cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Variability in the Gulf of Alaska from Geosat altimetry data

Satellite altimetry was used to examine annual and interannual variability in the Gulf of Alaska region. Crossover data from the Geosat Geodetic Mission (GM) and collinear data from the Exact Repeat Mission (ERM) were processed separately to form sea surface height anomalies at grid points. The time series from the GM and ERM were then combined to produce a 3.75-year data set. The time series from the ERM data set agreed fairly well with hydrographic dynamic heights at several locations, with an average correlation of 0.70 between the two data sets. The combined and ERM altimetric data sets were analyzed using empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs). These revealed variability that occurs primarily on annual and interannual time scales. A comparison with EOF analysis of the atmospheric pressure field during the same time periods showed that the annual variation in pressure seemed to be reflected in both the combined and ERM altimetric data sets. The amplitude time series of the first mode in the combined data set was very similar to the North Pacific pressure index during the 1985-1989 time frame. The maximum correlation was at a lag of 250 days. Finally, an interannual mode was present in all three data sets which was closely linked to the baroclinic variations measured by the hydrographic data.
Transformer model reduction using time and frequency domain sensitivity techniques

The paper investigates the use of sensitivity methods to identify the parameters of reduced transformer models. The reduced model retains the structure of the original model. The identification is performed in both the time domain and the frequency domain. The technique is applied to a lumped-linear model of an experimental coil, and the results are promising. >
Performance bounds for parameter estimation from time-continuous observations

In this paper we derive recursive expression for certain distance measures between time-continuous, stationary, vector Gaussian processes, and then utilize them to derive upper bounds to the mean square error performance of the Bayes and Maximum Likelihood estimate of a parameter, when only a finite-valued parameter set is utilized. The question of convergence when the true parameter value does not belong to the finite set is also answered.
Does Conscientiousness Explain the Relationship Between Integrity and Job Performance

There is a meta-analytic evidence that scores on integrity tests are related to measures of overall job performance, but it is not clear why this relationship exists. One hypothesis that would account for this correlation is that both integrity and performance measures are related to the personality trait conscientiousness, and that statistically controlling for conscientiousness would substantially reduce the integrity-performance correlation. To test this hypothesis, we used the results of three meta-analyses to estimate the components needed to calculate the partial correlation between integrity and performance, controlling for conscientiousness. Partialling had little effect; the best estimate of the corrected zero-order and partial correlations between integrity and performance were 0.34 and 0.28, respectively. Sensitivity analyses suggest that imprecision in the estimates of the various components of this partial correlation cannot reasonably explain the small effects of partialling.
Macroalgal bioindicators (growth, tissue N, δ15N) detect nutrient enrichment from shrimp farm effluent entering Opunohu Bay, Moorea, French Polynesia

Abstract Nutrient enrichment from shrimp aquaculture poses an increasing environmental threat due to the industry’s projected rapid growth and unsustainable management practices. Traditional methods to monitor impacts emphasize water quality sampling; however, there are many advantages to bioindicators, especially in developing countries. We investigated the usefulness of three bioindicators—growth, tissue nitrogen content and nitrogen stable isotope signature (δ15N)—in the tropical red macroalga Acanthophora spicifera. Algae were collected, cultured, and deployed in a spatial array around the outflow from a shrimp farm in Moorea, French Polynesia, to detect nitrogenous wastes. All three parameters were highest adjacent to the shrimp farm indicating nutrient enrichment, and δ15N values confirmed the shrimp farm as the dominant nutrient source (5.63–5.96‰). Isotope ratios proved the most sensitive indicator, as δ15N signatures were detected at the most distant sites tested, confirming their usefulness in tracing nutrients and mapping the spatial extent of enrichment.
Autophagy Correlates with Maintenance of Salivary Gland Function Following Radiation

The current standard of care for head and neck cancer includes surgical resection of the tumor followed by targeted head and neck radiation. This radiotherapy results in a multitude of negative side effects in adjacent normal tissues. Autophagy is a cellular mechanism that could be targeted to ameliorate these side effects based on its role in cellular homeostasis. In this study, we utilized Atg5f/f;Aqp5-Cre mice which harbor a conditional knockout of Atg5, in salivary acinar cells. These autophagy-deficient mice display increased radiosensitivity. Treatment of wild-type mice with radiation did not robustly induce autophagy following radiotherapy, however, using a model of preserved salivary gland function by IGF-1-treatment prior to irradiation, we demonstrate increased autophagosome formation 6–8 hours following radiation. Additionally, administration of IGF-1 to Atg5f/f;Aqp5-Cre mice did not preserve physiological function. Thus, autophagy appears to play a beneficial role in salivary glands following radiation and pharmacological induction of autophagy could alleviate the negative side effects associated with therapy for head and neck cancer.
Environmental Reviews and Case Studies: Shale Gas Development and Brook Trout: Scaling Best Management Practices to Anticipate Cumulative Effects

