cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of the multifunctional DNA repair and redox signaling protein Ape1/Ref-1 in cancer and endothelial cells: small-molecule inhibition of the redox function of Ape1.

Abstract The DNA base excision-repair pathway is responsible for the repair of DNA damage caused by oxidation/alkylation and protects cells against the effects of endogenous and exogenous agents. Removal of the damaged base creates a baseless (AP) site. AP endonuclease1 (Ape1) acts on this site to continue the BER-pathway repair. Failure to repair baseless sites leads to DNA strand breaks and cytotoxicity. In addition to the repair role of Ape1, it also functions as a major redox-signaling factor to reduce and activate transcription factors such as AP1, p53, HIF-1α, and others that control the expression of genes important for cell survival and cancer promotion and progression. Thus, the Ape1 protein interacts with proteins involved in DNA repair, growth-signaling pathways, and pathways involved in tumor promotion and progression. Although knockdown studies with siRNA have been informative in studying the role of Ape1 in both normal and cancer cells, knocking down Ape1 does not reveal the individual role ...
SU-FF-I-30: Generating Attenuation-Based Tube Current Modulation (TCM) Schema Based On Voxelized Patient Models to Be Used in Simulations Estimating Organ Dose From CT

Purpose: There are several TCM algorithms in CT acquisition currently used including x‐y plane modulation, z‐axis only modulation and combined (x,y,z) modulation techniques. While these have been used to reduce radiation dose in general, methods do not yet exist to assess their impact on reducing organ dose. This study establishes a generalizable process to generate TCM schema from various attenuation‐based algorithms for use in Monte Carlo simulation methods to assess organ dose from voxelized patient models. Methods and Materials: A previously validated scanner‐specific Monte Carlo‐based CT scanner model was altered to allow simulation of a topogram with the x‐ray tube held at an assigned gantry angle. An Anterior‐Posterior (AP) and a Lateral topogram were simulated on a voxelized patient model. A cylindrical mesh tally was used to calculate attenuation for every slice location along the cranial‐caudal direction of the patient and for angular increments around the gantry of the patient. A plot of patient attenuation versus table position was obtained for both topograms. The ideal TCM was calculated for each table position and the entire three‐dimensional TCM schema was generated by interpolating between the ideal TCM plots to maintain smooth tube current transitions for the remainder of the gantry rotation. Results: Using this generalizable model, we were able to generate the attenuation‐based TCM schema for a voxelized patient model. Conclusion: The results of this study demonstrate the ideal TCM schema for a specific TCM algorithm, but this generalizable model can be used to generate the ideal TCM schema for any combination of gantry angle, table location, and width of detector data. Therefore, this generalizable model can be used to generate TCM schema based on all types of attenuation‐based TCM algorithms and for any voxelized patient model.
Mobility Limitations Negatively Impact Work Outcomes among Medicaid Enrollees with Disabilities

Fear of losing health insurance is believed to be a significant work barrier for people with disabilities in the US. We examined the relationship of different types of daily activity limitations to work outcomes among adults with a variety of disabling conditions for whom the risk of losing health insurance has been removed by enrolling in a Medicaid buy-in (MBI) program. 1093 working-age adults with disabilities in the Massachusetts MBI program responded to the MassHealth Employment and Disability Survey, which provided data on the types of disabling conditions and activity limitations members experienced as well as three work outcomes––work status of members; annual earnings above substantial gainful activity of working members; and plans to work in the future of non-working members. Among different types of activity limitations, mobility limitations were generally associated with poorer work outcomes, regardless of disabling condition. Across members in three disability groups––psychiatric; physical; and co-occurring psychiatric and physical––those reporting mobility limitations were significantly less likely to be working or, if non-working, to be planning work than those reporting no or other types of limitations. There was an exception to this pattern with respect earnings among working members. Overall, work outcomes among members with co-occurring psychiatric and physical disabilities were most consistently negatively impacted by mobility limitations. Rehabilitation providers aiming to promote entry into the workforce need to be aware of the varied ways in which mobility limitations may create barriers for people with all types of disabilities.
Safety characteristics of Li(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 and Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2

Layered Li0.45(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 and Li0.55(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 materials have been, respectively, prepared by a chemical delithiation of layered Li(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 and Li(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 compounds using NO2BF4 oxidizer in an acetonitrile medium. The thermal gravimetric results show that both Li0.45(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 and Li0.55(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 powders release oxygen starting from 190 and 250 °C with an overall oxygen loss of 11 and 9 wt% at 900 °C, respectively. The results show that the oxygen release from these delithiated powders was associated with the occurrence of several structural transformations, ranging from a R3¯m→Fd3m (layered → spinel) transition to a Fd3m → Fm3m (spinel → NiO-type) transition. The 3 wt% weight gain, solely observed for Li0.55(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 between 800 °C and room temperature, involved a reversible Fd3m⇆Fm3m(spinel⇆NiO-type) structural transition. The reactivity of these delithiated powders with electrolytes was investigated by a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) between room temperature and 375 °C. In the case of Li0.55(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 powder, the DSC result shows that the oxidation of the electrolyte was delayed by 50 °C toward high temperatures with the generation of lower heat when compared to Li0.45(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 powder. The relationship between the safety characteristics of Li0.45(Ni0.8Co0.15Al0.05)O2 and Li0.55(Ni1/3Co1/3Mn1/3)O2 powders and their thermal stability was discussed in the light of their structural rearrangement during the thermal heating processes.
Accumulation of glucosinolate, oil, and erucic acid in developing Brassica seeds☆

