cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Broadband networking in a national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) environment

Private and public switched networks (PSN) are evolving towards broadband technology solutions that will support the increasing end-user demands for higher capacity and advanced services. National security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) telecommunications rely primarily on the PSN due to its robustness and nationwide universal access. Therefore, NS/EP user requirements will reflect the evolution of the PSN and the advancements in information transfer technologies. Local and long-haul service providers have committed to and are currently focused on the insertion of broadband technologies. These technologies include emerging transmission hierarchies such as synchronous optical network (SONET) and advanced switching technologies such as frame relay, switched multimegabit data service (SMDS), asynchronous transfer mode (ATM), and broadband integrated services digital network (B-ISDN). As public and private network designers adopt these broadband technologies, NS/EP users must consider the impacts to their own network operations and missions. Broadband technologies create significant opportunities as well as concerns for NS/EP telecommunication users. >
The forensic psychiatrist as expert witness in malpractice cases

This essay is a discussion of the role of the forensic psychiatrist in malpractice cases as an expert witness establishing the standards of care for the psychiatric profession. The occasion for these comments, which hopefully will lead to constructive dialogue and response, is the much discussed malpractice case of Weizdell Williamson v. Doctor Myron Liptzin (Cal., Orange County Sup. Ct., Dkt. No. 97CVS690). The case achieved public notoriety when it was a featured segment of the CBS television program "60 Minutes,'' and it has also produced controversy about standards of care within psychiatry. ' The professional controversy* might be stated as follows: how can most of his professional peers who work in university mental health services believe that Dr. Liptzin did a superb job in his care of Williamson and that quite unforeseeably
The Role of Age, Sex and Steroid Sex Hormones in Radiation Cataractogenesis

It is critical to identify and gain a better understanding of the factors that enhance or reduce the risk of cataractogenesis, to minimize the possibility of occurrence after deliberate (e.g., radiation therapy, interplanetary travel) or unintentional exposure to ionizing radiation. Both gender and age at the time of exposure have been established as key determinants of cataractogenesis induced by sparsely ionizing (low-LET) and densely ionizing (high-LET) radiation. However, animal data from several older studies are often conflicting and somewhat difficult to interpret, in that the experiments suffered from small group sizes, limited dose ranges or short periods of observation, and human data are sparse or statistical significance is sometimes limited. Steroid sex hormones (SSH) may underlie age and gender-based differences in the progression and prevalence of cataracts that otherwise occur spontaneously in humans and animal models, and may also underlie age and sex-related differences in radiation cata...
Women's movements and constitution making after civil unrest and conflict in Africa: the cases of Kenya and Somalia

As numerous conflicts have come to an end in Africa over the past two decades, women's movements have sought to advance a women's rights agenda through peace accords; through constitutional, legislative, and electoral reforms; as well as through the introduction of gender quotas. This article focuses the impact women's movements have had in shaping constitutions after periods of turmoil, particularly in areas of equality, customary law, antidiscrimination, violence against women, quotas, and citizenship rights. It demonstrates how countries that have come out of major civil conflict and violent upheaval in Africa after the mid-1990s—but especially after 2000—have made more constitutional changes with respect to women's rights than other African countries. The second part of the article provides two examples of how women's movements influenced constitutional changes pertaining to gender equality as well as the difficulties they encountered, particularly with respect to the international community.
Responses to Temperature by the Spotted Nightjar (Eurostopodus guttatus)

Caprimulgid birds have proved to be intriguing subjects for physiological research. Some, the Poor-will (Phalaenoptilus nuttallii), the Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor), and the European Nightjar (Caprimulgus europaeus), have been observed to become dormant under appropriate conditions in the field or laboratory (Jaeger 1948, 1949, 1954; Thorburg 1953; Marshall 1955; Novrup 1956; Bartholomew et al. 1957; Howell and Bartholomew 1959; Bartholomew et al. 1962; Lasiewski and Dawson 1964; Peiponen 1965, 1966). Several, the Poor-will, Common Nighthawk, and Lesser Nighthawk (Chordeiles acutipennis), have been found to excel in their resistance to
On the positivity of cotes numbers for interpolatory quadratures with Jacobi abscissas

For interpolatory quadrature rules having abscissas at the zeros of then-th Jacobi polynomialP () (x), we show by counterexample that positive Cotes numbers do not exist for all −1<α,β≤3/2.
Diethylaminoethyl-dextran enhancement of interferon induction by a complexed polyribonucleotide.

