cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Theoretical estimates of the westward drift

Virtually all dynamo models may be expected to give rise to a permanent differential rotation between mantle and core. Weak conductivity in the mantle permits small leakage currents which couple to the radial component of the magnetic field, producing a Lorentz torque. Mechanical equilibrium is achieved when a zero net torque is established at a critical rotation rate. An estimate of the drift is determined easily given the magnetic field structure predicted by any dynamo model. The result for the drift rate at the core-mantle interface along the equator is given by the product of three factors Uφ∗=UφRλ*L* The first of these is a geometrical factor which depends only on the structural character of the field. For a variety of model fields, this factor ranges from 16 to 35. The second factor is the ratio of r.m.s. toroidal to poloidal field. This ratio is an (implicitly) adjustable parameter of both α2 and α-ω dynamos, and is a measure of the relative efficiency of the generation process for each component. The third (dimensional) term is the ratio of core magnetic diffusivity to core radius, 10−4 cm s−1. The result is essentially independent of the value of mantle diffusivity and its effective depth. The sign of the result may be positive or negative. For α2 dynamos a westward drift is produced by choosing α > 0 in the Northern Hemisphere, which constitutes a dynamical assertion about the dynamo process. For an r.m.s. toroidal field of the order of 15 Gs, based on fairly general considerations, a drift rate comparable to observation is expected.
Three dimensional path integration in the house mouse (Mus domestica).

Previous studies have explored two-dimensional path integration in rodents by recording responses to passive rotation on a horizontal plane. This study adds the element of passive rotation in a vertical plane, necessitating the mouse to integrate positional information from three dimensions. Mice were trained to climb a wire mesh joining two horizontal planes. The whole arena was rotated 90° while the mouse was vertically oriented as it moved between planes. Rotation was conducted both clockwise and counter-clockwise, controls being provided by rotation of the arena while the mouse was in its nest-box. All 16 mice tested altered their direction of travel subsequent to rotation in the vertical plane, compensating with a change in their path on the following horizontal plane.
The use of ambulatory EMG monitoring to measure compliance with lumbar strengthening exercise

This study validates the use of ambulatory EMG monitoring as a measure of exercise compliance. The model rehabilitative exercise used was the Prone Back Extension. Thirty-two undergraduate volunteers were videorecorded as they performed the exercise alone in a closed room. The correlation between a direct observation count of the number of repetitions and an independent EMG-based count was .95. EMG amplitude was examined by repetition and gender with regression and ANOVA. There were significant gender differences in the amplitude of EMG across repetitions. There were no significant differences by gender in the declining slope of amplitude across repetitions. This slope may represent a typical "fatigue" curve. Thus, not only the occurrence but also the intensity of exercise can be quantified.
The differential effects of preschool: Evidence from Virginia ☆

Abstract This study investigated the differential and persistent effects of a state-funded pre-K program, the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI). We analyzed data from a cohort of over 60,000 students nested in approximately 1000 schools from the beginning of kindergarten to the end of first grade using two-level hierarchical logistic regression models. While controlling for student- and school-level variables, we found that attending a VPI-funded program was beneficially associated with a lower likelihood of repeating kindergarten and improved probabilities of meeting or exceeding minimum literacy competencies. The benefits of attending pre-K were greatest upon kindergarten entry and persisted until the end of the first grade for Hispanic and Black students, as well as for students with disabilities, despite VPI-funded program attendees going to schools with higher concentrations of poverty.
Measuring America: How Economic Growth Came to Define American Greatness in the Late-Twentieth Century

Andrew L. Yarrow (ed.), University of Massachusetts Press, 2010, Amherst, MA, 272 pp, $26.95 (paper), ISBN 978-1-55849-835-8 Measuring America joins a recent bandwagon of books and articles critiqu...
Web-Browsing on stage: using the theatre of work for awareness on the WWW

In many situations users can benefit from group awareness--information about remote users' presence, availability, activities and other information about the remote environment. In this paper we present the Theatre of Work Enabling Relationships (TOWER) awareness environment. We particularly focus on the presentation of the awareness information in a 3D world and on mobile devices. Furthermore, we introduce awareness contexts for structuring awareness information and exemplify their use in a WWW context.
Power and performance as correlates of supervisors’ choice of modes of managing conflict: A preliminary investigation

