cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Independence of Events

The concept of independence in probability, called stochastic independence, was introduced early in the history of the topic. If events form an independent class, then the calculation of probabilities of Boolean combinations is highly simplified. In many applications, events of interest may be the result of processes that are operationally independent. That is, these processes are related in a such a manner that one process does not affect, nor is it affected by, the other. Thus the occurrence of an event associated with one of the processes does not affect the likelihood of the occurrence of an event associated with the other process. It would seem reasonable to suppose these events are independent in a probabilistic sense. The concept of stochastic independence can be represented mathematically by a simple product rule. In spite of the mathematical simplicity, logical consequences of this definition show that it captures much of the intuitive notion of independence and hence provides a useful model for applications. We introduce stochastic independence for a pair of events, examine some basic patterns, then extend the notion to arbitrary classes of events. We then identify a variety of patterns that indicate why the concept is both appropriate and useful.
Gaylussite: thermal properties by simultaneous thermal analysis

Simultaneous thermal analysis apparatus was used to determine the thermal properties of gaylussito over a temperature range from ambient to 1000'C at 10" per minute in several carefully controlled atmospheres. In a dry atmosphere, dehydration occurs in a single step, while in the presence of water, dehydration occurs in two steps. Dehydration converts gaylussite to the double carbonate, Na,Ca(CO")", which generates the thermal effects above 250'C. From 250"C to 500'C thermal analysis indicates one major crystal change and two crystal inversions in the double carbonate. Above 500'C the thermal properties of the double carbonate are controlled by the presence or absence of CO" in the atmosphere surrounding the sample. In a COs atmosphere NaCa(COe)a first melts, then decomposes to form NarCO" and CaO. In a CO,-free atmosphere the double carbonate decomposes to form Na'COs and CaO. Melting is again detected by thermal analysis; however, the material that melts is Na,CO, formed from decomposition of the double carbonate. fffroduction Gaylussite (Na2COs.CaCOs.5fLO) is found in Wyoming in Eocene Green River Formation oil shales (Fahey, 1962). Because minerals contained in oil shale are heated in the retorting process, a knowledge of the thermal properties of these minerals contributes to a basic understanding of oil shale's thermal behavior. Literature on thermal analysis of gaylussite is limited to Beck's (1950) interpretation of his difierential thermal analysis curve that shows water loss in two steps. He suggests that the remaining "highly irregular" curve is produced by slow fusing of the mineral. His large exotherm between 500' and 600"C could not be duplicated in this study. Thermal properties of the double carbonate similar to the residue formed after gaylussite loses its water of hydration have also been discussed in the literature-Smith, Johnson, and Robb (D7A); Billhardr (1969); Wilburn, Metcalfe, and Warburton (1965); and Niggli (1916). Because little is known about gaylussite, this paper reviews briefly the mineral's history and presents new data on the thermal properties of natural and synthetic gaylussite. The importance of the eftect of different atmospheres on the thermal analysis of gaylussite is demonstrated.
Invisible middle-class Black space: Asymmetrical person and space stereotyping at the race–class nexus:

In addition to racial stereotypes about people (e.g., Black people are poor), perceivers hold parallel racial stereotypes about physical spaces (e.g., Black spaces are impoverished; Bonam, Bergsiek...
Neutropenic fever outcomes per institutions’ teaching status.

e18553Background: Neutropenic fever (NF) can result in significant mortality if not managed properly and in swift fashion. There has been a recent shift from small oncology private practices common...
Elisha's Body and the Queer Touch of Prophecy:

When we talk about prophecy, we often focus on words or deeds—on what the prophets say, or on their performance of miraculous acts. The Elisha narratives, however, repeatedly direct attention to th...
Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Multifocal Intraocular Lenses Compared to Monofocal Intraocular Lenses in Cataract Surgery.

Purpose To determine the cost-effectiveness of multifocal intraocular lenses (IOLs) compared to that of monofocal IOLs from a societal and health care sector perspective. Design Cost-effectiveness analysis. Methods A Markov model was constructed that simulated patients who received either multifocal or monofocal IOLs during cataract surgery. Postoperatively, patients could experience spectacle dependence, glare, and haloes. Cost-effectiveness was determined by measuring the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) as the incremental cost in dollars per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Treatments with an ICER below the standard willingness-to-pay (WTP) threshold of $50,000/QALY were considered cost effective. One-way sensitivity analyses and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were used to evaluate model sensitivity to cost, utilities, and other model inputs. Results Multifocal IOLs were associated with a 0.71 QALY increase at an increased cost of $3,415 compared with monofocal IOLs, leading to an ICER of $4,805/QALY from the societal and health care sector perspectives. The cost-effectiveness model was most sensitive to patient age, probability of spectacle dependence with multifocal IOLs and monofocal IOLs, and the disutility of glasses. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis found multifocal IOLs to be the cost-effective option compared with monofocal IOLs 99.9% of the time at a WTP threshold of $50,000/QALY. Conclusions From a societal and health care perspective, multifocal IOLs would be considered a cost-effective strategy compared to monofocal IOLs for patients who desire a higher chance to be spectacle-free. However, more studies need to be conducted to further evaluate the efficacy of multifocal IOLs.
Crowdsourcing Multi-label Audio Annotation Tasks with Citizen Scientists

