cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
First They Came for Everyone: The Assault on Civil Society is an Injury to All

2In this essay I suggest two overlapping points. First, I argue that a market logic, masked by what could be referred to as “corporate libertarianism,” threatens major sectors of civil society, including educational institutions such as our own. As educators, we should understand ourselves to be part of a civil society complex worth defending. Second, communication scholars have a special role to play in linking with other civil society groups, both through various forms of activism and by critiquing corporate libertarianism’s paradigmatic underpinnings. Given that we possess a special purchase on the relationship between media and power, communication scholars should engage in policy struggles and intellectual battles that at first glance might not seem germane to our specific work-related problems.
More on Nomos

This chapter delves deeper into and attempts to illustrate some ways in which the “accountability” movement and resultant standardization create a normative context that constricts what might be possible to think and do. It is a critique of the larger systems of hegemony that have materialized in our everyday worlds as educators.
A linear complementarity problem with an n by 2n “P”-matrix

The problem considered in this paper is given by the conditions: w=q+Mv+Nx, w≧0, v≧0, x≧0, v≦r, w T v=0 and (r−v) T x=0. Here q, r are n-vectors with r>0 and M, N are n by n matrices. We say that an n by 2n matrix (M, N) has the P-property if all of its “principal” minors are positive. The main reuslt is that (M, N) has the P-property if and only if the problem defined above has a unique solution for every q and every r>0. When M=N, this result reduces to the well-known existence and uniqueness theorem concerning the linear complementarity problem with a P-matrix. The above problem with (M, N) having the P-property includes as special cases, a strictly convex quadratic program with bounded variables and certain problems in structural mechanics.
Regression based circular error probable: An application to ballistic systems

ABSTRACTThis paper explores the computation of Circular Error Probable from a bivariate regression model as well as upper confidence limits computed at covariate values of interest. Upper confidence limits were computed based on a bootstrap methodology and a bootstrap calibration of the delta method. The bootstrap calibration provided an improvement in the nominal coverage for the delta method at smaller sample sizes. An example is provided using munition data from an Army test event to show how these approaches can be applied to data sets from test events with small sample sizes.
Alzheimer's Disease and Sleep–Wake Disturbances: Amyloid, Astrocytes, and Animal Models

Sleep-wake abnormalities are common in patients with Alzheimer's disease, and can be a major reason for institutionalization. However, an emerging concept is that these sleep-wake disturbances are part of the causal pathway accelerating the neurodegenerative process. Recently, new findings have provided intriguing evidence for a positive feedback loop between sleep-wake dysfunction and β-amyloid (Aβ) aggregation. Studies in both humans and animal models have shown that extended periods of wakefulness increase Aβ levels and aggregation, and accumulation of Aβ causes fragmentation of sleep. This perspective is aimed at presenting evidence supporting causal links between sleep-wake dysfunction and aggregation of Aβ peptide in Alzheimer's disease, and explores the role of astrocytes, a specialized type of glial cell, in this context underlying Alzheimer's disease pathology. The utility of current animal models and the unexplored potential of alternative animal models for testing mechanisms involved in the reciprocal relationship between sleep disruption and Aβ are also discussed.Dual Perspectives Companion Paper: Microglia-Mediated Synapse Loss in Alzheimer's Disease by Lawrence Rajendran and Rosa Paolicelli.
The care of patients using methamphetamine in the emergency department: Perception of nurses, residents, and faculty

Background: To determine differences in perception between nurses, residents, and faculty regarding characteristics and treatment of patients who use methamphetamine (meth). Methods: Survey study performed at an urban, university Level I trauma medical center. Results: A total of 80 nurses, 39 residents, and 45 faculty completed the survey. All groups agreed that meth was a significant problem nationwide and in our emergency department (ED). Nurses estimated that 33% of their patients used meth, which differed from residents (18%) and faculty (15%). All agreed that these patients required more effort to care for, utilized more hospital resources, and were more often violent toward staff. Nurses reported higher prevalence of actual assault by patients using meth (70%) than did residents (36%) and faculty (47%), and total lifetime number of assaults. All agreed that patients using meth appropriated prehospital resources at a higher rate than nonusers, had a higher rate of recidivism, and longer ED length of stay. Nurses preferred antipsychotics over benzodiazepines for treatment of meth-induced tachycardia and a lower threshold for treatment of associated hypertension than residents and faculty. For treatment of hypertension, nurses preferred beta-blockers and hydralazine over benzodiazepines. Conclusion: All agreed that meth use is a serious problem in our ED, with high resource utilization, recidivism, and violence against staff. Nurses experienced higher rates of assaults by patients using meth and differed with regard to their disposition and treatment. Treatment guidelines, strategies to mitigate violence towards staff, and interprofessional education may be beneficial, as the stakes of caring for these patients are high and preferences vary between caregivers.
Driving cars to the clinic for solid tumors.

