cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans: Correlation between in vitro and in vivo structure-activity relationships (SARs)

Polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) elicit a number of common biologic and toxic responses which are triggered by their initial binding to a cytosolic receptor protein. These effects include the induction of several cytochrome P-448 dependent monooxygenases (eg, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase, AHH), body weight loss and thymic atrophy. The dose-response effects of selected PCDFs on AHH induction in rat hepatoma H-4-II E cells and cytosolic receptor binding affinities have been determined. The results of these in vivo and in vitro studies demonstrate the remarkable effects of structure on the activity of PCDFs. A systematic study of each of the four different position for chlorine substitution in the dibenzofuran ring system showed that the toxic and biologic potencies of these compounds varied with respect to differential chlorine substitution at all four position, i.e. C-3(7) > C-2(8) >C-4(6) > C-1(9). In vitro SARs for PCDDs confirmed the importance of the lateral CI substituents and also showed that 1,2(or 6,7-) substituted PCDDs were more active than the corresponding 1,3-dichloro analogs. In addition, there were significant decreases in activity with increasing non-lateral CI substitution. The SARs for PCDFs were different from the PCDDs and this was directly related to the asymmetric structure of the former group of compounds.
The production of more useful monoclonal antibodies I. Modifications of the basic technology.

Hybridoma technology has greatly expanded the usefulness and application of immunoassays and created the potential for in-vivo immunodiagnosis and therapy. While the basic technique has not changed appreciably, a number of modifications have been introduced which make it possible to obtain more useful monoclonal antibodies and to generate monoclonals against weakly immunogenic substances. In this first part of a two-part review, Matthew Scharff and his colleagues review the most useful of these modifications in the production of animal monoclonal antibodies, paying particular attention to the problem of raising antibodies against small amounts of weak immunogens.
An architecture for universal construction via modular robotic components

Abstract A set of modular components is presented for use in reconfigurable robotic construction systems. The set includes passive and active components. The passive components can be formed into static structures and adaptable grids carrying electrical power and signals. Passive and active components can be combined into general purpose mobile manipulators which are able to augment and reconfigure the grid, construct new manipulators, and potentially perform general purpose fabrication tasks such as additive manufacturing. The components themselves are designed for low-cost, simple fabrication methods and could potentially be fabricated by constructors made of the same components. This work represents a step toward a Cyclic Fabrication System, a network of materials, tools, and manufacturing processes that can produce all of its constituent components. These and similar systems have been proposed for a wide range of far-term applications, including space-based manufacturing, construction of large-scale industrial facilities, and also for driving development of low-cost 3D printing machines.
Interpreting and responding to spoken language: children's recognition and use of a speaker's goal*

This study had two purposes. The first was to examine age differences in the extent to which children infer and use a speaker's interpersonal goal to understand speech acts. To this end, the subjects responded to Do you have...? requests in a role-playing task. The goal behind such a request is implicit in the speaker's choice of noun phrase. We sought to determine whether children, like adults, use the noun phrase to infer the speaker's goal and thereby decide whether the request is a yes-no question or a directive. The second purpose was to examine age differences in the extent to which children select responses that carry implications appropriate to the speaker's interpersonal goal. To do this, Do you have...? requests containing general category labels were addressed to the children when they possessed all the category exemplars and when they possessed only a few exemplars. A simple yes implies that the listener has nearly all exemplars and, therefore, is inappropriate for the speaker's goal in the latter situation. The subjects were six-, seven-, nine-, and eleven-year-olds and adults, with 12 subjects per age. Only the eleven-year-olds and the adults used the speaker's noun phrase and considered the implications of yes.
Distinctive Reactivities of Surface-Bound H and Bulk H for the Catalytic Hydrogenation of Acetylene

We report that both surface-bound H atoms and bulk H atoms, upon moving out from the bulk of a Ni single crystal to its surface of a (111) orientation, are reactive with adsorbed C2H2, but the two kinds of H atoms have unique product distributions. Both bulk H and surface-bound H react with C2H2 to produce adsorbed ethylidyne, CCH3, while only bulk H hydrogenates C2H2 to gas-phase ethylene and ethane, the products of interest in acetylene hydrogenation catalysis for the purification of ethylene streams. Their distinct reactivities arise from both their different directions of approach to the Π orbitals of the unsaturated hydrocarbon and their substantially different energetics. These observations demonstrate that H embedded in the metal catalyst is a reactant in alkyne hydrogenation and is not solely a source of surface-bound H which then reacts with acetylene, as proposed from correlations between the hydrogenation activity of Raney Ni and Pd catalysts and the amount of H absorbed in these catalysts. The reactivities of these two kinds of H atoms are clearly distinguished in this experiment because of the capability to synthesize either bulk H or surface-bound H cleanly in an ultrahigh vacuum environment.
Noninvasive molecular fingerprinting of host-microbiome interactions in neonates