Annotating rich audio data is an essential aspect of training and evaluating machine listening systems. We approach this task in the context of temporally-complex urban soundscapes, which require multiple labels to identify overlapping sound sources. Typically this work is crowdsourced, and previous studies have shown that workers can quickly label audio with binary annotation for single classes. However, this approach can be difficult to scale when multiple passes with different focus classes are required to annotate data with multiple labels. In citizen science, where tasks are often image-based, annotation efforts typically label multiple classes simultaneously in a single pass. This paper describes our data collection on the Zooniverse citizen science platform, comparing the efficiencies of different audio annotation strategies. We compared multiple-pass binary annotation, single-pass multi-label annotation, and a hybrid approach: hierarchical multi-pass multi-label annotation. We discuss our findings, which support using multi-label annotation, with reference to volunteer citizen scientists' motivations.
Taking a Stab at Quantifying the Energetics of Biological Puncture.

An organism's ability to control the timing and direction of energy flow both within its body and out to the surrounding environment is vital to maintaining proper function. When physically interacting with an external target, the mechanical energy applied by the organism can be transferred to the target as several types of output energy, such as target deformation, target fracture, or as a transfer of momentum. The particular function being performed will dictate which of these results is most adaptive to the organism. Chewing food favors fracture, whereas running favors the transfer of momentum from the appendages to the ground. Here, we explore the relationship between deformation, fracture, and momentum transfer in biological puncture systems. Puncture is a widespread behavior in biology requiring energy transfer into a target to allow fracture and subsequent insertion of the tool. Existing correlations between both tool shape and tool dynamics with puncture success do not account for what energy may be lost due to deformation and momentum transfer in biological systems. Using a combination of pendulum tests and particle tracking velocimetry (PTV), we explored the contributions of fracture, deformation and momentum to puncture events using a gaboon viper fang. Results on unrestrained targets illustrate that momentum transfer between tool and target, controlled by the relative masses of the two, can influence the extent of fracture achieved during high-speed puncture. PTV allowed us to quantify deformation throughout the target during puncture and tease apart how input energy is partitioned between deformation and fracture. The relationship between input energy, target deformation and target fracture is non-linear; increasing impact speed from 2.0 to 2.5 m/s created no further fracture, but did increase deformation while increasing speed to 3.0 m/s allowed an equivalent amount of fracture to be achieved for less overall deformation. These results point to a new framework for examining puncture systems, where the relative resistances to deformation, fracture and target movement dictate where energy flows during impact. Further developing these methods will allow researchers to quantify the energetics of puncture systems in a way that is comparable across a broad range of organisms and connect energy flow within an organism to how that energy is eventually transferred to the environment.
Scleroplasty Using the Explant with Trypsin Inhibitor

A new synthetic explant with trypsin inhibitor was elaborated for enhCancement of the sclera. Experimental studies were conducted in 10 rabbits aged 2 months. Enhancement of the sclera was performed in the right eye using the explant with trypsin inhibitor and in the left eye without the inhibitor. After the operation there was no toxic, cancerogenic action of the explant with trypsin inhibitor in the surrounding tissues. The inflammatory mixed conjunctival reaction lasted 3–5 days. Electron microscopy was conducted after 2–3 weeks and at 1, 2, and 6 months following the operation. Two months after the action of the trypsin inhibitor disappeared, histologic specimens of the animal sclera showed that the graft’s threads had been invaded by thin collagenous structures of fibrins and fibroblasts with epithelioid cells; and 1 year later the sclera was regularly thickened, replacing the resolved transplant material. For the same scleral enhancement without trypsin inhibitor, there were separate connective tissue bundles with graft remnants and chaotically situated fibroblasts. Thus trypsin inhibitor leads to uniform spreading of scleral elements with simultaneous resolution of the transplant material.
Falsely Undetectable Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Due to Presence of an Inhibitory Serum Factor: A Case Report and Review of Pertinent Literature

BACKGROUND Few cases of falsely undetectable PSA due to the presence of an inhibitory serum factor have been reported in the world literature. We present a case of falsely low-to-undetectable PSA with data from a serum dilution series, the current literature on biochemical assay interference, and the implications for prostate cancer salvage treatment. CASE REPORT A 63-year-old man was treated with prostatectomy for high-risk prostate cancer and was found to have a rising PSA after approximately 3 years following surgery. He subsequently transferred his care to a different health system and was found to have an undetectable PSA. He was eventually found to have an elevated PSA once again after the particular assay at this institution was changed. He thus received salvage prostate radiotherapy and androgen deprivation therapy. CONCLUSIONS While falsely low PSA results cannot be explained by the presence of serum heterophile antibodies, competitive antibody interference against the immunoassay reagents or anti-PSA antibodies are possible explanations for the results of the dilution experiments performed in this case study. We suggest that unexpected PSA testing results should raise concern for assay interference and warrant further clinical workup.
Exercise Training Promotes Cardiac Hydrogen Sulfide Biosynthesis and Mitigates Pyroptosis to Prevent High-Fat Diet-Induced Diabetic Cardiomyopathy

