cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integrating policy and ecology systems to achieve path dependent climate solutions

Abstract The Paris Agreement emphasizes regional “bottom-up” policy solutions to address climate change. We argue that efforts to develop these regional solutions require treating ecological and policy processes as interacting together. Through this approach, policy decisions affect ecological processes, and subsequent ecological changes create feedbacks into policy and political processes. Such a re-orientation can help uncover heretofore hidden “policy triggers”, thereby offering new and perhaps more durable climate solutions. We illustrate this with a case example of the interplay among boreal forest natural resource management policies that created path dependent extractive industries, which in turn, triggered path dependent carbon cycling processes within boreal ecosystems, causing higher carbon emissions. The ability to apply path dependency analysis in general, and identify creative solutions in particular, requires a much more systematic conversation between ecological and policy sciences. We illustrate how path dependent innovations can be identified and triggered, through our own integration of ecological and path dependency analysis: the use of arguably “easy to change, but hard to reverse” policy decisions over hunting licenses. This trigger is not just identified because it is consistent with climate science for managing predator-prey relationships towards lower carbon emissions, but because it holds promise in creating a durable solution even in the face of pressures to reverse course. Hence, the policy is also expected to help lower carbon emissions, in the same way forestry policies (inadvertently) helped increase carbon emissions over a century ago. Our goal is not to argue that this is the only or best solution that might emerge from integrating policy and ecological sciences, but rather to highlight how unforeseen, practical solutions can be nurtured when fostering conversations among largely qualitative historically inclined policy scientists that focus on the complex casual impacts of non-generalizable “critical junctures”, and largely quantitative ecologists seeking general patterns with complex ecosystems. We advance the significant work underway by path dependency focused policy scientists by calling for greater integration of knowledge across these disciplines that currently tend to treat knowledge from the other as “exogenous” shocks.
Deep Learning of Volumetric 3D CNN for fMRI in Alzheimer’s Disease Classification

Functional magnetic resonance imaging has a potential to provide insight into early detectors or biomarkers for various neurological disorders. With the advent of recent developments in deep learning, it may be possible to extract detailed information from neuroimaging data that is difficult to acquire using traditional techniques. Here we propose one such deep learning approach that makes use of a 3D Convolutional Neural Network to predict the onset of Alzheimer’s disease even in a single subject based on resting state fMRI data. This approach extracts both spatial and temporal features from the 4D volume and eliminates the traditional complicated steps of feature extraction. In our experiments, a relatively simple deep learning architecture yields high performance in Alzheimer’s disease classification. This illustrates the possibility of using volumetric feature extractors and classifiers as a tool to obtain biomarkers for neurological disorders and another step towards use of clinical fMRI.
The lack of experimental research in criminology-evidence from Criminology and Justice Quarterly

Despite experiments being termed the “gold standard,” criminology has been slow to adopt experimentation as a methodology. The goal of this research note is to better understand the use of experiments in criminology and the potential barriers in implementing this methodology. We conducted a systematic assessment of experiments in Criminology and Justice Quarterly by reviewing every article published since the inception of the journals and coding for numerous elements (i.e., field versus lab studies, research areas, outcomes, and funding sources). Despite a general increase, experiments make up only 2.8% (n = 44) of studies in Criminology and 3.1% (n = 31) of studies in Justice Quarterly. While it is not always clear why experiments are not used more often, we explore the possible reasons for a lack of experimentation (i.e., a lack of mentoring, challenges to practitioner buy in, etc.) and areas for future research.
An Update on Cerebral Oxygenation Monitoring, an Innovative Application in Cardiac Arrest and Neurological Emergencies

The aim of this article is to provide an overview on cerebral near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), now called ‘cerebral oximetry’. We will present an overview of recent abstracts and cerebral oximetry studies and discuss its potential impact on critically ill and injured adult and pediatric patients. We will also discuss the capabilities that certain cerebral oximetry machines have of assessing regional blood flow, similar to pulse oximetry’s peripheral perfusion index (PPI).
Ribosome inhibition by C9ORF72-ALS/FTD-associated poly-PR and poly-GR proteins revealed by cryo-EM [preprint]

Abstract Toxic dipeptide repeat (DPR) proteins are produced from expanded G4C2 hexanucleotide repeats in the C9ORF72 gene, which cause amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD). Two DPR proteins, poly-PR and poly-GR, repress cellular translation but the molecular mechanism remains unknown. Here we show that poly-PR and poly-GR of ≥ 20 repeats inhibit the ribosome’s peptidyl-transferase activity at nanomolar concentrations, comparable to specific translation inhibitors. High-resolution cryo-EM structures reveal that poly-PR and poly-GR block the polypeptide tunnel of the ribosome, extending into the peptidyl-transferase center. Consistent with these findings, the macrolide erythromycin, which binds in the tunnel, competes with the DPR proteins and restores peptidyl-transferase activity. Our results demonstrate that strong and specific binding of poly-PR and poly-GR in the ribosomal tunnel blocks translation, revealing the structural basis of their toxicity in C9ORF72-ALS/FTD.
Investigating Challenges Faced by Learners with Visual Impairments using Block-Based Programming/Hybrid Environments