Abstract The glucosinolate-free meal from rapeseed can be used as livestock feed, whereas glucosinolate-rich meal can be used as a pesticide. It has also been shown that glucosinolate content in Brassica (rapeseed) seeds can be manipulated by application of chemicals. However, the stage of seed development when potential chemical treatments could be applied has not been clearly identified. Thus, an experiment was conducted to evaluate accumulation of glucosinolate, oil, and erucic acid in developing seeds of rapeseed lines. These included lines that were classified as low or high for glucosinolate content. The florets of eight rapeseed lines were tagged at the 50% flowering stage and were sequentially harvested at 26, 28, 30, 33, 35, 37, 40, 42, 44, 47, 49, and 52 days after flowering (DAF). The oil content in both the high and low-glucosinolate lines increased approximately by a factor of four from 26 to 52 DAF. The oil content accumulation was not affected by glucosinolate content. Erucic acid content in the oil was significantly higher in low glucosinolate lines compared with high glucosinolate lines on 28 and 40 DAF. Developing seeds were most amenable to change in erucic acid content at approximately 37 DAF. The glucosinolate contents in high glucosinolate lines started to increase significantly at 26 DAF and continued up to 33 DAF. However, the glucosinolate content in the low glucosinolate lines increased only from 33 to 35 DAF. This indicates that the greatest accumulation of glucosinolate in developing rapeseed seeds may occur at approximately 26 DAF.
Optimal embedding for shape indexing in medical image databases

Abstract This paper addresses the problem of indexing shapes in medical image databases. Shapes of organs are often indicative of disease, making shape similarity queries important in medical image databases. Mathematically, shapes with landmarks belong to shape spaces which are curved manifolds with a well defined metric. The challenge in shape indexing is to index data in such curved spaces. One natural indexing scheme is to use metric trees, but metric trees are prone to inefficiency. This paper proposes a more efficient alternative. We show that it is possible to optimally embed finite sets of shapes in shape space into a Euclidean space. After embedding, classical coordinate-based trees can be used for efficient shape retrieval. The embedding proposed in the paper is optimal in the sense that it least distorts the partial Procrustes shape distance. The proposed indexing technique is used to retrieve images by vertebral shape from the NHANES II database of cervical and lumbar spine X-ray images maintained at the National Library of Medicine. Vertebral shape strongly correlates with the presence of osteophytes, and shape similarity retrieval is proposed as a tool for retrieval by osteophyte presence and severity. Experimental results included in the paper evaluate (1) the usefulness of shape similarity as a proxy for osteophytes, (2) the computational and disk access efficiency of the new indexing scheme, (3) the relative performance of indexing with embedding to the performance of indexing without embedding, and (4) the computational cost of indexing using the proposed embedding versus the cost of an alternate embedding. The experimental results clearly show the relevance of shape indexing and the advantage of using the proposed embedding.
Signature science in the terahertz

There has been enormous interest and considerable investment in recent years devoted to the development of the Terahertz (aka Submillimeter) spectral region for imaging and sensing. While a number of 'one of a kind' scientific applications (astrophysics, upper atmospheric processes, physical chemistry, molecular physics, etc.) in this spectral region have been highly successful, there are no 'public' applications of the THz. It is the central thesis of this paper that for most of the well publicized applications the lack of signature, clutter, and phenomenolgical knowledge - Signature Science - impedes progress at least as much as technical shortcomings. Thus, Signature Science represents a major scientific opportunity and a technological necessity. An important goal of Signature Science should be to provide a scientifically based body of knowledge that will make end-to-end system analyses possible at an early stage of system and application conceptualization and design. In this paper we will focus on three THz applications that have the potential to make a near term impact: 1) Imaging through obscurants, 2) Spectral signatures of gas phase chemicals, and 3) Signature quantification and analysis methods for optimal use of the information content of the spectra of solids, especially explosives.
Brief motivational and parent interventions for college students: a randomized factorial study.