Shale gas development may involve trade-offs between energy development and benefits provided by natural ecosystems. However, current best management practices (BMPs) focus on mitigating localized ...
Volition as cognitive self-regulation

Abstract Living organisms exhibit various levels of self-regulation, the highest of which is man's ability to regulate the operation of his conceptual faculty. Ayn Rand's theory of free will, the basis of this article, identifies this level of self-regulation with volition. The locus of direct volitional choice is placed in the choice “to think or not to think,” where thinking is understood as rational, purposefully directed cognition. The nature of this choice is analyzed in detail, with special emphasis on Rand's concept of mental “focus.” The epistemological status of the theory is discussed, including the role of introspective evidence in its behalf. It is argued that one's volitional control over one's own thinking has the status of an axiom, and that any attempted denial of this control is self-refuting.
Dissecting a wildlife disease hotspot: the impact of multiple host species, environmental transmission and seasonality in migration, breeding and mortality.

Avian influenza viruses (AIVs) have been implicated in all human influenza pandemics in recent history. Despite this, surprisingly little is known about the mechanisms underlying the maintenance and spread of these viruses in their natural bird reservoirs. Surveillance has identified an AIV ‘hotspot’ in shorebirds at Delaware Bay, in which prevalence is estimated to exceed other monitored sites by an order of magnitude. To better understand the factors that create an AIV hotspot, we developed and parametrized a mechanistic transmission model to study the simultaneous epizootiological impacts of multi-species transmission, seasonal breeding, host migration and mixed transmission routes. We scrutinized our model to examine the potential for an AIV hotspot to serve as a ‘gateway’ for the spread of novel viruses into North America. Our findings identify the conditions under which a novel influenza virus, if introduced into the system, could successfully invade and proliferate.
New Types of Intelligent Agent Applications

The effective advocacy of human performance modeling research requires scientists to look for opportunities to apply their embryonic technologies in novel areas. We describe three instances where human performance modeling technology is being used to solve problems of high interest to the Air Force.
Field Articulation and Predictive Judgments: An Exploratory Study

The relationship of differences in accuracy between men and women in interpersonal predictive judgments to those reported in field articulation research was explored. Field-dependent (ns = 14,12) and field-independent (ns = 21,12) men and women (ns = 35, 24) were tested for accuracy of predictive judgments. No statistically significant differences were found between thses undergraduate field-dependent and field-independent judges; however, under the field-independent condition, a cell-by-cell examination suggests greater accuracy. There were no significant differences in accuracy of prediction between male and female judges, but statistically significant differences in accuracy scores were found when the person whose behavior was being predicted was female as opposed to male.
Nanoscience: The quantum frontier

This overview begins with some historical comments and then describes some recent work on theoretical and experimental nanoscience advances. The focus is mainly on nanotubes and fullerenes. Electronic, optical, structural, mechanical, and superconducting properties of these systems are discussed.
A 1-y walking program and increased dietary calcium in postmenopausal women: effects on bone

The effects of a supervised 1-y walking program and increased dietary calcium (milk supplement, 831 mg/d, vs placebo drink, 41 mg/d) on bones were examined in 36 postmenopausal women (60.2 +/- 6.5 y). Trabecular bone-mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine (L1-L3), measured by computed tomography, increased by 0.5% in exercising women (n = 18) and decreased by 7.0% in sedentary women (n = 18; P = 0.02). Femoral-neck BMD measured by dual-photon absorptiometry (DPA) increased by 2.0% in women consuming high dietary calcium (n = 18) and decreased by 1.1% in those on moderate calcium intake (n = 18; P = 0.001). Neither exercise nor dietary calcium had an effect on lumbar spine (L2-L4) measured by DPA, distal radius measured by single-photon absorptiometry, or total body calcium measured by in vivo neutron activation. The varying proportions and rates of turnover of trabecular and cortical bone from one site to another suggest that exercise and high dietary calcium may preferentially alter bone density at different skeletal sites.
Antidromic Action Potential Propagation in Branched Axons

Electrical stimulation in the central nervous system can generate both orthodromic activity, by stimulation of local cells and passing axons, as well as antidromic activity, by stimulation of presynaptic axons and terminals. We used computational models to study antidromic action potential propagation in branched axons. Antidromic propagation occurred robustly, and action potentials traveled both antidromically into the primary segment as well as "orthodromically" into the terminal secondary segment. Thus, antidromic activation of axon terminals can, through axon collaterals, lead to widespread activation or inhibition of targets distant from the site of stimulation
Attenuating stereo pixel-locking via affine window adaptation

For real-time stereo vision systems, the standard method for estimating sub-pixel stereo disparity given an initial integer disparity map involves fitting parabolas to a matching cost function aggregated over rectangular windows. This results in a phenomenon known as pixel-locking, which produces artificially-peaked histograms of sub-pixel disparity. These peaks correspond to the introduction of erroneous ripples or waves in the 3D reconstruction of truly flat surfaces. Since stereo vision is a common input modality for autonomous vehicles, these inaccuracies can pose a problem for safe, reliable navigation. This paper proposes a new method for sub-pixel stereo disparity estimation, based on ideas from Lucas-Kanade tracking and optical flow, which substantially reduces the pixel-locking effect. In addition, it has the ability to correct much larger initial disparity errors than previous approaches and is more general as it applies not only to the ground plane. We demonstrate the method on synthetic imagery as well as real stereo data from an autonomous outdoor vehicle
Dimensions of social insecurity and their relation to coronary-prone behaviour in college undergraduates.