With an increase in the use of block-based programming environments in k-12 curriculum, the need for accessibility exists in order to serve all students. Accessible block-based systems are in their infancy. Such systems would provide students with visual impairments the opportunity to learn programming and take part in computational thinking activities using the same systems that are found appealing to most sighted learners. However, with the presence of these systems little is known about their long-term use in the educational milieu. As a result, we conducted a survey with twelve teachers of students with visual impairments to learn about the use of these systems in teaching their students and to understand the barriers that students face in the learning process. Our study reveals that only one block-based programming environment is common among teachers and that several challenges exist. These challenges range from limited learners’ preparedness through difficulties editing and navigating code, to ineffective system feedback.
Encouraging inquiry in the digital age: Conducting Authentic Historical Inquiry: Engaging Learners with SOURCES & Emerging Technologies, by Scott Waring & Richard Hartshorne, New York, Teachers College Press, 2020, 194 pp., $37.80 (hardcover), $29.95 (paperback), ISBN: 0807764051

There is no question that amidst an educational landscape with increasing emphasis on critical thinking and student-driven analysis, there is still substantial work to be done to transition the maj...
Testing Black-White disparities in biological aging in older adults in the United States: analysis of DNA-methylation and blood-chemistry methods.

Biological aging is a proposed mechanism through which social determinants drive health disparities. We conducted proof-of-concept testing of eight DNA-methylation and blood-chemistry quantifications of biological aging as mediators of disparities in healthspan between Black and White participants in the 2016 wave of the United States Health and Retirement Study (HRS; n=9005). We quantified biological aging from four DNA-methylation "clocks" (Horvath, Hannum, PhenoAge, and GrimAge), a DNA-methylation Pace of Aging (DunedinPoAm), and three blood-chemistry measures (PhenoAge, Klemera-Doubal method Biological Age, and homeostatic dysregulation). We quantified Black-White disparities in healthspan from cross-sectional and longitudinal data on physical-performance tests, self-reported activities of daily living (ADL) limitations and physician-diagnosed chronic diseases, self-rated health, and survival. DNA-methylation and blood-chemistry quantifications of biological aging were moderately correlated (Pearson-r range 0.1-0.4). GrimAge, DunedinPoAm and all three blood-chemistry measures were associated with healthspan characteristics (e.g. mortality effect-size range HR=1.71-2.32 per SD of biological aging) and showed evidence of more advanced/faster biological aging in Black compared with White participants (Cohen's d=.4-.5). These measures accounted for 13-95% of Black-White differences in healthspan-related characteristics. Findings suggest that reducing disparities in biological aging can contribute to building health equity.
Movement Inhibition and Next Sensory State Prediction in the Basal Ganglia

The basal ganglia (BG) have received increasing attention over the last decade from both experimentalists and computational modelers in an effort to more fully understand their role in motor control. Their suggested role has ranged from motor preparation and facilitation2,18 to initiation21 and program selection7,22 to motor inhibitions51. All these models have the BG more or less directly involved in the control of movements, either by selecting the motor command to be executed, or through the facilitation of a motor command presumably selected by cortical mechanisms. However, researchers have found that patients with diseases of the BG, particularly Huntington’s disease and Parkinson’s disease (PD), do not have significant motor control difficulties when visual input is available12,16,53 but do have problems with specific forms of internally driven sequences of movements20 as well as certain forms of motor memory tasks47,52. This implies that the basal ganglia are less involved in the selection of a single, sensorially shaped motor command, but may instead be involved in assisting cortical planning centers in some fashion as well as provide sequencing information for cross-modal movements, e.g., simultaneous arm reach, hand grasp, head movement and eye movement.
The Martingale Formulation

We have now seen two approaches to the construction of diffusion processes corresponding to given coefficients a and b. Let us quickly recapitulate the essential steps involved in these different methods and see if we cannot extract their common features.
Who Should Get Influenza Vaccine When Not All Can

Rather than thinking only about saving the most lives when considering vaccine rationing strategies, a better approach would be to maximize individuals' life span and opportunity to reach life goals.
Treatment and Consideration of Women’s Issues in Headache

At menarche the incidence of migraine in girls increases. Migraine also changes at other key times in a women’s life: during menses, with the use of oral contraceptive therapy, and with pregnancy, lactation, and menopause. Each of these hormonal milieus is discussed in this chapter with relation to headache. The chapter includes sections on diagnosis of menstrual migraine, followed by discussion of acute, preventive, and miniprevention strategies. The impact and controversies of contraception in female migraineurs are considered, with special discussion on stroke risk. An extensive set of parts on migraine and pregnancy and lactation, with emphasis on practical treatment follows. The chapter ends with clinical pearls on treatment during perimenopause and menopause.
Implementing a real-time knowledge-based controller in a velocity controlled, servo motor control system

