cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Automatically translating image processing libraries to halide

This paper presents Dexter, a new tool that automatically translates image processing functions from a low-level general-purpose language to a high-level domain-specific language (DSL), allowing them to leverage cross-platform optimizations enabled by DSLs. Rather than building a classical syntax-driven compiler to do this translation, Dexter leverages recent advances in program synthesis and program verification, along with a new domain-specific synthesis algorithm, to translate C++ image processing code to the Halide DSL, while guaranteeing semantic equivalence. This new synthesis algorithm scales and generalizes to much larger and more complex functions than prior work, including the ability to handle tiling, conditionals, and multi-stage pipelines in the original low-level code. To demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach, we evaluate Dexter using real-world image processing functions from Adobe Photoshop, a widely used multi-platform image processing program. Our results show that Dexter can translate 264 out of 353 functions in our test set, with the original implementations ranging from 20 to 150 lines of code. By leveraging Halide's advanced auto-scheduling capabilities, we get median speedups of 7.03× and 4.52× for Dexter-translated functions as compared to the original implementations on Intel and ARM architectures, respectively.
Smap Vegetation Optical Depth Retrievals Using The Multi-Temporal Dual-Channel Algorithm

The multi-temporal dual-channel algorithm (MT-DCA) is reviewed in its approach in simultaneously estimating soil moisture and vegetation optical depth (VOD) from SMAP brightness temperature (TB) measurements. At a single incidence angle, the two polarized TB measurements from SMAP at a given location do not provide two degrees of information (DOI). Therefore, this approach assumes a constant VOD between SMAP overpasses to increase DOI and stabilize the soil moisture-VOD estimation. Retrieved time-mean VOD covaries spatially with vegetation biomass, but its temporal dynamics have yet to be validated with in-situ measurements. Recent SMAP VOD applications in plant ecology and crop monitoring are discussed. Ultimately, these studies suggest insightful vegetation information is present in both weekly and seasonal SMAP VOD variations. Further study and ground monitoring campaigns will continue to reveal the extent of geophysical information in the VOD signal.
Filamentary Statistical Evolution from Nano-Conducting Path to Switching-Filament for Oxide-RRAM in Memory Applications

In this work, we investigate the statistical evolution from nano-conducting path generation to the switching-filament formation in ReRAM devices. We demonstrate the Gumbel statistics, a maxima-value distribution for switching-filament conductance as opposed to the minima-value Weibull model. In contrast to Poisson distribution for nano-path generation, we show the underlying spatial statistics is controlled by a binomial distribution as a result of filament-formation. The reorganization and conglomeration of interacting nano-paths or individual vacancies eventually leads to area-dependent single-filament formation, consistent with the Gumbel statistics. Our methodology provides the foundation for RRAM scaling as well as an essential tool for the development of RRAM technology.
Firearm Relinquishment within Civil Protection Orders: Processes and Observations from Delaware Family Court

Research and national data illustrate that female victims of intimate partner violence (IPV) are more likely to be killed if their abuser has access to a firearm (Campbell et al. Trauma, Violence & Abuse, 8(3), 246–69, 2007; Gwinn Evaluation Review, 30(3), 237–44, 2006; Sorenson Evaluation Review 30, 361, 2006). A crucial part of protecting victims lies with the state’s ability to successfully track and remove firearms from Civil Protection Orders (CPO). While recent research on the court’s responses to firearms and IPV is robust (Fleury-Steiner et al. Violence Against Women, 1-12, 2016; Stockl et al. Lancet, 382, 859–865. 2013; Logan and Walker Violence and Victims, 25, 332–348, 2010), there is a notable lack of practitioner voices within the academic dialogue focusing on concrete responses to firearms within IPV. The author uses their experience as an administrator within Delaware Family Court and their experience as a researcher to focus research into informed practices that will result in better court compliance with the firearms ban. The current paper outlines concrete practices followed by Delaware Family Court to address the firearms ban and lists considerations for other jurisdictions to engage with as they begin to improve their processes. The current paper aims to center practitioner experiences into the conversation to not only add to current academic research, but to provide other courts and legal practitioners with concrete practices that they can bring to their jurisdictions.
Complex Personal Stories and Dominant Cultural Narratives in Urban Planning Communication

When an urban planning project is announced, local media outlets often focus on broadly describing the building or project. But how can we listen to and value the stories from people displaced by l...
Concurrent hiatal hernia repair and bariatric surgery: outcomes after sleeve gastrectomy and Roux-en-Y gastric bypass