FDA approval of chimeric antigen receptor T cells (CART cells) is the culmination of several decades of technology development and interrogation of the properties of these gene therapies. CART cells exist as personalized “living drugs” and have demonstrated astounding anti-tumor efficacy in patients with leukemia and lymphoma. However, the future promise of CART efficacy for solid tumors, the greatest unmet burden, is met with a number of challenges that must be surmounted for effective immune responses. In this review, we discuss the next-generation developments of CARs to target solid tumors, including fine-tuned and combinational-targeting receptors. We consider the structural intricacies of the CAR molecules that influence optimal signaling and CART survival, and review pre-clinical cell-intrinsic and cell-extrinsic combinational therapy approaches.
A model to predict creep compliance of asphalt mixtures containing recycled materials

Abstract Thermal cracking is one of the major distresses in flexible pavements, especially in the northern part of the U.S. and Canada. With the increasing use of recycled materials like reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and recycled asphalt shingle (RAS), asphalt pavements have become more susceptible to thermal distresses. Therefore, such asphalt concrete (AC) mixtures should be carefully investigated to ensure that performance is not compromised in the pursuit of an economical solution. The Pavement ME Design uses the empirically developed model for the prediction of creep compliance as an input for Level 3 analysis, which uses the mix and binder properties. However, this prediction model cannot be applied for every climatic and mix design conditions; therefore, different researchers came up with modified models for different states within the U.S. The impact of recycled materials was not captured in the MEPDG as well as in the modified models. This research proposes a new model that captures the effect of recycled materials. It was observed that softer binder and higher asphalt content results in more compliant, while recycled materials tend to decrease the compliance. Hence, softer binder and recycled materials tend to counterbalance each other’s impact. From model analysis, it was found that the existing MEPDG model significantly overestimates creep compliance compared with actual measured values. The proposed model can capture the effect of asphalt binder replacement (ABR) and has been validated with randomly selected data and found to exhibit good correlation with lab testing data.
Adaptive User Interface for a Personalized Mobile Banking App: Extended Abstract

Mobile banking (MB) services offered by financial institutions are moving from being a strategic advantage to sustain competition fueled by the ubiquity of smartphones among banking customers. Yet, MB apps are difficult to use with small screens and new features being added constantly. While personalization features in the form of recommender systems are commonplace in ecommerce applications, personalization in MB is in early stages. This study focuses on adapting MB application interface by using a data analytic technique; the novelty and contribution of our MB application is its focus on real-time analysis of user's prior interactions with the system and adapts to their needs with real-time analysis of user's prior interactions with the system to improve user experience and usage. PERMA system is a next generation of Adaptive Hypermedia System (AHS) where our MB app provides personalized content, presentation, and navigational support
Molecular mechanisms of gating in the calcium-activated chloride channel bestrophin

Bestrophin (BEST1-4) ligand-gated chloride (Cl-) channels are activated by calcium (Ca2+). Mutation of BEST1 causes retinal disease. Partly because bestrophin channels have no sequence or structural similarity to other ion channels, the molecular mechanisms underlying gating are unknown. Here, we present a series of cryo-electron microscopy structures of chicken BEST1, determined at 3.1 A resolution or better, that represent the channel's principal gating states. Unlike other channels, opening of the pore is due to the repositioning of tethered pore-lining helices within a surrounding protein shell that dramatically widens a neck of the pore through a concertina of amino acid rearrangements. The neck serves as both the activation and the inactivation gate. Ca2+ binding instigates opening of the neck through allosteric means whereas inactivation peptide binding induces closing. An aperture within the otherwise wide pore controls anion permeability. The studies define a new molecular paradigm for gating among ligand-gated ion channels.
Navigating a bumpy road. Developing sexuality education that supports young people’s sexual agency