The system maintains a constant velocity at the output of a DC servomotor in the presence of unknown parameter variations occurring within the motor. The constant velocity is maintained by use of an expert system which modifies the compensator in real-time. Most expert systems require a relatively long period of time to execute in relation to the process being controlled. An architecture which overcomes this problem has been proposed by J.R. James and L.A. Rapisardia (1988); it uses a digital signal processor (DSP) for real-time control and an IBM AT for the inference engine (CLIPS). The knowledge-based controller uses the hardware setup of James and Rapisardia (1988). The software executing on the DSP board is programmed as a tunable proportional-integral-derivative controller. In addition to real-time control, the real-time processor executes a program module that calculates the standard deviation of the output of the system in real time. >
Economic indicators predict changes in college student optimism for life events

This investigation explored the extent to which an economic recession predicted changes in college students' optimism about the length and quality of their futures. In a cross-sectional design, college students in the United States rated their likelihood of divorcing, being unhappy in their career, and living past age 60, at time points before, during, and in the aftermath of an economic recession (2007–2010). Economic indicators, particularly gas prices, predicted decreased optimism as the indicators worsened. After the recession, however, optimism rebounded. The findings reveal that people's expectations for their personal futures are generally sensitive to the state of the national economy.
Supplemented αMEM/F12-based medium enables the survival and growth of primary ovarian follicles encapsulated in alginate hydrogels

Hydrogel-encapsulating culture systems for ovarian follicles support the in vitro growth of secondary follicles from various species including mouse, non-primate human, and human; however, the growth of early stage follicles (primary and primordial) has been limited. While encapsulation maintains the structure of early stage follicles, feeder cell populations, such as mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs), are required to stimulate growth and development. Hence, in this report, we investigated feeder-free culture environments for early stage follicle development. Mouse ovarian follicles were encapsulated within alginate hydrogels and cultured in various growth medium formulations. Initial studies employed embryonic stem cell medium formulations as a tool to identify factors that influence the survival, growth, and meiotic competence of early stage follicles. The medium formulation that maximized survival and growth was identified as αMEM/F12 supplemented with fetuin, insulin, transferrin, selenium, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This medium stimulated the growth of late primary (average initial diameter of 80 µm) and early secondary (average initial diameter of 90 µm) follicles, which developed antral cavities and increased to terminal diameters exceeding 300 µm in 14 days. Survival ranged from 18% for 80 µm follicles to 36% for 90 µm follicles. Furthermore, 80% of the oocytes from surviving follicles with an initial diameter of 90–100 µm underwent germinal vesicle breakdown (GVBD), and the percentage of metaphase II (MII) eggs was 50%. Follicle/oocyte growth and GVBD/MII rates were not significantly different from MEF co-culture. Survival was reduced relative to MEF co-culture, yet substantially increased relative to the control medium that had been previously used for secondary follicles. Continued development of culture medium could enable mechanistic studies of early stage folliculogenesis and emerging strategies for fertility preservation. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013;110: 3258–3268. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Multidrug Resistance in Fungi

One of the major advances serving to define the beginning of the era of modern medicine was the development of penicillin in the early 1940s as the first widely used antibiotic effective against microorganisms (reviewed in reference [111][1]). In what has become an all-too-common trend, antibiotic-
Assessment of the concordance among 2-tier, 3-tier, and 5-tier fetal heart rate classification systems

Objective In 2008, a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine-sponsored workshop on electronic fetal monitoring recommended a new fetal heart tracing interpretation system. Comparison of this 3-tier system with other systems is lacking. Our purpose was to determine the relationships between fetal heart rate categories for the 3 existing systems. Methods Three Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists reviewed 120 fetal heart rates. All tracings were from term, singleton pregnancies with known umbilical artery pH. The fetal heart rates were classified by a 2-tier, 3-tier, and 5-tier system. Results Each Maternal-Fetal Medicine examiner reviewed 120 fetal heart rate segments. When compared with the 2-tier system, 0%, 54%, and 100% tracings in categories 1, 2, and 3 were "nonreassuring . " There was strong concordance between category 1 and "green" as well as category 3 and "red" tracings. Conclusion The 3-tier and 5-tier systems were similar in fetal heart rate interpretations for tracings that were either very normal or very abnormal. Whether one system is superior to the others in predicting fetal acidemia remains unknown.
Using Edible Coating to Enhance Nutritional and Sensory Qualities of Baby Carrots

ABSTRACT: Xanthan gum coating was used to carry 5% Gluconal Cal, a mixture of calcium lactate and gluconate, and 0.2%α-tocopheral acetate (vitamin E) by weight, respectively. Peeled baby carrots were dipped in the coating solutions, dried, and then stored at 2 °C and 85% relative humidity for up to 3 wk. Calcium and vitamin E contents of the coated samples, per serving (85g), increased from 2.6% to 6.6%, and from 0 to about 67% of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) values respectively. Edible coatings (p < 0.05) improved the desirable surface color of carrots without effects (p < 0.05) on the taste, texture, and fresh aroma and flavor except for a slightly slippery surface. The β-carotene level in the baby carrots (p < 0.05) was not affected by edible coating.
Development of a Behaviorally Based Performance Appraisal System.

