cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Study of non-isothermal kinetics, electrical and optical properties of (GaSeTe) films

Abstract Ternary Ga x Se 86− x Te 14 amorphous films ( x =15 and 36) were prepared by thermal evaporation. The results of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) at different heating rates are reported and discussed. The glass transition activation energy, E t , and the crystallization activation energy, E c , were evaluated by measuring the heating rate dependence of the glass transition, crystallization onset and peak crystallization temperatures. The average calculated values of E t and E c are 140.29 and 97.89 kJ/mol, respectively. The electrical conductivity of amorphous Ga x Se 86− x Te 14 thin films with different thickness has been measured in the temperature range (263.2–333.3 K) and this allows the effect of introducing a metallic impurity to be observed. It was observed that conductivity increases with increasing activation energy and with a lowering of the pre-exponential factor, which suggests the results can be explained in terms of hopping conduction. The optical constants of these films were determined by transmission and reflection measurements at normal incidence in the spectral range of 500–800 nm. The refractive index has anomalous behavior in the spectral range 400–500 nm. The refractive index dispersion can be fitted to a single oscillator model.
Quantitative measurement and mechanisms for CH4 production from hydrates with the injection of liquid CO2

The recovery of gas from natural gas hydrates under the permafrost and in oceanic sediments is of particular interest in energy and environmental fields because of the attractive process to release methane gas through the injection of CO2. The sequestration of CO2, a notorious greenhouse gas, in hydrates has the potential to be used in enhanced gas recovery techniques, while simultaneously releasing CH4 locked within the gas bearing hydrates. In this study, we present quantitative experiments to investigate results of possible CH4–CO2 exchange kinetics from injection of liquid CO2 through CH4 hydrates. The experiments performed use CH4 hydrate formed from ice particles (75–90 or 125–150 microns in diameter) at approximately 10.34 MPa and 263 K. In order to reduce unexpected errors, nearly full conversion (>95%) of ice particles to hydrates is achieved. Liquid CO2 is injected into the pressure cell to sweep the residual CH4 atmosphere, ensuring no free CH4 is left in the gas phase. After soaking the hydrate for several hours, CH4 is produced from the hydrates by injecting liquid CO2. The final composition and analysis of the produced CH4 is measured by using in-line gas chromatography. We also measure the CH4 moles after hydrate dissociation to confirm the closure of the total mass balance of the experiment. From these data, we infer the mechanism for CH4 production, identify the penetration depth of the dissociation/exchange on the hydrate particles, and propose physical models describing the mechanism for CH4 production. These experiments are essential in the quantification of the production of CH4 from CH4 hydrates with the injection of CO2.
Mechanistic studies of atom transfer addition reactions of iodomalononitriles to alkenes. 1,2-asymmetric induction in an iodine atom transfer reaction.

Abstract An unusual stereoselective iodine transfer to a benzylic radical helps to show that atom transfer additions of iodomalononitriles to alkenes occur by a radical mechanism.
Thermal conductivity of color-flavor-locked quark matter

We compute the thermal conductivity of color-flavor-locked (CFL) quark matter. At temperatures below the scale set by the gap in the quark spectrum, transport properties are determined by collective modes. In this work we focus on the contribution from the lightest modes, the superfluid phonon and the massive neutral kaon. The calculation is done in the framework of kinetic theory, using variational solutions of the linearized Boltzmann equation. We find that the thermal conductivity owing to phonons is ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{(P)}~1.04\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{26} {\ensuremath{\mu}}_{500}^{8}{\ensuremath{\Delta}}_{50}^{\ensuremath{-}6} \mathrm{erg}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ and the contribution of kaons is ${\ensuremath{\kappa}}^{(K)}~2.81\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{21} {f}_{\ensuremath{\pi},100}^{4}{T}_{\mathrm{MeV}}^{1/2}{m}_{10}^{\ensuremath{-}5/2} \mathrm{erg}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{s}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}\mathrm{ }{\mathrm{K}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$. These values are smaller than previous estimates but still much larger than (in the case of phonons) or similar to (for kaons) the corresponding values in nuclear matter. From the phonon thermal conductivity we estimate that a CFL quark matter core of a compact star becomes isothermal on a time scale of a few seconds.
Early Intervention: Does Developmental Therapy Make a Difference?:

The initial goal of this paper is to provide a review of recent articles which have examined the efficacy of early developmental therapy. Emphasis is placed on two relatively new research methodologies—quantitative reviewing or meta-analysis and single-subject research design. The second part of this paper focuses on future directions for efficacy research in physical therapy. These include the need to use criterion-referenced outcome measures as dependent variables as well as functional changes, such as improvements in independent mobility, alternative forms of communication, and self-help skills.
Conversion of the Nipple to Hair-Bearing Epithelia by Lowering Bone Morphogenetic Protein Pathway Activity at the Dermal-Epidermal Interface

