cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Malignant Mesothelioma Following Radiation

The strong association between asbestos exposure and malignant mesothelioma has been widely accepted since 1960 (1,2). Although asbestos is the primary etiologic agent for this tumor, a significant number of patients who develop mesothelioma have no known asbestos exposure. Radiation, nonasbestos mineral fibers, organic chemicals, chronic inflammation (3), and simian virus 40 (SV40) exposure (4,5) have also been suggested as risk factors for mesothelioma in humans. Because asbestos is ubiquitous, past exposures are often difficult to quantitate. Past asbestos exposure may be assessed by a standardized questionnaire that collects information on occupational, paraoccupational, environmental, and domestic contact with asbestos from insulation, mining, milling, heating trades, shipyard work, and construction (6). However, the long latency period of 20 years or longer from the onset of exposure to the development of malignant mesothelioma likely influences the accuracy of the exposure information obtained (1). More objective evidence of asbestos exposure includes radiologic findings such as bibasilar fibrosis and calcified pleural plaques, the presence of asbestos fibers in sputum or bronchoalveolar lavage samples, and evidence of interstitial fibrosis or ferruginous bodies in lung tissue (7). These criteria have been used to try to exclude asbestos as the causal factor in some cases of mesothelioma. In published case series, the proportion of mesothelioma cases that have an asbestos exposure history ranges from 16% to 77% (8). Of 668 patients who died of malignant mesothelioma in Canada and the United States from 1960 to 1975, only 50% of men and 5% of women had known asbestos exposure (9). Occupational asbestos exposure in women and children is rare; therefore, most asbestos exposure in these individuals is thought to come from a household member who is employed in an asbestos industry. The occurrence of malignant mesothelioma in children may not be related to asbestos at all. In a report of 13 children diagnosed with mesothelioma in the United States, the short latency period from the time of exposure to tumor development and the absence of geographic clustering argued against an environmental
Correction to: Context-Sensitive Cognitive and Educational Testing

The following parts of “Context-Sensitive Cognitive and Educational Testing” by R. J. Sternberg draws heavily from Sternberg, R. J. (2014), The development of adaptive competence. Developmental Review, 34, 208–224.
Exploring Driver Injury Severity Patterns and Causes in Low Visibility Related Single-Vehicle Crashes Using a Finite Mixture Random Parameters Model

Abstract Low visibility is consistently considered as a hazardous factor due to its potential leading to severe fatal crashes. However, unlike the other inclement weather conditions that have attracted extensive research interests, only a few studies have been conducted to investigate the impacts of risk factors on driver injury severity outcomes in low visibility related crashes. A three-year crash dataset including all low visibility related crashes from 2010 to 2012 in four South Central states, i.e., Arkansas, Louisiana, Texas, and Oklahoma, is adopted in this study. A finite mixture random parameters approach is developed to interpret both within-class and between-class unobserved heterogeneity among crash data. After a careful comparison, a two-class finite mixture random parameter model with normal distribution assumptions is selected as the final model. Estimation results show that three variables, including young (specific to injury, I), male (specific to serious injury and fatality, F), and large truck (specific to serious injury and fatality, F), are found to be normally distributed and have significant impacts on driver injury severities. Variables with fixed effects including rural, wet, 60 mph or higher, no statutory limit, dark, Sunday, curve, rollover, light truck, old, and drug/alcohol impaired also have significant influences on driver injury severities. This study provides an insightful understanding of the impacts of these variables on driver injury severity outcomes in low visibility related crashes, and a beneficial reference for developing countermeasures and strategies to mitigate driver injury severities under these conditions.
Novel insole design for diabetic foot ulcer management.

Around the world, over 400 million people suffer from diabetes. In a chronic diabetic condition, the skin underneath the foot often becomes extremely soft and brittle, resulting in the development ...
Abstract TP402: Inpatient versus Emergency Department Code Stroke via Telemedicine

Introduction: Inpatient (IP) code strokes have been noted to have worse time metrics than code strokes in the Emergency Department (ED). Telemedicine (TM) has alleviated some disparities in managem...
MEMORIAS SENSÍVEIS, DEMOCRACIA E DIREITOS HUMANOS: TESTEMUNHOS SOBRE AS “MARCHAS DEL SILENCIO” EM URUGUAI.