The early postnatal period is a critical window for intestinal and immune maturation. Intestinal development and microbiome diversity and composition differ between breast- (BF) and formula-fed (FF) infants. Mechanistic examination into host-microbe relationships in healthy infants has been hindered by ethical constraints surrounding tissue biopsies. Thus, a statistically rigorous analytical framework to simultaneously examine both host and microbial responses to dietary/environmental factors using exfoliated intestinal epithelial cells was developed. Differential expression of ∼1200 genes, including genes regulating intestinal proliferation, differentiation and barrier function, was observed between BF and FF term infants. Canonical correlation analysis uncovered a relationship between microbiome virulence genes and host immunity and defense genes. Lastly, exfoliated cells from preterm and term infants were compared. Pathways associated with immune cell function and inflammation were up-regulated in preterm, whereas cell growth-related genes were up-regulated in the term infants. Thus, coordinate measurement of the transcriptomes of exfoliated epithelial cells and microbiome allows inquiry into mutualistic host-microbe interactions in the infant, which can be used to prospectively study gut development or, retrospectively, to identify potential triggers of disease in banked samples.
Pleural Effusion Masquerading as Myocardial Infarction

The effects of pleural effusions on the ECG have not been well studied. We report herein the case of a patient with extreme QRS axis deviation mimicking acute myocardial infarction. Thoracentesis caused the return of a more normal axis.
Fuzzy system reliability analysis by the use of T Ω (the weakest t-norm) on fuzzy number arithmetic operations

Abstract In general, the sup-min convolution has been used for fuzzy arithmetic to analyze fuzzy system reliability, where the reliability of each system component is represented by fuzzy numbers. It is well known that T ω -based addition preserves the shape of L - R type fuzzy numbers. In this paper, we show T ω -based multiplication also preserves the shape of L - R type fuzzy numbers. We then apply T ω -based arithmetic operations to fuzzy system reliability analysis. In fact, we show that we can simplify fuzzy arithmetic operations and even get the exact solutions for L - R type fuzzy system reliability, while others [Singer, Fuzzy Sets Syst. 34 (1990) 145; Cheng and Mon, Fuzzy Sets Syst. 56 (1993) 29; Chen, Fuzzy Sets Syst. 64 (1994) 31] have got the approximate solutions using sup-min convolution for evaluating fuzzy system reliability.
Cold isostatic compaction of nano-size powders: Surface densification and dimensional asymmetry

Cold isostatic pressing (CIP) is often used in the compaction of nano-sized powders. For technological reasons, however, uniaxial pressing prior to CIP takes place. This paper reveals the first quantitative measurements of density gradients within and the asymmetric sintering response of nanoscale zirconia compacts formed by (i) simple uniaxial compaction and (ii) specific ratios of uniaxial and CIP pressure. We find that CIP forms an exterior “skin” of higher but variable surface density and decreases the width of the density distribution. It does not eliminate density gradients; nonuniform shrinkage still occurs during sintering. The high- and low-density zones (the moving and fixed ram ends, respectively) that form during uniaxial compaction are reversed during CIP. Considering both density distribution width and spring-back cracking, the “best” uniaxial-CIP pressure combination is 1–20 ksi for this particular powder and an L/D of 1.0. The greater final compaction of the low-density zone during CIP causes relatively large variations in final dimensions (nearly 400 microns) in spite of the smaller density distribution width. The usually neglected uniaxial pressing step has definite technological impacts on the production of nanostructured components via compaction.
Clinical Safety, Pharmacokinetics, and Efficacy of Ambrisentan Therapy in Children With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Recent trials in adult PAH revealed the efficacy of ambrisentan. However, in children with PAH, the clinical safety and pharmacokinetics of ambrisentan has not been well studied. Our aim was to investigate the clinical safety, pharmacokinetics, tolerability, and efficacy of endothelin receptor antagonist therapy with ambrisentan in children with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). This retrospective cohort study provides clinical data from pediatric patients with PAH receiving ambrisentan as add-on therapy or transition from bosentan. Safety included evaluation of adverse events including aminotransferase abnormalities. The clinical impact was evaluated by improvement from baseline in clinical variables. A total of 38 pediatric patients with PAH received ambrisentan. Fifteen of 38 patients were switched from bosentan to ambrisentan. The remaining 23 children were treated with ambrisentan as an add-on therapy due to disease progression. In both transition and add-on cases, mean pulmonary artery pressure significantly improved (transition; 55 ± 18 vs. 45 ± 20 mmHg, n = 13, P = 0.04, add-on; 52 ± 17 vs. 45 ± 19 mmHg, n = 13, P = 0.03) during the follow-up. World Health Organization functional class improved in 31% of patients, but one patient required an atrial septostomy due to disease progression during the follow-up period (median, range; 20, 4–44 months). Five patients (13%) discontinued ambrisentan due to severe headache, lack of clinical efficacy, or near syncope. Ten patients (26%) had side effects associated with ambrisentan treatment, including nasal congestion, headache, and flushing. However, no patients had aminotransferase abnormalities and there were no deaths after initiation of ambrisentan during follow-up. Pharmacokinetics were evaluated in sixteen children treated with ambrisentan from 2.5 mg to 10.0 mg; the mean peak plasma concentration was 738 ± 452 ng/ml, mean time to peak plasma concentration was 3.2 ± 2.1 hours, and mean area under the curve plasma concentration was 6657 ± 4246 ng·hour/ml. In conclusion, initial experience with ambrisentan in children suggests that treatment is safe with similar pharmacokinetics to those in adults and may improve PAH in some children.
Management of gastrointestinal angiodysplastic lesions (GIADs): a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Management of Gastrointestinal Angiodysplastic Lesions (GIADs): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Full-field optical thickness profilometry of semitransparent thin films with transmission densitometry.