This essay offers a preliminary analysis of the relationships between supervisors’ choices of modes of managing conflicts and their perceptions of the power relationships which exist between themselves and their subordinates and of the quality of their subordinates’ performance. Supervisors’ perceptions of their own managerial skill differentiated cases in which they selected autocratic strategies from those in which they employed other approaches.
Elastic properties of partially-stabilized HfO2 compositions

The effect of metastable tetragonal HfO2 on the elastic properties of partially stabilized HfO2 doped with Er2O3, Y2O3 or Eu2O3 was studied using a sonic resonance technique. The elastic moduli were monitored at elevated temperatures to follow the effect of the tetragonal-monoclinic phase transformation. Elastic moduli were also determined as a function of porosity and found to follow linear relations. The non-linear modulus versus temperature relations from room temperature to 500° C are explained in terms of the oxygen vacancies present in the fluorite type phase.
VUV modification promotes endothelial cell proliferation on PTFE vascular grafts

Abstract Small diameter (⩽6 mm ID ) synthetic vascular grafts, used as lower-limb vessel replacements in patients without suitable autologous saphenous veins, have a failure rate of 53% after 4 yr. Graft failure is due to thrombosis and intimal hyperplasia, an increase in smooth muscle cells in the lumen of the vessel which leads to progressive closing and ultimate occlusion of the vessel. In an effort to increase patency rates of synthetic grafts, investigators have seeded vascular grafts with endothelial cells prior to implantation in an attempt to control both thrombosis and smooth muscle proliferation. This technique has been successful for the development of an endothelial monolayer in animal trials, but has met with limited success in humans. The hydrophobicity, low surface energy, and weak electrical charge of expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) provides conditions which are not optimal for endothelial cell attachment. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) modification of ePTFE on endothelial cell adhesion and proliferation. Pieces of ePTFE graft material were exposed to 10, 20 or 40 W VUV radiation for 10, 20 or 40 min using a UV excimer lamp. Prior to cell adhesion and proliferation experiments, the grafts pieces were autoclaved and cut into pledgets. Half of the pledgets were precoated with fibronectin ( 20 μg/ml ). Cell adhesion was measured by seeding 3H-thymidine labeled human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) onto the pledgets for 60 min. The pledgets were then washed and the remaining radioactivity assayed using scintillation counting. For the cell proliferation experiments, pledgets were seeded with unlabeled HUVEC which were allowed to adhere to the graft material for 18 h. The cells were then exposed to 3H-thymidine ( 1 μCi/ml ) for approximately 48 h and then washed to remove any unincorporated 3H-thymidine. Incorporation of 3H-thymidine was measured using scintillation counting. Four replicate samples each, with and without fibronectin, were evaluated for each power and exposure time for both the adhesion and proliferation experiments. VUV modification had no effect on cell adhesion for all power levels studied. In addition, it appears that cell adhesion is independent of the presence of fibronectin. Cell proliferation, on the other hand, is augmented by modification, especially in the presence of fibronectin. These results suggest that VUV modification may provide a better surface for endothelial cell colonization of synthetic vascular grafts.
The refractory period of fast conducting corticospinal tract axons in man and its implications for intraoperative monitoring of motor evoked potentials

