cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preface: 18 th Advanced Accelerator Concepts Workshop (AAC 2018)

The Eighteenth Workshop on Advanced Accelerator Concepts (AAC 2018) was held at the Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center in Breckenridge, Colorado, USA on August 12–17, 2018. This paper prefaces a set of 67 conference proceedings published by the presenters and attendees of the Workshop and summarizes the proceedings and the Workshop.
Histological changes of the peripheral zone in small and large prostates and possible clinical implications

Introduction It is well documented in literature that most prostate carcinomas (PCa) arise in the peripheral zone (PZ). Additionally, an inverse relationship between prostate size and the incidence of PCa has been demonstrated in recent studies. However, little is known about gland distribution in the peripheral zone of larger prostates compared to smaller prostates. In this study, we examined the histo-anatomical gland distribution within the peripheral zone in small and large prostates and discuss possible clinical implications. Methods A semi-quantitative analysis of gland density and capsule thickness was performed using light microscopy on 10 large (≥80 g) prostate specimens and 10 small (<30 g) prostate specimens from patients who underwent radical prostatectomy at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center between the years 2010 and 2016. Samples from radical prostatectomies were used to ensure a whole, preserved prostate with an intact surgical capsule. Gland counts were performed on five random fields under 100 × magnification, while capsule thickness was measured on three random fields per case; thus, a total 50 fields and 30 fields were analyzed for each of the two groups for gland counts and capsule thickness measurements, respectively. Microscopy was standardized to the posterior aspect of the prostate, between 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock along the equatorial region between the apex and base. Results Large prostates possessed a significantly lower mean gland count per field compared to small prostates (10.34±4.15, n=50 vs 18.00±5.41, n=50; t=8.16, df=49, P<0.001). Additionally, large prostates showed a significantly higher average capsule thickness in millimeters compared to small prostates (1.80 mm, ±1.12 mm, n=30 vs 0.90 mm, ±0.56, n=30; t=8.16, df=49, P<0.001). Conclusion The results demonstrate that prostate hypertrophy leads to both decreased gland density in the peripheral zone and increased capsule thickness, suggesting that growth-induced expansion of the prostate against its capsule leads to compression-induced atrophy and fibrosis of glandular tissue within the peripheral zone (PZ). A decrease in gland density within the PZ may have clinical implications shedding light, for instance, on the reduction in PCa incidence in patients with large prostates as compared to smaller prostates, a phenomenon well documented in the literature.
Three iteratively reweighted least squares algorithms for $$L_1$$ L 1 -norm principal component analysis

Principal component analysis (PCA) is often used to reduce the dimension of data by selecting a few orthonormal vectors that explain most of the variance structure of the data. $$L_1$$ PCA uses the $$L_1$$ norm to measure error, whereas the conventional PCA uses the $$L_2$$ norm. For the $$L_1$$ PCA problem minimizing the fitting error of the reconstructed data, we propose three algorithms based on iteratively reweighted least squares. We first develop an exact reweighted algorithm. Next, an approximate version is developed based on eigenpair approximation when the algorithm is near convergent. Finally, the approximate version is extended based on stochastic singular value decomposition. We provide convergence analyses, and compare their performance against benchmark algorithms in the literature. The computational experiment shows that the proposed algorithms consistently perform the best and the scalability is improved as we use eigenpair approximation and stochastic singular value decomposition.
Systemic therapy in advanced cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (CSCC): The Roswell Park experience.

e19041 Background: Treatment of locally advanced unresectable (LAU) or metastaticCSCC (mCSCC) is sub-optimal with a paucity of robust data on systemic therapy. Platinum or fluorouracil-based chemot...
Engineering Identity Profiles of Low-SES, High-Achieving Incoming Engineering Students

This work-in-progress research paper explores the way in which low-socioeconomic status (SES), first-year undergraduate engineering students develop their engineering identity. Identification with the field of engineering, or engineering identity development, is an ongoing process for students. While scholars have used retrospective studies to understand the developmental aspect of this process, a longitudinal study that follows students’ engineering identity development could provide an advantageous viewpoint. In this study, we investigate the engineering identity profiles of incoming low-SES, high-achieving engineering students. We interviewed 13 students using a protocol focused on understanding the students’ engineering identity profiles before entering engineering school. An integrated model of engineering identity development was used to frame the research and guide the analysis. Our preliminary results show existing pre-college identity-related patterns across students as well as initial ways of identifying with their major and engineering as a field. This work has contributions to research in the areas of engineering identity development as well as broadening understanding of engineering students who are both low-income and high-achieving. Our work has practical implications for academic and professional support programs for low-income engineering students and programs that aim to support engineering identity development.
Towards a Unified Theory of Learning and Information