A novel bidirectional thickness profilometer based on transmission densitometry was designed to measure the localized thickness of semitransparent films on a dynamic manufacturing line. The densitometer model shows that, for materials with extinction coefficients between 0.3 and 2.9 D/mm, 100–500 μm measurements can be recorded with less than ±5% error at more than 10,000 locations in real time. As a demonstration application, the thickness profiles of 75 mm×100 mm regions of polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) were determined by converting the optical density of the sample to thickness with the Beer–Lambert law. The PEM extinction coefficient was determined to be 1.4 D/mm, with an average thickness error of 4.7%.
Angiotensin II effects on STAT3 phosphorylation in cardiomyocytes: evidence for Erk-dependent Tyr705 dephosphorylation

Experiments were performed to define the basis for negative regulation of STAT3 activation (i.e., Tyr705 phosphorylation) by angiotensin II in cardiomyocytes. Treatment of cardiomyocytes with angiotensin II resulted in rapid and sustained phosphorylation of STAT3 on Ser727; in contrast, STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation was decreased, with dephosphorylation being most pronounced at 30 minutes. Angiotensin II-induced STAT3 Tyr705 dephosphorylation was not prevented by inhibiting protein synthesis, but was blocked by vanadate or the MEK inhibitor PD98059. PD98059 was found to inhibit angiotensin II-induced Erk activation and STAT3 Ser727 phosphorylation. Angiotensin II also attenuated LIF-induced STAT3 Tyr705 phosphorylation, and this effect could be blocked with PD89059. These results are consistent with Erk-mediated STAT3 Ser727 phosphorylation leading to STAT3 Tyr705 dephosphorylation, and accounting for angiotensin II-mediated STAT3 inhibition in cardiomyocytes. We propose that Erk serves as a scaffolding protein in recruiting either a protein tyrosine or MAP kinase phosphatase to STAT3.
Decays, recurrences, and large molecule behavior in the theory of radiationless transitions

Abstract We investigate numerically the evolution of an electronically and vibrationally excited molecule, expressing the time-dependent probability of finding the initially prepared state in terms of the molecules eigenfunctions and energies. The well-known Boxin-Jortner model is generalized to allow for physically reasonable nonuniformities in the zero-order level spacings {ϵg} and interaction matrix elements {νg}. The usual condition ν > ϵ for large molecule behavior is found to be overly restrictive: our computations establish in particular that ν ≡ ¦νg¦ can actually be smaller than ϵ ≡ ¦ϵg¦ and still lead to exponential relaxation. For large enough (but still quite plausible) fluctuatiosn in the νg's and ϵg's, the initial decay becomes faster and the recurrence in the initial state probability - occuring on a time scale already long compared with τ decay - is found to be ‘washed out’, suggesting still more strongly that large molecule behavior should be observed in a much larger class of systems than had originally been expected.
Excitation functions for the production of superheavy nuclei in cold fusion reactions

Excitation energy dependence of the cross sections of the reactions ${}^{208}{\mathrm{Pb}}_{126}{(}^{50}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{28}{,1n)}^{257}{\mathrm{Rf}}_{153}$ and ${}^{208}{\mathrm{Pb}}_{126}{(}^{58}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{32}{,1n)}^{265}{\mathrm{Hs}}_{157}$ is calculated and compared with the experimental data measured at GSI-Darmstadt. Such a dependence is also calculated for the reaction ${}^{208}{\mathrm{Pb}}_{126}{(}^{86}{\mathrm{Kr}}_{50}{,1n)}^{293}{118}_{175}$ reported recently by the Berkeley group, and for reactions which may lead to the synthesis of element 119 and production of its odd-$Z$ descendants. Recommendations for future experiments based on the present study are presented.
Polynomial Approximation for Two Stage Stochastic Programming with Separable Objective

In this paper, the authors solve the two stage stochastic programming with separable objective by obtaining convex polynomial approximations to the convex objective function with an arbitrary accuracy. Our proposed method will be valid for realistic applications, for example, the convex objective can be either non-differentiable or only accessible by Monte Carlo simulations. The resulting polynomial is constructed by Bernstein polynomial and norm approximation models. At a given accuracy, the necessary degree of the polynomial and the replications are properly determined. Afterward, the authors applied the first gradient type algorithms on the new stochastic programming model with the polynomial objective, resulting in the optimal solution being attained.
Options for prevention of cytomegalovirus disease.