Objective: Using a randomized factorial design, we examined the efficacy of a brief motivational intervention (BMI) and a parent-based intervention (PBI) as universal preventive interventions to reduce alcohol use among incoming college students. Method: Participants (N = 1,014) were assessed prior to matriculation and at 10 months and 22 months postbaseline. Two-part latent growth modeling was used to simultaneously examine initiation and growth in heavy episodic drinking and alcohol-related consequences. Results: This study retained 90.8% (n = 921) of randomized students at the 10-month follow-up and 84.0% (n = 852) of randomized students at the 22-month follow-up. BMI participants were significantly less likely than non-BMI participants to initiate heavy episodic drinking and to begin experiencing alcohol-related consequences. Effect sizes were minimal at 10 months (Cohen's h ranged from 0.02 to 0.07) and were small at 22 months (hs ranged from 0.15 to 0.22). A significant BMI x PBI interaction revealed that students receiving both the BMI and the PBI were significantly less likely to report the onset of consequences beyond the sum of the individual intervention effects (h = 0.08 at 10 months, and h = 0.21 at 22 months). Hypothesized direct BMI effects for reductions in heavy episodic drinking and consequences were not observed. Significant mediated effects via changes in descriptive norms were present for both growth and initiation of heavy episodic drinking and consequences. Conclusions: To our knowledge, the current study is the first to provide support for BMI as a universal preventive intervention for incoming college students. Although hypothesized PBI main effects were not found, mediation analyses suggest future refinements could enhance PBI effectiveness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved). Language: en
Comic books, graphic novels, and a novel approach to teaching anatomy and surgery

Art has been an integral component of the exploration of the human body for thousands of years, and drawing part of our evolutionary history and one our best adaptations for communicating and acquiring knowledge. As a biology educator and artist, I had been using drawing for my entire career to bring students closer to the natural world and assist them in deepening their understanding of form. I have used a variety of teaching techniques in biology and anatomy. More recently I discovered that I could transfer my visual narrative of biology using drawing and comic books to my anatomy classes and to surgical residents and medical students. This merger of fine art and life sciences resulted in a fine arts show, two published papers, and pedagogy of a comic book and graphic novel genre that taught anatomy drawing to medical and anatomy students through surgical narrative.
Transverse relaxation of 31P in 5′-AMP

The influence of proton decoupling on the transverse relaxation time (T2) of 31P in 5′-AMP was examined. The 31P transverse relaxation time is an order of magnitude smaller when the protons are not decoupled. An expression was derived for scalar relaxation of the second kind for nucleus A in an AX2 system in which relaxation of X is in the slow relaxation limit. Values calculated using this expression were in good agreement with experimental T2 values indicating that transverse relaxation of 31P in 5′-AMP in the absence of proton decoupling is dominated by scalar relaxation of the second kind via scalar coupling to the two 5′ protons. With broadband proton decoupling, 31P spin-echo attenuation attributable to magnetization transfer is a potential problem. The 31P T2 measured in the presence of proton decoupling was compared with results obtained using the off-resonance rotating frame spin-lattice relaxation (T1ϱoff) experiment in the absence of proton decoupling, with broadband decoupling, and with coherent decoupling of the 5′ protons. The T1T2 ratio derived from the T1ϱoff experiments was in agreement with that obtained by measurement of T1 and of T2 at two different levels of broadband (both noise and square-wave modulated) proton-decoupling power and with coherent proton decoupling, revealing no complications in 31P T2 measurements in the presence of broadband proton decoupling for 5′-AMP (or probably other phosphates).
Computer Architectures for Artificial Intelligence Processing

This article assesses different architectural approaches to the design of computers for artificial intelligence (AI) applications. The authors provide a classification scheme that highlights the relationship between the application domains and hardware realization of AI-oriented computer systems, as well as a comparison of AI machines and numerical computers. The emphasis is on three architectural classes: multiprocessors that support interactive MIMD (multiple-instruction stream and multiple-data stream) operations through a shared memory space; multicomputers that support multiple SISD (single-instruction stream and single-data stream) operations by means of message passing among distributed processors with local memories; and multipurpose computers consisting of a large number of fine-grain processor-memory nodes operating in an SIMD (single-instruction stream and multiple-data stream), a multiple SIMD, or an MIMD fashion.
Respiratory distress in a patient with rhabdomyolysis-induced acute renal failure

A 22-year-old male anabolic steroid user was admitted to our institution with rhabdomyolysis and renal failure following severe exertion. His initial serum creatinine level was 5.9 mg dl-1, and he eventually required hemodialysis. He developed severe hypocalcemia and tetany requiring intravenous calcium replacement (a total of 1398 MEq over 8 days). With improving renal function, he developed hypercalcemia (peak calcium 13.2 mg/dl, peak ionized calcium 1.67 mmol/l, peak phosphorus 10.6 mg/dl, and peak calcium-phosphorus product 100.9). At this time, he became increasingly dyspneic and required ventilatory support. Chest X-ray showed diffuse alveolar shadows. Right heart catheterization showed normal hemodynamics and filling pressures. Computed tomography scan showed diff use lung lesions and skeletal and cardiac muscle calcifi cation. A 99mTc-diphosphonate scintigram bone scan (Figure 1) showed major uptake in the lung and bilateral uptake in the area of the thighs. Transbronchial biopsy showed extensive calcium deposits in the alveoli associated with mild infl ammation (Figure 2a and b). The patient was treated with 40 mg prednisone daily, with improvement in symptoms and pulmonary function tests. His serum creatinine level at discharge was 1.1 mg/dl.
Changes in autism spectrum disorder prevalence in 4 areas of the United States