In this paper, we introduce the notion of “learning capacity” for algorithms that learn from data, which is analogous to the Shannon channel capacity for communication systems. We show how “learning capacity” bridges the gap between statistical learning theory and information theory, and we will use it to derive generalization bounds for finite hypothesis spaces, differential privacy, and countable domains, among others. Moreover, we prove that under the Axiom of Choice, the existence of an empirical risk minimization (ERM) rule that has a vanishing learning capacity is equivalent to the assertion that the hypothesis space has a finite Vapnik–Chervonenkis (VC) dimension, thus establishing an equivalence relation between two of the most fundamental concepts in statistical learning theory and information theory. In addition, we show how the learning capacity of an algorithm provides important qualitative results, such as on the relation between generalization and algorithmic stability, information leakage, and data processing. Finally, we conclude by listing some open problems and suggesting future directions of research.
Role of glutamine metabolism in CD8+PD-1+TIM-3+ T cells in ICI resistant melanoma.

e22055Background: Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) targeting checkpoints has achieved cures in half of stage IV melanoma patients yet there remains a critical need to identify why other half rema...
Emergence of BCR- ABL1 Fusion in AML Post-FLT3 Inhibitor-Based Therapy: A Potentially Targetable Mechanism of Resistance - A Case Series

Despite the promising result with FLT3 inhibitors in AML, the emergence of resistance poses a significant challenge, leading to a shorter response duration and inferior survival. This is frequently driven by on-target or parallel prosurvival mutations. The emergence of BCR-ABL1 as a mechanism of possible clonal evolution in relapsed AML has rarely been reported. Here we report our experience with three patients who had emergent BCR-ABL1 fusion at relapse after FLT3 inhibitors-based therapies. The first patient was refractory to multiple lines of therapies, including FLT3 inhibitors-based therapy. Patients 2 and 3 showed some response to combined FLT3-inhibitor and BCR-ABL targeted therapy (gilteritinib and ponatinib). The availability of effective targeted therapies for BCR-ABL1 makes this an important aberration to proactively identify and possibly target at relapse post-FLT3-inhibitor therapies.
Dynamic Brain Connectivity in Resting State Functional MR Imaging

Dynamic functional connectivity adds another dimension to resting-state functional MR imaging analysis. In recent years, dynamic functional connectivity has been increasingly used in resting-state functional MR imaging, and several studies have demonstrated that dynamic functional connectivity patterns correlate with different physiologic and pathologic brain states. In fact, evidence suggests that dynamic functional connectivity is a more sensitive marker than static functional connectivity; therefore, it might be a promising tool to add to clinical functional neuroimaging. This article provides a broad overview of dynamic functional connectivity and reviews its general principles, techniques, and potential clinical applications.
Photonic-Chip Supercontinuum with Tailored Spectra for Counting Optical Frequencies

Optical clocks combined with frequency combs are the future of precision timekeeping, as well as a key enabling technology for applications in communication, navigation, relativistic geodesy, quantum physics, and fundamental measurements. Using a silicon nitride waveguide to spectrally broaden a telecom-frequency comb, the authors perform an optical-clock comparison. Additionally, they present measurements and analysis to support an ``all-in-one'' waveguide design for a next-generation clock network. Such devices will be very useful not just in metrology labs, but also in the field---including space missions.
The length of US business expansions: When did the break in the data occur?

Abstract It is generally accepted that US business expansions have been longer and contractions shorter since the end of World War II. Previous tests of this proposition uniformly assume that the change in business-cycle behavior occurred after the war. This paper presents evidence that it is more likely that business-cycle expansions became longer beginning with the March 1933 expansion, a date which coincides with the US leaving the gold standard. The results are robust to consideration of the alternative business-cycle chronology of Romer [Remeasuring business cycles. Journal of Economic History 54 (1994) 573–609]. Within the set of post-1933 expansions, we find evidence of a secondary break beginning with the 1982 expansion.
Computing Ethics Narratives: Teaching Computing Ethics and the Impact of Predictive Algorithms

The prevention of criminal activity has changed dramatically over the past two decades, largely due to the increased reliance on systems that provide crime data analysis. Created specifically for police, judicial sentencing, and prison applications, these systems conduct both predictive and retrospective analysis to aid decision making within the criminal justice system. Furthermore, these software platforms typically combine spatial informatics packages and advanced statistical features behind user-friendly interfaces. Recent studies have demonstrated problems with both the flawed logic within these systems' algorithms and the inherent biases in the underlying data. In this paper, we present a novel repository of computing ethics teaching modules across a variety of narrative areas. These modules and curated narratives help faculty to establish 'ethical laboratories' that can guide computer science students in improving their ethical reasoning skills as it relates to the creation of current and future technologies. First, we provide an overview of the Computing Ethics Narratives (CEN) project, its narrative repository and the module framework through a sample module on predictive policing algorithms. Furthermore, we share preliminary findings from a pilot of this module, which was implemented in an intermediate algorithms course. The preliminary student and faculty feedback suggest the predictive policing module was able to help students contextualize the ethical issues around the topic, however, students recommended devoting more class time to evaluating the technical complexities of these critical systems.
Real-Time Quality Determination: The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

