cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The 2012 West Nile Encephalitis Epidemic in Dallas, Texas

Importance After progressive declines over recent years, in 2012 West Nile virus epidemics resurged nationwide, with the greatest number of cases centered in Dallas County, Texas. Objective To analyze the epidemiologic, meteorologic, and geospatial features of the 2012 Dallas West Nile virus epidemic to guide future prevention efforts. Design, Setting, and Patients Public health surveillance of Dallas County, an area of 2257 km 2 and population of 2.4 million. Surveillance data included numbers of residents diagnosed with West Nile virus infection between May 30, 2012, and December 3, 2012; mosquito trap results; weather data; and syndromic surveillance from area emergency departments. Main Outcomes and Measures Incidence and age-adjusted incidence rates of West Nile neuroinvasive disease (WNND), daily prevalence of emergency department visits for asthma and skin rash, and Culex quinquefasciatus species-specific vector index (an estimate of the average number of West Nile virus–infected mosquitoes per trap-night). Results The investigation identified 173 cases of WNND, 225 of West Nile fever, 17 West Nile virus–positive blood donors, and 19 deaths in 2012. The incidence rate for WNND was 7.30 per 100 000 residents in 2012, compared with 2.91 per 100 000 in 2006, the largest previous Dallas County outbreak. An unusually rapid and early escalation of large numbers of human cases closely followed increasing infection trends in mosquitoes. The Cx quinquefasciatus species-specific vector index predicted the onset of symptoms among WNND cases 1 to 2 weeks later (count regression β = 2.97 [95% CI, 2.34 to 3.60]; P P P = .42) or skin rash (β = −1.00 [95% CI, −6.92 to 4.92]; P = .74). Conclusions and Relevance Large West Nile virus epidemics in Dallas County begin early after unusually warm winters, revisit similar geographical distributions, and are strongly predicted by the mosquito vector index. Consideration of weather patterns and historical geographical hot spots and acting on the vector index may help prevent West Nile virus–associated illness.
Visualizing clathrin-mediated endocytosis of G protein-coupled receptors at single-event resolution via TIRF microscopy

Many important signaling receptors are internalized through the well-studied process of clathrin-mediated endocytosis (CME). Traditional cell biological assays, measuring global changes in endocytosis, have identified over 30 known components participating in CME, and biochemical studies have generated an interaction map of many of these components. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that CME is a highly dynamic process whose regulation is complex and delicate. In this manuscript, we describe the use of Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy to directly visualize the dynamics of components of the clathrin-mediated endocytic machinery, in real time in living cells, at the level of individual events that mediate this process. This approach is essential to elucidate the subtle changes that can alter endocytosis without globally blocking it, as is seen with physiological regulation. We will focus on using this technique to analyze an area of emerging interest, the role of cargo composition in modulating the dynamics of distinct clathrin-coated pits (CCPs). This protocol is compatible with a variety of widely available fluorescence probes, and may be applied to visualizing the dynamics of many cargo molecules that are internalized from the cell surface.
Estimation of deep and intermediate water mass formation rates in the Mediterranean Sea

Abstract Using a simple diagnostic model and climatological surface temperature, salinity and air-sea fluxes, the deep and intermediate water formation sites of the Mediterranean Sea are determined, as well as the annual formation rates for each of them. With the same model, the T and S characteristics of the water masses are estimated. Four distinct formation sites are formed; one in the western (Gulf of Lions) and three in the eastern (Adriatic-Northern Ionian, Rhodes gyre area, Southern Aegean) basin respectively, with well defined water-types being produced at each formation site. The computed annual production rates compare quite well with other independent estimations found in literature.
Bad elements: Katrina and the scoured landscape of social reproduction

Hurricane Katrina scoured the political economic landscape of New Orleans revealing the toll of decades of disinvestment in and ‘hostile privatism’ toward social reproduction in a city with corrosive inequalities around class, race, and gender. This piece addresses the failures of the state and capital around issues of social reproduction in the wake of Katrina, and gestures toward the sorts of activism these failures have called forth. Organized around five elements of social reproduction, including the environment and relief infrastructure, health care, education, housing, and social justice, the essay argues that the absence of these elements of the social wage both created conditions that made Katrina a disaster and thwarted response to the storm's social, economic, and physical destruction in New Orleans. The costs can be seen most obviously in the unevenness of neighborhood and infrastructural recovery, the difficulty of establishing a stable workforce of residents because of the lack of support for...
Fostering Conceptual Change About Child Development in Prospective Teachers and Other College Students

ABSTRACT—Research findings about children and their developmental pathways have innumerable implications for teachers, other practitioners, and parents, who often learn about child development as part of college instruction. It appears, however, that courses in child development do not always have optimal effects on college students’ understandings of children. This article identifies several factors that may impede effective learning in child development courses. Then, drawing from research in numerous content domains and with diverse student populations, it offers several hypotheses for facilitating conceptual change in college students’ understandings of child development and for promoting positive transfer of those understandings to actual practices with children.
Gonadectomy of male BALB/c mice increases Tim-3+ alternatively activated M2 macrophages, Tim-3+ T cells, Th2 cells and Treg in the heart during acute coxsackievirus-induced myocarditis