The complexity of young people’s strategic negotiation of sexual agency constitutes a challenge for professionals working in the area of sexuality education. This paper explores how comprehensive s...
Mineralocorticoid Antagonism and Vascular Function in Early Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Rationale & Objective Vascular dysfunction, characterized by impaired vascular endothelial function and increased large-elastic artery stiffness, is evident early in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and is an important predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality. Aldosterone excess has been implicated in the development of endothelial dysfunction and arterial stiffness, in part by causing increased oxidative stress and inflammation. We hypothesized that aldosterone antagonism would reduce vascular dysfunction in patients with early-stage ADPKD. Study Design Prospective, randomized, controlled, double-blind, clinical trial. Setting & Participants 61 adults aged 20 to 55 years with ADPKD, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≥ 60mL/min/1.73m2, and receiving a renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitor. Intervention Spironolactone (maximum dose, 50mg/d) or placebo for 24 weeks. Outcomes Change in brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMDBA) was the primary end point and change in carotid-femoral pulse-wave velocity (CFPWV) was the secondary end point. Results 60 participants completed the trial. Participants had a mean age of 34±10 (SD) years, 54% were women, and 84% were non-Hispanic white. Spironolactone did not change FMDBA (8.0% ± 5.5% and 7.8% ± 4.3% at baseline and 24 weeks, respectively, vs corresponding values in the placebo group of 8.4% ± 6.2% and 8.0% ± 4.6%; P=0.9for comparison of change between groups) or CFPWV (640±127 and 603±101cm/s at baseline and 24 weeks, respectively, vs corresponding values in the placebo group of 659±138 and 658±131cm/s; P=0.1). Brachial systolic blood pressure was reduced with spironolactone (median change, −6 [IQR, −15, 1] vs −2 [IQR, −7, 10] mm Hg in the placebo group; P=0.04). Spironolactone did not change the majority of circulating and/or endothelial cell markers of oxidative stress/inflammation and did not change vascular oxidative stress. Limitations Low level of baseline vascular dysfunction; lack of aldosterone measurements. Conclusions 24 weeks of aldosterone antagonism reduced systolic blood pressure without changing vascular function in patients with early-stage ADPKD. Funding NIDDK, NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, and the Zell Family Foundation. Trial Registration Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT01853553.
Assessment of a Geriatric Hip Fracture Program: Analysis of Harmful Adverse Events Using the Global Trigger Tool.

Background:The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of adding a geriatric comanagement program to the care of geriatric patients with a hip fracture at our hospital. The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) Global Trigger Tool (GTT) was used to follow the frequency and severity of ad
Encysted cyathostomin larval counts: Mucosal digestion revisited.

Abstract Cyathostomins are pervasive equine parasites in horses across the world, and larval stages are known to cause the deadly disease larval cyathostominosis. The mucosal digestion technique is widely used for enumeration of encysted larval stages. Previous studies have investigated the spatial variation of encysted larvae, however current protocols lack a description of a standardized area from which to take the tissue sample. This study sought to evaluate spatial variation in encysted cyathostomin larval counts among the large intestinal organs and their subsections. Following humane euthanasia, ceca, ventral, and dorsal colons were harvested from 8 foals (aged 4–8 months) raised in an anthelmintic naive parasitology research herd. Each organ was weighed and separated into 3 equal sections by length: the orad, intermediate, and aborad portions. From each of those sections, two 5% weight tissue samples were collected and digested to quantify the early third stage larvae (EL3) and late third stage larvae/fourth stage larvae (LL3/L4). A mixed model statistical analysis was carried out to evaluate for differences of larval counts among the different organs, sections, and the interaction term between the organs and sections. There were significant differences among organs (P
Nanoscale semiconductor/catalyst interfaces in photoelectrochemistry.

Semiconductor structures (for example, films, wires, particles) used in photoelectrochemical devices are often decorated with nanoparticles that catalyse fuel-forming reactions, including water oxidation, hydrogen evolution or carbon-dioxide reduction. For high performance, the catalyst nanoparticles must form charge-carrier-selective contacts with the underlying light-absorbing semiconductor, facilitating either hole or electron transfer while inhibiting collection of the opposite carrier. Despite the key role played by such selective contacts in photoelectrochemical energy conversion and storage, the underlying nanoscale interfaces are poorly understood because direct measurement of their properties is challenging, especially under operating conditions. Using an n-Si/Ni photoanode model system and potential-sensing atomic force microscopy, we measure interfacial electron-transfer processes and map the photovoltage generated during photoelectrochemical oxygen evolution at nanoscopic semiconductor/catalyst interfaces. We discover interfaces where the selectivity of low-Schottky-barrier n-Si/Ni contacts for holes is enhanced via a nanoscale size-dependent pinch-off effect produced when surrounding high-barrier regions develop during device operation. These results thus demonstrate (1) the ability to make nanoscale operando measurements of contact properties under practical photoelectrochemical conditions and (2) a design principle to control the flow of electrons and holes across semiconductor/catalyst junctions that is broadly relevant to different photoelectrochemical devices. Although nanocatalysts forming selective contacts are crucial in photoelectrochemistry, the underlying nanoscale interfaces are poorly understood. Using a n-Si/Ni photoanode and potential-sensing AFM, interfacial electron-transfer processes and photovoltage are measured.
A three-body affair

A membrane placed below the plane of an emitter and a receiver can interact with the radiative modes and modulate heat transfer by as much as a factor of five.
Active Dependency Mapping

In this paper we introduce Active Dependency Mapping (ADM), a method for establishing dependency relations among a set of interdependent services. Consider the old expression among sysadmins: the way to discover who is using a server is to “turn it off and see who complains.” ADM takes the same approach to dependency mapping. We directly establish dependency relationships between entities in an ecosystem of interacting services by instrumenting a user-facing application, and systematically blocking access to other entities, observing which blocks impact performance.
Load effects in attention: Comparing tasks and age groups