Real-time quality determination in seafood seems to be the pot of gold many a seafood researcher has spent time trying to achieve. Amazingly, current best practices still rely on human determinatio...
SafetyNOT: on the usage of the SafetyNet attestation API in Android

Many apps performing security-sensitive tasks (e.g., online banking) attempt to verify the integrity of the device they are running in and the integrity of their own code. To ease this goal, Android provides an API, called the SafetyNet Attestation API, that can be used to detect if the device an app is running in is in a "safe" state (e.g., non-rooted) and if the app's code has not been modified (using, for instance, app repackaging). In this paper, we perform the first large-scale systematic analysis of the usage of the SafetyNet API. Our study identifies many common mistakes that app developers make when attempting to use this API. Specifically, we provide a systematic categorization of the possible misusages of this API, and we analyze how frequent each misuse is. Our results show that, for instance, more than half of the analyzed apps check SafetyNet results locally (as opposed to using a remote trusted server), rendering their checks trivially bypassable. Even more surprisingly, we found that none of the analyzed apps invoking the SafetyNet API uses it in a fully correct way.
The Psychometric Analysis of the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist Workload Perception Scale (CWPS): Final Phase.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In two previous studies, the Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) Workload Perception Scale (CWPS) was developed. The purpose of this paper is to report the final psychometric validation of the CWPS. METHODS An 11-item CWPS was tested in a population of CRNAs. Classical psychometrics were performed on the 11-item instrument piloted in a sample of 393 CRNAs. RESULTS Parametric and nonparametric analysis indicated 7 of 11 items were a good fit to measure perception of workload. CONCLUSIONS A revised 7-item final CWPS was developed.
Separation and Its Discontents: Toward an Evolutionary Theory of Anti-Semitism

Preface A Social Identity Theory of Anti-Semitism The Ideology and Preactice of Anti-Semitism Reactive Anti-Semitism in the Late Roman Empire Reactive Anti-Semitism During the Medieval Period Nazism as an Anti-Semitic Group Evolutionary Strategy Jewish Strategies for Combating Anti-Semitism Reationalization and Apologia: The Intellectual Construction of Judaism Self-Deception as an Aspect of Judaism as a Group Evolutionary Strategy Is Diaspora Judaism Ceasing to be an Evolutionary Strategy? Bibliography Index.
Assignment Games with Conflicts: Robust Price of Anarchy and Convergence Results via Semi-Smoothness

We study assignment games in which jobs select machines, and in which certain pairs of jobs may conflict, which is to say they may incur an additional cost when they are both assigned to the same machine, beyond that associated with the increase in load. Questions regarding such interactions apply beyond allocating jobs to machines: when people in a social network choose to align themselves with a group or party, they typically do so based upon not only the inherent quality of that group, but also who amongst their friends (or enemies) chooses that group as well. We show how semi-smoothness, a recently introduced generalization of smoothness, is necessary to find tight bounds on the robust price of anarchy, and thus on the quality of correlated and Nash equilibria, for several natural job-assignment games with interacting jobs. For most cases, our bounds on the robust price of anarchy are either exactly 2 or approach 2. We also prove new convergence results implied by semi-smoothness for our games. Finally we consider coalitional deviations, and prove results about the existence and quality of strong equilibrium.
Assessment of phonomicrosurgical training in otolaryngology residencies: a resident survey.

Objectives/Hypothesis The primary objective of this study is to assess the adequacy of clinical and laboratory-based phonomicrosurgical training in otolaryngology residency programs using a self-report survey. The study aims to establish whether there is a need and desire for focused surgical training in phonomicrosurgery. Study Design Self-report Internet-based questionnaire. Methods An anonymous survey was sent to all current residents in otolaryngology training programs in the United States and Canada. For portions of the analysis, the residents were categorized into two groups—junior (R2 and R3) and senior (R4 and R5). Results One hundred ninety-one residents responded to the survey (USA: 166; Canada: 25), representing a 34.3% response rate. Approximately one-half of residents stated that their residency program includes a rotation during which the main emphasis is laryngology. Only 18.8% of residents were “very” satisfied with the phonomicrosurgery experience that their program offers and 21.6% of senior residents felt “very” comfortable performing a phonomicrosurgical removal of a vocal fold lesion. Whereas the vast majority of respondents found temporal bone laboratory training to be helpful, 82% had never performed laboratory training in phonomicrosurgery. The majority (87.4%) felt that their comfort level with phonomicrosurgery would increase if they had access to laboratory-based training. Conclusion Our study suggests that there is a lack of emphasis on clinical and laboratory-based training in phonomicrosurgery and that there is a need and desire for focused surgical training in phonomicrosurgery. Level of Evidence Level 4.
PCI data acquisition card for application in radiation imaging systems