This paper describes the development of a behaviorally based performance appraisal system. Blanz and Ghiselli's Mixed Standard Scale was used as the basis for developing the performance appraisal system for assessing the performance of highway patrol personnel. However, the particular developmental procedures described here differ in some respects from those reported in the literature. Rather than developing rating items describing general traits such as “diligence,”“initiative,” or “enthusiasm” in behavioral terms, the items in the present scale were developed to describe proficiency levels of specific job tasks. This characteristic is expected to enhance the objectivity of the evaluation system for both appraisal and job counseling purposes. The appraisal instrument was subjected to a series of reliability and validity tests that demonstrated its high reliability and validity. Although the content of the appraisal sytem desribed here included highway patrol tasks, a similar system could be developed using the procedures described for a wide variety and level of jobs.
Photodissociation of o-Nitrotoluene between 220 and 250 nm in a Uniform Electric Field†

Measurements of the NO product from photodissociation of o-nitrotoluene between 220 and 250 nm were performed using one laser for dissociation and detection. The NO fragment was observed in v‘ ‘ = 0−2 vibrational states with an average vibrational energy of 1760 cm-1. The rotational distributions were non-Boltzmann, with average rotational energies of 2050, 1900, and 460 cm-1 for the v‘ ‘ = 0, 1, and 2 vibrational levels. Although the quantitative results should be treated with caution due to the variation in the dissociation energy inherent to this type of one laser experiment, this work reveals some significant similarities and differences between nitrotoluene and other nitro compounds, such as nitrobenzene. The direction of the transition dipole moment was determined by orienting gas phase molecules with a strong, uniform electric field prior to dissociation with linearly polarized light. For all of the rotational transitions studied, a 46% enhancement in the NO signal was observed when the photolysis ...
Scientists' teaching orientations in the context of teacher professional development

During the past decade science educators have taken steps to identify seminal structures and approaches of science teacher professional development. This literature, which is increasingly informing how and in which contexts professional developers design and implement programs, states that scientists' divergent research interests and knowledge about K-12 science teachers often limit their involvement in these programs. Conversely, concerns persist that there is very little empirical evidence to support these programmatic recommendations made by the science education literature. This embedded case study was bounded by the contextual similarities between seven professional development workshops with the goal of examining the relationship between scientists' views of teachers as professionals and the pedagogical orientations that the scientists used within these professional development contexts. Multiple methods were employed including systematic classroom observation by nine trained observers, as well as analysis of course materials, interviews, and questionnaires. Altogether, the teacher comments and observation data paint a picture of how the instructors implemented specific pedagogical orientations. Participants appear to have realistic views about the practical roles that research scientists can play in professional development. We explore how these findings merit attention and suggest alternatives to current practice and policy. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed93:635–655, 2009
The medical exam as political humiliation.

(2004). The Medical Exam as Political Humiliation. The American Journal of Bioethics: Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 20-20.
Phase Transformation of BeS to the NiAs Structure at High Pressure

Pressure-induced transitions have previously been observed at room temperature in all the alkaline chalcogenides except MgS, MgO, BeS and BeO. This paper reports on studies to 96 GPa on BeS in which a phase transformation from the four-fold zincblende structure occurs at 51 ± 8 GPa to the six-fold nickel arsenide structure, which persists to the highest pressure studied. The equation of state is given.
Critical factors in manufacturing multi-layer tablets—Assessing material attributes, in-process controls, manufacturing process and product performance

Advancement in the fields of material science, analytical methodologies, instrumentation, automation, continuous monitoring, feed forward/feed back control and comprehensive data collection have led to continual improvement of pharmaceutical tablet manufacturing technology, notably the multi-layer tablets. This review highlights the material attributes, formulation design, process parameters that impact the performance, and manufacturability of the multi-layer tablets. It also highlights on critical-to-quality elements that needs to be addressed in the regulatory submission.
Quantum Theory of Electrical Transport in a Magnetic Field. I

