cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Nucleotidylylation of Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Regulatory Protein α22 by Human Casein Kinase II

The products of the alpha genes of herpes simplex virus 1, the infected cells proteins (ICP) 0, 4, 22, and 27 perform regulatory functions, are nucleotidylylated, and share the signaling or recognition sequence (RR(A/T)(P/S)R) that correctly predicted the nucleotidylylation of viral proteins encoded by UL21, UL31, UL49, and UL47 genes expressed later in infection. Extracts from uninfected HeLa cells or casein kinase II purified from sea star nucleotidylylated the ICP22 moiety of a glutathione S-transferase-ICP22 (GST22P) fusion protein with [alpha-32P]ATP or [2-3H]ATP. We report that: (i) Purified HeLa cell casein kinase II specifically labeled a glutathione S-transferase fusion protein containing the amino-terminal 151 amino acids of ICP22 with [2-3H]ATP. (ii) Nucleotidylylation of GST-ICP22 by purified enzyme exhibited positive cooperativity (Hill coefficient of 2 and a K' of 3.7 microM) and a Km = 37.7 microM for ATP. (iii) Nucleotidylylation was inhibited by heparin, casein, or ATPalphaS but not by ATPgammaS. (iv) Mutation of the signaling sequence from RRAPRR to LKAPEK abolished nucleotidylylation. We conclude that nucleotidylylation of proteins by casein kinase II requires the presence of the signaling or recognition sequence, involves the cleavage of the phosphodiester bond between the alpha and beta phosphate, and need not be preceded by phosphorylation.
Unconventional missile concepts from consideration of varied mission requirements

Missile concepts for volumetric efficiency, minimum carriage constraints, and aerodynamic performance to achieve mission requirements. The mission requirements considered include air to surface roles such as defense suppression or antishipping where payload and range may have priority over high maneuver capability, and air to air and surface to air roles paying attention to good maneuvering capability. The concepts are intended to provide for ease of storage or carriage. The concepts include monoplanes with highly swept, thick delta wings, highly swept delta wings mounted either high or low on a semicircular body, some ring wing and semiring wing arrangements, parasol wing, and elliptical lifting bodies. The missile configurations indicate possible approaches toward resolving problems of carriage and storage while retaining good volumetric and aerodynamic efficiency. The configurations can accomplish a variety of possible missions with relatively simple vehicle shapes.
Learning, menopause, and the human adaptive complex

This paper presents a new two-sex learning- and skills-based theory for the evolution of human menopause. The theory proposes that the role of knowledge, skill acquisition, and transfers in determining economic productivity and resource distribution is the distinctive feature of the traditional human ecology that is responsible for the evolution of menopause. The theory also proposes that male reproductive cessation and post-reproductive investment in descendants is a fundamental characteristic of humans living in traditional foraging and simple horticultural economies. We present evidence relevant to the theory. The data show that whereas reproductive decline is linked to increasing risks of mortality in chimpanzees, human reproductive senescence precedes somatic senescence. Moreover under traditional conditions, most human males undergo reproductive cessation at the same time as their wives. We then present evidence that after ceasing to reproduce, both men and women provide net economic transfers to children and grandchildren. Given this pattern of economic productivity, delays in menopause would produce net economic deficits within families.
The ability of the DETERMINE checklist to predict continued community-dwelling in rural, white women.

This study evaluated the ability of the DETERMINE check- list to predict continued community-dwelling in rural elderly women. Using a stratified random sample (N = 249) of white women aged 65-94, in-home interviews were completed at baseline and a telephone interview at 3 years. Overall higher total DETERMINE checklist scores negatively predicted continued community-dwelling (p = 0.0005). Lower risk scores indicated continued community-dwelling, while mid-range scores were inconclusive. Regression analysis for each age bracket showed that total DETERMINE checklist scores was most predictive of those aged 75-84 (p = 0.0037). The DETERMINE checklist may be a useful tool to identify those with increased risk of losing independence. doi:10.1300/J052v25n03_04 (Ar- ticle copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website: © 2006 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Improving electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of high density polyethylene through incorporation of paraffin wax coated exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets and multi-wall carbon nano-tubes

Abstract High Density Polyethylene (HDPE) based nanocomposites are reinforced by exfoliated graphene nanoplatelets, GNP, and multi-wall carbon nano-tubes, MWCNT, through melt extrusion and injection molding in this study. Low molecular weight paraffin wax was selected as a coating on the surface of GNP and MWCNT to improve their dispersion in HDPE. Wax coated GNP and MWCNT were fabricated by mixing wax with GNP and MWCNT in hot xylene and followed with the solvent evaporation and vacuum drying. It was found that wax coated GNP and MWCNT are much more efficient than the uncoated ones in improving the electrical conductivity and the flexural properties of HDPE nanocomposites. Morphology characterization verified that the dispersion of GNP and MWCNT in the polymer matrix was significantly enhanced by this wax coating method which was responsible for the better electrical and mechanical properties in the resulting nanocomposites.
Study of various strain energy distribution in InGaN/GaN multiple quantum wells

The formation of In-rich quantum dot structures will induce strain energy in the quantum well layer, forming the clusters and stacking faults influencing the optical properties. Our results showed different QW widths with the formation of various In-rich quantum dot structures and different levels of strain energy. Upon thermal annealing, energy relaxation resulted in the reshaping of quantum dots and hence the changes of optical properties. The results of temperature variations of PL spectral peak, integrated PL intensity and PL decay time showed consistent trends in varying strain energy distribution.
New dual mode gadolinium nanoparticle contrast agent for magnetic resonance imaging.

Background Liposomal-based gadolinium (Gd) nanoparticles have elicited significant interest for use as blood pool and molecular magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) contrast agents. Previous generations of liposomal MR agents contained gadolinium-chelates either within the interior of liposomes (core-encapsulated gadolinium liposomes) or presented on the surface of liposomes (surface-conjugated gadolinium liposomes). We hypothesized that a liposomal agent that contained both core-encapsulated gadolinium and surface-conjugated gadolinium, defined herein as dual-mode gadolinium (Dual-Gd) liposomes, would result in a significant improvement in nanoparticle-based T1 relaxivity over the previous generations of liposomal agents. In this study, we have developed and tested, both in vitro and in vivo, such a dual-mode liposomal-based gadolinium contrast agent.
Servant Leadership, Hope, and Organizational Virtuousness: A Framework Exploring Positive Micro and Macro Behaviors and Performance Impact:

This article proposes a framework for bridging servant leadership with the positive psychology field. In the framework, servant leadership facilitates both micro- and macro-positive behaviors in in...
Specific Film Thickness—A Closer Examination of the Effects of EHL Film Thickness and Surface Roughness on Bearing Fatigue

Analysis of literature bearing-fatigue life results shows that fatigue life is not a simple function of the widely accepted specific film thickness, λ, which is the ratio of the EHL film thickness h to composite surface roughness [sgrave]. Instead, the influence of film thickness on bearing life increases with increasing surface roughness; at about 0.20 micrometer (8 microinch) composite roughness life increases with the square root of h while at about 0.46 micrometer (18 microinches) life increases with h squared. The negative effect of surface roughness on bearing life appears to be relatively independent of film thickness. This suggests that surface roughness affects fatigue life by some mechanism in addition to the degree of interaction of asperities through an intervening EHL film. Additional test results are needed to confirm this point. Presented as an American Society of Lubrication Engineers paper at the ASME/ASLE Lubrication Conference in San Francisco, California, August 18–21, 1980.
An RF Signal Processing Based Diversity Scheme for MIMO-OFDM Systems

This paper proposes a diversity scheme for Multi-Input Multi-Output Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (MIMO-OFDM) based on Radio Frequency (RF) signal processing. Although a 2×2 MIMO-OFDM system can double the capacity without expanding the occupied frequency bandwidth, we cannot get additional diversity gain using the linear MIMO decomposition method. The proposed method improves the bit error rate (BER) performance by making efficient use of RF signal processing. Computer simulation results show that the proposed scheme gives additional diversity gain.
Splenic Artery Embolization for the Treatment of Bleeding Gastric Varices Secondary to Splenic Vein Thrombosis

Splenic vein thrombosis can lead to gastric varices. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal bleeding may ensue related to the change in venous outflow to the portal system. Vascular surgeons are infrequently asked to assist in the management of this entity. However, with many vascular surgeons providing diverse endovascular-based interventions, understanding catheter-based solutions is imperative. This report presents a case in which arterial embolization was used to treat gastric variceal bleeding.
The crystalline nanocluster phase as a medium for structural and spectroscopic studies of light absorption of photosensitizer dyes on semiconductor surfaces.

The crystalline nanocluster phase, in which nanoscale metal oxide clusters are self-assembled in three-dimensional periodic arrays, is described. The crystalline assembly of nanoparticles functionalized with technologically relevant ligands offers the opportunity to obtain unambiguous structural information that can be combined with theoretical calculations based on the known geometry and used to interpret spectroscopic and other information. A series of Ti/O clusters up to ∼2.0 nm in diameter have been synthesized and functionalized with the adsorbents catechol and isonicotinic acid. Whereas the isonicotinate is always adsorbed in a bridging monodentate mode, four different adsorption modes of catechol have been identified. The particles show a significantly larger variation of the Ti−O distances than observed in the known TiO2 phases and exhibit both sevenfold overcoordination and five- and fourfold undercoordination of the Ti atoms. Theoretical calculations show only a moderate dependence of the catech...
A mediterranean model of democracy? The Southern European democracies in comparative perspective

The four Southern European democracies ‐ Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece ‐ have a number of important cultural, social, economic, and historical characteristics in common, and their political systems are also often seen as similar, representing a ‘Mediterranean model of democracy’. However, when these four democratic regimes are compared with the world's other democracies in terms of the contrasting majoritarian and consensus models, they turn out not to form a distinctive and cohesive cluster. The concluding section suggests several explanations for this unexpected finding.
ER to Golgi Transport: Requirement for P115 at a Pre-Golgi Vtc Stage

The membrane transport factor p115 functions in the secretory pathway of mammalian cells. Using biochemical and morphological approaches, we show that p115 participates in the assembly and maintenance of normal Golgi structure and is required for ER to Golgi traffic at a pre-Golgi stage. Injection of antibodies against p115 into intact WIF-B cells caused Golgi disruption and inhibited Golgi complex reassembly after BFA treatment and wash-out. Addition of anti–p115 antibodies or depletion of p115 from a VSVtsO45 based semi-intact cell transport assay inhibited transport. The inhibition occurred after VSV glycoprotein (VSV-G) exit from the ER but before its delivery to the Golgi complex, and resulted in VSV-G protein accumulating in peripheral vesicular tubular clusters (VTCs). The p115-requiring step of transport followed the rab1-requiring step and preceded the Ca2+-requiring step. Unexpectedly, mannosidase I redistributed from the Golgi complex to colocalize with VSV-G protein arrested in pre-Golgi VTCs by p115 depletion. Redistribution of mannosidase I was also observed in cells incubated at 15°C. Our data show that p115 is essential for the translocation of pre-Golgi VTCs from peripheral sites to the Golgi stack. This defines a previously uncharacterized function for p115 at the VTC stage of ER to Golgi traffic.
Surfactant templated assembly of hexagonal mesostructured semiconductors based on [Ge4Q10]4- (Q=S, Se) and Pd2+ and Pt2+ ions

Abstract : Mesostructured semiconducting non-oxidic materials were prepared by linking Ge4Q10(4-)(Q=S, Se) clusters with the square planar noble metal cations of Pd(2+) and Pt(2+) in the presence of cetylpyridinium surfactant molecules. The use of Pt(2+) afforded materials with exceptionally high hexagonal pore order similar to those of high quality silica MCM-41. These materials are semiconductors with energy band gap in the range 1.8 < E(sub g) < 2.5 eV.
Possibilities for beam stripping solutions at a rare isotope accelerator (RIA)

As part of the DOE RIA R&D effort we investigated the possibilities and problems of beam strippers in the different heavy ion accelerator components of a possible Rare Isotope Accelerator (RIA) facility. We focused on two beam stripping positions in the RIA heavy ion driver where benchmark currents of up to 5 particle μA 238-U were projected at energies of 10.5 MeV/u and 85 MeV/u respectively. In order to select feasible stripper materials, data from experiments with Uranium beams at Texas A&M and GSI were evaluated. Based on these results thermal estimates for a possible design were calculated and cooling simulations with commercially available software performed. Additionally, we performed simulations with the GEANT4 code on evaluating the radiation environment for our beam stripping solution at the 85 MeV/u position in the RIA driver.
Solubility and near-equilibrium dissolution rates of quartz in dilute NaCl solutions at 398-473 K under alkaline conditions

Abstract The dissolution–precipitation of quartz controls porosity and permeability in many lithologies and may be the best studied mineral-water reaction. However, the rate of quartz-water reaction is relatively well characterized far from equilibrium but relatively unexplored near equilibrium. We present kinetic data for quartz as equilibrium is approached from undersaturation and more limited data on the approach from supersaturated conditions in 0.1 molal NaCl + NaOH + NaSiO(OH)3 solutions with pH 8.2–9.7 at 398, 423, 448, and 473 K. We employed a potentiometric technique that allows precise determination of solution speciation within 2 kJ mol−1 of equilibrium without the need for to perturb the system through physical sampling and chemical analysis. Slightly higher equilibrium solubilities between 423 and 473 K were found than reported in recent compilations. Apparent activation energies of 29 and 37 kJ mol−1 are inferred for rates of dissolution at two surface sites with different values of connectedness: dissolution at Q1 or Q2 silicon sites, respectively. The dissolution mechanism varies with ΔG such that reactions at both sites control dissolution up until a critical free energy value above which only reactions at Q1 sites are important. When our near-equilibrium dissolution rates are extrapolated far from equilibrium, they agree within propagated uncertainty at 398 K with a recently published model by Bickmore et al. (2008) . However, our extrapolated rates become progressively slower than model predictions with increasing temperature. Furthermore, we see no dependence of the postulated Q1 reaction rate on pH, and a poorly-constrained pH dependence of the postulated Q2 rate. Our slow extrapolated rates are presumably related to the increasing contribution of dissolution at Q3 sites far from equilibrium. The use of the potentiometric technique for rate measurement will yield both rate data and insights into the mechanisms of dissolution over a range of chemical affinity. Such measurements are needed to model the evolution of many natural systems quantitatively.
A study of factors involved in the development of the exteroceptive release of prolactin in the lactating rat

Abstract Thirty minutes of suckling after 8 hr of isolation of mother and pups induced a significant fall in the prolactin concentration of the primiparous mother's pituitary on postpartum Day 7. Thirty minutes of exposure without contact of the mother to her pups, however, did not alter the pituitary prolactin concentration from that found for nonexposed controls, whereas both suckling and exposure to their pups were effective in lowering prolactin concentration on postpartum Day 7 in rats undergoing their second lactation. Pituitary prolactin was reduced significantly in primiparous mothers on postpartum Day 7 after suckling or exposure to cross-fostered pups which were 13–14 days of age (inserted when 7–8 days old on postpartum Day 2). No reduction occurred on postpartum Day 7 when primiparous mothers were exposed to 14-day-old pups instead of their own 7-day-old pups. Exposure of primiparous lactating rats on postpartum Day 14 to their own pups for 30 min resulted in a significant fall in pituitary prolactin concentration in comparison to nonexposed controls. A fall in prolactin also occurred after 30 min of exposure to either live or recently killed 14-day-old pups from other mothers but not in response to 7–8- or to 20–21-day-old live pups. The fall in prolactin stores induced by exteroceptive stimulation was not discernibly associated with any qualitative aspect of the mothers' behavior, with the duration of the mothers' behavior or with the activity of the pups. The duration of the mothers' behavior, however, appeared to be directly correlated with the extent of the pups' activity. Our data suggest that the suckling stimulus constitutes the inherent (and primary) means of effecting prolactin release in the primiparous rat in early lactation, but from postpartum Day 7 to 14 the suckling stimulus becomes conditioned by stimuli emanating from the pups and associated with suckling to where the associative exteroceptive stimuli alone can effect the release of prolactin. The relationship of various factors to the onset of function of the exteroceptive mechanism is discussed.
Malingering in the Medical Setting

Malingering of mental illness has been studied extensively; however, malingered medical illness has been examined much less avidly. While in theory any ailment can be fabricated or self-induced, pain—including lower back pain, cervical pain, and fibromyalgia-and cognitive deficits associated with mild head trauma or toxic exposure are feigned most frequently, especially in situations where there are financial incentives to malinger. Structured assessments have been developed to help detect both types of malingering; however, in daily practice, the physician should generally suspect malingering when there are tangible incentives and when reported symptoms do not match the physical examination or no organic basis for the physical complaints is found.
Studies and Comments on Ancient Egyptian Biological Relationships

This discussion seeks to evaluate some of the previous writings on the biological origins of the northern Nile valley population or peoples, who came to be known as “ancient Egyptians.” The subject is of interest for three reasons. The first is that Egypt lies at a geographical crossroads and would have been subject to possible colonization or migration from all directions. The second is that Egypt is in Africa and there is no scientific reason to think that Egyptians would not share some biological origins with other Africans. The third reason is that previous discussions have been misguided in focusing on “race” as opposed to biological affinity. There seems to be a problem in understanding that human genetic variation cannot always be easily described. Genetic origins can cut across ethnic (sociocultural or national) lines. At what village along the Nile valley today would one describe the “racial” transition between “Black” and “White”—assuming momentarily that these categories are real? It could not be done.
Web 2.0 Technologies: Student Contributions to Online Courses

Web 2.0 is everywhere in modern society, and it is drastically changing the ways in which teachers teach and students learn. This study examines Web 2.0 technologies with a focus on the tools students used for interaction and content contributions in their online courses. Frequency analysis and chi-square tests indicate students most used email in their online courses. Significant differences were revealed for gender and class standing for specific Web 2.0 technologies uses including tools used for interaction. An analysis of the qualitative data finds students want more video and increased interaction in their online courses. The study supports previous literature and discusses implications of the findings.
After The Master Settlement Agreement: Targeting And Exposure Of Youth To Magazine Tobacco Advertising

Targeting and exposure of youth to magazine advertising of tobacco products is associated with increased smoking initiation. National magazine advertising and youth exposure declined in the period following the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA). However, tobacco companies continued targeting youth with brands that were popular among them through magazine advertising and placement of ads in magazines with high youth readership. Existing restrictions, followed by enforcement through litigation, have achieved a marked reduction in overall magazine advertising but may be less adequate compared with pending federal legislation to fully protect youth from the marketing of tobacco products designed to appeal to them.
Control of epidemics by vaccination

This paper investigates the problem of controlling epidemics through different vaccination strategies. A simple constant vaccination rate is considered initially, followed by a more elaborate model, incorporating realistic delay effects. Recent results on optimal impulsive control for delay systems are used to determine a pulse vaccination strategy for controlling the epidemic spread of a disease. It is shown that the optimal strategy is not necessarily periodic.
A fuzzy C-medians variant for the generation of fuzzy term sets

A fuzzy c-medians variant is proposed for the generation of fuzzy term sets with one half overlap. The proposed variant is modified from the original algorithm mainly in two areas. The first modification ensures that two end terms take the maximum and minimum domain values as their centers. The second modification prevents the generation of non-convex fuzzy terms that often are obtained by the original algorithm. The optimal number of terms and the optimal shape of membership function associated with each term are determined based on the mean squared error criterion. The exponential weight, m, used in the algorithm is found to greatly affect the shape of membership function. The effect of data size used for the generation of fuzzy terms is also discussed. A generalized s-shaped function with a tunable parameter along with its complement (i.e., a generalized z-shaped function with a tunable parameter) is developed to fit all term sets generated by the fuzzy c-medians variant using various m values. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the segmentation of touching characters

In many OCR systems, character segmentation is a necessary preprocessing step for character recognition. It is a critical step because incorrectly segmented characters are not likely to be correctly recognized. The most difficult cases in character segmentation are broken characters and touching characters. The problem of segmenting touching characters in various fonts and size in machine-printed text is addressed. The author classifies the touching characters into five categories: touching characters in fixed-pitch fonts, proportional and serif fonts, ambiguous touching characters, and strings with broken and touching characters. Different methods for detecting multiple character segments and for segmenting touching characters in these categories are developed. The methods use features of characters and fonts and profile models. >
An Abnormal Calcium Uptake Pump in Chediak‐Higashi Neutrophil Lysosomes

drome (CHS), we examined ATP-dependent calcium uptake in neutrophil lysosomes from the beige mouse model of CHS. We present findings Indicating that CHS lysosomes have an enhanced capacity for ATP-dependent calcium uptake relative to control iysosomes. Kinetic analysis showed differences in Vm.x and in the Km for both ATP and calcium, suggesting that both the number of lysosomal calcium uptake pumps and their substrate affinity may be altered in CHS. We conclude that a genetically determined abnormality of a subcellular calcium transport system may contribute to the structural and functional defects of CHS cells.
SPEX, a System for the Expression of Recombinant Proteins from Gram-Positive Bacterial Vectors

Abstract Using a conserved pathway for surface protein extrusion, a system has been developed for the expression and secretion of proteins from gram-positive bacteria. As proof-of-concept, the Streptococcus gordonii Challis strain has been engineered to express a series of recombinant proteins fused to the conserved region of the M6 protein of Streptococcus pyogenes. In the prototype surface protein expression system, the recombinant M6 protein is anchored to the surface of S. gordonii cells expressing it. In order to overexpress the protein and easily purify it away from the bacteria, the protein was modified to enable it to be secreted into the medium. To accomplish this, a stop codon was introduced into the gene just prior to the anchor region using site-directed mutagenesis. Using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, it was possible to quantitate the amount of protein expressed using this system. With little or no optimization, 3 mg of protein per liter of culture was expressed and secreted into the medium of a bacterial culture grown to an OD 600 equal to 1.0. This system should be broadly applicable for the expression and secretion of a variety of proteins (antigens, hormones, and enzymes) directly into the medium.
Fast Algorithms for Visualizing Fluid Motion in Steady Flow on Unstructured Grids

The plotting of streamlines is an effective way of visualizing fluid motion in steady flows. Additional information about the flowfield, such as local rotation and expansion, can be shown by drawing in the form of a ribbon or tube. In this paper, we present efficient algorithms for the construction of streamlines, streamribbons and streamtubes on unstructured grids. A specialized version of the Runge-Kutta method has been developed to speed up the integration of particle pathes. We have also derived close-form solutions for calculating angular rotation rate and radius to construct streamribbons and streamtubes, respectively. According to our analysis and test results, these formulations are two to four times better in performance than previous numerical methods. As a large number of traces are calculated, the improved performance could be significant.
Connected K-coverage problem in sensor networks

In overdeployed sensor networks, one approach to conserve energy is to keep only a small subset of sensors active at any instant. In this article, we consider the problem of selecting a minimum size connected K-cover, which is defined as a set of sensors M such that each point in the sensor network is "covered" by at least K different sensors in M, and the communication graph induced by M is connected. For the above optimization problem, we design a centralized approximation algorithm that delivers a near-optimal (within a factor of O(lg n)) solution, and present a distributed version of the algorithm. We also present a communication-efficient localized distributed algorithm which is empirically shown to perform well
In Vitro Perturbations of Targets in Cancer Hallmark Processes Predict Rodent Chemical Carcinogenesis

Thousands of untested chemicals in the environment require efficient characterization of carcinogenic potential in humans. A proposed solution is rapid testing of chemicals using in vitro high-throughput screening (HTS) assays for targets in pathways linked to disease processes to build models for priority setting and further testing. We describe a model for predicting rodent carcinogenicity based on HTS data from 292 chemicals tested in 672 assays mapping to 455 genes. All data come from the EPA ToxCast project. The model was trained on a subset of 232 chemicals with in vivo rodent carcinogenicity data in the Toxicity Reference Database (ToxRefDB). Individual HTS assays strongly associated with rodent cancers in ToxRefDB were linked to genes, pathways, and hallmark processes documented to be involved in tumor biology and cancer progression. Rodent liver cancer endpoints were linked to well-documented pathways such as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor signaling and TP53 and novel targets such as PDE5A and PLAUR. Cancer hallmark genes associated with rodent thyroid tumors were found to be linked to human thyroid tumors and autoimmune thyroid disease. A model was developed in which these genes/pathways function as hypothetical enhancers or promoters of rat thyroid tumors, acting secondary to the key initiating event of thyroid hormone disruption. A simple scoring function was generated to identify chemicals with significant in vitro evidence that was predictive of in vivo carcinogenicity in different rat tissues and organs. This scoring function was applied to an external test set of 33 compounds with carcinogenicity classifications from the EPA's Office of Pesticide Programs and successfully (p = 0.024) differentiated between chemicals classified as "possible"/"probable"/"likely" carcinogens and those designated as "not likely" or with "evidence of noncarcinogenicity." This model represents a chemical carcinogenicity prioritization tool supporting targeted testing and functional validation of cancer pathways.
Use of visual information in speech perception: evidence for a visual rate effect both with and without a McGurk effect.

The McGurk effect, where an incongruent visual syllable influences identification of an auditory syllable, does not always occur, suggesting that perceivers sometimes fail to use relevant visual phonetic information. We tested whether another visual phonetic effect, which involves the influence of visual speaking rate on perceived voicing (Green & Miller, 1985), would occur in instances when the McGurk effect does not. In Experiment 1, we established this visual rate effect using auditory and visual stimuli matching in place of articulation, finding a shift in the voicing boundary along an auditory voice-onsettime continuum with fast versus slow visual speech tokens. In Experiment 2, we used auditory and visual stimuli differing in place of articulation and found a shift in the voicing boundary due to visual rate when the McGurk effect occurred and, more critically, when it did not. The latter finding indicates that phonetically relevant visual information is used in speech perception even when the McGurk effect does not occur, suggesting that the incidence of the McGurk effect underestimates the extent of audiovisual integration.
Quantitative Measures for Evaluating Knowledge Network Node Clusters: Preliminary Results

One viewpoint of a knowledge network is a knowledge map that clusters similar knowledge sources into knowledge domains. What is needed is an automatic mapping tool that 1) takes the knowledge sources, 2) creates a conceptual map of the domain space, 3) clusters like sources, and 4) places them together on the map. This research (in progress) is an attempt to determine the value of the Kohonen Self-Organizing Map for use as an interactive textual knowledge mapping tool for categorization of large sets of textual knowledge sources. Initial results have shown the algorithm to be promising in the area of creating a conceptual map of the document space, but it has been less successful at the task of clustering and assigning documents within categories. The purpose of this paper is to quantify the Kohonen algorithm's ability to cluster similar documents and to explore possible improvements to it.
Epidemiology of melanoma

One of the most striking features of melanoma epidemiology is the dramatic differences in patterns observed among racial groups. For other cancer sites, racial differences in incidence may reflect socioeconomic and exposure pattern differences. However, for melanoma it appears to be the cutaneous pigmentation that is responsible for the patterns observed; the groups with the lightest color skin have the highest incidence and those with darker skins have much lower incidence.
The Poetry in Portraiture: Seeing Subjects, Hearing Voices, and Feeling Contexts

Creating poetic portraits allows scholars to communicate research findings in multidimensional and more accessible ways. The author explores womanist theory and two dimensions of portraiture resear...
Recursive solutions to rational interpolation problems

Describe a straightforward recursive and global approach for the solution of rational interpolation problems. The derivation is based on a simple and well known matrix identity, namely, the Schur reduction procedure, and exploits connections with structured matrices. The authors use the interpolation data to construct a convenient structure and then apply a recursive triangularization procedure. This leads to a transmission-line cascade of first-order J-lossless sections that makes evident the interpolation property. State-space descriptions for each section and for the entire cascade are given. >
Growth and properties of Si-N-C-O nanocones and graphitic nanofibers synthesized using three-nanometer diameter iron/platinum nanoparticle-catalyst

Cone-shaped nanostructures of mixed composition (nanocones) and largely graphitic nanofibers were synthesized on silicon substrates using iron/platinum alloy nanoparticles as the catalyst in a direct-current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition reactor. The catalyst nanoparticles were monodisperse in size with an average diameter of 3 (±1) nm. The nanocones were produced on laterally widely dispersed catalyst particles and were oriented perpendicular to the substrate surface with an amorphous internal structure. The nanocones were produced by gas phase mixing and deposition of plasma-sputtered silicon, nitrogen, carbon, and oxygen species on a central backbone nucleated by the Fe–Pt catalyst particle. Field emission measurements showed that a very high turn-on electric field was required for electron emission from the nanocones. In contrast, the graphitic nanofibers that were produced when silicon sputtering and redeposition were minimized had the “stacked-cup” structure, and well-defined voids could be observed within nanofibers nucleated from larger catalyst particles.
Investigations on Ultrawideband Pentagon Shape Microstrip Slot Antenna for Wireless Communications

An ultrawideband (UWB) pentagon shape planar microstrip slot antenna is presented that can find applications in wireless communications. Combination of the pentagon shape slot, feed line and pentagon stub are used to obtain 124% (2.65-11.30 GHz) impedance bandwidth which exceeds the UWB requirement of 110% (3.10-10.60 GHz). A ground plane of 50 mm t 80 mm size is used which is similar to wireless cards for several portable wireless communication devices. The proposed antenna covers only the top 20 mm or 25% of the ground plane length, which leaves enough space for the RF circuitry. Three variations of the antenna design using the straight and rotated feed lines on two different substrates are considered. Effect of the conducting reflecting sheet on back of the antenna is investigated, which can provide directional radiation patterns but with reduced matching criteria. Finally, experimental verification of the fabricated antenna for its impedance bandwidth is carried out, which shows agreement with the simulated data.
Designing Next Generation Clusters: Evaluation of InfiniBand DDR/QDR on Intel Computing Platforms

Clusters based on commodity components continue to be very popular for high-performance computing (HPC).These clusters must be careful to balance both computational as well as I/O requirements of applications. This I/O requirement is generally fulfilled by a high-speed interconnect such as InfiniBand. The balance of computational and I/O performance is often changing, with the latest change being made by the Intel "Nehalem" architecture that can dramatically increase computing power.In this paper we explore how this balance has changed and how different speeds of InfiniBand interconnects including Double Data Rate (DDR) and Quad Data Rate(QDR) InfiniBand HCAs. We explore micro benchmarks, the "communication balance" ratio of intra-node to inter-node performance as well as end application performance. We show up to 10% improvement when using a QDR interconnect for Nehalem systems versus a DDR interconnection the NAS Parallel Benchmarks. We also see up to 25% performance gain with the HPCC randomly ordered ring bandwidth benchmark.
Legal Liability and Criminal Omissions

In Harm To Others, Joel Feinberg argues that the failure to prevent harm (at least in some circumstances) falls within the moral limits of the criminal law. In some respects the claim must be taken as unexceptional. The criminal law recognizes omissions as offenses whenever there is a determinate duty to act. Illegal omissions are simply the failure to do what is required by law. If, by law, you are required to wear clothing in public, then you will be arrested for failing to do so. If, by law, you are required to protect or care for some other person (say, your child, parent, patient, client, or ward), then you are held to be liable (and responsible) for doing so. If the person for whom you are responsible should die, then you may be liable for homicide (or wrongful killing) whether negligent or intentional. Such laws are common and uncontroversial in the sense that virtually no commentators claim that they should not be part of the criminal law. But how exactly they fit in traditional criminal theory is another matter. The punishment of omission raises interesting problems for criminal law theorists in several respects. First, it is not clear that omission can pass the tests of actus reus and mens rea that are supposedly necessary for a prima facie case of criminal liability. This (along with other prob-
The impact of sea level data assimilation on the Lamont Model Prediction of the 1997/98 El Niño

Assimilating the sea level data from tropical Pacific tide gauges greatly improved the Lamont model prediction of the 1997/98 El Nino while retaining its overall performance during the past few decades. The implication is that the Lamont forecast system is limited by the observational data used for initialization probably probably as much as by its simplified model physics. The sea level measurements in the vicinity of the equator are extremely effective in correcting the model ocean state and preconditioning it for ENSO prediction.
Children gain less weight and accumulate less fat when sugar-free, non-caloric beverages are substituted for sugar-sweetened beverages

Commentary on: de Ruyter JC, Olthof MR, Seidell JC, et al. A trial of sugar-free or sugar-sweetened beverages and body weight in children. N Engl J Med 2012;367:1397–406.[OpenUrl][1][CrossRef][2][PubMed][3][Web of Science][4] Childhood obesity is one of the world's most pressing public health challenges.1 Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) have been associated with childhood overweight.2 These beverages are the number one source of calories in children's diets in the USA3 and are especially problematic because they are void of critical nutrients and elicit weak satiety responses.4 However, studies linking SSBs with obesity have been largely observational and thus have not established cause and effect. Data from randomised controlled trials … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DNew%2BEngland%2BJournal%2Bof%2BMedicine%26rft.stitle%253DNEJM%26rft.issn%253D0028-4793%26rft.aulast%253Dde%2BRuyter%26rft.auinit1%253DJ.%2BC.%26rft.volume%253D367%26rft.issue%253D15%26rft.spage%253D1397%26rft.epage%253D1406%26rft.atitle%253DA%2Btrial%2Bof%2Bsugar-free%2Bor%2Bsugar-sweetened%2Bbeverages%2Band%2Bbody%2Bweight%2Bin%2Bchildren.%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Adoi%252F10.1056%252FNEJMoa1203034%26rft_id%253Dinfo%253Apmid%252F22998340%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx [2]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=10.1056/NEJMoa1203034&link_type=DOI [3]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=22998340&link_type=MED&atom=%2Febmed%2F18%2F5%2F185.atom [4]: /lookup/external-ref?access_num=000309652700006&link_type=ISI
Numerical errors generated by WENO-based interface-capturing schemes in multifluid computations