Research suggests that Type A behaviour and ‘social insecurity’ (SI) may represent independent additive task factors for coronary disease. Research examining SI and Type A behaviour, however, has not rigorously evaluated the structure of the SI scale. The present study examined the structure of a previously used eight-item SI scale, and its relation to a questionnaire measure of Type A (the student Jenkins Activity Survey), for a sample of 504 undergraduates. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of responses to the SI items revealed a three-factor solution was most appropriate for Type As, and a two-factor solution for Type Bs. For both As and Bs, the first factor reflected insecurity regarding one's own capabilities and worth (self-specific insecurity), and the second factor reflected insecurity specific to a group or social context (group-specific insecurity). A third factor emerging only for Type As reflected insecurity regarding others' capabilities (other-directed insecurity). Semipartial correlations revealed Type A total score was marginally negatively related to group-specific insecurity and marginally positively related to other-directed insecurity, corroborating previous angiographic and prospective medical research. The hard-driving/competitive subscale was significantly negatively related to self-specific insecurity, supporting evidence regarding Type A and interpersonal dominance, competitiveness, and aggression.
Small-diameter Earth terminal transmission issues in support of high data rate mobile satellite service applications

There is a growing interest by the DoD and by industry in the use of small-diameter, directional antennas in the Ku- and Ka-band frequency ranges, in order to support peer-to-peer connectivity in the Mbps data rate range. This is normally accompanied by relatively high Earth terminal (ET) transmit powers which, together with the directionality of the antenna system, may result in unacceptable off-axis ET transmission levels relative to national and international criteria. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the challenges involved in designing this type of Earth terminal in the face of evolving ET transmission limits.
Pulse shape modulation for UWB communication: Performance with channel estimation error

In this paper we consider M-ary biorthogonal pulse shape modulation (BPSM) scheme, for an impulse radio ultra wideband (IR-UWB) system transmitting over lognormal fading channels. The receiver has RAKE structure which combines the signal energy scattered over several resolvable multipath components via maximum ratio combiner (MRC) or eual gain combiner (EGC). We derive closed form expressions for symbol error probability, for both MRC- and EGC-RAKE receivers, using Wilkinson's method (Cardieri and Rappaport, 2000). Furthermore, we examine the system performance with imperfect channel estimate, when (i) given the path delays, the receiver forms linear mean square error (LMMSE) estimate of fading coefficients, (ii) the receiver employs maximum likelihood (ML) estimator to find the path delays and fading coefficients. This performance examination enables us to find optimal number of training symbols that maximizes the system throughput via simulations. The numerical results are obtained using orthogonal waveforms of Prolate Spheroidal Wave Functions (PSWF).
Raloxifene, soy phytoestrogens and endothelial function in postmenopausal women.

Objective To compare the effects of raloxifene and soy phytoestrogens on endothelial function in healthy, postmenopausal women.Design Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over trial. Subjects (n = 22; mean age 58.5 years) underwent endothelial function testing at baseline and following 6 weeks of daily raloxifene 60 mg, soy phytoestrogens 55 mg, and placebo in random sequence with intervening 6-week wash-out periods. Endothelial function was assessed as flow-mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of the brachial artery using high-resolution ultrasound; digital flux was measured with laser Doppler velocimetry.Results Baseline (pretreatment) FMD was almost within normal range at 9.6% (±6.4). FMD did not change from baseline within any treatment group, and no between-group differences were detected. FMD values following treatment with raloxifene, soy, and placebo were 10.3% (±12.3), 8.3% (±7.7), and 9.5% (±4.4), respectively. Area under curve ratios showed no treatment differences for digital velocimet...
Control of growth of mammalian cells in culture with folic acid, thymidine, and purines.