Obesity increases the risk of developing diabetes and subsequently, diabetic cardiomyopathy (DMCM). Reduced cardioprotective antioxidant hydrogen sulfide (H2S) and increased inflammatory cell death via pyroptosis contribute to adverse cardiac remodeling and DMCM. Although exercise training (EX) has cardioprotective effects, it is unclear whether EX mitigates obesity-induced DMCM by increasing H₂S biosynthesis and mitigating pyroptosis in the heart. C57BL6 mice were fed a high-fat diet (HFD) while undergoing treadmill EX for 20 weeks. HFD mice developed obesity, hyperglycemia, and insulin resistance, which were reduced by EX. Left ventricle pressure-volume measurement revealed that obese mice developed reduced diastolic function with preserved ejection fraction, which was improved by EX. Cardiac dysfunction was accompanied by increased cardiac pyroptosis signaling, structural remodeling, and metabolic remodeling, indicated by accumulation of lipid droplets in the heart. Notably, EX increased cardiac H₂S concentration and expression of H₂S biosynthesis enzymes. HFD-induced obesity led to features of type 2 diabetes (T2DM), and subsequently DMCM. EX during the HFD regimen prevented the development of DMCM, possibly by promoting H₂S-mediated cardioprotection and alleviating pyroptosis. This is the first report of EX modulating H₂S and pyroptotic signaling in the heart.
Failure to rescue and 30-day in-hospital mortality in hospitals with and without crew-resource-management safety training.

Failure to rescue (FTR) occurs when a clinician is unable to save a hospitalized patient's life when they experience a complication that was not present on admission. Research suggests that a focus on patient safety, including implementing airline-industry-based-crew-resource management (CRM) training, can improve patient outcomes, however, the effects of CRM on FTR are unknown. This study examined FTR and 30-day in-hospital mortality (IM) outcomes in two hospitals to determine if differences existed in the treatment hospital (received CRM training) and the comparison hospital (did not receive CRM training). Researchers expected there would be lower rates of FTR and IM in the treatment hospital than the comparison hospital. The study utilized a matched two-group comparison, cross-sectional quasi-experimental design. Over 10,000 patients (n = 10,823) comprised the study with 1,764 having at least one FTR complication. Adjusted odds of FTR were 2.9% higher for treatment versus comparison but these results did not reach significance. The adjusted odds of IM were 0.4% higher for treatment versus comparison but not significantly higher. Although the reasons for our findings remain unclear, previous researchers also found that CRM training improved staff outcomes but unexpectedly did not improve patient outcomes. CRM training may best be used to target changes in staff behaviors and improvement in staff outcomes. Refresher CRM training may be needed to prevent drifting back into longstanding behaviors. Reductions in FTR and patients with IM outcomes may require more comprehensive, multipronged interventions in addition to CRM training.
Energy Saving Quadrotor Control for Field Inspections

This article presents a control strategy to improve the energy efficiency of a quadrotor for field inspections. A power consumption analytical model for a quadrotor is constructed, which indicates that the power consumption of a quadrotor is correlated with the roll and pitch angles. Based on that, a cascaded bounded control framework is developed to regulate the roll and pitch angles within the predefined energy-efficient ranges, while a successful inspection trajectory tracking can be achieved simultaneously. Experimental studies are carried out to prove the effectiveness of the proposed method through a mock-up scenario of wind farm inspection. Compared to the conventional cascaded control framework, the proposed energy saving control strategy is capable of saving 5% energy for the same inspection assignment under wind disturbance.
Infrastructure, Modulation, Portal: Thinking with Foucault about how Internet Architecture Shapes Subjects

Following Foucault’s remarks on the importance of architecture to disciplinary power, this paper offers a typology of power relations expressed in different models of Internet governance. Infrastructure governance understands the Internet as a common pool or public resource, on the model of traditional infrastructures like roads and bridges. Modulation, which I study by way of Net Neutrality debates in the U.S., understands Internet governance as traffic shaping. Portal governance, which I study by way of data collection policies of dominant platform companies, understands the Internet as creating a user experience that facilitates data mining. The latter two are forms of architectural disciplinary power that undermine the first. I then argue that the rise of portal and modulation governance primarily serves to remake parts of civil society by fostering market norms of consumption and entrepreneurialism. In that sense, efforts to shape Internet architecture need to be understood as techniques of subjectification.
Harold A. Scheraga (10/18/1921-8/1/2020): A pioneering scientist who laid the foundations of protein science in the 20th century.