When using high-order accurate shock-capturing methods, e.g., weighted essentially non-oscillatory schemes (WENO), numerical errors are often generated in simulations of isolated contact discontinuities and material interfaces when trying to capture these features on a grid. Spurious pressure oscillations are generated at interfaces and contacts propagate through the flow field. In addition, temperature errors may be generated. The present work constitutes an attempt to provide a unifying theory describing these errors. First, contact discontinuities in a single-component fluid are discussed, followed by material interfaces and contact discontinuities separating different fluids. Errors that are generated in simulations of these features are analyzed and means to prevent them are introduced and discussed.
Modifiable variables in physical therapy education programs associated with first-time and three-year National Physical Therapy Examination pass rates in the United States

Purpose This study aimed to examine the modifiable programmatic characteristics reflected in the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) Annual Accreditation Report for all accredited programs that reported pass rates on the National Physical Therapist Examination, and to build a predictive model for first-time and three-year ultimate pass rates. Methods This observational study analyzed programmatic information from the 185 CAPTE-accredited physical therapy programs in the United States and Puerto Rico out of a total of 193 programs that provided the first-time and three-year ultimate pass rates in 2011. Fourteen predictive variables representing student selection and composition, clinical education length and design, and general program length and design were analyzed against first-time pass rates and ultimate pass rates on the NPTE. Univariate and multivariate multinomial regression analysis for first-time pass rates and logistic regression analysis for three-year ultimate pass rates were performed. Results The variables associated with the first-time pass rate in the multivariate analysis were the mean undergraduate grade point average (GPA) and the average age of the cohort. Multivariate analysis showed that mean undergraduate GPA was associated with the three-year ultimate pass rate. Conclusions Mean undergraduate GPA was found to be the only modifiable predictor for both first-time and three-year pass rates among CAPTE-accredited physical therapy programs.
Apolipoprotein E promotes astrocyte colocalization and degradation of deposited amyloid-beta peptides

We have previously shown that apolipoprotein E (Apoe) promotes the formation of amyloid in brain and that astrocyte-specific expression of APOE markedly affects the deposition of amyloid-beta peptides (Abeta) in a mouse model of Alzheimer disease. Given the capacity of astrocytes to degrade Abeta, we investigated the potential role of Apoe in this astrocyte-mediated degradation. In contrast to cultured adult wild-type mouse astrocytes, adult Apoe(-/-) astrocytes do not degrade Abeta present in Abeta plaque-bearing brain sections in vitro. Coincubation with antibodies to either Apoe or Abeta, or with RAP, an antagonist of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family, effectively blocks Abeta degradation by astrocytes. Phase-contrast and confocal microscopy show that Apoe(-/-) astrocytes do not respond to or internalize Abeta deposits to the same extent as do wild-type astrocytes. Thus, Apoe seems to be important in the degradation and clearance of deposited Abeta species by astrocytes, a process that may be impaired in Alzheimer disease.
Feeling your body or feeling badly: evidence for the limited validity of the Somatosensory Amplification Scale as an index of somatic sensitivity.

Objective: The Somatosensory Amplification Scale (SSAS) purports to measure the extent to which individuals are sensitive to their bodies. The present study examined the psychometric properties of the SSAS in two studies with university students. Methods: Participants completed the SSAS, various cross-sectional measures of somatic and psychological distress, longitudinal measures of somatic symptoms, daily hassles and mood, and participated in a heartbeat detection task (Study 2 only). Results: The SSAS was correlated with cross-sectional measures of somatic symptom reporting, but not with somatic symptoms reported on a daily basis nor with an index of interoceptive sensitivity. The SSAS was also correlated with several indices of general distress including anxious and depressive symptoms, daily hassles, and negative emotionality. Conclusions: Taken together, the results suggest that the SSAS is more likely an index of negative emotionality and general distress than a valid measure of somatic sensitivity per se.
Toward Consistent Cross-Hauling Estimation for Input-Output Regionalization

Although the literature has provided steps in the right direction, conceptual shortcomings still exist in the cross-hauling adjustment methods that are currently being applied in the literature. This paper represents an attempt to 1) characterize the cross-hauling adjustment methods that exist in the literature; 2) identify the shortcomings that exist with the most widely applied method, CHARM; 3) provide an empirical analysis to tackle the notion of just how ubiquitous crosshauling is and the potential impact it has on input-output multiplier estimates; and 4) suggest directions for future conceptual and theoretical development that will lead to consistent cross-hauling measures for use.