The incidence of cardiovascular disease, including inflammatory heart diseases like myocarditis, is increased in men. Similarly, male BALB/c mice infected with coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3) develop more severe acute inflammation in the heart compared to females. To better understand the effect of male sex hormones on cardiac inflammation, we gonadectomized (Gdx) male BALB/c mice and examined acute CVB3-induced myocarditis compared to sham controls. Viral replication in the heart was not significantly altered between Gdx and sham mice. However, gonadectomy significantly reduced testosterone levels and inflammation in the heart. FACS analysis of cell populations isolated from the heart revealed that CD11b(+) cells were significantly reduced in Gdx males. However, a GR1(+)F4/80(+) subset of CD11b(+) cells was significantly increased. Because this subset also expressed the interleukin (IL)-4R and IL-10, we refer to these cells as "alternatively activated" or M2 macrophages. A greater percentage of M2 macrophages in Gdx males expressed the inhibitory receptor Tim-3, while fewer expressed IL-1beta and IL-10. Only M2 macrophages upregulated TLR4 and Tim-3, whereas GR1(-)IL-4R(lo) macrophages did not. Additionally, IL-4(+)CD4(+) Th2 cells, Foxp3(+) regulatory T (Treg) cells and Tim-3(+)CD4(+) T cells were significantly increased in the heart following Gdx. Thus, we report for the first time that the inhibitory receptor Tim-3 is expressed on M2 macrophages. Our findings show that sex hormones and/or other mediators released from the testes inhibit anti-inflammatory populations in the heart including Tim-3(+) M2, Tim-3(+)CD4(+) T cells, Th2 and Treg resulting in more severe acute cardiac inflammation in males following CVB3 infection.
New directions in clinical imaging of cortical dysplasias

Neuroimaging is essential in the work-up of patients with intractable epilepsy. In pediatric patients with medically refractory epilepsy, cortical dysplasias account for a large percentage of the epileptogenic substrate. Unfortunately, these are also the most subtle lesions to identify. For this reason, there has been ongoing interest in utilizing new advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to improve the ability to identify, diagnose, characterize, and delineate cortical dysplasias. Technologic gains such as multichannel coils (32 phased array and beyond) and higher field strengths (3T, 7T, and greater) coupled with newer imaging sequences such as arterial spin labeling (ASL), susceptibility weighted imaging (SWI) and diffusion tensor/spectrum imaging (DTI/DSI) are likely to increase yield. Improved MRI techniques coupled with a multimodality approach including magnetoencephalography (MEG), positron emission tomography (PET), and other techniques will increase sensitivity and specificity for identifying cortical dysplasias.
Outcomes in liver transplant recipients with hepatitis B virus: Resistance and recurrence patterns from a large transplant center over the last decade

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) recurrence following liver transplantation (LTx) has been controllable primarily with the use of hepatitis B immune globulin (HBIg) and lamivudine (LAM). However, HBV resistance to LAM and/or HBIg has become an increasing problem prompting the use of newer antiviral agents. The purpose of our study was to investigate the association between therapy, HBV breakthrough, and allograft / patient survival in HBV-positive liver transplant recipients. We performed a retrospective review of the medical records of patients that were transplanted for HBV from June 1994 to May 2003. A total of 92 patients, positive for either hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) or HBV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) pretransplant, received LAM monotherapy or HBIg (6 months) plus LAM therapy post-liver transplant. HBV breakthrough post-LTx was noted in 14 patients. All patients had detectable HBV DNA prior to liver transplantation; none of the patients that were HBV DNA negative prior to transplant had detectable HBV DNA posttransplant. Of these 14, 9 patients (64%) were switched from LAM to adefovir dipivoxil (ADF) and 5 patients (36%) to tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TNV). In conclusion, pre-LTx HBV viremia should be considered in planning post-LTx prophylaxis. Trials to evaluate oral antiviral agents in combination with or without HBIg therapy are needed.
The resource curse: Analysis of the applicability to the large-scale export of electricity from renewable resources

Abstract The “resource curse” has been analyzed extensively in the context of non-renewable resources such as oil and gas. More recently commentators have expressed concerns that also renewable electricity exports can have adverse economic impacts on exporting countries. My paper analyzes to what extent the resource curse applies in the case of large-scale renewable electricity exports. I develop a “comprehensive model” that integrates previous works and provides a consolidated view of how non-renewable resource abundance impacts economic growth. Deploying this model I analyze through case studies on Laos, Mongolia, and the MENA region to what extent exporters of renewable electricity run into the danger of the resource curse. I find that renewable electricity exports avoid some disadvantages of non-renewable resource exports including (i) shocks after resource depletion; (ii) macroeconomic fluctuations; and (iii) competition for a fixed amount of resources. Nevertheless, renewable electricity exports bear some of the same risks as conventional resource exports including (i) crowding-out of the manufacturing sector; (ii) incentives for corruption; and (iii) reduced government accountability. I conclude with recommendations for managing such risks.
Insightful Problem Solving in an Asian Elephant

