cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Altered calsequestrin glycan processing is common to diverse models of canine heart failure

Calsequestrin-2 (CSQ2) is a resident glycoprotein of junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum that functions in the regulation of SR Ca2+ release. CSQ2 is biosynthesized in rough ER around cardiomyocyte nuclei and then traffics transversely across SR subcompartments. During biosynthesis, CSQ2 undergoes N-linked glycosylation and phosphorylation by protein kinase CK2. In mammalian heart, CSQ2 molecules subsequently undergo extensive mannose trimming by ER mannosidase(s), a posttranslational process that often regulates protein breakdown. We analyzed the intact purified CSQ2 from mongrel canine heart tissue by electrospray mass spectrometry. The average molecular mass of CSQ2 in normal mongrel dogs was 46,306 ± 41 Da, corresponding to glycan trimming of 3–5 mannoses, depending upon the phosphate content. We tested whether CSQ2 glycan structures would be altered in heart tissue from mongrel dogs induced into heart failure (HF) by two very different experimental treatments, rapid ventricular pacing or repeated coronary microembolizations. Similarly dramatic changes in mannose trimming were found in both types of induced HF, despite the different cardiomyopathies producing the failure. Unique to all samples analyzed from HF dog hearts, 20–40 % of all CSQ2 contained glycans that had minimal mannose trimming (Man9,8). Analyses of tissue samples showed decreases in CSQ2 protein levels per unit levels of mRNA for tachypaced heart tissue, also indicative of altered turnover. Quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy of frozen tissue sections suggested that no changes in CSQ2 levels occurred across the width of the cell. We conclude that altered processing of CSQ2 may be an adaptive response to the myocardium under stresses that are capable of inducing heart failure.
Novel through-silicon via technologies for 3D system integration

To circumvent the performance and energy bottlenecks due to interconnects, novel interconnect solutions are needed both at the package and die levels. This paper reports (1) novel photodefined polymer-embedded vias within silicon interposers for improved through-silicon via insertion loss, and (2) ultrahigh density low-capacitance nanoscale TSVs with 100 nm diameter and 20:1 aspect ratio for fine-grain 3D IC implementation.
Immunohistochemical localization of phospholipase A2 isoforms in human myometrium during pregnancy and parturition

Abstract OBJECTIVE : The purpose of this study was to localize secretory phospholipase A 2 and cytosolic phospholipase A 2 isoforms in pregnant human myometrium and to determine changes in expression with gestational age or parturition. STUDY DESIGN : Myometrium was collected at cesarean section at term (>37 weeks) or preterm ( n = 5 each group). Frozen sections were incubated with specific monoclonal antibodies against secretory phospholipase A 2 or cytosolic phospholipase A 2 and immunostaining visualized with the Vectastain ABC method. The intensity of immunostaining in different cellular localizations was scored by an investigator blinded to tissue identity and compared among tissues with use of the Mantel-Haenszel χ 2 test. RESULTS : Secretory phospholipase A 2 immunostaining was dispersed in the perinuclear region throughout the myometrial smooth muscle fibers and in vascular smooth muscle. Cytosolic phospholipase A 2 immunostaining was predominantly localized to endothelial cells of myometrial blood vessels and weakly throughout myometrial fibers. There was no apparent change in intensity of immunostaining for either isoform with gestational age or with the absence or presence of labor. CONCLUSION : The differential localization of the two phospholipase A 2 isoforms suggests different functions. The apparent lack of change in expression during late gestation or with labor possibly suggests changes in myometrial phospholipase A 2 activity and hence local myometrial arachidonic acid mobilization and presumably prostaglandin synthesis may not be associated with the onset of or maintenance of parturition. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997;176:878-82.)
Medication cost reduction in children on the ketogenic diet: data from a prospective study.

In a prospective study of the efficacy of the ketogenic diet in children with severe, refractory epilepsy, data were collected on medication changes over 1 year. Cost reductions in medications were...
Habitat Selection and Movement of Adult Humpback Chub in the Colorado River in Grand Canyon, Arizona, during an Experimental Steady Flow Release

AbstractEffective conservation and restoration programs for many native riverine fish communities are highly dependent on regulated river operations developed by water managers. Successfully implementing river flows to meet human needs and minimize ecosystem impacts requires understanding the linkages between hydrology, physical habitat, and fish ecology. In the Colorado River within Grand Canyon, Arizona, altered river conditions following the construction of Glen Canyon Dam have contributed to the decline of Humpback Chub Gila cypha. In 2010, a management experiment was implemented to contrast the modified low fluctuating flow policy with an experimental steady flow release. We assessed habitat selection and movement of 30 adult Humpback Chub implanted with acoustic telemetry tags during 2 months of fluctuating flow followed by 2 months of steady flow. We found that telemetered Humpback Chub used eddies extensively while avoiding runs and were associated with intermediate depths and larger substrates. D...
Electron spin resonance studies of iron-group impurities in beryllium fluoride glasses

Electron spin resonance investigations have been carried out on unirradiated BeF2 glasses. Two relatively intense resonances were observed in a water-free distilled glass known to contain 49 ppm Ni, 13 ppm Mn, and <20 ppm Fe. One of these was the paramagnetic resonance spectrum of Mn2+. Analysis of the observed 19F superhyperfine structure demonstrated this manganese to occupy distorted octahedral sites in the glass network. The second resonance was shown by temperature and frequency dependence studies, coupled with computer line shape analysis, to be a ferromagnetic resonance signal due to precipitated ferrite phases. The data suggest that these ferrites are somewhat heterogeneous and most likely comprize magnetite-like phases similar to NiFe2O4. An optical extinction curve rising into the ultraviolet with an approximate λ−4 dependence is tentatively ascribed to light scattering by ferrite particles ∼1000 A in diameter.
Finite-element analysis of biting behavior and bone stress in the facial skeletons of bats

The wide range of dietary niches filled by modern mammals is reflected in morphological diversity of the feeding apparatus. Despite volumes of data on the biomechanics of feeding, the extent to which the shape of mammal skulls reflects stresses generated by feeding is still unknown. In addition to the feeding apparatus, the skull accommodates the structural needs of the sensory systems and brain. We turned to bats as a model system for separating optimization for masticatory loads from optimization for other functions. Because the energetic cost of flight increases with body mass, it is reasonable to suggest that bats have experienced selective pressure over evolutionary time to minimize mass. Therefore, the skulls of bats are likely to be optimized to meet functional demands. We investigate the hypothesis that there is a biomechanical link between biting style and craniofacial morphology by combining biting behavior and bite force data gathered in the field with finite-element (FE) analysis. Our FE experiments compared patterns of stress in the craniofacial skeletons within and between two species of bats (Artibeus jamaicensis and Cynopterus brachyotis) under routine and atypical loading conditions. For both species, routine loading produced low stresses in most of the skull. However, the skull of Artibeus was most resistant to loads applied via its typical biting style, suggesting a mechanical link between routine loading and skull form. The same was not true of Cynopterus, where factors other than feeding appear to have had a more significant impact on craniofacial morphology. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of a phase transition on the solubility of a solid

Theoretical investigation shows that a transition in the solid state from form I to form II affects the solubility of a solid in a liquid. Experimental results for the solubility of phenanthrene in pyridine, which has a lambda-point transition between 331 and 361 K, conform generally to the theoretical predictions.
Probabilistic theorems concerning expansions of real numbers

After an introductory section on problems and results concerning expansions of real numbers by given algorithms, I shall prove several new theorems for β-expansions with non-integral β. For the special case βn - βn−1=1, I shall re-obtain and sharpen known results by a neat approach, reducing the usual questions to sums of independent and identically distributed random variables.
Development and Validation of the Mental Health Attitude Survey for Police

Police officers often lack sufficient mental health training and knowledge of mental illness to manage the risks associated with emotionally disturbed person (EDP) encounters. Still, it is not clear how much mental health training police officers actually need and, to date, there are no measures for police departments to use to determine officer attitudes toward dealing with EDPs. This led to the development of the Mental Health Attitude Survey for Police (MHASP), a modification and compilation of previously developed and newly developed items, which can be used to measure the effectiveness of mental health crisis training curricula in improving police attitudes toward persons with mental illnesses. A sample of 412 police officers from a major city police department in the northeast anonymously completed the MHASP. The results provide good evidence that the MHASP is a reliable and initially validated measure of police attitudes toward persons with mental illnesses.
Optimal Stopping of Partially Observable Markov Processes: A Filtering-Based Duality Approach

In this note, we develop a numerical approach to the problem of optimal stopping of discrete-time continuous-state partially observable Markov processes (POMPs). Our motivation is to find approximate solutions that provide lower and upper bounds on the value function such that the gap between the bounds can provide a practical measure of the quality of the solutions. To this end, we develop a filtering-based duality approach, which relies on the martingale duality formulation of the optimal stopping problem and the particle filtering technique. We show that this approach complements an asymptotic lower bound derived from a suboptimal stopping time with an asymptotic upper bound on the value function. We carry out error analysis and illustrate the effectiveness of our method on an example of pricing American options under partial observation of stochastic volatility.
Performance Moment Integration (PMI) Method for Quality Assessment in Reliability-Based Robust Design Optimization

The reliability-based robust design optimization deals with two objectives of structural design methodologies subject to various uncertainties: reliability and robustness. The reliability constraints deal with the probability of failures, while the robustness minimizes the product quality loss. In general, the product quality loss is described by using the first two statistical moments: mean and standard deviation. In this paper, a performance moment integration (PMI) method is proposed by using a three-level numerical integration on the output range to estimate the product quality loss. For the reliability part of the reliability-based robust design optimization, the enriched performance measure approach (PMA+) and its numerical method, enhanced hybrid-mean value (HMV+) method, are used. New formulations of reliability-based robust design optimization are presented for three different types of robustness objectives, such as smaller-the-better, larger-the-better, and nominal-the-best types. Examples that include an engine rubber gasket are used to demonstrate the effectiveness of reliability-based robust design optimization using the proposed PMI method for different types of robust objective.
Stress management training as a prevention program for heavy social drinkers: cognitions, affect, drinking, and individual differences.

The effectiveness of cognitive-affective stress management training (SMT) as a drinking reduction program for heavy social drinking college students was investigated. The SMT package included muscle relaxation and meditation training, cognitive restructuring, and coping skill rehearsal during induced affect. Treated and control subjects rated the frequency and intensity of their anxiety, anger and depression and recorded their alcohol consumption on a daily basis over a 6-month period. SMT significantly reduced posttreatment daily anxiety ratings and was associated with changes in four of ten irrational beliefs and a shift toward more internal locus of control in treated subjects. Reduction in anxiety was no longer evident at the 212- and 512-month follow-ups. The men in the SMT group showed a significant decrease in daily drinking rates at posttreatment and at the 212-month follow-up, but drinking returned to baseline levels by 512 months for the group as a whole. However, significant improvement variance in daily moods and in drinking rates over all posttreatment periods was accounted for by individual difference variables in the trained subjects but not in the control group, suggesting that these cognitive, personality, and social support variables are associated with response to stress management training. Implications of these results for future prevention research are discussed.
Validation of luminescent source reconstruction using single-view spectrally resolved bioluminescence images

We characterize the capabilities and limitations of the Living Image Software 3D Analysis package (Xenogen, Alameda, California) in the reconstruction of calibrated light sources. Sources shallower than the mean free path of light propagation suffered reconstruction inaccuracy. For sources deeper than the mean free path, the average error in depth and intensity reconstruction was less than 4% and 12%, respectively, for homogeneous tissue. The reconstruction of luminescent beads implanted within an optically heterogeneous mouse abdomen proved less accurate. The ability to distinguish multiple sources decreased with increasing source depth. A number of factors influence the accuracy of light source reconstruction.
Role of hydrogen anneal in thin gate oxide for multi-metal-layer CMOS process

This work investigated the impact of H/sub 2/ gas in the final annealing cycle of a 5-metal-layer CMOS process and its effect on MOS device behavior in the presence of Al/Ti metallization. The role of H/sub 2/ was evaluated with transistor electrical testing and with gate-oxide stressing, namely, bias-temperature and hot-carrier injection. Both electrical testing and stressing data showed no difference in device behavior when different external H/sub 2/% was used. However, some differences in PMOSFET bias-temp were observed when the annealing cycle was totally eliminated. Moreover, some differences were observed for devices with different metal coverage. This paper details the results and proposes a model to explain the observations.
Analysis of simulation output to compare alternatives (tutorial)

A fundamental use for system simulation is to predict system performance in new situations or with new system designs. In other words, the analyst uses simulation to aid in answering “what if” questions. We say that simulation is used to compare alternatives. This tutorial assumes that the simulation output is stochastic and has a distribution that is unknown to the analyst. The tutorial presents methods for making comparisons by either ranking alternatives or selecting the best alternative with respect to a single output performance measure. To increase the effectiveness of the comparisons, these methods consider the use of the variance reduction technique of common random numbers.
Drug withdrawal, cocaine and sedative use disorders increase the need for mechanical ventilation in medical patients.

Aims Alcohol use disorders increase the need for mechanical ventilation (MV) in critically ill medical, surgical and trauma patients. Studies examining other drug use disorders (DUD) in trauma patients have not demonstrated heightened rates of intensive care unit (ICU) complications. Patients with asthma and concurrent cocaine or heroin use disorders have an increased need for MV. The objective of this study is to determine if the presence of DUD and drug withdrawal syndromes are associated with increased need for MV in medical patients. Design Analysis of a national database. Setting The Nationwide Inpatient Sample, the largest all-payer in-patient database was utilized for the years 2002–2004. Participants Adult patients with one of the six common diagnoses associated with medical ICU admission were included. Intervention None. Measurements Univariate analysis and multivariate logistic regression were performed to determine if DUD and drug withdrawal were associated independently with the use of MV. Findings A total 1 218 875 patients fulfilled one of the six diagnoses; 22 827 (1.9%) had DUD, and 102 841 (8.4%) underwent MV. Independent of the medical diagnosis, DUD was associated with an increased risk for requiring MV by univariate analysis (relative risk = 1.50, P < 0.0001). By multivariate analyses, sedative and cocaine use disorders remained associated with increased need for MV. Independent of medical diagnosis and substance, drug withdrawal was associated with increased odds of MV by both univariate and multivariate analysis (odds ratio = 2.94, P < 0.0001). Conclusions DUD are associated with increased need for MV in medical patients. This study demonstrates the importance of screening all medical patients for DUD.
ANTIBODY-DEPENDENT ENHANCEMENT OF HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS TYPE 1 INFECTION

Two components of human serum enhance human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection and mask HIV-1 neutralising antibody activity. The first is heat-stable, unique to HIV-1 seropositive sera, and is removed by protein-A chromatography. The second is heat-labile and ubiquitous; it is found in normal serum and is removed by heating at 60 degrees C for 1 h or by treatment with cobra venom anticomplementary protein. Additionally, complement component C3 deficient serum lacks the labile activity although Clq deficient serum contains the labile factor. The data suggest that the two components are antibody and the alternative pathway of complement fixation. The mechanism of action does not involve an increase in either complement-mediated cytolysis or syncytium formation. The activity has been identified in 11 of 16 patients tested to date.
Constructing MSTD Sets Using Bidirectional Ballot Sequences

A more sums than dierences (MSTD) set is a nite subset S of the integers such that jS +Sj >jS Sj. We construct a new dense family of MSTD subsets off0; 1; 2;:::;n 1g. Our construction gives (2 n =n) MSTD sets, improving the previous best construction with (2 n =n 4 ) MSTD sets by Miller, Orosz, and Scheinerman.
The brain activity map: imaging the activity of entire neural circuits

The function of neural circuits is an emergent property that arises from the coordinated activity of large numbers of neurons. To capture this, we propose launching a large-scale, international public effort, the Brain Activity Map Project, aimed at imaging the full record of neural activity across complete neural circuits. This technological challenge could prove to be an invaluable step toward understanding fundamental and pathological brain processes.
Particle length-dependent titanium dioxide nanomaterials toxicity and bioactivity

Background Titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanomaterials have considerable beneficial uses as photocatalysts and solar cells. It has been established for many years that pigment-grade TiO2 (200 nm sphere) is relatively inert when internalized into a biological model system (in vivo or in vitro). For this reason, TiO2 nanomaterials are considered an attractive alternative in applications where biological exposures will occur. Unfortunately, metal oxides on the nanoscale (one dimension < 100 nm) may or may not exhibit the same toxic potential as the original material. A further complicating issue is the effect of modifying or engineering of the nanomaterial to be structurally and geometrically different from the original material.
Fluorinated Polymer Yields High Organic Solar Cell Performance for a Wide Range of Morphologies

Device performance is recognized to be generally sensitive to morphology in bulk heterojunction solar cells. Through the use of quantitative morphological measurements, it is demonstrated that devices based on benzodithiophene and fluorinated benzotriazole moieties constitute an exception to this design rule and exhibit a range of morphologies that yield similar high performance. In particular, the fill factor (FF) remains above 65% even with factor of two changes in domain size and factor of two changes in relative domain purity. Devices with active layer thicknesses of 250 nm are employed, which are capable of increasing optical absorption to produce high photocurrent. The general insensitivity to both morphology and thickness is likely related to the measured low equilibrium miscibility of fullerene in the polymer of 3-4%. The materials and processes investigated therefore provide insights into functional material design that yield increased processing latitude and may be more amenable to roll-to-roll processing.
Doppler and volumetric echocardiographic methods for cardiac output measurement in standing adult horses.

Background Cardiac output (CO) is not routinely measured in critically ill adult horses because of invasiveness of currently validated methods. Noninvasive CO monitoring would complement clinical assessment of hemodynamic status in adult horses. Hypothesis Volumetric methods for measuring CO will have better agreement with lithium dilution than Doppler-based methods. Animals Eight healthy adult horses. Methods Prospective study. CO was manipulated with continuous rate infusions of dobutamine and romifidine to achieve high and low CO states, respectively. At each level, CO was measured by lithium dilution and various echocardiographic methods. Images stored as video loops were reviewed by an individual blinded to the lithium dilution results. Results Lithium dilution determinations of CO ranged between 16.6 and 63.0 L/min. There was a significant effect of method of CO measurement (P < .001), but no significant effect of CO level (P = .089) or interaction between level and method (P = .607) on the absolute value of the bias. The absolute values of the bias of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) Doppler, Simpson, 4-chamber area-length, and bullet methods [5.5, 6.1, 6.5, 8.8 L/min, respectively] were significantly lower than that of the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) Doppler or cubic methods [14.8, 24.3 L/min, respectively]. Conclusions and Clinical Importance The 4-chamber area-length, Simpson, bullet, and RVOT Doppler provided better agreement with lithium dilution than the other methods evaluated. These methods warrant further investigation for use in critically ill adult horses.
A METHOD FOR EVALUATING THE EXPECTED LOAD OF DYNAMIC TREE EMBEDDINGS IN HYPERCUBES

A key issue in performing tree structured parallel computations is to distribute process components of a parallel program over processors in a parallel computer at run time such that both the maximum load and dilation are minimized. The main contribution of this paper is the application of recurrence relations in studying the performance of a dynamic tree embedding algorithm in hypercubes. We develop recurrence relations that characterize the expected load in randomized tree embeddings where, a tree grows by letting its nodes to take random walks of short distance. By using these recurrence relations, we are able to calculate the expected load on each processor. Therefore, for constant dilation embeddings, we are able to evaluate expected loads numerically and analytically. The applicability of recurrence relations is due to the recursive structure of trees and the fact that embeddings of the subtrees of a process node are independent of each other. Our methodology does not depend on the hypercube topology. Hence, it can be applied to studying dynamic tree growing in other networks.
CT of acute appendicitis: can diagnostic accuracy serve as a practical performance metric for readers specialized in abdominal imaging?

Abstract Purpose To investigate diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis at computed tomography (CT) as a performance metric for radiologists specialized in abdominal imaging. Materials and Methods We retrospectively identified six attending abdominal imagers who each independently interpreted over 100 CT studies for suspected acute appendicitis. Results The mean number of studies per reader was 311 (range, 129–386). Mean reader diagnostic accuracy was 95.0% (range, 91.4–97.1%). Only one had a diagnostic accuracy (91.4%) that was significantly lower than all others. Conclusion Diagnostic accuracy for acute appendicitis at CT may be an impractical performance metric for radiologists specialized in abdominal imaging.
Molecular signature of adipose tissue in patients with both Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common reproductive disorders with strong association with both insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). To untangle the complex relationship between PCOS and NAFLD, we analyzed serum biomarkers of apoptosis, some adipokines and mRNA profiles in the visceral adipose tissue of obese patients with NAFLD who were also diagnosed with PCOS and compared to a group with NAFLD only. We included patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD and PCOS (N = 12) and BMI-matched biopsy-proven NAFLD patients without PCOS (N = 12). Expression levels of individual mRNAs and soluble serum biomarkers were compared by non-parametric Mann–Whitney test. The analysis also included Spearman rank correlation tests and multiple regression analysis. For co-correlated genes, the factor analysis was performed. The total serum levels of apoptotic biomarker M30 were significantly elevated in PCOS patients with liver steatosis as compared to non-PCOS NAFLD controls (P < 0.02), pointing that androgen-dependent proapoptotic PCOS environment that may directly contribute to NAFLD progression in these patients. Similarly, hyperandrogenism may explain the observed PCOS-specific decrease (P < 0.04) in adipose LDLR mRNA expression that may be connected to the proneness of PCOS patients to NAFLD. The levels of mRNA encoding angiogenesis-associated GSK-3B interacting protein ninein were also significantly increased in the adipose tissue of NAFLD patients with PCOS (P < 0.007). Furthermore, the levels of resistin positively correlated with expression levels of LDLR and prothrombin time (PT). An androgen-dependent proapoptotic PCOS environment may directly contribute to NAFLD progression in these patients. Hyperandrogenism may explain an observed decrease in adipose LDLR mRNA expression. An inflammation-associated increase in the release of resistin into circulation might contribute to the prothrombotic state observed under conditions associated with insulin resistance, including PCOS. The studies of larger cohorts of NAFLD with and without PCOS patients are needed to further assess these potential interactions.
Observation of coupled plasmon-polariton modes of plasmon waveguides for electromagnetic energy transport below the diffraction limit

We investigate the possibility of using arrays of closely spaced metal nanoparticles as plasmon waveguides for electromagnetic energy below the diffraction limit of light. Far-field spectroscopy on arrays of closely spaced 50 nm Au particles fabricated using electron beam lithography reveals the presence of near-field optical particle interactions that lead to shifts in the plasmon resonance frequencies for longitudinal and transverse excitations. We link this observation to a point-dipole model for energy transfer in plasmon waveguides and give an estimate of the expected group velocities and energy decay lengths for the fabricated structures. A near-field optical excitation and detection scheme for energy transport is proposed and demonstrated. The fabricated structures show a high propagation loss of about 3 dB / 15 nm which renders a direct experimental observation of energy transfer impossible. The nature of the loss and ways to decrease it by an order of magnitude are discussed. We also present finite-difference time-domain simulations on the energy transfer properties of plasmon waveguides.
Pragmatic Knowledge and Ability in the Applied Linguistics and Second Language Assessment Literature: A Review

Almost forty years after Stalnaker’s (1974) initial call for “the development and application of a pragmatic theory in which detailed explanations of phenomena relating to linguistic contexts can be given” (p. 214), a unifying construct definition and theory still does not exist to explain fully pragmatic knowledge and ability (Roever, 2011, 2013). Given that test validity and reliability are crucial concerns in the field of second language (L2) assessment, it is important that we try to develop a more comprehensive theoretical construct, so that tests of pragmatic ability will have more construct validity, better represent the target language use (TLU) domain of the test construct, and thus have results that are hopefully more generalizable and useful to stakeholders. This paper presents a brief review of the extensive pragmatics literature and examines how the construct of pragmatic knowledge and ability has been operationalized from the perspective of theoretical and applied linguists. The paper presents (1) an introduction to the theoretical foundations of pragmatics, (2) a brief survey of applied empirical studies in L2 pragmatics, and (3) an overview of how the L2 assessment field has conceptualized pragmatic knowledge and ability, looking also at the various theoretical frameworks that have been proposed and utilized. Validation studies for the assessment models, although scarce, are discussed where appropriate. Lastly, some general ideas and suggestions are offered to help lead us towards a unifying construct definition of pragmatic knowledge and ability.
Positioning in the Context of Adult Learning and Participation: An Interpretive Biographical Study

Positioning dimensions, reflexive and discursive, present a portrait of learning and cognitive processes understood in the context of social participation. Reflexive positioning emphasizes self-identity and resilience for learning; discursive positioning underlines communication necessary for social interaction to bind people in a network. Communication that connects might also disconnect creating a condition for learning. An interpretive biographical study of 11 men and women living in a shelter using an inductive analysis of multiple data sources explored this presumption. One major conclusion suggested that when transitional residents face a gap in cognitive skills and the ability to use what they learned in social networks, the experience creates a condition for learning.
Probability of purchase, amount of purchase, and the demographic incidence of the lottery tax

Abstract When consumers' indifference curves are discontinuous at zero, perhaps due to stigma or fixed costs of purchase, then factors influencing the amount purchased will have a different effect on the probability of purchase. Estimation of the demand for a commodity like lottery tickets requires a procedure that accounts for this. Tobit estimation, commonly used in this literature, does not allow for this generalization. We investigate individual lottery ticket purchases using data from a survey of households. Our results are quite disparate from earlier studies regarding the effects of many demographic variables on probability of play, level of play, and expected lottery ticket purchases, and imply a different demographic incidence of the lottery tax than previous studies suggest.
An Answer Set Programming Solution for Supply Chain Traceability

Developing measures to improve the traceability of contaminated food products across the supply chain is one of the key provisions of the 2011 FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). In the event of a recall, FSMA requires companies to provide information about their immediate suppliers and customers—what is referred to as “one step forward” and “one step backward” traceability. In this paper we implement the logic-based approach called answer set programming that uses inference rules to trace the flows of contaminated products—both upstream to the source of the contamination and downstream to consumer locations. The approach does not require common standards or unique product identifiers for tracking individual products. This elaboration-tolerant method can accommodate changes in the supply chain such as: 1) the addition of new multiple product pathways; 2) consideration of multiple ingredients in a single product; and 3) multiple products with multiple pathways. We demonstrate this highly flexible methodology for pork and peanut products.
THE ANALYTICS OF RELATIVE HOLDING-PERIOD RISKS FOR BONDS

The relation between default risk measures and holding-period risk measures for bonds is confusing for bond investors. Past studies show that lower-credit-quality bonds exhibit lower holding-period risk. In this research I develop models to decompose the risk of corporate bonds and specify the conditions necessary for lower credit quality to result in lower holding-period risk measures. Additionally, I offer insight into the seemingly haphazard pattern of holding-period risk as related to credit quality.
Maximum weight matching dispatching scheme in buffered Clos-network packet switches

The scalability of Clos-network switches makes them an alternative to single-stages switches for implementing large-size packet switches. This paper introduces a cell dispatching scheme, called Maximum Weight Matching Dispatching (MWMD) scheme, for buffered Clos-network switches. The MWMD scheme is based on a maximum weight matching algorithm for input-buffered switches. This paper shows that, with request queues in the buffered Clos-network architecture, the MWMD scheme is able to achieve a 100% throughput for independent admissible traffic, without allocating any buffers in the second stage and without expanding the internal bandwidth. As a practical scheme, a maximal oldest-cell-first matching dispatching (MOMD) scheme is also introduced. MOMD shows that using a finite number of iterations in the dispatching scheme, the throughout under unbalanced traffic pattern can be high.
Digital demodulation for passive homodyne optical fiber interferometry based on a 3 x 3 coupler

Two different types of 3 X 3 couplers, symmetric and quadrature, can be used for passive homodyne Mach-Zehnder optical fiber interferometry. The former provides intensity outputs proportional to cos(phi) that are shifted 120 degree(s) apart, and the latter linear combination of sin(phi) and cos(phi) , where (phi) is the optical phase difference between the sensing and reference arms. Many demodulation algorithms, both analog and digital, have been developed. Demodulation with both 3 X 3 couplers is simulated to determine the performance of algorithms when noise exists in the coupler outputs because of uncontrolled environmental inputs. Results of simulations and experimental evaluations of several demodulation schemes found in the literature are evaluated for comparison purposes. The simulation developed for this study can be used to evaluate different 3 X 3 coupler digital demodulation methods using experimental data as well as contrived numerical inputs.
A profile of differentially abundant proteins at the yeast cell periphery during pseudohyphal growth.

Yeast filamentous growth is a stress response to conditions of nitrogen deprivation, wherein yeast colonies form pseudohyphal filaments of elongated and connected cells. As proteins mediating adhesion and transport are required for this growth transition, we expect that the protein complement at the yeast cell periphery plays a critical and tightly regulated role in pseudohyphal filamentation. To identify proteins differentially abundant at the yeast cell periphery during pseudohyphal growth, we generated quantitative proteomic profiles of plasma membrane protein preparations under conditions of vegetative growth and filamentation. By isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification chemistry and two-dimensional liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, we profiled 2463 peptides and 356 proteins, identifying 11 differentially abundant proteins that localize to the yeast cell periphery. This protein set includes Ylr414cp, herein renamed Pun1p, a previously uncharacterized protein localized to the plasma membrane compartment of Can1. Pun1p abundance is doubled under conditions of nitrogen stress, and deletion of PUN1 abolishes filamentous growth in haploids and diploids; pun1Δ mutants are noninvasive, lack surface-spread filamentation, grow slowly, and exhibit impaired cell adhesion. Conversely, overexpression of PUN1 results in exaggerated cell elongation under conditions of nitrogen stress. PUN1 contributes to yeast nitrogen signaling, as pun1Δ mutants misregulate amino acid biosynthetic genes during nitrogen stress. By chromatin immunoprecipitation and reverse transcription-PCR, we find that the filamentous growth factor Mss11p directly binds the PUN1 promoter and regulates its transcription. In total, this study provides the first profile of differential protein abundance during pseudohyphal growth, identifying a previously uncharacterized membrane compartment of Can1 protein required for wild-type nitrogen signaling and filamentous growth.
The total artificial heart

The total artificial heart (TAH) is a form of mechanical circulatory support in which the patient’s native ventricles and valves are explanted and replaced by a pneumatically powered artificial heart. Currently, the TAH is approved for use in end-stage biventricular heart failure as a bridge to heart transplantation. However, with an increasing global burden of cardiovascular disease and congestive heart failure, the number of patients with end-stage heart failure awaiting heart transplantation now far exceeds the number of available hearts. As a result, the use of mechanical circulatory support, including the TAH and left ventricular assist device (LVAD), is growing exponentially. The LVAD is already widely used as destination therapy, and destination therapy for the TAH is under investigation. While most patients requiring mechanical circulatory support are effectively treated with LVADs, there is a subset of patients with concurrent right ventricular failure or major structural barriers to LVAD placement in whom TAH may be more appropriate. The history, indications, surgical implantation, post device management, outcomes, complications, and future direction of the TAH are discussed in this review.
The Structure and Function of Murine Factor V and Its Inactivation by Protein C

Factor V (FV) is a central regulator of hemostasis, serving both as a critical cofactor for the prothrombinase activity of factor Xa and the target for proteolytic inactivation by the anticoagulant, activated protein C (APC). To examine the evolutionary conservation of FV procoagulant activity and functional inactivation by APC, we cloned and sequenced the coding region of murine FV cDNA and generated recombinant wild-type and mutant murine FV proteins. The murine FV cDNA encodes a 2,183-amino acid protein. Sequence comparison shows that the A1-A3 and C1-C2 domains of FV are highly conserved, demonstrating greater than 84% sequence identity between murine and human, and 60% overall amino acid identity among human, bovine, and murine FV sequences. In contrast, only 35% identity among all three species is observed for the poorly conserved B domain. The arginines at all thrombin cleavage sites and the R305 and R504 APC cleavage sites (corresponding to amino acid residues R306 and R506 in human FV) are invariant in all three species. Point mutants were generated to substitute glutamine at R305, R504, or both (R305/R504). Wild-type and all three mutant FV recombinant proteins show equivalent FV procoagulant activity. Single mutations at R305 or R504 result in partial resistance of FV to APC inactivation, whereas recombinant murine FV carrying both mutations (R305Q/R504Q) is nearly completely APC resistant. Thus, the structure and function of FV and its interaction with APC are highly conserved across mammalian species.
In Situ Study of Room-Temperature Oxidation Kinetics of Colloidal Co Nanocrystals Investigated by Faraday Rotation Measurement