An efficient data acquisition system for operation with different types of radiation imaging detectors was developed and tested. This system uses a PCI-416 industrial high-speed analog data acquisition card from DATEL. The card is based on 32-bit PCI bus architecture and operates inside a wide variety of PC compatible computers. The hardware for analog signal interfacing as well as software for error free continuous data collection was developed. A data acquisition system based on the PCI-416 was tested on several projects and different computers running MS Windows NT4.0 OS and MS Windows 2000 OS.
Rapid capacitor charger

The increased interest in radio-frequency (RF) weapons for electronic warfare has increased the demand for rapid capacitor chargers. In most cases these charger have to operate from a DC power source and typically have to charge a capacitor bank (Marx bank) at a rate of about 10 Hz. Besides the requirements for energy delivery, the space constraints are crucial. In order to fulfill both, major components have to be operated above their specifications. However, they only need to perform for a short burst with enough time between events to enable use of thermal inertia.
Comment on Levine

Most of my comments will concern the first section of Levine’s paper, in which he agrees with Quine’s assimilation of epistemology to psychology but differs from him by proposing that the appropriate psychological theory for this purpose is cognitive rather than behavioral. Levine says in effect (p. 262 and Note 1) that if the stimulus-response analysis of behaviorist psychology is inadequate to account for verbal behavior, then a fortiori it is inadequate to account for the intricacies of proposing hypotheses, gathering data, searching, assessing, and inferring that constitute the epistemic activities of ordinary life and of scientific research. I agree with him on the relative merits of behaviorist and cognitive psychology and believe that an adequate naturalistic epistemology must make extensive use of the latter. I do not agree, however, that a naturalistic point of view requires the assimilation of epistemology to any kind of psychology.
Sediment Transport and Bedload Lithology in Streams of the Teton Range, Wyoming

The ability of streams to erode bedrock and transport sediments is controlled by discharge. Yearly snowmelt, bedrock, and nearby rockfall deposits influence the flow of water and the sediments available for transport. Discharge and bedload sediments were observed over two summers to understand the impacts of precipitation and lithology on five stream channels in the Teton Range. Discharge was higher and bedload clast sizes were larger when more snowfall fell in the preceding winter months. All streams were able to transport sand to small gravel sediments. The type of lithology observed in the bedload was mostly controlled by bedrock available throughout the entire catchment.
Regadenoson-induced coronary vasospasm resulting in severe reversible perfusion defects and transient ischemic dilation on SPECT stress myocardial perfusion imaging

A 58-year-old woman with hypertension and diabetes presented to the emergency department with exertional right-sided chest pain. Her cardiac biomarkers were negative and her electrocardiogram demonstrated no significant abnormalities. She subsequently underwent pharmacologic stress myocardial perfusion imaging using regadenoson. Her electrocardiogram demonstrated no significant ischemic changes and she only complained of dyspnea following regadenoson infusion. Perfusion images were acquired using the GE millennium MC scanner and processed using Xpress3 cardiac wide beam reconstruction software (UltraSPECT, Ltd.) at an xeleris functional imaging workstation. Review of the rotating raw data revealed breast attenuation artifact but no significant patient motion. Her perfusion imaging revealed a severe defect in the mid-to-distal inferolateral wall that was mostly reversible suggestive of significant ischemia. In addition, there was pronounced dilation of the left ventricle with stress (Figure 1). The patient underwent cardiac catheterization which demonstrated no obstructive coronary artery disease (Figures 2, 3). Upon further analysis of the patient’s history, she had apparently been diagnosed with Prinzmetal angina in the past and had undergone cardiac catheterization eight years prior for similar symptoms and this was normal as well. She was subsequently discharged on appropriate pharmacotherapy and was asymptomatic. Multiple reports have demonstrated coronary vasospasm after use of adenosine for stress testing. However, there is a limited data available in reference to regadenoson, which is a selective A2A adenosine receptor agonist. Recent emerging data demonstrate, however, that regadenoson may also lead to vasospasm as it has similar pharmacologic properties. Our case illustrates severely abnormal myocardial perfusion imaging with reversible regional ischemia and transient ischemic dilation with no obstructive coronary artery disease likely due to regadenoson-induced coronary vasospasm. Therefore, vasospastic heart disease is a potential confounding factor to consider in the interpretation of regadenoson stress MPI and may be clinically relevant in the management of patients with conflicting anatomic and perfusion findings.
FACTORS AFFECTING IMMOBILIZATION OF BOVINE SPERMATOZOA WITH CO2 AND THEIR SUBSEQUENT REACTIVATION.

