cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Floors and Flexibility: Designing a Programming Environment for 4th-6th Grade Classrooms

The recent renaissance in early computer science education has provided K-12 teachers with multiple options for introducing children to computer science. However, tools for teaching programming for children with wide-scale adoption have been targeted mostly at pre-readers or middle school and higher grade-levels. This leaves a gap for 4th -- 6th grade students, who differ developmentally from older and younger students.In this paper, we investigate block-based programming languages targeted at elementary and middle school students and demonstrate a gap in existing programming languages appropriate for 4th -- 6th grade classrooms. We analyze the benefits of Scratch, ScratchJr, and Blockly for students and curriculum developers. We describe the design principles we created based on our experiences using block-based programming in 4th -- 6th grade classrooms, and introduce LaPlaya, a language and development environment designed specifically for children in the gap between grades K-3 and middle school students.
Reliability of the Sentence Completion Test of Ego Development in a Clinical Population

Interrater and internal consistency reliability of Loevinger's sentence completion test of ego development is examined within a psychology clinic population consisting of relatively pure types of neurotic, psychotic, and character disordered groups. Reliability study of the instrument suggests it is generalizable across populations, thusly supporting the reasonableness of further research with the test in clinical contexts.
Methodological Review of Intimate Partner Violence Prevention Research

The authors present a methodological review of empirical program evaluation research in the area of intimate partner violence prevention. The authors adapted and utilized criterion-based rating forms to standardize the evaluation of the methodological strengths and weaknesses of each study. The findings indicate that the limited amount of empirical research related to intimate partner violence prevention demonstrates some consistent methodological strengths and limitations. The authors conclude with a presentation of recommendations for further research in the area of intimate partner violence prevention.
Conflicting consequences of immunity to cancer versus autoimmunity to neurons: insights from paraneoplastic disease.

Immunologists are well aware that cancer regression and increased patient survival with the use of checkpoint inhibitors, such as ipilimumab, an antibody directed against cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated antigen 4, CTLA-4 (CD152), is accompanied by concomitant autoimmunity. For over 30 years, a small group of investigators have shown that the rare paraneoplastic syndromes are caused by immunity to shared antigens found on both tumors and on components of the nervous system. In this issue of the European Journal of Immunology, Blachere et al. [Eur. J. Immunol. 2014. 44: 3240-3251] elucidate some of the molecular mechanisms underlying the tolerance to neuronal antigens which share epitopes with oncologic antigens, observed in the context of paraneoplastic syndromes in mice. The presence of the shared tumor antigen on a nonhematopoietic cell underlies the basis for a certain level of tolerance in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, preventing these cells from attacking the brain, but allowing them to lyse the tumor upon transfer into tumor-bearing recipient mice. Comparisons between the paraneoplastic syndromes and the new autoimmune conditions seen with antibodies to immune checkpoints at CD152 or at CD279 are likely to illuminate shared mechanisms and solutions to these vexing diseases.
Disclosing Identities in Diffuse Interstellar Bands

Just as detectives use fingerprints to pin down criminals, astronomers use spectra to identify molecules in interstellar space. Astronomical spectroscopy, especially spectroscopy of molecular ions, is developing rapidly. Numerous interstellar negative ions, the very high abundance of H3+ in the Galactic center, and the extremely strong far-infrared absorptions of OH+, H2O+, H2Cl+, and CH+ have all been discovered during the last few years ( 1 ). In contrast to these rapid developments in the discovery of new molecular spectra, whose sharp features can be thought of as clean fingerprints, there exists a group of several hundred intriguing broad optical spectra (see the figure, panel A) called the diffuse interstellar bands (DIBs). These blurry fingerprints have defied attempts by many astronomers, physicists, and chemists to understand them for many decades. Maier et al. ( 2 ) now have a suspect in custody as the molecule responsible for DIBs—the linear carbene molecule, l -C3H2—but more evidence will be needed to get a conviction.
Regulation of the life cycle of HPVs by differentiation and the DNA damage response

HPVs are the causative agents of cervical and other anogenital cancers. HPVs infect stratified epithelia and link their productive life cycles to cellular differentiation. Low levels of viral genomes are stably maintained in undifferentiated cells and productive replication or amplification is restricted to differentiated suprabasal cells. Amplification is dependent on the activation of the ATM DNA damage factors that are recruited to viral replication centers and inhibition of this pathway blocks productive replication. The STAT-5 protein appears to play a critical role in mediating activation of the ATM pathway in HPV-positive cells. While HPVs need to activate the DNA damage pathway for replication, cervical cancers contain many genomic alterations suggesting that this pathway is circumvented during progression to malignancy.
Studies in the System BaO‐Al2O3−SiO2: V. The Ternary System Sanbornite‐Celsian‐Silica