Harold Abraham Scheraga, an eminent Professor of chemistry and biophysics at Cornell University for 73 years, died on August 1, 2020 at the age of 98. Scheraga (known to his colleagues as Harold) has been a pioneer in the general field of macromolecules (polymers, proteins, DNA, and so forth). He started his own research in 1947 (when proteins were viewed just as ellipsoids of colloidal assemblies of amino acids), contributing vigorously to the progress in this field until his death. Unlike most scientists, his studies encompassed both experimental and theoretical–computational disciplines. He targeted this wide research area together with more than 400 researchers he trained as students, postdoctorates, and research associates, leading to an enormous output of around 1,400 papers. This exceptional activity is also reflected by the more than 50 honors Harold received from universities and companies around the world. He became an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (1966), an elected member of the US National Academy of Sciences (1966), and the American Advancement of Art and Sciences (1967). Harold A. Scheraga. Image credit: Cornell University, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND. Harold Scheraga as a young professor at Cornell University. Image credit: Cornell University, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND. Harold was a highly popular lecturer around the globe, and served on national and international committees, scientific advisory boards, and editorial boards of a large number of scientific journals. While his 2014 curriculum vitae includes a list of 85 such activities, we would like to mention those reflecting Harold’s great support of the State of Israel. In 1963, he spent a year at the Weizmann Institute with family, as a Guggenheim Fellow and a Fulbright Research Scholar; in 1972 to 1978 he held a Visiting Professor position in the Biophysics Department at the same … [↵][1]1To whom correspondence may be addressed. Email: bahar{at}pitt.edu. [1]: #xref-corresp-1-1
Povidone iodine hookah therapy for the treatment of COVID-19 and other respiratory viruses: A hypothesis we must test

Povidone – Iodine has been known to have strong bactericidal and virucidal properties for a long time. It has been in clinical use as an antiseptic agent for over fifty years. Now a new indication for this old drug is recommended as Hookah therapy. It is hypothesized that in this form it will be an effective therapeutic agent to kill the coronavirus (SARS-COV2) or significantly inhibit its multiplication to achieve a cure. Details of treatment and dosage form are presented.
DeepMerge: Learning to Merge Programs

Program merging is ubiquitous in modern software development. Although commonly used in most version control systems, text-based merge algorithms are prone to producing spurious merge conflicts: they report a conflict even when program changes do not interfere with each other semantically. Spurious merge conflicts are costly to development as the need for manual intervention stalls modern continuous integration pipelines. We propose a novel data-driven approach to identify and resolve spurious merge conflicts with a sequence-to-sequence machine learning model. We realize our approach in a tool DeepMerge that uses a novel combination of (i) an edit-aware embedding of merge inputs and (ii) a variation of pointer networks to construct resolutions from input segments. We also propose an algorithm to extract ground truth manual resolutions from a code corpus and employ it to curate a dataset comprising 10,729 non-trivial resolutions in Javascript programs. Our evaluation shows that DeepMerge can predict correct resolutions with high precision ($72$%) and modest recall ($34$%) on the dataset overall, and high recall ($78$%) on merges comprising of upto 3 lines that comprise $24$% of the dataset.
Evaluating the Evaluator: Has the ABA Rated President Trump's Judicial Nominees Fairly?

Since 1953, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary has evaluated presidential nominees for federal judgeships, rating them as Well Qualified, Qualified, or Not Qualified. The ABA insists that these ratings are “independent” and “nonpartisan,” but high-ranking Republicans, dating back to President George W. Bush and Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, have challenged this assertion. To date, research published in journals of law, political science, and economics has largely supported Republican suspicions, finding a pro-Democratic and anti-Republican bias in the ABA’s judicial ratings. Senators from both major parties have recently questioned the credibility of the ABA and have called for a federal investigation into the ABA’s judicial evaluation process. In the words of Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, “the ABA has to assess whether its ratings are going to continue to have the kind of credibility they had merited and deserved in the past.” This Note takes up the question of the ABA judicial committee’s nonpartisanship. It evaluates the ABA ratings assigned to nominees for the U.S. courts of appeals, made during the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump. This Note employs an ordered logistic regression model, it controls for relevant nonpolitical qualifications, and it finds no statistically significant difference in the way the ABA treated the appellate nominees of Presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. Whatever was true in the past, today’s ABA ratings do not exhibit a clear partisan bias in either direction. The ABA’s judicial ratings favor appellate nominees who are legally experienced, regardless of the nominating president.
All-In-One Dendrimer-Based Lipid Nanoparticles Enable Precise HDR-Mediated Gene Editing In Vivo.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated (Cas) protein gene editing is poised to transform the treatment of genetic diseases. However, limited progress has been made toward precise editing of DNA via homology-directed repair (HDR) that requires careful orchestration of complex steps. Herein, dendrimer-based lipid nanoparticles (dLNPs) are engineered to co-encapsulate and deliver multiple components for in vivo HDR correction. BFP/GFP switchable HEK293 cells with a single Y66H amino acid mutation are employed to assess HDR-mediated gene editing following simultaneous, one-pot delivery of Cas9 mRNA, single-guide RNA, and donor DNA. Molar ratios of individual LNP components and weight ratios of the three nucleic acids are systematically optimized to increase HDR efficiency. Using flow cytometry, fluorescence imaging, and DNA sequencing to quantify editing, optimized 4A3-SC8 dLNPs edit >91% of all cells with 56% HDR efficiency in vitro and >20% HDR efficiency in xenograft tumors in vivo. Due to the all-in-one simplicity and high efficacy, the developed dLNPs offer a promising route toward the gene correction of disease-causing mutations.
Fantasy sports and gambling regulation in the Asia-Pacific