Epithelial appendages, such as mammary glands and hair, arise as a result of epithelial-mesenchymal interactions. Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are important for hair follicle morphogenesis and cycling and are known to regulate a wide variety of developmental processes. For example, overexpression of BMPs inhibits hair follicle formation. We hypothesized that the down-regulation of the BMP signaling pathway in the basal epidermis expands regions that are competent to form hair follicles and could alter the fate of the epithelium in the mouse nipple to a hair-covered epidermal phenotype. To test our hypothesis, we used a transgenic mouse model in which keratin 14 (KRT14) promoter-mediated overexpression of Noggin, a BMP antagonist, modulates BMP activity. We observed the conversion of nipple epithelium into pilosebaceous units. During normal mammary gland organogenesis, BMPs are likely used by the nipple epithelium to suppress keratinocyte differentiation, thus preventing the formation of pilosebaceous units. In this report, we characterize the morphology and processes that influence the development of hairs within the nipple of the KRT14-Noggin mouse. We demonstrate that Noggin acts, in part, by reducing the BMP signal in the epithelium. Reduction of the BMP signal in turn leads to a reduction in the levels of parathyroid hormone-related protein. We propose that during evolution of the nipple, the BMP pathway was co-opted to suppress hair follicle formation and create a more functional milk delivery apparatus.
Nitrate concentrations in snow from remote areas: implication for the global NOx flux

Increased emissions of nitrogen compounds to the atmosphere by human activities have been well documented. However, in order to better quantify these anthropogenic emissions, better knowledge of natural emissions rates must be known. In addition, variation in natural emissions through time should be documented. In this note we present data collected and/or analyzed by us for NO3 in recent snow from remote regions of the world. We also summarize existing data sets from other remote regions. This is done to establish a better understanding of NO3 deposition rates in these regions as well as to add more information to our global understanding of NO3 deposition. Nitrogen compounds are emitted to the atmosphere by both naturally occurring biogenic and geologic sources as well as by human activity. Due to the potential effect of N2O in Greenhouse warming and the deterioration of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems by the introduction of HNO3 via acid precipitation, an understanding of natural fluxes of N compounds is of utmost importance. Nitrogen gas emissions from biogenic sources undoubt- edly vary with such regional and global ecological changes as variations in terrestrial biomass and photosynthetic rates (Bowden & Bormann 1986) and soil acidification (Firestone et al. 1980; Martikainen 1985). Recent calcula- tions of natural emission rates of N into the troposphere suggest that the 'best' previous estimates could be off by greater than a factor of two (Galbally 1985; Mooney et al. 1987). The importance of gaseous nitrogen emissions from various ecosystems is poorly understood (Bowden 1986). However, budgetary information indicate that present day anthropogenic activities such as fossil fuel combustion and biomass burning exceed natural sources of nitrogen to the troposphere (Logan 1983). In addition, recent ice core work from Southern Greenland verifies this increase in fossil fuel
Acute respiratory arrest due to hypokalemia

An uncommon but treatable etiology of acute respiratory failure is hypokalemia. A 36-year-old woman with previously undiagnosed distal renal tubular acidosis presented with foot and ankle swelling that was being treated with furosemide. She had been seen by three physicians within 24 hours and was diagnosed as having depression or hysterical conversion reaction. Her symptoms progressed to respiratory arrest. Initial treatment consisted of administering 40 mEq of KCl over one hour through a central venous line. The patient recovered rapidly and was weaned off a respirator within 24 hours of admission.
Communication-sensitive heuristics and algorithms for mapping compilers

The mapping problem arises when parallel algorithms are implemented on parallel machines. When the number of processes exceeds the number of available processing elements, the mapping problem includes the contraction problem. In this paper, we identify communication-sensitive heuristics which promote good contractions for graph-based parallel algorithms on non-shared memory multiprocessors. We present algorithms which utilize these heuristics and discuss their performance on a group of diverse benchmarks.
Early Adult Identification Among Youth With Foster Care Experience: Implications for Emerging Adulthood

Research is scarce that examines how previous life experiences impact emerging adulthood, generally recognized as a distinct developmental stage between ages 18 and 26. Using cumulative advantage-disadvantage theory, this study explores differences during the transition to adulthood between youth with and without foster care experience. A multiple-step, multiple-mediator model with logistic regression was used with data from Wave III of Add Health (n = 13,574). Results suggest that youth with foster care experience are undergoing an accelerated path to their adult identities. No longer attending school and perceived independence help explain this finding.
STAT proteins and transcriptional responses to extracellular signals

Signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) transcription factors are implicated in programming gene expression in biological events as diverse as embryonic development, programmed cell death, organogenesis, innate immunity, adaptive immunity and cell growth regulation in organisms ranging from slime molds to insects to man. Rapid progress has unearthed much about the activation of STATs by Janus kinases (JAKs) and other tyrosine kinases and their ability to interface with other signaling systems. Once inside the nucleus, the STATs bind to promoters and join other transcriptional activators in the regulation of gene expression.
LA RACIALIZACIÓN DE LOS MEXICANOS EN ESTADOS UNIDOS: ESTRATIFICACIÓN RACIAL EN LA TEORÍA Y EN LA PRÁCTICA*