The relationship between the quantum theory of electrical transport in the presence of a magnetic field and the corresponding Boltzmann transport equation is established for a simple system. The model consists of noninteracting free electrons being elastically scattered by an arbitrary potential in the presence of uniform electric and magnetic fields. Without the aid of a representation, the exact gauge-dependent Liouville equation for the density operator of this system is transformed into a completely gauge-independent equation satisfied by a new density operator. The new density operator is shown to give the correct current density, using the ordinary gauge-independent free-particle velocity operator. No approximations are made in performing the transformations, and the physical content of the new gauge-independent transport formalism is identical in all respects with that contained in the initial gauge-dependent equations. A new density matrix is defined which is essentially the Fourier sum of the matrix of the gauge-independent density operator. By considering the scattering potential resulting from a set of fixed impurity centers, it is shown that the diagonal elements of this new density matrix satisfy the ordinary time-dependent Boltzmann transport equation in which the spatial gradient term appears explicitly. The possible existence of a spatial variation in the average density of scatterers is also taken into account. The final equation for the quantum-mechanical distribution function represents the result obtained by treating the electric field and the effective scattering potential to the lowest possible order in which they contribute.
The effect of O2 on the NO--CO reaction over Ag--Pd/Al2O3: An in situ infrared study

Abstract The effect of O 2 on the NO–CO reaction over Pd/Al 2 O 3 and Ag–Pd/Al 2 O 3 has been studied by in situ infrared (IR) spectroscopy coupled with the O 2 pulse technique at 373–573 K. Pulsing O 2 into the NO–CO flow at 373 K causes the oxidation of Pd + –NO to gaseous NO 2 over Pd/Al 2 O 3 and the emergence of Pd 0 –NO on Ag–Pd/Al 2 O 3 . The formation of Pd 0 –NO during the O 2 pulse over Ag–Pd/Al 2 O 3 catalyst suggests that (i) O 2 disrupts the Ag overlayers on the Pd surface, allowing the Pd surface to be exposed to NO; and (ii) Ag species is able to keep the Pd surface in reduced state in the presence of O 2 . Increasing the temperature to 573 K does not lead to the formation of Pd + –NO, over Ag–Pd/Al 2 O 3 further supporting the unique ability of Ag to keep Pd in the reduced state under an oxidizing environment. Ag enhances NO oxidation and slow down CO oxidation on Pd/Al 2 O 3 . Adsorbed oxygen on Ag–Pd/Al 2 O 3 exhibits two distinctly different reactivities: (i) a more active adsorbed oxygen reacting with NO, giving a sharp NO 2 response and (ii) a less active species with, respect to NO, oxidizing CO, giving a trailing CO 2 response. Ag is unable to alleviate the negative impact of O 2 on the NO–CO reaction over Pd/Al 2 O 3 . Keeping Pd in the reduced state is not a necessary condition for nullifying the impact of O 2 on the NO–CO reaction.
Mrs. Grundy and Walt Whitman

Describes the short-lived 1865 New York City humor magazine called Mrs. Grundy and presents a hitherto uncollected sketch, "Whitmaniacal," from the August 26 issue.
Inferential backbone assignment for sparse data

This paper develops an approach to protein backbone NMR assignment that effectively assigns large proteins while using limited sets of triple-resonance experiments. Our approach handles proteins with large fractions of missing data and many ambiguous pairs of pseudoresidues, and provides a statistical assessment of confidence in global and position-specific assignments. The approach is tested on an extensive set of experimental and synthetic data of up to 723 residues, with match tolerances of up to 0.5 ppm for \(\hbox{C}^{\upalpha}\) and \(\hbox{C}^{\upbeta}\) resonance types. The tests show that the approach is particularly helpful when data contain experimental noise and require large match tolerances. The keys to the approach are an empirical Bayesian probability model that rigorously accounts for uncertainty in the data at all stages in the analysis, and a hybrid stochastic tree-based search algorithm that effectively explores the large space of possible assignments.
Erratum to ¿Bounds and estimates for elastic constants of random polycrystals of laminates¿ [Int. J. Solids Struct. 42 (2005) 3730¿3743]

This formula was published as (17) in the paper and is correct. However, the self-consistent formula for shear modulus requires a bit more work. The reason for this is that the formula given for the bounds in Eq. (15) has already made use of a constraint equation that is only true along the bounding curve defining the upper and lower bounds on shear modulus. Since the self-consistent estimate normally lies off this curve, a more general result must be employed when deriving the self-consistent formula. When this inappropriate constraint is replaced by the correct general formula and then the formula for self-consistent bulk modulus (noted above) is substituted, we then find the self-consistent formula that replaces (19) for shear modulus in the published paper is given instead by
The Nonnormative Celebrity Body and the Meritocracy of the Star System: Constructing Peter Dinklage in Entertainment Journalism:

Examining the coverage of Peter Dinklage in entertainment journalism, this article interrogates the possibilities and limitations of a celebrity with a nonnormative body to actually challenge Holly...
Theory for sound propagation in chemically reacting systems in the presence of thermodynamic couplings

Abstract Based upon the principles of irreversible thermodynamics, a general theory is formulated for sound propagation in chemically reacting systems, in the presence of thermodynamic couplings. This theory serves as the basis for determining (or verifying) physical properties of the system by sound propagation measurements, as suggested by Maynard [1].
Risk/benefit ratios in the management of gynecologic cancer.