Fantasy sports competitions allow sports fans to become their own managers, to select and organize fantasy teams from existing real-life players in professional sports leagues. The performance of their fantasy teams is dependent on the actual on the field performance of these real-life players. As betting in professional sports is strictly regulated worldwide, fantasy sports offer a form of proxy sports bet. However, a gray area exists whether fantasy sports competitions involve chance (or luck) rather than pure team selection skills. If any form of chance is involved, fantasy sports will be subject to gambling laws and thus may be deemed illegal. With the US Supreme court recently clearing the way for legality of fantasy sports in its largest market, the focus shifts to the industry’s major growth market—Asia-Pacific. This paper reviews the state of fantasy sports and gambling regulation in the Asia-Pacific region. A 21-country analysis is undertaken, offering five insights for fantasy sports industry stakeholders. Based on our findings, we propose a Nevada-model regulatory framework for the Asia-Pacific fantasy sports market.
Classification of fNIRS Finger Tapping Data With Multi-Labeling and Deep Learning

Studying the relationship between the brain and finger tapping motions can contribute towards an improved understanding of neuromuscular impairment. Furthermore, acquiring brain data signals non-intrusively during finger tapping exercises, and building a robust classification model can aid in the field of human computer interaction. In this paper, we present a promising approach for spatially descriptive multi-labeling of spatiotemporal functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) data to autonomously detect different finger tapping levels in different regions of the brain simultaneously. Our multi-class multi-labeling technique assigns labels to the left and right index fingers, and a given label describes one of three different finger tapping frequencies (rest, 80bpm, and 120bpm) to be monitored in the corresponding contralateral spatial location in the brain’s motor cortex. We train a CNN/LSTM-based network to classify the aforementioned finger tapping levels spatially and simultaneously. The evaluation, based on simultaneous multi-label predictions for two brain regions, is performed with a metric commonly used in multi-labeling, Hamming Loss, along with confusion matrix-based measurements. Promising testing results are obtained with an average Hamming Loss of 0.185, average F-Score of 0.81, and average Accuracy of 0.81. Moreover, we explain our model and novel multi-labeling approach by generating Shapley Additive Explanation values and plotting them on an image-like background, which represents the fNIRS channel layout used as data input. Shapley values help to add interpretability to our deep learning model and by confirming expected results, offer a pathway to the future development of complex deep learning models that attempt to predict social-cognitive-affective states.
Conformational Studies of Membrane Proteins by High-Resolution NMR

The lack of conformational information for membrane proteins is a great impediment to understanding the functional mechanisms of biological membranes. The problem of associated lipids has prevented extensive application of X-ray diffraction or high-resolution NMR to conformational characterization of membrane proteins. Difficulties in obtaining crystals suggests that high-resolution NMR might be a more promising approach for such proteins. With currently available methods, high-resolution 1H NMR spectra suitable for detailed conformational analyses are not obtained from proteins bound to native membranes1,2 or from reconstituted systems consisting of proteins bound to phospholipid vesicles.3,4 We have been able to obtain appropriate NMR spectra for membrane proteins and polypeptides incorporated into fully deuterated micelles. Proteins which have been tested include melittin,5 glucagon,6 phospholipase A2, glycophorin A, snake venom cardiotoxin and myelin basic protein (unpublished results). For these proteins, the conformation of the membrane protein is preserved in the micelle and the micellar protein-lipid complex is homogeneous and stoichiometrically well-defined5–7 (unpublished results).
Etanercept suppresses regenerative hyperplasia in psoriasis by acutely downregulating epidermal expression of interleukin (IL)-19, IL-20 and IL-24.

Summary Background Psoriasis is a Th17/Th1-mediated skin disease that often responds to antitumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α therapies, such as etanercept. Objectives To better define mechanisms by which etanercept improves psoriasis and to gain insight into disease pathogenesis. Methods We investigated the early biochemical and cellular effects of etanercept on skin lesions in responder patients prior to substantial clinical improvement (≤ 4 weeks). Results By 1 week, etanercept acutely suppressed gene expression of the interleukin (IL)-20 subfamily of cytokines (IL-19, IL-20, IL-24), which were found to be predominantly epidermis-derived and which are implicated in stimulating epidermal hyperplasia. Additionally, by 1 week of therapy, suppression of other keratinocyte-derived products (chemokines, antimicrobial proteins) occurred, while suppression of epidermal regenerative hyperplasia occurred within 1–3 weeks. Th17 elements (IL-23p19, IL-12p40, IL-17A, IL-22) were suppressed by 3–4 weeks. In vitro, TNF-α and IL-17A coordinately stimulated the expression of the IL-20 subfamily in normal keratinocytes. Conclusions Based on the rapid suppression of regenerative hyperplasia, chemokines and other keratinocyte-derived products, including the IL-20 subfamily, we propose that epidermal activation is a very early target of etanercept. As many of these keratinocyte markers are stimulated by TNF-α, their rapid downregulation is likely to reflect etanercept’s antagonism of TNF-α. Additionally, decreased epidermal hyperplasia might result specifically from acute suppression of the IL-20 subfamily, which is also a likely consequence of etanercept’s antagonism of TNF-α. Thus, the IL-20 subfamily has potential importance in the pathogenesis of psoriasis and therapeutic response to etanercept.
Cation distribution of the transparent conductor and spinel oxide solution Cd1+xIn2-2xSnxO4