Kinetics of oxidation of colloidal Co nanocrystals in organic solvent by the dissolved O2 at room temperature was studied in situ via Faraday rotation measurements. The oxidation of Co nanocrystals occurred on two distinct time scales: very fast (<1 min) initial oxidation followed by slow (hours) oxidation. The degree of oxidation during the fast stage of the oxidation increases with the dissolved O2 concentration. On the other hand, the slow stage of the oxidation exhibits much weaker and more complex dependence on O2 concentration. Once the fast stage of the oxidation is complete, even a large increase in O2 concentration leads to only a very slow additional oxidation regardless of the initial degree of oxidation during the fast stage. The strong dependence of the long-term oxidation kinetics in colloidal Co nanocrystals primarily on O2 concentration at very early times of the oxidation allows a partial control of the degree of oxidation by preoxidizing under controlled oxidizing environment.
Attosecond electron dynamics: A multiresolution approach

We establish a numerical solution to the time-dependent Schr\"odinger equation employing an adaptive, discontinuous spectral element basis that automatically adjusts to the requested precision. The explicit time evolution is accomplished by a band-limited, gradient-corrected, symplectic propagator and uses separated representations of operators for efficient computation in multiple dimensions. We illustrate the method calculating accurate bound and continuum transition probabilities along with the photoelectron spectra for H(1$s$), He${}^{+}$(1$s$), and Li${}^{2+}$(2$s$) in three dimensions and H${{}_{2}}^{+}$ in three and four dimensions under a two-cycle attosecond laser pulse with driving frequency of 36 eV and an intensity of $1\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{15}\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\text{W}/{\text{cm}}^{2}$.
Acknowledging the elephant in the room: How stressful environmental contexts shape relationship dynamics.

Compared to affluent marriages, lower income marriages develop within a context filled with negative stressors that may prove quite toxic for marital stability. The current paper argues that stressful contexts may undermine marital well-being through two routes. First, external stressors create additional problems within the marriage by diverting time and attention away from activities that promote intimacy between partners. Second, external stress may render spouses ill-equipped to cope with this increase in problems by draining spouses of the energy and resources necessary for responding to marital challenges in a constructive manner. In acknowledging the role of the marital context for relationship dynamics, this model suggests new directions for interventions designed to strengthen the marriages of lower income couples.
Nutritive content of college meals. III. Mineral elements

Meals from fifty colleges were analyzed for five major minerals and for five trace minerals. The results, reported here, are contrasted to findings in five studies which included comparable data.
Laboratory assessment of Alaska aggregates using Micro-Deval test

Aggregates suitable for use in asphalt concrete (AC) pavement construction must meet durability criteria. Thus, it is critical to select appropriate tests to properly characterize aggregate durability. In Alaska, durability tests currently being used for aggregates in AC pavement include Los Angeles (LA) abrasion test, sulfate soundness test and Washington degradation test. However, there have long been concerns arising over Washington degradation test used as an acceptance tool, motivating pavement practitioners to seek more suitable alternatives. This paper presents a study to investigate the feasibility of using Micro-Deval test, commonly used in other states, to evaluate the durability of Alaskan aggregates in AC pavement as well as its potential to replaceWashington degradation test. Micro-Deval test,Washington degradation test and other tests currently specified in Alaska were conducted on aggregates from 16 batches representing statewide sources. Based on the testing results, it is found that using Micro-Deval test for durability assessment of Alaska aggregates was feasible and reproducible, and a high potential was revealed to use Micro-Deval test to replace Washington degradation test in Alaska. It is recommended that Micro-Deval test be considered as an additional test for a certain period, but in the long run should be used along with current LA abrasion and sulfate soundness tests to provide a more desirable durability assessment of Alaska aggregates used in AC pavement.
A local saddle point theorem and an application to a nonlocal PDE

We prove a local saddle point theorem that can be viewed as a generalization of the saddle point theorem of Rabinowitz. A difficulty to overcome is that there isn’t any linking. We then apply the theorem to show the existence of solutions of a nonlocal partial differential equations.
Effects of Catalysts, Inhibitors, and Contaminants on Piperazine Oxidation

Abstract The oxidation of aqueous piperazine (PZ) was studied using the HTOR bench-scale degradation apparatus. The HTOR emulates PCCC conditions of absorption/stripping by cycling solvent between a low-temperature oxidation reactor sparged with air and CO 2 and an oil bath up to 150 °C. PZ oxidation is caused by two similar pathways: the reaction between the solvent and dissolved molecular oxygen carried over from absorber conditions into the heated stripper conditions; and the reaction with dissolved ferrous iron, which can cycle between ferric and ferrous states during the absorption/stripping process to further oxidize the amine. Using a free radical scavenger (Inhibitor A) or nitrogen sparging before the solvent is heated to stripper conditions inhibits the direct oxidation of PZ due to dissolved oxygen, but does not prevent oxidation due to cycling of ferrous iron. In addition to iron, copper is a strong PZ oxidation catalyst. Chromium, nickel, and manganese do not affect the oxidation of PZ in the absence of iron. The solubility of ferrous iron in PZ is strongly correlated with the accumulation of degradation products, indicating that as the solvent degrades a synergistic effect will occur between the rate of dissolved iron accumulation and the oxidation of the solvent.