Phase relations in the BaSi2O5−BaAl2Si2O8−SiO2 portion of the system BaO-Al2O3−SiO2 were reinvestigated by the standard quenching method. In contrast to the results of earlier studies, this portion is revealed as a simple ternary system; its features include a ternary eutectic at 1122°±7°C and a composition of BaO 35.2, Al2O3 9.5, and SiO2 55.3 wt%, involving the phases sanbornite, celsian, and silica. These results are compared with those of earlier quenching studies, with relations in analogous ternary systems, with data from hydrothermal experiments, and with observations of natural mineral assemblages.
Supramolecular triblock copolymers containing complementary nucleobase molecular recognition

A novel difunctional alkoxyamine initiator, DEPN2, was synthesized and utilized as an efficient initiator in nitroxide-mediated controlled radical polymerization of triblock copolymers. Complementary hydrogen-bonding triblock copolymers containing adenine (A) and thymine (T) nucleobase-functionalized outer blocks were synthesized. These thermoplastic elastomeric block copolymers contained short nucleobase-functionalized outer blocks (Mn ∼ 1K−4K) and n-butyl acrylate rubber blocks of variable length (Mn ∼ 14K−70K). Hydrogen-bonding interactions were observed for blends of the complementary nucleobase-functionalized block copolymers in terms of increased specific viscosity as well as higher scaling exponents for specific viscosity as a function of solution concentration. In the solid state, the blends exhibited evidence of a complementary A−T hard phase, which formed upon annealing, and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) revealed higher softening temperatures. Morphological development of the block copolymer...
Optimizing immunomodulator therapy for inflammatory bowel disease

6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) and its prodrug azathioprine (AZA) remain the mainstay of immunomodulator therapy for the maintenance of steroid-free remission in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Traditional dosing strategies for initiation of thiopurines are often based on weight or empirically chosen. Dosing based on an understanding of an inherited difference in drug disposition and metabolism may provide a safer alternative. The thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) enzyme plays a pivotal role in the metabolism of 6-MP and AZA and is critical to the determination of thiopurine toxicity. The therapeutic benefits of thiopurines correlate best with concentration of the active 6-thioguanine (6-TGN) metabolites. Reports suggest that therapeutic response can be maximized when patients achieve therapeutic 6-TGN levels. Pharmacogenetic dosing based on TPMT and pharmacokinetic dosing based on 6-TGN levels may offer a safety and efficacy advantage over traditional dosing strategies and provide a novel mechanism for optimizing immunomodulator therapy in IBD.
Dosimetric properties of magnetically collimated electron beams for radiation therapy.

A method of generating magnetically collimated electron beams is developed and the dosimetric properties of magnetically collimated electrons are investigated. An in-air magnetic collimator device was designed and constructed for the study. The magnetic collimator was placed above the exit port of a 14 × 14 cm 2 electron cone. Axial magnetic field of approximately 0.6 Tesla is generated inside the collimator via an array of permanent magnets. Fixed and rotational magnetically collimated electron beams were delivered and measured in phantoms. We found that magnetically collimated electron beams significantly lower the surface dose as compared with conventional electron beams. A magnetically collimated arc beam further reduces the surface dose to less than 20% of the maximum dose inside the target. The dose per monitor unit at d max for the magnetically collimated electron beams was significantly ( ∼ 40 % ) higher than that of the conventional electron beams. The use of magnetic collimation may lead to improved delivery techniques for breast and head and neck cancer treatments.
Multivariate analysis of risk factors for surgical site infection after laparoscopic colorectal surgery.

Surgical site infection (SSI) and incisional hernia (IH) are among the most common complications after colorectal surgery. While many risk factors for these complications are unavoidable, evidence suggests that use of Pfannenstiel incisions for specimen extraction during laparoscopic procedures may reduce their incidence. The objectives of this study were to identify risk factors for extraction site SSI (primary objective) and IH (secondary objective) in patients undergoing laparoscopic colorectal surgery. Patients who underwent laparoscopic colorectal resections at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center between January 2006 and October 2012 were included. In addition to reviewing medical records, data were gathered from patient questionnaires with a focus on two end points: extraction site SSI and IH. Univariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify significant associations between the two end points and the following variables: age, gender, ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) score, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), body mass index (BMI), diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, use of immunosuppressant medications, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, smoking, surgical history, surgery duration, duration of follow-up, use of hand-assistance, and utilization of Pfannenstiel incisions for specimen extraction. Multivariate analysis was performed for significant variables. A total of 419 patients met the inclusion criteria. The incidence of SSI was 10.3 %. Higher BMI, presence of IBD, younger age, and hand-assisted procedures were associated with a significantly higher risk of SSI. Use of Pfannenstiel extraction sites was associated with lower infection rates; however, this association was not statistically significant. IBD, BMI, and hand-assistance were statistically significant on multivariate analysis. Odds ratios for SSI with IBD, hand-assistance and BMI (per unit increase) were 3.3, 2.2, and 1.06, respectively. Alterations in surgical technique and specimen extraction site can reduce wound-related complications after laparoscopic colorectal resections. Remaining risk factors are largely nonmodifiable from a surgeon’s perspective.
Phospholiphase A2 dependent release of fatty acids from peroxidized membranes