Abstract The cation distribution in the transparent conducting oxide Cd 1+ x In 2− x Sn x O 4 was investigated to determine if there is a correlation between structure and electronic properties. Combined Rietveld refinements of neutron and X-ray diffraction data and 119 Sn Mossbauer spectroscopic analysis were used to show that the cation distribution changed with x (0≤ x ≤0.7) from a primarily normal spinel ( x =0) to an increasingly random spinel. CdIn 2 O 4 quenched from 1175°C has an inversion parameter of 0.31 (i.e., (Cd 0.69 In 0.31 ) tet (In 1.69 Cd 0.31 ) oct O 4 ). The inversion parameter decreases to 0.27 as the quench temperature is lowered from 1175°C to 1000°C. The decrease in inversion parameter with temperature correlates with an increase in optical gap from 3.0 eV to 3.3 eV for specimens prepared at 1175°C and 800°C, respectively. We show that this is a consequence of an increase in the fundamental band gap.
Signalprint-Based Intrusion Detection in Wireless Networks

Wireless networks are a critical part of global communication for which intrusion detection techniques should be applied to secure network access, or the cost associated with successful attacks will overshadow the benefits that wireless networks offer. In this paper we investigate a new scheme called Nodeprints to extend the existing centralized Signalprints design for authentication to a distributed voting-based design for intrusion detection. We analyze the effect of voting-based intrusion detection designs, the probability of an individual node voting incorrectly, the ratio of mobile nodes to base stations, and the rate at which nodes are compromised, on the system performance measured by the probability that the intrusion detection system yields a false result. We develop a performance model for evaluating our Nodeprints design and identify conditions under which Nodeprints outperforms the existing Signalprints design.
Parametrically Excited MEMS-Based Filters

In this paper we describe the dynamics of MEMS oscillators that can be used as frequency filters. The unique feature of these devices is that they use parametric resonance, as opposed to the usual linear resonance, for frequency selection. However, their response in the parametric resonance zone has some undesirable features from the standpoint of filter performance, most notably that their bandwidth depends on the amplitude of the input and the nonlinear nature of the response. Here we provide a brief background on filters, a MEMS oscillator that overcomes some of the deficiencies, and we offer a description of how one might utilize a pair of these MEMS oscillators to build a band-pass filter with nearly ideal stopband rejection. These designs are made possible by the fact that MEMS devices are highly tunable, which allows one to build in system features to achieve desired performance.
Impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on cognition in early postmenopausal women

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) has a higher prevalence in postmenopausal women who are not on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), as compared to premenopausal women. Cognitive impairment (CI) is associated with OSAS and the early postmenopausal state. We hypothesized that compared to postmenopausal women at low risk for OSAS, postmenopausal women at high risk for OSAS would report worse cognitive function. Early postmenopausal women not on HRT between the ages of 45 and 60 years, within 5 years of natural menopause, were enrolled. Participants completed a REDCap survey which collected information on demographics and risk factors, Berlin questionnaire to screen subjects for OSAS risk, and the Mail-In Cognitive Function Screening Instrument (MCFSI) score which was used to assess CI. Of 381 respondents, 127 were omitted due to missing/duplicate data or not meeting inclusion criteria. One hundred fifty-four women were classified as high risk for OSAS (OSAS+), and 100 were classified as low risk for OSAS (OSAS−). OSAS− women reported lifetime smoking, lifetime drinking, and recreational drug use more often than OSAS+ women, while OSAS+ women reported a depression diagnosis more often. The mean MCFSI score in the OSAS+ group was significantly higher (worse cognition) than in the OSAS− group after controlling for covariates (5.59, 95 % CI 5.08–6.11 vs. 4.29, 95 % CI 3.64–4.93, p < 0.05). Early postmenopausal women at high risk for OSAS report more CI than those at low risk for OSAS. Future studies should identify biomarkers of this CI and define the degree of reversibility of CI with OSAS treatment.
The Tax Compliance and Audit Policy Implications of Costly False Detection Errors

In July 1996, Congress passed the Taxpayer Bill of Rights 2 (T2). T2 resulted from a series of initiatives aimed at protecting honest taxpayers, particularly those affected by IRS enforcement actions. This study incorporates taxpayer rights considerations into a strategic model of tax reporting and auditing, and examines the impact of false detection and costly error correction on taxpayer equity, tax evasion, and revenue collections. The model also considers proposals to shift honest taxpayer costs to the tax authority. The study finds that: (1) tax evasion can be deterred completely, but only at honest taxpayers' expense, (2) costly false detection errors increase tax authority revenue collections in some cases, and (3) although tax authority reimbursement of honest taxpayer costs can restore equity, it may also increase evasion, producing additional revenue loss. These results highlight the trade-off between detecting tax evasion and protecting taxpayers' rights.
Influences of soil moisture and vegetation on convective precipitation forecasts over the United States Great Plains

