape. As he was being handcuffed, Francisco Martin Duran spoke for the first time: ‘I wish you had shot me,’ were his only words. Meanwhile, President Clinton was watching a televised football game on the opposite side of the White House, unaware until he was informed moments later by his Secret Service detail of what had happened.The account is drawn from, White House Security Review Public Report: Francisco Martin Duran, http://www.fas.org/irp/agency/ustreas/usss/t1pubrpt.htm, p. 1. Hereafter cited as White House Security Report Website.
Hindlimb net joint energies during swing phase as a function of trotting velocity

Summary Net joint powers and energies have been described in walking horses during the swing phase of the stride in the fore- and hindlimb (Clayton et al. 2001). During trotting, swing phase net joint powers have been described in the forelimb but not in the hindlimb. The effects of velocity on power profiles and energy patterns are important in relation to locomotor energetics. The objective of this study was to evaluate velocity-dependent changes in hindlimb net energy profiles of the swing phase during trotting. Inverse dynamic analysis was used to calculate net joint energies at the hindlimb joints of 6 horses trotting overground at velocities ranging from 2.27-5.17 m/s. At all velocities, there was net energy generation at the hip and tarsus and net energy absorption at the stifle, fetlock and coffin joints. Velocity-dependent bursts of energy generation at the hip actively protracted the limb in early swing and initiated retraction in late swing. Synchronous with the bursts of energy generation at the hip were velocity-dependent bursts of energy absorption across the stifle that acted to control flexion in early swing and extension in late swing. The distal limb was raised and lowered by velocity-dependent bursts of energy generation that flexed the tarsus in early swing and extended it in late swing. The energy bursts in early swing increased linearly with velocity, whereas the energy bursts in late swing increased as a function of the square or cube of velocity. The results contribute to understanding the mechanisms used to accelerate and decelerate the limbs more rapidly as velocity increases, which is an important consideration in racing and sporting performance.
Lead ion sensitive electrode based on a supported BLM system

The lead ion sensitivity of a solid-supported BLM system containing TCNQ (7, 7, 8, 8-tetracy-anoquinodimethan) as an electron mediator in 4, 4′-n-octyl-cyanobiphenyl (8CB) dissolved in squalene, with a teflon coated platinum wire as a solid support, has been investigated with cyclic voltammetry. The results have shown that TCNQ in a cyanobiphenyl bilayer membrane produces a unique System that increases by three orders of magnitude the lead ion sensitivity of the platinum electrode. Cyclic voltammograms have also shown that a charge-transfer complex between liquid crystal and TCNQ molecules is created and participates in redox reactions.
Proposed Standard Wavelengths in the Vacuum Ultraviolet. Spectra of Ge, Ne, C, Hg, and N†

The spectrum emitted from a germanium hollow-cathode discharge was photographed at high dispersion in the third order of a 21-ft concave grating spectrograph. Emission lines of Ge II, Ne II, Hg I, Hg II, C I, and N I were measured against Ge I Ritz standards in the regions 1550–2041 A and 2325–3060 A. The Ge I Ritz standards were investigated as to their suitability, and it was found that 56 lines in the region 1650–2041 A may be used with confidence to ±0.0004 A. Fifty-eight interpolated lines of Ne, Hg, C, N, and Ge may be used as auxiliary standards to ±0.001 A in the region 1550–2041 A. The interpolated measurements in the region 2325–3030 A provide 74 lines with a standard error of ±0.002 A which also may be useful. The present investigation of the Ge ii spectrum has provided revised energies for 15 levels. From these levels and 12 additional levels from the recent work of Kaufman and Andrew, the wavelengths of 22 lines in the region 837–1602 A have been calculated with an estimated uncertainty of ±0.0004 to ±0.0018 A.
A novel class of transcripts expressed with late kinetics in the absence of ICP4 spans the junction between the long and short segments of the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome.