SummaryIn an attempt to clarify the mechanism by which biological effects of the polynucleotide complex, I:C, are enhanced by the polycation, DEAE-D, the dose response of the polycation on cell protection and on the induction of interferon was determined for various concentrations of I:C Utilizing kinetic studies at 37 and 4° it was possible to show that attachment of I:C to cells is depressed by DEAE-D. In addition, as much as 100 μg/ml of DEAE-D did not inhibit the function of pancreatic RNase in digesting attached I:C. Pretreatment of cells alone before I:C attachment, gave definite, although reduced enhancement of I:C function, and this enhancement could be negated with the polyanion heparin.
A spiking network that learns to extract spike signatures from speech signals

Spiking neural networks (SNNs) with adaptive synapses reflect core properties of biological neural networks. Speech recognition, as an application involving audio coding and dynamic learning, provides a good test problem to study SNN functionality. We present a simple, novel, and efficient nonrecurrent SNN that learns to convert a speech signal into a spike train signature. The signature is distinguishable from signatures for other speech signals representing different words, thereby enabling digit recognition and discrimination in devices that use only spiking neurons. The method uses a small, nonrecurrent SNN consisting of Izhikevich neurons equipped with spike timing dependent plasticity (STDP) and biologically realistic synapses. This approach introduces an efficient and fast network without error-feedback training, although it does require supervised training. The new simulation results produce discriminative spike train patterns for spoken digits in which highly correlated spike trains belong to the same category and low correlated patterns belong to different categories. The proposed SNN is evaluated using a spoken digit recognition task where a subset of the Aurora speech dataset is used. The experimental results show that the network performs well in terms of accuracy rate and complexity.
Three cell lines from hamster buccal pouch tumors induced by topical 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene, alone or in conjunction with herpes simplex virus inoculation.

Three squamous carcinoma cell lines HBPC-1, HBPC-2, and HBPC-3 were established from hamster buccal pouch tumors induced by topical 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) treatment alone, topical DMBA treatment in conjunction with type 1 herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) inoculation, and topical DMBA application in combination with type 2 HSV (HSV-2) inoculation, respectively. The cells were epithelial in morphology, had a doubling time of approximately 18 h, and required bovine serum for optimal growth. They demonstrated an in vitro anchorage-independent growth and produced squamous cell carcinomas when transplanted into normal hamster pouch submucosa. The carcinoma cell lines equally expressed cellularhst, src, abl, andraf proto-oncogenes that were not expressed in the normal hamster pouch epithelial cells. An equal amount offos gene expression was noticed in the normal pouch epithelial cells, HBPC-1 and HBPC-3, but the HBPC-2 expressed lessfos poly(A+)RNA than the other cell lines. Themyc proto-oncogene was also expressed both in the normal pouch epithelial cells and in the cancer cell lines. However, the size and number of expressedmyc poly(A+)RNA in the normal cells and cancer cell lines differed. Although the normal cells and HBPC-1 expressed a singlemyc transcript, 1.7-kilobase (kb) and 2.3-kb, respectively, both HBPC-2 and HBPC-3 expressed twomyc poly(A+)RNAs, 1.7-kb and 2.3-kb.
National Surgical Quality Improvement Program integration with Morbidity and Mortality conference is essential to success in the march to zero

Abstract Background Morbidity and Mortality conference (M&M) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) are systems to improve surgical care. We evaluated the commonality of adverse events (AEs) and the change in AE rates after integration. Methods A single institution's NSQIP and M&M registries were analyzed to determine commonality of AE reported. Causal determinant groups were then created to categorize and standardize AE. Incidence of AE and patient commonality identified by these systems was evaluated over 2 years. Results The 68 common patients identified in 2012 represented 27% of NSQIP and 43% of M&M patients. Common AE reported by M&M and NSQIP decreased from 16.9% (2013) to 9.6% (2014). Causality code analysis demonstrated significant differences in proportion of issues addressed within each (P Conclusions Despite standardized coding, M&M focus differed from NSQIP. Low commonality affirms NSQIP as a critical adjunct to voluntary reporting. Combining both may help eliminate preventable AEs.
Quantifying the Role of Permafrost Distribution in Groundwater and Surface Water Interactions Using a Three-Dimensional Hydrological Model

ABSTRACT This study uses a three-dimensional groundwater flow model to investigate groundwater dynamics and groundwater—surface water (GW-SW) interactions considering the effects of permafrost distribution for the Tanana Flats Basin in interior Alaska. The Parameter ESTimation (PEST) code is used to calibrate the model with observed stream discharge data. A 36-year MODLFOW-USG regional simulation shows the following. (1) Permafrost impedes groundwater movement in all directions and through taliks provides a major pathway to connect the groundwater and surface water systems. More than 80% of the vertical groundwater flow occurs within the permafrost-free zones. (2) Permafrost holds a significant amount of water that cannot be easily released through groundwater movements; however, water above the permafrost table has much higher renewal rates than deep groundwater. (3) Groundwater upwelling supports the base flow for the Tanana River and its tributaries throughout the year and feeds water to the wetland ec...
Increased overwinter mortalities of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) fawns during a drought year

Mortality rates of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) fawns have been quantified throughout North America. Few studies, however, have assessed cause-specific mortality of...
Piezoresistivity in continuous carbon fiber polymer-matrix and cement-matrix composites