RESUMEN: Los mecanismos de estratificacion social requieren la definicion categorica de un grupo externo que pueda ser excluido y explotado. Historicamente, en Estados Unidos los afroamericanos han sido sujetos a un proceso sistematico de formacion racial para definirlos como parte de un grupo explotable y susceptible de exclusion. Comenzando en los anos setenta y acelerandose en los ochenta y noventa, los mexicanos han sido objeto de procesos similares de exclusion para hacerlos mas explotables y aptos para su exclusion que nunca antes. Como consecuencia, en la ultima decada los mexicoamericanos se alejaron de su posicion intermedia en la jerarquia economica y se acercaron a la formacion de una clase inferior. Este articulo describe los mecanismos basicos de estratificacion en Estados Unidos y como los mexicanos han sido constantemente racializados y como grupo externo deshumanizado y vulnerable.
Regulation of fetal versus embryonic gamma globin genes: appropriate developmental stage expression patterns in the presence of HS2 of the locus control region

The γ genes provide the major contribution to beta-like globin chain production in the fetal liver of humans. However, the expression of γ genes in the fetus is a recent evolutionary trend seen only in the primate lineage. In a previous study, it was shown that galago and human γ genes retain their characteristic stage-specific expression patterns in transgenic mice (galago γ is expressed exclusively in the embryo, whereas human γ is expressed in the fetus). In that experiment, human and galago γ genes were linked to hypersensitive site 3 (HS3) of the locus control region. To rule out the possibility that HS3 is required for these differential expression profiles, additional transgenic lines were tested in which human or galago γ genes were linked to HS2. Once again, the galago γ gene was embryonic and the human γ gene was fetal, indicating that the stage specificity of these genes is driven by elements located within the 4-kb fragments that contain the human and galago γ genes proper.
Benefits of Monitoring Energy Use and Production Using Enhanced Smart Meters for California Houses

Methodologies have been developed to allow real-time determination of energy production and use as well as sizing of HVAC equipment based on thermal loads at the residential level. The data obtained reflect actual properties of the thermal envelope and appliance efficiencies, as well as actual renewable power production. The use of properly sized HVAC equipment introduces further energy savings. Recovery of energy savings expressed in terms of carbon offsets provides an incentive to improve the occupant’s energy footprint. When monetized, the energy cost savings and carbon offsets have financial benefits. These benefits are evaluated for model homes in various climatic zones within the state of California.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Energy-filtering and composition-sensitive imaging in surface and interface studies using HREM

Abstract Energy-filtered high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) is an important technique for quantitative structural determination. In this paper, some fundamental quantities in applying energy-selected HREM in surface and interface studies are considered. The inelastic absorption function in zero-loss energy-selected HREM profile images of the MgO(100) surface is measured. The incastic scattering mean-free-path length of MgO at 300 kV is determined as Λ ≈ 181 nm for [110] zone-axis diffraction condition with an objective aperture of semi-collection angle 1 A −1 . High-resolution chemical-sensitive imaging using core-shell loss electrons in transmission electron microscopy (TEM) is also demonstrated in studies on Al Ti multilayer thin films. A spatial resolution of ∼ 0.4 nm has been obtained. It has been shown that the spatial resolution of energy-selected ionization edge electron images is dominated by the signal-to-noise ratio; the signal localization, as long as it comes from inner-shell excitation, has little effect. Thus, for a general element, the use of low loss ionization edges rather than higher loss ionization edges is recommended for forming chemical images. But caution must be exercised in the subtraction of background due to the influence of multiple plasmon peaks. Composition-sensitive imaging using plasmon-loss electrons is also feasible, and a spatial resolution better than 1.0 nm has been obtained. These results are interpreted using the calculations of the dielectric response theory for interface excitation. Lattice images formed by plasmon-loss and multiple plasmon-loss electrons are also illustrated.
The Benefits of Using Psychotherapy Skills Following Treatment for Depression: An Examination of “Afterwork” and a Test of the Skills Hypothesis in Older Adults☆

Abstract It has long been assumed that one of the reasons clients maintain improvement after psychotherapy is that they learn skills during the course of therapy and continue to apply them once therapy has ended. While research on homework completion and psychotherapy outcome provides support for this assumption, there has been no direct examination of “afterwork,” the use of skills learned in therapy after therapy has ended, or how those posttherapy skills differ across different theoretical approaches. The purpose of this study is to test a skills hypothesis of long-term psychotherapeutic benefit in a sample of 90 older adults who have completed psychotherapy for depression. Helpfulness of the techniques learned in therapy was negatively associated with depressive symptoms up to 2 years after treatment. The number of techniques used was positively correlated with depressive symptoms within 6 months of treatment once helpfulness was controlled, indicating that skills learned in therapy are used when symptoms return. There were also between-group differences in which skills were reported to be covered and used by patients after therapy ended. These findings support the expectation that the benefits of therapy are extended by continuing to use helpful skills learned in therapy.
Granule Cell Neurogenesis After Status Epilepticus in the Immature Rat Brain