Abstract A novel family of transcripts that span the junction between the long and short segments of the herpes simplex virus type 1 genome has been identified. These transcripts, designated L/S junction-spanning transcripts (L/STs), are synthesized in abundance in a variety of cells infected with mutant viruses defective in the gene for ICP4, the major transcriptional regulatory protein of the virus. Transcription of abundant 2.3- and 8.5-kb series of L/STs was shown to initiate within the same sequences as less abundant 4.2-, 7.3-, and > 9.5-kb transcripts by Northern (RNA) blot analysis. S1 nuclease analysis revealed a single 5' terminus 28 bp downstream of a TATA box and 6 bp downstream of a consensus ICP4 binding site. The location of the transcriptional start site indicates that the promoter of the L/STs likely corresponds to the bidirectional promoter described by Bohenzky et al. (R. A. Bohenzky, A. G. Papavassiliou, I. H. Gelman, and S. Silverstein, J. Virol. 67:632-642, 1993). The L/STs accumulate with late kinetics in ICP4 mutant-infected cells and are polyadenylated. Mutant viruses encoding forms of ICP4 unable to bind the consensus site, ATCGTC, exhibited abundant expression of the L/STs, whereas mutants encoding forms of ICP4 able to bind this site expressed no detectable L/STs, suggesting that ICP4 plays a critical role in repressing L/ST expression. Their synthesis in ICP4 mutant-infected cells is inhibited by the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide, indicating that they are induced either by an immediate-early viral protein other than ICP4 or by a virus-induced cellular protein. Preliminary evidence indicates that the L/STs are not present in latently infected ganglia. The abundant expression of the L/STs with late kinetics only in the absence of functional ICP4 and the sensitivity of their synthesis to cycloheximide indicate that they are not members of any of the recognized kinetic classes of herpes simplex virus type 1 transcripts but constitute a new class of viral transcript.
SEASONAL CHANGES IN NUTRIENT AVAILABILITY FOR SULFUR-AMENDED EVERGLADES SOILS UNDER SUGARCANE

The objective of this study was to evaluate effects of elemental sulfur (S) addition on soil pH and availability of macro- and micronutrients during the sugarcane growing season. Sulfur application did not significantly reduce soil pH when applied at 0 to 448 kg S ha−1 due to the high soil buffering capacity. Water extractable phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) for soils receiving the highest S rate were 188% and 71% higher than for unamended soils only at two months after application, indicating a short-term enhancement of macronutrient availability. Soil amended with 448 kg S ha−1 contained 134% more acetic acid-extractable zinc (Zn) than unamended soil, although stimulatory effects did not extend beyond two months. Sugar yield was not affected by S addition, averaging 17 Mg sugar ha−1. The failure of S to enhance nutrient availability throughout the growing season indicates the limited benefit of applying elemental S to reduce pH and increase nutrient availability to sugarcane.
Urban multi-hop broadcast protocol for inter-vehicle communication systems

Inter-Vehicle Communication Systems rely on multi-hop broadcast to disseminate information to locations beyond the transmission range of individual nodes. Message dissemination is especially difficult in urban areas crowded with tall buildings because of the line-of-sight problem. In this paper, we propose a new efficient IEEE 802.11 based multi-hop broadcast protocol (UMB) which is designed to address the broadcast storm, hidden node, and reliability problems of multi-hop broadcast in urban areas. Thisprotocol assigns the duty of forwarding and acknowledging broadcast packet to only one vehicle by dividing the road portion inside the transmission range into segments and choosing the vehicle in the furthest non-empty segment without apriori topology information. When there is an intersection in the path of the message dissemination, new directional broadcasts are initiated by the repeaters located at the intersections. We have shown through simulations that our protocol has a very high success rate and efficient channel utilization when compared with other flooding based protocols.
Touchstone Program Overview

