cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Duplication and Selection on Abalone Sperm Lysin in an Allopatric Population

While gene duplication is a major source of evolutionary novelty, the importance of this process in reproductive protein evolution has not been widely investigated. Here, we report the first known case of gene duplication of abalone sperm lysin in an allopatric subspecies found in the Eastern Atlantic, Haliotis tuberculata coccinea. Mass spectrometry identified both copies of the lysin protein in testis tissue, and 3-dimensional structural modeling suggests that both proteins remain functional. We also detected positive selection acting on both paralogs after duplication and found evidence of a recent selective sweep. Because H. t. coccinea occurs in geographic isolation from other abalone species, these findings suggest that the evolution of lysin is not driven to create reproductive barriers to unfit hybrid formation with an overlapping species. Instead, sexual selection or sexual conflict acting during abalone fertilization could be responsible for the recent positive selection on this protein. The presence of multiple, rapidly evolving lysin genes in H. tuberculata presents an opportunity to study the early stages of diversification of a protein whose function is well understood.
The Role of Civic Environmentalism in the Pursuit of Sustainable Communities

This paper addresses public participation in sustainability initiatives and in the development of sustainable communities. In particular, it examines two models of public participation in environmental policy, referred to as 'information deficit models', and 'deliberative and inclusionary processes and procedures' (DIPS). The difference between the two models will be examined through the framework of the US discourse of 'civic environmentalism'. Using both examples and an analysis of recent literature, a distinction between 'narrow focus' and 'broad focus' civic environmentalism will be presented. It is argued that 'information deficit models' of public participation usually associated with 'narrow focus' civic environmentalism can successfully contribute to the 'environmental' aspects of sustainable communities. The paper concludes that DIPS and the greater sharing of control by citizens, non-governmental organizations and local governments offered by 'broad focus' civic environmentalism, are far more li...
Covering Models and Optimization Techniques for Emergency Response Facility Location and Planning: A Review

With emergencies being, unfortunately, part of our lives, it is crucial to efficiently plan and allocate emergency response facilities that deliver effective and timely relief to people most in need. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) allocation problems deal with locating EMS facilities among potential sites to provide efficient and effective services over a wide area with spatially distributed demands. It is often problematic due to the intrinsic complexity of these problems. This paper reviews covering models and optimization techniques for emergency response facility location and planning in the literature from the past few decades, while emphasizing recent developments. We introduce several typical covering models and their extensions ordered from simple to complex, including Location Set Covering Problem (LSCP), Maximal Covering Location Problem (MCLP), Double Standard Model (DSM), Maximum Expected Covering Location Problem (MEXCLP), and Maximum Availability Location Problem (MALP) models. In addition, recent developments on hypercube queuing models, dynamic allocation models, gradual covering models, and cooperative covering models are also presented in this paper. The corresponding optimization techniques to solve these models, including heuristic algorithms, simulation, and exact methods, are summarized.
Magnetization reversal dyanmics and energy damping

Summary form only given. A single spin will not reverse its magnetic moment under a magnetic field without energy dissipation. However, a group of coupled spins could in certain situations by transforming the magnetic potential energy to exchange energy and magnetostatic energy via spin wave generation. In this paper, we present a systematic micromagnetic study on magnetization reversal dynamics in patterned thin film elements as well as thin film write heads. The properties of the generated spin waves and time dependent mode dispersion will be discussed.
Analyzing DNS activities of bot processes

Detecting bots is becoming increasingly challenging with the sophistication of current bot technology. Most research has focused on identifying infected host machines but is unable to identify the specific bot processes on the host. This research analyzes active bot processes with emphasis on a newly identified vector of detection based on DNS activities occurring throughout the bot life cycle with a primary focus on the early stage of the cycle (i.e., when bots first join a botnet). Specifically, we propose criteria for detecting bot processes based on their reaction-to-DNS-response behavior (RD behavior). Our experimental results confirm that the newly identified vector of detection can, in most cases, accurately identify bot processes during the early stage in their life cycle and can improve detection results of current commercial bot detection software.
The effect of religious and sexual stigmas on programmers and trust in their work product.

Abstract Research on stigmatized individuals is widespread; however, there are only a few studies on how stigma affects trust in a stigmatized person's work product. In two experiments, participants evaluate a target individual who is described as either Christian/Jewish/Muslim/Atheist-Agnostic or either heterosexual/homosexual/bisexual. Participants are asked to rate how they feel about a target and how trustworthy they feel the target individual's work product is. All religions and sexual orientations except Christian or Jewish heterosexuals are rated less positively and their work products are rated as less trustworthy compared to a neutral control. Results also show that affect plays a strong mediating role in the relationship between stigmatized conditions and trust in work product.
DOCTORS, CURANDEROS, AND BRUJAS: HEALTH CARE DELIVERY AND MEXICAN IMMIGRANTS IN SAN DIEGO