This study investigates the influences of soil moisture and vegetation on 30 h convective precipitation forecasts using the Weather Research and Forecasting model over the United States Great Plains with explicit treatment of convection. North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data were used as initial and boundary conditions. We also used an adjusted soil moisture (uniformly adding 0.10 m3/m3 over all soil layers based on NARR biases) to determine whether using a simple observationally based adjustment of soil moisture forcing would provide more accurate simulations and how the soil moisture addition would impact meteorological parameters for different vegetation types. Current and extreme (forest and barren) land covers were examined. Compared to the current vegetation cover, the complete removal of vegetation produced substantially less precipitation, while conversion to forest led to small differences in precipitation. Adding 0.10 m3/m3 to the soil moisture with the current vegetation cover lowered the near surface temperature and increased the humidity to a similar degree as using a fully forested domain with no soil moisture adjustment. However, these temperature and humidity effects on convective available potential energy and moist enthalpy nearly canceled each other out, resulting in a limited precipitation response. Although no substantial changes in precipitation forecasts were found using the adjusted soil moisture, the similarity found between temperature and humidity forecasts using the increased soil moisture and those with a forested domain highlights the sensitivity of the model to soil moisture changes, reinforcing the need for accurate soil moisture initialization in numerical weather forecasting models.
Vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) in mice

The vestibulo-collic reflex (VCR) attempts to stabilize head position in space during motion of the body. Similar to the better-studied vestibulo-ocular reflex, the VCR is subserved by relatively direct, as well as indirect pathways linking vestibular nerve activity to cervical motor neurons. We measured the VCR using an electromagnetic technique often employed to measure eye movements; we attached a loop of wire (head coil) to an animal’s head using an adhesive; then the animal was gently restrained with its head free to move within an electromagnetic field, and was subjected to sinusoidal (0.5–3 Hz) or abrupt angular acceleration (peak velocity approximately 200°/s). Head rotation opposite in direction to body rotation was assumed to be driven by the VCR. To confirm that the compensatory head movements were in fact vestibular in origin, we plugged the horizontal canal unilaterally and then retested the animals 2, 8 and 15 days after the lesion. Two days after surgery, the putative VCR was almost absent in response to abrupt or sinusoidal rotations. Recovery commenced by day 8 and was nearly complete by day 15. We conclude that the compensatory head movements are vestibular in origin produced by the VCR. Similar to other species, there are robust compensatory mechanisms that restore the VCR following peripheral lesions.
Effects of Zectran Insecticide on Aquatic Organisms in Bear Valley Creek, Idaho

Abstract We assessed effects of the experimental insecticide Zectran(R) on aquatic organisms in Bear Valley Creek, Idaho in 1966. Hayden Creek drainage, nearby and not sprayed, served as a control. We found no significant fish mortality, and no effect on growth rate and condition of age 0+, 1+, 2+, and 3+ dolly varden (Salvelinus malma). Insecticide applications did not increase emigration and intrastream movement of fish. We noted no effects on benthic aquatic insect numbers, but observed that more insects drifted downstream for several hours beginning about 3 hours after spraying on 7 July 1966. Adult terrestrial insects, immature Heptageneidae and Rhyacophilidae, adult Chloroperlidae, and immature and adult Phryganeidae, Limnephilidae, and Blephariceridae increased in drift samples after spraying. We concluded that Zectran insecticide damaged aquatic organisms very little.
The kinetics of methanation on nickel catalysts

Abstract The kinetics of methanation of carbon monoxide were studied with 2% Ni/SiO2 and 10% Ni/SiO2 catalysts in a differential reactor. The role of carbon as an intermediate was explored by making transient tests of carbon deposition, carbon gasification, and methane formation. If carbon is an intermediate, neither the normal dissociation of CO nor reactions of H with C seem to be controlling. The limiting step may be the surface reaction between adsorbed carbon monoxide and hydrogen atoms to form carbon and water. The data suggest surface heterogeneity with over a 10 fold range in activity for adsorbed CO.
Failing Transnationally: Local intersections of science, medicine, and sectarianism in modernist Shiʿi writings

This paper adds to the growing literature on transnational Shiʿism which has so far mostly focused on social history and political contestations. By tracing the thought, transnational legacy, and ultimate failure of the reformist Shiʿi scholar, Muhammad al-Khalisi (d. 1963), I argue for the crucial importance of local contexts and ideas for the genesis of Islamic modernist projects. In his native Iraq, al-Khalisi not only distinguished himself as a guerrilla fighter and political activist but also was shaped by prevailing notions about the compatibility of Islam and science. Exiled to Iran for his opposition to the British from 1922 to 1949, he encountered there specific medicalizing discourses on modernity. This exposure and his experience as a practitioner of medicine in the Iranian countryside led al-Khalisi to identify medicine as the master key to unlocking the secrets of the divine law, the sharīʿa: his major work on Islamic law singles out human health as God's supreme concern. Back in Iraq during the 1950s, al-Khalisi's medical-scientific vision of modernity was finally complemented with an uncompromising call for intra-Muslim unity. This stance led to furious attacks against al-Khalisi which continue unabated in contemporary Pakistan where his name has become a term of abuse.
Preparation of α,ω-bis(dimethylhydrosilyl)perfluorohexane