The Touchstone Program is a cooperative agreement between the Intel Corporation and DARPAIISTO to advance the state-of-the-art in multicomputer systems. Technically, the program consists of eight system research tracks based on several key emerging technologies. To demonstrate the advances, four rapid prototype systems will be developed with the results of one prototype significantly influencing the next. The first prototype, denoted IOTA, has been completed which implements a scalable Inputloutput subsystem (several ten's of GB of online storage) with a Concurrent File System. In addition, the second prototype has been built and is called the GAMMA prototype. It features a new numeric node based on the Intel i860 microprocessor operating at 40 MHz. With up to 128, i860-based numeric nodes, a GAMMA prototype offers peak performance of 6 GFLOP's. Future Touchstone prototypes will scale to at least 2048 nodes with a peak performance of 150 GFLOP's and 100 KMIP's.
The impact of angular energy distribution on spatial correlation

We derive a simple generalized formula for spatial correlation and show that it provides a good approximation for spatial correlation for three very different angular energy distributions: a Gaussian angle distribution, a Laplacian angle distribution, and a uniform angular distribution. We also derive an equation for spatial correlation when the angular energy distribution is bimodal. These generalized equations are parameterized by d/spl sigma///spl lambda/ where d is the distance between antennas, /spl lambda/ is the carrier wavelength and /spl sigma/ is the standard deviation of the angular energy distribution. This allows for a single curve to be used for any value of d//spl lambda/ and /spl sigma/. It is found that the standard deviation of the angular energy distribution or angle spread is the dominant factor for determining correlation as opposed to the specific angular energy distribution.
Evaluation of the BIOMIC Video Reader System for Determining Interpretive Categories of Isolates on the Basis of Disk Diffusion Susceptibility Results

The BIOMIC System (Giles Scientific, New York, N.Y.) includes software and a video-assisted plate reader that functions with a personal computer to automate, speed read, and interpret standard antibiotic disk diffusion test plates. The video reader helps standardize endpoints, speeds quantitative measurements by 40 to 90%, and reduces fatigue and transcription and interpretation errors (H. Wei-Fang, Am. Clin. Lab. 13:28-29, 1994). Organisms tested were isolated from patient specimens collected at Primary Children's Medical Center and included rapidly growing gram-positive and gram-negative strains that fulfill the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards guidelines for disk diffusion susceptibility testing. A comparison of the plate reader-determined zones and visually measured zones for 3,339 organism-antimicrobial agent combinations was performed. The results demonstrated 0.1% (4 of 3,339) false-susceptible reads and 0.2% (6 of 3,339) false-resistant reads by the video reader compared with visual reads. Minor discrepancies (4.7% [156 of 3339]), resulting in category interpretation changes of intermediate to resistant or susceptible or changes of resistant or susceptible to intermediate, were also encountered. Of the discrepant results, 80.8% (139 of 172) resulted from a 3-mm or less zone diameter difference between the two different techniques. We conclude that the video-assisted plate reader is a reliable system for determining interpretative categories from zone diameters of standard antibiotic disk diffusion test plates.
Study of Ion-Exchanged Microporous Lithosilicate Na–RUB-29 Using Synchrotron X-Ray Single-Crystal Diffraction and 6Li MAS NMR Spectroscopy

Abstract Synchrotron X-ray single-crystal diffraction analyses revealed that as-synthesized and Na-exchanged RUB-29 (Cs 1− x , Na x ) 14 Li 24 [Si 72 Li 18 O 172 ]· y H 2 O ( x =0, 0.9) displays the lattice symmetry I 222. With increasing ion-exchange time, the Na cations preferentially replace Cs in the larger sites located at the intersections of the 10MR/10MR/8MR channels. The smaller Cs sites are then replaced. While Na cations are easily incorporated on the Cs sites, most of non-framework Li cations remain in the channel system. Relocation of Li cations onto new sites within the channels was observed only after 13 days of ion exchange. Using high-field (14.1 T) NMR spectroscopy, at least six separate 6 Li resonances could be resolved for the first time by solid-state 6 Li MAS NMR spectroscopy and assigned to Li in the framework and non-framework sites of the microporous lithosilicate materials. The fate of Li in both framework and extra-framework sites during exchange was also followed by 6 Li MAS NMR spectroscopy with an Na-exchanged RUB-29 powder sample.
Vertical crustal displacement due to interseismic deformation along the San Andreas fault: Constraints from tide gauges