Purpose: Several experimental paradigms of seizure induction that produce epilepsy as a consequence have been shown to be associated with the proliferation of dentate granule cells. In developing animals, the acute sequela of hilar damage and the chronic sequelae of spontaneous seizures and mossy fiber synaptic reorganization, in response to status epilepticus, occur in an age-dependent manner. We investigated seizure-induced granule cell neurogenesis in developing rat pups to study the association between hilar injury, granule cell neurogenesis, and epilepsy. Methods: Rat pups of 2 and 3 weeks postnatal age were subjected to lithium-pilocarpine status epilepticus (LiPC SE). Rats were given bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU; 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal) twice daily for 4 days beginning 3 days after SE to label dividing cells. Routine immunocytochemistry and quantification of BrdU labeling by image analysis were performed. Results were compared with previously reported data on cellular injury, mossy fiber sprouting, and spontaneous seizures in rat pups of these ages after LiPC SE. Results: In 3-week-old pups, which demonstrate SE-induced hilar damage and develop spontaneous seizures accompanied by mossy fiber sprouting, the BrdU-immunoreactive area (percent) in the subgranular proliferative zone increased to 10.6 ± 2.5 compared with 1.4 ± 0.5 in the control animals (p < 0.05). The 2-week-old animals, which show neither hilar damage nor sprouting and rarely develop spontaneous seizures, also showed a comparable extent of SE-induced neurogenesis [8.0 ± 1.4 (LiPC SE) versus 0.4 ± 0.2 (control), p < 0.05]. Conclusions; Seizure-induced granule cell neurogenesis does not appear to be a function of seizure-induced hilar cellular damage. Granule cell neurogenesis induced by SE does not determine epileptogenesis in the developing rat.
Adolescent Pathways to Co-Occurring Problem Behavior: The Effects of Peer Delinquency and Peer Substance Use.

Delinquency and substance use are more likely to co-occur in adolescence compared to earlier and later developmental periods. The present study examined developmental pathways to co-occurring problem behavior from 6th-10th grade (N=2,002), testing how peer delinquency and substance use were linked to transitioning between abstaining, delinquency, substance use, and co-occurring problem behavior. Developmentally, most youth transition from abstinence to delinquent behavior, and then escalate to co-occurring problem behavior. Once co-occurring problem behavior onsets, remitting to single problem behavior or abstinence is unlikely. The impact of peers on problem behavior are domain specific when individuals transition from abstaining to a single problem behavior, but are more general with respect to escalation of and desistance from problem behavior. Language: en
Hospices’ Enrollment Policies May Contribute To Underuse Of Hospice Care In The United States

Hospice use in the United States is growing, but little is known about barriers that terminally ill patients may face when trying to access hospice care. This article reports the results of the fir...
Neyman-Pearson detection wirh distributed sensors

This paper considers the signal detection problem when multiple sensors are used for surveillance and a global decision is desired. Local decisions are fed to a data fusion center where a global decision is obtained using a fusion rule. Neyman-Pearson criterion is used for system optimization. Two problems are considered. The first one is to design the decision rules at the individual detectors, when the fusion rule is given. The second one is to find the optimum fusion rule, knowing the decision rules at the detectors.
Identification of genes required for excision of CTnDOT, a Bacteroides conjugative transposon

Integrated self-transmissible elements called conjugative transposons have been found in many different bacteria, but little is known about how they excise from the chromosome to form the circular intermediate, which is then transferred by conjugation. We have now identified a gene, exc, which is required for the excision of the Bacteroides conjugative transposon, CTnDOT. The int gene of CTnDOT is a member of the lambda integrase family of recombinases, a family that also contains the integrase of the Gram-positive conjugative transposon Tn916. The exc gene was located 15 kbp from the int gene, which is located at one end of the 65 kbp element. The exc gene, together with the regulatory genes, rteA, rteB and rteC, were necessary to excise a miniature form of CTnDOT that contained only the ends of the element and the int gene. Another open reading frame (ORF) in the same operon and upstream of exc, orf3, was not essential for excision and had no significant amino acid sequence similarity to any proteins in the databases. The deduced amino acid sequence of the CTnDOT Exc protein has significant similarity to topoisomerases. A small ORF (orf2) that could encode a small, basic protein comparable with lambda and Tn916 excision proteins (Xis) was located immediately downstream of the CTnDOT int gene. Although Xis proteins are required for excision of lambda and Tn916, orf2 had no effect on excision of the element. Excision of the CTnDOT mini-element was not affected by the site in which it was integrated, another difference from Tn916. Our results demonstrate that the Bacteroides CTnDOT excision system is tightly regulated and appears to be different from that of any other known integrated transmissible element, including those of some Bacteroides mobilizable transposons that are mobilized by CTnDOT.
The molecular basis of colon cancer