Abstract Objective : To determine the absolute and relative refractory period (RRP) of fast conducting axons of the corticospinal tract in response to paired high intensity (HI or supramaximal) and moderate intensity (MI or submaximal) electrical stimuli. The importance of the refractory period of fast conducting corticospinal tract axons has to be considered if repetitive transcranial electrical stimulation (TES) is to be effective for eliciting motor evoked potentials (MEPs) intraoperatively. Methods : Direct (D) waves were recorded from the epidural space of the spinal cord in 14 patients, undergoing surgical correction of spinal deformities. To assess the absolute and RRPs of the corticospinal tract, paired transcranial electrical stimuli at interstimulus intervals (ISI) from 0.7 to 4.1 ms were applied. Recovery of conditioned D wave at short (2 ms) and long (4 ms) ISI was correlated with muscle MEP threshold. The refractory period for peripheral nerve was tested in comparison to that for the corticospinal tract. In four healthy subjects sensory nerve action potentials of the median nerve were studied after stimulation with paired stimuli. Results : HI TES revealed a mean duration of 0.82 ms for the absolute refractory period of the corticospinal tract, while MI stimulation resulted in a mean refractory period duration of 1.47 ms. Stimuli of HI produced faster recovery of D wave amplitude during the RRP. Furthermore, short trains of transcranial electrical stimuli did not elicit MEPs when D wave showed incomplete recovery. A similar influence of stimulus intensity on recovery time was found for the refractory period of peripheral nerve. Conclusions : The recovery of D wave amplitude is dependent upon stimulus intensity. High intensity produces fast recovery. This is an important factor for the generation of MEPs. When HI TES is used to elicit MEPs, short and long ISIs are equally effective. When MI TES is used to elicit MEPs, only a long ISI of 4 ms is effective.
Mammalian lung development: Interactions in formation and morphogenesis of tracheal buds

Mesoderm present in early developing lung is of two sorts: bronchial, which can evoke formation of bronchial buds from tracheal epithelium; and tracheal, which inhibits bronchial morphogenesis. The latter process correlates with the presence of highly ordered sheaths of collagen and mesoderm cells near the epithelial surface. In contrast, bronchial mesoderm lacks such regularly arrayed components. Initial formation of supernumerary buds on the trachea can be evoked by nonspecific mesoderms, but such buds never branch. Bronchial mesoderm is required if the latter morphogenetic process is to occur. Thymidine labeling experiments fail to provide evidence that differential mitotic activity leads to initial bud formation.
Shock-tube measurements of absolute gƒ-values for neutral and singly ionized titanium☆

Dilute titanium tetrabromide (TiBr4)-argon mixtures were heated to temperatures of approximately 6500–8500°K behind the reflected shock region of a conventional, pressure-driven shock tube. Time-resolved absolute intensities of transitions (three each) belonging to neutral and singly ionized titanium were measured by observing the light emitted normal to the shock-tube axis. From the measured intensities and the calculated populations of the upper states involved in the transitions of interest, absolute gƒ-values were obtained. These results have been compared with previous theoretical and experimental predictions. The Ti I absolute gƒ-values agree quite well with previously obtained results, while the Ti II gƒ-values are much smaller than the earlier estimates.
Inelastic dark matter and DAMA/LIBRA: An experimentum crucis

The DAMA/LIBRA Collaboration has detected an annual modulation of the recoil rate in NaI crystals with the phase expected for weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) scattering events. This signal is dramatically inconsistent with upper limits from other experiments for elastically scattering weak-scale WIMPs. However, the results are compatible for the case of inelastic dark matter (iDM). The iDM theory, as implemented by Tucker-Smith and Weiner, constrains the WIMP to a tight contour in ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\delta}$ space, where $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is the mass difference between the ground state and excited WIMPs. An urgent priority in direct detection is to test this scenario. The crucial test of the iDM explanation of DAMA---an experimentum crucis---is an experiment with directional sensitivity, which can measure the daily modulation in direction. Because the contrast can be 100%, it is a sharper test than the much smaller annual modulation in the rate. We estimate the significance of such an experiment as a function of the WIMP mass, cross section, background rate, and other parameters. The proposed experiment severely constrains the DAMA/iDM scenario even with modest exposure ($\ensuremath{\sim}1000\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{kg}\ifmmode\cdot\else\textperiodcentered\fi{}\mathrm{day}$) on gaseous xenon.
In Vitro Systems as Simulations of In Vivo Conditions: The Study of Cognition and Synaptic Plasticity in Neurotoxicologya

: Neuroscientists have been engaged for decades in the search for brain regions and brain processes that underlie learning and memory. The effects of regional brain stimulation and ablation on behavior have been documented and inferences made on the impact of these manipulations on the psychological constructs of “learning” and “memory”. Discovery of an electrophysiological property, long-term potentiation (LTP), greatly expanded the ability to probe cellular aspects of how memories are represented in the brain. The study of LTP serves as an excellent example of how in vivo phenomena can be taken to more simplified in vitro test systems to directly address cellular and biochemical mechanisms of information storage in brain.
Cadherins and mechanotransduction by hair cells