Attention is limited in terms of both capacity (i.e., amount of information attended) and selectivity (i.e., the degree to which non-attended information is nonetheless processed). One of the seminal theories in the field, load theory, predicts that these two aspects of attention interact in systematic ways. Specifically, load theory predicts that when the amount of information to attend is less than the available capacity, spare attention will naturally leak out to unattended items. While load theory has found a great deal of empirical support, the robustness of the findings has recently been called into question, in particular with respect to the extent to which the predictions are borne out across different tasks and populations. Here we report tests of perceptual load effects in two different tasks (change detection and enumeration) and in two populations (adults and 7- to 8-year-old children). Adults' accuracies did not demonstrate the predicted interaction between the capacity and selection dimensions, whereas children's performance, in addition to being overall worse than adults, did show the interaction. The overall lower accuracy of children was seen to be the result of a larger performance decrement in response to capacity demands, distracting information, and their interaction. Interestingly, while these results were seen at the level of the two tasks, there was no within-participants correlation across tasks. Overall, these results suggest that maturation-related changes attenuate the magnitude of distractor effects in attention, which in turn limits the evidence for interactions between capacity and selection in high-functioning populations.
Projection method for droplet dynamics on groove-textured surface with merging and splitting.

We study the full dynamics of droplets placed on an inclined groove-textured surface with merging and splitting. The motion of droplets can be determined by the contact line dynamics and motion by mean curvature, which are driven by the competition between surfaces tensions of three phases and gravitational effect. We reformulate the dynamics as a gradient flow on a Hilbert manifold with boundary, which can be further reduced to a parabolic variational inequality under some differentiable assumptions. To efficiently solve the parabolic variational inequality, the convergence and stability of projection method for obstacle problem in Hilbert space is revisited using Trotter-Kato's product formula. Based on this, we proposed a projection scheme for the droplets dynamics, which incorporates both the obstacle information and the phase transition information when merging and splitting happen. Several challenging examples including splitting and merging of droplets are demonstrated.
Sub-group, Sub-type, and Cell-type Heterogeneity of Ependymoma.

Ependymomas are aggressive central nervous system tumors that resist chemotherapy. In this issue of Cancer Cell, Gojo et al. dissect the single cell transcriptional landscapes of ependymoma to define cellular programs that mediate therapeutic resistance, tumor aggressiveness, and potential targets for therapy.
Experiment Design and First Season Observations with the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer

We describe the instrumentation, experiment design and data reduction for the first season of observations with the Degree Angular Scale Interferometer (DASI), a compact microwave interferometer designed to measure anisotropy in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) on degree and sub-degree scales (l=100--900). The telescope was deployed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole research station during the 1999--2000 austral summer and conducted observations of the CMB throughout the following austral winter. In its first season of observations, DASI has mapped CMB fluctuations in 32 fields, each 3.4 deg across, with high sensitivity.
Impact of Risk and Volume on Procedural Training of Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellows

Background: Invasive procedures are a core aspect of pulmonary and critical care practice. Procedures performed in the intensive care unit can be divided into high-risk, low-volume (HRLV) procedure...
Woodland-period fisheries on the north-central coast of the Gulf of Mexico

Despite the prevalence of Woodland-period middens on the Gulf of Mexico’s northern coast, Woodland fisheries remain poorly known. Vertebrate and invertebrate assemblages from Plash Island (1BA134; ...
Abating Neighborhood Blight with Collaborative Policy Networks—Where Have We Been? Where are We Going?

This article traces the evolution of local and national networks and the seeds of a blight policy movement through the experiences of the authors, who are two of its pioneering members. Part I defines the legal and policy parameters of neighborhood blight by examining its origins and linkages with public nuisance principles and eminent domain, as well as blight's social and cultural dimensions. Part II outlines the characteristics, members, and elements of a vacant property policy movement from 1990 to 2015. Part III concludes with further reflections about the vacant property policy movement and how its local and national networks can help communities build greater legal and policy capacities, as well as facilitate the sharing and development of innovative strategies through collaborative working groups and coordinating councils.
The Date of the Completion

Dating the Completion on the basis of the available evidence is not easy. The Completion is undated and it is not mentioned in the three lists of works of Ibn al-Haytham (§5.1). The Completion does not contain references to any work other than the Conics. As far as I know, Ibn al-Haytham does not refer to the Completion in any of his other works. But there are a few indications suggesting that the Completion is not a late work of Ibn al-Haytham.
Heavy Quark Production at CDF