Cytomegalovirus is the major cause of infection after solid organ or bone marrow transplantation (1, 2). Cytomegalovirus is also a problem for other groups of patients, especially neonates and pers...
Osteoformin accelerates fresh fracture healing in rats.

Purpose Negatively charged resins have been shown to stimulate bone repair. In previous studies, the negatively charged polypeptide polyaspartate, which has been named Osteoformin, has been shown to stimulate osteoblast differentiation in vitro. The objective of the current study was to investigate the potential effect of Osteoformin on experimental femoral fracture healing in vivo. Materials and Methods Thirty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were used. The femurs of anesthetized rats were stabilized with intramedullary pins and subjected to closed midshaft transverse facture by bending to failure. In experimental rats, fracture sites were injected with 100 μg of Osteoformin dissolved in 0.1 mL phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at day 1 and day 7 after surgery; in controls groups, fracture sites received 0.1 mL PBS at the intervals indicated above. Between 2 and 4 weeks after fracture, the animals were sacrificed and the healing femurs were removed for radiographic and histologic analysis. Results Osteoformin decreased the healing time of fresh fractures in rats, as indicated by histologic and radiographic assessments. Conclusion The results of this study show that Osteoformin improves femoral fracture healing in rats.
A thermal-energy method for calculating thermoelastic damping in micromechanical resonators

Abstract In this paper, a thermal-energy method is presented for calculating thermoelastic damping in micromechanical resonators. In this method, thermoelastic damping is interpreted as the generation of thermal energy per cycle of vibration and consequently is expressed in terms of entropy—a thermodynamic parameter measuring the irreversibility in heat conduction. As compared with a commonly used complex-frequency method, this thermal-energy method does not involve complex values and thus can be implemented in ANSYS/Multiphysics, a finite element modeling software, with fast speed. Based on the governing equations of linear thermoelasticity, the mathematical expressions are first derived for thermoelastic damping in micromechanical resonators made from isotropic and anisotropic materials, respectively. Through two sequential numerical simulations: uncoupled elastic modal simulation and transient heat conduction, the numerical values for these expressions are then calculated in ANSYS/Multiphysics for micromechanical resonators taking different structural geometries. This method is verified using the well-known theoretical solution to thermoelastic damping in a beam resonator and experimental data. As a result, the developed thermal-energy method can calculate thermoelastic damping in micromechanical resonators with any complex structural geometry and made from isotropic and/or anisotropic materials.
Correlation of hematocrit, platelet concentration, and plasma coagulation factors with results of thromboelastometry in canine whole blood samples

Objective—To evaluate the components of canine whole blood samples that contribute to results of thromboelastometry (TEM). Animals—127 healthy dogs. Procedures—For each dog, a blood sample was collected from a jugular vein into tubes containing no anticoagulant, EDTA, or citrate anticoagulant. Citrated whole blood samples underwent TEM with tissue factor and TEM with ellagic acid. Indicators of RBC mass and platelet concentration were evaluated, and plasma coagulation tests were performed; data obtained were compared with results of TEM. For technical reasons, samples were not available from all dogs for all tests. Results—Coagulation time was correlated with concentrations of primarily extrinsic pathway coagulation factors for TEM with tissue factor and with most factors via TEM with ellagic acid. Clot formation time, α angle, and maximum clot firmness were highly correlated with fibrinogen and platelet concentrations and some individual factor concentrations. Sample Hct was strongly correlated with most...
A backscattered laser polarimeter e+e− storage rings

Abstract This report describes the design, construction and operation of a monitor of the transverse polarization of beams circulating in the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center e+e− storage ring SPEAR. This device measures an asymmetry in the Compton scattering of circularly polarized laser photons. Measurement of the beam polarization to a statistical precision of ±5% requires approximately two minutes under typical conditions.
Cross-cutting moraines reveal evidence for North Atlantic influence on glaciers in the tropical Andes†

Surface exposure dating of boulders on an exceptionally well-preserved sequence of moraines in the Peruvian Andes reveals the most detailed record of glaciation heretofore recognised in the region. The high degree of moraine preservation resulted from dramatic changes in the flow path of piedmont palaeoglaciers at the southern end of the Cordillera Blanca (10° 00′ S, 77° 16′ W), which, in turn, generated a series of cross-cutting moraines. Sixty 10Be surface exposure ages indicate at least four episodes of palaeoglacier stabilisation (>65, ca. 65, ca. 32 and ca. 18–15 ka) and several minor advances or stillstands on the western side of the Nevado Jeulla Rajo massif. The absence of ages close to the global Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 21 ka) suggests that if an advance culminated at that time any resulting moraines were subsequently overridden. The timing of expanded ice cover in the central Peruvian Andes correlates broadly with the timing of massive iceberg discharge (Heinrich) events in the North Atlantic Ocean, suggesting a possible causal connection between southward migration of the Intertropical Convergence Zone during Heinrich events and a resultant increase in precipitation in the tropical Andes. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exemplar Variability Facilitates Rapid Learning of an Otherwise Unlearnable Grammar by Individuals With Language-Based Learning Disability

Purpose Even without explicit instruction, learners are able to extract information about the form of a language simply by attending to input that reflects the underlying grammar. In this study, th...
Counting of Rif1p and Rif2p on Saccharomyces cerevisiae telomeres regulates telomere length.