O presente artigo analisa uma das manifestacoes por memoria, verdade e justica mais emblematicas do Uruguai, a chamada “Marcha del Silencio”, atraves dos testemunhos chaves em essa reivindicacao, ou seja, de participantes e de quem convocam a dita marcha. E organizada por Familiares de Detidos Desaparecidos durante a ultima ditadura militar no pais (1973-1985), atraves de uma convocatoria anual em reclamacao por verdade e justica em relacao as violacoes aos Direitos Humanos durante a ditadura. E realizada todos os 20 de maio desde o ano 1996, em estrito silencio, sem portar emblemas, bandeiras, nem mensagens politico – partidarias e constitui uma das principais mobilizacoes em massa do pais. Enquadrada nos processos globais e regionais de reivindicacao memorial, estas marchas constituem uma particular manifestacao. Se bem obedecem as novas politicas publicas em torno ao passado recente do pais e da regiao, aportam interessantes contribuicoes para a compreensao dos mecanismos de memoria e esquecimento, e de uma memoria silenciada que busca espacos para sua enunciacao ao mesmo tempo que solicita novas investigacoes sobre o destino dos familiares e amigos desaparecidos.
Role of GPCRs in cancer

Abstract G Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) comprise the largest family of receptors in mammalian cells, whose activity mediates a variety of neuronal and nonneuronal cellular functions. GPCRs have been implicated in a variety of diseases and recently they have been proposed as possible mediators in cancer development, for example, protease activated receptors that normally function in thrombin signaling but have been reported to increase cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Chemokine receptors function in immune cell motility, yet their activity appears to play a part in cancer metastasis to other organs. Metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 is an excitatory neuronal receptor whose aberrant expression in melanocytes correlates with cell transformation in vitro and spontaneous metastatic melanoma development in vivo. Frizzled receptors functioning in stem cell proliferation have been implicated in colon and liver cancer initiation and progression. Current drugs that target these receptors are being explored as potential alternatives/compliments to available cancer therapies to treat cancer. This chapter will review how the activities of different GPCRs participate in cancer initiation and progression, in addition to some therapeutic options that have been applied to target these receptors.
Improving early detection of developmental dysplasia of the hip through general practitioner assessment and surveillance.

Background Cases of late diagnosed developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) have increased in Australia in recent years despite an ongoing clinical screening program and increasing use of selective ultrasonography screening. Objective The aim of this paper is to discuss an evidence-based approach that involves prevention and early detection of DDH using assessment and surveillance that is suitable for general practitioners (GPs) who see young children in their practices. Discussion Repeated, carefully performed clinical examinations of the paediatric hip from newborn to walking age remain the best method for early detection of DDH. GPs are ideally placed to conduct regular assessments to maximise detection of dislocated hips in early infancy and lower the age at detection for children who develop progressive signs of DDH outside the newborn period.
High Psychopathology Subgroup in Young Children With Autism: Associations With Biological Sex and Amygdala Volume.

Abstract Objective 1) To identify a subset of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and co-occurring symptoms of psychopathology. 2) To evaluate associations between this subgroup and biological sex and amygdala volume. Method Participants included 420 children (ASD: 91 girls, 209 boys; typically developing controls: 57 girls, 63 boys). Latent profile analysis was used to identify ASD subgroups based on symptoms of psychopathology, adaptive functioning, cognitive development, and autism severity. Sex differences in the proportion of girls and boys in each subgroup were evaluated. MRI scans were acquired (346 children); amygdala volumes were evaluated in relation to subgroups and problem behavior scores. Results Three ASD subgroups were identified; one was characterized by high levels of psychopathology and moderate impairment on other measures (High Psychopathology Moderate Impairments [HPMI], comprising 27% of the sample). The other two subgroups had lower symptoms of psychopathology but were differentiated by high and low levels of impairment on other measures. A higher proportion of girls were classified into the HPMI subgroup (40% of girls vs. 22% of boys). Relative to controls, amygdala volumes were enlarged only in the HPMI subgroup, other subgroups did not differ. There was a positive association between right amygdala volume and internalizing behaviors in girls but not boys with ASD. Conclusion A higher proportion of girls with ASD faced greater challenges with psychopathology, suggesting a need for closer evaluation and potentially earlier intervention to help improve outcomes. Amygdala enlargement was associated with co-occurring symptoms of psychopathology and sex-specific correlations with symptoms were observed.
Presentation and management of primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma: a retrospective cohort analysis

Primary mediastinal large B-cell lymphoma (PMBCL) is an uncommon subtype of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) that has molecular similarities to nodular sclerosis classic Hodgkin lymphoma [1]. ...
The structure of free algebras

This article is a survey of selected results on the structure of free algebraic systems obtained during the past 50 years. The focus is on ways free algebras can be decomposed into simpler components and how the number of components and the way the components interact with each other can be readily determined. A common thread running through the exposition is a concrete method of representing a free algebra as an array of elements.
The integrated approach of learning tuberculosis transmission within and outside households via random directed graph models

Household contact studies are frequently used in tuberculosis transmission research, and models based on them often focus on transmission within the household. This contradicts recent research which suggests the transmission may be more likely to happen outside the household than within the household in high burden settings where these studies are frequently conducted. Consequently, most models would lead to biased estimates and misleading public health interventions. There is a strong need for developing models that allow concurrent estimation of household and extra-household transmission. In this study, we develop a random directed graph model for tuberculosis transmission, which permits users to concurrently build models for both household and extra-household transmission. Furthermore, our model can estimate the relative frequency of household transmission versus extra-household transmission and consistently produce unbiased estimates for risk factors, regardless of whether community controls are available. We illustrate our approach with a household contact study conducted in Vitoria, Brazil, and our results indicate that extra-household transmission can account for 63% to 98% of M. tuberculosis infections detected during such a study.
Asymptomatic man with an incidental finding of a massive empyema