In QCD perturbation theory, two leading order diagrams are responsible for heavy quark production at hadron colliders, quark-anti quark annihilation, qq¯ → QQ¯ and gluon fusion, gg → QQ¯. In pp¯ collisions, the quark crosssections are convoluted with the parton density functions, f(x), to obtain the hadro-production quark cross-sections as follows: $$ \frac{{d\sigma }}{{dyd\bar{y}dp_{T}^{2}}}\alpha \frac{1}{{m_{T}^{4}}}\frac{1}{{{{[1 + \cosh (y - \bar{y})]}^{2}}}}\sum\limits_{{i,j}} {{x_{1}}{f_{1}}({x_{1}}){x_{2}}{f_{i}}({x_{2}})\sum\limits_{{}}^{ - } {{{\left| {{M_{{ij \to Q\bar{Q}}}}} \right|}^{2}}} } $$ (1) where y and \( \bar{y} \) are the produced quark and anti-quark rapidities, and \( {p_{T}} \) is the tranverse momemtum.
Least Information Modeling for Information Retrieval

We proposed a Least Information theory (LIT) to quantify meaning of information in probability distribution changes, from which a new information retrieval model was developed. We observed several important characteristics of the proposed theory and derived two quantities in the IR context for document representation. Given probability distributions in a collection as prior knowledge, LI Binary (LIB) quantifies least information due to the binary occurrence of a term in a document whereas LI Frequency (LIF) measures least information based on the probability of drawing a term from a bag of words. Three fusion methods were also developed to combine LIB and LIF quantities for term weighting and document ranking. Experiments on four benchmark TREC collections for ad hoc retrieval showed that LIT-based methods demonstrated very strong performances compared to classic TF*IDF and BM25, especially for verbose queries and hard search topics. The least information theory offers a new approach to measuring semantic quantities of information and provides valuable insight into the development of new IR models.
Stereotype Threat, Inquiring About Test Takers' Race and Gender, and Performance on Low‐Stakes Tests in a Large‐Scale Assessment

This study explores stereotype threat on low-stakes tests used in a large-scale assessment, math and reading tests in the Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS). Issues identified in laboratory research (though not observed in studies of high-stakes tests) were assessed: whether inquiring about their race and gender is related to the performance of Black and female test takers and, secondarily, whether this association is greater for test takers most identified with math and reading. After high school sophomores completed a questionnaire that included inquiries about their race and gender, only one change in test performance was consistent with expectations from stereotype-threat theory: Black test takers' math scores decreased. Their reading scores and young women's math scores did not decrease, and identification with math and reading did not moderate score decreases for Black test takers or women.
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Mortality Among Women During 36 Years of Prospective Follow-Up: Results From the Nurses' Health Study.

Objective To evaluate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and mortality risk among women followed prospectively in the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS). Methods We analyzed 119,209 women in the NHS who reported no connective tissue disease at enrollment in 1976. Comorbidity and lifestyle data were collected through biennial questionnaires. Incident RA cases were validated by medical records review. Cause of death was determined by death certificate and medical records review. Cox regression models estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for all-cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer, and respiratory disease mortality for women with RA compared to those without RA. Results We validated 964 incident RA cases and identified 28,808 deaths during 36 years of prospective follow-up. Of 307 deaths among women with RA, 80 (26%) were from cancer, 70 (23%) were from CVD, and 44 (14%) were from respiratory causes. Women with RA had increased total mortality (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.25–1.57) compared to those without RA, independent of mortality risk factors, including smoking. RA was associated with significantly increased respiratory disease mortality (HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.51–2.80) and cardiovascular disease mortality (HR 1.45, 95% CI 1.14–1.83), but not cancer mortality (HR 0.93, 95% CI 0.74–1.15). For women with seropositive RA, respiratory disease mortality was nearly 3-fold higher than among non-RA women (HR 2.67, 95% CI 1.89–3.77). Conclusion Women with RA had significantly increased mortality compared to those without RA. Respiratory disease and cardiovascular disease mortality were both significantly elevated for women with RA. The nearly 3-fold increased relative risk of respiratory disease mortality was observed only for those with seropositive RA.
Formal communication elimination and sequentialization equivalence proofs for distributed system models