The “aha” moment or the sudden arrival of the solution to a problem is a common human experience. Spontaneous problem solving without evident trial and error behavior in humans and other animals has been referred to as insight. Surprisingly, elephants, thought to be highly intelligent, have failed to exhibit insightful problem solving in previous cognitive studies. We tested whether three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) would use sticks or other objects to obtain food items placed out-of-reach and overhead. Without prior trial and error behavior, a 7-year-old male Asian elephant showed spontaneous problem solving by moving a large plastic cube, on which he then stood, to acquire the food. In further testing he showed behavioral flexibility, using this technique to reach other items and retrieving the cube from various locations to use as a tool to acquire food. In the cube's absence, he generalized this tool utilization technique to other objects and, when given smaller objects, stacked them in an attempt to reach the food. The elephant's overall behavior was consistent with the definition of insightful problem solving. Previous failures to demonstrate this ability in elephants may have resulted not from a lack of cognitive ability but from the presentation of tasks requiring trunk-held sticks as potential tools, thereby interfering with the trunk's use as a sensory organ to locate the targeted food.
A linearized theory of tube drawing

Der Artikel behandelt isotherme Verformungen eines linearviskoelastischen Stoffes im einachsigen Spannungszustand. Die Deformationsgeschichte des Materials fur den Zeitabschnitt (−∞, 0) wird als bekannt angesehen. Ein Teil der mechanischen Arbeit, die am Material wahrend dieses Zeitabschnitts geleistet wird, kann in rein mechanischer Weise dadurch zuruckgewonnen werden, dass der Korper geeigneten weiteren Verformungen unterworfen wird. Der Artikel behandelt den Hochstbetrag, der auf diese Weise zuruckgewonnen werden kann.
Eye movements and neural remapping during fusion of misaligned random-dot stereograms

Fender and Julesz [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.57, 819 ( 1967)] found that fused retinally stabilized binocular line targets could be misaligned on the two retinas in the temporalward direction by at least 30 min of arc without loss of fusion and stereopsis and that random-dot stereograms could be misaligned 2 deg before fusion was lost. To test these results in normal vision, we recorded eye motions of four observers while they viewed a random-dot stereogram that subtended about 10 deg. The observers misaligned overlaid vectograph stereo images by moving them apart in a temporalward direction until fusion was lost. They then returned the vectographs to the overlaid position. Throughout this cycle the observers reported at frequent intervals if they could perceive strong or weak depth, loss of depth, or loss of fusion. For some observers the image separation could be increased to 5 deg beyond parallel before fusion was lost. The visual axes diverged to follow the image centers and varied from overconverged to overdiverged with respect to the image centers while the observers still reported depth and fusion. We call the difference between the image separation and eye vergence the vergence error. If a vergence error persisted for at least 10 sec without loss of the percepts of fusion and depth, we postulate that neutral remapping occurred that compensated for the retinal misalignment. We found that the average maximum neural remapping was 3.0 deg. The neural remapping was greater at loss of fusion than at regaining fusion. This phenomenon corresponds to the hysteresis measured by Fender and Julesz. We obtained an average hysteresis value of 2.6 deg with a maximum value of 4.1 deg. The average value is somewhat larger than the value reported by Fender and Julesz; this might result from our use of larger targets. We recorded many vergence saccades, in both the convergent and divergent directions, associated with scanning the target. Refusion occurred after the images were briefly aligned on the retinas by a pair of vergence saccades. These saccades were initiated when the vergence error returned to the value that it had when fusion was lost, and the magnitude of the divergent saccade was such that the vergence error was reduced to zero. This may imply retention of the position of correspondence that spanned a period of nearly 1 min between loss and restoration of fusion.
Global Transcriptional Control by NsrR in Bacillus subtilis

The NO-sensitive NsrR repressor of Bacillus subtilis, which carries a [4Fe-4S] cluster, controls transcription of nasD and hmp (class I regulation) under anaerobic conditions. Here, we describe another class of NsrR regulation (class II regulation) that controls a more diverse collection of genes. Base substitution analysis showed that [4Fe-4S]-NsrR recognizes a partial dyad symmetry within the class I cis-acting sites, whereas NO-insensitive interaction of NsrR with an A+T-rich class II regulatory site showed relaxed sequence specificity. Genome-wide transcriptome studies identified genes that are under the control of the class II NsrR regulation. The class II NsrR regulon includes genes controlled by both AbrB and Rok repressors, which also recognize A+T-rich sequences, and by the Fur repressor. Transcription of class II genes was elevated in an nsrR mutant during anaerobic fermentative growth with pyruvate. Although NsrR binding to the class II regulatory sites was NO insensitive in vitro, transcription of class II genes was moderately induced by NO, which involved reversal of NsrR-dependent repression, suggesting that class II repression is also NO sensitive. In all NsrR-repressed genes tested, the loss of NsrR repressor activity was not sufficient to induce transcription as induction required the ResD response regulator. The ResD-ResE signal transduction system is essential for activation of genes involved in aerobic and anaerobic respiration. This study indicated coordinated regulation between ResD and NsrR and uncovered a new role of ResD and NsrR in transcriptional regulation during anaerobiosis of B. subtilis.
Surface gateway placement strategy for maximizing underwater sensor network lifetime