There are approximately 160,000 new cases of colon cancer every year in the United States. Colon carcinoma results from the aggregate effects of multiple genetic alterations. Some genetic alterations may be inherited, while others reflect somatic mutations. The latter may themselves be the indirect result of environmental factors such as diet. It is the total accumulation of these genetic changes, combining the activation of oncogenes with the inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, that is responsible for determining the biologic properties of colon cancer.
Stratigraphy-guided rock physics

Porosity and permeability heterogeneity prevents efficient drainage and sweep of hydrocarbons and results in low recovery efficiency. This heterogeneity is often linked to the facies architecture inherited from the original depositional system as well as to subsequent rock diagenesis. Undrained zones can be precisely targeted if a detailed description of reservoir bulk properties in 3-D is available. It is natural to derive such description from 3-D reflection seismology because of its superior ability to illuminate the subsurface.
Sensor maneuver design for microwave source localization

This paper presents a solution to maneuvering networked airborne sensors with both time and motion constraints to benefit sensing. Decentralized maneuver design is shown to enhance the network tolerance to loss of sensors, in addition to reducing the complexity in computation and communications. Sensing accuracy and speed are achieved by a high-level aggregation of the sensor outputs and a time-coordinated bang-bang control of the sensor carrying vehicles to their best sensing states. The solution is demonstrated through a network of airborne location sensors, where the sensors are paired to acquire time difference of arrival and frequency difference of arrival of microwave signals for localization of their emitters to a required accuracy in minimum time. Network resilience to localizing emitters in the face of vehicle loss is shown via simulations of a six-sensor network with respect to a range of vehicle loss probabilities.
Optimizing surface acoustic wave sensors for trace chemical detection

This paper describes several recent advances for fabricating coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors for applications requiring trace chemical detection. Specifically, we have demonstrated that high surface area microporous oxides can provide 100-fold improvements in SAW sensor responses compared with more typical polymeric coatings. In addition, we fabricated GaAs SAW devices with frequencies up to 500 MHz to provide greater sensitivity and an ideal substrate for integration with high-frequency electronics.
An efficient algorithm to locate all the load flow solutions

A novel, numerically efficient algorithm to find all the solutions to load flow equations is presented. This algorithm is based on the analysis of the topological structures of the solution set defined by the parameterized load flow equation. It is found that the load flow solutions are connected by one-dimension manifolds (curves) to form a connected graph. All the load flow solutions can be found by tracing these curves. The significance of this algorithm is that it can be guaranteed to find all the solutions while reducing the amount of computations to the point that this task can be attempted on real power systems. Results on two example systems are provided to demonstrate the numerical performance of the algorithm and to provide a comparison with the currently available method. >
A 6b 10GS/s TI-SAR ADC with embedded 2-tap FFE/1-tap DFE in 65nm CMOS

A 64-way time-interleaved successive approximation based ADC front-end efficiently incorporates a 2-tap embedded FFE and a 1-tap embedded DFE, while achieving 4.56-bits peak ENOB at a 10GS/s sampling rate. Fabricated in 1.1V 65nm CMOS, the ADC with embedded equalization achieves 0.48 pJ/conv.-step FOM, while consuming 79.1mW and occupying 0.33mm2 core ADC area.
Pesticide Prioritization for a Brain Cancer Case-Control Study

The incidence of brain cancer is rising in the United States while the causes remain largely unknown. Epidemiologic studies indicate that individuals working in agriculture have an increased risk of brain cancer. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health is conducting a case-control study of incident brain cancer cases in Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin to evaluate the risk associated with several environmental exposures, in particular agricultural pesticides. Hundreds of different pesticides are used in agriculture and it is not feasible to evaluate the association between brain cancer and exposure to each of these chemicals; therefore, a strategy was developed to identify which pesticides would be targeted in the study. First, lists of pesticides were created, documenting usage in each of the four states and the United States as a whole, by using data from reports prepared by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Departments of Agriculture and land grant colleges within the four states. Then the following factors were considered in prioritizing pesticides for evaluation in the study: total volume of use prior to 1985, ranking of use in the four states and the United States as a whole by pesticide category, and toxicological evidence of carcinogenic, teratogenic, or mutagenic effects. Pesticide usage prior to 1985 was determined to allow for a minimum 10-year latency for the incident brain cancer cases diagnosed in 1995 or later. The selected pesticides include 56 herbicides, 49 insecticides, 12 fungicides, and 17 fumigants, accounting for over 99% of the total pounds of herbicides and insecticides and over 98% of the total pounds of fungicides and fumigants applied pre-1985. Prompt lists of the pesticides are sent to study participants a few days before the study questionnaire is administered to allow them time to recall past use of pesticides; the lists include the common chemical names, trade names, the crops that the pesticides are most commonly used on, and the years that the pesticides have been marketed. The methods used to select this subset of 134 pesticides document historical pesticide usage and may be useful in prioritizing pesticides for other research studies.
A computationally efficient modular optimal discovery procedure