Piezoresistivity was observed in continuous unidirectional carbonfiber cement-matrix and polymer-matrix composites. The fiber volumefraction was 2.6–7.4% and 58% for cement-matrix andpolymer-matrix composites respectively. The DC electrical resistancein the fiber direction increased upon tension in the fiber directionfor the cement-matrix composite, due to fiber-matrix interfacedegradation, but decreased upon tension for the polymer-matrixcomposite due to increase in the degree of fiber alignment.
Abstract 19796: Vascular eNOS S-Glutathionylation is Increased in Hypertension and Atherosclerosis with eNOS uncoupling: Data from Animal Models and Human Aortic Tissue of Patients Undergoing Surgical Revascularization

Background: In vascular diseases, including hypertension (HTN) and atherosclerosis, endothelial dysfunction (ED) occurs secondary to altered function of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS); however, questions remain regarding the mechanism by which this occurs and how it can be reversed. We recently identified a novel redox regulated pathway through which eNOS is uncoupled due to S-glutathionylation. In vessels from spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR) and in aortic tissue from patients undergoing coronary bypass (CABG) surgery, we measure eNOS S-glutathionylation and its effect on eNOS coupling. Methods: Studies were performed in aortic, femoral and carotid vessels from adult SHR rats and in aortic tissue from patients undergoing CABG or other vascular surgery. S-glutathionylation of eNOS was studied using anti-glutathione antibody, anti-eNOS antibody and an antibody specific for eNOS C689 S-glutathionylation. NO and superoxide (•O2--) was measured using fluorescent probes CuFL and DHE, respectively, in the absence or presence of the NOS inhibitor, L-NAME, NO scavenger, PTIO, or the SOD mimetic, MnTBAP. Results & Conclusion: Immunohistology and immunoblotting revealed increased eNOS S-glutathionylation in vessels of SHR rats compared to matched WKY controls. The reducing agent DTT reversed this glutathionylation and reversed the impairment in endothelial-dependent relaxation measured from aortic rings. Mass spectroscopy on immunoprecipitated eNOS demonstrated modification at C689 in aorta of SHR but not WKY rats. Immunohistology with a specific eNOS C689 S-glutathionylation antibody confirmed endothelial C689 S-glutathionylation. Decreased NO and increased •O2-- was seen in these vessels. In patients undergoing CABG, high levels of C689 S-glutathionylation was seen abolished by DTT. Thus, eNOS S-glutathionylation is increased in an animal model of HTN with resultant ED and present in patients with coronary disease undergoing bypass surgery.
Abolition by the Numbers Mathematics as a Tool to Dismantle the Carceral State (and Build Alternatives)

Galvanized by organized communities, movements against mass incarceration have steadily coalesced and crept into schools over the last decade and a half. This political moment creates new opportuni...
Strong Bones, Strong Body.

Osteoporosis is a common condition among postmenopausal women. Women 65 years and older should receive bone mineral testing; younger women should undergo risk assessment using a formal risk assessment tool to determine if they should receive bone density testing. Many pharmacologic agents are available to treat women with osteoporosis on bone density testing. Women with previous hip or vertebral fractures should also receive osteoporosis pharmacotherapy.
Decoupling of Apoptosis from Activation of the ER Stress Response by the Drosophila Metallopeptidase superdeath.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced apoptosis is a primary cause and modifier of degeneration in a number of genetic disorders. Understanding how genetic variation influences the ER stress response and subsequent activation of apoptosis could improve individualized therapies and predictions of outcomes for patients. In this study, we find that the uncharacterized, membrane-bound metallopeptidase CG14516 in Drosophila melanogaster, which we rename as SUPpressor of ER stress-induced DEATH (superdeath), plays a role in modifying ER stress-induced apoptosis. We demonstrate that loss of superdeath reduces apoptosis and degeneration in the Rh1G69D model of ER stress through the JNK signaling cascade. This effect on apoptosis occurs without altering the activation of the unfolded protein response (IRE1 and PERK), suggesting that the beneficial prosurvival effects of this response are intact. Furthermore, we show that superdeath functions epistatically upstream of CDK5—a known JNK-activated proapoptotic factor in this model of ER stress. We demonstrate that superdeath is not only a modifier of this particular model, but affects the general tolerance to ER stress, including ER stress-induced apoptosis. Finally, we present evidence of Superdeath localization to the ER membrane. While similar in sequence to a number of human metallopeptidases found in the plasma membrane and ER membrane, its localization suggests that superdeath is orthologous to ERAP1/2 in humans. Together, this study provides evidence that superdeath is a link between stress in the ER and activation of cytosolic apoptotic pathways.
A systematic review of task shifting for mental health in sub-Saharan Africa

Despite an increasing demand for mental health services in sub-Saharan Africa, few professionals are available to meet these needs. In the last few decades, task shifting using non-specialist worke...
Rethinking Reassurance: The Importance of Military Capabilities in Credibly Assuring Allies