Network lifetime is often a crucial measure of the cost-effectiveness of underwater wireless sensor networks and a guiding factor of their deployment. In this paper, we propose a placement strategy for surface gateway nodes in order to maximize network lifetime under a given set of functional requirements. We formulate the problem as an optimization problem and solve it for sample networks. Results show a trade-off between lifetime and other performance metrics, such as average end-to-end delay. We propose a multi-objective reformulation of the problem to strike the required balance between performance and lifetime.
Auditor Liability and Culpability in the Savings and Loan Industry

Abstract This paper discusses the role of auditing and its share of the blame for the savings and loan (S&L) crisis in the US. We first discuss who the auditors' client were in the savings and loan industry and examine auditor performance from that perspective. We assume professional status on the part of auditors and ask if their performance was consistent with that expected of professional. Our discussion and analysis is based upon an examination of accounting for everyday on-going business transactions in the S&L industry. From this examination we conclude that auditors may have followed the rules with respect to generally accepted auditing standards, but they apparently did not always assess the economic consequences of the transactions audited. Given our conclusions, we then ask if the standards to which professionals should be held should transcend a simple adherence to the rules.
Rapid Evolution of Cardiac Tamponade due to Bacterial Pericarditis in Two Patients With HIV-1 Infection

We describe two HIV-seropositive patients with acute pneumococcal empyema and pericarditis. Cardiac tamponade evolved rapidly in each patient and was reversed with prompt surgical intervention. In each case, immunologic abnormalities were detected which could have facilitated local spread of infection and progression to tamponade. Pericarditis, an otherwise rare manifestation of pneumococcal infection in the antibiotic era, should be anticipated in HIV-seropositive patients with pneumococcal empyema.
Rpb4 and Rpb9 mediate subpathways of transcription‐coupled DNA repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Rpb9, a non-essential subunit of RNA polymerase II, mediates a transcription-coupled repair (TCR) subpathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. This subpathway initiates at the same upstream site as the previously identified Rad26 subpathway. However, the Rpb9 subpathway operates more effectively in the coding region than in the region upstream of the transcription start site, whereas the Rad26 subpathway operates equally in the two regions. Rpb4, another non-essential subunit of RNA polymerase II, plays a dual role in regulating the two subpathways, suppressing the Rpb9 subpathway and facilitating the Rad26 subpathway. Simultaneous deletion of RPB9 and RAD26 genes completely abolishes TCR in both the coding and upstream regions, indicating that no other TCR subpathway exists in RNA polymerase II-transcribed genes.
Antiviral activity of 2′,3′-dideoxy-β-L-5-fluorocytidine (β-L-FddC) and 2′,3′-dideoxy-β-L-cytidine (β-L-ddC) against hepatitis B virus and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 in vitro

Abstract 2′,3′-Dideoxy-β-L-5-fluorocytidine (β-L-FddC) and 2′,3′-dideoxy-β-L-cytidine (β-L-ddC), two nucleosides with “unnatural L-configuration,” have been synthesized and found to have potent antiviral activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HTV-1) in vitro with very little toxicity. At 1 μM, both β-L-ddC and β-L-FddC inhibited the growth of HBV by more than 90%, while at the same concentration the D-configuration counterparts, 2′,3′-dideoxy-β-D-cytidine (ddC) and 2′,3′- dideoxy-β-D-5-fluorocytidine (β-D-FddC), did not show antiviral activity against HBV. The order of anti- HIV-1 activity was β-L-FddC > ddC; β-D-FddC > β-L-ddC. The dose-limiting toxicity of ddC is neuropathy which is believed to be caused by the inhibition of the synthesis of mitochondrial DNA. ddC severely inhibited the mitochondrial DNA synthesis of CEM cells yielding an IC50 value of 0.022 μM. Conversely, both β-L-FddC and β-L-ddC did not demonstrate any inhibition against mitochondrial DNA synthesis up to 100 μM concentration.
Band-Edge Photoresponse Characteristics of Diamond MSM's

Band-edge photoresponse measurements on simple diamond metal-semiconductor-metal (MSM) devices can give information about the quality of the diamond material and its utility as a detector. We have fabricated several such devices on a variety of substrates and measured their response between 700 and 120nm with special emphasis around the band edge near 220nm. Steady state and transient response have been measured as a function of bias conditions. Transient response in this case refers to initial overshoot, undershoot, and increased dark current in response to a chopped vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) light signal for times on the order of seconds. We compare steady state quantum efficiency results to a simple model, discuss the characteristics of response versus applied voltage, and examine relationships between response and substrate properties.
Blinded by the star: a former law enforcement officer’s reflections on crime and justice