SUMMARY Cells cultured directly from various rabbit organs (liver, kid- ney, lung), unlike the permanently cultivatable mammalian cells studied, require relatively large concentrations of folic acid for growth or to attain a maximal rate of growth. The defect in the primary cultures may be related to the reduction of folic acid. Consistent is the observation that 5-formyltetrahydrofolic acid is about 30 times more active than the unreduced vitamins tested. With the liver cells, the folic acid requirement is satisfied by a mixture of thymidme, adenine, and glycine. The rate of growth of the liver cells can be readily manipulated with the vitamin, whereas cell yields can be controlled by the availability of thy- midine and adenine. Contrary to the behavior of bacteria, liver cells incorporate thymidine even under conditions of gratuity. Thymidine cannot be replaced with thymine or with any of the other pyrimidines, purines, and derivatives examined. On the other hand, all the purines and derivatives tested, except guanine, appear to be capable of substituting for adenine.
The effect of humidity on the degradation of Nafion® membrane

Controlling the activity of water in the reactant streams is critical both to the design of fuel–cell systems and to the useable life of membrane separators. In this study, fuel–cell durability tests were conducted under different levels of relative humidity. The emission rates of various degradation products such as HF, SO42− and TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) were determined as a function of water activity. The degradation of the membrane was accelerated as the level of water activity is reduced. The membranes become less conductive, more brittle and rigid after fuel–cell testing. ATR-FTIR investigations showed that the decomposition of the ether group in the middle of side chain corresponds well with the detection of a TFA product. Thermogravimetric analysis also showed a decrease in thermal stability after testing at lower humidity. Formation of cracks was observed in membranes degraded under conditions of low humidity. A model of membrane degradation based on the main chain unzipping process indicates that the mechanism changes with water activity. Finally, the representative reaction pathways in each degradation scheme were postulated.
AKAP Signaling Complexes in Regulation of Excitatory Synaptic Plasticity

Plasticity at excitatory glutamatergic synapses in the central nervous system is believed to be critical for neuronal circuits to process and encode information, allowing animals to perform complex behaviors such as learning and memory. In addition, alterations in synaptic plasticity are associated with human diseases, including Alzheimer disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, drug addiction, and schizophrenia. Long-term potentiation (LTP) and depression (LTD) in the hippocampal region of the brain are two forms of synaptic plasticity that increase or decrease, respectively, the strength of synaptic transmission by postsynaptic AMPA-type glutamate receptors. Both LTP and LTD are induced by activation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors but differ in the level and duration of Ca(2+) influx through the NMDA receptor and the subsequent engagement of downstream signaling by protein kinases, including PKA, PKC, and CaMKII, and phosphatases, including PP1 and calcineurin-PP2B (CaN). This review addresses the important emerging roles of the A-kinase anchoring protein family of scaffold proteins in regulating localization of PKA and other kinases and phosphatases to postsynaptic multiprotein complexes that control NMDA and AMPA receptor function during LTP and LTD.
Influence of Phenological Stage on Swainsonine and Endophyte Concentrations in Oxytropis sericea

Locoweeds are defined as Astragalus and Oxytropis species that cause intoxication due to the alkaloid swainsonine. Swainsonine concentrations in Oxytropis sericea were influenced by location, plant part, and the developmental stage of the plant. Concentrations followed similar trends at each location, generally increasing over the growing season in above-ground parts until the plant reaches maturity with no change in concentration in the crowns. At the onset of senescence, swainsonine decreased in floral parts to less than half of the peak concentration. Similar to swainsonine concentrations, endophyte amounts were influenced by location, plant part, and the developmental stage of the plant. Likewise, endophyte amounts generally increased over the growing season in above ground parts and remained static in the crowns at all four locations. Swainsonine in Oxytropis sericea was positively associated with the endophyte Undifilum, which is responsible for swainsonine biosynthesis.
Key transitions in animal evolution: a mitochondrial DNA perspective

Animal mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is usually depicted as a small and very economically organized molecule with almost invariable gene content, stable gene order, a high rate of sequence evolution, and several unorthodox genetic features. Sampling across different animal phyla reveals that such a description applies primarily to mtDNA of bilaterian animals (such as arthropods or chordates). By contrast, mitochondrial genomes of nonbilaterian animals (phyla Cnidaria, Placozoa, and Porifera) display more variation in size and gene content and, in most cases, lack the genetic novelties associated with bilaterian mtDNA. Outside the Metazoa, mtDNA of the choanoflagellate Monosiga brevicollis, the closest unicellular out-group, is a much larger molecule that contains a large proportion of noncoding DNA, 1.5 times more genes, as well as several introns. Thus, changes in animal mtDNA organization appear to correlate with two main transitions in animal evolution: the origin of multicellularity and the origin of the Bilateria. Studies of mtDNA in nonbilaterian animals provide valuable insights into these transitions in the organization of mtDNA and also supply data for phylogenetic analyses of the relationships of early animals. Here I review recent progress in the understanding of nonbilaterian mtDNA and discuss the advantages and limitations of mitochondrial data sets for inferences about the phylogeny and evolution of animals.
Approximate Interaction Laws for Small and Large Waves in the Ginzbnrg-Landau Equation

