cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spectroscopy of resonance decays in high-energy heavy-ion experiments

Invariant mass distributions of the hadronic decay products from resonances formed in relativistic heavy-ion collision (RHIC) experiments are investigated with a view to disentangle the effects of thermal motion and the phase space of decay products from those of intrinsic changes in the structure of resonances at the freeze-out conditions. Analytic results of peak mass shifts for the cases of both equal and unequal mass decay products are derived. The shift is expressed in terms of the peak mass and width of the vacuum or medium-modified spectral functions and temperature. Examples of expected shifts in meson (e.g., $\ensuremath{\rho},$ $\ensuremath{\omega},$ and $\ensuremath{\sigma})$ and baryon (e.g., $\ensuremath{\Delta})$ resonances that are helpful to interpret recent RHIC measurements at BNL are provided. Although significant downward mass shifts are caused by widened widths of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ meson in medium, a downward shift of at least 50 MeV in its intrinsic mass is required to account for the reported downward shift of 60--70 MeV in the peak of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ invariant mass distribution. An observed downward shift from the vacuum peak value of the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ distinctively signals a significant downward shift in its intrinsic peak mass, since unlike for the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ meson, phase space functions produce an upward shift for the $\ensuremath{\Delta}$ isobar.
Research on a Dual-Chamber Stratified Charge Engine

One alternative to the problem of improving fuel consumption while reducing high exhaust emissions is the dual chamber stratified charge spark ignition engine. This paper describes the various phases of the research program now being conducted. Its purpose is to better understand the basic combustion process in this type of engine and the fundamental limitations involved. Typical results obtained in the initial phases of study are illustrated.
Tact in Noncompliance: The Need for Pragmatically Apt Responses to Unethical Commands

There is a significant body of research seeking to enable moral decision making and ensure moral conduct in robots. One aspect of moral conduct is rejecting immoral human commands. For social robots, which are expected to follow and maintain human moral and sociocultural norms, it is especially important not only to engage in moral decision making, but also to properly communicate moral reasoning. We thus argue that it is critical for robots to carefully phrase command rejections. Specifically, the degree of politeness-theoretic face threat in a command rejection should be proportional to the severity of the norm violation motivating that rejection. We present a human subjects experiment showing some of the consequences of miscalibrated responses, including perceptions of the robot as inappropriately polite, direct, or harsh, and reduced robot likeability. This experiment intends to motivate and inform the design of algorithms to tactfully tune pragmatic aspects of command rejections autonomously.
Quasimodo and the Spiritualization of Cruelty, Saba’s Uncanny Shortcuts, Montale’s Grotesque Imaginary: Complex Genealogies of Italian Poetry on the Jewish Genocide

The memory of anti-Jewish persecution intersected the work of prominent authors in Italian twentieth century poetry, often following oblique and unexpected trajectories that touch authors such as Montale, Sereni, Fortini, Pasolini, Saba, Levi, Quasimodo. This essay intends to probe a genealogical juncture in this poetic history, bringing into purview a series of poliperspectival models of poetic writing about the Shoah elaborated by Salvatore Quasimodo, Umberto Saba and Eugenio Montale in the early postwar years. If Quasimodo’s poesia civile paved the way to a literary monumentalization of memory, such poetic configuration ultimately might be seen to hinge on what Friedrich Nietzsche critically termed a “spiritualization of cruelty.” Thus it was progressively identified as a potential anti-model for Italian poetry dealing with the memory of the persecution – as a reading of Montale’s treatment of this theme reveals. On the other hand, Saba condesned his afterthoughts about the “cannibalism” of racial persecution in Scorciatoie e raccontini ( Shortcuts and Very Short Stories ): a book of poemes en prose that possesses “the accent of poetry and the rigor of aphorism.” These uncanny and ironical shortcuts raise corrosive doubts about the value attached to a purported monumental memory of the Shoah and bring to attention the existence of genealogical complexity in Italian poetic writing about the Jewish genocide that calls for adequate critical recognition.
Designing an Effective Web-Based Coding Environment for Novice Learners.

At many technical community colleges, students are seeking to master new skills, such as a familiarity with Web design and scripting, in an effort to obtain employment upon graduation. Yet unlike their counterparts in traditional four-year college programs, these students move through the curriculum at a rapid pace and are rarely provided with an adequate means to practice the hands-on aspects of their trade in a structured classroom environment. However, it is precisely this emphasis on practice that can enable beginners to gain more expertise.
Beta engineering and circuit styles for SEU hardening SOI SRAM cells

In this paper, we study about the beta engineering and circuit styles for SEU hardening SOI SRAM cells. Lifetime killing process was used for /spl beta/ engineering which was verified through a direct /spl beta/ measurement and lifetime extraction. Worst-case SPICE and SEU (Single Event Upset) simulation results were presented and a protection scheme utilizing a transistor-resistor in parallel connection was investigated.
Investment in Education Technology Across the Globe: Where Profit Meets Purpose

Increasing demand for educational technology (Ed Tech) products and services has coincided with rapid growth in the marketplace, sparking opportunity for both innovation and entrepreneurship. This paper seeks to advise ed tech entrepreneurs on what motivates investors to support certain products over others, the importance of balancing financial returns (profit) and educational outcomes (purpose), and best practices in planning and execution to help ensure success when taking their products to market.
Remote sensing of lake water volumes on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Northern Alaska

Abstract. The Pleistocene Sand Sea on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) of northern Alaska is underlain by an ancient sand dune field, a geological feature that affects regional lake characteristics. Many of these lakes, which cover approximately 20 % of the Pleistocene Sand Sea, are relatively deep (up to 25 m). In addition to the natural importance of ACP Sand Sea lakes for water storage, energy balance, and ecological habitat, the need for winter water for industrial development and exploration activities makes lakes in this region a valuable resource. However, ACP Sand Sea lakes have received little prior study. Here, we use in situ bathymetric data to test 12 model variants for predicting Sand Sea lake depth based on analysis of Landast-8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) images. Lake depth gradients were measured at 17 lakes in mid-summer 2017 using a HumminBird 798ci HD SI Combo automatic sonar system (Simpson and Arp, 2018). The field measured data points were compared to Red-Green-Blue (RGB) bands of a Landsat-8 OLI image acquired on 8 August 2016 to select and calibrate the most accurate spectral-depth model for each study lake and estimate bathymetry (Simpson, 2019). Exponential functions using a simple band ratio (with bands selected based on lake turbidity and bed substrate) yielded the most successful model variants. For each lake, the most accurate model explained 81.8 % of the variation in depth, on average. Modeled lake bathymetries were integrated with remotely sensed lake surface area to quantify lake water storage volumes, which ranged from 1.056 × 10−3 km3 to 57.416 × 10−3 km3. Due to variation in depth maxima, substrate, and turbidity between lakes, a regional model is currently infeasible, rendering necessary the acquisition of additional in situ data with which to develop a regional model solution. Estimating lake water volumes using remote sensing will facilitate better management of expanding development activities and serve as a baseline by which to evaluate future responses to ongoing and rapid climate change in the Arctic. All sonar depth data and modeled lake bathymetry rasters can be freely accessed at https://doi.org/10.18739/A2SN01440 (Simpson and Arp, 2018) and https://doi.org/10.18739/A2TQ5RD83 (Simpson, 2019), respectively.
Note: Determinants of cargo port, hinterland cargo transport and port hinterland cargo transport service chain choices by service providers

Abstract Port choice by users of port services has been investigated in the literature, but generally not port choice by port service providers. This paper examines the choice of a cargo port by providers of cargo port services from the perspective of a (1) cargo port service chain, (2) hinterland cargo transportation service chain and (3) port hinterland cargo transport service chain. The determinants of cargo port choice by providers of port services from each of these perspectives will be deduced.
Complementing the US Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System With Adverse Drug Reaction Reporting From Social Media: Comparative Analysis

Background: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) can occur any time someone uses a medication. ADRs are systematically tracked and cataloged, with varying degrees of success, in order to better understand their etiology and develop methods of prevention. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has developed the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) for this purpose. FAERS collects information from myriad sources, but the primary reporters have traditionally been medical professionals and pharmacovigilance data from manufacturers. Recent studies suggest that information shared publicly on social media platforms related to medication use could be of benefit in complementing FAERS data in order to have a richer picture of how medications are actually being used and the experiences people are having across large populations. Objective: The aim of this study is to validate the accuracy and precision of social media methodology and conduct evaluations of Twitter ADR reporting for commonly used pharmaceutical agents. Methods: ADR data from the 10 most prescribed medications according to pharmacy claims data were collected from both FAERS and Twitter. In order to obtain data from FAERS, the SafeRx database, a curated collection of FAERS data, was used to collect data from March 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017. Twitter data were manually scraped during the same time period to extract similar data using an algorithm designed to minimize noise and false signals in social media data. Results: A total of 40,539 FAERS ADR reports were obtained via SafeRx and more than 40,000 tweets containing the drug names were obtained from Twitter’s Advanced Search engine. While the FAERS data were specific to ADRs, the Twitter data were more limited. Only hydrocodone/acetaminophen, prednisone, amoxicillin, gabapentin, and metformin had a sufficient volume of ADR content for review and comparison. For metformin, diarrhea was the side effect that resulted in no difference between the two platforms (P=.30). For hydrocodone/acetaminophen, ineffectiveness as an ADR that resulted in no difference (P=.60). For gabapentin, there were no differences in terms of the ADRs ineffectiveness and fatigue (P=.15 and P=.67, respectively). For amoxicillin, hypersensitivity, nausea, and rash shared similar profiles between platforms (P=.35, P=.05, and P=.31, respectively). Conclusions: FAERS and Twitter shared similarities in types of data reported and a few unique items to each data set as well. The use of Twitter as an ADR pharmacovigilance platform should continue to be studied as a unique and complementary source of information rather than a validation tool of existing ADR databases.
A finite element discrete Boltzmann method for high Knudsen number flows

Simulations of the discrete Boltzmann Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) equation are an important tool for understanding fluid dynamics in non-continuum regimes. Here, we introduce a discontinuous Galerkin finite element method (DG-FEM) for spatial discretization of the discrete Boltzmann equation for isothermal flows with Knudsen numbers (Kn~O(1)). In conjunction with a high-order Runge-Kutta time marching scheme, this method is capable of achieving high-order accuracy in both space and time, while maintaining a compact stencil. We validate the spatial order of accuracy of the scheme on a two-dimensional Couette flow with Kn = 1 and the D2Q16 velocity discretization. We then apply the scheme to lid-driven micro-cavity flow at Kn = 1, 2, and 8, and we compare the ability of Gauss-Hermite (GH) and Newton-Cotes (NC) velocity sets to capture the high non-linearity of the flow-field. While GH quadrature provides higher integration strength with fewer points, the NC quadrature has more uniformly distributed nodes with weights greater than machine-zero, helping to avoid the so-called ray-effect. Broadly speaking, we anticipate that the insights from this work will help facilitate the efficient implementation and application of high-order numerical methods for complex high Knudsen number flows.
Maternal Stress Moderates the Relationship of Food Insufficiency with Body Mass Index Trajectories from Childhood to Early Adulthood among U.S. Rural Youth.

Background: Findings on the relationships between household food insufficiency (HFI), maternal stress, and youth body mass index (BMI) are mixed, possibly due to cross-sectional study designs and m...
Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Health Status, Chronic Conditions, and Behavioral Risk Factors Among Prostate Cancer Survivors, United States, 2015.

Introduction Little is known about perceived health status and behavioral risk factors among prostate cancer survivors. The objective of this study was to describe racial and ethnic differences in self-reported health status, chronic conditions, and selected behavioral risk factors among prostate cancer survivors in the US. Methods We used data from the 2015 National Health Interview Survey to calculate the prevalence of various levels of health status, chronic conditions, behavioral risk factors, and sociodemographic characteristics among prostate cancer survivors aged 50 years or older. We stratified results by race and ethnicity. Results Of the 317 prostate cancer survivors in our sample, 33.1% reported no physical activity, 64.2% reported being current drinkers, 26.1% characterized their drinking as moderate/heavy, 42.3% reported being former smokers, and 8.7% were current smokers. Nearly one-third (29.1%) of survivors were obese (body mass index ≥30), and 15.1% had 3 to 6 chronic conditions. A greater percentage of White (29.7%) than Black (14.2%) or Hispanic (16.3%) survivors were moderate/heavy drinkers. A greater percentage of Black (16.2%) than White (7.5%) or Hispanic (7.3%) survivors were current smokers. A greater percentage of Black (25.1%) or Hispanic (27.7%) than White (11.4%) survivors had 3 to 6 chronic conditions. Conclusion As the population of older men increases, prostate cancer diagnoses and those surviving the disease will also increase. Significant racial and ethnic group differences in behavioral risk factors and chronic conditions exist among prostate cancer survivors. Public health could prioritize efforts to improve health behaviors among prostate cancer survivors and use targeted interventions to address disparities.
Effects of Radiation-Induced Defects on Corrosion

The next generation of nuclear reactors will expose materials to conditions that, in some cases, are even more extreme than those in current fission reactors, inevitably leading to new materials sc...
Landscape complexity and US crop production

Agricultural expansion and intensification have simplified Earth’s landscapes, thereby adversely affecting the biodiversity and ecosystem services that support agricultural production. Field-scale research suggests that increased landcover complexity can improve crop productivity, but less is known about how complexity and crop productivity interact at broader landscape scales. This study evaluates the relationship between landscape complexity and crop yields for counties in the conterminous United States from 2008 to 2018. Our results suggest that the number and quantity of landcover categories on a landscape has a stronger influence on yields than how these landcover categories are arranged on the landscape. Specifically, increased landcover diversity is associated with yield increases for corn and wheat of more than 10%—an effect strength similar to the impact of seasonal precipitation and soil suitability. Notably, landscape configurations that are both moderately complex and also highly diverse are associated with yield increases of more than 20% for corn and wheat. Our findings suggest that increasing the complexity of landcover may provide a way to improve crop productivity in the United States without further extensification or intensification of agriculture. Increased landcover complexity can improve crop productivity at field scale, but less is known at broader landscape scales. A modelling study shows that increased landscape complexity is associated with higher yields of corn, soy and winter wheat in the United States from 2008 to 2018.
Rice Enrichment with Vitamins and Amino Acids