Motivation: It is well known that patterns of differential gene expression across biological conditions are often shared by many genes, particularly those within functional groups. Taking advantage of these patterns can lead to increased statistical power and biological clarity when testing for differential expression in a microarray experiment. The optimal discovery procedure (ODP), which maximizes the expected number of true positives for each fixed number of expected false positives, is a framework aimed at this goal. Storey et al. introduced an estimator of the ODP for identifying differentially expressed genes. However, their ODP estimator grows quadratically in computational time with respect to the number of genes. Reducing this computational burden is a key step in making the ODP practical for usage in a variety of high-throughput problems. Results: Here, we propose a new estimate of the ODP called the modular ODP (mODP). The existing ‘full ODP’ requires that the likelihood function for each gene be evaluated according to the parameter estimates for all genes. The mODP assigns genes to modules according to a Kullback–Leibler distance, and then evaluates the statistic only at the module-averaged parameter estimates. We show that the mODP is relatively insensitive to the choice of the number of modules, but dramatically reduces the computational complexity from quadratic to linear in the number of genes. We compare the full ODP algorithm and mODP on simulated data and gene expression data from a recent study of Morrocan Amazighs. The mODP and full ODP algorithm perform very similarly across a range of comparisons. Availability: The mODP methodology has been implemented into EDGE, a comprehensive gene expression analysis software package in R, available at http://genomine.org/edge/. Contact: jstorey@princeton.edu Supplementary information:Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
STRELKOVIMERMIS PAPILLOSUS N. SP. (NEMATODA: MERMITHIDAE), A PARASITE OF CHIRONOMID (INSECTA: DIPTERA) ADULTS FROM THE HEADWATERS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA

On 18 August 2002, chironomid imagoes of Rheotanytarsus sp. emerged from the upper Mississippi River in Minnesota and yielded distinctive mermithid nematodes of a new mermithid species. Strelkovimermis papillosus n. sp. is distinguished from the other 14 species of the genus by the presence of unusually large cephalic papillae encircling the mouth and forming a rosette with the mouth in the center and by the absence of a fixator muscle in the males. Additionally, both sexes have very acute posterior ends, long amphids, and a long stoma. Strelkovimermis is revised by eliminating nondiscriminating parameters and accommodating the 15 known species. Intrageneric characteristics useful in separating species of Strelkovimermis are listed. Intensity of infection and intensity of infection versus sex were determined from 41 hosts. Where known, the hosts and geographical distribution are given for all 15 Strelkovimermis species.
Probabilistic modeling of dependencies during switching activity analysis

This paper addresses, from a probabilistic point of view, the issue of switching activity estimation in combinational circuits under the zero-delay model. As the main theoretical contribution, we extend the previous work done on switching activity estimation to explicitly account for complex spatiotemporal correlations which occur at the primary inputs when the target circuit receives data from real applications. More precisely, using lag-one Markov chains, two new concepts-conditional independence and signal isotropy-are brought into attention and based on them, sufficient conditions for exact analysis of complex dependencies are given. From a practical point of view, it is shown that the relative error in calculating the switching activity of a logic gate using only pairwise probabilities can be upper-bounded. It is proved that the conditional independence problem is NP-complete and thus, relying on the concept of signal isotropy, approximate techniques with bounded error are proposed for estimating the switching activity. Evaluations of the model and a comparative analysis on benchmark circuits show that node-by-node switching activities are strongly pattern dependent and therefore, accounting for spatiotemporal dependencies is mandatory if accuracy is a major concern.
Reducing the Impact of False Alarms in Induction Motor Fault Diagnosis

Early detection and diagnosis of incipient faults is desirable for on-line condition assessment, product quality assurance, and improved operational efficiency of induction motors. At the same time, reducing the probability of false alarms increases the confidence of equipment owners in this new technology. In this paper a model-based fault diagnosis system recently proposed by the authors for induction motors is experimentally compared for fault detection and false alarm performance with a more traditional signal-based motor fault estimator. In addition to the nameplate information required for the initial set-up, the proposed model-based fault diagnosis system uses measured motor terminal currents and voltages, and motor speed. The motor model embedded in the diagnosis system is empirically obtained using dynamic recurrent neural networks, and the resulting residuals are processed using wavelet packet decomposition. The effectiveness of the model-based diagnosis system in detecting the most widely encountered motor electrical and mechanical faults, while minimizing the impact of false alarms resulting from power supply and load variations, is demonstrated through extensive testing with staged motor faults. The model-based fault diagnosis system is scalable to motors of different power ratings and it has been successfully tested with fault data from 2.2 kW. 373 kW, and 597 kW induction motors.
Bactericidal effects of low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma on Porphyromonas gingivalis