While earlier diagnosis and better treatment have produced improved results in gynecologic cancer, diagnostic techniques and therapeutic regimens should be evaluated not just by tumor remissions or five-year cures but also by whether simpler methods might be equally effective, at lower cost, with less disability, with a shorter hospital stay, and with less disturbance to the patient and her family. The objectives of treatment should be to achieve the maximum in tumor cure with the lowest level of complications. Because of deaths from injuries related to overtreatment, less invasive and less toxic therapy may at times prove more effective than more radical treatment.
Compulsory Voting, Invalid Ballots, and Abstention in Brazil:

This paper explores the determinants of invalid ballots and abstention in the world's largest electorate subject to compulsory voting. Previous analysts have seen blank and spoiled ballots either a...
Sex differences in opioid antinociception in rhesus monkeys: antagonism of fentanyl and U50,488 by quadazocine.

Abstract Sex differences have been observed in the antinociceptive effects of opioids in rodents and rhesus monkeys. Sex differences in the affinity of opioid ligands for opioid receptors may contribute to these findings. To test this hypothesis, the relative affinity of the competitive opioid antagonist quadazocine for μ and κ opioid receptors was determined in rhesus monkeys using in vivo pA 2 analysis. The antinociceptive effects of the μ opioid agonist fentanyl and the κ opioid agonist U50,488 were determined alone and after pretreatment with quadazocine in 4 females and 4 males using a warm-water tail-withdrawal assay of thermal nociception. The relative potency of quadazocine antagonism of fentanyl and U50,488 in females and males was used to assess sex differences in the relative affinity of quadazocine for μ and κ receptors. Fentanyl was equipotent in female and male monkeys, and quadazocine was equipotent as an antagonist of fentanyl in females and males. In contrast, U50,488 was significantly less potent in females, and quadazocine was less potent as an antagonist of U50,488 in females. These findings suggest that opioid ligands have similar affinity for μ receptors but lower affinity for at least some κ receptors in female than in male rhesus monkeys. © 2002 by the American Pain Society
Big data for security: challenges, opportunities, and examples

This is the age of big data. Enterprises collect large amounts of data about their operations and analyze the data to improve all aspects of their businesses. Big data for security, i.e., the analysis of very large enterprise data sets to identify actionable security information and hence to improve enterprise security, however, is a relatively unexplored area. Enterprises routinely collect terabytes of security relevant data, e.g., network logs and application logs, for several reasons such as availability of cheap storage and need for regulatory compliance and post hoc forensic analysis. But we face a situation where more is less; the more data we collect, the less is our ability to derive actionable information from the data. Our research group is trying to move toward a scenario where more is more; we aim to design and implement algorithms and systems to identify security relevant information from large enterprise datasets. The more data we collect, the more value we derive from the data. Our approach opens up new opportunities by combining data from multiple sources in an enterprise and from multiple enterprises. We, however, face many challenges, e.g., legal, privacy, and technical issues regarding scalable data collection and storage and scalable analytics platforms for security. Our group is currently focusing on several big data problems. In this talk, we will briefly describe the problems and then focus on one example - scalable and reliable identification of infected hosts in an enterprise network and of malicious domains visited by the enterprise's hosts. We model the identification problem as an inference problem over very large graphs derived from enterprise datasets. We will describe our experience of applying the inference approach to datasets collected from multiple enterprises worldwide.
Temperature Reactions in Dogs to Inoculation with Ferret Passage Distemper Virus

ConclusionsFerret-passage distemper virus of 54 serial transfers, upon injection into young dogs, induced a mild infection with a biphasic temperature reaction similar to that observed in natural distemper infections. No difference in temperature reactions was observed in groups of dogs injected with 2.5 mg and with 15 mg of the ferret-passage virus. Similar mild reactions were observed following the injection of virus of 63 ferret passages. The dose of 2.5 mg produced temperature reactions which were biphasic in character. The 15-mg dose of this virus tended to produce an exaggerated initial fever which gradually declined without the production of a second rise in temperature.
COP1 – from plant photomorphogenesis to mammalian tumorigenesis

The COP1 (constitutive photomorphogenic 1) protein, comprising RING finger, coiled-coil and WD40 domains, is conserved in both higher plants and vertebrates. In plants, COP1 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase to repress light signaling by targeting photoreceptors and downstream transcription factors for ubiquitylation and degradation. The activity of COP1 in plant cells correlates with its cytoplasmic and nuclear partitioning according to dark or light conditions. In addition, various signaling molecules have been shown to directly interact with COP1 and modulate its activity. Recently, scientists have begun to probe the function and regulation of COP1 in mammalian systems. Initial studies have pointed at possible roles for mammalian COP1 in tumorigenesis and the stress response through regulating the activities of p53 and c-Jun.
Effect of resection margins on the recurrence of Crohn's disease in the small bowel. A randomized controlled trial.