Mechanotransduction, the conversion of a mechanical stimulus into an electrical signal is crucial for our ability to hear and to maintain balance. Recent findings indicate that two members of the cadherin superfamily are components of the mechanotransduction machinery in sensory hair cells of the vertebrate inner ear. These studies show that cadherin 23 (CDH23) and protocadherin 15 (PCDH15) form several of the extracellular filaments that connect the stereocilia and kinocilium of a hair cell into a bundle. One of these filaments is the tip link that has been proposed to gate the mechanotransduction channel in hair cells. The extracellular domains of CDH23 and PCDH15 differ in their structure from classical cadherins and their cytoplasmic domains bind to distinct effectors, suggesting that evolutionary pressures have shaped the two cadherins for their function in mechanotransduction.
Identification of 2-amino-4-hydroxy substituted pteridines by gas-liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry

Abstract A method for the separation and characterization of several naturally occurring and synthetic pterins is described. As little as 1 μg of biopterin, neopterin, and other pterins may be identified after quantitative conversion to trimethylsilylated derivatives followed by separation and characterization by gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. This method, combined with preliminary purification procedures, should prove useful as a rapid means of identifying small amounts of pterins normally found in a variety of biological materials.
Adenoviral-mediated gene transfer to retinal explants during development and degeneration

Abstract Naturally occurring mutations of the β subunit of the cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) phosphodiesterase (β-PDE) gene in rod photoreceptors of mice and dogs are similar to one of the inherited retinal degenerations termed retinitis pigmentosa in humans. Defects in the rod β-PDE gene leading to photoreceptor cell degeneration in retinal degenerative (rd) mice can be corrected by transfer of a wild type β-PDE gene. However, the rapid photoreceptor degeneration in this mutant makes the study of gene therapy difficult. Since the retinal degeneration is slowed in vitro, we have employed retinal explants from rd mice to study factors influencing viral transduction. Retinal explants provide a rapid, efficient method to compare the transduction efficiency of adenoviral vector-mediated reporter gene delivery at different ages in normal and rd mice. Retinal explants from postnatal day (P)2 to P28 control (C57BL/6J) and P2–P42 rd mice were exposed for 20 hr to 2·5×10 8 plaque forming units (pfu) ml −1 of adenoviral vector with a β-galactosidase (Lac Z) reporter gene (Ad-CMV-Lac Z). After incubation in vector-free media for an additional 3 days, the explants were fixed and histochemically stained for β-galactosidase to reveal Lac Z gene expression. The explants were also embedded and sectioned for light microscopic observation. Transduction efficiency was higher in rd mice than in controls on all postnatal days examined. In normal retinal explants, expression of the Lac Z gene increased from P2 to a peak around P7–P8, then decreased at subsequent ages; little transduction could be found after P17. In rd mice transduction efficiency of Ad-CMV-Lac Z increased from P2 to P7, decreased by P10 and increased again after P10. The most dramatic increase in the transduction efficiency occurred in the rd retina between P10 and P15 when Lac Z was intensely expressed throughout the retina. Microscopic examination of retinal sections revealed the types and distribution of Lac Z-positive cells responsible for the deep blue staining in the retinal whole mount. In normal and rd mice, Lac Z-positive cells were located throughout the retina. However, larger numbers of Lac Z-positive cells were present at all ages examined in retinal explants from rd mice compared to normal mice. These data indicate a difference in transduction efficiency between normal and rd mice, especially after P12, and suggest efficient adenovirus-mediated gene transfer is more attainable in developing or degenerating retina. Thus, transduction efficiency in rd mice depends on the relationship between development, maturation and the degenerative state of the photoreceptor cells.
Things We Can Learn From Repeated Tellings of the Same Experience