The biomedical application of low temperature atmospheric pressure plasma (LTAPP) is a collaborative interest for engineering, medical, dental and biological researchers. This laboratory study tested whether LTAPP can limit growth of Porphyromonas gingivalis, a periodontal pathogen strongly associated with periodontal disease, disease progression, and refractory periodontitis. Methods: After extensive pilot trials, the study consisted of 24 agar plate samples of P. gingivalis- 20 samples were exposed to LTAPP at 5, 7, 9 and 10 minutes and 4 control samples were exposed to helium gas only. Immediately after exposures, the samples were incubated anaerobically for 72 hour at 37°C. After 72 hours, zones of inhibition were measured. Results: After 5, 7, 9, and 11 minutes of exposure times, results reveal a statistically significant difference in the bactericidal effect of the LTAPP on P. gingivalis compared to control bacteria not exposed, as measured by zone of inhibition (cm) (p0.0001). Differences in the bactericidal effects were significant for each pair of consecutive time points: 5 minutes verses 7 minutes, 7 minutes verses 9 minutes, and 9 minutes verses 11 minutes (p= 0.0360, p= 0.0009, and p0.0001, respectively).
Studies on ochronosis. I. The distribution of homogentisic acid in guinea pigs.

A specific enzymatic method for homogentisic acid was used to study its distribution in guinea pigs. Thirty minutes after intraperitoneal administration, relatively high concentrations were found in skin and cartilage. This unusual distribution pattern agrees with the localization of ochronotic pigment in alcaptomria. Binding experiments demonstrated that homogentisic acid was bound by albumin, but not by homogenates of cartilage and skin. A scheme to explain the events leading to ochronosis is presented. Un specific methodo enzymatic pro le determination de acido homogentisic esseva usate in le studio del distribution do ill in porcos de India. Trenta minutas post le administration intraperitonee, relativemente alte concentrationes esseva trovate in pelle e cartilagine. Iste distribution inusual es in harmonia con le localisation de pigmento oohronotic in alcaptonuria. Experimentos de ligationage demonstrava gue acido homogentisic es ligate per albumina sed non per homogenatos de cartilagine e pelle. Es presentate un schema pro explicar le ovenimentos resultante in ochronosis.
Quantifying Discrimination: The Role of Race and Gender in the Awarding of Subprime Mortgage Loans

The recent subprime mortgage crisis has brought to the forefront the possibility of discriminatory lending. Many ‐ including groups like the NAACP ‐ claim that women and minorities were disproportionately awarded subprime rates on their home purchase loans. Using the millions of observations collected by the federal government in 2006 through the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, this paper explores these claims causally. In so doing, the paper explores two possible theories of discrimination: (1) that any discriminatory lending patterns are picking up the fact that minority borrowers went to dierent lenders, perhaps as a result of predatory lending, and (2) the possibility that individual lenders discriminated against identically situated borrowers. The results presented here provide evidence for both types of discrimination, but only in certain regions of the country and only for certain minority groups.
Biodegradable lysine-derived polyurethane scaffolds promote healing in a porcine full-thickness excisional wound model

Lysine-derived polyurethane scaffolds (LTI-PUR) support cutaneous wound healing in loose-skinned small animal models. Due to the physiological and anatomical similarities of human and pig skin, we investigated the capacity of LTI-PUR scaffolds to support wound healing in a porcine excisional wound model. Modifications to scaffold design included the addition of carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) as a porogen to increase interconnectivity and an additional plasma treatment (Plasma) to decrease surface hydrophobicity. All LTI-PUR scaffold and formulations supported cellular infiltration and were biodegradable. At 15 days, CMC and plasma scaffolds simulated increased macrophages more so than LTI PUR or no treatment. This response was consistent with macrophage-mediated oxidative degradation of the lysine component of the scaffolds. Cell proliferation was similar in control and scaffold-treated wounds at 8 and 15 days. Neither apoptosis nor blood vessel area density showed significant differences in the presence of...
Video imaging of dust acoustic waves

Imaging dust clouds is often the primary source of data acquisition, especially in situations where the dust grains participate directly in the dynamics, as in the case of very low frequency "dust waves". A sample image of a dust acoustic wave is presented.
Continuous particle separation in spiral microchannels using dean flows and differential migration