The authors study the long-term behaviour of solutions to the Ginzburg-Landau partial differential equation. For each positive integer m, a sequence of approximate inertial manifolds M m,j (j=1,2,...) of dimension m is explicitly produced, and a thin neighbourhood into which the orbits enter with an exponential speed and in a finite time is associated with each manifold. Thse neighbourhoods contain and approximate the universal attractor, thus giving approximate interaction laws between the large and small structures in the system. They localize the universal attractor and aid in the computation of large-time solutions of the Ginzburg-Landau equation
SHEAR ANISOTROPIC INHOMOGENEOUS BESOV SPACES IN ℝd

We define distribution spaces in ℝd via lq(Lp) norms of a sequence of convolutions of with smooth functions, the shearlet system. Then, we define associated sequence spaces and prove characterization with the shearlet coefficients. We also prove continuous embeddings between some shear anisotropic inhomogeneous spaces and between classical (dyadic isotropic) inhomogeneous spaces and shear anisotropic inhomogeneous spaces.
Reduction of Escherichia Coli O157:H7 and Lactobacillus Plantarum Numbers on Fresh Beef by Polylactic Acid and Vacuum Packaging

The efficacy of 2% molecular weight 240, 2% molecular weight 360 polylactic acid (PLA), and an equal mix of both at reducing numbers of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Lactobacillus plantarum on raw beef was determined. Fresh beef cubes inoculated with either organism were dipped in PLA solutions or wrapped in PLA-sprayed films. Samples were vacuum packaged and stored at 4°C for 42 d. Treated samples maintained a significantly lower pH than controls. Growth of E. coli O157:H7 was totally inhibited by both PLA treatments by up to 7.29 log(10) CFU/cm(2) when the spray method was used. However, PLA treatments against L. plantarum were not very effective.
CHURCH MEMBERSHIP AND PARTICIPATION IN CHURCH ACTIVITIES AMONG THE ELDERLY

The impact of the religious institution on the lives of the elderly has long been recognized. This study focuses on the ritualistic dimension of religiosity as it pertains to the elderly population. Actual participation levels and activities as well as desired participation levels and activities are documented. Based on the responses of the subjects, suggestions are made concerning ways in which the participation levels of elderly persons can be enhanced in meaningful ways.
Balancing an accurate representation of the molecular surface in generalized born formalisms with integrator stability in molecular dynamics simulations.

Different integrator time steps in NVT and NVE simulations of protein and nucleic acid systems are tested with the GBMV (Generalized Born using Molecular Volume) and GBSW (Generalized Born with simple SWitching) methods. The simulation stability and energy conservation is investigated in relation to the agreement with the Poisson theory. It is found that very close agreement between generalized Born methods and the Poisson theory based on the commonly used sharp molecular surface definition results in energy drift and simulation artifacts in molecular dynamics simulation protocols with standard 2-fs time steps. New parameters are proposed for the GBMV method, which maintains very good agreement with the Poisson theory while providing energy conservation and stable simulations at time steps of 1 to 1.5 fs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 27: 719–729, 2006
Fast error resilient H.263 to H.264 video transcoding using RD optimized intra fresh

A key issue of error resilient transcoding using ldquointra freshrdquo algorithm is how to decide the intra coding rate and adjust corresponding bits for error resilience, so that jointly optimization between video source and error resilience bit can be achieved. To provide practical solution for this issue, we propose to use rate distortion (RD) optimization criterion to decide the application of intra coding mode at MB level. To reduce the implementation complexity of RD optimization intra fresh method, we also present a fast mode decision algorithm that takes advantage of error propagation distortion estimation as assistance to decide if an early termination of existing coding mode choices is necessary. The algorithm is implemented to realize fast error resilient H.263 to H.264 video transcoding. Compared with error resilient transcoding method using random intra update, the proposed algorithm can enhance speed up to 7.2 times while maintaining better picture quality.
Increasing shallow groundwater CO2 and limestone weathering, Konza Prairie, USA

In a mid-continental North American grassland, solute concentrations in shallow, limestone-hosted groundwater and adjacent surface water cycle annually and have increased steadily over the 15-year study period, 1991–2005, inclusive. Modeled groundwater CO2, verified by measurements of recent samples, increased from 10 � 2.05 atm to 10 � 1.94 atm, about a 20% increase, from 1991 to 2005. The measured groundwater alkalinity and alkaline-earth element concentrations also increased over that time period. We propose that carbonate minerals dissolve in response to lowered pH that occurs during an annual carbonate-mineral saturation cycle. The cycle starts with low saturation during late summer and autumn when dissolved CO2 is high. As dissolved CO2 decreases in the spring and early summer, carbonates become oversaturated, but oversaturation does not exceed the threshold for precipitation. We propose that groundwater is a CO2 sink through weathering of limestone: soil-generated CO2 is transformed to alkalinity through dissolution of calcite or dolomite. The annual cycle and long-term increase in shallow groundwater CO2 is similar to, but greater than, atmospheric CO2. 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
A Novel Human Insulin Receptor Gene Mutation Uniquely Inhibits Insulin Binding Without Impairing Posttranslational Processing