This essay highlights my evolving perspectives and views about law enforcement and criminal justice, and how they have been shaped since becoming an undergraduate college student. I detail my awakening from a naive patrol officer then sergeant, both on the job, and onto my pursuit of a college degree. I discuss the profound impact unquestioned myths can have on individual and collective viewpoints. I acknowledge the importance of higher education and critical thinking for those who pursue true justice. I further acknowledge the role of the educator to challenge and empower students not only to question their worldview, but to work for and welcome change. Only then can a more equitable future be realized for all.
AREAL FLOOD-FREQUENCY ANALYSIS IN A HUMID REGION

Abstract This study was made to define the relation between floods in a humid region and the causative factors that account for their variability. The study covered the basic relationships between peak discharges and hydrologic factors as well as the practical working methods for generalizing the results on a regional basis. Statistical multiple-correlation techniques were applied to hydrologic data in New England. A field and library investigation of historical flood data extended the period of flood knowledge to as much as 300 years. The relation of many topographic and climatic factors to flood peaks was tested. Flood peaks with recurrence intervals at 9 levels, from 1.2 to 300 years, were related to 6 independent variables, 3 of which are topographic, 2 climatic, and 1 orographic.
Reduction in hypophyseal growth hormone and prolactin expression due to deficiency in ghrelin receptor signaling is associated with Pit-1 suppression: relevance to the immune system.

Abstract In mice and in rats, reduced levels of the growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R1a) results in reduced body weight and lower levels of serum insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I). However, the mechanism leading to these impairments has not been elucidated. Studies in primary cultures of pituitary cells from very young mice have shown that GHS-R1a agonists, including ghrelin, increase expression of the pituitary-specific transcription factor (Pit-1) that is critical for differentiation of pituitary cells into somatotrophs, lactotrophs, and thyrotrophs. Hence, we hypothesized that ablation of Ghsr would reduce Pit-1 expression and as a consequence reduce growth hormone (GH) production explaining the lower body weight of Ghsr−/− mice. Here, we now show that Pit-1 mRNA levels are significantly lower in the pituitary gland of Ghsr−/− mice compared to wild-type littermates and also with advancing age. This Pit-1 loss is associated with reduced GH mRNA and fewer GH producing cells. To determine whether reduced GH is caused by reduced expression of Pit-1 in Ghsr−/− mice, we also measured prolactin (PRL) expression in the pituitary gland and in the circulation. PRL mRNA was significantly reduced in Ghsr−/− mice compared to wild-type littermates and fewer cells expressed PRL. The reduction in expression of both GH and PRL is consistent with a Pit-1 regulated pathway and demonstrates that the GHS-R has an important role in the pituitary gland as a modulator of Pit-1 expression and provides a possible mechanism to explain the lower plasma IGF-1 and modestly reduced body weight exhibited by Ghsr−/− mice. We also believe that lower systemic and lymphoid hormone expression may also account, in part, for the enhanced thymic involution and reduced thymic output in Ghsr−/− mice.
Linear coupling of undershoot with BOLD response in ER-fMRI and nonlinear BOLD response in rapid-presentation ER-fMRI

Abstract In event-related (ER) BOLD-fMRI brain activation studies, understanding the relationship between the elicited BOLD signal and its underlying neuronal activity is essential for any quantitative interpretation of the neural events from the BOLD measurements. This requires a better understanding of the dynamic BOLD response. Besides the neuronal activity-induced positive BOLD response, the dynamic response is also characterized by a profound post-stimulus undershoot. The relationship between the positive response and the post-stimulus undershoot, however, remains poorly understood. Earlier studies using block-design paradigms with long stimulation durations (> 10 s) do not suggest a quantitative relationship. Using an ER paradigm, this study revealed a linear coupling between the positive BOLD response and the post-stimulus undershoot across the human visual cortex. The voxelwise linear coupling across the visual cortex strongly supports a homogeneous hemodynamic response in ER paradigms, though the BOLD response magnitude varies substantially over a wide range across the visual cortex. Although underlying neuronal activity is responsible for a BOLD response, the blood volume fraction affects the magnitude of the BOLD response; the larger the blood volume fraction, the larger the magnitude. This effect needs to be accounted for in any quantitative interpretation of the BOLD measurements. In the absence of nonlinear neuronal activities, the nonlinear vascular response renders the estimated BOLD responses smaller in rapid presentation (RP) ER paradigms compared to that in ER paradigms, and this reduction effect also needs to be considered when interpreting the estimated BOLD responses in RP-ER paradigms. Interestingly, this nonlinear effect might be simply accounted for by a scaling factor across the visual cortex.
A neural architecture for visual motion perception: group and element apparent motion