How can states most effectively reassure their allies? Despite massive investments to assure allies of Washington’s willingness and ability to defend them, the effectiveness of reassurance measures is uncertain. The limited existing research assessing reassurance effectiveness focuses on the role of resolve in making security assurances credible, sidelining important questions about the role of capability. We argue successful reassurance hinges not only on a patron’s willingness to defend an ally, but also its capability to do so. We introduce a new typology of reassurance measures based on variation in military capability and resolve, and analyze their effectiveness using an original survey fielded on European foreign policy elite and a case study of U.S. and NATO reassurance initiatives in the Baltics. We find that capabilities matter as much as resolve, with relatively limited deployments of offshore and high-tech capabilities reassuring allies just as much as tripwire forces.
Dynamic light scattering distributions by any means

Dynamic light scattering (DLS) is an essential technique for nanoparticle size analysis and has been employed extensively for decades, but despite its long history and popularity, the choice of weighting and mean of the size distribution often appears to be picked ad hoc to bring the results into agreement with other methods and expectations by any means necessary. Here, we critically discuss the application of DLS for nanoparticle characterization and provide much-needed clarification for ambiguities in the mean-value practice of commercial DLS software and documentary standards. We address the misleading way DLS size distributions are often presented, that is, as a logarithmically scaled histogram of measured relative quantities. Central values obtained incautiously from this representation often lead to significant interpretation errors. Through the measurement of monomodal nanoparticle samples having an extensive range of sizes (5 to 250 nm) and polydispersity, we similarly demonstrate that the default outputs of a frequently used DLS inversion method are ill chosen, as they are regularizer-dependent and significantly deviate from the cumulant z-average size. The resulting discrepancies are typically larger than 15% depending on the polydispersity index of the samples. We explicitly identify and validate the harmonic mean as the central value of the intensity-weighted DLS size distribution that expresses the inversion results consistently with the cumulant results. We also investigate the extent to which the DLS polydispersity descriptors are representative of the distributional quality and find them to be unreliable and misleading, both for monodisperse reference materials and broad-distribution biomedical nanoparticles. These results overall are intended to bring essential improvements and to stimulate reexamination of the metrological capabilities and role of DLS in nanoparticle characterization.
Effects of Compliance With the Early Management Bundle (SEP-1) on Mortality Changes Among Medicare Beneficiaries With Sepsis: A Propensity Score Matched Cohort Study.

Background US hospitals have reported compliance with the SEP-1 quality measure to Medicare since 2015. Finding an association between compliance and outcomes is essential to gauge measure effectiveness. Research Question What is the association between compliance with SEP-1 and 30-day mortality among Medicare beneficiaries? Study Design And Methods Studying patient-level data reported to Medicare by 3,241 hospitals from October 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017, we used propensity score matching and a hierarchical general linear model (HGLM) to estimate the treatment effects associated with compliance with SEP-1. Compliance was defined as completion of all qualifying SEP-1 elements including lactate measurements, blood culture collection, broad-spectrum antibiotic administration, 30 mL/kg crystalloid fluid administration, application of vasopressors, and patient reassessment. The primary outcome was a change in 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes included changes in length of stay. Results We completed two matches to evaluate population-level treatment effects. In standard match, 122,870 patients whose care was compliant were matched with the same number whose care was noncompliant. Compliance was associated with a reduction in 30-day mortality (21.81% vs 27.48%, respectively), yielding an absolute risk reduction (ARR) of 5.67% (95% CI, 5.33-6.00; P Interpretation Compliance with SEP-1 was associated with lower 30-day mortality. Rendering SEP-1 compliant care may reduce the incidence of avoidable deaths.
Additively manufactured multifunctional materials with magnetoelectric properties

Abstract The sustained, independent advancements in additive manufacturing and magnetoelectric composites motivate the hybridization of these exciting technologies, as is the case in the current research study, leading to the fabrication of materials conducive to flexible and wearable electronic applications. The resulting additively manufactured composite materials exhibit tailorable mechanical, electrical, and magnetic properties by adjusting the ratios of the photopolymer framework, electroactive polymer, and magnetic particles. Moreover, the outcomes of this research exemplify the process-property-performance interrelationship, hence providing a pathway to realizing deployable magnetoelectric devices. Several resin versions were synthesized and used to print various geometries using the digital light projection approach, including neat photopolymer and photopolymer/polyvinylidene difluoride with and without magnetic particles. The addition of magnetic particles did not substantially affect the mechanical performance of the composites, contrary to the expected results based on the rules of mixture. The insensitivity of the mechanical performance to the addition of magnetite particles was attributed to agglomeration, where the particles acted as pores rather than enforcements. Remarkably, the addition of merely 2% by weight of polyvinylidene difluoride improved the mechanical and magnetic properties of the composite samples by increasing ductility by 25% and magnetization by >160% compared to their PVDF-free counterparts. PVDF chains acted as a suspended network, preventing particle settling during printing and improving the distribution of the magnetic particles within the samples. The outcomes of this research highlight the opportunities and challenges of additively manufacturing magnetoelectric composite materials using digital light projection while primarily emphasizing the tailorability of the mechano-electro-magnetic properties.
Optimization of Transitions of Care: Pediatric Hospital Medicine Post-Discharge Virtual Visits - A Pilot Study