Interseismic motion along complex strike-slip fault systems such as the San Andreas Fault System (SAFS) can produce vertical velocities that are ~10 times smaller than horizontal velocities, caused by along-strike variations in fault orientation and locking depth. Tide gauge stations provide a long (50–100 year) recording history of sea level change due to several oceanographic and geologic processes, including vertical earthquake cycle deformation. Here we compare relative sea level displacements with predictions from a 3-D elastic/viscoelastic earthquake cycle model of the SAFS. We find that models with lithospheric structure reflecting a thick elastic plate (>50 km) and moderate viscosities produce vertical motions in surprisingly good agreement with the relative tide gauge uplift rates. These results suggest that sea level variations along the California coastline contain a small but identifiable tectonic signal reflecting the flexure of the elastic plate caused by bending moments applied at the ends of locked faults.
Don't fence me in: Harnessing the beneficial roles of astrocytes for spinal cord repair

Astrocytes comprise a heterogeneous cell population that plays a complex role in repair after spinal cord injury. Reactive astrocytes are major contributors to the glial scar that is a physical and chemical barrier to axonal regeneration. Yet, consistent with a supportive role in development, astrocytes secrete neurotrophic factors and protect neurons and glia spared by the injury. In development and after injury, local cues are modulators of astrocyte phenotype and function. When multipotent cells are transplanted into the injured spinal cord, they differentiate into astrocytes and other glial cells as opposed to neurons, which is commonly viewed as a challenge to be overcome in developing stem cell technology. However, several examples show that astrocytes provide support and guidance for axonal growth and aid in improving functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Notably, transplantation of astrocytes of a developmentally immature phenotype promotes tissue sparing and axonal regeneration. Furthermore, interventions that enhance endogenous astrocyte migration or reinvasion of the injury site result in greater axonal growth. These studies demonstrate that astrocytes are dynamic, diverse cells that have the capacity to promote axon growth after injury. The ability of astrocytes to be supportive of recovery should be exploited in devising regenerative strategies.
Microarray analysis of quorum-sensing-regulated genes in Porphyromonas gingivalis.

Quorum sensing is a phenomenon defined as gene regulation in response to cell density that regulates various functions in bacteria. The periodontopathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis possesses a luxS gene homologue that may encode a quorum-sensing system. In order to identify genes of P. gingivalis that are regulated by luxS, gene expression analysis was done using microarrays and RNA samples from the W83 wild-type strain and an isogenic luxS mutant, LY2001. The results indicated that 17 open reading frames (ORFs) in LY2001 are upregulated and two are downregulated. Real-time PCR was done to confirm the microarray results. Among the upregulated ORFs is a group of stress-related genes, including htrA, clpB, groEL, dnaK, and the F subunit of alkyl hydroperoxide reductase. This suggested that luxS is involved in stress gene regulation in P. gingivalis. Stress response experiments, including high-temperature survival, resistance to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and survival during exposure to low and high pH, were performed on the P. gingivalis wild-type and LY2001 strains. LY2001 had a significantly higher survival rate than did W83 when stressed at 50°C. No difference was found at pH 5, but LY2001 had increased survival compared to W83 at pH 9. LY2001 also survived better than W83 when stressed with 0.35 mM H2O2. These results suggest that luxS might be involved in promoting survival of P. gingivalis in the host by regulating its response to host-induced stresses such as temperature, H2O2, and pH.
Evaluation of risks associated with short- and long-term psychostimulant therapy for treatment of ADHD in children

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common condition during childhood that is associated with significant psychosocial dysfunction. Psychostimulants are the compounds that have been most extensively studied for the treatment of ADHD in children. There is substantial scientific evidence that several methylphenidate- and amphetamine-based preparations have acute efficacy in the treatment of this condition in children. The short-term safety and tolerability of these compounds has been reasonably well-studied and the risks associated with psychostimulant therapy in the short-term are generally acceptable. However, the amount of long-term effectiveness and safety data relating to these compounds is relatively small. Data that do exist suggest that long-term treatment with psychostimulants in appropriately diagnosed patients may be associated with salutary effects as well as relatively modest risks. Until more extensive, methodologically rigorous data are available, it appears that judicious psychostimulant pharmacotherapy of ADHD in children may be justified.
EXPLANATORY STYLE AND GAMBLING: HOW PESSIMISTS RESPOND TO LOSING WAGERS