Abstract Background Hiatal hernias are often repaired concurrently with bariatric surgery to reduce risk of gastroesophageal reflux disease–related complications. Objectives To examine the association between concurrent hiatal hernia repair (HHR) and bariatric outcomes. Setting A 2010–2017 U.S. commercial insurance claims data set. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study. We identified adults who underwent sleeve gastrectomy (SG) or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) alone or had bariatric surgery concurrently with HHR. We matched patients with and without HHR and followed patients up to 3 years for incident abdominal operative interventions, bariatric revisions/conversions, and endoscopy. Time to first event for each outcome was compared using multivariable Cox proportional hazards modeling. Results We matched 1546 SG patients with HHR to 3170 SG patients without HHR, and we matched 457 RYGB patients with HHR to 1156 RYGB patients without HHR. A total of 73% had a full year of postoperative enrollment. Patients who underwent concurrent SG and HHR were more likely to have additional abdominal operations (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.1; 95% CI, 1.5–3.1) and endoscopies (aHR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.2–1.8) but not bariatric revisions/conversions (aHR, 1.7; 95% CI, .6–4.6) by 1 year after surgery, a pattern maintained at 3 years of follow-up. Among RYGB patients, concurrent HHR was associated only with an increased risk of endoscopy (aHR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.1–1.8)) at 1 year of follow-up, persisting at 3 years. Conclusions Concurrent SG/HHR was associated with increased risk of some subsequent operative and nonoperative interventions, a pattern that was not consistently observed for RYGB. Additional studies could examine whether changes to concurrent HHR technique could reduce risk.
Sometimes Some Things Don’t (Really) Exist: Pragmatic Meinongism and the Referential Sub-Problem of Negative Existentials

espanolPara resolver el sub-problema referencialde los existenciales negativos, uno debe explicar por que interpretamos usos de, por ejemplo, “Sherlock Holmes no existe” como diciendo algo coherente e intuitivamente verdadero, aunque elhablante intenta referirse aalgo. Elmeinongismo pragmaticoresuelve este problemaal permitir que “no existe” seapragmaticamente moduladopara expresar unsentidoinclusivosegun el cual puede ser satisfecho por algo. En este trabajo establezco trespuntos en defensa del meinongismo pragmatico: (1) es superior a las solucionesinspiradas por Russell, (ii) es apoyado por evidencia independiente de modulacionpragmatica, y (iii) no requiere compromisos ontologicos dudoso EnglishTo solve thereferential sub-problemof negative existentials one mustexplain why we interpret uses of,e.g., ‘Sherlock Holmes doesn’t exist’ as sayingsomething coherent and intuitively true, even though the speaker purports to refertosomething.Pragmatic Meinongismsolves this problem by allowing ‘does notexist’ to bepragmatically modulatedto express aninclusive senseunder whichit can be satisfied by something. I establish three points in defense of pragmaticMeinongism: (i) it is superior to Russell-inspired solutions; (ii) it is supported byindependent evidence of pragmatic modulation; and (iii) it requires no dubiousontological commitments.
Facilitators and Barriers to Engagement and Effective SoTL Research Collaborations in Faculty Learning Communities

To determine factors that influence faculty engagement and success in faculty learning communities focused on collaborative Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), our project gathered information on (1) faculty motivation to engage with SoTL; (2) structures that support collaboration; (3) the perceived impact of SoTL on teaching, scholarship, and faculty engagement in academic communities on campus and beyond; and (4) the role of the teaching center in supporting collaborative faculty learning communities focused on SoTL. In this explanatory, sequential design mixed-methods study, participants were asked to complete a survey on their experience as participants in faculty learning communities at a large comprehensive public university in the southeastern United States; researchers then conducted one-on-one interviews with select participants to gain an in-depth understanding of trends and questions emerging from the survey data. Results indicate that personal, institutional, professional, and team factors contribute to participants’ perception of the success and effectiveness of collaborative research teams. Findings from the study offer guidance for setting up effective collaborative structures for SoTL projects and nurturing inter-disciplinary research among faculty members, thus providing insights that can inform the design and facilitation of similar programs in the United States and internationally.
The Effects of the American Colonial and Apartheid School System on the Learning on Minority Students

School is constructed as an equal ground where individual students receive academic formation and training necessary to become professionals and productive citizens in society. Traditionally, school is seen as an institution where teachers, doctors, lawyers, engineers, scientists, and nurses, among other professionals, are prepared to serve humanity. Through such lens, school is constructed as the pillar of society. While underscoring the irreplaceable role school plays in society, this chapter in particular and the book in general argue that this institution has historically been used as an ideological stronghold to indoctrinate school children by imposing Western-dominant languages, cultural values, and social norms on them and making them believe that these languages, values, and norms are better than theirs. This book unpacks how these colonial practices, which have been reproduced in schools and society at large, have impacted racially, linguistically, and historically marginalized groups, including students and teachers of color.
Use of Daily News Portals, Some Individual Features, and Acceptance of Populism among Students of the University of Zagreb

The purpose of the paper is to fulfil the findings on populism in the context of Croatian society, with an emphasis on the acceptance of populism among young people as bearers of the future social development. Media, as a form of public opinion, are among the most important sources of relevant insights for the study of the rise of populism. The paper pays special attention to the relationship between the use of daily news portals, and the acceptance of populism. The study was conducted on a two-stage non-probabilistic sample of 1189 students of the University of Zagreb, in order to determine the relationships between students' preferences in general, left-wing and right-wing populism, their habits of using daily news portals, and some individual characteristics. The results show that there is a low but significant correlation between the use of most portals, and the preference for general, left- -wing and right-wing populism among students. The correlation between the education of parents with student preferences of left-wing and right-wing populism was found, as well as differences in these preferences with respect to some sociodemographic characteristics, level of study, study orientation, political orientation, religiosity and trust in institutions.
LOSS OF PLASMA MEMBRANE LIPID ASYMMETRY CAN INDUCE ORDERED DOMAIN (RAFT) FORMATION