Purpose: Ensuring quality transitions of care between the hospital and outpatient settings is of paramount importance. At Massachusetts General Hospital for Children (MGHfC), pediatric hospital medicine (PHM) physicians communicate with patients’ primary care pediatricians (PCPs) at discharge without additional patient communication post-discharge. Telemedicine in the form of virtual visits (VV) provides a platform for direct patient-provider communication that has not been previously investigated within this specific setting. In this multi-phase project, our objectives are to 1) complete needs assessments with families and PCPs to identify perceived benefits/challenges of a VV …
Estrogen Receptor α (ERα) Deficiency in Macrophages Results in Increased Stimulation of CD4+ T Cells while 17β-Estradiol Acts through ERα to Increase IL-4 and GATA-3 Expression in CD4+ T Cells Independent of Antigen Presentation

The effects of 17beta-estradiol (E2) on immune function have been extensively reported. The effects are dependent on concentration and duration of exposure and potential differences in signaling between the known E2 receptors, estrogen receptors (ER) alpha and ERbeta. Through the use of ER-deficient mice, we and others have begun to demonstrate the role of the two known receptors in modulating immune functional activities. Previous studies have shown that cells of the innate immune system have altered function (bactericidal capacity) and patterns of cytokine expression (increased proinflammatory cytokine expression) through amelioration of ERalpha signaling. In this study, we extend these studies to analysis of T cell differentiation and proliferation in APC-dependent and APC-independent in vitro assay systems. Our results demonstrate that ERalpha deficiency in splenic macrophages, but not CD11c+ splenic dendritic cells pulsed with OVA significantly enhances proliferative responses and IFN-gamma production by transgenic OVA peptide-specific (OT-II) CD4+ T cells when compared with Ag-pulsed APC from wild-type littermates. The addition of E2 in this culture system did not significantly affect the production of IFN-gamma. In addition, when purified CD4+ T cells from ERalpha-deficient and wild-type littermates were stimulated with anti-CD3/CD28 Ab in the absence of E2, there were no significant differences in IFN-gamma or IL-4 production. However, the addition of E2 significantly increased IL-4 secretion, as well as increased GATA-3 mRNA levels from ERalpha-replete CD4+ T cells, while this effect was abrogated in ERalpha-deficient CD4+ T cells.
Genes encoding the alpha, gamma, delta, and four F0 subunits of ATP synthase constitute an operon in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120.

Abstract A cluster of genes encoding subunits of ATP synthase of Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 was cloned, and the nucleotide sequences of the genes were determined. This cluster, denoted atp1, consists of four F0 genes and three F1 genes encoding the subunits a (atpI), c (atpH), b' (atpG), b (atpF), delta (atpD), alpha (aptA), and gamma (atpC) in that order. Closely linked upstream of the ATP synthase subunit genes is an open reading frame denoted gene 1, which is equivalent to the uncI gene of Escherichia coli. The atp1 gene cluster is at least 10 kilobase pairs distant in the genome from apt2, a cluster of genes encoding the beta (atpB) and epsilon (atpE) subunits of the ATP synthase. This two-clustered ATP synthase gene arrangement is intermediate between those found in chloroplasts and E. coli. A unique feature of the Anabaena atp1 cluster is overlap between the coding regions for atpF and atpD. The atp1 cluster is transcribed as a single 7-kilobase polycistronic mRNA that initiates 140 base pairs upstream of gene 1. The deduced translation products for the Anabaena sp. strain PCC 7120 subunit genes are more similar to chloroplast ATP synthase subunits than to those of E. coli.
Head Waves in Asian Marginal Seas

Abstract : The long-term goal is to develop a robust means to utilize readily-obtained precursor (or head-wave-like) arrival measurements for purposes of geoacoustic inversion. These arrivals are important features of shallow water propagation that are exhibited at relatively short ranges ( 1 km). They are more directly linked with seabed properties, in contrast to long-range, trapped modal arrivals. The objective this year was to analyze, model, and invert precursor arrivals measured from the Yellow Sea as part of the August 1996 joint U.S.-China Yellow Sea Experiment [1] using new methods derived the previous year of this grant [2].
Multifractality in a ring of star formation: the case of Arp 220