We describe the case of a 67-year-old asymptomatic man who was referred to our hospital for abnormal laboratory results. He was incidentally found to have a massive empyema without underlying bronchopulmonary pneumonia. Following thoracentesis, he was diagnosed with chronic Streptococcus anginosus empyema. Therapeutic thoracentesis and treatment with tissue plasminogen activator and deoxyribonuclease failed to resolve the empyema, and there was residual loculated pleural fluid that was surrounded by a thick rind. The patient was referred to thoracic surgery for decortication of the pleural space via video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery. At 2-month follow-up, the patient had complete re-expansion of the lung tissue.
Augmentation of insulin secretion by a non-nutrient drink.

Because it is known that nutrients can enhance insulin release, we studied the effect of a drink which was devoid of nutrients upon the immunoreactive insulin response to i.v. glucose in 13 normal subjects. The summated immunoreactive insulin secretory response during an i.v. glucose infusion (500 ml 10% glucose over 30 min) was 178 ± 32 (SEM) μU/ml. However, when subjects ingested 500 ml 3% mannitol in a physiologic electrolyte solution given 30 min before the i.v. glucose, 56% augmentation of insulin release was noted (277 ± 38 μU/ml, P
The End of Liberty.

Theorists treat liberty as a great equalizer. We can’t easily distribute equal welfare, but we can purport to distribute equal liberty. In fact, however, nothing about “equal liberty” is meaningfully equal. To demonstrate, I turn not to familiar cases of distributing positive goods but to the distribution of a negative good, namely carceral punishment. Many theorists believe we should impose proportional punishment by depriving offenders of liberty in proportion to their blameworthiness. In this manner, equally blameworthy offenders are said to receive equal punishment when incarcerated for the same period of time. Equal periods of incarceration do not yield equal punishments, however, because liberty cannot serve as the great equalizer theorists hope for. Pretending it can prevents us from justifying the full harms of punishment or leads to such counterintuitive results that it makes proportional punishment an unattractive goal.
‘The Blackest Disney Movie of All Time!’: A Goofy Movie and the Production of ‘Film Blackness’:

Disney films have a distinct way of always feeling in-time, a sensation the company understands and monetizes. A Goofy Movie (AGM) was released in 1995, and since its theatrical release, the film h...
Biocompatibility Assessment of a Long‐Term Wearable Artificial Pump‐Lung in Sheep

The purpose of this study was to assess the biocompatibility of a newly developed long-term wearable artificial pump-lung (APL) in a clinically relevant ovine animal model. The wearable APL device was implanted in five sheep through left thoracotomy. The device was connected between the right atrium and pulmonary artery and evaluated for 30 days. Three sheep were used as the sham control. Platelet activation was assessed by measuring platelet surface P-selectin (CD62P) expression with flow cytometry and plasma soluble P-selectin with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Thrombotic deposition on the device components and hollow fiber membranes were analyzed with digital imaging and scanning electron microscopy. Surface P-selectin of the APL and sham groups changed significantly over the study period, but without significant differences between the two groups. Soluble P-selectin for the two groups peaked in the first 24 h after the surgery. Soluble P-selectin of the APL group remained slightly elevated over the study period compared to the presurgical baseline value and was slightly higher compared to that of the sham group. Plasma free hemoglobin remained in the normal ranges in all the animals. In spite of the surgery-related alteration in laboratory tests and elevation of platelet activation status, the APL devices in all the animals functioned normally (oxygen transfer and blood pumping) during the 30-day study period. The device flow path and membrane surface were free of gross thrombus. Electron microscopy images showed only scattered thrombi on the fibers (membrane surface and weft). In summary, the APL exhibited excellent biocompatibility. Two forms of platelet activation, surgery-related and device-induced, in the animals implanted with the wearable APL were observed. The limited device-induced platelet activation did not cause gross thrombosis and impair the long-term device performance.
The Future of Social Security: Principles to Guide Reform

Reform of the Social Security system appears inevitable. The only questions are how and when. This Article discusses the principles that should guide reform. It begins by describing Robert Ball's "nine guiding principles" underlying the current Social Security system. It then identifies the seven principles that should guide reform of the system. The principles call for retaining Social Security's fundamental structure but gradually introducing changes on both the revenue and benefit side so as to distribute the burden of reform widely across and within generations. Beyond that, the principles offer considerable flexibility in the final details of reform.
Thermodynamic Modeling of Interconnected Systems: Conservative Coupling