To what extent does the complex set of beliefs and practices relating to diseases, cures, health maintenance, and health care practitioners found in traditional Mexican culture influence the behavior of Mexicans seeking health care in the United States? In this paper I examine data gathered on Mexican immigrants in San Diego County, California, that support the growing consensus that socioeconomic factors affect this population's behavioral patterns regarding health care services much more than do cultural beliefs. Many of the members of this population find that access to conventional U.S. health services is limited by their socioeconomic condition and, for some, an undocumented immigration status. However, the evidence suggests that many Mexican immigrants believe in folk illnesses, perceive U.S. health care practitioners as lacking an understanding of folk illnesses, and feel that this lack of understanding does affect practitioner behavior when they seek health care. In short, the overwhelming significance of socioeconomic factors should not blind us to the importance of cultural beliefs and perceptions about health care, although the latter probably diminish in importance the longer that Mexicans and their descendants reside in the United States.
Parallel Performance of Lattice Boltzmann and Implicit Finite Difference Approaches to the Approximation of the Two-Dimensional Diffusion Equation

The reduction of computation times is an important aspect of interactive computational fluid dynamics simulations. The lattice Boltzmann method has proved to be an important technique for the numerical solution of partial differential equations because it has nearly ideal scalability on parallel computers for many applications. Utilizing the two-dimensional diffusion equation, Tt=μ(Txx+Tyy), this paper examines the parallel performance for the lattice Boltzmann method and the alternating direction implicit (ADI) method. In this study for 50 time steps the non-cache optimized parallel lattice Boltzmann method was on average two times faster than the parallel ADI method. The cache optimized parallel lattice Boltzmann was on average seven times faster than the parallel ADI method.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
O-aryloxycarbonyl hydroxamates: new beta-lactamase inhibitors that cross-link the active site.

O-Aryloxycarbonyl hydroxamates represent a new class of β-lactamase inhibitors. N-Benzyloxycarbonyl-O-(phenoxycarbonyl) hydroxylamine, for example, inactivates the class C Enterobacter cloacae P99 β-lactamase with a rate constant of 6.1 × 103 s-1 M-1; approximately two turnover events accompany the inhibition. N-Benzyloxycarbonyl-O-[(3-carboxyphenoxy)carbonyl] hydroxylamine is comparably effective. These compounds also inactivate the class A TEM β-lactamase. A crystal structure of the inactivated AmpC enzyme, another class C β-lactamase, reveals that the active site has become cross-linked by a carbamate bridge spanning Ser64, the active site nucleophile, and Lys315, a conserved active site residue.
Inhibition of [3H][3-MeHis2]thyrotropin releasing hormone recognition sites in the rat brain by tifluadom, a kappa opiate receptor agonist.

Abstract The effect of tifluadom (TIF), a postulated κ-opiate agonist with a benzodiazepine (Bz) structure, on the binding of [ 3 H][3-MeHis 2 ]thyrotropin releasing hormone ([ 3 H]MeTRH) to receptors for thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH) in membranes from rat brain was determined. Tifluadom inhibited the binding of [ 3 H]MeTRH with an IC 50 value of 1.88 μM. When the binding was carried out in the presence of an IC 20 , concentration of tifluadom, the B max value of [ 3 H]MeTRH was decreased by 20% but no change in the K d value was noted, indicating that the inhibition was apparently noncompetitive. Ro 15-1788 a benzodiazepine antagonist, as well as bicuculline, a γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) antagonist did not antagonize the effect of tifluadom on the binding of [ 3 H]MeTRH suggesting that the benzodiazepine receptors are not involved in the action of tifluadom. Since tifluadom is suggested to be a κ-opioid agonist, the effect of other κ-opiate ligands were also tested for their ability to affect TRH receptors. The drugs used were ethylketocyclazocine, dynorphin(1–13) and 5-bromo-6-(2-imidazoline-2-ylamino)quinoxaline (U-50,488H). The order of potency of these compounds to inhibit the binding of [ 3 H]MeTRH to membrane from the rat brain was in the following order: tifluadom > U-50.488H > dynorphin-(1–13)> ethylketocyclazocine. It is concluded that tifluadom inhibits the binding of [ 3 H]MeTRH to receptrs in brain in a noncompetitive manner. The effect does not appear to be mediated through benzodiazepine receptors but possibly through κ-opiate receptors. These studies provide biochemical evidence for a possible interaction between opioids and TRH receptors and may help in explaining the pharmacological interactions between TRH and opiates in vivo .
THE WRONG STUFF: THE ACCOUNTING REVIEW'S FORUM FOR DEFENSE CLIENTS

This research explores how accounting, by relying on neoclassical economics as a foundational theoretical source, plays a role in social struggles. This is examined in relation to the accounting mainstream's response to defense contracting; it employs Adorno's negative dialectics to reveal the partisanship inThe Accounting Review's “Forum on Accounting for Defense Contracts”, especially Demski and Magee's “A Perspective on Accounting for Defense Contracts”. It is argued thatThe Accounting Review's forum promotes capital accumulation by defense firms at the expense of peace and security and the militarization of thought, the economy and social relations.
Opiate receptor binding, guinea pig ileum activity, and prolonged analgesia induced by the brain peptide Tyr-W-MIF-1 and two potent analogs