The precise nature of the insulin-binding site of the insulin receptor (IR) has not been determined, although the importance of several regions of the alpha-subunit in insulin binding has been demonstrated. A naturally occurring mutation in a patient with severe insulin resistance that changes the Ser323 codon in the alpha-subunit of the IR to a leucine codon is associated with markedly impaired insulin binding to cells from the patient and to transfected cells expressing the mutant receptor. However, unlike other IR alpha-subunit mutations associated with decreased insulin binding, this mutation does not lead to a defect in posttranslational processing or cell-surface expression of IRs. Thus, the defect in insulin binding associated with the Leu323 mutant IR is a direct result of an alteration in the insulin-binding site. No natural IR mutation described thus far is associated with both decreased insulin binding and normal cell-surface expression of the mutant receptor. This study demonstrates the critical role that Ser323 of the IR alpha-subunit plays in insulin binding, either by forming part of the binding site or by stabilizing its conformation.
The constraint-based paradigm: integrating object-oriented and rule-based programming

The authors introduce a novel formalism that combines the object-oriented and rule-based paradigms in an elegant and orthogonal way. The constraint-based model is a generalization of traditional object-oriented paradigms and is based on three orthogonal subparadigms. The first is constraint-based invocation, which is a generalization of the traditional invocation where dispatch is done based on the types of the arguments. In constraint-based invocation, dispatch is done based on constraints that are arbitrary user-defined predicates. The second subparadigm is instance inheritance, a dual to the concept of class inheritance in the sense that class inheritance structures classes and instance inheritance structures instances. The third is procedural attachments (also known as active values or access-oriented programming), where a function is called in a data-driven manner. The semantics of this concept are generalized to all objects in the constraint-based model. A central philosophical argument is that so-called multiparadigm languages should be developed not by combination of paradigms in a partially integrated system, but by their synergistic unification under a new, subsuming paradigm. >
Learners' Selective Perceptions of Information during Instructed Learning in French: Consequences

The present study examined how American learners of French perceived the influence of instruction on their existing stereotypes about the French people to determine the effects of these stereotypes on their language learning and cultural openness. During a semester, 22 undergraduate students, all native English speakers enrolled in 4 sections of first-semester French at a large Midwestern university were interviewed 3 times via Instant Messenger. The data analysis revealed that, for some participants, the information received during instruction was selectively interpreted (Barna, 1998; Bennett, 1998) through the lenses of beliefs and images present in their habitus (Bourdieu, 1982), with as a result the reinforcement of preexisting stereotypes and impressions. This article focuses on 3 participants who, at some point during the semester, identified a stereotype about the French people and how they believed their instructor or the instructional material participated in its reinforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Prebiopsy PSA Velocity Not Reliable Predictor of Prostate Cancer Diagnosis, Gleason Score, Tumor Location, or Cancer Volume After TTMB

Objectives To evaluate the effect of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) velocity (PSAV) on prostate cancer diagnosis, Gleason score, tumor location, and cancer volume in men undergoing transperineal template-guided mapping biopsy (TTMB). PSAV has been associated with greater Gleason scores and greater prostate cancer-specific mortality. Methods From January 2005 through September 2007, 217 patients underwent TTMB. The inclusion criteria included a persistently elevated PSA level and/or diagnosis of atypical small acinar proliferation or high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia on previous biopsy. The prostate gland was arbitrarily divided into 24 regions, and a median of 58 cores were obtained per patient. The patients were divided into 3 velocity cohorts according to the following changes in PSA level in the year before biopsy: ≤0.0, 0.1-1.9, and ≥2.0 ng/mL. The PSAV was evaluated as a predictor for prostate cancer diagnosis, Gleason score, tumor volume, and cancer location. Results The mean patient age was 64.2 years, with a mean prebiopsy PSA level of 8.5 ng/mL. Prostate cancer was diagnosed in 97 patients (44.7%). The study population had undergone an average of 1.8 ± 1.0 biopsies before TTMB. PSAV did not predict for prostate cancer diagnosis ( P = .84), Gleason score ( P = .78), the percentage of positive cores ( P = .37), or tumor location. Conclusions Among patients with persistently elevated PSA levels despite previously negative biopsy findings, PSAV did not reliably predict for a diagnosis of prostate cancer nor did it correlate with prostate cancer grade, volume, or location using TTMB.
ENSO and Wintertime Extreme Precipitation Events over the Contiguous United States

Abstract In this study the authors examine the impact of El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on precipitation events over the continental United States using 49 winters (1949/50–1997/98) of daily precipitation observations and NCEP–NCAR reanalyses. The results are compared with those from an ensemble of nine atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) simulations forced with observed SST for the same time period. Empirical orthogonal functions (EOFs) of the daily precipitation fields together with compositing techniques are used to identify and characterize the weather systems that dominate the winter precipitation variability. The time series of the principal components (PCs) associated with the leading EOFs are analyzed using generalized extreme value (GEV) distributions to quantify the impact of ENSO on the intensity of extreme precipitation events. The six leading EOFs of the observations are associated with major winter storm systems and account for more than 50% of the daily precipitation variabili...
For Whom the Data Tolls: A Reunified Theory of Fourth and Fifth Amendment Jurisprudence