ABSTRACT The lipids in one leaflet of an asymmetric artificial lipid vesicle can induce or suppress the formation of ordered lipid domains (rafts) in the opposing leaflet. Whether suppression of domain formation might occur in plasma membranes was studied by using plasma membrane vesicles (PMVs) from RBL-2H3 cells. Ordered domain formation was assessed by FRET and fluorescence anisotropy. Ordered domains in PMV prepared by N-ethyl maleimide (NEM) treatment formed to some extent up to about 37°C. In contrast, ordered domains in symmetric vesicles formed from extracted PMV lipids were stable up to 55°C. This indicates that the stability of ordered domains was substantially less in the intact PMV. A similar decrease in ordered domain stability was observed in artificial asymmetric lipid vesicles relative to the corresponding symmetric vesicles. This suggested either that the intact PMV have a significant degree of lipid asymmetry or that PMV proteins suppress domain formation. Additional experiments ruled out the latter explanation. First, stabilization of ordered domain formation relative to intact PMV was observed in protein-containing symmetric vesicles prepared by detergent solubilization of intact PMV, followed by rapid dilution of detergent. Second, ordered domain stability in intact PMV was not altered after extensively removing PMV proteins with proteinase K. We conclude that intact NEM-induced PMV preserve a significant amount of the lipid asymmetry of plasma membranes, and that loss of PMV lipid asymmetry can induce ordered domain formation, consistent with the possibility that dynamic control of lipid asymmetry can regulate ordered domain formation in the plasma membrane.
Blunted circadian cortisol in children is associated with poor cardiovascular health and may reflect circadian misalignment.

Abstract Objectives Circadian cues in children (sunlight, exercise, diet patterns) may be associated with health outcomes. The primary objective was to assess associations of daily cortisol fluctuations (morning, night) with cardiovascular health outcomes. A secondary objective was to determine if 1-year longitudinal changes in circadian cortisol levels are associated with longitudinal changes in health outcomes. Study design The Cardiovascular Health Intervention Program (CHIP) was a cross-sectional and longitudinal study of cardiovascular risk profiles in public elementary school children in Southern Maine. Participants were 689 students in 4th grade (baseline; age = 9.20 ± 0.41 years), and 647 students in 5th grade (age = 10.53 ± 0.52 years). Longitudinal data (4th and 5th grade) was available for 347 participants. Clinical outcomes were blood pressure, hip/waist ratios, body mass index, percent fat. Laboratory measures were fasting glucose, lipids, and salivary cortisol measures (morning and evening). Results Lower first-in-morning diurnal cortisol levels were associated with increased blood pressure (β −0.23 ± 0.05; p β −0.18 ± 0.08; p = 0.017) after adjusting for confounding variables. Conclusion Data presented suggest adding circadian misalignment (lower amplitude of first-in-morning cortisol) to existing models of metabolic syndrome in children. Further, circadian misalignment may be a factor contributing to high blood pressure.
Early Neurological Changes and Interpretation of Clinical Grades in Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Abstract Objectives Hunt and Hess (HH) and World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) grades are commonly used to report clinical severity of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH). We sought to determine the impact of early neurological changes and the timing of clinical grade assignment on the prognostication accuracy. Methods We retrospectively reviewed a cohort of consecutive patients with aSAH who were admitted to an academic center. Patients with confirmed aneurysmal cause were included. Relevant clinical data including daily clinical grades, imaging data and functional outcome were analyzed. Favorable outcome was defined as mRS 0 to 3. Early neurological improvement (ENI) and early neurological deterioration (END) were respectively defined as any improvement or deterioration of HH grades from hospital day 1 to the earliest time from hospital day 2 to 5. Results Of 310 patients, 24% experienced early neurological changes from hospital day 1 to 3. For each point increase in HH grades from day 1 to day 3, the odds ratio for worse outcome was 2.57 (95% CI [1.74-3.79]) and for each point decrease in HH grades from day 1 to day 3, the odds ratio for worse outcome was 0.28 (95% CI [0.17-0.47]). Receiver Operating Characteristic curve analysis revealed that clinical grades on day 3 had higher accuracy in predicting worse outcome than clinical grades on day 1. Conclusion Early changes in neurological status can alter trajectory of hospital course and functional outcome. The prognostic accuracy of the clinical grades from hospital day 3 is significantly greater than those on admission.
Kinodynamic RRTs with Fixed Time Step and Best-Input Extension Are Not Probabilistically Complete