Equivalence reasoning with distributed system models, expressed directly as imperative programs with explicit parallelism, communication operations, storage variables and boolean conditions, remains virtually unexplored. Only reasoning with models expressed as process algebras has been amply dealt with in literature. However, these formalisms do not contemplate either storage variables or Boolean conditions as fundamental items, although these items become essential in most situations. This article develops the foundation of the until now non existent theory of equivalence reasoning with the aforementioned imperative notation and two novel equivalence proof techniques: communication elimination and sequentialization. The development is grounded on state systems and transition interleavings, as treated by Manna and Pnueli. Equivalence proofs safely transform a model via the application of a sequence of equivalence laws; aiming to obtain an equivalent model which is purely sequential, free from internal communication operations and parallelism, as a simplification of the initial model. After this, verification of the original model can be carried out, indirectly, in the simplified model, thus reducing complexity. Some of the presented novel notions are: (1) modular procedure for decomposition of both models and proofs, (2) interface behavior for statement semantics, (3) interface equivalence between behaviors, between statements and between procedures, (4) a set of communication elimination laws and (5) substitution rules of procedure references by their bodies or by references to equivalent procedures. An elimination proof construction algorithm is also presented; when it terminates, deadlock freedom of the original model can be decided. The main design lines of a computer aided equivalence reasoning tool are outlined as well. This is the foundation for a more widely applicable tool. As an illustration, the sequentialization proof of a simplified pipelined processor is overviewed. It is modeled as a distributed system with procedures and two levels of parallelism. The model obtained at the end of the equivalence proof is the sequential loop of a Von Neumann processor. This result establishes that the original model is deadlock-free, behaves as a processor and, as a consequence, the partition of processor functions among parallel processes is correct. The ratio of the upper bounds on the number of states of the final over the initial models, $$\frac{final}{initial}$$ f i n a l i n i t i a l , is $$\frac{1}{2^{672}}$$ 1 2 672 .
An exploratory study using social network analysis to model eye movements in mathematics problem solving

Eye tracking is a useful tool to understand students' cognitive process during problem solving. This paper offers a unique perspective by applying techniques from social network analysis to eye movement patterns in mathematics problem solving. We construct and visualize transition networks using eye-tracking data collected from 37 8th grade students while solving linear function problems. By applying network analysis on the constructed transition networks, we find general transition patterns between areas of interest (AOIs) for all students, and we also compare patterns for high- and low-performing students. Our results show that even though students share general transition patterns during problem solving, high-performing students made more strategic transitions among AOI triples than low-performing students.
Econometric Analysis of Customer Retention in an Aviation Trade Organization

The proliferation of customer data bases is a direct consequence of firms' drive toward efficient customer-firm interactions. With regard to customer-firm interactions, firms have focused on customer retention rates. Using a customer data base, firms try to identify the most valuable customers within that data base. After identifying these customers, firms attempt to develop strategies and tactics that increase the retention of the most valued customers and maximize the profitability of the entire base of customers. With this goal in mind, common firm practices that have arisen are the offering of rewards, free additional services, and add-on selling. The impact of rewards, additional services, and add-on selling on the customer equity of a trade association in the aviation industry is examined. In particular a model that examines the impact that these factors have on customer retention and firm profitability is developed. This model is tested on a membership data base from a service organization that offers membership rewards, additional free services, and fee-based products to aircraft owners and pilots. The findings from this research have implications for how trade associations should develop marketing programs and strategically manage and target their most valuable customers.
The interaction of cadmium and certain other metal ions with proteins and nucleic acids

The toxic effects of cadmium and other selected divalent cations are presumed to be related to specific chemical and physical characteristics of the ion. The chemistry of cadmium and metal ions in general is reviewed from the viewpoint of such relevant properties as ion polarizability, electronic structure, and the hard-soft characteristics. The softness of metal ions is seen as a useful single parameter to correlate with the affinity for nucleic acids and proteins and with toxic effects. The effects of cadmium on nucleic acids and proteins are examined for a number of specific cases to illustrate the variety of interactions that are well recognized and to demonstrate the utility of soft metal ions as reagents and probes for examining the relationship of structure and function in these macromolecules.
Evidence-based Findings of Necrotizing Enterocolitis

Abstract Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a relatively common complication of prematurity occurring in 7% to 14% of very low-birth-weight infants. Advancement in our knowledge of this potentially devastating disease has occurred quickly, making it challenging for nurses to stay abreast of the latest research regarding NEC. This article reviews the most recent research published in 2009, 2010, and 2011 regarding risk factors, preventive strategies, treatment options, and the sequlae of NEC.
Substance Use, Mental Disorders, Abuse, and Crime: Gender Comparisons among a National Sample of Adolescent Drug Treatment Clients.

ABSTRACT This paper describes important gender comparisons in drug and alcohol use, illegal activity, physical and sexual abuse, and mental health problems among a large sample of adolescents (N = 3,382) who were treated from 1993 to 1995 in adolescent-oriented drug programs that participated in the Drug Abuse Treatment Outcome Study of Adolescents. Most of the adolescents reported regular use of marijuana and alcohol; males had higher rates of illegal activity and involvement with the juvenile justice system; females reported more sexual abuse, while males reported more physical abuse; and males and females had equal rates of conduct disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Maternal Knowledge of Child Development and Quality of Parenting among White, African-American and Hispanic Mothers.