The study of repeated tellings of the same experience by the same speaker has been a neglected source of insights into the human mind. The content of the mind (here termed underlying experience) cannot be equated with any particular verbalization of it. Language, mental imagery, and emotions provide different windows on it, but the very fact that repeated tellings differ shows that language is not in any one-to-one relation with it. The comparison of such tellings can, however, allow us to zero in on the nature of underlying experience by showing what is constant and what variable. Such comparisons suggest that experience is stored in terms of relatively large topics and relatively small foci that are activated, one at a time, as a topic is scanned. They suggest, too, that decisions regarding sentence boundaries are made as one is talking, so that sentences appear not to reflect units of memory. Whereas ideas of events and their participants show stability, the orientations to such ideas that are expressed by the inflectional elements of language are free to vary. The relative importance of ideas may be inferred from their constancy across repetitions. Chronology appears to be important when it is a relevant relation between ideas, but when it is not relevant there is room for random ordering. These points will be illustrated with a comparison of two tellings that were produced fifteen months apart. (Narrative Structure, Memory)
Prediction of pH-dependent properties of proteins.

We describe what may be the most accurate approach currently available for the calculation of the pKas of ionizable groups in proteins. The accuracy is assessed by comparison of computed pKas with 60 measured pKas in a total of seven proteins. The overall root-mean-square error is 0·89 pKa units. Linear regression analysis of computed versus measured pKas yields a slope of 0·95, y -intercept of ?0·02 and a correlation coefficient of 0·96. The proposed approach also picks out many of the shifted pKas of groups in enzyme active sites and special salt bridges. However, it does yield several over-shifted pKas and tends to underestimate pKa shifts which result from desolvation effects. We examine the ability of the new approach to reproduce the dependence of protein stability upon Ph, using the ionization polynomial formalism. Overall features of the stability curves are reproduced, but the quantitative agreement is not particularly good. The reasons for the disagreement may have to do both with insufficient accuracy in the theory and with uncertainty in the nature of the unfolded state of proteins. The methodology described here is based upon finite difference solutions of the Poisson?Boltzmann equation. Its success depend upon the use of the rather high protein dielectric constant of 20. However, theoretical considerations and the fact that pKa shifts which result from desolvation are underestimated here imply that the dielectric constant of the protein interior actually is lower than 20. We suggest that the high protein dielectric constant improves the overall agreement with experiment because it accounts approximately for phenomena which tend to mitigate pKa shifts and which are not specifically included in the model. These include conformational relaxation and specific ion-binding. Future models based upon a low protein dielectric constant and treating such phenomena explicitly might yield improved agreement with experiment.
Rate Coefficient Measurements for the Reaction OH + ClO → Products

The rate coefficient for the reaction OH + ClO → products (1) was measured under pseudo-first-order conditions in OH. A discharge flow system was used to produce ClO, and its concentration was measured by UV/visible absorption. OH was produced by pulsed laser photolysis of O3 (or ClO) at 248 nm in the presence of H2O and was monitored by laser-induced fluorescence. The value of k1 between 234 and 356 K is given by k1(T) = (8.9 ± 2.7) × 10-12 exp[(295 ± 95)/T] cm3 molecule-1 s-1, where uncertainties are 95% confidence limits and include estimated systematic uncertainties. Our value is compared with those from previous investigations.
Evaluation of Pharmacy and Therapeutic (P&T) Committee member knowledge, attitudes and ability regarding the use of comparative effectiveness research (CER) in health care decision-making

Abstract Background Comparative effectiveness research (CER) is a constellation of research methods designed to improve health care decision making. Educational programs that improve health care decision makers' CER knowledge and awareness may ultimately lead to more cost-effective use of health care resources. Objectives This study was conducted to evaluate changes in CER knowledge, attitudes, and ability among Pharmacy and Therapeutics (P&T) Committee members and support staff after attending a tailored educational program. Methods Physicians and pharmacists from two professional societies and the Indian Health Service who participated in the P&T process were invited via email to participate in this study. Participants completed a questionnaire, designed specifically for this study, prior to and following the 4-hour live, educational program on CER to determine the impact on their related knowledge, attitudes, and ability to use CER in decision-making. Rasch analysis was used to assess validity and reliability of subsections of the questionnaire and regression analysis was used to assess programmatic impact on CER knowledge, attitude, and ability. Results One hundred and forty of the 199 participants completed both the pre- and post-CER session questionnaires (response rate = 70.4%). Most participants (>75%) correctly answered eight of the ten knowledge items after attending the educational session. More than 60% of the respondents had a positive attitude toward CER both before and after the program. Compared to baseline (pretest), participants reported significant improvements in their perceived ability to use CER after attending the session in these areas: using CER reviews, knowledge of CER methods, identifying problems with randomized controlled trials, identifying threats to validity, understanding of evidence synthesis approaches, and evaluating the quality of CER (all P values Conclusions The CER educational program was effective in increasing participants' CER knowledge and self-perceived ability to evaluate relevant evidence. Improving knowledge and awareness of CER and its applicability is a critical first step in improving its use in health care decision making.
Cost-Effectiveness of Vasectomy Reversal

In this era of cost-consciousness and containment, it is imperative to examine not only treatment outcomes but also cost of these treatments. With improvements of in vitro fertilization outcome and continued development of less-invasive sperm retrieval methods, physicians and couples must examine all options available after surgical sterilization. Vasectomy reversal remains the gold standard of treatment; however, certain situations may be present in which sperm acquisition/in vitro fertilization may be a better option. A physician's responsibility is to present all options with the pros and cons of each, including cost, to help arrive at an informed decision.
Generator Exchange Is Associated With an Increased Rate of Sprint Fidelis Lead Failure

Background The Medtronic Sprint Fidelis defibrillator lead is at an increased risk for failure and was recalled in October 2007. Approximately 268,000 leads were implanted, and more than 100,000 patients still have active Fidelis leads. A number of studies have examined the rate and clinical predictors of lead failure, but none has addressed the effect of an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator generator exchange on subsequent lead failure. Although the manufacturer asserts that "Sprint Fidelis performance after device change-out is similar to lead performance without device change-out," published data are lacking. Objective To assess the effect of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator generator exchange on the rate of Fidelis lead failure. Methods A chart review was conducted in patients who underwent implantation of a Fidelis lead. Patients with a functioning Fidelis lead at generator exchange were compared with controls with leads implanted for a comparable amount of time not undergoing ICD replacement. Results A total of 1366 patients received a Fidelis lead prior to the recall, of which 479 were still actively followed. Seventy-two patients with a functioning lead underwent generator exchange without lead replacement. Following generator replacement, 15 leads failed. Sixty percent of the Fidelis leads failed within 3 months. Generator exchange increased the rate of lead failure compared with matched controls (20.8% vs 2.54%; P Conclusions Generator exchange is associated with a higher than expected rate of Fidelis lead failure, often within 3 months. The risk-benefit ratio of Fidelis lead replacement at the time of generator exchange may be greater than appreciated.
Impact of software obfuscation on susceptibility to Return-Oriented Programming attacks

Software obfuscation is a commonly used technique to protect software, especially against reverse-engineering attacks. It is a form of security through obscurity and is commonly used for intellectual property and Digital Rights Management protection. However, this increase of security may come at the expense of increased vulnerabilities in another direction, hitherto unsuspected. In this paper, we propose and investigate the hypothesis that some of the most popular obfuscation techniques, including changing the control flow graph and substituting simpler instruction sequences with complex instructions, may make the obfuscated binary more vulnerable to Return-Oriented Programming (ROP) based attacks. ROP is a comparatively recent technique used to exploit buffer-overflow vulnerabilities. We analyze the ROP gadgets present in both obfuscated and un-obfuscated versions of well known binaries. We show that the number of ROP gadgets in a binary significantly increase after obfuscation, and it can potentially make ROP-based exploits easier.
Geographic information systems (GIS) approaches for geographic dynamics understanding and event prediction