Telomere length is negatively regulated by proteins of the telomeric DNA-protein complex. Rap1p in Saccharomyces cerevisiae binds the telomeric TG1-3 repeat DNA, and the Rap1p C terminus interacts with Rif1p and Rif2p. We investigated how these three proteins negatively regulate telomere length. We show that direct tethering of each Rif protein to a telomere shortens that telomere proportionally to the number of tethered molecules, similar to previously reported counting of Rap1p. Surprisingly, Rif proteins could also regulate telomere length even when the Rap1p C terminus was absent, and tethered Rap1p counting was completely dependent on the Rif proteins. Thus, Rap1p counting is in fact Rif protein counting. In genetic settings that cause telomeres to be abnormally long, tethering even a single Rif2p molecule was sufficient for maximal effectiveness in preventing the telomere overelongation. We show that a heterologous protein oligomerization domain, the mammalian PDZ domain, when fused to Rap1p can confer telomere length control. We propose that a nucleation and spreading mechanism is involved in forming the higher-order telomere structure that regulates telomere length.
Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence An Assumptive World Process

Adverse consequences of intimate partner violence (IPV) are well documented, whereas less research has explored positive changes. Recent efforts indicate that survivors report posttraumatic growth (PTG), but the schema reconstruction hypothesis by which this is achieved is in need of further investigation. One model of PTG suggests that growth is triggered by trauma(s) that challenges an individual's assumptive world. This threat promotes cognitive processing and schema reconstruction that fosters a sense of meaning and value in one's life. As schema change is posited as the main cognitive antecedent of PTG, a longitudinal assessment of world assumptions was used to examine whether assumption change predicts PTG in IPV survivors. Results indicate that world assumptions became more positive 1 year after an initial interview but only for women who had not been revictimized in the year between study assessments. Furthermore, positive world assumption change was associated with greater PTG scores. Implications for intervention and research are discussed.
Systemic Candida infections in infants in intensive care nurseries: high incidence of central nervous system involvement.

The clinical courses in 27 infants with culture or autopsy evidence of systemic candidiasis were reviewed. Twenty-two infants (group 1) had persistent signs of sepsis and clinical deterioration or died before institution of antifungal therapy. Five infants (group 2) improved markedly before culture results were reported, and recovered without systemic antifungal therapy. Fourteen infants in group 1 (64%) had central nervous system infection. Of four patients in whom CNS involvement was diagnosed only postmortem, antemortem cerebrospinal fluid from three was abnormal despite sterile cultures; no antemortem CSF was obtained in the other. In meningitis caused by susceptible organisms addition of flucytosine sterilized CSF within 5 days, although prior amphotericin monotherapy had been unsuccessful. Of 14 patients in group 1 who received systemic antifungal therapy, only one died with Candida infection. Toxicity from antifungal agents occurred in 11 of 13 successfully treated infants, but was reversible in every case except one by modifying the dosage. Our data indicate that (1) CNS infection is very common in infants with systemic candidiasis, (2) combined flucytosine-amphotericin therapy may facilitate treatment of CNS infection and should be the initial therapy for systemic candidiasis in infants. (3) Gram stains of CSF and urine enhanceearly diagnosis, (4) isolation of Candida from normally sterile body fluids in high-risk infants should be considered pathogenic and therapy initiated unless the clinical course strongly suggests otherwise, and (5) toxicity from antifungal agents is common but usually reversible.
SELF-CONTROL IN A CRIMINAL SAMPLE: AN EXAMINATION OF CONSTRUCT VALIDITY*

Favorable evidence on the validity of the Grasmick et al. (1993) self-control scale has been reported in studies using general population samples. However, the scale has never been tested among persons extensively involved in crime. We assessed the construct validity of this scale, slightly revised, in a heterogeneous sample of drug-using criminal offenders. Factor analyses identified five subscales, mostly congruent with existing formulations of the self-control construct. Also, recent crimes of force and fraud were more frequent among people scoring lower on self-control. However, the five-factor solution was not tenable among women, and the scale was no more closely related to crime than were three subscales representing more specific constructs already established in criminology.
Adult learning in the context of African‐American women's voluntary organizations‡