Abstract Tyr-W-MIF-1 (Tyr-Pro-Trp-Gly-NH 2 ) is a peptide isolated from human and bovine brain with opiate activity. Two synthetic analogs of Tyr-W-MIF-1 were compared with the parent compound, DAMGO and Tyr-MIF-1 for (a) binding to opiate receptors (b) activity in the guinea pig ileum assay, and (c) analgesic activity after ICV administration to the rat. All compounds tested showed preferential binding to mu receptors. Tyr-MIF-1 showed relatively low affinity, but high selectivity (∼400-fold selectivity for mu over delta and more than 500-fold selective for mu over kappa sites). Tyr-W-MIF-1, which induces prolonged analgesia after ICV administration, showed affinity for mu sites that was 10-fold higher than Tyr-MIF-1 while retaining 200-fold selectivity for mu over delta and kappa sites. Two cyclized analogs of Tyr-W-MIF-1 approached the potency of DAMGO in several assays. The analogs showed 50- and 20-fold increases in affinity (IC 50 of 6 and 18 nM) for the mu site relative to Tyr-W-MIF-1, with 50-fold selectivity for mu over delta sites, and lack of binding to non-opiate Tyr-MIF-1 sites. The analogs were active in the guinea pig ileum assay with IC 50 s of 10 and 30 nM. Dose-dependent analgesia after ICV administration of one of the analogs persisted for about an hr after 1 μg, for 3 hr after 25 μg, and for more than 6 hr after 100 μg. For both analogs, analgesia after 1 μg was similar to that seen with DAMGO. Thus, an endogenous brain peptide (Tyr-W-MIF-1) that does not contain the sequence Tyr-Gly-Gly, together with its structural analogs, can provide a range of selectivity patterns for binding to opiate receptors and potent opiate agonist activity.
A two-dimensional model for quantum gravity

Abstract Two-dimensional quantum gravity coupled to conformally invariant matter is a good model for the physics of higher-dimensional gravity, provided the central charge of the matter theory is greater than 25. In particular, the theory has a euclidean saddle point of large negative action, analogous to that considered by Baum, Hawking and Coleman in d = 4. Further, the theory is identical to string theory in an appropriate background, making it a promising laboratory for the study of topology change. Some preliminary applications are made to cosmological solutions, the Hartle-Hawking wavefunction, wormholes, and the classical field equation for the baby universe background.
Social conflict and political activism in the Brazilian Amazon: a case study of Gurupá

This article examines the economic and political conditions leading to social conflict and to political activism by small farmers and rubber/timber extractors in the rural Amazonian community of Gurupa, Brazil. Gurupa's case is compared with a general “frontier scenario” in which activism is generated by severe dislocations affecting land tenure and social relations of production, as well as by violence. None of these dislocations, however, is very marked in Gurupa. Instead, conflict and activism are prodded by market-based tensions and, to a lesser degree, political tensions. This article also describes farmer/extractor mobilization in Gurupa, with particular attention paid to the role of the progressive sector of the Catholic church. [Amazon, social conflict, small-farmer mobilization, liberation theology, Christian Base Communities]
Association of diastolic dysfunction and outcomes in ambulatory older adults with chronic heart failure.

Background. Studies of patients with heart failure and preserved systolic function report variable outcomes compared with those of patients with impaired systolic function. Objective. To study outcomes of diastolic (vs systolic) heart failure in older adults with chronic heart failure. Methods. Patients were ambulatory chronic heart failure patients 65 years and older (N = 3984) who participated in the Digitalis Investigation Group trial. Of these, 3405 had systolic heart failure (ejection fraction ≤45%) and 579 had diastolic heart failure (ejection fraction >45%). By using a 1:1 match by age, sex, and race, 571 diastolic heart failure patients were matched with 571 systolic heart failure patients. Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and multivariable Cox proportional hazard analyses were used to estimate the risk of various outcomes between the groups. Results. During the 1044 mean days of fol low up, compared with 41 % of systolic heart failure patients, 27% of diastolic heart failure patients died (p <.001). Presence of diastolic heart failure was independently associated with a 27% decreased risk of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio [HR] = 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.91) and a 32% reduction in risk of hospitalization due to heart failure (adjusted HR = 0.68; 95% Cl, 0.52-0.88). There was no difference in overall hospitalization between the groups. However, compared with systolic heart failure patients, diastolic heart failure patients were more likely to be hospitalized due to noncardiovascular causes (adjusted HR = 1.38; 95% CI, 1.02-1.88). Conclusions. Older adults with diastolic heart failure had lower risk of all-cause mortality and heart failure-related hospitalizations, but higher risk of noncardiovascular hospitalization.
Susceptibility patterns of orally administered antimicrobials among urinary tract infection pathogens from hospitalized patients in North America: comparison report to Europe and Latin America. Results from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (2000)