Abstract The in situ reaction of α,ω-dibromoperfluorohexane, magnesium and chlorodimethylhydrosilane has been optimized on a small-scale. These conditions were scaled-up and used to prepare α,ω-bis(dimethylhydrosilyl)perfluorohexane in good yields.
On the origin of dislocations

Abstract In the face-centred cubic lattice a stacking fault, caused by the condensation of vacancies on a {111} plane, is converted into a dislocation source of Frank-Read type if it is swept by a half-dislocation of a kind that restores lattice order. Dislocation sources will also arise in other major lattice types through the condensation of vacancies on close-packed lattice planes. It is proposed that these are the dislocation sources which release a major proportion, if not all, of the dislocations formed during plastic deformation. Besides several minor advantages, the introduction of this kind of dislocation source can account for all the important glide systems found in crystals of the most common lattice types.
Syntenic conservation of HSP70 genes in cattle and humans.

A phage library of bovine genomic DNA was screened for hybridization with a human HSP70 cDNA probe, and 21 positive plaques were identified and isolated. Restriction mapping and blot hybridization analysis of DNA from the recombinant plaques demonstrated that the cloned DNAs were derived from three different regions of the bovine genome. Ore region contains two tandemly arrayed HSP70 sequences, designated HSP70-1 and HSP70-2, separated by approximately 8 kb of DNA. Single HSP70 sequences, designated HSP70-3 and HSP70-4, were found in two other genomic regions. Locus-specific probes of unique flanking sequences from representative HSP70 clones were hybridized to restriction endonuclease-digested DNA from bovine-hamster and bovine-mouse somatic cell hybrid panels to determine the chromosomal location of the HSP70 sequences. The probe for the tandemly arrayed HSP70-1 and HSP70-2 sequences mapped to bovine chromosome 23, syntenic with glyoxalase 1, 21 steroid hydroxylase, and major histocompatibility class I loci. HSP70-3 sequences mapped to bovine chromosome 10, syntenic with nucleoside phosphorylase and murine osteosarcoma viral oncogene (v-fos), and HSP70-4 mapped to bovine syntenic group U6, syntenic with amylase 1 and phosphoglucomutase 1. On the basis of these data, the authors propose that bovine HSP70-1,2 are homologous to human HSPA1 and HSPA1L on chromosome 6p21.3,more » bovine HSP70-3 is the homolog of an unnamed human HSP70 gene on chromosome 14q22-q24, and bovine HSP70-4 is homologous to one of the human HSPA-6,-7 genes on chromosome 1. 34 refs., 2 figs., 1 tab.« less
Real-time video surveillance for first responders in an emergency situation

The World Wide Web has made it possible for emergency personnel to monitor video camera scenes from all over the world; this is especially important in the event of an emergency or crisis situation. Unfortunately, it is possible that during some crises, the World Wide Web wonpsilat be available, either due to the outage of major infrastructures or through the malicious intentions of an adversary. Furthermore, the first responders that most need this type of surveillance capability may not have the in-house technical expertise it takes to maintain such a system. While working on a school security project several years ago, Sandia National Laboratories (funded by the U.S. National Institute of Justice) discovered the surprising usefulness of a common older, mature technology that is much less used today in security systems. Given that a facility already has an in-house video camera system installed, it was found that this device can actually be employed, in conjunction with a simple RF (radio frequency) system, to provide real-time video scenes to first responders when they arrive at, or near, a facility where an emergency situation is in progress. The cost to purchase and install this device at a particular facility (that would then allow this facility to be monitored via their own cameras by emergency personnel outside the facility) would be between $1000 and $2000. A first-responder team would need one set of receiving equipment, called the Responder Tool Kit, costing approximately $7500, that would then allow them to observe any facility that has this device installed. This technology is currently being transferred to a small business in New Mexico. Sandia installed and tested this system at a large rural school in New Mexico where the school's cameras were successfully monitored by a test team located several hundred yards away from the campus. Work still needing to be done by Sandia is to introduce additional security to the system so that it cannot be used for unauthorized purposes.
High-performance liquid chromatographic and TLC determinations of desacetylvinblastine amide (vindesine) and its monosulfate salt

High-performance liquid chromatographic and TLC methods were developed for the determination of desacetylvinblastine amide base (vindesine), a chemically modified Catharanthus alkaloid presently in clinical evaluation. Both methods permit the detection of 6,7-dihydrovindesine and vindesine Nb′-oxide, the principal by-products in the chemical conversion of vinblastine to vindesine. The methods are applicable to both the sulfate salts and the free bases of the chemical substances described.