Microparticle separation and concentration based on size has become indispensable in many biomedical and environmental applications. In this paper we describe a passive microfluidic device with spiral microchannel geometry for complete separation of particles. The design takes advantage of the inertial lift and viscous drag forces acting on particles of various sizes to achieve differential migration, and hence separation, of microparticles. The dominant inertial forces and the Dean rotation force due to the spiral microchannel geometry cause the larger particles to occupy a single equilibrium position near the inner microchannel wall. The smaller particles migrate to the outer half of the channel under the influence of Dean forces resulting in the formation of two distinct particle streams which are collected in two separate outputs. This is the first demonstration that takes advantage of the dual role of Dean forces for focusing larger particles in a single equilibrium position and transposing the smaller particles from the inner half to the outer half of the microchannel cross-section. The 5-loop spiral microchannel 100 μm wide and 50 μm high was used to successfully demonstrate a complete separation of 7.32 μm and 1.9 μm particles at Dean number De = 0.47. Analytical analysis supporting the experiments and models is also presented. The simple planar structure of the separator offers simple fabrication and makes it ideal for integration with on-chip microfluidic systems, such as micro total analysis systems (μTAS) or lab-on-a-chip (LOC) for continuous filtration and separation applications.
Early Results on Cloud Profiling Radar Post-launch Calibration and Operations

The cloud profiling radar (CPR), the primary science instrument of the CloudSat Mission, is a 94-GHz nadir- looking radar that measures the power backscattered by clouds as a function of distance from the radar. This instrument will acquire a global time series of vertical cloud structure at 500-m vertical resolution and 1.4-km horizontal resolution. CPR will operate in a short-pulse mode and will yield measurements at a minimum detectable sensitivity of -28 dBZ.
Genetic and Nongenetic Determinants of Cell Growth Variation Assessed by High-Throughput Microscopy

In microbial populations, growth initiation and proliferation rates are major components of fitness and therefore likely targets of selection. We used a high-throughput microscopy assay, which enables simultaneous analysis of tens of thousands of microcolonies, to determine the sources and extent of growth rate variation in the budding yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) in different glucose environments. We find that cell growth rates are regulated by the extracellular concentration of glucose as proposed by Monod (1949), but that significant heterogeneity in growth rates is observed among genetically identical individuals within an environment. Yeast strains isolated from different geographic locations and habitats differ in their growth rate responses to different glucose concentrations. Inheritance patterns suggest that the genetic determinants of growth rates in different glucose concentrations are distinct. In addition, we identified genotypes that differ in the extent of variation in growth rate within an environment despite nearly identical mean growth rates, providing evidence that alleles controlling phenotypic variability segregate in yeast populations. We find that the time to reinitiation of growth (lag) is negatively correlated with growth rate, yet this relationship is strain-dependent. Between environments, the respirative activity of individual cells negatively correlates with glucose abundance and growth rate, but within an environment respirative activity and growth rate show a positive correlation, which we propose reflects differences in protein expression capacity. Our study quantifies the sources of genetic and nongenetic variation in cell growth rates in different glucose environments with unprecedented precision, facilitating their molecular genetic dissection.
Nodally integrated implicit gradient reproducing kernel particle method for convection dominated problems

Convective transport terms in Eulerian conservation laws lead to numerical instability in the solution of Bubnov–Galerkin methods for these non-self-adjoint PDEs. Stabilized Petrov–Galerkin methods overcome this difficulty, however gradient terms are required to construct the test functions, which are typically expensive for meshfree methods. In this work, the implicit gradient reproducing kernel particle method is introduced which avoids explicit differentiation of test functions. Stabilization is accomplished by including gradient terms in the reproducing condition of the reproducing kernel approximation. The proposed method is computationally efficient and simplifies stabilization procedures. It is also shown that the implicit gradient resembles the diffuse derivative originally introduced in the diffuse element method in Nayroles et al. (1992), and maintains the desirable properties of the full derivative. Since careful attention must be paid to efficiency of domain integration in meshfree methods, nodal integration is examined for this class of problems, and a nodal integration method with enhanced accuracy and stability is introduced. Numerical examples are provided to show the effectiveness of the proposed method for both steady and transient problems.
The Impact of Academic Service Learning as a Teaching Method and its Effect on Emotional Intelligence

This article explores Academic Service Learning (ASL) as a teaching method which bridges the gap between academic requirements for learning and the need of society to have individuals willing to give their time and effort to benefit others in need. Students as part of a course learning requirement engaged in a consulting project whereby a non-profit organization was advised on both short term and long term planning. Students (n = 177) were exposed to the operational needs of the organization as well as the dependency of the needy on their services. A pre- and post- survey was administered which focused on any perceived changes in Emotional Intelligence (EI) experienced by the students upon completion of the project. The results indicated that student’s EI was affected by the learning project in terms of how they feel about themselves and their overall effort levels.
Annual Stock Returns vs. Capital Expenditure and Earnings: International Evidence

The causality relationships and cumulative impacts of the lags of earnings and the lags of capital expenditure on subsequent annual stock returns is examined using 40 different countries. The results suggest that there is a granger causality relationship from earnings to returns. Furthermore, though weaker, there is also such a relationship from capital expenditure to stock returns. Markets seem to be more efficient in G7 than non-G7 and in common law G7 than civil law G7 countries. Corporate governance and other control mechanisms seem to persuade managers to make better investment decisions.