Abstract Background We sought to describe autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population characteristics and changes in identified prevalence across 3 time periods. Methods Children with a potential ASD were identified through records abstraction at multiple sources with clinician review based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV-TR) criteria. Multisite, population-based data from the Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network were analyzed from areas of Arizona (AZ), Georgia (GA), Maryland (MD), and South Carolina (SC). Participants were 8-year-old children (born in 1992, 1994, or 1996) in 2000, 2002, or 2004 (and children born in 1988 residing in metropolitan Atlanta in 1996) who had been evaluated for a variety of developmental concerns at education and/or health sources. Results From 2000 to 2004, the identified prevalence of the ASDs per 1,000 8-year-old children showed significant increases of 38% in GA and 72% in MD and a nonsignificant increase of 26% in AZ. ASD prevalence was relatively stable in SC with a nonsignificant decrease of 17%. Males had a higher identified prevalence of ASD in all years. Increases among racial, ethnic, and cognitive functioning subgroups varied by site and surveillance year. More children were classified with an ASD by community professionals over time, except in AZ. Conclusions There was a trend toward increase in identified ASD prevalence among 8-year-old children who met the surveillance case definition in 3 of the 4 study sites from 2000 to 2004. Some of the observed increases are due to improved ascertainment; however, a true increase in ASD symptoms cannot be ruled out. These data confirm that the prevalence of ASDs is undergoing significant change in some areas of the United States and that ASDs continue to be of urgent public health concern.
The greatest depth in the oceans

The information concerning the deepest soundings in the oceans is reviewed. It is concluded that the previously accepted values for the Emden and Ramapo Deeps are somewhat in error and that the Cape Johnson Deep in the Mindanao Trench is probably the deepest valid sounding thus far obtained. The Cape Johnson sounding is 5740 fm after correction for the speed of sound in sea water according to the British Admiralty tables of 1939.
Endothelial injury caused by antineoplastic agents

The vascular lining of the blood vessels to normal organs and malignant tissues would be expected to reflect the functional demands placed upon it. These functional requirements may be accomplished by specific biochemical macromolecules, some of which are localized on the plasma membrane of the endothelium. Considerable evidence exists that toxicity to at least some normal organs caused by antineoplastic agents is heralded by endothelial damage. This endothelial damage may reflect a specific drug-endothelium interaction, the mechanism and basis of which are not yet understood. The possibility also exists that destruction of solid tumors by currently employed antitumor agents is mediated in part by local loss of essential vasculature. Selective destruction of the tumor endothelium could be a rational and novel target to which drugs could be designed.
African American Grandmothers Parenting Grandchildren Orphaned by AIDS: Grieving and Coping with Loss

While recent advances in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) treatment has decreased the number of AIDS-related deaths among all women in America, AIDS continues to be the third leading cause of death among African American and Latina women aged twenty-five though forty-four. The majority of the children left behind will be parented by their grandmothers or other women who will assume the parenting role. This article focuses on the ways in which African American cultural traditions affect the grieving and coping responses of a cohort of ten urban African American parenting grandmothers who are caring for children orphaned by AIDS. The African American cultural value placed on commitment to family caregiving, coupled with an abiding connection to systems of religious ritual and belief, sustained the grandmothers as they grieved the loss of adult children to a stigmatizing and shameful death.
Oestrogen-mediated phosphorylation and stabilization of BRCA2 protein in breast.