RRTs are a popular method for kinodynamic planning that many consider to be probabilistically complete. However, different variations of the RRT algorithm exist and not all of them are probabilistically complete. The tree can be extended using a fixed or variable time step. The input can be chosen randomly or the best input can be chosen such that the new child node is as close as possible to the sampled state according to the used distance metric. It has been shown that for finite input sets an RRT using a fixed step size with a randomly selected input is probabilistically complete. However, this variant is uncommon since it is less efficient. We prove that the most common variant of choosing the best input in combination with a fixed time step is not probabilistically complete.
Performance analysis and improvement of parallel simulation

This thesis contains two parts. In the first part, we focus on the performance analysis of existing parallel simulation protocols. In the second part, we develop the parallel simulation protocols based on time-space division. For chronological parallel simulations, we prove that all logical processes of the simulated system have the same simulation speeds. This result is called conservation principle. Several equivalent statements of the principle are derived for analyzing the performances of chronological simulations. We compare several most popular asynchronous parallel simulation protocols. Our results show that if the synchronizing overheads are ignored, then Time Warp simulations are faster than Chandy-Misra ones. For Time Warp simulation, the trade-off between the simulation speed and amount of memory used in the simulation is studied. We show that the Time Warp simulation with limited memory may reach the same performance as that with unlimited memory. A model for Time Warp simulation is developed. The model is suitable for assessing the performance of a broad class of queueing network simulations using heterogeneous processors. Two parallel simulation protocols based on time-space division are proposed. The first one is for a simulation that can be formulated as a network flow problem. The latter is solved by using multiple processors in parallel. We apply this protocol to the simulations of feedforward queueing networks with finite or infinite buffers. The second protocol is for batch mean steady state simulations. Here a simulator generates a sample path tree. All paths in the tree have the same root, and each arc between two nodes is a sub-path, and simulated by a processor.
Current Issues in Higher Education: Faculty Productivity, Distance Education, Course Assessment, and Online Proctoring

Faculty productivity is measured as a combination of teaching, research, and service. Universities are making a major push towards offering online courses. As the world-wide-web becomes a state-of-the art delivery medium there is a need among educators and trainers to obtain knowledge about the tools needed for developing and implementing web courses. Assessing the effectiveness of education is centred on student learning. Online proctoring accommodates the growing number of online learners who are looking for an easy, safe, and secure way to take their exams online with a remote proctor.
Chapter 50 in Vitro Polymerization of Tubulin from Echinoderm Sperm Flagellar Microtubules

Publisher Summary The purpose of this chapter is to outline two basic methods for the purification and in vitro polymerization of tubulin from echinoderm sperm flagellar microtubules and to summarize the uses and advantages of this system. Methods were developed for the purification and assembly of tubulin and microtubule-associated proteins (MAPS), by depolymerization at 0°C and repolymerization at 37°C, in Mg 2+ /GTP-containing buffers. Relative to the basal body (minus) and the distal (plus) ends of cilia and flagella, microtubules were defined kinetically as having plus and minus ends; the plus end corresponds to the fast-growing end with a higher on rate for tubulin assembly and it is distal relative to the cell center, whereas the minus end is a slow-growing end generally associated with the centrosomes/spindle poles in both interphase and mitotic cells. Flagellar doublet microtubules could be solubilized by sonication in Mg 2+ /GTP-containing buffers at 0°C and repolymerized by elevating the temperature to 37°C; the conditions and kinetic parameters of flagellar tubulin assembly in vitro were essentially identical to those for mammalian brain tubulin. A method developed by combining the fractionation procedure used to selectively solubilize tubulin from the B-subfiber and the need to protect the GTP binding site during solubilization to answer the question of how tubulin isoforms might influence tubulin assembly and microtubule structure. The methods described in the chapter are solubilization of doublet tubules by sonication, thermal fractionation of doublet tubules into crude, soluble B-Tubulin, and cycled polymerization and depolymerization of soluble doublet tubulin. Native doublet microtubules are complex structures consisting of an A-tubule with 13 protofilaments and an incomplete B-tubule with 10 protofilaments that are attached to the A-tubule in a specific pattern. Soluble doublet tubulin polymerizes in vitro to give singlet microtubules with variable numbers of protofilaments and these microtubules are cold labile.
Data Parallelism and Linda

Is the owner-computes style of parallelism, captured in a variety of data parallel languages, attractive as a paradigm for designing explicitly parallel codes? This question gives rise to a number of others. Will such use be unwieldy? Will the resulting code run well? What can such an approach offer beyond merely replicating, in a more labor intensive way, the services and coverage of data parallel languages? We investigate these questions via a simple example and a “real world” case study developed using C-Linda, an explicit parallel programming language formed by the merger of C with the Linda 1 coordination language. The results demonstrate owner-computes is an effective design strategy in Linda.
Regioselectivity and network structure of difunctional alkyl-substituted aromatic amine-based polybenzoxazines

The regioselectivity of the benzoxazine polymerization in aromatic amine-based polybenzoxazines is investigated through systematic manipulation of the monomer chemistry. The network structures of the cured materials are elucidated by FTIR and GC/MS. Selectively protecting or activating sites on the pendant aromatic ring toward electrophilic aromatic substitution with alkyl groups allows a series of materials to be developed which contain a varying amount of phenolic Mannich bridges, arylamine Mannich bridges, and methylene linkages. Activation of sites on the pendant rings by methyl substituent groups lowers the peak exotherm temperature by up to 45 °C. Temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimetry shows that in some of these materials the development of the glass transition temperature exceeds that of the curing temperature.
Molecular characterization of phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase from Leishmania donovani.

The phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase (PRS) enzyme from parasitic protozoa plays a critical role in the acquisition of exogenous purine bases by providing the phosphoribosylpyrophosphate substrate for phosphoribosylation. To characterize a PRS enzyme from parasitic protozoa, the prs gene was isolated from a genomic library of Leishmania donovani DNA. A 1936-bp Sa/I fragment was sequenced that encompassed an open reading frame of 1113 nucleotides encoding a polypeptide of 371 amino acids and 40 787 Da. After gap alignment, the leishmanial PRS exhibited 40-2% amino acid identity with a variety of mammalian and prokaryotic PRSs. L. donovani PRS also contained an approx. 20-amino acid stretch that was highly homologous to the phosphoribosylpyrophosphate binding domains of mammalian phosphoribosyltransferase enzymes. Two prs-specific transcripts of 2.6 and 2.1 kb were detected by Northern analysis, and Southern blots of genomic DNA implied that the prs locus was not tandemly repeated in the L. donovani genome. PRS activity was detected in L. donovani extracts, and apparent Km values of approx. 30 μM and approx. 1 mM were calculated for ribose-5-phosphate and ATP, respectively. PRS was sensitive to inhibition by AMP and ADP but refractory to IMP, GMP, GTP, CTP, and UTP. The high apparent Km value of the parasite enzyme for ATP and its insensitivity to inhibition by many nucleotides suggested that kinetic differences between the L. donovani and human PRSs could provide an avenue for rational therapeutic manipulation of parasitic disease. The isolation of the L. donovani prs gene now provides an opportunity to genetically dissect the determinants responsible for the function and regulation of this indispensable enzyme of purine and pyrimidine metabolism in a genus of parasitic protozoa.
The origin and nature of multiple loop configurations in quenched aluminum and aluminum alloys

Multiple loop configurations in quenched aluminum—silicon alloys are studied using transmission electron microscopy. An analysis of the defect geometries and complex unfaulting behavior is shown to be consistent with the coplanar loop structure. This is in agreement with a recent electron microscopy contrast analysis of multiple loops in an aluminum—magnesium alloy, but contrary to previous studies on nominally pure aluminum where the layered structure is found. A model is developed in which both the layered and coplanar structures can develop depending on the magnitude of the stresses generated around impurity particles. It is also shown how the coplanar loop structure originates from the operation of a Bardeen-Herring climb source. Die Konfigurationen von Mehrfachversetzungsringen in abgeschreckten Aluminium—Silizium-Legierungen werden mittels Transmissionselektronenmikroskopie untersucht. Die Defektgeometrien und das komplexe Verhalten der Stapelfehler werden analysiert. Es zeigt sich, das sie mit der komplanaren Struktur der Versetzungsringe vertraglich sind. Dies stimmt mit neueren elektronenmikroskopischen Kontrastanalysen von Mehrfachversetzungsringen in einer Aluminium—Magnesium-Legierung uberein, steht aber im Gegensatz zu fruheren Untersuchungen an nominell reinem Aluminium, bei denen Schichtenstrukturen gefunden wurden. Ein Modell wird angegeben, demzufolge sich in Abhangigkeit von der Grose der Spannungen, die sich um Verunreinigungsteilchen bilden, sowohl die komplanare als auch die schichtenformige Struktur entwickeln kann. Ferner wird gezeigt, wie die komplanare Struktur der Versetzungsringe von der Wirkung einer Bardeen-Herring-Kletterquelle herruhrt.
Adaptation of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis for the improved fractionation of spheres

Abstract During gel electrophoresis, proteins are fractionated by both size (radius, R , for a sphere) and average electrical surface charge density. The fractionation by size depends entirely on nonspecific steric and hydrodynamic effects (sieving) of the fibrous network that forms the gel. Previous studies have demonstrated the following aspects of sieving: (1) as a function of the radius of the effective pore of a gel ( P E ), electrophoretic mobility decreases in magnitude by a factor that has the form 1− a 1 ( R / P E )+ a 2 ( R / P E ) n ; a 1 and a 2 are constants; a 1 is always positive; a 2 is usually positive. (2) For a nonspherical particle not preferentially oriented in the gel, the effective R is best approximated by the R of a sphere that has a surface area equal to that of the nonspherical particle. For spheres, resolution by R is progressively increased by lowering P E , but maintaining P E > R ; this approach, however, progressively increases the time of electrophoresis. To improve fractionation of both proteins and multimolecular protein complexes, a ratcheting-based procedure of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis is introduced here for spherical particles. Successfully tested here with latex spheres 95–235 nm in R , this procedure bypasses limitations of conventional sieving-based separations. Even though all spheres are negatively charged, larger spheres can be made to migrate in a direction opposite to the direction in which smaller spheres migrate.
Social Identity versus Reference Frame Comparisons: The Moderating Role of Stereotype Endorsement☆