In this paper we extend results of Wyatt, Siebert and Tan by deriving an energy flow model in terms of thermodynamic energy rather than stored energy as in the standard Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA) approach to energy flow modeling. This modified energy flow model shows that energy flows according to thermodynamic energy and that this property holds for an arbitrary number of nonidentical subsystems independently of the strength of the coupling. These results are compared with SEA by means of illustrative examples.
A case study: formal verification of processor critical properties

Over the past ten years, the Formal Methods group at the IBM Haifa Research Lab has made steady progress developing tools and techniques that bring the power of model checking to the community of hardware designers and verification engineers, making it an integral part of the design cycle for many projects. Several IBM and non-IBM design teams have successfully integrated RuleBase [2], the IBM formal methods tool, into their design cycles. In this paper we present a case study describing the formal verification of critical properties in a recent processor. Because the details of the design and the specifications are highly proprietary, this paper focuses on the process, techniques and experience involved in the formal verification of the critical properties. We report here experiences on two units, named here for confidentiality reasons unit A and B.
Topographic and Bathymetric Changes at Thirty-Three Long-Term Study Sites

This study documents the geomorphic response to the 1996 controlled flood of 33 study sites in fan-eddy complexes distributed throughout Grand Canyon. Repeated topographic mapping was used to quantify sediment redistribution at sites within three distinct parts of the fan-eddy complex: high-elevation sand bars, submerged areas of the recirculation zone (eddy), and the adjacent main channel. The topographic data show that the 1996 controlled flood rebuilt previously eroded high-elevation bars, regardless of location, bar type, or width of the canyon. The average thickness of new, high-elevation deposits was 0.64 m. Because there was an average thickness decrease in the main channel of 0.45 m, we conclude that large volumes of sediment were scoured from storage locations on the bed. Although there was variability between the behaviors of individual sites, two response styles were identified: (1) deposition filled or nearly filled all areas of small recirculation zones, and (2) extensive low-elevation scour caused net erosion in large recirculation zones. The average recirculation zone change at all sites was net aggradation. Aggradation was greatest in narrow reaches where stage change was greatest. The magnitude of deposition was greatest in the Marble Canyon reach between the Paria River and the Little Colorado River. Sites located downstream from the Little Colorado River still remained partly filled with sediment by the 1993 Little Colorado River floods so the potential for bar filling was limited compared to the sites located upstream. Our results suggest that the amount of high-elevation deposition is in part controlled by the space available for deposition in the recirculation zone before the flood, which we term accommodation space. Erosion rates of newly-deposited sand were initially high following the 1996 controlled flood but decreased with time. Our results show that controlled flooding restores eroded bars downstream from Glen Canyon Dam, and produces sand volume increases in bar storage that are at least partially maintained for nearly a year afterward.
Incremental fuzzy clustering for an adaptive backgammon game

Modern game designs rely on artificial intelligence capabilities to create exciting gaming experience. Adaptive artificial intelligence is one of the leading capabilities which enables a computer controlled opponent to improve its logic and to cover its flaws. In this paper an adaptive AI method for a backgammon game is introduced. The specific design of this game makes its flow to rely on the two most important characteristics of most games, chance and the skill of the player. The method introduced in this paper addresses both of these characteristics by using an incremental fuzzy clustering method, derived from weighted fuzzy c-means and an incremental clustering, which adapts itself to its opponent. In the end, the merit of this paper is providing a comparison of the introduced fuzzy method and its corresponding crisp method in performance.
Depletion of U14 small nuclear RNA (snR128) disrupts production of 18S rRNA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Abstract Repression of an essential nucleolar small nuclear RNA (snRNA) gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was shown to result in impaired production of 18S rRNA. The effect, observed for an snRNA species of 128 nucleotides (snR128), was evident within one generation after the onset of SNR128 gene repression and correlated well with depletion of the snRNA. The steady-state mass ratio of 18S RNA to 25S RNA decreased eightfold over the course of the analysis. Results from pulse-chase assays revealed the basis of the imbalance to be underaccumulation of 18S RNA and its 20S precursor. This effect appears to result from impairment of processing of the 35S rRNA transcript at sites that define the 20S species coupled with rapid turnover of unstable intermediates. Possible bases for the effects observed are discussed. A common U14 designation is proposed for the structurally related yeast snRNA and 4.5S hybRNAs from amphibians and mammals.
Harmonic limits: Individual versus global limits

Harmonic limits are generally stated in terms of both individual and global values. This paper examines the conceptual basis for various harmonic limits, and the relationship between these limits and several known practical implications of high harmonic levels. Finally, it discusses the relative impacts of the individual and global measures.
Comparative effects of nerve growth factor and ganglionic nonneuronal cells on purified mouse ganglionic neurons in culture