Disease-associated BRCA2 mutations typically result in protein truncations that delete the phosphorylation-regulated S3291 BRCA2 domain that interacts with Rad51. BRCA2 hereditary breast cancers are usually ER+, differing from BRCA1 hereditary cancers, which are usually ER−. We studied BRCA2 protein expression and S3291 phosphorylation in normal breast tissues and in sporadic breast cancers and observed that BRCA2 is expressed and phosphorylated in normal breast and 10 ER+ breast cancers but not in 10 ER− breast cancers. In order to study this correlation between ER and BRCA2 expression, we studied ER+ breast cancer cell lines. We found that a rapid increase in BRCA2 S3291 phosphorylation occurs following 17-β-oestradiol (E2) treatment. This increase seen in BRCA2 total and phospho-S3291 protein levels was found to be unaffected with cycloheximide pre-treatment, but decreased following tamoxifen, ICI 182,780 or roscovitine treatment. This suggests a requirement for ER and cdk (cyclin-dependent kinase) in mediating the increased protein levels. MCF7 cell cycle distribution analysis following E2, in both the presence and absence of roscovitine (a cdk inhibitor), did not demonstrate any changes during an 8 h period, which further supports our hypothesis that mitogenic effects of E2 are not predominant at early time points. Studies with MG132 proteasome inhibitor and siRNA to skp2 support a model in which skp2-mediated proteasomal degradation of BRCA2 rapidly degrades BRCA2 protein in the absence of hormone treatment, which likely inhibits this pathway. E2 was shown to improve survival of MCF7 cells upon radiation treatment and roscovitine partially reversed this effect. We have demonstrated that BRCA2 protein is specifically expressed in ER+ breast cancers and are investigating a pathway that may show a link between E2 action and BRCA2 protein function in breast cancer. Copyright © 2008 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the reliability and predictive validity of purchase intention measures

This paper reports some further analyses and applications of Morrison's model of the predictive relationship between measures of intentions and subsequent purchasing behavior. A review of published studies bearing on the threats to predictive validity of intention scales represented in Morrison's model is presented. Findings from a test-retest study of intention ratings for concept stimuli are shown to be consistent with the levels of reliability expected under the model's assumptions of beta binomial distributed scores. Evidence of the predictive validity of intention measures is found in a re-analysis of several sets of relevant data but a different form of predictive relationship is shown to hold for generic durable goods as compared to branded packaged goods. Whereas a linear relationship is supported in the case of durable goods, the presence of a threshold phenomenon in the branded packaged goods data suggests the use of a piecewise linear model. There is reason to believe that the nature and sources of systematic error present in intentions ratings are different for these two types of purchases.
Radiographic screening for glass foreign bodies — what does a “negative” foreign body series really mean?

This study was designed to provide percentages of radiographic detection of small glass foreign bodies and to compare the detection rates (sensitivity) of two-view posteroanterior and lateral with those of four-view posteroanterior, lateral, and right and left obliques screening radiographs. Three sizes (0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 mm, maximum dimension) of beer bottle glass fragments were inserted into chicken legs and radiographed. Three staff radiologists reviewed the films independently. With two-view radiography, the 2.0-, 1.0-, and 0.5-mm glass fragments exhibited 99%, 83%, and 61% average detection rates, respectively. An analysis of variance and a Tukey's range test demonstrated that the variation in the average detection rate with respect to size was statistically significant (P less than .01). X2 Analysis failed to demonstrate a statistically significant (P greater than .05) increase in average detection rates with four-view radiography. The results of this study indicate that the size of the glass foreign body is often the limiting factor for radiographic detection and that 0.5- to 2.0-mm fragments represent a "limited detection" size range. Furthermore, two-view radiography is appropriate and more cost-effective than four-view radiography for screening purposes.
Halasz's "seven issues" in context

Frank Halasz's "Seven issues" paper first received widespread distribution in the July 1988 Communications of the ACM. It appeared at a time when hypertext and hypermedia systems were receiving widespread attention. In this retrospective, I discuss the role of this paper in supporting and encouraging the broadening of the interests of the research community and its relevance in today's World-Wide-Web-centered milieu.
The Prince’s Dream: A Future For Academic Libraries

This article discusses the role of values in providing principles for the academic library. It examines the role of libraries in relation to the human record and the wider question of cultural heritage. The roles of technology and scientific management as tools rather than ends in themselves are explored alongside the nature of research. Co-operation and (when possible) integration of libraries with other cultural institutions is advocated.
A comparison of two methods of assessing representation-mediated food aversions based on shock or illness.

Abstract In experiments that measured food consumption, Holland (1981; Learning and Motivation, 12 , 1–18) found that food aversions were formed when an exteroceptive associate of food was paired with illness, but not when such an associate was paired with shock. By contrast, measuring the ability of food to reinforce instrumental responding, Ward-Robinson and Hall (1999; Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 52B , 335–350) found that pairing an associatively activated representation of food with shock readily established an aversion to that food. Two experiments considered the origins of these apparently discrepant results. The results did not support either the possibility that instrumental reinforcement power is a more sensitive measure of aversion learning than consumption, or the hypothesis that illness particularly devalues properties of food representations that determine consumption (such as palatability) whereas shock devalues more general properties critical to reinforcement. The results suggested instead that whereas the effects of pairings of a food associate with illness are mediated by changes in the value of the food itself, the effects of pairings with shock are mediated by the conditioning of fear or other competing responses to the site of food delivery, and not by modification of the value of food itself.
Modeling and validation of additively manufactured porous nitinol implants