Two brief flashes of light, separated in both time and space, create an illusion of movement from the location of the first flash to that of the second when the spatiotemporal parameters of the display are within the correct range. This phenomenon is called the Phi phenomenon. The authors present a summary of several psychophysical results that illustrate the complex interrelationship between stimulus factors influencing Phi and the organization of the resulting motion percepts. A neural network model whose mechanisms are capable of explaining these percepts is then presented. >
Preparation and Characterization of Polylactide-co-glycolide/Carbonate Apatite (PLGA/CHA) Composite Scaffolds

Both natural and synthetic materials have been utilized to provide three dimensional scaffold environments ideal for bone repair. The biomechanical and biocompatibility characteristics of these scaffolds play a vital role in successful tissue engineering constructs. Polymer/carbonate apatite (CHA) composites have shown to improve cell adhesion and proliferation on the scaffold as well as increase elastic modulus, toughness and strength. The aim of this study is to prepare CHA- polylactic-co-glycolide (PLGA) composites in the form of microsphere, scaffold and disc and evaluate their physico-chemical properties, mechanical properties and in vitro bioactivity. 3-D porous cylindrical composite scaffolds were prepared using PLGA/CHA composites with varying PLGA/CHA ratios (30:70 and 50:50). The CHA was prepared by hydrolysis method and characterized using x-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The physico-chemical and mechanical properties of the composite scaffolds were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), micro-computed tomography (μCT), XRD, FTIR, and thermogravimetry (TGA). Flexural strength was determined using Instron. In vitro bioactivity was determined by the formation of apatite on composite disc surfaces after immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). SEM and μCT analyses showed high porosity and interconnectivity between microspheres in the composite scaffolds. In vitro bioactivity was observed by the development of an apatite layer on the surfaces of the composite scaffolds after immersion in simulated body fluid. The mechanical strength of the scaffolds was to be dependent on the PLGA-CHA ratio. The elastic modulus, toughness and strength values obtained for the composites were similar to those of reported bone substituted materials. Results from this study provided information on the fabrication of PLGA-CHA scaffolds and their properties that may be useful for their potential application in bone repair and as scaffolds in tissue engineering for bone regeneration.
On the stability of rapid planar solidification during melt-substrate quenching

This paper investigates the validity of the assumption of planar interface in rapid solidification with the help of a linear stability analysis and a heat and mass diffusion model. An absolute stability criterion for the existence of planar interface is derived from linear stability theories. The criterion is based on a heat flux parameter that is determined from the heat and mass transfer considerations. The stability of the planar interface under given conditions is examined by comparing the model predicted interface velocity with the absolute stability velocity determined from the stability theories. Selected results are presented for an Al-2wt.%Cu alloy quenched on a copper substrate.
The influence of mixing on tubular reactor performance

Abstract The effect of mixing on tubular reactors with general kinetics and an arbitrary number of reactions is studied. Three mixing models are investigated: the piston flow dispersion model, the series of mixers model and the Taylor model. All three models give identical results through first-order terms in the reciprocal Peclet number. The singular perturbation problem connected with the piston flow dispersion model has been solved by a special transformation which makes the singular perturbation terms disappear. The effect of mixing on reactor performance can be estimated by means of the adjoint variables of optimisation theory. A very simple geometric interpretation of the effect is given by using the adjoint vector and curvature of the reaction path. Results obtained by the perturbation method have been compared with results obtained by numerical integration.
Føllesdal on the notion of the noema: A critique

In this paper, I have demonstrated that Follesdal's famous interpretation of Husserl's concept of the noema is mistaken due to a fundamental misunderstanding of Husserlian terminology. I have given what I consider to be a correct explanation of the notion of the noema and of Husserlian terminology and have backed my claims with direct references to the text. I have then compared and contrasted these with Follesdal's interpretation and, thereby, have explained the nature of his mistakes with regards to terminology. I have also shown that two of Follesdal's faithful followers, Smith and McIntyre, have walked a similarly erroneous path with regards to their interpretation of Husserl's theory of meaning in theIdeas. I do not know where the key to the reconciliation of phenomenology and analytic philosophy lies. But, I do know that it does not lie in the claim that Husserl shared Frege's view on the nature of meaning as an abstract intensionalSinn nor does it lie in the related view that Husserl radically changed his conception of the relation of meanings to intending acts. Hopefully, this paper has shed light on this widely debated issue and has clarified the nature of the mistakes in recent interpretations of Husserl's concept of the noema.
Temporary transvenous pacemaker therapy: an analysis of complications.