Two studies tested the prediction that belief in a negative stereotype about an in-group will cause members to shift from viewing their in-group as a social identity to viewing it as a frame of reference. The stereotype that was the focus of inquiry was the belief that women have less aptitude at math and spatial tasks than do men. In both studies, female participants took a test of math and spatial ability and then received social comparison information about their abilities relative to a male and a female confederate. In Study 1, participants felt enhanced when the two women outperformed the male confederate, even when this meant that the participants themselves performed worse than the other woman. If participants were first reminded of the negative stereotype, however, they felt best when they outperformed the other woman, even if this meant that the two women performed worse than the man. Study 2 showed that the effects of stereotype activation were especially pronounced among female participants who showed moderate to high levels of stereotype endorsement. These findings suggest that belief in stereotypes about the in-group can lead to in-group comparison and contrast, even in contexts in which a group member's ability level challenges the validity of the stereotype.
Cytopathic effects of the pathogenic Neisseria. Studies using human fallopian tube organ cultures and human nasopharyngeal organ cultures.

Infection of mucosal surfaces by N. gonorrhoeae and N. meningitidis may result in inflammation indicating potential injury to host cells. We used human fallopian tube organ cultures (FTOC) and human nasopharyngeal organ cultures (NPOC) to study the mechanisms by which gonococci and meningococci damage human mucosal surfaces. Early in the course of FTOC infected with gonococci and NPOC infected with meningococci, damage was most apparent to ciliary activity. Loss of ciliary activity was accompanied by sloughing of ciliated cells. The damage to ciliated cells was not associated with attachment of gonococci or meningococci to these cells or the presence of organisms within ciliated cells. Infection with the commensal N. subflava did not result in significant damage to human FTOC or NPOC ciliary activity. LPS appears to be a major toxin of gonococci for human FTOC ciliated cells. Gonococcal peptidoglycan fragments also damage FTOC ciliary activity. Both piliated (P+) and nonpiliated (P−) gonococci and meningococci damage FTOC and NPOC ciliary activity, but P+ organisms damage ciliary activity more rapidly than P− organisms. Damage to FTOC ciliated cells was produced by < 10 µg/ml of purified gonococcal and meningococcal LPS. By 1–2h after exposure to LPS, vesicles containing LPS were distributed throughout the cytoplasm of ciliated cells. Polymyxin B neutralized LPS-induced damage, suggesting that the lipid A portion of LPS was the toxic moiety. In contrast, purified gonococcal and meningococcal LPS at 100 µg/ml did not damage human NPOC or FTOC from rabbits, pigs and cows. These studies indicate that N. gonorrhoeae and possibly N. meningitidis damage ciliated epithelial cells indirectly by release of toxins from the organisms. The differences in susceptibility of FTOC and NPOC to LPS may suggest changes in density of receptors for LPS and may help explain variation in severity of gonococcal and meningococcal interactions at different human mucosal surfaces.
The Ultimate Asymptote and Mean Flow Structure in Toms’ Phenomenon

The maximum drag reduction in turbulent pipe flow of dilute polymer solutions is ultimately limited by a unique asymptote described by the experimental correlation: f−1/2=19.0 log10(NRef1/2)−32.4 The semilogarithmic mean velocity profile corresponding to and inferred from this ultimate asymptote has a mixing-length constant of 0.085 and shares a trisection (at y+ ∼ 12) with the Newtonian viscous sublayer and law of the wall. Experimental mean velocity profiles taken during drag reduction lie in the region bounded by the inferred ultimate profile and the Newtonian law of the wall. At low drag reductions the experimental profiles are well correlated by an “effective slip” model but this fails progressively with increasing drag reduction. Based on the foregoing a three-zone scheme is proposed to model the mean flow structure during drag reduction. In this the mean velocity profile segments are (a) a viscous sublayer, akin to Newtonian, (b) an interactive zone, characteristic of drag reduction, in which the ultimate profile is followed, and (c) a turbulent core in which the Newtonian mixing-length constant applies. The proposed model is consistent with experimental observations and reduces satisfactorily to the Taylor-Prandtl scheme and the ultimate profile, respectively, at the limits of zero and maximum drag reductions.
Exact solution of quantum gravity in 1 + 1 dimensions

Abstract Quantum gravity in 1 + 1 dimensions, with zero cosmological constant is formulated, including contributions from all possible topologies. The spectrum and the S-matrix are calculated exactly. Pure gravity is found to exist in a disordered phase, dominated by topologically non-trivial configurations. In the presence of fermionic matter fields, space-time can undergo a phase transition to an ordered phase.
Slow light in vertically coupled whispering gallery mode resonators

We theoretically study propagation of light in a vertically coupled whispering gallery mode resonator (WGMR) waveguide consisting of a chain of disc WGMRs etched on the surface of a cylinder made of an optically transparent material. The waveguide is capable of reducing the group velocity of light by as much as a factor of a billion, is much more efficient than usual coupled resonator optical waveguides, and compete with slow light atomic systems. We discuss practical as well as fundamental advantages and disadvantages of the resonator and atomic delay lines.
Structure of the human interferon α receptor