Fifty-three patrons of a harness racing track completed two measures of explanatory style prior to an afternoon's races. One measure assessed general explanatory style, using bad events taken from the Attributional Style Questionnaire, and the other measure assessed betting-specific explanatory style, using bad events specific to harness race betting. Subjects then kept a diary during the first eight races. After each race, they reported how much they had bet, whether they had won or lost, the major cause of the outcome, their confidence about winning future bets, and whether they were ruminating about past or future races. Explanatory style assessed in both ways had similar correlates. Explanatory style predicted the specific attributions made by subjects for losses. Pessimistic explanatory style (internal + stable + global attributions) predicted rumination following a lost bet, but it was unrelated to expressed confidence. Rumination after a loss was in turn associated with larger wagers on subsequent races and a tendency toward less successful wagers. These results clarify one way in which pessimistic explanatory style results in helplessness, and suggest a path by which problematic gambling may develop.
Generalized wavelength sharing policies for absolute QoS guarantees in OBS networks

We consider the problem of supporting absolute QoS guarantees in terms of the end-to-end burst loss in OBS networks. We present a parameterized model for wavelength sharing which provides for isolation among different traffic classes while also making efficient use of wavelength capacity through statistical multiplexing. We develop a heuristic to optimize the policy parameters for a single link of an OBS network. We also develop a methodology for translating the end-to-end QoS requirements into appropriate per-link parameters so as to provide network-wide guarantees. Our approach is easy to implement, it can support a wide variety of traffic classes, and is effective in meeting the QoS requirements and keeping the loss rate of best-effort and overall traffic low
Dielectric Property Measurements on Large Alumina Vacuum Seals Used on Fermilab Accelerator RF Cavities

The RF window vacuum seals on the 400-GeV Fermilab accelerating RF cavities are very large circular cylinders of alumina. The cavities were first installed with seals of 94% purity Al2O3. Several of these seals failed in high-power operation due to dielectric heating. Higher purity ceramics (99.5% Al2O3) have been obtained and are now being installed. The complex permitivity of both types of ceramic has been measured in a TM010 mode test cavity ten-inches high and eight feet in diameter. Frequency shift and Q shift data have been analyzed by perturbation analysis and by computer programs. Results confirm that the higher purity ceramics have a loss tangent a factor of five better than the original seals. Some high-power operational test results are also presented.
The cost of an Ebola case

AbstractAs the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in West Africa continues to grow since its initial recognition as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, an unanswered question is what is the cost of a case of Ebola? Understanding this cost will help decision makers better understand the impact of each case of EVD, benchmark this against that of other diseases, prioritize which cases may require response, and begin to estimate the cost of Ebola outbreaks. To date, the scientific literature has not characterized this cost per case. Therefore, we developed a mathematical model to estimate the cost of an EVD case from the provider and societal perspectives in the three most affected countries of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. Our model estimates the total societal cost of an EVD case with full recovery ranges from $480 to $912, while that of an EVD case not surviving ranges from $5929 to $18 929, varying by age and country. Therefore, as of 10 December 2014, the estimated tot...
Hindsight and the Failure of California's Uniform Determinative Sentencing Act

This paper looks at the initial goals of the Uniform Determinate Sentencing Act as it was enacted in 1976. It analyzes those goals in comparison to the program that came before it, the Indeterminate Sentencing Law. It then looks at the situation as it is today, and attempts to decipher whether any of the goals set forth by the original drafters of the sentencing law were actually accomplished.
Catalytic etching of Pt/Rh gauzes