Abstract The immobilizing effects of C0 2 on bovine spermatozoa, followed by reactivation with several pure and mixed gases, were studied in various suspension media. The motility of spermatozoa in undiluted semen declined sharply upon C0 2 gassing. However, complete immobilization was not observed and a gradual increase in the percentage of motile sperm was noted during continued CO 2 gassing. The motility of CO 2 -inhibited sperm cells was completely restored upon exposure to O 2 , N 2 , He, air, or various mixtures of CO 2 , N 2 , and O 2 containing up to 20% CO 2 . Complete immobilization was observed in suspensions containing 10×10 6 cells per milliliter in saline and in the dialyzable fraction of seminal plasma. Immobilization was incomplete in IVT, in IVT containing varying percentages of seminal plasma, and in the nondialyzable fraction of seminal plasma. Recovery of motility upon oxygenation was observed to be optimal where complete immobilization did not occur. The addition of bovine serum albumin to the dialyzable fraction of seminal plasma showed almost the same effect as shown by the nondialyzable fraction. On the other hand, dextran additions did not show any beneficial effects. Results of these investigations suggested that the buffering capacity of the medium, levels of certain electrolytes, and the nondialyzable fraction of the seminal plasma are, at least in part, important factors in maintaining sperm motility under CO 2 .
Gastroesophageal reflux in children: radionuclide gastroesophagography

Sixty-five symptomatic infants and children underwent radionuclide gastroesophagography, acid reflux testing, and barium esophagography with water-siphon testing to evaluate the clinical efficacy of the scintigraphic technique in detecting gastroesophageal reflux. After ingesting 99mTc sulfur colloid in fruit juice, patients rested beneath the gamma camera for 30-60 min while esophageal activity was monitored continuously. By using the acid reflux test as a standard of comparison, the sensitivity of radionuclide gastroesophagography was 75%. Because of its physiologic nature, low radiation exposure, and convenience, radionuclide gastroesophagography warrants further evaluation as a screening test for gastroesophageal reflux.
The fifty-first William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition

The 81st William Lowell Putnam Mathematical Competition, originally scheduled for December 5, 2020, was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. It eventually took place in an unofficial capacity...
Microstructures and mechanical properties of directionally solidified NiAl-Mo and NiAl-Mo(Re) eutectic alloys

Abstract The room temperature fracture toughness of a directionally-solidified (DS) NiAl–9 at.%Mo eutectic alloy was evaluated. It was found that the toughness of NiAl-refractory metal eutectic composites may be limited by the low ductility of the reinforcing bcc metal phase at room temperature and weak interfaces. The effects of the residual interstitial impurities and solid–solution-strengthening of Mo fibers by Ni and Al which partition to the fibers from the matrix on the mechanical properties were identified. The potential of rhenium (Re) addition, which is known to solid–solution soften and lower the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature of various bcc metals, to enhance the ductility and toughness of DS NiAl–9Mo eutectic alloy was also investigated. Re partitioned to the bcc metal phase and formed a substitutional solid solution. The interface morphology was changed from a faceted to a non-faceted one. Re alloying caused softening of the Mo fibers, and as a result the NiAl–Mo(Re) alloys were softer in compression and had ∼20% higher fracture toughness values as compared to the transverse orientation toughness of NiAl–9Mo alloy. The toughness of the NiAl–Mo(Re) alloys was lower than the longitudinal orientation toughness of the NiAl–9Mo alloy due to the poor alignment of the Mo(Re) phase with the growth direction. Processing conditions were successfully changed to produce plane front solidification resulting in completely eutectic microstructures with the fibers well-aligned with the growth direction in the NiAl–9Mo alloy; similar effort is needed for NiAl–Mo(Re) alloys to achieve higher toughness in the longitudinal orientation. The toughening mechanisms operative in these alloys are discussed.
Ocean-atmosphere momentum coupling in the Kuroshio Extension observed from space

Using a combination of Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT), Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer-Earth Observing System (AMSR-E), and Lagrangian drifter measurements, we demonstrate that wind data alone are not sufficient to derive ocean surface stress (momentum flux) over mid-latitude ocean fronts, specifically the Kuroshio Extension. There was no continuous and large-scale stress measurement over ocean until the launch of the scatterometers. Stress had been derived from winds through a drag coefficient, and our concept of stress distribution may be largely influenced by our knowledge of wind distribution. QuikSCAT reveals that the variability of stress could be very different from wind. The spatial coherence between the magnitude of stress and sea surface temperature (SST), between the divergence of surface stress and the downwind SST gradient, and between the vorticity of stress and crosswind SST gradient, are the inherent characteristics of stress (turbulence production by buoyancy) that would exist even under a uniform wind field. The coherence between stress vorticity and SST gradient is masked by the rotation of ocean currents over the Kuroshio meanders. Surface stress rotates in the opposite direction to surface currents because stress is the vector difference between wind and current. The results are in agreement with a previous study of the Agulhas Extension and confirm the unique stress measuring capability of the scatterometer.
Writing Hollywood: Rooms With a Point of View

Americans watch, on average, 5–7 hours of television every day—most of it entertainment programming. Yet the process of creating prime time television remains a mystery to most viewers. This article describes one of the most influential institutions in the process of television production: the “writers' room.” Based on interviews with writers, the authors analyze the culture and politics of “the room”—what makes this institution work and who survives its demanding environment.
Solid contact potentiometric sensors for trace level measurements.