Abstract This study examined the relationship between early maternal knowledge of child development and later quality of parenting behaviors. Differences by race/ethnic group were also examined. Mother–infant dyads ( N =378) participated in the study. Mothers completed the Knowledge of Infant Development Inventory (KIDI) when the infant was 2–4 months, and mother–toddler dyads were videotaped in their homes at 16–18 months. The Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Inventory (HOME), Parent/Caregiver Involvement Scale (P/CIS), and Nursing Child Assessment by Satellite Training (NCAST) were used to measure quality of mother–toddler interaction. A series of hierarchical multiple regression analyses was conducted controlling for confounding demographic variables. Results revealed no significant main effect of maternal correct estimation of child development on quality of parenting, but there was a significant main effect of maternal underestimation of child development on quality of parenting during a teaching task. There was also a significant interaction of maternal knowledge and race in relation to quality of parenting behavior. Implications for generalizability and interventions are discussed.
An optimized hard surface cleaning test

Preliminary investigation of several test procedures resulted in the selection of the Liss-Hilton reflectance method. A white vinyl tile substrate was selected and the test method optimized at cleaning efficiencies of approximately 30% for water and 80% for selected detergent compositions. Within-series and between-series variations, in general, met a required 2% maximum. Between-laboratories data were slightly more variable. Utilizing the corresponding confidence limit factor, as few as three test panels per detergent may be used to compare detergent cleaning efficiencies.
Thermal analysis of cyclic cryogenic regenerators

Abstract The system of partial differential equations, together with their boundary conditions, has been established to describe the performance of regenerators subjected to cycling flows, including commonly neglected effects such as internal energy changes of the fluid due to pressure cycling and longitudinal matrix conduction. Exact solutions are obtained for the case of an infinitely large matrix heat capacity. For the case of finite matrix heat capacity the method of perturbations is employed, and the solutions can be considered exact throughout the regenerator except for the regions near the boundaries. In general, the results are contained in a set of three coupled ordinary differential equations, which must be solved numerically. For the important case of negligible matrix heat conduction, however, a closed-form solution is presented here.
The Effects of Differential Age Adjustment between the WAIS and WAIS-R on the Comparability of the Two Scales

A comparative inspection of the WAIS and WAIS-R IQ tables in their respective manuals indicated that there would be variable IQ discrepancies at different ages because of differential age adjustments on the norms of the two scales. The use of equivalent WAIS and WAIS-R sums of scaled scores derived from Wechsler's (1981) comparison of the two instruments to determine comparable IQs on the two tests at different ages demonstrated the predicted variable discrepancies. It was concluded that it would be fruitless to attempt to equate WAIS and WAIS-R IQs directly but that the process could be achieved by the equation of sums of scaled scores on the two instruments and the use of the tables in both test manuals to obtain the WAIS and WAIS-R IQs representing the same levels of ability at different ages.
Sintering behaviour of powder compacts with multiheterogeneities

The sintering behaviour of a powder compact containing uniformly distributed heterogeneities has been analysed. The results reveal a strong retardation of sintering in the presence of non-sinterable agglomerates, due to the development of a uniform hydrostatic tensile stress in the powder matrix. The variation in stresses and sintering rate depends strongly on the total volume fraction of heterogeneities especially when the volume fraction is small, but is insensitive to the actual number of heterogeneities. Specific results are calculated using densification and deformation laws pertinent to Al2O3.
A New Polyhydrocarbon-Polyamine AB Block Copolymer

Copolymers of ethylene and 1-butene were synthesized using a single-site zirconium-based coordination catalyst. The polymers terminated exclusively in 1-butene ends, predominantly ethylvinylidene. They were carbonylated under Koch−Haaf conditions using boron trifluoride, carbon monoxide, and phenols to give polymeric hydrocarbons containing a single carboaryloxy group. Both 1,3- and 1,5-rearrangements were observed in this synthesis. The amination reaction with polyethylene amines followed second-order kinetics, but with a steadily decreasing bimolecular rate constant. The physical properties along with the block composition of the resulting polyhydrocarbon polyamine make this a potential candidate for motor oil dispersant. To interpret the polymer results, appropriate model compounds consisting of appropriately branched carboxylic acids, aryl esters, and amides were synthesized. The 13C NMR and IR spectra, both of the quaternary carbons and the carbonyls, supported the structure assignment for the polyme...
Inverse opal ceria–zirconia: architectural engineering for heterogeneous catalysis

The application of inverse opal structured materials is extended to the ceria–zirconia (Ce0.5Zr0.5O2) system and the significance of material architecture on heterogeneous catalysis, specifically, chemical oxidation, is examined.
Characteristics of bulk InGaAsSbN/GaAs grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE)

Abstract Bulk, lattice-matched dilute-nitride-antimonide materials were grown by metalorganic vapor phase epitaxy (MOVPE) for integration into multi-junction solar cells. Bulk nominally lattice-matched films of InGaAsN and InGaAsSbN with band gap energies in the 1–1.3 eV range are characterized for background carrier concentration and luminescent properties, two factors of importance for solar cell applications. The intrinsic carbon and free carrier (hole) concentration is found to be sensitive to the selection of the gallium metalorganic source and the gas-phase MOVPE growth conditions. Variable temperature (40–300 K) steady-state photoluminescence (PL) measurements of InGaAsSbN indicate that carrier localization occurs at low temperature, similar to that commonly observed for InGaAsN materials. Carrier lifetimes of up to ∼202 ps were obtained from double heterostructures incorporating InGaAsSbN materials using time-resolved photoluminescence (TR-PL) spectroscopy.
Uptake of glycerol by tumor cells and its control by glucose.