Abstract The catalytic etching of 90% (weight) platinum/10% rhodium gauzes in hydrogen/oxygen mixtures was studied. The gauzes were found to etch over exactly the same range of temperatures and gas stoichiometries as pure platinum. In contrast, pure rhodium etched in neither pure gases nor under reaction conditions. In a laminar flow type reactor weight loss of the Pt/Rh gauzes was found to be significant indicating rapid etching and the surfaces smooth and undifferentiated from the untreated material. In contrast, in an impinging jet reactor there was little weight loss, but the surfaces were found to be partially covered by complex particle structures, 1 to 10 μm across. Analysis of the particles showed them to have virtually the same composition as the original gauze. The application of a new model of catalytic etching of single metals to this system explained some, but not all, of the observations. The model explains the limited range of conditions under which etching was observed, as well as the formation of particles in the impinging jet reactor; however, the model failed to explain completely the presence of rhodium in the particles.
Radiosurgery for Renal Tumors

Although conventional EBRT has a limited role in the treatment of renal lesions, the story may be very different for stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS), or stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT). These approaches involve the stereotactic delivery, in one or a few fractions, of high radiation doses to limited treatment volumes, with a steep dose fall-off outside the treated region. The goal is the complete ablation of tissue. In this chapter we describe this approach to noninvasive in situ ablation of renal and adrenal lesions and review clinical findings to date. The chapter follows from and expands upon a recent review published by the authors (Vricella et al. [1]).
A terrestrial-aquatic food web subsidy is potentially mediated by multiple predator effects on an arboreal crab

Abstract Terrestrial-aquatic food web subsidies are known to affect food web structure, ecosystem productivity, and stability of recipient habitats. This study describes a prey flux across the land–water interface associated with a behavioral response to multiple predators. Specifically, mangrove tree crabs (Aratus pisonii, hereafter Aratus) are primarily arboreal, but may jump off mangrove trees to escape avian predators, making them vulnerable to fish predation. Mesocosm experiments, field observations, and tethering assays were used to investigate behavioral responses, habitat shifts, and risk for Aratus associated with these two predator types. In the field, Aratus spent most of their time above the water on mangroves, where risk is lowest. In response to simulated bird strikes in mesocosm trials, crabs jumped off trees to escape imminent risk, and spent more time in and near the water, enhancing risk of fish predation. Fish attacks on crabs were nearly three times greater in treatments with simulated bird attacks. In addition, empirical diet data was used to examine the importance of Aratus as a prey item for a fish predator. Aratus represented up to 29% of diet by volume for one of the most common mesopredators in the Caribbean (gray snapper Lutjanus griseus), with the proportion varying greatly across space. Because Aratus consume mangrove-derived carbon, their consumption by aquatic predators represents another pathway by which mangrove production may be incorporated into aquatic food webs. These data suggest how the nexus of behavioral and food web ecology may provide for new perspectives on energy flow between ecosystems.
The Role of Allogeneic Transplantation for Multiple Myeloma in Older Adults

Multiple myeloma is a disease of the elderly. Survival outcomes remain unacceptably low in older adults with multiple myeloma. To date, no obvious difference in tumor biology has been elucidated to explain the survival disparity between older and younger patients. Multiple factors including comorbidity, performance status, decreased physiologic reserve, and potentially undertreatment contribute to poor outcomes in elderly patients with myeloma. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation remains the only curative treatment for multiple myeloma to date. Use of allogeneic transplantation in older adults remains limited due to high associated morbidity and mortality. Recently, traditional upper age limits for transplantation have been questioned, along with the definition of “elderly” itself. Multiple challenges will need to be met to advance the role of allogeneic transplantation into the treatment paradigm for older adults. These challenges include (1) optimizing conditioning regimens, (2) decreasing graft versus host disease (GVHD), (3) optimizing donor selection, and (4) optimizing patient selection.
Abstract TP138: SITS Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage Risk Score in the Stroke Belt