A simple procedure for the development of a range of polymeric ion-selective electrodes (ISEs) with low detection limits is presented. The electrodes were prepared by using a plasticizer-free methyl methacrylate−decyl methacrylate copolymer as membrane matrix and poly(3-octylthiophene) as intermediate layer deposited by solvent casting on gold sputtered copper electrodes as a solid inner contact. Five different electrodes were developed for Ag+, Pb2+, Ca2+, K+, and I-, with detection limits mostly in the nanomolar range. In this work, the lowest detection limits reported thus far with solid contact ISEs for the detection of silver (2.0 × 10-9 M), potassium (10-7 M), and iodide (10-8 M) are presented. The developed electrodes exhibited a good response time and excellent reproducibility.
Determining the Order of Differencing in Autoregressive Processes

One way of handling nonstationarity in time series is to compute first differences and fit a model to the differenced series unless the differenced series also looks nonstationary. In that case, second- or higher-order differencing is done. To decide if the current degree of differencing is sufficient, one can look at the autocorrelation function for slow decay. A formal statistical test for the need to difference further is available if one is willing to assume that at most one more difference will render the series stationary. In this article, we present a proper sequence of statistical tests that allows the practitioner to handle cases in which a high order of differencing may be needed. The proper sequence is not the traditional sequence, which begins with a test for a single unit root.
Justice and the Individual in the Republic

THE INTERPRETATIONS of the Republic which limit justice to the philosopher rulers seriouLsly challenge Plato's renown as the first great ethical thinker. If he does, in fact, contend that only a philosophically gifted few can be just, he has surely violated the elementary principle of a universal extension among men of the two fundamental ethical concepts of the right and the good. Ethical theories as diverse as those of Kant and Hume agree on the universal or well-nigh universal extension of these two concepts. Since justice, the right, is both the necessary and sufficient condition for happiness (the good), Plato firmly believes no person can ever be happy without it. The vast numbers of mankind, therefore, cannot be happy in their lack of justice or, indeed, in their wickedness. Yet we need not plead that Plato must have intended a universal extension of the right and good or else he would not be the great philosopher that he supposedly is. As several scholars have recently called to our attention, Plato in the Republic has distinguished between the justice and the other virtues of the individual (which I shall refer to as "personal" justice and "personal" virtues) and the virtues of the polis 1. After presenting a broader perspective for this interesting reading of the Republic, I shall consider what kind of knowledge "personal" justice requires and how the citizens may attain such knowledge. Adequate justification of the "personal" virtues requires some consideration of their epistemological ground, for the necessary entailment of virtue and knowledge is as well established in the traditional interpretation of Plato as the fact that the citizens of the ideal polis are incapable of rational deliberation. Early in the Republic, Socrates lays down almost as a rudimentary law of nature the principle of a natural equality among all men:
Recovery of partially occluded speech segments using Hopfield neural network

This paper focuses on utilizing the associative capabilities of the Hopfield neural net in processing digitized speech and recovering erroneous speech segments and reconstructing noisy speech. The scope of this study is limited and the tests conducted are exploratory in nature. However, with a limited vocabulary that fits many practical applications, this study shows that digitized speech can be enhanced using properly trained recurrent networks such as the Hopfield neural net. The results indicate that a Hopfield neural network with sufficient associative memory can be used in a limited vocabulary context to reconstruct digitized speech with noisy, erroneous, and occluded or silenced segments.
Drug coverage decisions: the role of dollars and values

Given the increasing costs of pharmaceuticals today, it is important to understand how pharmacy benefits decisions are made and the role of cost and values in these decisions. This study examines what coverage decisions insurers make and the information and processes used in making these decisions. Fifty-three organizations, differing in size, tax status, and region, were asked about their policies for four new and controversial drugs: Viagra, Enbrel, Zyban, and Celebrex. Enbrel and Celebrex were much more likely to be covered than Viagra and Zyban. In addition, coverage of Enbrel and Celebrex was limited through strategies such as prior authorization, to encourage medically appropriate use of these agents, whereas coverage of Viagra and Zyban was limited predominantly through generalized exclusion or through restrictions on quantity or duration of use. Value judgments, rather than cost, seem to play a central, though largely unspoken, role in these coverage decisions.
On the Coleman-Chabauty bound

Abstract The Coleman-Chabauty bound is an upper bound for the number of rational points on a curve of genus g ≥ 2 whose Jacobian has Mordell-Weil rank r less than g . The bound is given in terms of the genus of the curve and the number of F p -points on the reduced curve, for all primes p of good reduction such that p > 2 g . In this Note we show that the hypothesis on the Mordell-Weil rank is essential. We do so by exhibiting, for each prime p ≥ 5, an explicit family of curves of genus ( p − 1)/2 (and rank at least ( p − 1)/2) for which the bound in question does not hold. Our examples show that the difference between the number of rational points and the bound in question can in fact be linear in the genus. Under mild assumptions, our curves have rank at least twice their genus.
A novel method for launching flyer plates