Unilamellar vesicles (liposomes) consisting of liver phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were used as model membranes and subjected to lipid peroxidation. Following peroxidation samples were treated with phospholipase A2 from snake venom and subsequently analyzed for products of lipid peroxidation and of phospholipase A2 action. A significantly increased susceptibility to phospholipase A2 was noted for liposomes subjected to peroxidation, as compared to controls, which correlated with the extent of lipid peroxidation measured by the formation of thiobarbituric acid reacting products and conjugated dienes. Low levels of peroxides were detected in control liposomes and these peroxidases were rapidly cleaved by phospholipase A2, such that nearly 40% of the total peroxide content was associated with free fatty acids after l5 min incubation. Oxidized liposomes contained over seven fold the level of lipid peroxidation products, and the were also rapidly cleaved by phospholipase A2 where over 50% were recovered as free fatty acids following l5 min of exposure to phospholipase A2. Along with this high order of removal of oxidized fatty acids, a marked hydrolysis of intact fatty acids was also observed. The extent of fatty acid release was roughly correlated with the degree of fatty acid unsaturation. A substantial increase in the release of arachidonic acid was found when peroxidized membranes were analyzed.
Total-scattering cross-section measurements for intermediate-energy positrons and electrons colliding with Kr and Xe

Total-scattering cross sections have been measured in the same apparatus for positrons and electrons colliding with krypton and xenon in the energy range from 20 to 800 eV with the use of a beam-transmission technique. The unusual shapes of the peaks in the ${e}^{+}$-Kr and ${e}^{+}$-Xe total-cross-section curves suggest the possibility that inelastic processes may be contributing significantly to the respective total cross sections in those peaks. A distinct shoulder exists in the ${e}^{\ensuremath{-}}$-Xe total-cross-section curve in the vicinity of 20 eV, followed by a rapid decrease with the electron results dropping below the corresponding positron results in the energy range from 40 to 90 eV. This crossing of the curves at these energies is some-what anomalous compared to the situation for the other inert gases, where the electron results remain higher than the positron results. Estimates are made of potential experimental errors, including that associated with incomplete discrimination against small-angle forward scattering.
Social comparison and effect of discrimination among levels of originality on self-assessed originality.

Summary.Ss high and low in originality as defined by the "picture construction" portion of the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking, Form A (Torrance, 1968) judged the originality of drawings made by others and by themselves. 52 Ss low in originality discriminated among three independently defined levels of originality of drawings made by others more accurately than 52 Ss high in originality. Ss low in originality who were told they had made accurate judgments as to the originality of other's draw~ngs Increased the judgment of their own originality specimens, while high or~g~nal Ss who were told their judgments of other's originality were nor very accurate did not increase judgment of their originality specimens. The implications of these results for Festinger's ( 1954) social-comparison theory are discussed. In a recent study (Hood, 1973) the general problem of test performance and its effect on ratings of others was investigated in the specific context of creacivity research. One rather intriguing finding was thac, while absolute level of judged originality varied inversely with rater's own originality level, nevertheless persons high in originality tended to be less accurate in discriminating among originality levels than persons either medium or low in originality. Not only does this finding contradict a common assumption on research in creativity that persons high in creativity or originality are likely to be the best judges of these characteristics in others (Meehl, 1965), but it also raises an interesting issue about social-comparison theory (Festinger, 1954). Theorists have recently songhc to delineate the precise determinants of choices in social comparisons (Arrowood & Friend, 1969; LatanC, 1966; Gruder, 1971; Pettigrew, 1967; Wheeler, Shaver, Jones, Goethals, Cooper, Robinson, Gruder, & Butzine, 1969). While these data are far from unequivocal they do tend to qualify Festinger's (1954) assumptions about the choice of others in a comparison. Specifically, he posited that persons would choose to compare themselves with most similar others in order to provide reasonably accurate information in fulfilling their own needs for self-evaluation. Typically Festinger's assumption has been empirically tested by administering scales of presumed personality characteristics. Ss are told thac they have a median score and are then provided an opportunity to see a limited number of other scores in order to test Festinger's prediction that Ss will choose to compare themselves to others most similar to themselves on the characteristic in question. While these data tend to support Festinger's theory,
Effects of Excess Methionine or Lysine for Broilers Fed a Corn-Soybean Meal Diet