Context. Formation of super star-clusters can be triggered during the final stages of galaxy mergers or galactic interactions, when significant numbers of massive stars are formed out of large gas-cloud systems. Giant cloud complexes show a fractal structure due to turbulence and/or self-gravitation; therefore, super clusters formed out of these complexes are expected to show a multifractal spectrum. Aims. Here we investigate the projected spatial distribution of young massive clusters in the ultraluminous infrared galaxy Arp 220 and its underlying fractal geometry. Methods. The projected radial distribution of super clusters is dominated by a prominent ring of star formation. Taking the presence of this annulus into account, the fractal spectrum is determined by using the Minkowski-sausage method to compute the Minkowski-Bouligand dimension as a function of the parameter q. Results. The ring appears to extend from a radial distance of 2.0 to 4.5 kpc. The Arp 220 annulus of star formation could be an outer ring associated with the outer Lindblad resonance/radius of corotation. The average projected fractal dimension in the ring of star formation is found to be 1.7 ± 0.1, which is consistent with values found for non-starburst, star-forming regions in spiral galaxies. However, the fractal dimension appears to be lower in the outer regions of the ring and, for Arp 220, this implies an actual decrease in the fractal dimension over time probably induced by star cluster destruction. This trend is not observed under quiescent star formation. Conclusions. The projected distribution of super clusters in Arp 220 can be described using an annular model, and it exhibits multifractal behaviour. The properties of its fractal geometry are similar to those found in quiescent star-forming regions in disk galaxies although the average fractal dimension evolves differently over time, decreasing instead of increasing. This result implies that, for the short-term evolution of super cluster populations, destruction may be far more important than diffusion-like processes.
Reduced Genomic 5-Methylcytosine Content in Human Colonic Neoplasia

DNA methylation appears to play an important role in both physiological and experimentally modified gene expression, and alterations in DNA methylation have been described in animal tumor models and in transformed cells and tumor cell lines. However, there have been comparatively few reports on DNA methylation in primary human malignancies, and these reports are somewhat contradictory. While individual genes have shown hypomethylation in colon cancer and premalignant adenomas as well as in lung cancer, other genes have shown increased methylation, and absolute measures of 5-methylcytosine content have shown decreases in malignancies but not in premalignant adenomas. We have used a sensitive quantitative measurement of 5-methylcytosine content by high performance liquid chromatography revealing an unequivocal hypomethylation of tumor DNA. An average of 8 and 10% reduction in genomic 5-methylcytosine content was seen in apparently all colon adenomas and adenocarcinomas, respectively, and there was no significant difference between benign and malignant tumors. This is a substantial quantitative alteration and suggests a pervasive abnormality in the control of DNA methylation. Surprisingly, three patients with the highest 5-methylcytosine content in their normal colon appear to have a germline predisposition to cancer (Lynch syndrome).
Studies in organometallic rearrangements : II. Kinetics of the thermal isomerization of substituted indenes

Abstract The reversible thermal isomerization of the positional isomers of several substituted silyl indenes [C 9 H 7 SiR 3 ; R 3  (CH 3 ) 2 C 6 H 5 , (CH 3 ) 2 (OCH 3 ), (CH 3 ) 2 -(CH 2 Cl), CH 3 (C 6 H 5 ) 2 , (C 6 H 5 ) 3 ] has been studied. Rate constants, equilibrium constants, and activation parameters for the forward and reverse reactions are reported. The equilibrium distribution of isomers, but not the activation parameters, is found to be sensitive to the nature of the substituents on the silicon. The thermal behavior of 1-(trimethylstannyl)indene is also reported.
Vygotsky's analysis of children's meaning making processes

Vygotsky’s work is extensive and covers many aspects of the development of children’s meaning-making processes in social and cultural contexts. However, his main focus is on the examination of the unification of speaking and thinking processes. His investigation centers on the analysis of the entity created by this unification - an internal speaking/thinking system with meaning at its center. Despite the fact that this speaking/thinking system is at the center of Vygotsky’s work, it remains little explored. This article relies on Vygotsky’s writings, particularly Thinking and Speech , to describe his examination of the speaking/thinking system. To analyze it he derives the unit - znachenie slova - “meaning through language.” In Thinking and Speech Vygotsky describes the origins and development of znachenie slova as a unit of the speaking/thinking system. He also details his genetic, functional, and structural analysis of the processes through which children internalize meaning in social interaction and organize it in an internal, psychological system. The foundation of this system is the child's ability to generalize by using symbolic representation in meaningful communication. Vygotsky’s analysis of the structure of generalization in the speaking/thinking system is central to his examination of how children make meaning of their sociocultural worlds.
Studies on cytochrome c peroxidase. XVII. Stoichiometry and mechanism of the reaction of compound ES with donors.