The purpose of this research was to examine non‐formal adult education and informal learning within contemporary African‐American women's voluntary organizations. Face‐to‐face interviews were conducted with 28 women who were members of six different organizations. A semi‐structured interview process was used to elicit their perceptions regarding their (1) involvement in the education of others, (2) learning within the context of performing group membership roles and projects, (3) learning needs, and (4) comparisons of learning in this context with that in more formal educational settings. The findings of the research are discussed in relation to other research on learning in voluntary associations and the workplace. As with other studies of the voluntary association context, respondents did not seem to have given a great deal of prior thought to the nature of their learning within the context, having been more focused on the successful performance of their leadership and service roles than on what is lear...
Does genomic risk information motivate people to change their behavior

The recent flood of information about new gene variants associated with chronic disease risk from genome-wide association studies has understandably led to enthusiasm that genetic discoveries could reduce disease burdens and increase the availability of direct-to-consumer tests offering risk information. However, we suggest caution: if it is to be any benefit to health, genetic risk information needs to prompt individuals to pursue risk-reduction behaviors, yet early evidence suggests that genetic risk may not be an effective motivator of behavior change. It is not clear how genetic information will inform risk-based behavioral intervention, or what harms might occur. Research is needed that examines the behavioral consequences of genetic risk knowledge in the context of other motivators and social conditions, as well as research that determines the subgroups of people most likely to be motivated, in order to inform policy decisions about emerging genetic susceptibility tests. Without such research, it will not be possible to determine the appropriate health care uses for such tests, the impact on health care resources from consumer-initiated testing, or the criteria for truthful advertising of direct-to-consumer tests.
Overview of the Cornell ERL injector cryomodule

The Laboratory for Elementary-Particle Physics, Cornell University, in collaboration with Jefferson Lab is exploring the potential of a Synchrotron Radiation User Facility based on a multi-GeV, low emittance, Energy-Recovery Linac (ERL) with a 100 mA CW beam. The ERL injector will accelerate bunches from the electron source from 0.5 MeV to 5 MeV with minimal emittance growth. The injector and main linac of the ERL will be based on superconducting RF technology to provide CW operation. There will be one cryomodule with five 1300 MHz 2-cell cavities, each providing one MV of acceleration, corresponding to an accelerating field of about 4.3 MV/m in CW operation. Besides standard features such as an integrated helium vessel and mechanical tuner, each cavity has two input couplers, symmetrically placed on the beam pipe to cancel kicks due to coupler fields. For a 100 mA maximum injected beam current, each coupler must deliver 50 kW of beam power leading to a Qext of 4.6 /spl times/ 10/sup 4/ for matched beam loading conditions. Antenna- and loop-based HOM couplers can disturb beam emittance through kicks. We plan to avoid the use of such couplers. Following the strategy for B-factory SRF cavities, the beam pipe aperture has been enlarged on one side to propagate all higher order modes out to symmetric ferrite beam pipe loads. These are positioned outside the helium vessel and cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature. Ferrite properties at 77 K have been measured and the corresponding damping evaluated. To explore the full capabilities of the injector, energy gains up to 3 MV per cavity will be considered at lower beam currents. For this flexibility, the input coupling needs to be adjustable by a factor of 9.
The Evolution of Dicliny in Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae), an Endemic Hawaiian Genus

The evolution of dioecy was studied in Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae), a genus endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Eight of the 22 species are diclinous, possessing gynodioecious, subdioecious, or dioecious breeding systems. A biogeographic analysis of the genus indicates that the ancestor of Schiedea colonized early in the history of the Hawaiian Islands. Subsequently, hermaphroditic species appear to have engaged in inter-island colonization more frequently than diclinous species. For this reason, single-island endemism and dicliny are more common on the older Hawaiian Islands. Strong inbreeding depression was detected in three species of Schiedea, indicating that genetic factors have played a role in the evolution of dicliny. Depending on the level of natural selfing, the expression of inbreeding depressioin may have favored the outcrossed progeny of rare females in populations, and eventually the evolution of dioecy. In contrast to evidence for inbreeding depression, there was very little evidence that resource allocation, sex lability, or habitat partitioning have played an important role in the evolution of dioecy. In subdioecious S. globosa hermaphrodites were largely male in function, and in gynodioecious S. salicaria females and hermaphrodites were equivalent in nearly all aspects of female function that could be measured. Variation in breeding systems in Schiedea and the closely related Alsinidendron may result from the past history of population bottlenecks that have resulted in varying levels of inbreeding depression.
Oxalic Acid, a Pathogenicity Factor for Sclerotinia sclerotiorum , Suppresses the Oxidative Burst of the Host Plant