Abstract We describe a potential method for launching flat flyer plates by using explosives in complete cylindrical convergence. The basic problem we study in this computational analysis is how to turn the cylindrically convergent shock wave from the explosive into a flat front shock wave running parallel to the cylinder axis. We use a two-dimensional Lagrangian finite difference code to simulate the device. The code uses a free Lagrange method for dealing with mesh distortions. The calculations predict that the method could launch relatively flat metal plates at velocities up to 14 km/s, but computational uncertainties make experimental verification mandatory.
5,6-Dimethyl-2-(pyridin-2-yl)-1-[(pyri-din-2-yl)meth-yl]-1H-benzimidazole.

The title compound, C20H18N4, was obtained via the condensation of 4,5-di­methyl­benzene-1,2-di­amine with pyridine-2-carbaldehyde. The plane of the 2-(pyridin-2-yl) substitutent is canted by 2.75 (11)° from the plane of the benzimidazole system. The mol­ecule exhibits an S(6) C—H⋯N intra­molecular hydrogen-bond motif. In the crystal, C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds link pairs of mol­ecules related by a crystallographic inversion center, forming R22(20) rings. Additional weak C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds result in C(9) chains parallel to [001].
Serial lung function testing in patients treated with Amiodarone: A prospective study

Abstract purpose: Amiodarone has proven to be effective in many cases of cardiac arrhythmias, refractory ventricular tachycardia, and ventricular fibrillation. Pulmonary toxicity is a possible side effect of the drug, with a reported incidence of 2 to 15 percent per year. To determine the effect of amiodarone on lung function, we prospectively studied serial lung function tests in a cohort of 91 patients with refractory cardiac arrhythmias treated with this agent. patients and methods: Spirometry and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DL CO ) were measured at zero, three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months, with a mean follow-up of 351 days. results: For the whole population taking a mean dose of amiodarone of 367 mg daily (range: 136 to 512 mg), there was no accelerated rate of decline in spirometric induces or DL CO . Analysis of lung function changes by multivariate analysis demonstrated that an accelerated decline in DL CO values occurred in elderly patients (p CO of greater than 20 percent. All four patients recovered after the drug was stopped. Another 15 patients, without clinical evidence of pulmonary toxicity, had a sustained decline in DL CO of greater than 20 percent. These 15 patients remained assymptomatic over the next 11 months without interruption of therapy. A greater than 20 percent fail in DL CO was a sensitive test for clinically evident amiodarone pulmonary toxicity, but had a positive predictive value of only 21 percent. conclusion: An isolated fall in DL CO in the absence of clinical evidence of toxicity, does not necessitate stopping amiodarone. An unchanged DL CO value appears to be a reliable negative predictor of pulmonary toxicity.
Expression and characterization of Syrian golden hamster p16, a homologue of human tumor suppressor p16INK4A

The p16INK4A/CDKN2A tumor suppressor gene is known to be inactivated in up to 98% of human pancreatic cancer specimens and represents a potential target for novel therapeutic intervention. Chemically induced pancreatic tumors in Syrian golden hamsters have been demonstrated to share many morphologic and biological similarities with human pancreatic tumors and this model may be appropriate for studying therapies targeting p16INK4A/CDKN2A. The purpose of this study was to investigate the fundamental biochemistry of hamster P16 protein. Using both in vivo and in vitro approaches, the CDK4 binding affinity, kinase inhibitory activity, and thermodynamic stability of hamster and human P16 proteins were evaluated. Furthermore, a structural model of hamster P16 protein was generated. These studies demonstrate that hamster P16 protein is biochemically indistinguishable from human P16 protein. From a biochemical perspective, these data strongly support the study of p16-related pancreatic oncogenesis and cancer therapies in the hamster model.
How important is parallel-mode EPR in electron spin echo envelope modulation studies of non-Kramers systems?

Abstract Integer-spin systems with S >1 sometimes exhibit a ground-state ‘non-Kramers (NK) doublet’ in their electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra. The preferred method of studying systems with this type of EPR signal has been to use a spectrometer in which the microwave field is parallel to the applied static field (parallel-mode EPR), rather than a traditional perpendicular-mode EPR spectrometer, in order to maximize the resulting NK-EPR signal. The efficacy of parallel and perpendicular mode electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy on the NK doublet of azido-hemerythrin (N 3 Hr red ) are compared. These results demonstrate that for this technique, the advantages of parallel-mode over perpendicular-mode ESEEM are minimal at best. A simplified form of the theory underlying the analysis of NK-ESEEM is developed to explain the observations.
Renal Aspergilloma: An unusual cause of infection in a patient with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