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) remain a worldwide nosocomial infection problem. Geographic variations in pathogen occurrence and susceptibility profiles require monitoring to provide information to guide new (garenoxacin [BMS284756]) therapeutic options. Two thousand seven hundred-eighty UTI isolates from Europe (n = 783), Latin America (531), and North America (1,466) were tested and compared against 44 agents by reference methods in the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program. The top seven pathogens accounted for 90% of all isolates and the rank order for all regions was: Escherichia coli (1,316; 47%), Enterococcus spp. (351; 13%), Klebsiella spp. (306; 11%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (210; 8%), Proteus mirabilis (145; 5%), Enterobacter spp. (97; 4%), and Citrobacter spp. (78; 3%). The pathogen rank order was similar among regions except for the rarer occurrence of Enterococcus spp. (Rank #6, 4%) in Latin America. E. coli ampicillin resistance was highest in Europe and Latin America (51-55%). Ampicillin (37%), ciprofloxacin or garenoxacin (4%), and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (23%) resistance remained lowest in North America. Nitrofurantoin susceptibility in E. coli was still at acceptable levels and ranged from 91 to 96% across regions. The regional ciprofloxacin-resistant rank order for P. aeruginosa by region was: Latin America (55%) > Europe (41%) > North America (29%). Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) were only detected in North America (7%). Garenoxacin possessed a 34 to 44% wider spectrum compared to ciprofloxacin against enterococci UTI isolates. Extended spectrum beta-lactamase rates for E. coli and Klebsiella spp. were 4 and 19%, respectively. These results emphasized the need to assess the often striking differences in pathogen occurrence and resistance rates among the commonly encountered UTI pathogens.
Production of Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-Hydroxyhexanoate) from Plant Oil by Engineered Ralstonia eutropha Strains

The polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) [P(HB-co-HHx)] has been shown to have potential to serve as a commercial bioplastic. Synthesis of P(HB-co-HHx) from plant oil has been demonstrated with recombinant Ralstonia eutropha strains expressing heterologous PHA synthases capable of incorporating HB and HHx into the polymer. With these strains, however, short-chain-length fatty acids had to be included in the medium to generate PHA with high HHx content. Our group has engineered two R. eutropha strains that accumulate high levels of P(HB-co-HHx) with significant HHx content directly from palm oil, one of the world's most abundant plant oils. The strains express a newly characterized PHA synthase gene from the bacterium Rhodococcus aetherivorans I24. Expression of an enoyl coenzyme A (enoyl-CoA) hydratase gene (phaJ) from Pseudomonas aeruginosa was shown to increase PHA accumulation. Furthermore, varying the activity of acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (encoded by phaB) altered the level of HHx in the polymer. The strains with the highest PHA titers utilized plasmids for recombinant gene expression, so an R. eutropha plasmid stability system was developed. In this system, the essential pyrroline-5-carboxylate reductase gene proC was deleted from strain genomes and expressed from a plasmid, making the plasmid necessary for growth in minimal media. This study resulted in two engineered strains for production of P(HB-co-HHx) from palm oil. In palm oil fermentations, one strain accumulated 71% of its cell dry weight as PHA with 17 mol% HHx, while the other strain accumulated 66% of its cell dry weight as PHA with 30 mol% HHx.
Responses of soil microbial communities to water stress: results from a meta-analysis

Soil heterotrophic respiration and nutrient mineralization are strongly affected by environmental conditions, in particular by moisture fluctuations triggered by rainfall events. When soil moisture decreases, so does decomposers' activity, with microfauna generally undergoing stress sooner than bacteria and fungi. Despite differences in the responses of individual decomposer groups to moisture availability (e.g., bacteria are typically more sensitive than fungi to water stress), we show that responses of decomposers at the community level are different in soils and surface litter, but similar across biomes and climates. This results in a nearly constant soil-moisture threshold corresponding to the point when biological activity ceases, at a water potential of about -14 MPa in mineral soils and -36 MPa in surface litter. This threshold is shown to be comparable to the soil moisture value where solute diffusion becomes strongly inhibited in soil, while in litter it is dehydration rather than diffusion that likely limits biological activity around the stress point. Because of these intrinsic constraints and lack of adaptation to different hydro-climatic regimes, changes in rainfall patterns (primary drivers of the soil moisture balance) may have dramatic impacts on soil carbon and nutrient cycling.
SiGe-on-insulator symmetric lateral bipolar transistors

We report the first demonstration of thin-base symmetric lateral NPN bipolar transistors built on 8-inch SiGe-on-insulator (SiGe-OI) wafers with CMOS-like process. Such devices achieve the same collector current as the SOI bipolar transistor at ∼130 mV lower V BE from effective bandgap lowering, translating into lower voltage operation and power dissipation. Various techniques of Emitter engineering were studied and a novel partial HBT device structure was demonstrated with 3x reduction of hole injection into the emitter.
Pointer adaptation and pruning of min-max fuzzy inference and estimation