Objective The authors assess the effect of surgical margin width on recurrence rates after intestinal resection for Crohn's Disease (CD). Background The optimal width of margins when resecting CD of the small bowel is controversial. Most studies have been retrospective and have had conflicting results. Methods Patients undergoing ileocolic resection for CD (N = 152) were randomly assigned to two groups in which the proximal line of resection was 2 cm (limited resection) or 12 cm (extended resection) from the macroscopically involved area. Patients also were classified by whether the margin of resection was microscopically normal (category 1), contained nonspecific changes (category 2), were suggestive but not diagnostic for CD (category 3), or were diagnostic for CD (category 4). Recurrence was defined as reoperation for recurrent preanastomotic disease. Results Data were collected on 131 patients. Median follow-up time was 55.7 months. Disease recurred in 29 patients : 25% of patients in the limited resection group and 18% of patients in the extended resection group. In the 90 patients in category 1 with normal tissue, recurrence occurred in 16, whereas in the 41 patients with some degree of microscopic involvement, recurrence occurred in 13. Recurrence rates were 36% in category 2, 39% in category 3, and 21% in category 4. No group differences were statistically significant at the 0.01 level. Conclusion Recurrence of CD is unaffected by the width of the margin of resection from macroscopically involved bowel. Recurrence rates also do not increase when microscopic CD is present at the resection margins. Therefore, extensive resection margins are unnecessary.
Is there a need for another sleep journal

Objectives: A new sleep journal, Behavioral Sleep Medicine (BSM), will publish its first issue shortly. This journal is interested in the application of behavioral/cognitive science to the study of normal and disordered sleep. I review the historical background leading to the creation of this journal and then focus on the justification for starting this journal. Methods: The justification is mainly based on the availability and distribution of behavioral sleep medicine (bsm) research. We conducted a content analysis of sleep and nonsleep journals. Results: We found that 17% of articles published in mainstream sleep journals relate to bsm. Most (75%) of the bsm literature is distributed among a large number of nonsleep journals, detracting from the visibility of bsm. Conclusion: BSM is needed to provide a focal point for this large but dispersed literature. Those who prize the field of bsm covet the aspiration that the journal will serve as a beacon stimulating clinical interest and scientific progress in this area.
Impatient traders or contingent reciprocators? Evidence for the extended time-course of grooming exchanges in baboons

The scarcity of evidence for contingent reciprocity has led to a growing interest in how market forces shape the distribution of exchanges in animal groups. In a biological market, supply and demand determines the value of an exchange, and individuals choose to trade with the partner offering the highest value. Partners maximize their immediate benefits without the need to monitor the balance of their exchange over time. Applied to grooming exchanges in primate groups, a market model predicts that females will primarily balance the amount of grooming they trade within single bouts, particularly when all partners offer similar value. If some partners can offer other benefits, like reduced aggression, females may exchange grooming for those benefits. In such cases, grooming will not be evenly balanced within bouts. Here, we examine the patterning of grooming in a group of free-ranging olive baboons ( Papio anubis ). In contrast to predictions derived from a biological market model, two-thirds of all grooming bouts in this group were completely one-sided and females did not consistently provide more grooming to higher-ranking partners. Grooming was more evenly balanced across multiple bouts than within single bouts, suggesting that females are not constrained to complete exchanges within single transactions.
Medial hypothalamic lesions and play fighting in juvenile rats

Abstract The effects of medial preoptic area (MPOA), anterior hypothalamic (AH) and ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesions on play fighting were studied in juvenile rats that were housed and observed in heterosexual groups of 6–8 animals. Overall males engaged in play fighting more frequently than females and mone of the lesions reliably affected this measure. Males also initiated more play fights. AH and VMH lesions reduced the frequency of play initiation in both sexes, but MPOA lesions had no reliable effect in either sex.
Folliculogenesis in the bovine

Abstract During the follicular phase of the estrous cycle in the cow, there is a rapid turnover in large (ovulatory size) follicles with the ovulatory follicle being identifiable by size not more than 3 days prior to estrus. Characteristics of the ovulatory follicle have been described in terms of steroid production and, to a lesser extent, gonadotropin receptors. It remains yet to be determined which factors permit development of these characteristics rather than leading to the onset of atresia.
Determination of earthquake parameters

Improved seismic data and computer facilities have made dramatic progress possible in the computational techniques of earthquake location and the quantification of earthquakes. Some of the more proven techniques may well be ready for application in the routine reporting of earthquake parameters. Earthquake parameters serve as an important data base for the generalists and synthesizers in seismology and as an initial starting point for the applied theoreticians. The routine determination and reporting of source properties, for example, could make possible a new level of understanding in many seismological studies that would parallel the use of routinely reported earthquake locations to define boundaries of tectonic plates worldwide. These advances are made possible now through the availability of digitally recorded seismic data and of computer programs for interactive analysis that permit more rapid and efficient estimation of earthquake parameters.
Semigroup theory and numerical approximation for equations in linear viscoelasticity