Bone implants are long term solutions for bone loss. Currently, two issues have been identified as reducing the long term stability of bone implants. The first issue is stiffness mismatch between the implant and the surrounding bony structure. The current materials used for manufacturing bone implants are much stiffer than the surrounding host bone. The second issue concerns bone-implant integration; the fact is that the bone needs an appropriate surface on which to attach and accept or deliver a load. Additive manufacturing techniques using Nitinol may provide the ability to fabricate bone implants with predetermined pore size and stiffness. This work brings the concept of stiffness tailoring to reality, taking advantage of additive manufacturing technique to fabricate engineering porosity to modify the stiffness. Based on the simulation and test results, it is shown that implants can be made with the stiffness in the range of the stiffness of the bone. The same capabilities can be used to affect a rough surface onto which bone is more likely to attach.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Constitutional Challenges, Risk-based Analysis, and Criminal History Databases: More Demands on the U.S. Sentencing Commission

Criminal history has traditionally been a component of any sentence determination. In guideline systems, it has become one of the two axes that determine an offender’s sentence. This FSR Issue focuses largely on the important role criminal history plays in the federal Guidelines, though it also provides an update on recent developments in England. The Contributors to this Issue discuss a host of empirical and legal questions, the resolution of many of which require crucial value judgments and call for a more focused re-thinking of the justifications underlying the federal Guideline structure. This Issue continues FSR’s ongoing coverage of the criminal history category, a topic we have taken up in two other recent Issues. 1 The impetus for this Issue were two recent Sentencing Commission studies on criminal history. One, entitled Measuring Recidivism: The Criminal History Computation of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines examines the predictive statistical power of Chapter Four, as it is currently written. Linda Drazga Maxfield, a senior research associate with the Commission, presents a synopsis of this report in this Issue. The second study focuses on Recidivism and the “First Offender.” It analyzes recidivism rates among federal offenders with little or no criminal history prior to the federal offense at issue. 2 Former Commissioner O’Neill includes some of the major findings of this study in his article in this Issue.
Excimer ablation design and elliptical transition zones

Abstract Purpose To describe the rationale behind elliptical and other transition designs used with the excimer laser. Setting Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, Oregon, USA. Methods Ablation zone designs were analyzed for the number of transition points for myopia and hyperopia. The advantages and disadvantages of elliptical transition zones are demonstrated graphically, with an emphasis on smooth ablation zone design to maximize the optics and biologic tolerance by the eye. Results The use of an individualized elliptical transition maximizes a circular effective optical zone and can enhance the smoothness of the transition zone while minimizing excessive tissue removal. Conclusion Elliptical transition zones may improve the optics and biologic tolerance of excimer laser treatments.
Acoustic data sharing for Afghan and Persian languages

In this work, we compare several known approaches for multilingual acoustic modeling for three languages, Dari, Farsi and Pashto, which are of recent geo-political interest. We demonstrate that we can train a single multilingual acoustic model for these languages and achieve recognition accuracy close to that of monolingual (or language-dependent) models. When only a small amount of training data is available for each of these languages, the multilingual model may even outperform the monolingual ones. We also explore adapting the multilingual model to target language data, which are able to achieve improved automatic speech recognition (ASR) performance compared to the monolingual models for both large and small amounts of training data by 3% relative word error rate (WER).
Monotonic Increase of Nitrite Yields in the Photolysis of Nitrate in Ice and Water between 238 and 294 K

The quantum yield, φ, of nitrite formation in the 302 nm band photolysis of fluid or frozen aqueous nitrate solutions increases monotonically with temperature over the range 238−294 K. The presence of formate increases φ 5-fold but does not modify its temperature dependence. Considering that the detection of nitrite as a product is only possible after the initial photofragments (NO_2^- + O) escape the solvent cage and that the diffusivity of ice, D_(ice), is about 6 orders of magnitude smaller than that of supercooled water, D_(aq), at the same temperature, we infer that nitrate photodecomposition takes place in similar liquidlike media at all temperatures. We found that the nitrite dispersed into the bulk is subsequently degraded by OH radicals, another primary photoproduct that can be scavenged by formate. The fact that experimental φ values in ice are actually larger than those derived from linear φ vs D_(aq)T^(1/2) extrapolation of aqueous phase data, as expected for cage processes in homogeneous media, suggests that the photochemically relevant properties of the quasi-liquid layer covering ice below the normal melting point resemble those of bulk supercooled water, but other effects, such as the dissipation of excess photon energy into the medium, may also play a role.
A study of the mechanisms of DNA And thymine degradation in cultured human cells infected with a lipovirus.