A new technique for adaptation of fuzzy membership functions in a fuzzy inference system is proposed. The pointer technique relies upon the isolation of the specific membership functions that contributed to the final decision, followed by the updating of these functions' parameters using steepest descent. The error measure used is thus backpropagated from output to input, through the min and max operators used during the inference stage. This occurs because the operations of min and max are continuous differentiable functions and, therefore, can be placed in a chain of partial derivatives for steepest descent backpropagation adaptation. Interestingly, the partials of min and max act as "pointers" with the result that only the function that gave rise to the min or max is adapted; the others are not. To illustrate, let /spl alpha/=max [/spl beta//sub 1/, /spl beta//sub 2/, /spl middot//spl middot//spl middot/, /spl beta//sub N/]. Then /spl part//spl alpha///spl part//spl beta//sub n/=1 when /spl beta//sub n/ is the maximum and is otherwise zero. We apply this property to the fine tuning of membership functions of fuzzy min-max decision processes and illustrate with an estimation example. The adaptation process can reveal the need for reducing the number of membership functions. Under the assumption that the inference surface is in some sense smooth, the process of adaptation can reveal overdetermination of the fuzzy system in two ways. First, if two membership functions come sufficiently close to each other, they can be fused into a single membership function. Second, if a membership function becomes too narrow, it can be deleted. In both cases, the number of fuzzy IF-THEN rules is reduced. In certain cases, the overall performance of the fuzzy system can be improved by this adaptive pruning.
Famotidine in the Management of Schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the use and potential benefit of famotidine in the management of schizophrenia.DATA SOURCES:Clinical literature accessed through MEDLINE (February 1998–October 1998). Key search terms included famotidine, schizophrenia, and histamine.DATA SYNTHESIS:Schizophrenia is a complicated disorder associated with high morbidity if left unmanaged. Histamine2 (H2)-antagonists may be an alternative to conventional treatments. An evaluation of studies focusing on famotidine in the management of schizophrenic symptoms was conducted.CONCLUSIONS:Famotidine can improve schizophrenic symptoms that were otherwise refractory to typical antipsychotic agents. Further studies should be conducted to determine if other H2-antagonists are also effective.
Essentializing Race: Implications for Bicultural Individuals' Cognition and Physiological Reactivity

It is a widely held belief that racial groups have underlying essences. We hypothesized that bicultural individuals who hold this essentialist belief about race are oriented to perceive rigid interracial boundaries and experience difficulty passing between their ethnic culture and the host culture. As predicted, we found that the more strongly Chinese American participants endorsed an essentialist belief about race, the less effective they were in switching rapidly between Chinese and American cultural frames in a reaction time task (Study 1), and the greater emotional reactivity they exhibited (reflected in heightened skin conductance) while they talked about their Chinese and American cultural experiences (Study 2). Taken together, these findings suggest that essentialist beliefs about race set up a mind-set that influences how bicultural individuals navigate between their ethnic and host cultures.
Secretion of an Acid Phosphatase (SapM) by Mycobacterium tuberculosis That Is Similar to Eukaryotic Acid Phosphatases

Mycobacterium tuberculosis secretes a large number of polypeptides with broad biological and immunological functions. We describe here the characterization of a 28-kDa acid phosphatase of M. tuberculosis (SapM) localized to the culture filtrate. The mature protein demonstrated biochemical characteristics similar to those of the bacterial nonspecific acid phosphatases. However, SapM yielded significant sequence homology to fungal acid phosphatases and not those of bacteria. Thus, SapM may represent a new class of bacterial nonspecific acid phosphatases.
Effect of the 1973 oil price embargo

Abstract This paper focuses on the effect of the oil shock of 1973 on US gasoline demand by examining the price elasticities of demand before and after the 1973 embargo. Price elasticities provide useful input to the development of public policy dealing with taxation and polution control. Understanding the consequences of the 1973 shock should provide useful lessons if such a shock were to recur in the future. The extensive data used include state level observations for nearly three decades spanning 1952–80. We apply non-parametric regression methods that are more appropriate to our investigation than traditional parametric techniques. Unlike standard regression techniques, non-parametric methods neither assume a functional form for the demand relation nor restrict the distribution of the dependent variable. Our results show that the mean price elasticity of gasoline demand for the USA was -0.243 for 1952–73 and the corresponding number for 1973–80 was -0.576, statistically different at the 5% level of significance. The relatively higher price elasticity in the post-embargo period is consistent with the hypothesis that consumers sought substitutes and restricted their consumption in response to prices as well as social responsibility. The policy implications of these results are also discussed.
Assertion Checking in J-Sim Simulation Models of Network Protocols