The structure of the IFN alpha receptor has been studied by methods such as affinity crosslinking and gel chromatography over the last 8 years. The recent development of monoclonal antibodies against the receptor, and the cloning of an IFN alpha receptor cDNA has provided new important tools to understand the IFN alpha receptor structure. Thus, it has become obvious that the IFN alpha receptor has a more complex structure than first anticipated, probably involving more than one subunit. This review analyzes the present knowledge about the structure of the IFN alpha receptor, as well as many unresolved issues concerning this topic.
Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth: The Inner Workings

We provide a detailed description of the clinical application of brief cognitive-behavioral therapy (BCBT) for anxious youth. A rationale for the development of BCBT is presented, followed by a description and discussion of the 8 sessions of the treatment. Mike, a 7-year-old youth with anxiety disorders, is used to illustrate the inner workings of implementing BCBT. Case conceptualization, session details, and pre-, post- and follow-up-treatment information are provided. Conclusions regarding clinical advantages and future directions are made.
Pianos are not flat: rigid motion planning in three dimensions

Consider a robot R that is either a line segment or the Minkowski sum of a line segment and a 3-ball, and a set S of polyhedral obstacles with a total of n vertices in R3. We design near-optimal exact algorithms for planning the motion of R among S when R is allowed to translate and rotate. Specifically, we can preprocess S in time O(n4+e) for any e > 0 into a data structure that given two placements α and β of R, can decide in time O(log n) whether a collision-free rigid motion of R between α and β exists and if so, output such a motion in time asymptotically proportional to its complexity. Furthermore, we can find in time O(n4+e) for any e > 0 the largest placement of a similar (translated, rotated and scaled) copy of R that does not intersect S. A number of additional stronger results are provided. Our line segment motion planning algorithm improves the result of Ke and O'Rourke by two orders of magnitude and almost matches their lower bound, thus settling a classical motion planning problem first considered by Schwartz and Sharir in 1984. This implies a number of natural directions for future work concerning rigid motion planning in three dimensions.
Social traits modulate attention to affiliative cues

Neurobehavioral models of personality suggest that the salience assigned to particular classes of stimuli vary as a function of traits that reflect both the activity of neurobiological encoding and relevant social experience. In turn, this joint influence modulates the extent that salience influences attentional processes, and hence learning about and responding to those stimuli. Applying this model to the domain of social valuation, we assessed the differential effects on attentional guidance by affiliative cues of (i) a higher-order temperament trait (Social Closeness), and (ii) attachment style in a sample of 57 women. Attention to affiliative pictures paired with either incentive or neutral pictures was assessed using camera eye-tracking. Trait social closeness and attachment avoidance interacted to modulate fixation frequency on affiliative but not on incentive pictures, suggesting that both traits influence the salience assigned to affiliative cues specifically.
Where do we currently stand with advice on hormone replacement therapy for women

Nearly 250,000 women die each year from cardiovascular disease, making it the leading cause of death in women. The initial clinical manifestation of coronary artery disease (CAD) in women is usually 10 years later than in men on average, with the first myocardial infarction presenting 20 years later. At any age the prevalence of CAD is lower in women, but with advancing age, this gender differential diminishes. The fact that CAD prevalence is lower in women has led to the false presumption that women are protected from cardiovascular diseases. Since women live 8 to 10 years longer than men, the absolute number of deaths from cardiovascular disease (CVD) exceeds that of men. Although there has been a decline in the overall number of cardiovascular deaths, the coronary incidence has been increasing in women and decreasing in men. Contrary to belief, CAD causes far more deaths in women than does cancer (Figure 1). Consider the statistics: approximately 1 out of 3 women will die of a cardiovascular event; more than a half-million women die of CVD each year; one women dies of CVD almost each minute in the United States; and two-thirds of the women who die suddenly have no previously recognized symptoms. Advances in diagnosis and treatment of CVD appear to have translated into a survival benefit in men but not in women. The mortality due to CVD remains high in women, with no improvement in survival trends over time compared to men (Figure 2). This may be related to differences and delays in recognizing CVD in women or in treatment strategies, and to biological differences. Women with acute coronary syndrome often delay calling for professional help and present more frequently with atypical symptoms, such as abnormal pain locations, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and dyspnea. Women not only present later from the onset of chest pain but are also sicker at the time of diagnosis. Furthermore, there appears to be a bias against heart disease in women - both patients and their caregivers/health care providers do not recognize or treat CVD in a timely manner in women. Compared to men, women are less likely to receive appropriate treatment for heart disease such as optimal control of blood pressure, use of aspirin, cholesterol-lowering medications, thrombolytics, or referrals for interventions such as balloon/ stent or bypass surgery. Women seem to be evaluated less intensively, and referrals for cardiac catheterization are 8-fold higher in men than in women. The clinical outcomes including myocardial infarction mortality, all-cause mortality, and reinfarction rates are worse in women with CVD than in men. Many risk factors contribute to CAD in women, but menopause is one of the strongest. Risk of CAD in postmenopausal women is 40 to 50% higher than in premenopausal women, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) increases the risk. This paper discusses the myriad risk factors for CAD in women and explores the relationship between CAD and hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women.
Effects of teacher-administered and self-administered reinforcers on learning disabled children