Background: sICH remains the most feared complication of IV tPA treatment. SITS investigators developed a clinical score to predict sICH in European stroke patients. We aimed to investigate the how this score would perform in IV tPA treated patients at two centers in the US Stroke Belt. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed IV tPA treated consecutive patients from two centers in the Stroke Belt (2008-2011). The SITS Symptomatic Intracerebral Hemorrhage Risk Score was calculated using published criteria . sICH was defined as a type 2 parenchymal hemorrhage with deterioration in NIHSS score of 4 points or death. Only patients with all 9 variables needed to calculate the SITS sICH scores were included. Logistic regression was used to investigate the predictive ability of the score. Results: During the study period, 457 patients were treated with IV tPA (sICH 4.2%). Among the 220 patients with all 9 variables, 19 (8.6%) had sICH. The SITS sICH scores and other variables are shown in the Table. SITS score was not a predictor of sICH in overall patient sample (OR=1.16, 95% CI 0.856-1.57, p=0.3387). The score performed poorly in Blacks (OR 1.18, 95% CI 0.79-1.77, p=0.417) as compared to Whites (OR 1.19, 95% CI 0.77-1.82, p=0.438) for prediction of sICH, Figure. However, SITS score was predictive of mRS 4-6 at discharge (OR=1.34, 95% CI 1.16-1.55, p Conclusions: SITS sICH score was not predictive of sICH in Stroke Belt patients, particularly among Blacks. The specific components of the 9 variable score needs to be re-evaluated individually for point estimates specific for the Stroke Belt population.
Digital templating in total hip arthroplasty

Preoperative templating for total hip arthroplasty requires precision and accuracy. The current method of acetate overlays is subject to errors in magnification. Digital radiography permits the use of software programs that calculate the x-ray magnification with precision and then adjust the templates to match the exact magnification. A reproducible set of steps is described that allows a surgeon to preoperatively template in the digital environment.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMPETENCE FOR STUDENTS OF FRENCH: A REPORT BY THE AATF NATIONAL COMMISSION ON CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Afin de developper chez les etudiants de la langue francaise en Amerique du Nord une competence multiculturelle, la Commission sur la competence culturelle propose quatre stages de formation en civilisation et culture francaise. Les AA. decrivent la mise en place et le fonctionnement du projet
Expected lifetime numbers, risks, and burden of osteoporotic fractures for 50-year old Chinese women: a discrete event simulation incorporating FRAX

This work was undertaken to provide an estimation of expected lifetime numbers, risks, and burden of fractures for 50-year-old Chinese women. A discrete event simulation model was developed to simulate the lifetime fractures of 50-year-old Chinese women at average risk of osteoporotic fracture. Main events in the model included hip fracture, clinical vertebral fracture, wrist fracture, humerus fracture, and other fracture. Fracture risks were calculated using the FRAX® tool. Simulations of 50-year-old Chinese women without fracture risks were also carried out as a comparison to determine the burden of fractures. A 50-year-old Chinese woman at average risk of fracture is expected to experience 0.135 (95 % CI: 0.134–0.137) hip fractures, 0.120 (95 % CI: 0.119–0.122) clinical vertebral fractures, 0.095 (95 % CI: 0.094–0.096) wrist fractures, 0.079 (95 % CI: 0.078–0.080) humerus fractures, and 0.407 (95 % CI: 0.404–0.410) other fractures over the remainder of her life. The residual lifetime risk of any fracture, hip fracture, clinical vertebral fracture, wrist fracture, humerus fracture, and other fracture for a 50-year-old Chinese woman is 37.36, 11.77, 10.47, 8.61, 7.30, and 27.80 %, respectively. The fracture-attributable excess quality-adjusted life year (QALY) loss and lifetime costs are estimated at 0.11 QALYs (95 % CI: 0.00–0.22 QALYs) and US $714.61 (95 % CI: US $709.20–720.02), totaling a net monetary benefit loss of US $1,104.43 (95 % CI: US $904.09–1,304.78). Chinese women 50 years of age are at high risk of osteoporotic fracture, and the expected economic and quality-of-life burden attributable to osteoporotic fractures among Chinese women is substantial.