Abstract The stoichiometry of the reaction of cytochrome c peroxidase with hydrogen peroxide, and of the resulting Compound ES with both ferrocyanide and ferrocytochrome c as donor has been re-examined in detail over a wide pH range. It was confirmed that cytochrome c peroxidase and hydrogen peroxide react in a 1:1 molar ratio, and that 2 molecules of either donor are required to reduce Compound ES completely. The re-examination of the change in absorbance on formation of Compound ES gave a more reliable value of the difference extinction coefficient than those previously reported. It was established that the reaction of Compound ES with donors occurs in at least two stages of comparable rates. Comparison of optical and electron paramagnetic resonance titration curves showed that the two oxidizing equivalents of Compound ES were associated with distinct and partially independent changes in the properties of the enzyme. The rate of reaction of Compound ES with ferrocyanide was measured over the pH range 5 to 8, and the reaction was found to be biphasic. Several mechanisms were considered to account for these observations. All of the mechanisms involve an enzyme intermediate compound which is only one oxidizing equivalent above the native state. A theoretical analysis of the observed kinetics and titration curves showed that the data presently available do not unequivocally distinguish among all the proposed mechanisms. However, they strongly support a mechanism in which two one-oxidizing-equivalent intermediates are at rapid equilibrium.
Mechanical properties of zirconium alloys and zirconium hydrides predicted from density functional perturbation theory.

The elastic properties and mechanical stability of zirconium alloys and zirconium hydrides have been investigated within the framework of density functional perturbation theory. Results show that the lowest-energy cubic Pnm polymorph of δ-ZrH1.5 does not satisfy all the Born requirements for mechanical stability, unlike its nearly degenerate tetragonal P42/mcm polymorph. Elastic moduli predicted with the Voigt–Reuss–Hill approximations suggest that mechanical stability of α-Zr, Zr-alloy and Zr-hydride polycrystalline aggregates is limited by the shear modulus. According to both Pugh's and Poisson's ratios, α-Zr, Zr-alloy and Zr-hydride polycrystalline aggregates can be considered ductile. The Debye temperatures predicted for γ-ZrH, δ-ZrH1.5 and e-ZrH2 are θD = 299.7, 415.6 and 356.9 K, respectively, while θD = 273.6, 284.2, 264.1 and 257.1 K for the α-Zr, Zry-4, ZIRLO and M5 matrices, i.e. suggesting that Zry-4 possesses the highest micro-hardness among Zr matrices.
Spatio-temporal smoothing and EM estimation for massive remote-sensing data sets

The use of satellite measurements in climate studies promises many new scientific insights if those data can be efficiently exploited. Due to sparseness of daily data sets, there is a need to fill spatial gaps and to borrow strength from adjacent days. Nonetheless, these satellites are typically capable of conducting on the order of 100,000 retrievals per day, which makes it impossible to apply traditional spatio-temporal statistical methods, even in supercomputing environments. To overcome these challenges, we make use of a spatio-temporal mixed-effects model. For each massive daily data set, dimension reduction is achieved by essentially modelling the underlying process as a linear combination of spatial basis functions on the globe. The application of a dynamical autoregressive model in time, over the reduced space, allows rapid sequential computation of optimal smoothing predictions via the Kalman smoother; this is known as Fixed Rank Smoothing (FRS). The dimension-reduced mixed-effects model contains a number of unknown parameters, including covariance and propagator matrices, which describe the spatial and temporal dependence structure in the reduced-dimensional process. We take an empirical-Bayes approach to inference, which involves estimating the parameters and substituting them into the optimal predictors. Method-of-moments (MM) parameter estimation (currently used in FRS) is typically inefficient compared to maximum likelihood (ML) estimation and can result in large sampling variability. Here, we develop ML estimation via an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm, which offers stable computation of valid estimators and makes efficient use of spatial and temporal dependence in the data. The two parameter-estimation approaches, MM and ML, are compared in a simulation study. We also apply our methodology to global satellite CO2 measurements: We optimally smooth the sparse daily CO2 maps obtained by the Atmospheric InfraRed Sounder (AIRS) instrument on the Aqua satellite; then, using FRS with EM-estimated parameters, a complete sequence of the daily global CO2 fields can be obtained, together with their associated prediction uncertainties.
A New Look at Old Carbon

The ways in which carbon becomes buried in ocean sediments is important for understanding the global carbon budget, and thus global climate change. In her Perspective, Freeman discusses work published in the same issue by [ Eglinton et al .][1] on the use of carbon isotope ratios in organic molecules to trace the origins of organic matter in marine sediments. In this way, the authors can distinguish among different pools of organic matter and identify their origins. [1]: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/short/277/5327/796
African archaeology comes of age

Abstract Though both artifacts and rock art were discovered early in sub‐Saharan Africa, organized archaeological development was slow because of logistical problems and geographical diversity. Following an early emphasis on the Stone Age in which there were differences of approach between francophone and anglophone scholars, the post‐Independence era has witnessed a greater concentration on the Iron Age and historic periods. The advent of isotopic dating has had a great impact particularly on studies of early hominid behaviour and Iron Age research. Ethno‐archaeological research is particularly well developed and very relevant for archaeologists outside of Africa. Much of African archaeology is presently cultural‐historically oriented, unevenly dispersed and highly localized and the number of African archaeologists is small. The open nature of Africa to foreign scholarship can only continue if there is increased awareness of African research interests and an expansion of cooperative ventures.
Challenges and Issues in Developing an EAP Video Listening Placement Assessment: A View from One Program.