Three experiments were conducted to examine the consequences of over-supplementing DL-Met or L-Lys (as L-Lys.HCl) in diets for chicks fed a corn-soybean meal diet (23% CP, 3,200 kcal MEn/kg, .2% supplemental Met) during 1 to 3 wk posthatching. New Hampshire x Columbian male chicks were used in Experiments 1 and 2 and Hubbard x Hubbard males were employed in Experiment 3. The basal diet was supplemented with .5, 1.0, 2.0, or 4.0% DL-Met, or .4, .8, 1.6, or 3.2% L-Lys in Experiment 1. Weight gain, feed intake, and feed efficiency decreased linearly at supplemental levels of DL-Met between 1.0 and 4.0%. Weight gain of chicks fed diets with supplemental L-Lys levels greater than 1.6% was less than that of chicks fed the basal diet, but feed efficiency was not significantly affected. Adding K2CO3 to the diets containing 1.6 or 3.2% added L-Lys did not improve performance. Experiment 2 evaluated the effect of 1) adding 1.0% Gly or 1.0% L-Thr to the diet supplemented with 2.0% DL-Met; and 2) adding NaHCO3 to the high-Lys diets in order to buffer the excess chloride provided by L-Lys.HCl. Addition of these amino acids or buffer ameliorated but did not totally correct the negative effects of excess Met or Lys. Experiment 3 examined the tolerance of commercial broilers to supplemental DL-Met or L-Lys levels of .5 or 1.0%. Weight gain and feed efficiency were not affected by these excesses, but feed intake was reduced at the 1.0% level of inclusion of either amino acid.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Geometry of the fringe field formed in the intersection of two Gaussian beams

A general expression is obtained for the exact computation of the fringe field in the intersection volume of two paraxial Gaussian beams for arbitrary beam waist positions and sizes. The expression is then simplified to allow easy fringe field computation while retaining good accuracy. By relating the simplified expression to the system parameters relevant to dual-beam laser Doppler velocimeters, simple design equations are obtained. These equations permit rapid evaluation of the fringe field variation along the major and minor axes of the intersection volume and clearly identify the system parameters controlling this variation.
Performance of Publicly Listed Chilean Firms During the 2008-09 Global Financial Crisis

This paper examines publicly listed Chilean firms' performance during the 2008-09 crisis. In particular, it studies the effects from changes in external financing conditions, aggregate demand, and international trade on firms' investment, sales, and profits, using firm-specific characteristics measured prior to the crisis. The evidence suggests that the crisis had a larger negative impact on firms with greater reliance on external financing, and firms with higher sensitivity to aggregate demand and exports. Firms with more foreign currency debt also had larger declines in sales, although their investment or profits did not differ significantly from other firms.
Race differences in accuracy of self-reported childhood body size among white and black women.

FIELD, ALISON E., DEBRA L. FRANKO, RUTH H. STRIEGEL-MOORE, GEORGE B. SCHREIBER, PATRICIA B. CRAWFORD, AND STEPHEN R. DANIELS. Race differences in accuracy of self-reported childhood body size among white and black women. Obes Res. 2004;12:1136 –1144. Objective: To assess the relation of self-reported current and recalled preadolescent body size to measured BMI (kilograms per meter squared) and interviewer’s assessment of body size. Research Methods and Procedures: This was a prospective cohort study of 1890 white and black women who were 9 to 10 years old at time of enrollment and were followed up 10 to 13 years later. At baseline, subjects had their weight and height measured and were asked to indicate their current body size from a series of nine pictograms. A sample of the subjects also had their body size evaluated by interviewers. At the young-adult follow-up visit, subjects were asked to recall their body size at 9 and 10 years old and to indicate their current weight, height, body size, and level of concern with weight. Results: Among the women with interviewer assessments, 84% of the white women and 67% of black women recalled a body size that was within one body size of the interviewer’s assessment. Independent of weight status in childhood or at follow-up, black women were 3 times more likely than white women to recall a body figure that was more than one figure leaner than the shape they reported at baseline (odds ratio 3.5, 95% confidence interval 2.8 to 4.5) or than the interviewer’s rating at baseline (odds ratio 3.4, 95% confidence interval 2.4 to 4.9). Discussion: The results suggest that the use of body figures to recall childhood size are best suited for ranking subjects in terms of BMI. The higher rate of underestimation of size by black women suggests that body figure ratings work best for white women.
Absorption cross sections of alkali-vapor molecules: I. Cs2 in the visible II. K2 in the red

Abstract Detailed measurements have been made of the absorption cross section of Cs 2 in the visible ( C « X 1 ∑ + g , and other higher systems) and of K 2 in the red ( B 1 ∏ u « X 1 ∑ + g ). The C s 2 values, extending from 4700 to 6700 A, vary from about 0·01 to 1·2 A 2 . A representative value in the more prominent blue and red regions of the smeared-out spectrum is several tenths A 2 . The K 2 cross section varies from 5 to 25 A 2 for averaged data from 6200 to 6750 A, with the peak of the clearly-visible band structure reaching 35 A 2 at the (2, 0) band head. The cross sections were measured from absorption spectra taken as a function of optical depth for varying amounts of several inert broadening gases. Maximum effective cell-length and temperature uncertainties lead to maximum estimated errors of roughly +25 to -35 per cent.
Potential use of potassium efflux-deficient yeast for studying trafficking signals and potassium channel functions