Abstract Glycerol can be utilized by cultured cells of Novikoff rat hepatoma, Hela and HEP-2. Glucose inhibits the rate of glycerol uptake by the first two cell lines but stimulates the process in the third. The transport process of glycerol, particularly by its insensitivity to phloridzin, is distinguishable from that of glucose. The inhibitory effect of glucose on glycerol uptake which is competitive in nature is at the membrane transport and not phosphorylation step, since in vitro glycerol kinase is sensitive to neither glucose nor hexose phosphates.
Alterations in glutathione levels and apoptotic regulators are associated with acquisition of arsenic trioxide resistance in multiple myeloma.

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) has been tested in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma with limited success. In order to better understand drug mechanism and resistance pathways in myeloma we generated an ATO-resistant cell line, 8226/S-ATOR05, with an IC50 that is 2–3-fold higher than control cell lines and significantly higher than clinically achievable concentrations. Interestingly we found two parallel pathways governing resistance to ATO in 8226/S-ATOR05, and the relevance of these pathways appears to be linked to the concentration of ATO used. We found changes in the expression of Bcl-2 family proteins Bfl-1 and Noxa as well as an increase in cellular glutathione (GSH) levels. At low, clinically achievable concentrations, resistance was primarily associated with an increase in expression of the anti-apoptotic protein Bfl-1 and a decrease in expression of the pro-apoptotic protein Noxa. However, as the concentration of ATO increased, elevated levels of intracellular GSH in 8226/S-ATOR05 became the primary mechanism of ATO resistance. Removal of arsenic selection resulted in a loss of the resistance phenotype, with cells becoming sensitive to high concentrations of ATO within 7 days following drug removal, indicating changes associated with high level resistance (elevated GSH) are dependent upon the presence of arsenic. Conversely, not until 50 days without arsenic did cells once again become sensitive to clinically relevant doses of ATO, coinciding with a decrease in the expression of Bfl-1. In addition we found cross-resistance to melphalan and doxorubicin in 8226/S-ATOR05, suggesting ATO-resistance pathways may also be involved in resistance to other chemotherapeutic agents used in the treatment of multiple myeloma.
Recent decrease of sea level pressure in the central Arctic

Abstract Arctic sea level pressure data from the period of the Arctic Ocean Buoy Program show a significant decrease in the annual mean. In every calendar month, the annual mean is lower in the second half of the 1979–1994 period than in the first. The changes of the annual means are larger in the central Arctic than anywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere. The decreases are largest and statistically significant in the autumn and winter. The annual anomalies became negative relative to the 16-yr mean in the 1980s and have been negative in every year since 1988. Correspondingly, the mean anticyclone in the Arctic pressure field has weakened and the vorticity of the gradient wind field over the central Arctic Ocean has become more positive than at any time in the past several decades. The pressure decrease, which has been compensated by pressure increases over the subpolar oceans, implies that the wind forcing of sea ice contains an enhanced cyclonic component relative to earlier decades.
Sensitivity of Young Striped Bass to Organic and Inorganic Contaminants in Fresh and Saline Waters

Abstract The toxicity to young striped bass Morone saxatilis of a contaminant mixture composed of organic and inorganic chemicals was determined in fresh and saline waters when the fish were 35–80 d old. Decreases in water hardness and associated decreases in alkalinity and pH increased the toxicity of the mixture. This increase was attributed to changes in the speciation of inorganic chemicals in water of differing qualities. Under standard conditions for acute toxicity tests, cadmium, copper, zinc, nickel, and chromium were more toxic to striped bass in soft than in slightly saline water. Overall, striped bass were as sensitive as most salmonid species to seven inorganic chemicals and three organic insecticides, and much more sensitive than the cyprinids, ictalurids, and centrarchids that have been tested.
The actin associated protein palladin in smooth muscle and in the development of diseases of the cardiovasculature and in cancer

Palladin is an actin associated protein serving as a cytoskeleton scaffold, and actin cross linker, localizing at stress fibers, focal adhesions, and other actin based structures. Recent studies showed that palladin plays a critical role in smooth muscle differentiation, migration, contraction, and more importantly contributes to embryonic development. This review will focus on the functions and possible mechanisms of palladin in smooth muscle and in pathological conditions such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers.