cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The safe and effective application of probabilistic techniques in safety-critical systems

The use of randomized algorithms in safety-critical systems is investigated. Under the vast majority of circumstances, randomized algorithms out-perform deterministic ones on average; however, it is not obvious how one goes about establishing the correctness of safety-critical systems that use such algorithms. The approach advocated in this work is to exploit the fact that many safety standards allow for small probabilities of failure of even the most critical functionalities. We explore the use of concentration bounds --- probabilistic bounds on the likelihood of the performance of a randomized algorithm deviating from its expected performance --- to bound the probability of failure of systems that incorporate randomized algorithms, thereby showing compliance with safety standards that allow for small probabilities of failure. We illustrate the use of the proposed approach on several examples that both explain how the approach is to be applied, and demonstrate the benefits of doing so.
Categorical Perception of Mandarin Tones by Native and Second Language Speakers

Previous studies on categorical perception of tones mainly focus on native speakers and naive second language (L2) listeners. Attempting to fill in this gap, this study examined the categorical perception of Mandarin tones by both native and L2 speakers along three tone continua in Mandarin Chinese. Both discrimination and identification tasks were employed in the study. The results of the discrimination task showed that the L2 listeners mainly relied on psychoacoustic cues in tone pair discrimination, while native listeners mainly relied on their phonological knowledge. As a result, the non-linguistic tone processing in discrimination tasks would not enable the L2 learners to normalize speech, namely learning to de-emphasize within-category differences and to focus more on between-category differences, hence building a relatively less stable L2 tone system, as well as the difficulty in acquiring tone categories. The results of the identification tasks confirmed the existence of the T2–T3 and T1–T3 and T4–T3 (only to some extent) continua in Mandarin Chinese for both native and L2 listeners, and the potential confusion between Tone 3 and the other tones in Mandarin Chinese seems to explain the difficulty in acquiring this tone for both native and L2 speakers.
Proposing, disposing, proving: barthes, intentionalism, and hypertext literary fiction

This paper revisits one argument made during the early years of hypertext fiction scholarship: that hypertext embodied Barthes’ ideal text, itself part of a wider conversation regarding the privile...
Using Quantitative D-Dimer to Determine the Need for Pulmonary CT Angiography in COVID-19 Patients

# INTRODUCTION: COVID-19 has been frequently cited as a condition causing a pro-inflammatory state leading to hypercoagulopathy and increased risk for venous thromboembolism. This condition has thus prompted prior studies and screening models that utilize D-dimer for pulmonary embolism (PE) into question. The limited research to date has failed to provide tools or guidance regarding what COVID-19 positive patients should receive pulmonary CT angiography screening. This knowledge gap has led to missed diagnoses, CT overutilization, and increased morbidity and mortality. # OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of the quantitative D-dimer lab marker in a convenience sample of 426 COVID-19 positive patients to assist providers in determining the utility of pulmonary CT angiography. # METHODS: The authors conducted a retrospective analysis on all COVID-19 positive patients within the Henry Ford Medical System between March 1st, 2020 through April 30th, 2020 who received pulmonary CT angiography and had a quantitative D-dimer lab drawn within 24 hours of CT imaging. # RESULTS: Our sampling criteria yielded a total of n = 426 patients, of whom 347 (81.5%) were negative for PE and 79 (18.5%) were positive for PE. The average D-dimer in the negative PE group was 2.95 μg./mL. (SD 4.26), significantly different than the 9.15 μg./mL. (SD 6.80) positive PE group (P < 0.05; 95% CI -7.8, -4.6). Theoretically, applying the traditional ≤ 0.5 μg./mL. D-dimer cut-off to our data would yield a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 7.49% for exclusion of PE. Based on these results, the authors would be able to increase the D-dimer threshold to < 0.89 μg./mL. to maintain their sensitivity to 100% and raise the specificity to 27.95%. Observing a D-dimer cut-off value of ≤ 1.28 μg./mL. would reduce sensitivity to 97.47% but increase the specificity to 57.93%. # CONCLUSIONS: These study results support the utilization of alternative D-dimer thresholds to exclude PE in COVID-19 patients. Based on these findings, providers may be able to observe increased D-dimer cut-off values to reduce unnecessary pulmonary CT angiography scans.
Faculty Bullying & the Environment that Enables Such Behavior

There are many reasons for workplace bullying which typically focuses on the bully. However, the organization must be ripe for bad behaviors to take hold. In order to stop workplace bullying, Human Resources must. be charged to handle the problem, and leadership must communicate and behave in a way that clearly prohibits workplace bullying campus
Asymptotic Distribution of Generalized Likelihood Ratio Test Under Model Misspecification With Application to Cooperative Radar-Communications

The goal of this paper is to develop an expression for the asymptotic distribution of the generalized likelihood ratio test (GLRT) statistic under model misspecification, that is when the assumed data model is different from the true model. Under such a scenario, the asymptotic distribution under the null hypothesis was by derived by Foutz and Srivastava. A general expression for this distribution under the null as well as the alternative hypothesis under model misspecification has been derived in this paper, on the same lines as the derivation provided by Kay for the case when there is no model mis-specification. Using this expression, the asymptotic receiver operating characteristic (ROC) performance of a cooperative radar-communications receiver has been analyzed, when the communications (comms.) channel gains are assumed to be constant, but in reality may vary with time.
What's Going on in Bovine Viral Vaccines:

The spectrum of immunity from inactivated bovine viral vaccines has often been discounted because of the lack of a cell mediated response. With the advent of newer adjuvants, the effect of an inactivated BRSV, BVDV PI3, IBR vaccine (Vira Shield™ 5: Grand Laboratories, Freeman, SD) on cell mediated and cytotoxic T cell response against IBR and BRSV was measured.
A critical review of point-of-use drinking water treatment in the United States

Ensuring safe water supply for communities across the United States is a growing challenge due to aging infrastructure, impaired source water, strained community finances, etc. In 2019, about 6% of public water utilities in the U.S. had a health-based violation. Due to the high risk of exposure to various contaminants in drinking water, point-of-use (POU) drinking water treatment is rapidly growing in popularity in the U.S. and beyond. POU treatment technologies include various combinations of string-wound sediment filters, activated carbon, modified carbon, ion exchange and redox media filters, reverse osmosis membranes, and ultraviolet lamps depending on the contaminants of concern. While the technologies are well-proven, highly commoditized, and cost-effective, most systems offer little in the way of real-time performance monitoring or interactive technology like other smart home appliances (e.g., thermostats, smoke detectors, doorbells, etc.). Herein, we review water quality regulations and violations in the U.S. as well as state-of-the-art POU technologies and systems with an emphasis on their effectiveness at removing the contaminants most frequently reported in notices of violations. We conclude by briefly reviewing emerging smart water technologies and the needs for advances in the state-of-the-art technologies. The smartness of commercially available POU water filters is critiqued and a definition of smart water filter is proposed.
Accounting in Feminist Social Movements: An Exploration into Time's Up and the Use of Accounting toward Influencing Change

In an effort to bring about social change, individuals often form groups opposing the social and regulatory institutions perpetuating their oppressions. One tool social movements rely on to facilitate change is accounting. However, the formation of accounting mechanisms is a social process; one experienced under a capitalist system built on inequalities. In turn, accounting itself acts toward reinforcing social systems and dominant interests, perpetuating systematic social barriers. Given documented differences in the formation and activities of feminist social movements, it remains unclear whether leaders in these movements will assimilate and rely on conventional accounting logic or will develop new forms of feminist accounting to further their emancipatory efforts. We interview 33 individuals working with, or affected by, the Time’s Up movement, one focused on eradicating pervasive sexual harassment in the workplace. Our findings suggest individuals within the movement incorporate a hybrid form of accounting, one reliant on some conventional quantitative accounting techniques, albeit for new and unique purposes, and on more creative forms of accounting including narratives and pictorials, which have helped progress the movement and influence change.
Risky business: a scoping review for communicating results of predictive models between providers and patients.

Objective Given widespread excitement around predictive analytics and the proliferation of machine learning algorithms that predict outcomes, a key next step is understanding how this information is-or should be-communicated with patients. Materials and methods We conducted a scoping review informed by PRISMA-ScR guidelines to identify current knowledge and gaps in this domain. Results Ten studies met inclusion criteria for full text review. The following topics were represented in the studies, some of which involved more than 1 topic: disease prevention (N = 5/10, 50%), treatment decisions (N = 5/10, 50%), medication harms reduction (N = 1/10, 10%), and presentation of cardiovascular risk information (N = 5/10, 50%). A single study included 6- and 12-month clinical outcome metrics. Discussion As predictive models are increasingly published, marketed by industry, and implemented, this paucity of relevant research poses important gaps. Published studies identified the importance of (1) identifying the most effective source of information for patient communications; (2) contextualizing risk information and associated design elements based on users' needs and problem areas; and (3) understanding potential impacts on risk factor modification and behavior change dependent on risk presentation. Conclusion An opportunity remains for researchers and practitioners to share strategies for effective selection of predictive algorithms for clinical practice, approaches for educating clinicians and patients in effectively using predictive data, and new approaches for framing patient-provider communication in the era of artificial intelligence.
Ergonomics in the Automotive Design Process

ERGONOMICS CONCEPTS, ISSUES AND METHODS IN VEHICLE DESIGN Introduction to Automotive Ergonomics Engineering Anthropometry and Biomechanics Occupant Packaging Driver Information Acquisition and Processing Controls, Displays and Interior Layout. Field of Views From Automotive Vehicles Introduction to Field of View Automotive Lighting Entry and Exit From Automotive Vehicles Automotive Exterior Interfaces: Service and Loading/Unloading Tasks Automotive Craftmanship Role of Ergonomics Engineers in the Automotive Design Process ADVANCED TOPICS, MEASUREMENTS, MODELING AND RESEARCH Modeling Driver Vision Driver Performance Measurement Driver Workload Measurement Vehicle Evaluation Methods Special Driver and User Populations Future Research and New Technology Issues Appendices
Effects of Thermal Treatment on Tensile Creep and Stress‐Rupture Behavior of Hi‐Nicalon Sic Fibers

Tensile creep and stress-rupture studies were conducted on Hi-Nicalon SiC fibers at 1200 and 1400 C in argon and air. Examined were as-received fibers as well as fibers annealed from 1400 to 1800 C for 1 hour in argon before testing. The creep and rupture results for these annealed fibers were compared to those of the as-received fibers to determine the effects of annealing temperature, test temperature, and test environment. Argon anneals up to 1500 C degrade room temperature strength of Hi-Nicalon fibers, but improve fiber creep resistance in argon or air by as much as 100% with no significant degradation in rupture strength. Argon anneals above 1500 C continue to improve fiber creep resistance when tested in argon, but significantly degrade creep resistance and rupture strength when tested in air. Decrease in creep resistance in air is greater at 1200 C than at 1400 C. Mechanisms are suggested for the observed behavior.
Modeling of Ultrasonic Signals from Weak Inclusions

Recent research efforts aimed at improving the detection of hard-alpha inclusions have emphasized the need for accurately modeling the responses from such weakly-reflecting inclusions. The need arises because of the rare natural occurrence of hard-alpha inclusions, and consequently, the lacks of suitable experimental samples. These difficulties lend impetus to the application of signal modeling to augment and extend the experimental data in assessing detectability. Currently, a new approach is being developed for the purpose of predicting time-domain echoes from inclusions of specified morphology. This work is the continuation of our previous study of flat-bottomed holes [1–2] in constructing a methodology for estimating the probability of detection of flaws in titanium alloys based on a combination of physical and statistical models.
The impact of midtrimester abortion techniques on patients and staff

We studied 250 midtrimester abortions by dilatation and extraction (D and E) under general anesthesia and compared them with abortions by the intra-amniotic injection of prostaglandin (amnio) in order to assess the physical and emotional changes experienced by patients and staff under the different circumstances represented by each procedure. We found patients undergoing D and E abortions had fewer physical complications and described the procedure as minor surgery which went smoothly. The patients who had amnio abortions had more pain and reacted with more anger and depression afterward. Nurses were more disturbed by amnio abortions in which they played major roles in supporting the patient as well as in her abortion. Physicians reported the D and E procedures to be emotionally difficult which may limit the adoption of this procedure despite its value to patients.
Transportation Decision Making: Principles of Project Evaluation and Programming

Transportation decisions have wide-ranging impacts on everything from air quality to land use patterns to water resources and wetlands. In Transportation Decision Making, Sinha and Labi compile a v...
Ethical Dilemmas Reported by Fourth-Year Dental Students

Ethics education in dentistry is a requirement for accreditation. Despite universal adoption of ethics courses, there is ongoing discussion about the appropriate content of these courses and about methods to engage students. Faculty who teach ethics must select a limited set of topics from the broad fields of professional ethics, bioethics, and the humanities. The purpose of this article is to describe the ethical issues reported by fourth-year dental students during community-based extramural clinical experiences. Senior dental students (n=123) wrote essays describing an ethical issue they encountered during one of two extramural rotations. Ethical issues were categorized and coded by consensus between two faculty authors. Students most often reported perceived dilemmas related to patients' limited resources (25 percent), conflict between professionals (19 percent), clinic policy or procedures (15 percent), and decision making by patients' surrogates (13 percent). One student (<1 percent) reported encountering no ethical issues. Students' perceptions of ethical issues in clinical practice offer faculty a foundation for designing a dental ethics curriculum that is practical and immediately relevant to the experience of a dental student. Students' reports may also yield a method for systematic assessment of students' abilities to apply classroom ethics instruction to clinical practice.
Topological entropy of standard type monotone twist maps

We study invariant measures of families of monotone twist maps Sγ(q, p) = (2q−p+γ ·V ′(q), q) with periodic Morse potential V . We prove that there exist a constant C = C(V ) such that the topological entropy satisfies htop(Sγ) ≥ log(C · γ)/3. In particular, htop(Sγ) → ∞ for |γ| → ∞. We show also that there exist arbitrary large γ such that Sγ has nonuniformly hyperbolic invariant measures μγ with positive metric entropy. For large γ, the measures μγ are hyperbolic and, for a class of potentials which includes V (q) = sin(q), the Lyapunov exponent of the map S with invariant measure μγ grows monotonically with γ.
The effects of clonidine on discrete-trial delayed spatial alternation in two rat models of memory loss.

Spatial memory impairments observed in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia have been attributed to many factors, including glutamate hypofunction and reduced hippocampal volume. Clonidine, a non-specific α2 adrenergic receptor agonist, improves spatial memory in animals treated with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, phencyclidine; however, its effects on memory deficits produced by other NMDA antagonists or hippocampal damage have not been fully characterized. The purpose of this study was to determine if clonidine could alleviate memory deficits produced by the NMDA antagonist, MK-801, or by excitotoxic hippocampal damage. In the first phase of the study, male rats were pretreated with clonidine (0.01 or 0.05 mg/kg) or saline, and treated with MK-801 (0.1 mg/kg) or saline prior to discrete-trial delayed alternation or radial-arm maze testing. MK-801 impaired delayed alternation performance and increased the number of arm revisits in the radial-arm maze. Clonidine pretreatment significantly alleviated these drug-induced deficits. In the second phase of the study, excitotoxic damage was produced in the dorsal hippocampus with NMDA. Hippocampal damage produced a significant impairment in the delayed alternation task, yet pretreatment with clonidine did not alleviate this damage-induced deficit. Taken together, the data indicate that clonidine alleviates memory impairments produced by glutamate hypofunction, but not by hippocampal damage. This caveat may be important in designing treatments for memory disorders not linked to a single pathophysiological mechanism.
Nest-subalgebras of von Neumann algebras

Abstract The structure of a certain class of separably acting reflexive operator algebras is investigated for which the nest algebras of J. Ringrose can be considered prototypes. To a fixed von Neumann algebra and a complete nest of projections contained therein one associates the algebra of all operators in the von Neumann algebra which leave every member of the nest invariant. A generalization of the Ringrose criterion for inclusion in the Jacobson radical of a nest algebra is given for this more general class of algebras. Further properties of the radical are studied.
Regulation of eukaryotic abasic endonucleases and their role in genetic stability.

Abasic (AP) sites in DNA arise from spontaneous reactions or the action of DNA glycosylases and represent a loss of genetic information. The AP sites can be mutagenic or cytotoxic, and their repair is initiated by class II AP endonucleases, which incise immediately 5' to AP sites. The main enzyme of S. cerevisiae. Apn1, provides cellular resistance to oxidants (e.g., H2O2) or alkylating agents, and limits the spontaneous mutation rate. AP endonucleases from other species can replace Apn1 function in yeast to different extents. We studied the main human enzyme, Ape, with respect to its incision specificity in vitro and the expression of the APE gene in vivo. The results suggest that Ape evolved to act preferentially on AP sites compared to deoxyribose fragments located at oxidative strand breaks and that the incision modes of Ape and Apn1 may be fundamentally different. We also defined the functional APE promoter, and showed that APE expression is transiently downregulated during the regeneration of epidermis after wounding. This latter effect may lead to a window of vulnerability for DNA damage and perhaps mutagenesis during the healing of epidermal and other wounds. Such unexpected effects on the expression of DNA repair enzymes need to be taken into account in analyzing the susceptibility of different tissues to carcinogens.
Defective T-cell differentiation in acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

A decline in T-cell lymphocyte number is the central characteristic of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The reason for the loss of these cells is not well understood. We investigated the hypothesis that defects in T-cell differentiation contributed to T-cell loss using anin vitro colony assay that measures T-cell precursor (CFU-T) frequency. The results indicate a substantial generalized decrease in CFU-T in people with AIDS (P<0.01), most of whom have Kaposi's sarcoma, and an occasionally severe decrease in CFU-T in people with ARC. Some of the cells from low colony formers suppressed colony formation by control cells. In addition, plasma from people with AIDS was less supportive of colony growth than control plasma. Decreased Ia expression on adherent mononuclear cells did not correlate with colony formation. A defect in T-cell repopulation can help explain the loss of T cells associated with AIDS.
The reaction of 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene with bone of different ages. Changes in the relationship between collagen and bone mineral.

Bone from cattle of different ages was reacted with FDNB under various experimental conditions. Attempts were made to assess the difference between age groups in the size of the four categories of ω-amino groups of bone collagen postulated byWuthieret al. (1964). Bone from very young calves reacted with FDNB under anhydrous conditions to a much greater extent than bone from older animals. This was interpreted to mean that relatively more “free” ω-amino groups (Category I) and fewer ω-amino groups “electrovalently associated” with the mineral (Category II) are present in very young bone. Studies employing FDNB treatment simultaneous with EDTA decalcification suggested that little difference exists between age groups in the ω-amino groups interpreted to be more tightly bound to the bone mineral (Category III) and those interpreted to be internally bonded within collagen and inaccessible for FDNB reaction (Category IV).
Saturation of Threshold Voltage Shift in MOSFET's at High Total Dose

We present the results of an investigation into the buildup of trapped positive oxide charge responsible for a negative component of radiation-induced threshold voltage shift in both hard and soft metaloxide semiconductor (MOS) gate oxides and the processes which limit this buildup. Hole-trapping effects at doses to 15 Mrad(SiO2) were examined in MOS field-effect transistors (MOSFET's) and MOS capacitors with 11- to 27-nm gate oxides. The observed saturation of threshold voltage shift was modeled with the aid of a computer simulation of charge buildup in an MOS structure and was found to be caused by a complex interaction between trap filling and recombination of radiation-generated free electrons with trapped holes, modulated by trapped-hole-induced distortion of the oxide electric field. A supplemental measurement of 10-keV x-ray-induced currents in MOS capacitors produced no evidence for radiation-generated hot electron injection from the Si substrate into SiO2 layers of various thicknesses and also yielded data on x-ray-induced charge generation in the SiO2.
An Investigation of Telecommunications as a Plan Location Decision Criterion

The concept of site selection has received extensive attention throughout history. Although plant location decision issues have always been important to US manufacturing firms, the impact of global competition has increased recognition of their importance. To successfully compete globally, manufacturers must have an effective global supply chain infrastructure, which requires effective communications. However, plant location strategies change over time, because of the dynamic nature of the variables that determine a location decision. This study was conducted to extend the location decision taxonomy by including telecommunications. The research included a specification of telecommunications attributes that impact site selection, the importance of telecommunications as a location decision criterion and the differences in location decision criteria between domestic US and foreign sites. The telecommunications-specific attributes determined in this study include: telecommunications infrastructure, cost, reliability, bandwidth, personnel, local and US government restrictions, and local and US government regulations on exporting and importing data. The conclusions of this study not only present evidence that telecommunications is influencing decision-makers in site selection, but also provides a list of criteria that are critical to site selection.
Validating a Population Model of TactileMechanotransduction of Slowly AdaptingType I Afferents at Levels of Skin Mechanics, Single-Unit Response and Psychophysics

Previous models of touch have linked skin mechanics to neural firing rate, neural dynamics to action potential elicitation, and mechanoreceptor populations to psychophysical discrimination. However, no one model spans all levels. The objective of work herein is to build a multi-level, computational model of tactile neurons embedded in cutaneous skin, and then validate its predictions of skin surface deflection, single-afferent firing to indenter shift, and population response for sphere discrimination. The model includes a 3D finite element representation of the distal phalange with hyper- and visco-elastic mechanics. Distributed over its surface, a population of receptor models is comprised of bi-phasic functions to represent Merkel cells' transformation of stress/strain to membrane current and a leaky integrate-and-fire neuronal models to generate the timing of action potentials. After including neuronal noise, the predictions of two population encoding strategies (gradient sum and euclidean distance) are compared to psychophysical discrimination of spheres. Results indicate that predicted skin surface deflection matches Srinivasan's observations for 50 micron and 3.17 mm diameter cylinders and single-afferent responses achieve $\rm R^{2} = 0.81$ when compared to Johnson's recordings. Discrimination results correlate with Goodwin's experiments, whereby 287 and $365 \;{\rm m}^{-1}$ spheres are more discriminable than 287 and $296\; {\rm m}^{-1}$ .
Surface modification of indium tin oxide via electrochemical reduction of aryldiazonium cations

The facile deposition of para-substituted aryl films onto indium-tin oxide (ITO) electrodes by the electrochemical reduction of aryl diazonium salts in acetonitrile is reported. For the deposition conditions used in this report, the aryl film thicknesses are on the order of 1-6 nm, suggesting a multilayer structure. Regardless of the functional group on the aryl diazonium cation, (NO(2), CO(2)H, or fluorene) the electrodeposition behavior onto ITO electrodes is similar to that seen on other electrode materials. XPS and UV-vis data support the introduction of organic functional surface groups to ITO. The blocking behavior of the aryl films on ITO toward the Ru(NH(3))(6)(3+/2+) redox couple is in agreement with electron transfer through conjugated organic layers. The facile preparation of patterned aryl films with regular-spaced 700 nm voids on ITO is also described. Atomic force microscopy and scanning surface potential microscopy on patterned NO(2) aryl films are used to assess the molecular structure and orientation. A 100 mV decrease in the contact potential over NO(2) aryl films relative to bare ITO suggests that the aryl films are loosely structured as deposited with the NO(2) groups oriented at a small angle away from the ITO surface.
Effect of purified human interleukin-1 on cartilage degradation

The effects of highly purified human monocyte-derived interleukin-1 (IL-1) on bovine nasal cartilage breakdown were investigated. Cartilage degradation was determined by quantifying the fraction of total proteoglycan released from cartilage during 8 days of culture. The response appeared to be chondrocyte-dependent, for IL-1 stimulated proteoglycan (PG) release from living but not from dead (frozen-thawed) cartilage. IL-1 action on living cartilage was heat labile and concentration dependent, with significant effect at 5 U/ml and maximal effect at 10-20 U/ml. Kinetic studies showed significant stimulation of PG release by 3 days of incubation with 10 U/ml IL-1. Studies in which IL-1 was removed on day 1 or day 4 showed that the cartilage-degrading effect of this monokine was reversible. Although IL-1 caused little change in the Sepharose CL-2B chromatographic profile of released PGs using an associative elution buffer, a significant shift to lower mol wt was observed under dissociative conditions. To probe the mechanism of IL-1 action, cartilage samples were incubated with IL-1 in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor, cycloheximide, or the lysosomal membrane-stabilizing steroid, hydrocortisone. Cycloheximide at 5-10 micrograms/ml completely blocked IL-1-induced breakdown. One the other hand, 3 x 10(-7) M hydrocortisone had little or no effect on IL-1 action. IL-1 was also shown to stimulate the degradation of human articular cartilage.
Observation of rare decay modes of the Ξ hyperons

In an experiment based on the production of $8150 {\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and $2975 {\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{0}$ hyperons, we have detected one example each of the decays ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ and ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\gamma}$. The branching ratios of these hitherto unobserved decay modes are $\frac{\ensuremath{\Gamma}({\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\mu}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}})}{\ensuremath{\Gamma}({\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}})}=(3\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}3)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}4}$ and $\frac{\ensuremath{\Gamma}({\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}\ensuremath{\gamma})}{\ensuremath{\Gamma}({\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{0}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{\ensuremath{\pi}}^{0})}=(5\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}5)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}3}$. One event of the decay ${\ensuremath{\Xi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}\ensuremath{\Lambda}{e}^{\ensuremath{-}}\overline{\ensuremath{\nu}}$ has also been observed. There is no evidence for $\ensuremath{\Delta}S=2$ decays; upper limits on these and other rare decay modes are presented.
The ground and low-lying excited states of MgH2+

Abstract The ground state and low-lying states of MgH 2 + are studied at the complete-active-space self-consistent-field and multireference configuration-interaction levels of theory. The binding energies of the 2 B 1 and 2 B 2 states (relative to their asymptote) are significantly larger than that of the 2 A 1 ground state. The Mg + inserts into the H 2 bond for the 2 B 2 state. The (2) 2 A 1 state is very weakly bound, because the MgH 2 repulsion is larger than in the ground state.
SELF-INACTIVATING LENTIVIRAL VECTORS WITH U3 AND U5 MODIFICATIONS

Lentiviral vectors have gained much attention in recent years mainly because they integrate into nondividing host-cell genomes. For clinical applications, a safe and efficient lentiviral vector system is required. Previously, we have established a human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1)-derived three-plasmid lentiviral vector system for viral vector production which includes a packaging vector pHP, a transducing vector pTV, and an envelope-encoding plasmid pHEF-VSVG. Cotransfection of these three plasmids into TE671 human rhabdomyosarcoma cells routinely yields 10(5)-10(6) infectious units per milliliter in 24 h. Here we have extensively modified long terminal repeats (LTRs) of pTV to generate a safer lentiviral vector system. The 5' U3 was replaced with a truncated cytomegalovirus (CMV) immediate early (IE) enhancer/TATA promoter and the 3' U3 (except for the integration attachment site) was also deleted. These modifications resulted in a vector with 80% wild-type vector efficiency. Further deletion of 3' U5 impaired vector function; however, this problem was solved by replacing the 3' U5 with bovine growth hormone polyadenylation (bGHpA) sequence. The pTV vector containing all these modifications including the 5' promoter substitution, the 3' U3 deletion, and the substitution of 3' U5 with bGHpA exhibited a self-inactivating (SIN) phenotype after transduction, transduced both dividing and nondividing cells at similar efficiencies, and produced vector titers twice as high as that of the wild-type construct. Thus, both safety and efficacy of the HP/TV vector have been improved by these LTR modifications. Further deletion of 5' U5 impaired vector efficiency, suggesting that the 5' U5 has critical roles in vector function.
Is there a need for resident training in clinical trial design

The success rate of radiation oncology (RO) clinical trials (CTs) is poor, with the majority of trials not achieving the projected accrual goals (1) and thereby lacking the power to achieve statistical significance (2). Academic radiation oncologists, as principal investigators (PIs) of such trials, are responsible for their design. However, there is no widely available formal training, nor is there a requirement to demonstrate competency in designing trials. This suggests a possible role for CT design instruction during RO residency (3, 4), as many trainees, if not already engaged in trials, ultimately will be future PIs. The ACGME requires RO residents to have statistics instruction (5); yet a survey showed that 30% had no statistics education during residency, and of those who did, 98% had less than 10 hours (6). In addition, the new ACGME Milestone Project is still in development, and CT training may be a valuable component for residents to achieve the highest level of performance in research-specific milestones (7, 8). We conducted a targeted needs assessment of all RO residents to determine whether residents are designing CTs and to identify the challenges to being an educated participant in the design process.
Prevention of duodenal ulcers in rats by feeding.

SummaryDuodenal ulcers were produced in fasted rats by constant subcutaneous infusion of histamine dihydrochloride (0.1 mg/kg/min) plus carbachol (0.3 μg/kg/min), two potent gastric secretogogues. These ulcers were perforated in many animals, and 36% of those so treated died of peritonitis. When the animals were given food and water during infusion of the secretogogues, none died nor had duodenal perforations, and only a few showed duodenal ulcers, which were mild. These results are reminiscent of the beneficial effect of feeding on ulcer symptoms in man. Duodenal ulcers produced by the secretogogues used in this study are probably due to excessive secretion of gastric juice, and it is likely that the protection afforded by food results from the buffering of this strongly acid and peptic gastric juice.
Reassessment of die-spacer with dynamic loading during cementation

The authors previously reported a reduction in crown seating discrepancies of approximately 200 μ m resulting from the application of dynamic forces during cementation. Previous in vitro die-spacer studies used static loads with large seating discrepancies unrepresentative of clinical practice. This investigation reassessed paint-on die-spacer for its effect on completeness of seating and retention when dynamic seating was used. A series of seven complete crowns was made for each of three extracted human teeth by using 0 to 6 coats of spacer. Index marks were used to measure crown position before and after cementation. Mean seating discrepancies indicated complete seating for all groups of crowns irrespective of the number of coats of die-spacer. An analysis of variance demonstrated no significant differences in the degree of seating. However, crowns made from dies without spacer were significantly more retentive ( p
Remarkable substituent effects on the photophysics of Pt(4′-X-trpy)Cl+ systems (trpy = 2,2′; 6′,2″-terpyridine)

Abstract In view of the interest in probing the binding interactions that occur between platinum complexes and biological macromolecules, the aim of this work has been to develop systems that exhibit enhanced excited-state lifetimes and emission yields in fluid solution. The investigation focuses on a series of complexes of the type Pt(4′-X-T)Cl + where 4′-X-T denotes a 4′-substituted derivative of 2,2′; 6′,2″-terpyridine. In all cases the counterion is the non-coordinating ion tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]borate. The substituents employed include electron-withdrawing groups like CN and SO 2 Me as well as electron-donating groups like SMe and NMe 2 . Within the series of complexes, the first reduction wave ranges over about 0.7 V in DMF. Although the process probably entails ligand reduction, the acceptor orbital appears to have some platinum 6p z character. Even though electron-donating substituents destabilize the reduced form of the ligand, all substituents induce a red-shift in the charge-transfer (CT) absorption band system that occurs around 400 nm. Furthermore, there is generally an increase in the CT absorption intensity, the emission lifetime and the emission quantum yield in methylene chloride. Thus, at room temperature, the complex with the terpyridine ligand itself is a very poor emitter with an emission lifetime of 10 ns or less, while the Pt(4′-SMe-T)Cl + and Pt(4′-NMe 2 -T)Cl + systems exhibit lifetimes of 140 ns and 1.9 μs, respectively. With the electron-donating substituents in particular, the lifetime enhancement reflects a configuration interaction between the original CT state and an intraligand charge-transfer excited state. Substituents also influence a thermally activated pathway to radiationless decay.
Immobilization of concanavalin A to glucose-containing polymers

Sol-gel reversible hydrogels sensitive to environmental glucose concentration were prepared using concanavalin A (Con A) and glucose-containing polymers. Since the components of the hydrogels in the sol state can be released to the environment through pores of the dialysis membrane, it was necessary to immobilize Con A to the glucose-containing polymers. Con A was immobilized by two different approaches. First, vinyl groups were introduced to Con A so that it can participate in the vinyl polymerization of allyl glucoside. Second, glucose-containing polymers containing chemically reactive pendant groups were synthesized so that Con A could be immobilized to the preformed polymers. Both approaches resulted in effective immobilization of Con A to the glucose-containing polymers, but the second method appeared to be better in terms of maintaining the bioactivity of Con A.
Cultural Discourse in Action: Interactional Dynamics and Symbolic Meaning

Cultural sociology has recently developed new tools with which to understand and analyze meaning in terms of cultural discourse. Specifically, this paper further develops the Alexanderian form of discourse analysis through application on the micro-level. Utilizing extensive ethnographic data, the mythopoetic men's movement is examined in terms of how its participants construct political meaning that motivates and guides their action. In empirical detail, these actors can be seen as creating a cultural discourse that constitutes the social movement at a fundamental level while at the same time the discourse is continually negotiated, contested, and reconfigured. Exposed is the “discourse of liberational masculinity” which is used by movement participants to challenge and confront hegemonic masculinity in American society. Examining the mythopoetic men's movement from this perspective demonstrates the analytic utility of this approach through revealing in unique ways the dynamics of morality, political belief, and perceived hegemony within this popular contemporary social movement.
Optical architecture using multiwavelength and polarization encoding for high-speed parallel relational database processing

An architecture for optical CAM-based parallel database processing is presented. It features compact design and constant-time parallel processing of database operations using wavelength and polarization division multiplexing techniques.
Scholarly leadership of the study of leadership: A review of The Leadership Quarterly's second decade, 2000-2009.

In a reprise of Lowe and Gardner's (2000) review of The Leadership Quarterly's (LQ) first decade as a premier outlet for scholarly leadership research, we review 353 articles published in LQ during its second decade. Multiple methods were employed to prepare this review, including: interviews with the journal's current Senior Editor and Associate Editors; an assessment of LQ's impact, reputation, and most cited articles through citation analyses; a content analysis of article type (theory, empirical, and methods), contributors (e.g., discipline, nationality, and institutional affiliation), theoretical foundations, research strategies, sample location/type, data collection methods, and analytical procedures; survey and follow-up focus groups conducted with LQ Editorial Review Board members; and qualitative analyses to assess the prevalent themes, contributions, and trends reflected in LQ during its second decade. Drawing from these sources, we describe anticipated directions for future research.
Identification of a continuous and cross-reacting epitope for Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking immunity.

Abstract Identification of continuous epitopes in the target antigens of Plasmodium falciparum transmission-blocking antibodies is likely to facilitate the production of a subunit peptide vaccine. Two such epitopes shared among several sexual-stage antigens were identified with murine monoclonal antibodies. An epitope recognized by four monoclonal antibodies capable of blocking infectivity of gametocytes in the mosquitoes is shared among three antigens (230, 48/45 doublet, and 27 kDa). These antigens are synthesized at different times during the development and maturation of gametocytes, and the blocking epitope appears conserved among parasites from diverse geographical locations. Immune response against such a unique epitope (continuous, cross-reacting, and conserved) is likely to be boosted by natural infection. The 27-kDa protein is reported here as a target of malaria transmission-blocking monoclonal antibodies, and the cross-reacting epitope represents an attractive candidate for a transmission-blocking vaccine.
Biomimetic, bioactive etheric polyphosphazene‐poly(lactide‐co‐glycolide) blends for bone tissue engineering

The long-term goal of this work is to develop biomimetic polymer-based systems for bone regeneration that both allow for neutral pH degradation products and have the ability to nucleate bonelike apatite. In this study, the etheric biodegradable polyphosphazene, poly[(50%ethyl glycinato)(50%methoxyethoxyethoxy)phosphazene] (PNEG(50)MEEP(50)) was blended with poly(lactide-co-glycolide) PLAGA and studied their ability to produce high-strength degradable biomaterials with bioactivity. Accordingly, two blends with weight ratios of PNEG(50)MEEP(50) to PLAGA 25:75 (BLEND25) and 50:50 (BLEND50) were fabricated using a mutual solvent approach. Increases in PNEG(50)MEEP(50) content in the blend system resulted in decreased elastic modulus of 779 MPa when compared with 1684 MPa (PLAGA) as well as tensile strength 7.9 MPa when compared with 25.7 MPa (PLAGA). However, the higher PNEG(50)MEEP(50) content in the blend system resulted in higher Ca/P atomic ratio of the apatite layer 1.35 (BLEND50) when compared with 0.69 (BLEND25) indicating improved biomimicry. Furthermore, these blends supported primary rat osteoblast adhesion and proliferation with an enhanced phenotypic expression when compared with PLAGA. These findings establish the suitability of PNEG(50)MEEP(50)-PLAGA biodegradable blends as promising bioactive materials for orthopedic applications.
Putting a Slug to Work

Although novel architectures such as cell processors, graphics processors, and FPGAs are growing in popularity, conventional microprocessor designs pack a punch in a small footprint and are widely supported by commodity operating system and development tools. In this installment of Scientific Programming, we're going to talk about our initial foray into embedded Linux running on the slug, which is the pet name for the Linksys NSLU2, a home "appliance" aimed at providing network-attached storage.
The Influence of Ca2+ Buffers on Free [Ca2+] Fluctuations and the Effective Volume of Ca2+ Microdomains

Intracellular calcium (Ca2+) plays a significant role in many cell signaling pathways, some of which are localized to spatially restricted microdomains. Ca2+ binding proteins (Ca2+ buffers) play an important role in regulating Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]). Buffers typically slow [Ca2+] temporal dynamics and increase the effective volume of Ca2+ domains. Because fluctuations in [Ca2+] decrease in proportion to the square-root of a domain’s physical volume, one might conjecture that buffers decrease [Ca2+] fluctuations and, consequently, mitigate the significance of small domain volume concerning Ca2+ signaling. We test this hypothesis through mathematical and computational analysis of idealized buffer-containing domains and their stochastic dynamics during free Ca2+ influx with passive exchange of both Ca2+ and buffer with bulk concentrations. We derive Langevin equations for the fluctuating dynamics of Ca2+ and buffer and use these stochastic differential equations to determine the magnitude of [Ca2+] fluctuations for different buffer parameters (e.g., dissociation constant and concentration). In marked contrast to expectations based on a naive application of the principle of effective volume as employed in deterministic models of Ca2+ signaling, we find that mobile and rapid buffers typically increase the magnitude of domain [Ca2+] fluctuations during periods of Ca2+ influx, whereas stationary (immobile) Ca2+ buffers do not. Also contrary to expectations, we find that in the absence of Ca2+ influx, buffers influence the temporal characteristics, but not the magnitude, of [Ca2+] fluctuations. We derive an analytical formula describing the influence of rapid Ca2+ buffers on [Ca2+] fluctuations and, importantly, identify the stochastic analog of (deterministic) effective domain volume. Our results demonstrate that Ca2+ buffers alter the dynamics of [Ca2+] fluctuations in a nonintuitive manner. The finding that Ca2+ buffers do not suppress intrinsic domain [Ca2+] fluctuations raises the intriguing question of whether or not [Ca2+] fluctuations are a physiologically significant aspect of local Ca2+ signaling.