Abstract Investigations of english for academic purposes (EAP) testing and assessment, have, not surprisingly, tended to be dominated by large-scale examinations such as the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) and TOEFL, mainly due to the amount of resources and technical expertise available to these enterprises. In-house EAP placement examinations, however, at least in recent years, have received little attention in the literature, despite the fact that these instruments are widely used in most colleges and universities in the USA and elsewhere to assess the English skills of their entering non-native speaking (NNS) students. The flourishing, complex of activity surrounding the development and administration of these assessments is perhaps something of a cottage industry and thus there is a case for sharing experiences in test development at a single institution, particularly given the constraints of limited expertise, time, and other resources. In this paper we depart from the typical assessment paper with its emphasis on data analysis and narrowly focus on the process of developing an academic listening placement assessment on video for non-native speaking graduate and undergraduate students. We discuss the advantages of using video over audio, linking assessment and course content, considerations in development, the need for adequate trialing, student and instructor response, as well as development issues relevant to the use of video.
Real-time machining quality inspection for design for manufacturing (DFM)

A dynamic, globalized and customer-driven market brings opportunities and threats to companies, depending on the response speed and production strategies. One strategy is Concurrent Engineering (CE) that focuses on improving the product development process, by considering various factors associated with the life cycle of the product from the early stages of the product design. Design for Manufacturing (DFM) has proven to be an effective approach to implement CE concept. Recently, an important DFM concept in machining (i.e. a real-time inspection) has drawn much attention from both academia and industry. This is because intense domestic and international competition has put more emphasis on the part quality to achieve a shorter inspection time, improved part accuracies, and reduced scrap. The current methodology, using a machine mounted touch probe, suffers from the fact that the measurement accuracy is affected by the individual machine tool's positional accuracy and positioning system. To address this concern, the cutting experiments were conducted to collect touch probe measurement data. The data were analyzed to verify whether using a touch probe is suitable for real-time inspection. The analysis results show the touch probe has the higher capability index numbers and consistencies than the coordinate measuring machine (CMM), suggesting that the touch probe can be integrated into DFM as a means of real-time quality inspection.
Office-based maintenance treatment of opioid dependence: how does it compare with traditional approaches?

The increasing global public health burden of heroin dependence and prescription opioid dependence warrants further expansion of treatment models. The most effective intervention for opioid dependence remains maintenance with methadone, a full μ-opioid receptor agonist, or buprenorphine, a partial μ-opioid receptor agonist. A growing body of evidence supports the use of opioid receptor agonist maintenance in office-based settings. Office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) can expand treatment access in a less stigmatized environment, which enables integrated care of co-morbid conditions. The current review primarily examines OBOT in the US, although a comparison with the British and French models is provided, given that the public health impact and implementation of OBOT will likely vary between countries because of policy and logistical differences. The comparative effectiveness of maintenance treatment in office-based and traditional programme-based models of care requires further study. Clinical and practical considerations when providing treatment for opioid dependence in traditional versus office-based settings include patient selection and monitoring, health economics, management of co-morbid conditions, and access to ancillary psychosocial treatment. OBOT is not a replacement for more structured, traditional models of care, but provides an additional opportunity to help address the tremendous public health impact of opioid dependence.
Origin of the bias stress instability in single-crystal organic field-effect transistors

We report a systematic study of the bias stress effect at semiconductor-dielectric interfaces using single-crystal organic field-effect transistors as a test bed. A combination of electrical transport and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy suggests that this instability is due to a ground-state (i.e., occurring in the dark) charge transfer of holes from the accumulation channel of the semiconductor to localized states of a disordered insulator. The proposed model is not semiconductor specific and therefore provides a general analytical description of this instability in a variety of organic and inorganic band semiconductors interfaced with amorphous insulators.
Medical WordNet: a new methodology for the construction and validation of information resources for consumer health

A consumer health information system must be able to comprehend both expert and nonexpert medical vocabulary and to map between the two. We describe an ongoing project to create a new lexical database called Medical WordNet (MWN), consisting of medically relevant terms used by and intelligible to non-expert subjects and supplemented by a corpus of natural-language sentences that is designed to provide medically validated contexts for MWN terms. The corpus derives primarily from online health information sources targeted to consumers, and involves two sub-corpora, called Medical FactNet (MFN) and Medical BeliefNet (MBN), respectively. The former consists of statements accredited as true on the basis of a rigorous process of validation, the latter of statements which non-experts believe to be true. We summarize the MWN / MFN / MBN project, and describe some of its applications.