Effective pathogenesis by the fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum requires the secretion of oxalic acid. Studies were conducted to determine whether oxalate aids pathogen compatibility by modulating the oxidative burst of the host plant. Inoculation of tobacco leaves with an oxalate-deficient nonpathogenic mutant of S. sclerotiorum induced measurable oxidant biosynthesis, but inoculation with an oxalate-secreting strain did not. Oxalate inhibited production of H2O2 in tobacco and soybean cultured cell lines with a median inhibitory concentration of ∼4 to 5 mM, a concentration less than that measured in preparations of the virulent fungus. Several observations also indicate that the inhibitory effects of oxalate are largely independent of both its acidity and its affinity for Ca2+. These and other data demonstrate that oxalate may inhibit a signaling step positioned upstream of oxidase assembly/activation but downstream of Ca2+ fluxes into the plant cell cytosol.
The amylase gene–enzyme system of fishes. I. Developmental expression of amylase in the mosquitofish

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of developmental stage on amylase expression in the mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis holbrooki, Poeciliidae). Expression was characterized in terms of amylase activity and amount of amylase protein in five developmental stages: early, mid, and late embryos, 5-day-old juveniles, and adults. Two measures of activity were used: a starch-iodine assay, which measures the change in substrate, and the dinitrosalicyclic acid (DNSA) assay, which measures the change in product. To measure changes in the amount of amylase, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used. Highest activity and amount was observed in the adult stage. In general, both increased with development. While the two activity measures were positively correlated, these were only weakly correlated with the amount of amylase. Possible reasons for these weak correlations between amylase activity and amount are discussed.
Extending Spice-like analog simulator with a time-domain full-wave field solver

In this paper an analog circuit simulator is integrated with a versatile full-wave finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetic (EM) solution module. The circuit-field co-simulation method is introduced to connect a Spice-like circuit simulator with an FDTD solver for simulating hybrid high-speed systems. The interface that links both simulators is derived directly from the Maxwell's equations and is simple to implement. Results from example circuits show that the proposed technique is highly accurate and stable and is suitable for integrating with any existing analog simulators, enhancing their capabilities in high-frequency circuit and packaging analysis where field effects cannot be ignored.
A public key analog cryptosystem

In this paper we present a public key cryptosystem based on error correcting codes [1, 7, 15]. The new public key system is obtained by extending the public key cryptosystem of McEliece [6, 12]. In this scheme a message M, consisting of a column vector of k elements from a finite field is first scrambled by multiplying it by a non singular matrix Q to get M′ = Q M This scrambled message has parity check variables added to it, by multiplying it by a generator matrix G and then has all the variables reordered by multipliation by a permutation matrix P. Noise is then added to obtain the encrypted message C = P G Q M + Z The product of the three matrices G′ = P G Q is made public, but the factors are not.
Biodiesel transesterification kinetics monitored by pH measurement

Quantification of a pH change that was observed over the course of the transesterification reaction that converts vegetable oil to biodiesel may provide a simple method to monitor the reaction. Transesterification of canola oil at 6:1 methanol to oil ratio with 0.5 wt.% KOH as catalyst was studied at 25, 35, and 45 °C. Reaction conversion was correlated to pH measurements and the results were shown to be in agreement with an independent measure of conversion using an enzymatic assay for glycerol. Rate constants obtained from these measurements are consistent with those in the literature. The measured pH change appears to be related to dilution of OH(-) ions as the oil is converted to products rather than to depletion of OH(-) due to reaction.
StreamRec: a real-time recommender system

Research and development of recommender systems has been a vibrant field for over a decade, having produced proven methods for “preference-aware” computing. Recommenders use community opinion histories to help users identify interesting items from a considerably large search space (e.g., inventory from Amazon [7], movies from Netflix [9]). Personalization, recommendation, and the “human side" of data-centric applications are even becoming important topics in the data management community [3]. A popular recommendation method used heavily in practice is collaborative filtering, consisting of two phases: (1) An offline model-building phase that uses community opinions of items (e.g., movie ratings, “Diggs” [6]) to build a model storing meaningful correlations between users and items. (2) An on-demand recommendation phase that uses the model to produce a set of recommended items when requested from a user or application. To be effective, recommender systems must evolve with their content. In current update-intensive systems (e.g., social networks, online news sites), the restriction that a model be generated offline is a significant drawback, as it hinders the system’s ability to evolve quickly. For instance, new users enter the system changing the collective opinions over items, or the system adds new items quickly (e.g., news posts, Facebook postings), which widens the recommendation pool. These updates affect the recommender model, that in turn affect the system’s recommendation quality in terms of providing accurate answers to recommender queries. In such systems, a completely real-time recommendation process is paramount. Unfortunately, most traditional state-of-the-art recommenders are “hand-built", implemented as custom software not built for a real-time recommendation process [1]. Further, for some
Effect of interfacial drag on gas absorption with chemical reaction in a vertical tube

Influence de la contrainte de cisaillement interfaciale sur la vitesse d'absorption d'un gaz par un film tombant laminaire dans un tube vertical. On suppose que les proprietes physiques du liquide sont constantes et on neglige la courbure de la couche et les ondes superficielles
Using Online Studio Groups to Improve Writing Competency: A Pilot Study in a Quality Improvement Methods Course