The activity of potassium (K+) channels critically depends on their density on the cell surface membrane, which is regulated by dynamic protein–protein interactions that often involve distinct trafficking signals on the cargo proteins. In this paper we explored the possibility of utilizing the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain B31 for identification of the signal motifs that regulate surface expression of membrane proteins and for studying structure–function relationships of K+ channels. B31 cells lack the K+ efflux system and were reported to show overloaded K+-mediated growth inhibition in high K+ media upon heterologous expression of a mammalian inwardly rectifying K+ channel (Kir2.1). We show that while the expression of wild-type Kir2.1 channel inhibits the growth of B31 cells in high K+ media, the human disease-causing mutations of Kir2.1 that abolish K+ conduction (V302M) or surface trafficking (Δ314/315) fully restores the growth. The expression of two-pore-domain K+ channel KCNK3 or KCNK9 also inhibited the growth of B31 in high K+ media while C-terminal mutations that reduce their 14-3-3 protein-dependent cell surface trafficking restored the growth of B31. Finally, the expression of Kir2.1 channels that were C-terminally fused with known sequence motifs including ER retention/retrieval signals and an endocytosis signal allowed the growth of B31 in high K+ media. These results demonstrate the potential of B31 yeast strain as a unique biological tool to screen the random peptide libraries for novel sequence signals that down-regulate surface expression of membrane proteins, as well as to systematically identify the structural determinants for cell surface trafficking and/or ion conductance of K+ channels.
Perceived addiction treatment needs among alcohol using injection drug users.

Hazardous drinking is common among active injection drug users (IDUs). This report examines: (1) the perceived alcohol and drug treatment needs of a cohort of IDUs, and (2) whether perceived needs predict treatment entry. One hundred and eighty-seven AUDIT-positive (> or = 8), active IDUs were recruited between 2/98-10/99 for the Brief Alcohol Intervention for Needle Exchangers (BRAINE) trial. At entry, about 18% of participants perceived no need for substance abuse treatment, 52% for drug treatment alone, 26% for drug and alcohol treatment, and only 3% a need for alcohol treatment only. Very high levels of drinking and adverse drinking consequences were observed among those perceiving no need for treatment of alcohol problems. Perceived need for alcohol treatment was positively associated with measures of adverse drinking consequences and DSM-IV diagnosis for alcohol dependence. Persons who at baseline perceived the need for alcohol treatment were more likely to enter alcohol treatment at 6-month follow-up than those without a perceived need (20% vs. 5%; p = .006). We conclude that IDUs with co-occurring alcohol-use disorders perceive alcohol treatment needs as less immediate than drug treatment. Because perceived need predicts treatment entry, changing alcohol treatment perceptions in IDUs promises the potential of significant long-term public health benefits.
K-M-P string matching revisited

A simple recursive, memoized version of the Knuth-Morris-Pratt string matching algorithm is given, along with a proof of correctness and worst-case analysis.
Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis in the cervical spine.

The disease processes diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis, ankylosing spondylitis, and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament are similar in pathology and can lead to unexpected but grossly unstable fractures that may not be diagnosed until neurologic change occurs in cases of triv
Analysis of the Drosophila female sterile mutant, tiny, by means of pole cell transplantation

Oogenesis in Drosophila females homozygous for the female sterile mutation, ty, is characterized by morphological abnormalities in both the somatically derived follicle cells and the germ line derived nurse cells and oocyte. In order to identify the target cells of the mutation, reciprocal pole cell transfers were carried out between ty and ty+ embryos. The resulting mosaic ovaries contained host and donor germ line cells derived from the pole cells but only host follicle cells. Our results show that ty is a germ line mutation. The ty follicle cells in cooperation with normal nurse cells and oocyte lead to the production of normal flies. Consequently, the follicle cell abnormalities in ty egg chambers result from the expression of the mutation in the nurse cells, oocyte, or both.
Chromosome ends and the nuclear envelope at premeiotic interphase in the male grasshopper Brachystola magna by 3-D, E.M. reconstruction

During premeiotic interphase in the male grasshopper Brachystola magna the nucleus is divided into two nuclear envelope bound compartments, one containing the X chromosome and one the autosomes. — The autosomal compartment is characterized by an invaginated nuclear envelope with nuclear pores distributed throughout the envelope. In a polarized region of the cell the pericentric heterochromatic chromocenters are associated with the inner membrane of the envelope invaginations. In this species the chromosomes are telocentric (acrocentric?) and the pericentric heterochromatin marks the proximal chromosome ends. It is concluded that the chromosome ends are attached to the nuclear envelope at premeiotic interphase. — Comparisons are made between the present observations on chromosome arrangements and the nuclear envelope at premeiotic interphase to earlier observations at early meiotic prophase in the same species (Church, 1976). It is concluded that a rearrangement of both the proximal chromosome ends and the nuclear envelope occurs as cells enter meiotic prophase.
Objective Risk Evaluation for Automated Security Management