Abstract The case of a 36-year-old man with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and a renal aspergilloma is reported. Aspergillus infections are uncommon in patients with AIDS. Isolated renal aspergillomas have rarely been reported in the non-AIDS population (14 cases) and have never been reported in a patient with AIDS. The patient we describe was clinically symptomatic and initially treated medically, but he did not respond to intravenous amphotericin and oral itraconazole. He eventually required nephrectomy, however, there was local recurrence of the aspergilloma postoperatively. We comment on some issues in the spectrum of Aspergillus infections in AIDS and review the literature on the manifestations and treatment of renal aspergillomas.
Calpain II involvement in mitosis

Mitotic spindle disassembly requires major structural alterations in the associated cytoskeletal proteins and mitosis is known to be associated with Ca2+-sequestering phenomena and calcium transients. To examine the possible involvement of a ubiquitous Ca2+-activated protease, calpain II, in the mitotic process, synchronized PtK1 cells were monitored by immunofluorescence for the relocation of calpain II. The plasma membrane was the predominant location of calpain II in interphase. However, as mitosis progressed, calpain II relocated to (i) an association with mitotic chromosomes, (ii) a perinuclear location in anaphase, and (iii) a mid-body location in telophase. Microinjection of calpain II near the nucleus of a PtK1 cell promoted the onset of metaphase. Injection of calpain II at late metaphase promoted a precocious disassembly of the mitotic spindle and the onset of anaphase. These data suggest that calpain II is involved in mitosis.
PKC and PLA2: probing the complexities of the calcium network.

Abstract Lipid signaling and phosphorylation cascades are fundamental to calcium signaling networks. In this review, we will discuss the recent laboratory findings for the phospholipase A 2 (PLA 2 )/protein kinase C (PKC) pathway within cellular calcium networks. The complexity and connectivity of these ubiquitous cellular signals make interpretation of experimental results extremely challenging. We present here computational methods which have been developed to conquer such complex data, and how they can be used to make models capable of accurately predicting cellular responses within multiple calcium signaling pathways. We propose that information obtained from network analysis and computational techniques provides a rich source of knowledge which can be directly translated to the laboratory benchtop.
O-GlcNAc cycling shows neuroprotective potential in C. elegans models of neurodegenerative disease

C. elegans has proven to be an excellent organism in which to model human neurodegenerative disease.(1) (-) (7) The worm's simple nervous system, lineage, and neural maps, easily scored movement phenotypes, and robust forward and reverse genetics make it optimal for studying age-dependent processes on a reasonable time scale. A popular approach has been the introduction of transgenes expressing GFP-tagged proteotoxic human proteins into neurons leading to visible aggregation or movement phenotypes.(2) (,) (4) (,) (6) (,) (8) (-) (13) In addition, the maintenance of proteostasis networks has been extensively studied using the power of worm genetics.(8) (-) (13) These networks include genes involved in insulin-like signaling, the heat shock response, the response to hypoxia, and mTOR and AMPK pathways linked to aging.(14) Another pathway with suggestive links to neurodegeneration is the O-GlcNAc cycling pathway, a nutrient-dependent post-translational modification known to be altered in brains from patients with Alzheimer disease.(15) (-) (19) In this commentary, we summarize our recent findings showing that viable mutants of O-GlcNAc cycling in C. elegans dramatically alter the neurotoxicity of four distinct C. elegans models of neurodegenerative disease.(7) Mutants in O-GlcNAc cycling alter the toxicity of mutant tau, polyglutamine expansion reporters, and amyloid β-peptide. The findings further suggest that O-GlcNAc cycling acts at many steps in the lifecycle of aggregation-prone targets. The C. elegans system is likely to continue to provide insights into this complex problem. The involvement of O-GlcNAc cycling in the maintenance of proteostasis raises the possibility of targeting the enzymes catalyzing this critical post-translational modification for therapeutic intervention.
In‐situ monitoring of redeposited carbon in the vicinity of a plasma–graphite interacting region (abstract)

The interaction of the plasma with graphite limiters in fusion devices has been observed to lead to the formation of carbon film deposits. This occurs from the erosion of the graphite tiles in a high‐flux region and subsequent redeposition of the carbon atoms onto a low‐flux surface. The redeposition of carbon has strong ramifications on the in‐vessel tritium inventory. A commercially available quartz crystal monitor has been tested in a plasma simulator device to measure the flux of eroded carbon. The test was done with the intent of mounting such a detector in TFTR. The monitor measures the deposited film thickness as a change in the resonance frequency of the crystal. The plasma simulator is a Penning discharge operated with graphite electrodes. Initial tests show the crystal monitor has high sensitivity and can detect film thickness changes of a few angstroms. Thermal shock problems, however, may limit time resolution of the measurement and can provide only an integrated deposited thickness within a discharge. This work was supported by the U. S. DOE.
Derelict paradise: homelessness and urban development in cleveland, ohio

Daniel R. Kerr, DERELICT PARADISE: HOMELESSNESS AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT IN CLEVELAND, OHIO, Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts Press, 2011, 312 pp., $28.95 (paper) Historically, social critics ...