Data privacy demands a reunified theory of the Fourth and Fifth Amendments. Data technologies allow personal information to be disembodied from physical bodies and “possessed” simultaneously by both first persons and third parties. As a result, the government has been able to use a divide-and-conquer strategy to obtain incriminating evidence alternately from the data intermediary or from the suspect himself.Currently, Fourth Amendment doctrine and Fifth Amendment doctrine work at cross purposes. The privacy community has already sounded the alarm on the “third party doctrine,” which allows the government to sidestep the Fourth Amendment when demanding evidence from third parties. But few have noted the equally potent “required records doctrine,” which allows the government to circumvent the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination when demanding evidence directly from first persons. Taken together, the two exceptions swallow the rule, allowing the government to evade both Fourth and Fifth Amendment review at every turn.This Article argues that juxtaposing the two exceptions together offers clues for how to resolve the reciprocal line-drawing problems. The first clue is that one excludes only “third parties” from constitutional protection, while the other excludes only “first parties.” The second is that the third-party doctrine grew out of cases upholding the moral autonomy of natural persons, whereas the required-records doctrine drew its authority from the need to regulate commercial activities of business entities. Reframing the jurisprudence along those two axes offers a more coherent construction of the case law and acknowledges the vital interdependencies between the two Amendments.
Public Goods and State-Society Relations: An Impact Study of China’s Rural Stimulus

Thanks to a series of new central government policies culminating with the massive 2008 economic stimulus package, state-society relations in rural China seem to have recovered significantly from damage sustained from the 1990s to early 2000s. Evidence I present in this chapter from two surveys—one conducted in 2002 and the other in 2010—reflect a dramatic turnaround in rural state-society relations after President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao assumed China’s top two leadership positions in March 2003. This leadership transition was accompanied by a sea change in policy that shifted attention and resources to China’s villages as part of the larger effort to “construct a harmonious society” (goujian hexie shehui, 构建和谐社 会). Since 2004, every “No. 1 Central Document” (zhongyang yihao wenjian, 中央一号文件), the CCP’s key statement setting policy priorities and providing policy guidance nationwide, has had a rural focus.1 At the Fourth Plenary Session of the Sixteenth Chinese Communist Party Central Committee in 2004, Hu Jintao introduced the concept of “two directions” (liang ge quxiang, 两个趋向), which in 2005 he elaborated by explaining that China has moved beyond a primary stage of economic development in which “agriculture supports industry” (nongye zhichi gongye, 农业支持工业) and has reached a new stage of economic development in which “industry regurgitates nourishment back to agriculture and cities support villages” (gongye fanbu nongye, chengshi zhichi nongcun, 工业反哺农业、城市支持农村).2.
Understanding Public Policy Making through the Work of Committees: Utilizing a Student-Led Congressional Hearing Simulation

In an effort to help students better understand the complexity of making environmental policy and the role of policy actors in this process, we developed a mock congressional hearing simulation. In this congressional hearing, students in two environmental policy courses take on the roles of members of Congress and various interest groups to examine the issue of hydraulic fracturing (or fracking). Here, we describe the details of the mock congressional hearing and discuss some of our reflections about the simulation. Our students have responded well to the inclusion of this simulation and we have found it very effective in achieving the learning outcomes for the students. We argue that this simulation could be easily replicated in various policy courses on a variety of topics.
Reductions in midlatitude upwelling‐favorable winds implied by weaker large‐scale Pliocene SST gradients

The early-to-mid Pliocene (3–5.3 Ma) is the most recent geologic period of significant global warmth. Proxy records of Pliocene sea surface temperature (SST) indicate significant and still unexplained warm anomalies of 3°C–9°C in midlatitude eastern boundary currents, where present-day cool temperatures are maintained by wind-driven upwelling. Here we quantify the effect of large-scale Pliocene-like SST patterns on the surface wind stress around the California, Humboldt, Canary, and Benguela midlatitude coastal upwelling sites. A high-resolution atmosphere model forced with Pliocene SST simulates changes in surface winds that imply reductions of 10% to 50% in both coastal upwelling, driven by alongshore wind stress, and offshore upwelling driven by wind stress curl. These changes result primarily from a reduced meridional temperature gradient which weakens the subtropical highs, and a reduction in zonal land-sea temperature contrast which weakens geostrophic alongshore winds. These results suggest that Pliocene coastal warm anomalies may result in part from atmospheric circulation changes which reduce upwelling intensity. The coastal wind stress and offshore wind stress curl are shown to respond differently to incremental changes in SST, topography, and land surface anomalies. Significant decreases in simulated cloud fraction within the subtropical highs suggest that a weaker land-sea temperature contrast could be maintained by cloud radiative feedbacks.
Use of Crisis Intervention in Casework with the Cancer Patient and His Family