Purified neuronal fractions from dissociated mouse dorsal root ganglia were cultured in the presence of variable amounts of homologous ganglionic nonneuronal cells, and with or without addition of variable amounts of exogenous Nerve Growth Factor in the culture medium. The ability of the nonneurons to support long-term neuronal survival in the absence of exogenous Nerve Growth Factor increased linearly with their numbers and maximal neuronal performance was achieved with a 4:1 ratio of non-neurons to neurons; however, neuronal attachment was elicited maximally as soon as that ratio reached or slightly exceeded a value of one. Besides this Nerve Growth Factor-like function, the nonneurons were also involved in determining whether and to what extent the factor was capable of supporting neuronal performance. In the absence of non-neurons, even high concentrations of the factor failed to elicit neuronal attachment. As more nonneuronal cells were made available, Nerve Growth Factor progressively raised neuronal performance and did so at sharply declining requirement levels: with 12,000 nonneurons/dish maximal performance required only 10−2 biological unit/ml of the factor. Further increases of the nonneurons reduced the scope of a neuronal response to Nerve Growth Factor between the maximal performance of the culture system and the increasing performance elicited without the factor. The results indicate that, given a minimal level of nonneurons, the performance in culture of these ganglionic neurons could be promoted in very similar patterns by either increasing the exogenous Nerve Growth Factor in the medium or increasing the ganglionic nonneurons on the culture floors, with an approximate and fixed ratio of 10−7 biological unit per nonneuron. Possibilities are discussed of a common mechanism underlying the supportive properties of the two agents.
Behavioral changes during weaning in captive chimpanzees

Behavioral changes during weaning of chimpanzee infants in captive social groups were compared with those of infants in the natural habitat. Results of the weaning process were the same for the mother-infant pairs in captivity and the natural habitat, i.e., an infant independent of suckling, regular maternal transport and sleeping with the mother. The captive infants, however, did not respond to weaning with depression or regression to infantile behaviors as did infants in the natural habitat. Quite probably the social and physical environmental differences between the two habitats faciliated a less stressful weaning period for the captive mother-infant pairs.
Market power and systematic risk

Abstract This paper examines the relationship between market power variables and the systematic risk, beta, of a firm. The study controls for the effects of dividend policy, liquidity, and earnings growth. Market power is measured by firm size (both sales and assets), proportion of industry sales, and the industry's four-firm concentration ratio. The study finds only a weak relationship between individual firm market power and firm risk, but there is evidence of a strong negative relationship between industry concentration and the market risk of the firms in an industry. This indicates that firms in concentrated industries experience lower capital costs than firms in less-concentrated industries. The existence of limit pricing is suggested as an explanation for this finding.
Fast intracavity polarization dynamics of an erbium-doped fiber ring laser: Inclusion of stochastic effects

The dynamics of a unidirectional erbium-doped fiber laser is investigated on a time scale short enough to observe, with good resolution, its behavior for individual round-trips in the laser cavity. With an intracavity polarization controller, a rich variety of nonlinear phenomena, ranging from self-pulsing to square-wave antiphase patterns in two orthogonal states of polarization, are observed. These patterns evolve continuously in time. A stochastic delay-differential equation model is proposed to describe this system. Numerical simulations show that this model satisfactorily accounts for all types of qualitative behavior and reveal that the inclusion of spontaneous-emission noise is necessary to reproduce the observed continuous pattern evolution. Two different, typical types of nonlinear dynamical states are found both numerically and experimentally: a deterministic, low-dimensional regime and a noise-driven high-dimensional motion.
ATRIAL FLUTTER : ENTRAINMENT CHARACTERISTICS

Entrainment was first described based on observations during rapid (overdrive) pacing of type I atrial flutter. Entrainment is capture of the reentrant circuit of a tachycardia without interrupting the tachycardia, so that with cessation of pacing, the spontaneous reentrant tachycardia is still present. During entrainment, the orthodromic wavefront from the pacing impulse resets the tachycardia to the pacing rate, while the antidromic wavefront either collides with the orthodromic wavefront of the previous beat (usual case) or is blocked by some other mechanism (refractoriness or another cause of block). Entrainment may be either manifest or concealed. The principles of entrainment during type I atrial flutter have permitted identification of targets for successful ablation, of mapping sites within or outside the reentrant circuit, and of appropriate pacing rates to successfully interrupt atrial flutter and restore sinus rhythm.
Structural and photophysical studies of Cu(NN)2+ systems in the solid state. Emission at last from complexes with simple 1,10-phenanthroline ligands.

For a variety of reasons, relating the photophysical properties of a copper phenanthroline to a structure in solution is problematic. To elucidate some of the issues involved, in this paper we desc...
The effect of speed-accuracy tradeoff on sex differences in mental rotation

This experiment examined the effects of sex differences in the form of speed-accuracy curves on sex differences in rate of mental rotation. Eighty-nine subjects attempted 1,200 rotation problems similar to those used by Shepard and Metzler (1971). Stimulus exposure was varied systematically over a wide range, and response accuracy was determined at each exposure. Speed-accuracy curves were then fit using an exponential function similar to one proposed by Wickelgren (1977). Results showed that apparent differences between males and females in rate of rotation are explained by sex differences in the shape of the speed-accuracy curves, with females reaching asymptote sooner on trials requiring more rotation. Similar effects were obtained in a comparison of subjects high and low in spatial ability.
Singing his praises: Darwin and his theory in song and musical production.

ABSTRACT This essay offers a chronological survey of the range of songs and musical productions inspired by Darwin and his theory since they entered the public sphere some 150 years ago. It draws on an unusual set of historical materials, including illustrated sheet music, lyrics and librettos, wax cylinder recordings, vinyl records, and video recordings located in digital and sound archives and on the Internet. It also offers a characterization of the varied genres and a literary analysis of the forms as a way of understanding the diverse audiences engaging, and indeed “entertaining,” Darwin and the implications of his theory. It argues that the engagement with Darwin and his celebrated theory is far more creative than has been appreciated and recommends that historians of science further explore Darwin and his theory as embodied in a fuller range of cultural expressions. This will lead to an understanding of Darwin's “iconic” status that draws on a fuller range of human sensory experience and that also ...
The initial development of object knowledge by a learning robot

We describe how a robot can develop knowledge of the objects in its environment directly from unsupervised sensorimotor experience. The object knowledge consists of multiple integrated representations: trackers that form spatio-temporal clusters of sensory experience, percepts that represent properties for the tracked objects, classes that support efficient generalization from past experience, and actions that reliably change object percepts. We evaluate how well this intrinsically acquired object knowledge can be used to solve externally specified tasks, including object recognition and achieving goals that require both planning and continuous control.
An Analytical Model of Thermal and Vapor Diffusion in Freezing of Wet Coal

An analytical study is presented for the freezing of a semi-infinite domain of wet coal particles with special attention to the role of the airborne water vapor diffusion process. The results indicate that energy transport in this multiphase system can occur by means of thermal diffusion or mass diffusion. The magnitude of the Lewis number can be used to determine the mechanism. For a Lewis number smaller than 1, water vapor will evaporate from the coal particles, condense on the wall, and increase the freezing rate in the system.
Nuclear structure studies in the neutron-rich A = 30 mass region by direct nucleon removal reactions

Abstract An investigation of the systematic behavior of thed 3/2 admixture in the ground state of the N = 16 isotones 26 Ne, 28 Mg, and 30 Si has been performed by means of a direct single-neutron removal reaction. Results are in good agreement with shell model calculations, with a sharply diminishing admixture in the more exotic neutron-rich region. The single-neutron removal methodoloy has also yielded several new spectroscopic results for 25 Ne including a firm1/2 + spin-parity assignment for the ground state.
How cancer could be cured by 2015.

As announced by Andrew von Eschenbach, NCI has set the goal of eliminating suffering and death due to cancer by 2015. Supporting this prediction, I discuss that cancer might be controlled and even cured by combining three potential therapeutic strategies aimed at (i) cancer-specific targets, (ii) universally-vital targets with selective protection of normal cells (the selective combinations) and (iii) tissue-specific targets. Although (i) targeting cancer-specific pathways (e.g., by imatinib and gefitinib) is probable, it alone will not be sufficient to control cancer. This strategy is limited to oncogene (kinase)-dependent cancers and is further limited by therapy-induced resistance and tumor progression. Thus, targeting cancer-specific pathways needs to be complemented by two divergent therapeutic strategies: (ii) selective combinations and (iii) tissue-selective therapy. With selective protection of normal cells (based on cell cycle and apoptosis manipulation), combinations of selective and chemotherap...
Gas sensors: New materials and processing approaches

To satisfy demands for detecting chemicals in the environment, versatile sensors are required to detect a rapidly growing range of chemical species. In this paper, focus is directed on progress being made to develop temperature-independent oxygen sensors based on the perovskite solid solution system SrTi1−x Fe x O3−δ,and on improving the sensitivity of thin film gas sensors integrated on Si-based self heated substrates. A novel strategy to produce macroporous films with high surface area for enhanced chemical activity is described, and how this processing strategy results in markedly improved sensitivity of gas sensors based on a novel material, CaCu3Ti4O12, is demonstrated.
Unwarranted Disparity in Federal Sentencing Noncitizen Crime as a Social/Group Threat

Research has recently shown a renewed interest in the effect of citizenship status on sentencing outcomes. This line of investigation, however, is limited to the individual-level analysis. In addition, research on the threat hypothesis has overwhelmingly focused on racial and ethnic threat. This study extends prior research by testing the social/group threat hypothesis in terms of citizenship and examines two primary variables of interest—the size of the noncitizen population and offender citizenship status. This study seeks to find how the size of the noncitizen population as a macro-level factor and offender citizenship status as a micro-level factor independently and jointly affect federal sentencing. The independent effects of other macro-level factors in the context of courts and areas on sentencing decisions, as well as their interactions with offender citizenship status, are also examined. With all offenses considered together, the cross-level finding provides support for social threat posed by non...
Nonneural Mediation of Digital Vasodilation during Menopausal Hot Flushes