Rice is the staple food for more than half the world’s population. However, it is deficient in some nutrients. Diseases such as beriberi are common in areas where large amounts of rice are consumed. This is due in part to the practice of polishing the grain to remove the bran layer and germ, which contain the B-complex vitamins. Table 3-1 shows how the nutritional value of rice is altered by milling. The levels of thiamin, riboflavin, nicotinic acid, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, biotin, and iron decrease markedly during the polishing process.
MORPHOGENETIC RESPONSE FROM ORCHARDGRASS PISTILS

Unpollinated orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.) pistils from an embryogenic genotype were cultured on a Schenk and Hildebrandt (SH) basal medium supplemented with 3% sucrose and 30 μM 3,6-dichloro-o-anisic acid (dicamba) in the dark at 25°C. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with 6 treatments (1- to 6-week culture periods) and 3 blocks where each experimental unit consisted of 15 pistils. The morphogenetic response was followed at weekly intervals for 6 weeks by stereoscopic and scanning electron microscopy. Root-like protrusions emerged basipetally from approximately 15% of the pistils cultured for one week; however, no plants were regenerated from these structures. Ovary and style regions became swollen after 2 weeks, and embryoids emerged directly from these areas during the third week of culture. These embryoids acted as secondary expiants and initiated calli in 4-week-old cultures. During the fifth and sixth weeks, many embryoids were initiated from the newly formed calli. Three weeks after transfer of these cultures to dicamba-free medium, the embryogenic response was quantified by counting shoots. A significant F value (α = 0.05) for the treatment effects was followed by mean separation through orthogonal contrasts. This revealed no significant difference between the 3-and 4-week treatments.
Cognition in Spatial Dispersion Games

In common-interest spatial-dispersion games, the agents common goal is to choose distinct locations. We experimentally investigate the role of cognition in such games and compare it with the role of cognition in spatial matching games. In our setup, cognition matters because agents may be differentially aware of the dispersion opportunities that are created by the history of the game. We ask whether cognitive constraints limit the agents ability to achieve dispersion and, if there is dispersion, whether these constraints affect the mode by which agents achieve dispersion. Our main finding is that strategic interaction magnifies the role of cognitive constraints. Specifically, with cognitive constraints, pairs of agents fail to solve a dispersion problem that poses little or no problem for individual agents playing against themselves. When we remove the cognitive constraints in our design, pairs of agents solve the same problem just as well as individuals do. In addition, we find that when playing against themselves, agents do not change the mode by which they solve the dispersion problem when our design removes the cognitive constraints.
Substrate Noise: Analysis, Models, and Optimization

In this paper we address the main problems posed by substrate noise from two complementary points of view. We look at the effects of substrate noise on performance and reliability in digital, analog and mixedsignal. circuits. The mechanisms underlying noise generation, injection, and transport are also analyzed. Solutions to the substrate noise problem using design and layout techniques, as well as accurate analysis and optimization are discussed.
Contribution of Sickle Cell Disease to the Pediatric Stroke Burden Among Hospital Discharges of African‐Americans—United States, 1997–2012

Background Approximately 10–20% of children with sickle cell disease (SCD) develop stroke, but few consistent national estimates of the stroke burden for children with SCD exist. The purpose of this study is to determine the proportion of diagnosed stroke among African-American pediatric discharges with and without SCD. Procedure Records for African-Americans aged 1–18 years in the Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) 1997–2012 with ≥1 ICD-9-CM diagnosis code for stroke were included. Data were weighted to provide national estimates. A total of 2,994 stroke cases among African-American children were identified. Diagnoses co-existing with ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were frequency ranked separately. Results From 1997 through 2012, SCD was present in 24% of stroke discharges, with 89% being ischemic stroke. For hospital discharges of African-American children, SCD is the highest co-existing risk factor for ischemic stroke (29%). Stroke in children with SCD occurred predominantly in children aged 5–9 years, older than previously reported. The trend of stroke discharges significantly decreased for children with SCD from 1997 to 2012 for children aged 10–14 years. Conclusions SCD is a leading risk factor to pediatric stroke in African-American children. Reducing the number of strokes among children with SCD would have a significant impact on the rate of strokes among African-American children. Preventative intervention may be modifying initial age of presentation of stroke in children with SCD. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Gender differences in the development of autoimmune myocarditis induced with cardiac myosin heavy chain-alpha, 334-352 in C57Bl/6 mice (BA15P.222)