Communication skills are a significant contributor to an individual's success in the workplace. Unfortunately, students often have trouble expressing their ideas in written form and the poor quality of students’ written work often impedes the learning process. This pilot study investigates the use of online writing studios within a quality improvement methods course and the impact of this intervention on students’ writing competency and perceptions about the writing process. The impact of this approach on student performance is evaluated within and across semesters using comparative statistical analyses. Results show that students who participated in online writing studios performed better (i.e., at least one rubric level higher) on their final written assignments for the course compared to students who did not, and that this approach is associated with improved students’ perceptions about the writing process. This research suggests that the use of online writing studios within a content-specific course can incrementally improve students’ writing competency over the course of one semester, and can positively affect the learning of written communication skills and change students’ perceptions about various aspects of the writing process.
Detection of disturbed earth using passive LWIR polarimetric imaging

We report test results of a study to assess the applicability for using passive polarimetric imaging in the long-wave infrared (LWIR) to detect regions of recently altered road-type surfaces, e.g., soil, gravel, asphalt, etc. The field test was conducted at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, Adelphi, MD, on a test surface best described as a well traveled dirt road consisting of a gravel clay-soil mixture that was well compacted. During this initial proof-of-concept test, a LWIR polarimetric camera system was positioned at a slant-path of 10 degrees with respect to the line-of-site (LOS) and the natural lay of the surface, approximately 15 meters from the target test-bed. Stokes images, S0, S1, and S2, were recorded using the LWIR polarimeter that utilizes a spinning achromatic retarder design mated to Mercury Cadmium Telluride (MCT) focal plane array (FPA). Various surrogate targets were buried near the surface and great care was taken to camouflage the area to eliminate any "visible" signs of disturbance. Thermal gradients resulting from the unearthing of cool soil were allowed to dissipate. Two metrics were used to evaluate performance, i.e., conventional receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis and an effective contrast ratio between the target and background. Results showed particularly good detectability in the S2 imagery, with less in S1, and no detectability in S0, i.e., the conventional LWIR thermal image.
Effects of the finite duration of quantum tunneling in laser-assisted scanning tunneling microscopy

Previous measurements of tunnel conductance in heterostructures and experiments with Josephson junctions suggest quantum tunneling has a definite duration. We use semiclassical methods to determine the effects of this delay on the tunneling current in a laser-assisted STM. A planar–planar STM model is used with the exact multiple image potential, and the energy distribution for a free-electron metal. It is necessary to average over the phase at barrier entry, and iteration with back propagated solutions is required to obtain the transmission coefficients for evenly spaced phases and specified energies at barrier entry. The simulations suggest that the dependence of the tunneling current on the wavelength of illumination can serve as a basis for determining the duration of barrier traversal. A power flux density of 1011 W/m2 would be required at several wavelengths from 1 to 10 μm. It is possible that thermal effects could be separated from the modeled phenomena by determining the time dependence of the tunneling current with a pulsed laser. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Towards high performance discrete-event simulations of smart electric grids

Future electric grid technology is envisioned on the notion of a smart grid in which responsive end-user devices play an integral part of the transmission and distribution control systems. Detailed simulation is often the primary choice in analyzing small network designs, and the only choice in analyzing large-scale electric network designs. Here, we identify and articulate the high-performance computing needs underlying high-resolution discrete event simulation of smart electric grid operation large network scenarios such as the entire Eastern Interconnect. We focus on the simulator's most computationally intensive operation, namely, the dynamic numerical solution for the electric grid state, for both time-integration as well as event-detection. We explore solution approaches using general-purpose dense and sparse solvers, and propose a scalable solver specialized for the sparse structures of actual electric networks. Based on experiments with an implementation in the THYME simulator, we identify performance issues and possible solution approaches for smart grid experimentation in the large.
A quantitative interaction between signal detection in attention and reward/aversion behavior

This study examines how processes such as reward/aversion and attention, which are often studied as independent processes, in fact interact at a systems level. We operationalize attention with a continuous performance task and variables from signal detection theory, and reward/aversion with a keypress task using variables from relative preference theory. We find that while the relationship between reward/aversion and attention is functionally invariant, a power law formulation akin to the Cobb-Douglas production function in economics provides the best model fit and theoretical explanation for the interaction. These results indicate that a decreasing signal-to-noise with signal detection results in higher loss aversion. Furthermore, the estimated exponents for the multiplicative power law suggest capacity constraints to processing for attention and reward/aversion. These results demonstrate a systemic interaction of attention and reward/aversion across subjects, with a quantitative schema raising the hypothesis that mechanistic inference may be possible at the level of behavior alone.
The Issues Behind the Far Eastern Conflict

In my humble opinion, the real issues behind the present conflict in the Far East are two: first, the clash of Japanese imperialism with the legitimate aspirations of Chinese nationalism; and secondly, the conflict of Japanese militarism with the moral restrictions of a new world order.