DNA and thymine degradation on cultured human, mouse, and chick cells were studied. Significant increase in DNA-degrading activity was demonstrated in human embryonic cells killed by freeze-thawing, liver cells killed with mitomycin C, mouse embryonic cells infected with encephalomyocarditis virus, and in all cells killed by the lipovirus. Twelve other viral agents, actinomycin D, and 5-fluorodeoxyuridine failed to produce a similar increase. Thymidine-2-C14-labeled cultures, either live, killed, or infected by 19 different physical-chemical and biological agents, did not release detectable quantity of C14C2. Following infection with the lipovirus 20 to 60 per cent of the total radioactivity of thymidine-2-C14-labeled cultures was liberated as C14O2. It was postulated that the lipovirus introduced into the host cells the missing genetic information necessary for the synthesis of one or more enzymes responsible for the reductive catabolism of thymine.
Stereo matching with reflections and translucency

In this paper, we address the stereo matching problem in the presence of reflections and translucency, where image formation can be modeled as the additive superposition of layers at different depth. The presence of such effects violates the Lambertian assumption underlying traditional stereo vision algorithms, making it impossible to recover component depths using direct color matching based methods. We develop several techniques to estimate both depths and colors of the component layers. Depth hypotheses are enumerated in pairs, one from each layer, in a nested plane sweep. For each pair of depth hypotheses, we compute a component-color-independent matching error per pixel, using a spatial-temporal differencing technique. We then use graph cut optimization to solve for the depths of both layers. This is followed by an iterative color update algorithm whose convergence is proven in our paper. We show convincing results of depth and color estimates for both synthetic and real image sequences.
Modeling the performance of an automated keywording system

Abstract This paper presents a model for predicting the performance of an automated keywording system on each document it keywords. Statistical procedures were investigated in order to protect against incorrect keywording by an automated system designed to behave as a human “expert” indexer keywording documents representing lessons learned from military exercises and operations. The benefit of a statistical model is that it allows the opportunity to manually keyword a document when its predicted performance is low. The specifics of the automated system under consideration are described and various performance measures are considered. The model and variables on which it is based, as well as an illustration of its effectiveness, are presented.
End Points for Comparative Effectiveness Research in Heart Failure

With the increasing availability of therapeutic strategies (drugs, devices, disease management systems) and the growing complexity of health care delivery, there is an attendant need for objective evidence of the tangible benefits of different approaches to care. This is particularly true for patients with heart failure, a common, morbid, and resource-intensive disease. There are few well-proven therapies for patients with acute decompensation or for patients with normal LVEF. Comparative effectiveness research (CER) offers an important avenue for making progress in the field. However, CER, like any well-designed research program, requires the explicit articulation of clinically important outcomes to be compared. For patients with heart failure, there is a need to develop endpoint measures that capture the totality of potential benefits and risks for alternative therapeutic approaches. Ultimately, for one therapeutic approach to be considered superior to another, it must improve one of three relevant endpoints: make patients live longer, make them feel better, or save money without adversely affecting the other two goals. Importantly, these outcomes must be measured directly and surrogates should be avoided, even if such surrogates appear to be associated with clinically meaningful, patient-centered outcomes. In this review, we discuss the available CER endpoint domains from both a clinical and a statistical perspective, summarize the wide variety of endpoints used in CER studies, and suggest steps for greater standardization of endpoints across CER studies of patients with heart failure.
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in End‐Stage Renal Disease Patients

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) offers many diagnostic and therapeutic challenges to nephrologists. Renal failure may be a direct consequence of viral infection (HIV-associated nephropathy), or intrinsic renal diseases may occur in previously infected individuals. Patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) may acquire HIV infection from blood transfusions, renal allografts, sexual contacts, or needle sharing by drug addicts. In the early 1980s, the overall prognosis of patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) was very poor, and survival of those with ESRD was dismal. Consequently many even questioned the value of providing maintenance dialysis to patients with AIDS. With advances in diagnostic techniques in serologic and viral markers of disease, and deployment of highly effective antiretroviral agents, the prognosis of HIV-infected patients has dramatically improved. Over the past two decades, experiences in the management of HIV patients with ESRD is accumulating. Both peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis are effective modes of therapy and many centers are now beginning to perform renal transplantation in HIV-infected patients. This article deals with various aspects of HIV infection in patients with ESRD.
Upper mantle shear structure of North America

Summary. The waveforms and travel times of S and SS phases in the range 10"-60" have been used to derive upper mantle shear velocity structures for two distinct tectonic provinces in North America. Data from earthquakes on the East Pacific Rise recorded at stations in western North America were used to derive a tectonic upper mantle model. Events on the north-west coast of North America and earthquakes off the coast of Greenland provided the data to investigate the upper mantle under the Canadian shield. All branches from the triplications due to velocity jumps near 400 and 660 km were observed in both areas. Using synthetic seismograms to model these observations placed tight constraints on heterogeneity in the upper mantle and on the details of its structure. SS-S travel-time differences of 30 s along with consistent differences in waveforms between the two data sets require substantial heterogeneity to at least 350 km depth. Velocities in the upper 170 km of the shield are about 10 per cent higher than in the tectonic area. At 250km depth the shield velocities are still greater by about 4.5 per cent and they gradually merge near 400 km. Below 400 km no evidence for heterogeneity was found. The two models both have first-order discontinuities of 4.5 per cent at 405 km and 7.5 per cent at 695 km. Both models also have lids with lower velocities beneath. In the western model the lid is very thin and of relatively low velocity. In the shield the lid is 170km thick with very high velocity (4.78 km s-'); below it the velocity decreases to about 4.65 km s-'. Aside from these features the models are relatively smooth, the major difference between them being a larger gradient in the tectonic region from 200 to 400 km.
Political Tolerance, Psychological Security, and Religion: Disaggregating the Mediating Influence of Psychological Security