Various animal models of experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) have been developed to understand the immune pathogenesis of myocardial injuries. Although, genetic susceptibility is one major predisposing factor in the causation of myocarditis, other factors like gender-bias can also influence the disease outcome. For example, A/J mice carrying IAk allele on ‘A’ background are highly susceptible to EAM induced with cardiac myosin heavy chain-alpha (Myhc); whereas C57Bl/6 mice on ‘B’ background possessing IAb allele are resistant. Whether these phenotypic differences are due to inherent variations in the presentation of immunodominant epitopes of cardiac antigens are not known. We addressed this question using Myhc 334-352 as a putative cardiac antigen that induces EAM in A/J mice. Unexpectedly, we discovered that C57Bl/6 mice immunized with Myhc 334-352 showed antigen-specific proliferative responses regardless of gender as determined by T cell proliferation assay and major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II/IAb dextramer staining. However, in contrast to females, only male mice developed myocarditis which showed higher frequencies of CD4 T cells producing T helper 17 family cytokines namely, interleukin (IL)-17A and IL-22 but not IL-17F. The observation that both IAb and IAk alleles can present single peptide but with varied disease outcomes provides opportunities to dissect the influence of non-MHC genes and also sexual dimorphism on myocarditis-susceptibility.
State Ethical Codes and Federal Practice: Emerging Conflicts and Suggestions for Reform

The standards for resolving putative conflicts between federal laws are not always clear, and neither for that matter is the standard for determining what constitutes a federal law capable of superseding effect. The technique of setting federal norms of professional conduct on a decentralized basis by borrowing or incorporating state norms is increasingly troublesome to the extent that the borrowed state norms are disuniform and that they are being put to multiple remedial purposes. Federal legislation preempting state law of professional conduct is conceivable but hardly likely, particularly as the norms are pressed into duty for purposes other than professional discipline. Pending other steps that might lead to national uniformity, the answer for the federal courts may be a uniform set of norms directly regulating litigation conduct in all federal courts.
A self-managing addressing, naming and routing service

The article presents an operating system for the Internet (OSIx) incorporating notions that appears to be simpler, faster, more scalable and flexible, and provides an infinite effective address (EA), potentially avoiding migration issues, essentially due to a strict principle of localisation. The name space is obtained by linking local directories in a hierarchy using TCP and RTSP (RFC2326) and is made into a global autonomous EA space by interpreting name strings in a filesystem-like fashion, going both up and down the tree. Performance stems from limiting non-leaf lookups to relatively small route tables at each hop and reaching leaves in at most O(log n) hops, closely resembling the interpretation of addresses in IP routing, so that register, reference and discard cycles can be executed at subsecond speeds. A prototype, implemented as a Spring'01 MS project, demonstrated interoperability with IP and DNS by supporting (secure) inbound TCP (talk) and ICMP (ping) using the loopback address range for IP VA.
Increased expression of enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) differentiates squamous cell carcinoma from normal skin and actinic keratosis.

Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2) is a polycomb group protein that has been shown to be involved in the progression of multiple human cancers including melanoma. The expression of EZH2 in normal skin and in pre-malignant and malignant cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has not been studied. We examined the expression of EZH2 in normal skin, actinic keratosis (AK), SCC in situ, well-differentiated (SCC-WD), moderately-differentiated (SCC-MD) and poorly-differentiated SCC (SCC-PD) to ascertain whether EZH2 expression differentiates these conditions. Immunohistochemical staining for EZH2 was performed on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsies and a tissue microarray containing normal skin, AK, SCC in situ, and SCC of different grades. In comparison to the normal skin, EZH2 expression in actinic keratosiswas increased (p = 0.03). Similarly, EZH2 expression in all of the neoplastic conditions studied (SCC in situ, SCC-WD, SCC-MD and SCC-PD) was greatly increased in comparison to both the normal skin and actinic keratosis (p≤0.001). EZH2 expression increases incrementally from normal skin to AK and further to SCC, suggesting a role for EZH2 in the progression and differentiation of SCC. EZH2 expression may be used as a diagnostic marker for differentiating SCC from AK or normal skin.
A code isolator: isolating code fragments from large programs

In this paper, we describe a tool we have developed called a code isolator. We envision such a tool will facilitate many software development activities in complex software systems, but we are using it to isolate code segments from large scientific and engineering codes, for the purposes of performance tuning. The goal of the code isolator is to provide an executable version of a code segment and representative data that mimics the performance of the code in the full program. The resulting isolated code can be used in performance tuning experiments, requiring just a tiny fraction of the execution time of the code when executing within the full program. We describe the analyses and transformations used in a code isolator tool, which we have largely automated in the SUIF compiler. We present a case study of its use with LS-DYNA, a large widely-used engineering application. In this paper, we demonstrate how the tool derives code that permits performance tuning for cache. We present results comparing L1 cache misses and execution time for the original program and the isolated program generated by the tool with some manual intervention. We find that the isolated code can be executed 3600 times faster than the original program, and most of the L1 cache misses are preserved. We identify areas where additional analyses can close the remaining gap in predicting and preserving cache misses in the isolated code.
Towards Truly Interdisciplinary Research on Human Development

I have a dream: The study of human development would make an epistemic leap due to the fact that “true” interdisciplinarity was reigning supreme and impacting the research landscape. The article argues for why that would be the case and suggests ways to make progress towards the realization of this dream. Five promoters of “true” interdisciplinarity are suggested: (1) work and management structures of research institutions; (2) structures of research funding including the reviewing process and the willingness to take some risks; (3) openness of peer-review journals and their review process; (4) academic education preparing for true interdisciplinarity; and (5) availability of multilevel cohort-sequential panel studies around the world covering the whole life span.
Evaluating markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition to identify cancer patients at risk for metastatic disease.

Most cancer deaths are due to metastases. Markers of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) measured in primary tumor cancer cells could be helpful to assess patient risk of metastatic disease, even among those otherwise diagnosed with local disease. Previous studies of EMT markers and patient outcomes used inconsistent methods and did not compare the clinical impact of different expression cut points for the same marker. Using digital image analysis, we measured the EMT markers Snail and E-cadherin in primary tumor specimens from 190 subjects in tissue microarrays from a population-based prospective cohort of colorectal cancer patients and estimated their associations with time-to-death. After measuring continuous marker expression data, we performed a systematic search for the cut point for each marker with the best model fit between dichotomous marker expression and time-to-death. We also assessed the potential clinical impact of different cut points for the same marker. After dichotomizing expression status at the statistically-optimal cut point, we found that Snail expression was not associated with time-to-death. When measured as a weighted average of tumor cores, low E-cadherin expression was associated with a greater risk of dying within 5 years of surgery than high expression (risk difference = 33 %, 95 % confidence interval 3–62 %). Identifying a clinically-optimal cut point for an EMT marker requires trade-offs between strength and precision of the association with patient outcomes, as well as consideration of the number of patients whose treatments might change based on using the marker at a given cut point.
Logical form generation as abduction: Part II. A dual‐route parsimonious covering approach

Abductive inferences are commonplace during natural language processing. Having identified some limitations of an existing parsimonious covering model of abductive diagnostic inference, we developed an extended, dual-route version to address issues in word sense disambiguation and logical form generation. the details of representing knowledge in this framework and the syntactic route of covering are described in a companion article [V. Dasigi, Int. J. Intell. Syst., 9, 571-608 (1994)]. Here, we describe the semantic covering process in detail. A dual-route algorithm that integrates syntactic and semantic covering is given. Taking advantage of the “transitivity” of irredundant syntactic covering, plausible semantic covers are searched for, based on some heuristics, in the space of irredundant syntactic covers. Syntactic covering identifies all possible candidates for semantic covering, which in turn, helps focus syntactic covering. Attributing both syntactic and semantic facets to “open-class” linguistic concepts makes this integration possible. an experimental prototype has been developed to provide a proof-of-concept for these ideas in the context of expert system interfaces. the prototype has at least some ability to handle ungrammatical sentences, to perform some nonmonotonic inferences, etc. We believe this work provides a starting point for a nondeductive inference method for logical form generation, exploiting the associative linguistic knowledge. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Measurement equivalence using a mixed-mode approach to administer health-related quality of life instruments

To evaluate the effects of mode, order of administration, and the interaction of mode and order on health-related quality of life scales when self-administered by mixed mode (paper-mode and web-mode) for measurement equivalence. Health-related quality of life data was analyzed from the Cancer of the Prostate Strategic Urologic Research Endeavor using the Medical Outcomes Study (MOS) Short Form-36 (SF-36) and the University of California Los Angeles Prostate Cancer Index (UCLA-PCI). A randomized crossover design assigned participants to two groups with a preferred 2–5-day washout period. Cognitive debriefing evaluated participants’ mode preference. Of the 245 men enrolled, 85 % completed both modes. The majority were White (97 %), college educated (66 %), reported an annual income >$75,000 (46 %), and a median age of 69 years. Intraclass correlation coefficients were high for each item on both instruments (r = .54–.97). Exact percentage agreement for yes/no items was high (≥.88). For the SF-36, significant differences were observed for order of administration (physical component and physical function scores) and for the interaction between mode and order (mental component, role emotional, social function, vitality, and mental health scores). For the UCLA-PCI, the largest difference was 12.8 points lower for sexual bother for order of administration by web-mode first (p = .03). Seventy percent preferred the web-mode, 21 % had no preference, and 9 % preferred the paper-mode. Web-mode and paper-mode administrations of the SF-36 and UCLA-PCI are equivalent in men with prostate cancer, implying that mixed-mode survey administration is warranted.
Performance simulation of active-matrix OLED displays

A theoretical analysis of the performance of organic light emission diode based flat panel display is presented for three different color reproduction approaches, i.e. color produced by three primary color emitters, color produced by blue emitters coupled with phosphor filters, and color produced by white emitters coupled with transmission color filters. The validity of this simulation is examined with test results from real AMOLED panels made with three primary color emitters.
Jets and the physics of new heavy quarks

Abstract We have developed methods that can be used to isolate a clean sample of events with pair-produced heavy quarks in e + e − collisions. We show that most of the fundamental properties of a given heavy quark, as they would appear in pair production or in weak decays, can be deduced from a careful examination of this purified sample.
NONLINEAR TORSIONAL DIVERGENCE: CERTAIN EXACT SOLUTIONS

Abstract Classical analyses of torsional static instability, or divergence, of airfoils or bridge decks in a fluid flow, based on the use of linearized aerodynamic coefficients, lead to a Sturm–Liouville eigenvalue problem — see, e.g., Bisplinghoff & Ashley (1962). Solution to this problem predicts a critical value of the flow speed, such that exceeding this threshold would lead to unlimited growth of twist angles. Most structures are usually designed so as to exclude this instability completely. In some cases, however, such a design requirement may become violated — for example, if some accident happens with the structure involved. Furthermore, it may sometimes be unreasonable or impractical to impose this requirement for civil engineering structures for the case of a possible very strong storm, which has a small but nonzero probability of occurrence. For all such cases the nonlinear analysis of the postcritical stress/strain state seems to be crucial for predicting structural reliability.
GROWTH STUDIES ON FRUITS. RESPIRATION OF TOMATO FRUITS.

The measurements of respiration here reported have been made as a part of a general study of the growth of tomato fruits. The fruits used have partly come from plants grown in the open during the regular growing season and partly from plants grown in the greenhouse during the winter. The plants grown in the greenhouse have been supplied with additional light during the period of shortest days. The fruits from these plants have been normal in all respects so that comparisons can be made between fruits grown out of doors and indoors. The experiments have been conducted and the amount of carbon dioxide determined as reported by Hover and Gustafson in another paper (6), except that the length of time of each experiment has been much shorter. In all of the experiments cited only one fruit was used in each container, so that the figures given are not averages for several fruits, but rather values for individual fruits. In all of these experiments the fruits were picked from the vines about a half hour to an hour before the experiment was started.
Is There Any Hope for Cultural Studies

Cultural studies has developed as a significant new academic discipline at the end of the 20th century. An important spawning ground for contemporary cultural studies was the intellectual ferment surrounding the British new left of the 1950s and 1960s. Associated with such figures as Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams, cultural studies sought to link working-class culture to domination and social liberation. Although linked with socialist politics, cultural studies was among the new left currents that rejected some of the old left's tendency toward economism. It also revealed an openness to a range of complex cultural and social issues that the left had placed less emphasis upon in previous generations. In the 1970s, led by Stuart Hall and the Birmingham Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies, British cultural studies produced innovative studies of mass media and ideology. Since then cultural studies has spread rapidly across the globe and it has been especially well received in the English-speaking world, including the United States. Today cultural studies exerts a prominent influence in departments of communication, literature, film, American studies, modern languages, and some social sciences.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.
The Optical Counterpart of an Ultraluminous X-Ray Object in M81

Ultraluminous X-ray objects (ULXs) are off-nucleus point sources with LX = 1039-1041 ergs s-1; they are among the most poorly understood X-ray sources. To help understand their nature, we are trying to identify their optical counterparts by combining images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-Ray Observatory. Here we report on an optical counterpart to ULX NGC 3031 X-11, which has an average X-ray luminosity of ~2 × 1039 ergs s-1 and has varied by a factor of 40% over the last 20 yr. We find a unique optical counterpart with the magnitude and color of an O8 V star, and we identify this as the secondary in a binary system. The primary is believed to be a black hole of approximately 18 M☉, based on analyses of ACIS and ASCA spectra. This binary system probably is powered by mass transfer from the O8 V star onto the black hole, with the Roche lobe equal to the stellar radius. This model predicts an orbital period of ~1.8 days, which can be tested by future observations.
Bloch oscillations in small-capacitance Josephson junctions

An analytic study of ac-bias-current effects on the Bloch oscillations in small Josephson junctions at the ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{c}}$\ensuremath{\gg}${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{J}}$ limit (${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{c}}$ is the charging energy and ${\mathit{E}}_{\mathit{J}}$ is the Josephson energy) is presented. By solving the quasicharge differential equation proposed by Likharev et al., solutions for the quasicharge q(t), as well as the I-V curves, are analyzed. It is shown that due to the sudden jump of the Bloch-oscillation period at some value of the dc current I, resistive steps of anomalous differential resistance emerge in the I-V curve. A general relation between the position of the resistive step on the I-V curve and the applied frequency f is derived. The connections and the differences between our formula and the weak-damping-limit formula I=(m/n)2ef are discussed. The results are compared with recent experiments.
Nonmetallized Solid Propellant Combustion in Standard and High Acceleration Environments

Abstract Nonmetallized double-base propellant and ammonium perchlorate (AP)/binder sandwich combustion were studied in standard and high acceleration environments in order to determine the acceleration sensitive combustion mechanisms. Experimental techniques used were high speed motion pictures, two-color schlieren, and centrifuge mounted combustion bombs. It was found for double-base propellant that the temperature increased continuously from the surface into the visible flame. Acceleration induced burning rate augmentation occurred and resulted in elimination of the visible flame. A modified surface or subsurface zone is proposed as the acceleration sensitive combustion mechanism. AP/binder sandwich combustion was also found to be acceleration sensitive with binder flow-AP interactions proposed as the mechanism.
HPA axis dampening by limited sucrose intake: Reward frequency vs. caloric consumption

Individuals often cope with stress by consuming calorically-dense, highly-palatable 'comfort' foods. The present work explores the stress-relieving properties of palatable foods in a rat model of limited sucrose intake. In this model, adult male rats with free access to chow and water are given additional access to a small amount of sucrose drink (or water as a control). A history of such limited sucrose intake reduces the collective (HPA axis, sympathetic, and behavioral-anxiety) stress response. Moreover, the stress-dampening by sucrose appears to be mediated primarily by its rewarding properties, since beneficial effects are reproduced by the noncaloric sweetener saccharin but not oral intragastric gavage of sucrose. The present work uses an alternate strategy to address the hypothesis that the rewarding properties of sucrose mediate its stress-dampening. This work varies the duration, frequency, and/or volume of sucrose and assesses the ability to attenuate HPA axis stress responses. The data indicate that HPA-dampening is optimal with a greater duration and/or frequency of sucrose, whereas increasing the volume of sucrose consumed is without effect. This finding suggests that the primary factor mediating stress-dampening is the number/rate of reward (i.e., sucrose) exposures, rather than the total sucrose calories consumed. Collectively, these data support the hypothesis that stress relief by limited palatable food intake is mediated primarily by its hedonic/rewarding properties. Moreover, the results support the contention that naturally rewarding behaviors are a physiological means to produce stress relief.
Visual Inspection and Statistical Analysis in Single-Case Designs

AbstractPast research has questioned the reliability of visual inspection in single-case research. It has also reported or called for the use of statistical analysis in single-case research. The present study randomly selected 44 graphs from recent issues (1975–1985) of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. The study found moderate agreement (56–74%) of visual significance among a panel of five judges. The judges also detected a rather low proportion (48%) of significant differences between the adjacent phases of published graphs. A randomization test was applied to a subset (n = 15) of the graphs and found statistical significance between only four of the adjacent phases. Considerable agreement (80%) was found between the visual inspection and statistical procedures, although most of it involved agreement of the nonsignificance of treatment effects. It was recommended that future single-case research jointly utilize visual and statistical procedures when determining significance. It was also suggeste...
Water uptake and structural plasticity along roots of a desert succulent during prolonged drought

Desert succulents resume substantial water uptake within 1‐2 d of the cessation of drought, but the changes in root structure and hydraulic conductivity underlying such recovery are largely unknown. In the monocotyledonous leaf succulent Agave deserti Engelm. substantial root mortality occurred only for lateral roots near the soil surface; nearly all main roots were alive at 180 d of drought. New main roots were initiated and grew up to 320 mm at soil water potentials lower than ‐ 5·0 MPa, utilizing water from the shoot. The hydraulic conductivity of distal root regions decreased 62% by 45 d of drought and 70% thereafter. After 7 d of rewetting, root hydraulic conductivity was restored following 45 d of drought but not after 90 and 180 d. The production of new lateral roots and the renewed apical elongation of main roots occurred 7‐11 d after rewetting following 180 d of drought. Hydraulic conductivity was higher in the distal region than at midroot and often increased again near the root base, where many endodermal cells lacked suberin lamellae. Suberization and xylem maturation were influenced by the availability of moisture, suggesting that developmental plasticity along a root allows A. deserti to capitalize on intermittent or heterogeneous supplies of water.
The time-delayed expansion profile of supercritical fluid extrudates

Abstract The typical time-delayed expansion behavior of supercritical fluid extrusion (SCFX) extrudates was investigated via video analysis. Cross-sectional, longitudinal and volumetric expansion characteristics were evaluated varying SCFX process conditions such as the ratio of SC-CO 2 to feed and die size. The result showed that the initial cross-sectional expansion of SCFX extrudate was time, SC-CO 2 concentration, and pressure drop rate dependent. The growth time of SCFX extrudates was approximately 30–200-fold longer compared to a typical growth time of steam-based extrudates. Die-swell in SCFX extrusion accounted for 32–45% of the maximum cross-sectional expansion but had insignificant effect on volumetric expansion. The pressure drop profile in the die was found to be critical in controlling not only the extent of volumetric expansion of SCFX extrudates but also the rate of SCFX expansion via nucleation and cell growth. Rapid initial cross-sectional and volumetric expansion of SCFX extrudates promoted faster structure collapse and strategies to enhance the volumetric expansion, which determines the textural properties of expanded products, were discussed. The retarded SCFX expansion is very unique and can be utilized for development of novel SC-CO 2 expanded products with tailored texture.