A class of abstract integrodifferential equations used to model linear viscoelastic beams is investigated analytically, applying a Hilbert-space approach. The basic equation is rewritten as a Cauchy problem, and its well-posedness is demonstrated. Finite-dimensional subspaces of the state space and an estimate of the state operator are obtained; approximation schemes for the equations are constructed; and the convergence is proved using the Trotter-Kato theorem of linear semigroup theory. The actual convergence behavior of different approximations is demonstrated in numerical computations, and the results are presented in tables.
Program schemata and the first-order decision problem

In [7] Manna reduces certain decision problems for program schemata to the problem of determining whether or not a first-order formula is satisfiable. Here we give an improved construction, which yields new positive results and suggests a method that may be useful in further investigations.
Activation of the ATR pathway by human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr involves its direct binding to chromatin in vivo.

ABSTRACT The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) protein Vpr (viral protein R) arrests cells in the G2 phase of the cell cycle, a process that requires activation of the ATR (ataxia-telangiectasia and Rad3-related) pathway. In this study we demonstrate that the expression of Vpr does not cause DNA double-strand breaks but rather induces ATR activation, as indicated by induction of Chk1 phosphorylation and the formation of γ-H2AX and 53BP1 nuclear foci. We define a C-terminal domain containing repeated H(F/S)RIG sequences required for Vpr-induced activation of ATR. Further investigation of the mechanism by which Vpr activates the ATR pathway reveals an increase in chromatin binding of replication protein A (RPA) upon Vpr expression. Immunostaining shows that RPA localizes to nuclear foci in Vpr-expressing cells. Furthermore, we demonstrate direct binding of Vpr to chromatin in vivo, whereas Vpr C-terminal domain mutants lose this chromatin-binding activity. These data support a mechanism whereby HIV-1 Vpr induces ATR activation by targeting the host cell DNA and probably interfering with normal DNA replication.
Geomorphic and hydraulic evolution of tidal creeks on a subsiding beach ridge plain, North Inlet, S.C.

Abstract We describe stratigraphic and geomorphic features of a small marsh basin that is in an early stage of evolution under conditions of slow submergence. These features suggest that the tidal creek draining this basin was originally a freshwater stream that has gradually adjusted its hydraulic geometry to an increasing volume of tidal discharge imposed by submergence. A generalized model of the evolution of hydraulic geometry in response to submergence is presented as a complement to the classical Mudge—Davis model of marsh evolution.
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act

Abstract On October 12, 1998, the U.S. Congress passed the controversial Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), ending many months of negotiations. President Clinton signed the Act into law on October 28. The DMCA made major changes in U.S. copyright law to address new issues created by the Internet and other new technologies. The Act also amended U.S. copyright law to comply with the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty adopted at the WIPO Diplomatic Conference in December 1996.
Differential Allelic Expression of Dopamine D1 Receptor Gene (DRD1) Is Modulated by microRNA miR-504

Background Previously, we not only reported that dopamine D1 receptor gene (DRD1) is associated with nicotine dependence (ND), but demonstrated that two alleles (A and G) of polymorphism rs686 in the 3′-untranslated region (3′UTR) of DRD1 are expressed differentially. However, the mechanism underlying the differential expression remains to be determined. We hypothesize that it is caused by miRNA targeting.
Advances in sapphire-fiber-based intrinsic interferometric sensors

We present recent advances in the development of a sapphire-fiber-based interferometric sensor. The dependence of the fringe contrast of the sensor output on the quality of the silica-to-sapphire fiber splice is investigated. Sensor performance has been improved by optimizing both the sensor geometry and its method of fabrication. This sensor was demonstrated for the measurement temperature above 1510°C, and a resolution of 0.1°C has been obtained.
Calcium deprivation increases NaCl intake of Fischer-344 rats.

Abstract Fischer-344 rats fed Ca 2+ -deficient diet for 63 days increased intake of 0.3 M NaCl solution from control levels of ∼8 ml/day to >60 ml/day. During the same period, rats fed Na + -deficient diet drank ∼11 ml/day. These results indicate that Fischer-344 rats, which generally spurn NaCl, drink large amounts of it when Ca 2+ deprived.
What are the challenges and solutions for parallel processing in EDA applications

EDA applications, some of the most complex and compute intensive software applications ever written, need to aggressively pursue parallel processing in order to continue to improve performance and allow the design and verification of the coming generations of complex integrated circuits. In the past, the frequency scaling of general purpose microprocessors allowed EDA applications to get the performance improvements they needed essentially for free. However, in 2004, with the cancellation of some high profile microprocessor projects, frequency scaling was brought to a virtual halt. The power consumption of the frequency scaled designs was too great. P = C A (V^2) A F. Voltage could not be scaled down enough to offset the power needed to increase frequency any further. Going forward we will not see any major increase in the frequency of general purpose microprocessors. Instead we are seeing the vast real estate on smaller geometry chips being used to place multiple processors on a single chip.