Network security depends on a number of factors. And a common characteristic of these factors is that they are dynamic in nature. Such factors include new vulnerabilities and threats, the network policy structure and traffic. These factors can be divided into two broad categories. Network risk and service risk. As the name implies, the former one corresponds to risk associated with the network policy whereas the later one depends on the services and software running on the system. Therefore, evaluating security from both the service and policy perspective can allow the management system to make decisions regarding how a system should be changed to enhance security as par the management objective. Such decision making includes choosing between alternative security architectures, designing security countermeasures, and to systematically modify security configurations to improve security. As there may be real time changes to the network threat, this evaluation must be done dynamically to handle such changes. In this paper, we provide a security metric framework that quantifies objectively the most significant security risk factors, which include existing vulnerabilities, historical trend of vulnerabilities of the remotely accessible services, prediction of potential vulnerabilities for these services and their estimated severity, unused address space and finally propagation of an attack within the network. These factors cover both the service aspect and the network aspect of risk toward a system. We have implemented this framework as a user-friendly tool called Risk based prOactive seCurity cOnfiguration maNAger (ROCONA) and showed how this tool simplifies security configuration management of services and policies in a system using risk measurement and mitigation. We also combine all the components into one single metric and present validation experiments using real-life vulnerability data from National Vulnerability Database (NVD) and show comparison with two existing risk measurement tools.
Stilbenes inhibit exchange of chloride between blood, choroid plexus and cerebrospinal fluid.

Abstract Disulfonic stilbenes (DIDS and SITS) were used to probe the nature of Cl transport in choroid plexus (CP) of adult rats. DIDS was more effective than SITS in reducing in vitro choroid cell [Cl]. Intravenously- or intraventricularly-administered DIDS substantially decreased36Cl transport from blood to CP to CSF. Rate of CSF renewal was diminished nearly 30% by DIDS. These inhibitory findings implicate an anion antiporter for mediating Cl flux (and thus water) between blood and CSF.
Solar inactivation of four Salmonella serovars in fresh and marine waters

Sunlight-mediated disinfection of water is of interest to both the drinking and recreational water quality community of researchers due to its potential to reduce microbial contamination and waterborne illness. Photo-inactivation of enteric bacteria has primarily been investigated using Escherichia coli and laboratory strains of model bacteria. The present study sought to document the photo-inactivation of environmental isolates of Salmonella in filter-sterilized natural seawater and freshwater and to test the hypothesis that diverse Salmonella serovars decay at similar rates both within and between water matrices. The inactivation of Salmonella enterica Typhimurium LT2, Typhimurium ST19, Heidelberg, and Mbandaka was examined in sunlit and dark microcosms. First order decay was observed in sunlit microcosms; the time until 90% inactivation was of the order of 10 min. A significant shoulder, of the order of 1 hr in length, was observed in the freshwater microcosms during which concentrations were stable. Serovar Mdandaka decayed more slowly than other serovars in both seawater and freshwater. The serovars were extremely stable in the dark microcosms showing little to no decay over 53 days. The results document intra-species variation in photo-inactivation, likely owing to differences in intracellular concentrations of photo-sensitizing molecules or molecules that quench reactive species.
Toxoplasma gondii adenosine kinase: expression, purification, characterization, crystallization and preliminary crystallographic analysis.

The obligate intracellular protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii depends on the purine-salvage pathway for its purine supply. Unlike its mammalian hosts, T. gondii salvages purine precursors predominantly via adenosine kinase, the enzyme that phosphorylates adenosine to adenosine monophosphate (AMP). The cDNA encoding T. gondii adenosine kinase was subcloned and expressed in Escherichia coli. The recombinant protein was active in an in vitro enzyme assay over a broad pH range. It required a divalent cation for activity. The enzyme was inactivated by the addition of 1 µM mercuric chloride. The inactivation could be reversed by a reducing agent. The active recombinant protein was crystallized using sodium sulfate as precipitant at pH 8.0. The crystals diffract to 1.8 A and belong to the monoclinic space group P21, with unit-cell parameters a = 47.5, b = 68.9, c = 57.0 A, β = 100.3°. The calculated Vm based on one molecule per asymmetric unit is 2.38 A3 Da−1.
Funding for Medical Education: Maintaining a Healthy Separation From Industry