This research focuses on the variable “psychological security” as a mediating influence for religion, and its influence on political tolerance. While the composite variable of "psychological security" (typically measured by dogmatism, self-esteem, and trust) has been part of many studies of political tolerance, insufficient attention has been paid to the influence of these separate indicators. This is problematic because certain religious beliefs, practices, and/or affiliations may contribute differentially to the particular components of psychological security that are linked with greater political intolerance. So, we do not know “if” and “how” religion may influence these separate psychological security components or the mediating influence of these components in the religionpsychological security-political tolerance connection. The objective of this project is to “unpack” the unique influence of the psychological security components in our understanding of political tolerance and to assess the mediating influence of these same components on the relationship between religion and tolerance.
Elimination of traditional functional testing of interface timings at intel

This work summarizes the design for test (DFT) circuitry and test methods that enabled Intel to shift away from traditional functional testing of I/O's. This shift was one of the key enablers for automatic test equipment (ATE) re-use and the move to lower capability (& cost) structural test platforms. Specific examples include circuit implementations from the Pentium/sup /spl reg// 4 processor, high volume manufacturing (HVM) data, and evolutionary changes to address key learnings. We close with indications of how this can be extended to cover the next generation high speed serial like interfaces.
Poliheuristic Theory, Bargaining, and Crisis Decision Making

In the past decade, the application of the Poliheuristic (PH) theory to foreign policy decisions of various types, by numerous leaders, and in association with different research methods, has demonstrated its theoretical merit in integrating the divided rational choice and psychological/cognitive approaches. This article argues for a complementary relationship between PH and formal theory. On the one hand, PH can provide a framework in which abstract formal models can be connected with specific domestic as well as international circumstances. On the other hand, formal theory sharpens the rational analysis used in the second conceptual stage of PH. In this study, I formulate a revised Rubinstein bargaining model with war as an outside option and apply it to Chinese crisis decision making during the Second and Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis. In sum, this study makes three contributions to the literature on international crises and foreign policy analysis. First, it gives formal explanations on how PH can contribute to the game-theoretic approach in foreign policy analysis. Second, it presents what Bueno de Mesquita and Lalman (1992) called a “domestic politics version” of the canonical Rubinstein bargaining game, connecting international interactions with individual participants’ domestic politics. Finally, it provides a way to test abstract game-theoretic models in particular domestic and international contexts of foreign policy making.
Knowability and the capacity to know

This paper presents a generalized form of Fitch’s paradox of knowability, with the aim of showing that the questions it raises are not peculiar to the topics of knowledge, belief, or other epistemic notions. Drawing lessons from the generalization, the paper offers a solution to Fitch’s paradox that exploits an understanding of modal talk about what could be known in terms of capacities to know. It is argued that, in rare cases, one might have the capacity to know that p even if it is metaphysically impossible for anyone to know that p, and that recognizing this fact provides the resources to solve Fitch’s paradox.
Oxidation of Magnesiowustite Single Crystals: II, Dependence on Temperature, Oxygen Pressure, and Crystal Composition

Single crystals of magnesiowustite (Mg,Fe)O containing up to 79 at.% Fe were prepared, and the proportions of ferrous and ferric ions were determined by chemical analysis. The rate of oxidation of individual crystals was studied at temperatures from 1000° to 1100°C and oxygen partial pressures of 2 × 10−1 to 3 × 10−6 atm. The reaction follows an equation based on diffusion through a product layer. The rate constant varies with temperature according to the Arrhenius relation, and activation energies range from 52 kcal/mole with 13 at.% Fe to about 17 to 20 kcal/mole when Fe atoms occupy one third or more of the cation positions. The rate constant is independent of oxygen partial pressure within the pressure range studied. Spectrographic measurements show that Fe in magnesiowustite occupies mainly octahedral sites, but some tetra-hedral positions appear to be occupied. The mechanism of the oxidation reaction is considered.
A CANINE MODEL OF CHRONIC HEART FAILURE PRODUCED BY MULTIPLE SEQUENTIAL CORONARY MICROEMBOLIZATIONS

A canine model of chronic heart failure was produced by multiple sequential intracoronary embolizations with microspheres. Twenty closed-chest dogs underwent three to nine intracoronary embolizatio...