Verification and validation (V&V) is a critically important phase in the development life cycle of a simulation model. In the context of network simulation, traditional network simulators perform well in using a simulation model for evaluating the performance of a network protocol but lack the capability to check the âcorrectnessâ of the simulation model being used. To address this problem, we have extended J-Simâan open-source component-based network simulator written entirely in Javaâwith a state space exploration (SSE) capability that explores the state space created by a network simulation model, up to a configurable maximum depth, in order to find an execution (if any) that violates an assertion, i.e. a property specifying an invariant that must always hold true in all states. In this paper, we elaborate on the SSE framework in J-Sim and present one of our fairly complex case studies, namely verifying the simulation model of the Ad-hoc On-demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol for wireless ad-hoc networks. The SSE framework makes use of protocol-specific properties along two orthogonal dimensions: state similarity and state ranking. State similarity determines whether a state is âsimilar toâ another in order to enable the implementation of stateful search. State ranking determines whether a state is âbetter thanâ another in order to enable the implementation of best-first search (BeFS). Specifically, we develop protocol-specific search heuristics to guide SSE towards finding assertion violations in less time. We evaluate the efficiency of our SSE framework by comparing its performance with that of a state-of-the-art model checker for Java programs, namely Java PathFinder (JPF). The results of the comparison show that the time needed to find an assertion violation by our SSE framework in J-Sim can be significantly less than that in JPF unless a substantial amount of programming effort is spent in JPF to make its performance close to that of our SSE framework.
Repairing Tom Swift's Electric Factor Analysis Machine

Proper use of exploratory factor analysis (EFA) requires the researcher to make a series of careful decisions. Despite attempts by Floyd and Widaman (1995), Fabrigar, Wegener, MacCallum, and Strahan (1999), and others to elucidate critical issues involved in these decisions, examples of questionable use of EFA are still common in the applied factor analysis literature. Poor decisions regarding the model to be used, the criteria used to decide how many factors to retain, and the rotation method can have drastic consequences for the quality and meaningfulness of factor analytic results. One commonly used approach-principal components analysis, retention of components with eigenvalues greater than 1.0, and varimax rotation of these components-is shown to have potentially serious negative consequences. In addition, choosing arbitrary thresholds for factor loadings to be considered large, using single indicators for factors, and violating the linearity assumptions underlying EFA can have negative consequences ...
Heat Capacity Measurements on Small Samples at Low Temperatures

We describe a new calorimeter for measuring heat capacity in the range 1–35 K, using a silicon chip bolometer as sample holder, temperature sensor, and sample heater. The apparatus is capable of measuring very small samples (1–500 mg), and may be used with a number of different experimental methods.
Invited Commentary: Genetic Variants and Individual- and Societal-Level Risk Factors

Over the past decade, leading epidemiologists have noted the importance of social factors in studying and understanding the distribution and determinants of disease in human populations; but to what extent are epidemiologic studies integrating genetic information and other biologic variables with information about individual-level risk factors and group-level or societal factors related to the broader residential, behavioral, or cultural context? There remains a need to consider ways to integrate genetic information with social and contextual information in epidemiologic studies, partly to combat the overemphasis on the importance of genetic factors as determinants of disease in human populations. Even in genome-wide association studies of coronary heart disease and other common complex diseases, only a small proportion of heritability is explained by the genetic variants identified to date. It is possible that familial clustering due to genetic factors has been overestimated and that important environmental or social influences (acting alone or in combination with genetic variants) have been overlooked. The accompanying article by Bressler et al. (Am J Epidemiol. 2010;171(1):14-23) highlights some of these important issues.
1 Gender, Households, and Society: An Introduction

A critical strength of the discipline of archaeology is that its access to the material record of human history extends well beyond the written record and includes societies and cultures unaffected by Western colonialism and capitalist penetration. Bringing to light the social relations of earlier time periods, archaeology plays a critical role in documenting the full range of human variation, a role that cannot be filled by ethnography, history, or ethnohistory with their shorter temporal spans. By questioning essentialist notions of binary gender systems, gender research in archaeology can lead to a reevaluation of long-standing disciplinary assumptions about the nature of household organization, subsistence and craft production, ritual performance, and the structure of ancient states. The materiality of gender relations and gender identities in the archaeological record allows archaeologists to conduct historical comparisons of ancient, ethnohistoric, and ethnographic time periods to document changes as well as continuities in human social conditions. In so doing, archaeologists are able to expose ancient social scenarios that are distinctive from contemporary arrangements and thus widen the scope of the social sciences.
Anonymous networking with localized eavesdroppers: A game-theoretic approach

The problem of anonymous wireless networking is considered when an adversary monitors the packet transmission timing of an unknown fraction of the network nodes. For a given level of network performance, as measured by network throughput, the problem of maximizing anonymity is studied from a game-theoretic perspective. Using conditional entropy of routes as a measure of anonymity, this problem is posed as a two player zero-sum game between the network designer and the adversary; the task of the adversary is to choose a subset of nodes to monitor so that anonymity of routes is minimum and the task of the network designer is to choose a subset of nodes (referred to as covert relays to generate independent transmission schedules and evade flow detection so that anonymity is maximized. It is shown that a Nash equilibrium exists for a general category of finite networks. The theory is applied to the numerical example of a switching network to study the relationship between anonymity, fraction of monitored relays and the fraction of covert relays.
Approximate Query Translation Across Heterogeneous Information Sources

In this paper we present a mechanism for approximately translating Boolean query constraints across heterogeneous information sources. Achieving the best translation is challenging because sources support different constraints for formulating queries, and often these constraints cannot be precisely translated. For instance, a query [score > 8] might be “perfectly” translated as [rating > 0.8] at some site, but can only be approximated as [grade = A] at another. Unlike other work, our general framework adopts a customizable “closeness” metric for the translation that combines both precision and recall. Our results show that for query translation we need to handle interdependencies among both query conjuncts as well as disjuncts. As the basis, we identify the essential requirements of a rule system for users to encode the mappings for atomic semantic units. Our algorithm then translates complex queries by rewriting them in terms of the semantic units. We show that, under practical assumptions, our algorithm generates the best approximate translations with respect to the closeness metric of choice. We also present a case study to show how our technique may be applied in practice.
Avian myeoloblastosis virus (AMV): only one side of the coin.