A systematic study of the complications resulting from temporary transvenous endocardial pacing was conducted. One hundred thirteen patients requiring insertion of 142 temporary transvenous pacemaker catheters were evaluated. On 61 occasions the pacemakers were introduced through the brachial vein, and on 81 the femoral vein approach was utilized. Evidence of pacemaker malfunction, manifested as failure to capture or to sense spontaneous QRS, was encountered in 95 separate episodes or 43 percent of the total instances of insertion. Malfunction occurred in 45.9 percent of catheter pacemakers inserted through the arm vein and 40.7 percent of catheter pacemakers inserted through the femoral vein. Complications from transvenous endocardial pacing consisted primarily of ventricular tachycardia-fibrillation, myocardial perforation, pulmonary emboli, hematoma or abscess at the insertion site. Thirty-two complications were encountered in 24 instances of pacemaker therapy or 16.9 percent of the total. No deaths could be directly attributable to the complications of cardiac pacing. The high incidence of malfunctions detected during constant electrocardiographic surveillance indicate that, although temporary transvenous pacing is a safe technique, the availability of continuous electrocardiographic monitoring must be considered a prerequisite for the extensive use of temporary pacing. No significant difference could be demonstrated in the incidence of malfunction or complications from the two most commonly used sites of pacemaker insertion.
Perturbation theory of constraints - Application to a lithium hydride calculation

The perturbation theory of the constrained variational method is applied to a calculation on the lithium hydride molecule by Browne and Matsen. The changes in various properties on constraining the expectation values of force and virial operators to vanish are calculated. It is shown that the perturbation series converge very rapidly, so that only the leading terms are required. However, in this particular case the imposition of the constraints has a negligible effect on the calculated properties.
Issues surrounding the preservation of viable allograft heart valves.

Allograft heart valves have been used for over 30 years. During the first decades of use, the research and clinical objectives were to find a means for long-stem storage of tissue. Methods such as irradiation, glutaraldehyde fixation, long-term antibiotic storage at 4°C and other methods were common. These methods, however, were found to give reduced long-term clinical performance when compared with viable fresh tissue or tissue which had been cryopreserved. Recognizing this fact, more recent emphasis has been to address issues surrounding means by which allografts can be cryopreserved and thawed to retain maximum viability. An additional concern was to find a means to maximize donor retrieval by salvaging tissue which normally would be discarded because of bacterial contamination. This study demonstrates that when a proper cryopreservation technique is used, with stringent antibiotic treatments, biomechanical parameters remain normal with only a slight decrease in cell viability.
Abiotic and biotic factors explain independent gradients of plant community composition in ponderosa pine forests

Abstract General multivariate models have appeal when analyzing ecological systems because they have the potential to shed light on the relative importance of multifaceted factors. We hypothesized that plant community composition is a function of the interactions among three general constructs: abiotic and biotic factors and disturbance history. We sampled vegetation and soils on 75 randomly located 0.05 ha plots across a broad soil gradient within a 110,000 ha ponderosa pine forest landscape in northern Arizona to evaluate this hypothesis. The variation in abundances of 271 understory plant species was reduced to two orthogonal axes using non-metric multidimensional scaling. We evaluated the relationships between ordination results and environmental conditions using two types of structural equation models. ‘Specific’ models provided a detailed perspective of hypothesized relationships among observed variables. A ‘general’ model was evaluated to address the general hypothesis stated above. The general model employed composite variables, which specify the combined effects of multiple factors on a response, in order to evaluate the relative importance of the three theoretical constructs. The results of the final specific model suggested that organic matter and nitrogen explained unique variation in composition, but the ‘total effects’ of organic matter were not significant due to offsetting direct and indirect pathways. Soil texture and pH also constrained where many plant species occurred. Elevation was a strong determinant of species distributions, and its effects could be propagated through a network of processes involving soil mineral and organic properties. Litter depth explained unique variation in community composition, suggesting that plant species differ in their ability to colonize sites with different litter depths independent of the density of pine trees. Composition also differed under varying densities of pine trees since species vary in their tolerance of a competitive overstory. Finally, heavy grazing tended to favor the abundance of non-palatable species in the community. The results of the general model provided new insight into the underlying structure of independent plant community gradients in ponderosa pine forests. The model suggested that abiotic factors generated one gradient in community composition, whereas biotic factors, and to a lesser degree, disturbance history, generated a second independent gradient in community composition. Future evaluations of this composition model across a diversity of ecosystems could determine the generality and utility of this multivariate hypothesis.
Approximations and Inequalities for Moving Sums

In this article accurate approximations and inequalities are derived for the distribution, expected stopping time and variance of the stopping time associated with moving sums of independent and identically distributed continuous random variables. Numerical results for a scan statistic based on a sequence of moving sums are presented for a normal distribution model, for both known and unknown mean and variance. The new R algorithms for the multivariate normal and t distributions established by Genz et al. (2010) provide readily available numerical values of the bounds and approximations.
Surface-Tension-Driven Flow in a Glass Melt

Motion driven by surface tension gradients was observed in a vertical capillary liquid bridge geometry in a sodium borate melt. The surface tension gradients were introduced by maintaining a temperature gradient on the free melt surface. The flow velocities at the free surface of the melt, which were measured using a tracer technique, were found to be proportional to the applied temperature difference and inversely proportional to the melt viscosity. The experimentally observed velocities were in reasonable accord with predictions from a theoretical model of the system.
Predictors of feminist self-labeling