Menopausal hot flushes are accompanied by profuse sweating, decreased skin resistance, modest tachycardia and cutaneous vasodilation. With the exception of the last effect, these events are consistent with an abrupt increase in sympathetic outflow. Blood flow in the human finger is controlled through sympathetic vasoconstricting nerves, and increased sympathetic activation results in digital vasoconstriction. We therefore sought to determine if digital vasodilation during hot flushes was mediated through efferent sympathetic nerves. Bilateral finger temperature and blood flow were recorded after the digital nerves on one hand had been blocked with a local injection of lidocaine. The effectiveness of the nerve blocks was verified by a reflex vasoconstriction test. Hot flushes were objectively defined using skin conductance responses recorded from the sternum. Fifteen hot flushes occurred in 8 women. Significant elevations in finger temperature and blood flow occurred during the flushes, in nerve-blocked and intact fingers. These findings suggest that digital vasodilation during hot flushes is due to a circulating vasodilating substance.
A review of the health status of Southeast Asian refugee women

Six substantive areas that contribute to knowledge of the health status of Southeast Asian (SEA) refugee women were identified in the current literature. The six areas are general information, childbearing issues, health beliefs and practices, health-illness focus, stress and adaptation, and miscellaneous issues. The majority of the articles focused on the women's childbearing role, emphasizing their unique cultural beliefs and the implications of those for health care delivery. The remaining substantive areas provided more limited information about this group's health status, including incidence and prevalence of disease, the women's role in resettlement, and the presence of mental health problems. Future research with this group could be conducted from a feminist perspective by studying the multitude of roles of SEA refugee women and their effects on health status.
Sequence and Structural Analysis of 3' Untranslated Region of Hepatitis C Virus, Genotype 3a, From Pakistani Isolates

Background Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is the cause of high morbidity and mortality worldwide, inflicting around one million people in Pakistan alone. The HCV genomic RNA harbors conserved structural elements that are indispensable for its replication. The 3’ untranslated region (UTR) contains several of these elements essentially involved in regulating the major steps of the viral life cycle.
Stigmatized drug use, sexual partner concurrency, and other sex risk network and behavior characteristics of 18- to 24-year-old youth in a high-risk neighborhood

Background Sex risks and drug use are related. This relation in youth is described. Goal To determine how stigmatized drug use is related to sexual risk behaviors and network characteristics among youth. Study design In-person interviews were conducted with both a probability household sample (n = 363) and a targeted, street-recruited sample of cocaine, heroin, crack, or injected drug users (n - 165) comprising 18- to 24-year-olds in an inner city neighborhood. Drug use in the preceding 12 months was scaled hierarchically, lowest to highest social stigma, as none, marijuana, noninjected cocaine, noninjected heroin, crack, and injected drugs. Results Users of the more stigmatized drugs had more sex partners. They were more likely to report a history of concurrent sex partners, sex with someone who also had engaged in sex with a network member, commercial sex work, and unprotected sex. Findings showed crack use and drug injection to be associated more strongly with increased sex risk among women than among men. Conclusions Young users of the more stigmatized drugs are at much greater network and behavior risk for sexually transmitted diseases. Drug use prevention, harm reduction interventions, or both may lower this risk.
Radiometric calibration of infrared cameras accounting for atmospheric path effects

Radiometric infrared camera systems are most often used to characterize the IR signature of targets (often an aircraft or rocket) through significant air paths that reduce the received signal. Tactical targets can be imaged at standoff distances up to 1000km or more, but there are many cases where the target is within 1km range, as is the case with a close-in flyby at a test range. This paper compares experimental radiometric data to a theoretical model of the atmosphere. The radiometric data was collected in the 3-5 micron band using an indium antimonide staring-array camera and long focal length lens combined with radiometric analysis software. The system was calibrated to measure target radiances, but can also be used to estimate target temperatures in cases where the in-band target emissivity is well understood. The radiometric data are compared to a model built on MODTRAN code, with conclusions about the attenuation introduced by the atmosphere for standard medium-range imaging systems in “typical” observing conditions.
Demonstration of computer-augmented group problem solving

A computer program, CORD, was developed that permits coordinated problem solving in conversational mode among operators of three computer terminals who are playing the common target game. CORD is trivially machine-adaptive in that the program makes inductive inferences from the players' inputs and outputs suggestions to the players for system performance improvement.
Synthesis and preliminary pharmacological evaluation of novel derivatives of L-beta-threo-benzylaspartate as inhibitors of the neuronal glutamate transporter EAAT3.