For many years, scientists and suppliers have refered to AMV-RT as the reverse transcriptase produced by the Avian Myelobalstosis Virus. This manuscript briefly reviews the molecular basis for biological dependence of AMV for the envelope and RT proteins that are produced by its natural helper the Myeloblastosis Associated Virus (MAV). Because the wide use of the term «AMV RT» obscures scientific facts, it is worthwhile to clarify this issue for the scientific community, especially for younger scientists who might not be aware of the functional relationships that exist between these two viruses.
Differentiation of glioblastomas from metastatic brain tumors by tryptophan uptake and kinetic analysis: a positron emission tomographic study with magnetic resonance imaging comparison.

Differentiating high-grade gliomas from solitary brain metastases is often difficult by conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); molecular imaging may facilitate such discrimination. We tested the accuracy of α[11C]methyl-L-tryptophan (AMT)–positron emission tomography (PET) to differentiate newly diagnosed glioblastomas from brain metastases. AMT-PET was performed in 36 adults with suspected brain malignancy. Tumoral AMT accumulation was measured by standardized uptake values (SUVs). Tracer kinetic analysis was also performed to separate tumoral net tryptophan transport (by AMT volume of distribution [VD]) from unidirectional uptake rates using dynamic PET and blood input function. Differentiating the accuracy of these PET variables was evaluated and compared to conventional MRI. For glioblastoma/metastasis differentiation, tumoral AMT SUV showed the highest accuracy (74%) and the tumor/cortex VD ratio had the highest positive predictive value (82%). The combined accuracy of MRI (size of contrast-e...
Validation of a probabilistic post-fire erosion model

Post-fire increases of runoff and erosion often occur and land managers need tools to be able to project the increased risk. The Erosion Risk Management Tool (ERMiT) uses the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model as the underlying processor. ERMiT predicts the probability of a given amount of hillslope sediment delivery from a single rainfall or snowmelt event on unburned, burned and recovering forest, range and chaparral hillslopes and the effectiveness of selected mitigation treatments. Eight published field study sites were used to compare ERMiT predictions with observed sediment deliveries. Most sites experienced only a few rainfall events that produced runoff and sediment (1.3–9.2%) except for a California site with a Mediterranean climate (45.6%). When sediment delivery occurred, pooled Spearman rank correlations indicated significant correlations between the observed sediment delivery and those predicted by ERMiT. Correlations were ρ = 0.65 for the controls, ρ = 0.59 for the log erosion barriers and ρ = 0.27 (not significant) for the mulch treatments. Half of the individual sites also had significant correlations, as did 6 of 7 compared post-fire years. These model validation results suggest reasonable estimates of probabilistic post-fire hillslope sediment delivery when compared with observations from eight field sites.
Developmental consequences of cannibalism in Heliothis zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Heliothis zea (Boddie) larvae reared on low-moisture diet medium had longer development time and lower pupal weight than larvae reared on standard corn/soybean artificial diet. Larvae given conspecific prey in addition to the low-moisture diet medium had significantly shorter development time, greater survivorship, and greater pupal weight than larvae on a low-moisture diet but not given conspecific prey. On a standard artificial diet there were no significant differences between cannibals and noncannibals. These results indicate a nutritional benefit of cannibalism under less than optimal (low moisture) conditions that is not found under better conditions.
AN EMENDATION TO A FRAGMENT OF VARRO'S DE BIBLIOTHECIS (FR. 54 GRF FUNAIOLI)

Varro wrote three books De bibliothecis, according to a list by Jerome (Ep. 33.2 = testimonium 23 GRF Funaioli). The work may have had something to do with his commission to build a massive public library for Julius Caesar (Suet. Iul. 44.2), though Caesar was assassinated before the library could be built. It may also have some connection to Rome's first public library, which Asinius Pollio added to the Atrium of Liberty in the 30s b.c. Pollio, after all, gave a portrait to Varro alone among living authors (Plin. HN 7.115). The known fragments are few.
The Five That Remain: Versions of the Messianic in Battlestar Galactica

The re-imagined television series Battlestar Galactica engages issues of contemporary significance throughout its four-season run. This paper, drawing upon Benjamin, Derrida, Agamben and other theorists, explores a number of significant messianic motifs and messiah figures (or groups of figures) in the series. Although each instance of the messianic moves Battlestar Galactica’s narrative forward, the consistency with which the series undermines any and all messianic pretensions provides an intriguing critical opportunity to reflect upon the theo-political. The series clearly seems to take issue with the messianic discourse of the Bush years. But reading the insufficiency of its messianic moments in theoretical terms may also allow for a nuanced critique of theory’s recent fascination with the idea of the messianic itself.
Nipple-Sparing Mastectomy: To Spare Or Not To Spare?