This study investigated the relations of demographic and attitudinal variables on self-labeling as a feminist. Male (N=22) and female (N=83) primarily white (79%) college students and other adults responded to a questionnaire assessing their opinion of the feminist movement, perceptions of feminists, agreement with profeminist attitudes toward women's roles, belief in the importance of collective vs. individual action, political liberalism, and perceived discrimination. Although self-labeling as a feminist was significantly related to all of the above, with the exception of perceived discrimination, two major predictors were shown to be independently important: profeminist attitudes toward women's roles and opinion of the feminist movement.
Turbulent mass transfer at free, gas-liquid interfaces, with applications to film flows

Abstract The film hydrodynamics determined by Telles and Dukler, together with a turbulence-centred mass-transfer model and an empirical estimate for the macroscale, provide a coherent description of a rather unique mass-transfer mechanism which is found to be in agreement with overall mass-transfer measurements.
Surface Characterization of Cholesterol Monohydrate Single Crystals by Chemical Force Microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and chemical force microscopy (CFM) techniques have been used to characterize the chemical functionality of cholesterol monohydrate single-crystal surfaces in different solution environments. Both synthetic and natural crystals adopt a platelike habit in which the largest face is (001). Under aqueous and organic solution conditions, in situ contact mode topographical images reveal that the plate face is primarily terminated by bilayer molecular structures and therefore largely homogeneous. Adhesion force measurements obtained with chemically modified tips demonstrate that the functionality of the crystal surface can be altered by changes in the solution composition. The 3-hydroxyl end of cholesterol molecules is presented on the plate face in aqueous media, while alkyl tail groups terminate the surface in organic solutions. Contact angle measurements on (001) surfaces exposed to solvents of different hydrophilicity also show similar trends, providing additional support to the...
Semiconductor analysis using finite elements: part I: computational aspects

We describe the computer implementation of SAFE, a general-purpose program for finite-element analysis of systems of nonlinear, nonvariational PDE. The form and nonlinearity of the PDE, as well as the domain, parameters, and boundary conditions of the problem, are user-specified. We discuss the problems of numerical integration in space and in time and describe the results of applying sparse-matrix methods to some practical problems. A method is given for unified treatment of nonstandard finite elements such as bicubic-spline and “current-continuous” elements. We give an assessment of the potential impact and reliability of general-purpose nonlinear finite-element programs. We conclude from out data that as the number of elements becomes large, sparse-matrix solutions dominate the overall operation count, even though the methods used are near-optimal for problems of moderate size.
Comparing biobehavioral profiles across two social stress paradigms in children with and without autism spectrum disorders

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are defined by impairment in reciprocal social interaction and flexible adaptation to the environment. This study compared physiological stress in children with and without ASD exposed to two social stress protocols. We hypothesized that the ASD group would show heightened initial and enduring cortisol levels to the social stressors, which would be moderated by age and intelligence. Twenty-seven children with ASD and 32 with typical development (TYP) completed a standardized social-evaluative performance task and a validated paradigm of social play with peers. Physiological stress was measured by salivary cortisol at nine time points. Statistical approaches included repeated-measures linear mixed models and correlation analyses. The average cortisol level of both groups during initial exposure to social situations was significantly greater than baseline levels (ASD, P = 0.018; TYP, P = 0.006). Stress responsivity was significantly different between the groups; the TYP group showed a significant reduction in cortisol over time (P = 0.023), whereas the ASD group maintained an elevated cortisol level (P >0.05). The ASD group evidenced greater variability in between-group, within-group and intra-individual analyses. Age was a positive moderator of stress for the ASD group (P = 0.047), whereas IQ was a negative moderator for the TYP group (P = 0.061). Initial stress to novel social scenarios is idiosyncratic and predictive of subsequent exposure. Amidst significant variability in cortisol, children with ASD show enhanced and sustained social stress that increases with age. Developmental and cognitive factors differentially moderate stress in children with ASD and TYP, respectively. A model of neuroendocrine reactivity is proposed.
AP-S Distinguished Lecturer Program

The full abstracts of the Distinguished Lecturers' talks as well as the biographies of the Distinguished Lecturers can be found on the AP-S Web site by vis iting http://www.ieeeaps.org/distlectureres.html.
Hateful metrics and the bitterest pill of scholarly publishing

Glenn McGuigan is a specialist business librarian at Penn State who has written about change in university libraries, and about the impact of the academic publishing industry on scholarly publishing.
Electrical Hysteresis of PEDOT/PSS-Metal Contact Devices

PEDOT/PSS is an air-stable and solution-processable semiconductor polymer with great potential for electronic applications. In this research, we investigated the PEDOT/PSS-metal contacts using Al-PEDOT/PSS-Au as a test device. Abnormal electrical hysteresis phenomena were observed in both the current-voltage and capacitance-voltage characteristics of the device. A model in terms of metal-polymer interfacial MIS structure and ion motion in the polymer is proposed for explanation of the ‘hysteresis’ phenomena.