The subjects were six 8- to 11-year-old boys with attention deficits enrolled in their school's resource specialist program for learning disabled children. The effects of baseline conditions, teacher-administered reinforcers, and self-administered reinforcers were evaluated through six counterbalanced, crossover, intensive studies in which sustained attention was the target behavior. The teacher averaged 96% accuracy in administering reinforcers, and the six subjects averaged 93% accuracy in self-administering reinforcers. Five of six children reliably improved during teacher-administered reinforcers, and the mean effect size across all subjects was 0.79. All subjects reliably improved during self-administered reinforcers, and the mean effect size across all subjects was 1.87. In all of the direct comparisons of the effectiveness of teacher- and self-administered reinforcers, the self-administered condition was more effective.
Empirically Supported Psychotherapy in Social Work Training Programs: Does the Definition of Evidence Matter?

Objectives: A national survey finds that 62% of social work programs do not require didactic and clinical supervision in any empirically supported psychotherapy (EST). The authors report the result...
Src family tyrosine kinases are activated by Flt3 and are involved in the proliferative effects of leukemia-associated Flt3 mutations.

Objective The hematopoietic growth factor receptor, Fms-like tyrosine kinase-3 (Flt3), modulates survival and proliferation of myeloid and B-cell precursors. Activating mutations of Flt3 are the most common molecular abnormalities in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and have an apparent role in leukemogenesis. However, signaling pathways mediating Flt3 effects are incompletely understood. The role of Src kinases is unknown, although some, such as Lyn, have also been linked to leukemogenesis. This study examines the role of Src kinases in Flt3 signaling and the oncogenic effects of leukemia-associated Flt3 mutations. Materials and Methods We examined the activation and functional roles of Src kinases in human leukemic myeloid cell lines expressing wild-type Flt3 or a constitutively active mutant, and in cells stably transduced with human wild-type or mutant Flt3. Results Flt3 ligand stimulation of wild-type Flt3 increased phosphorylation of Src kinase Lyn. Constitutive Lyn phosphorylation and activation was found in cells expressing constitutively active Flt3 mutants. Src kinases are implicated in downregulation of closely related receptors, but Src inhibitors had no effect on ligand-stimulated Flt3 degradation, or on the rapid degradation of an Flt3 mutant. However, growth-factor–independent proliferation resulting from mutant Flt3 expression did depend on the activity of Src kinases. Conclusion Our studies reveal for the first time the involvement of Src kinases in Flt3 signaling, with activation of Lyn by constitutively active Flt3 mutants as well as ligand-stimulated wild-type receptor, and show that Src kinase inhibitors block proliferative effects of Flt3 mutants found in AML. Thus, Src kinases may represent targets for inhibitor therapy in Flt3-related AML.
Report of the Standing Committee on Problems of the upper atmosphere, 1951–1952

The year 1951–1952 has been a significant one in the history of upper-atmosphere research, not because of any single revelation but because a large number of important research projects started shortly after the end of World War II are reaching fruition and being reported. The great activity in this broad field makes it impossible to record all the events of the past year, so this report must merely serve as a brief and very general review. The extensive list of references will make it possible for anyone interested to obtain more details.
Influence of formaldehyde and Sonacide (potentiated acid glutaraldehyde) on embryo and fetal development in mice.

Pregnant outbred albino mice were given formaldehyde or Sonacide® (potentiated acid glutaraldehyde) by gavage on days 6–15 of gestation. The mice were killed on day 18, the general health and reproductive status of the dam evaluated, and the fetuses examined and processed in order to characterize external, visceral, and skeletal malformations. Although formaldehyde (stock solution containing 12–15% methanol as a preservative) was lethal to 22 of 34 dams treated with 185 mg/kg/day, and one of 35 dams treated with 148 mg/kg/day, these doses did not produce statistically significant (two-sided p < 0.05 versus controls) teratogenic effects in the fetuses of the surviving dams. Sonacide® was also judged not to be teratogenic to the mice employed in this study, in spite of the fact that relatively high doses were employed. The highest doses of Sonacide® studied (5.0 ml/kg/day, which is equivalent to 100 mg/kg/day of glutaraldehyde) killed 19 of 35 dams and caused a significant reduction in the mean weight gain of the surviving mothers. In addition, this dose produced a significant increase in the number of stunted fetuses.
Delirium assessment in ICU patients: a comparison study

Delirium is a frequent problem in the ICU and is associated with a poor prognosis. Delirium in the ICU seems to be underdiagnosed by nursing and medical staff. Several detection methods have been developed for use in ICU patients. The aim of this study was to compare the value of three detection methods (the Confusion Assessment Method for the ICU (CAM-ICU), the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist (ICDSC) and the impression of the ICU physician) with the diagnosis of a psychiatrist, neurologist or geriatrician.