The use of nipple-sparing mastectomy for prophylactic and therapeutic purposes has increased in recent years primarily driven by patient desire for improved esthetics. This article aims to critically review indications, oncologic safety, and recent advances in operative techniques. Current strategies for minimizing complications of nipple-sparing mastectomy are discussed including incision choices, adjunct tactics, and our experience.
A Comparison of Microarthropod Populations in Sewage-Exposed and Sewage-Free Spartina Salt Marshes

An investigation of effects of sewage effluents on populations of microarthropods living in Spartina marshes was carried out in the spring and summer of 1970, using primarily a vacuum collecting technique. Comparisons of dominant forms, population densities, and species diversities were made between populations inhabiting marsh grass exposed to flooding by treated sewage wastes and those in nonpolluted areas. Only in the case of spiders and amphipods were significant differences found, with density in both cases being greater in the polluted marsh. Species diversity was relatively high, especially for populations from Spartina growing within margins of artificial ponds, some of which were also exposed to treated sewage wastes.
An Unusual Use of the Nodal Cubic in the Plane

(1930). An Unusual Use of the Nodal Cubic in the Plane. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 37, No. 5, pp. 240-241.
Peppermint oil for treatment of irritable bowel syndrome.

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a chronic gastrointestinal disorder that affects 5–15% of people worldwide.[1][1] Typically, patients with IBS experience abdominal pain or discomfort and constipation or diarrhea with other gastrointestinal symptoms, such as abdominal distention and bloating;
Histological parameters and pitfalls in the interpretation of bladder biopsies in bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment of superficial bladder cancer.

AbstractWe report the morphological effects of intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy on early post-treatment biopsies of the bladder in 39 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma (stage Ta, Tl or Tis) of the bladder. Although submucosal granulomatous inflammation in bladder biopsies of patients receiving intravesical bacillus Calmette-Guerin treatment has been described previously, a complete morphological description of the early effects of bacillus Calmette-Guerin on all bladder layers and the prostatic urethra has not been reported. In the majority of cases the superficial epithelium was eroded and the edematous submucosa contained noncaseating granulomas with a surrounding lymphoplasmocytic and eosinophilic infiltrate. Langhans’ giant cells occasionally were found, and acid-fast bacilli were demonstrated only rarely by special stains in the 6-week post-treatment biopsy. In some cases the prostatic urethra and muscle bundles contained noncaseating granulomas. Features distinguishi...
The Yule–Walker equations as a weighted least-squares problem and the association with tapering

ABSTRACTA common method for estimating the time-domain parameters of an autoregressive process is to use the Yule–Walker equations. Tapering has been shown intuitively and proven theoretically to reduce the bias of the periodogram in the frequency domain, but the intuition for the similar bias reduction in the time-domain estimates has been lacking. We provide insightful reasoning for why tapering reduces the bias in the Yule–Walker estimates by showing them to be equivalent to a weighted least-squares problem. This leads to the derivation of an optimal taper which behaves similarly to commonly used tapers.
India: ‘A Startler’

During March and April 1858, government concession created the deliberate impression that ‘a positive conflict upon a cabinet question’ would be ‘hard to bring about’.1 There existed limits to concession, however, defined by executive, rather than legislative, decision. On 12 April 1858 Lord Ellenborough received from Lord Canning, the Governor-General of India, the draft of a proclamation to the people of Oudh that, with certain exceptions, ‘the proprietary right in the soil of the province [was] confiscated to the British government which [would] dispose of that right in such manner as it [might] deem fitting’.2 Canning, as yet unaware of the change of ministry, sent the despatch accompanying the draft to Vernon Smith in the belief that he was still the responsible minister. Vernon Smith failed to forward this private letter to Ellenborough. This neglect on the part of Vernon Smith was consistent with his general reticence to exchange details of policy with his successor.3 Thus Ellenborough received the apparently punitive draft with an incomplete understanding of its purpose and character. Ellenborough’s reaction to the proclamation, placing a literal interpretation upon its wording, was as severe as his understanding of its intent. Declaring that threatening the disinheritance of a people would create almost insurmountable obstacles to the reestablishing of peace in India, Ellenborough forcefully rebuked Canning. The reprimand was sharp, severe and, in retrospect, appears heavy-handed.
4-bit flash ADC in InP-HBT technology using distributed resistor ladder

4-bit flash A/D converters have been designed and fabricated in InP-HBT technology. The circuit utilizes a novel distributed ladder structure to create the quantization reference voltages. Based on signal-to-noise-and-distortion measurements, the effective number of bits was calculated as 3.9 bits at 10 GS/S. The circuit consumes about 1.9 A from a single 31 V supply and allocates a total area of 3225/spl times/1875 /spl mu/m/sup 2/.