Attitudes and policies about conflict of interest in medical education have evolved rapidly in the last several years. Temporally and conceptually, these changes have paralleled the rise of the relatively new field of behavioral economics in explaining commercial relationships. The traditional view of economics holds that in any transaction, all inputs and outcomes are simply the result of decisions by rational participants making choices that optimize their goals; however, the past decades have seen a reassessment of this “expected utility theory” with the growing awareness that unconscious biases and emotional factors profoundly affect behavior.1 The same insight has begun to influence how we think about medical education and the messages that are sent by and received from industry-sponsored speakers and programs. Because cardiology addresses the most common illnesses in developed societies and employs the most widely used and costly drugs and devices, these issues have been especially acute in this field. Response by Harrington and Califf see p 2228 Unquestionably, the drug and device industries make important contributions to the development of products that reduce the morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease. Industry is also a major source of both funding for and collaboration in cardiology research, and it provides substantial support for professional cardiology societies, topics that are beyond the scope of this report. But in the realm of teaching, whether of medical students, house officers, or practitioners, there is growing concern that educational activities should not be supported or influenced by companies whose profitability and very existence depend on the sales volume of the products they make.2 Our position that industry should not directly support educational programs is not ideologically driven. Rather, it is based on the expectation that medical knowledge can be transferred most efficiently and with the least distortion if those responsible for this …
A lower bound for the first eigenvalue of a vibrating nonhomogeneous plate

In this note we obtain a lower bound for the first eigenvalue of a nonhomogeneous plate problem. As a consequence we obtain an inequality of Barta-type.
Influence of sampling on target recognition and identification

Two perception experiments are conducted to quantify the relationship between imager sampling artifacts and target recognition and identification performance using that imager. The results of these experiments show that in-band aliasing (aliasing that overlaps the baseband signal) does not degrade target identification performance, but out- of-band aliasing (such as visible display raster) degrades identification performance significantly. Aliasing had less impact on the recognition task than the identification task, but both in-band and out-of-band aliasing moderately degrades recognition performance. Based on these experiments and other results reported in the literature, it appears that in-band aliasing has a strong effect on low-level discrimination tasks such as point (hot-spot) detection; out-of-band aliasing has only a minor impact on these tasks. For high-level discrimination tasks such as target identification, however, out-of-band aliasing has a significant impact on performance, whereas in-band aliasing has a minor affect. For intermediate-level discrimination tasks such as target recognition, both in-band and out-of-band aliasing have a moderate impact on performance. Based on data from the perception experiments, the modulation transferfunction (MTF) squeeze model is developed. The degraded performance due to undersampling is modeled as an effective increase in system blur or, equivalently, a contraction or "squeeze" in the MTF. An equation is developed that quantifies the amount of MTF squeeze or contraction to apply to the system MTF to account for the performance degradation caused by sampling.
A note on Doppler processing of coherent radar backscatter from the water surface: With application to ocean surface wave measurements

[1] The technique for extracting wave period and wave direction from radar backscattering intensity is well developed, but the determination of spectral density or wave height is hindered by the complex nature of the modulation transfer function. In contrast to backscattering intensity, the Doppler signal of a coherent radar is originated from the radial velocity of the scattering objects. Its oscillatory component is contributed by ocean waves. The peak component of the Doppler velocity spectrum can be used to obtain the spectral peak wave period and the significant wave height can be calculated from the variance of the Doppler velocity. Analyses of coherent radar measurements collected from the ocean show that with radar range coverage on the order of 10 dominant wavelengths, a good estimate of peak wave period and significant wave height is achievable with radar data as short as a few seconds.
The Use of Postoperative Restraints in Children after Cleft Lip or Cleft Palate Repair: A Preliminary Report

Purpose. This study examines whether the use of elbow restraints after cleft lip/palate repair has a relationship to postoperative complications. Methods. A comparative descriptive design was used to study a convenience sample of children undergoing repair of cleft lip/palate at Akron Children’s Hospital with Institutional Review Board approval. The children were randomized into intervention or control groups with use of elbow restraints considered the intervention. The study consists of two arms; one examined children after cleft lip repair, the second examined children after cleft palate repair. Repairs were performed by a single surgeon. Data collected included age, comorbidities, patient discomfort measured by pain score, frequency and duration of pain medications, use of pacifier or finger/thumb sucking, and postoperative complications including disruption of the suture line. Results. With 47 post palate repair patients and 47 post cleft repair patients, there is no significant difference () in the occurrence of postoperative complications. Conclusions. Study results provide prospective evidence to support postoperative observation of children by surgery staff and family following cleft lip or cleft palate repair without the use of elbow restraints. Clinicians should reevaluate the use of elbow restraints after cleft lip/palate repair based on the belief restraints prevent postoperative complications.
Large density amplification measured on jets ejected from a magnetized plasma gun