■ Cancer, an emotionally charged Illness, can be expected to precipitate a state of crisis for most patients and their families. An understanding of crisis theory and the phenomena that occur during a state of crisis are basic to the social worker's approach to the problems the cancer patient presents. The techniques for Intervention and change are focused on ( I ) helping the patient or family develop conscious awareness of their problem, (2) assessing their total situation, and (3) enabling them to make a new use of their existing ego-adaptive techniques or to develop new and more effective mechanisms. ■
Identifying Juror Bias: Moving from Assessment and Prediction to a New Generation of Jury Selection Research

One of the behavioral assumptions made by the legal system that has attracted attention is the notion that jurors can make decisions which are free from bias. In an attempt to ensure that seated juries are comprised of jurors who are free from bias, venirepersons (i.e., potential jurors) are interviewed in a pretrial procedure called voir dire. During this procedure, venirepersons respond to questions that are designed to elicit responses that will allow judges and attorneys to evaluate whether they may have knowledge or biases that would interfere with the duty to evaluate the evidence fairly and make decisions that comport with the law. In this chapter, the psychological assumptions of legal actors about the identification of venireperson bias during voir dire, and the extent to which the process results in the removal of problematic jurors from jury service, are reviewed. The empirical literature from the first generation of jury selection research was devoted to identifying traits or developing attitudinal measures that predict juror verdicts. The chapter contains a review of several studies that represent a new generation of jury selection research that moves beyond mere prediction of venirepersons’ verdict inclinations to an evaluation of the extent to which social cognitive and social influence processes interfere with judges’ and attorneys’ abilities to effectively exercise challenges to venirepersons’ potential jury service.
The effect of temperature on the precipitation of cholesterol in an in vitro system.

SummaryA maximum exists at approximately body temperature in the amount of cholesterol that may be precipitated by pimelic acid or imidazole from saturated solutions of cholesterol in triglycerides.
Effects of legibility on verbal test performance of older adults.

Each of 46 adults age 63 to 85 yr. (M = 74.9) was given one or another form of a verbal test consisting of 11 subtests: Names, Information, Similarities (analogies), Arithmetic, Distances, Same/Different, Spelling, Scrambled Sentences, True/False, Definitions, and Reverse Definitions. Half of the participants were given Form L, printed in 14-point English Times; the other half were given Form S, printed in 9-point Helvetica. The content of the two forms was identical. The group given Form L. scored significantly higher on six of the 11 subtests and on total score, compared with the group given Form S. Implications for improvement of test performance by improving test legibility are briefly discussed.
Understanding Black Male Student Athletes’ Experiences at a Historically Black College/University: A Mixed Methods Approach

The purpose of this article is to describe how a mixed methods approach was employed to acquire a better understanding of Black male student athletes’ experiences at a historically Black college/university in the southeastern United States. A concurrent triangulation design was incorporated to allow different data sources to be collected and analyzed simultaneously to identify areas of convergence. Quantitative findings served as complementary data to corroborate the emergent qualitative themes. Legitimation strategies were applied in identifying meta-inferences from the analysis of findings, which enabled a more comprehensive understanding of key institutional characteristics that contributed to Black male student athletes’ academic achievement and positive college experiences at a historically Black college/university.
Changes of activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells nuclear factor- B in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis and the invention of astragalus

Objective To investigate the pathogenesis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)nuclearfactorB(NF-κB)in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis(HSPN)and the effect of astragalus on the activity of NF-κB.Methods Thirty-five children with HSPN and thirty normal children were studied. Isolated PBMC were separated from 5 ml venous blood in asepsis condition. NF-κB stimulator, NF-κ B inhabitor and astragalus were added into the different tubes of PBMC, respectively. The nuclear protein was extracted from the pellets and the optical density(A)values of nuclear protein were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results The activity of PBMC NF-κB in HSPN group was higher than that in normal group( 0.01). In the normal culture conditions, astragahs could decrease the activity of PBMC NF-κB in children with HSPN( 0.01), but did not affect that of normal children( 0.05). Astragalus could decrease the activity of PBMC NF-κB which had been stimulated by interleukin-1(IL-)( 0.01)in HSPN group and normal group; and astragalus could make the activity of NF-κB elevated after which had been inhibited by N-tosyl-Phenylalanine hlormethyl-ketone(TPCK)( 0.01). A significant effect of astragalus on the activity of PBMC NF-κB in children with HSPN was observed comparing with that of normal group( 0.01). Conclusions In children with HSPN, the activity of PBMC NF-κB is up-regulated. It is infering that NF-κB may participate in the pathogenesis of HSPN. Astragalus can decrease the activity of NF-κB in children with HSPN. Astragalus can regulate semaphoric approach of PBMC NF-κB bilaterally.