Abstract A series of β-benzylaspartate derivatives were prepared from N -trityl- l -aspartate dimethyl ester and evaluated as inhibitors of neuronal glutamate transporter EAAT3. The result of the structure–activity studies suggests that the position occupied by the aromatic ring of β-benzylaspartate within the binding site of EAAT3 may be different from that occupied by comparable groups in previously identified inhibitors, such as l - threo -benzyloxy aspartate (TBOA). Further, halogen substitutions at the 3-postition of the aromatic ring of β-benzylaspartate can increase the potency with which the analogues inhibit EAAT3.
Background suppression in near-field optical imaging.

In several recent studies, antenna-based optical microscopy has demonstrated its potential to resolve features as small as 10 nm. Most studies are concerned with well-separated features on flat surfaces, and there are only few studies that deal with samples of high feature density or even three-dimesional objects. The reason is that the external laser irradiation of the optical antenna (e.g., tip or particle) also directly irradiates the sample and therefore gives rise to a background. Here we introduce an efficient background suppression scheme that makes use of feedback modulation. The method is widely applicable and not restricted to cantilever-based scanning schemes. We apply this technique to both dense samples of dye molecules and ion channel proteins in plasma membranes and demonstrate effective background suppression and strongly improved sensitivity. The feedback modulation scheme is expected to find application for biological studies in liquid environments and for investigations of subsurface features in material science.
Making CCS pay for itself: Storage strategies in geopressured-geothermal aquifers

Abstract Development of the current approach to carbon capture and sequestration from coal-fired power plants has several technical, environmental and economic constraints. Production of brine while storing CO 2 in the aquifer greatly mitigates some of the technical and environmental difficulties. In the case of geopressured-geothermal aquifers, brine production can yield methane and geothermal energy that exceeds the energy required for the capture and storage process. A reservoir simulation study was performed on a simple geopressured-geothermal aquifer model to investigate the amount of produced energy versus amount of stored CO 2 . The power requirements for CO 2 capture and pressurization of injected CO 2 and brine were compared to the power that could be achieved from produced energy.
Aging Studies of 2nd Generation BaBar RPCs

The BaBar detector, operating at the PEPII B factory of the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAQ, installed over 200 2nd generation Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) in 2002. The streamer rates produced by backgrounds and signals from normal BaBar running vary considerably (0.1 rarr20 Hz/cm2) depending on the layer and position of the chambers, thus providing a broad spectrum test of RPC performance and aging. The lowest rate chambers have performed very well with stable efficiencies averaging 95%. Other chambers had rate-dependant inefficiencies due to Bakelite drying which were reversed by the introduction of humidified gases. RPC inefficiencies in the highest rate regions of the higher rate chambers have been observed and also found to be rate dependant. The inefficient regions grow with time and have not yet been reduced by operation with humidified input gas. Three of these chambers were converted to avalanche mode operation and display significantly improved efficiencies. The rate of production of HF in the RPC exhaust gases was measured in avalanche and streamer mode RPCs and found to be comparable despite the lower current of the avalanche mode RPCs.
Attenuated Salmonella typhimurium with IL-2 Gene Reduces Pulmonary Metastases in Murine Osteosarcoma

Historically, osteosarcoma has been a problematic metastatic disease, with 40–80% of patients developing pulmonary metastasis after primary tumor resection. Recent treatment advancements have reduced the occurrence of metastatic lesions to less than 30%. Using attenuated Salmonella typhimurium, we previously demonstrated regression in tumor burden in murine solid tumor and metastatic models. We established a murine model for metastatic osteosarcoma to determine the effect of treatment with a single oral dose of attenuated S. typhimurium with (SalpIL2) and without (Sal-NG) a gene for a truncated human interleukin-2. Female balb/c mice were administered 2 × 105 (ATCC K7M2) osteosarcoma cells via tail vein injection from culture and treated by oral gavage of Salmonella species 3 days later. Mice were harvested for splenic lymphocytes and tumor enumeration by intratracheal injection with India ink 21 days after injection. Treatment with attenuated SalpIL2 reduced pulmonary metastases in number and volume compared to saline controls. Furthermore, splenic natural killer cell populations were increased 93% with SalpIL2 and 114% with Sal-NG compared to nontreated groups. This pulmonary metastasis model demonstrates attenuated Salmonella typhimurium with human interleukin-2 reduced metastatic osteosarcoma in mice and confirm the need for further investigation into the immunologic properties of SalpIL2 as a possible treatment for metastatic osteosarcoma.
Atomic-nitrogen production in a radio-frequency plasma source

The first high-resolution study, to our knowledge, of the optical emission from an Oxford Applied Research MPD21 nitrogen-plasma source is reported. The spectroscopic results clearly show that the MPD21 nitrogen-plasma source generates an appreciable flux of nitrogen atoms. This suggests that nitrogen atoms are the plasma species responsible for the successful p-type doping of ZnSe:N and related alloys.