Observation of a large density amplification in the collimating plasma jet ejected from a coplanar coaxial plasma gun is reported. The jet velocity is ∼30 km s −1 and the electron density increases from ∼10 20 to 10 22–23 m −3 .I n previous spheromak experiments, electron density of the order 10 19–21 m −3 had been measured in the flux conserver region, but no density measurement had been reported for the source gun region. The coplanar geometry of our electrodes permits direct observation of the entire plasma dynamics including the source region. Analysis of Stark broadened spectral lines shows that the electron density increases by a factor of 100 as the jet collimates, with a peak density of up to 10 22–23 m −3 . The observed density amplification is interpreted according to an MHD theory that explains collimation of current-carrying plasma-filled magnetic flux tubes. Issues affecting interpretation of Stark broadened line profiles and the possibility of using the high-density plasma jet for tokamak fuel injection are discussed.
The Role of Maternal Schooling and Its Interaction with Public Health Programs in Child Health Production

Abstract Three questions are addressed in this paper: (1) Does mother's schooling affect child health? (2) If so, does its impact vary across child age groups? (3) How and why does maternal schooling affect child health? Maternal education positively affects child health as measured by height-for-age. There is a difference in its impact across child age groups, with preschoolers showing the greatest sensitivity. The pattern of interactions between maternal education and public health programs suggests that maternal education affects child health through an efficiency effect (by affecting the productivity of health inputs) and an allocative effect (by lowering the cost of information).
Worldwide clinical experience with cefoperazone

The safety and clinical efficacy of cefoperazone 1 to 2g 12-hourly was evaluated in clinical trials conducted in the United States, Europe, South and Latin America, and Japan. 1046 patients were treated in 4 comparative and 9 non-comparative studies. An overall satisfactory clinical response for cefoperazone therapy was achieved in 540 (88%) of the 615 evaluable patients. Cefoperazone was effective in 92% of lower respiratory tract infections, 81% of urinary tract infections, 98% of gynaecological infections and 90% of a mixture of intra-abdominal, wound and soft tissue infections. A satisfactory clinical response was obtained in over 90% of patients infected with organisms normally susceptible to cephalosporins, such as staphylococci, streptococci, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella and Proteus species. 50 to 90% of infections caused by organisms resistant to presently available cephalosporins, such as Enterobacter species, Proteus vulgaris, Providencia species, Morganella morganii, Serratia species, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Bacteroides fragilis responded satisfactorily to cefoperazone. In the 4 clinical trials comparing cefoperazone with cefamandole, cephazolin or carbenicillin, cefoperazone therapy resulted in a similar or higher rate of satisfactory clinical response. Adverse reactions related to cefoperazone occurred in 8% of patients and were mainly diarrhoea (4%), skin reactions (3%) and phlebitis (1%). Twice daily dosing with cefoperazone appears to be effective against numerous Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in a variety of clinical infections.
Design and simulations for a cylindrical polarimetric phased array weather radar

Array simulation for the cylindrical polarimetric phased array radar (CPPAR) is presented. Array lattices and element separations are examined using simulation to determine the optimal configuration that has the desired sidelobe level and cross-polarization isolation needed for quality precipitation measurements. The simulation results are verified by the linear and ring array theory. Different lattice, such as rectangular and triangular lattice, and their corresponding performances are compared, yielding the minimum number of array elements. Error effects caused by mechanical positioning, phase shifter, and elements failures, are also examined. Tolerable error limits are provided for system design.
Group X Secretory Phospholipase A2 Enhances TLR4 Signaling in Macrophages

Secretory phospholipase A(2)s (sPLA(2)) hydrolyze glycerophospholipids to liberate lysophospholipids and free fatty acids. Although group X (GX) sPLA(2) is recognized as the most potent mammalian sPLA(2) in vitro, its precise physiological function(s) remains unclear. We recently reported that GX sPLA(2) suppresses activation of the liver X receptor in macrophages, resulting in reduced expression of liver X receptor-responsive genes including ATP-binding cassette transporters A1 (ABCA1) and G1 (ABCG1), and a consequent decrease in cellular cholesterol efflux and increase in cellular cholesterol content (Shridas et al. 2010. Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 30: 2014-2021). In this study, we provide evidence that GX sPLA(2) modulates macrophage inflammatory responses by altering cellular cholesterol homeostasis. Transgenic expression or exogenous addition of GX sPLA(2) resulted in a significantly higher induction of TNF-α, IL-6, and cyclooxygenase-2 in J774 macrophage-like cells in response to LPS. This effect required GX sPLA(2) catalytic activity, and was abolished in macrophages that lack either TLR4 or MyD88. The hypersensitivity to LPS in cells overexpressing GX sPLA(2) was reversed when cellular free cholesterol was normalized using cyclodextrin. Consistent with results from gain-of-function studies, peritoneal macrophages from GX sPLA(2)-deficient mice exhibited a significantly dampened response to LPS. Plasma concentrations of inflammatory cytokines were significantly lower in GX sPLA(2)-deficient mice compared with wild-type mice after LPS administration. Thus, GX sPLA(2) amplifies signaling through TLR4 by a mechanism that is dependent on its catalytic activity. Our data indicate this effect is mediated through alterations in plasma membrane free cholesterol and lipid raft content.