This paper discusses the drivers and observables of geographic dynamics as well as GIS approaches to facilitate geographic dynamics understanding. Geographic domains exhibit diverse dynamics across multiple spatiotemporal scales. Such diverse and complex geographic dynamics poses challenges to connect relevant information and infer the underlined mechanisms. Central to the paper is the premise that activities, events and processes are drivers of geographic dynamics, and these drivers give rise to changes and movements in geographic space. The changes and movements become observables from which we can measure and assess the properties of geographic dynamics. GIS frameworks provide opportunities to integrate spatial and temporal data to examine the drivers and observables of geographic dynamics. The paper will highlight key GIS visualization, analysis, and modeling techniques for geographic dynamics understanding.
Poly(vinyl alcohol) nanoparticles prepared by freezing–thawing process for protein/peptide drug delivery

Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) hydrogel nanoparticles have been prepared by using a water-in-oil emulsion technology plus cyclic freezing-thawing process. The PVA hydrogel nanoparticles prepared by this method are suitable for protein/peptide drug delivery since formation of the hydrogel does not require crosslinking agents or other adjuvants and does not involve any residual monomer. Particularly, there is no emulsifier involved in this new method. Bovine serum albumin (BSA), as a model protein drug, is incorporated into the PVA hydrogel nanoparticles. The PVA hydrogel nanoparticles possess a skewed or log-normal size distribution. The average diameter of the PVA hydrogel nanoparticles is 675.5+/-42.7 nm. Protein drug loading efficiency in the PVA hydrogel nanoparticles is 96.2+/-3.8%. The PVA hydrogel nanoparticles swell in an aqueous solution and the swelling degree increases with the increase of temperature. In vitro release studies show that the BSA release from the nanoparticles can be prolonged to 30 h. The BSA release follows a diffusion-controlled mechanism. The number of freezing-thawing cycle and release temperature both influence BSA release rate considerably. Less freezing-thawing cycle or higher release temperature leads to faster drug release. The BSA is stable during preparation of the PVA hydrogel nanoparticles.
Heat capacity studies of the iron oxyhydroxides akaganéite (β-FeOOH) and lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH)

Abstract The iron oxides and iron oxyhydroxides exist as several different polymorphs, and a thermodynamic understanding of these polymorphs can provide us with an understanding of their relative stability and chemical reactivity. This study provides heat capacity measurements for lepidocrocite (γ-FeOOH) over the temperature range (0.8 to 38) K and akaganeite (β-FeOOH) over the range (0.7 to 302) K. Fits of the heat capacity of the two samples below T = 15 K showed similar behavior to previously published fits of goethite (α-FeOOH), which required a linear term and an anisotropic gap parameter to model accurately the antiferromagnetic spin–wave contributions. The akaganeite measurements were compared to previously reported measurements all of which showed significant disagreement. It is believed that the measurements reported here are the most reliable. Also, the presence of adsorbed water contributes significantly to the heat capacity of akaganeite, and the standard molar entropy at T = 298.15 K of the hydrated form was calculated to be (81.8 ± 2) J · mol−1 · K−1.
Measuring change in professionalism attitudes during the gross anatomy course

By design or default, anatomy educators are often responsible for introducing students to medical professionalism. Although much has been said about the role of anatomical education, there are no published reports suggesting how to measure change. This study investigated what professionalism attitudes, if any, change during a gross anatomy course. Additionally, the influence of four dichotomous variables related to student identity and preparation for medical school were analyzed for their effect on professionalism attitudes. A cross-sectional time-one (T1; beginning of the course), time-two (T2; end of the course) study using the Penn State College of Medicine Survey of Professionalism was conducted. A multivariate analysis of variance identified the main effects and interaction effects of categorical variables. A Mann Whitney U test verified significant differences. This study found a reprioritization of professionalism attitudes in favor of altruism (P = 0.04 with a Cohen's d = 0.26) at T2. Female students (P = 0.03, Cohen's d = 0.38) and students from a science background (P = 0.04, Cohen's d = 0.36) changed the most in favor of altruism. Interestingly, though several factors correlated with dissimilarities in professionalism values at T1, gender was the only factor to show a significant difference in professionalism attitudes at T2. This cohort of students reported a statistically significant increase in altruism and no significant decreases in other professionalism attitudes concurrent with the gross anatomy course.
Plane-strain and shear-beam free vibration of earth dams

Abstract The paper presents the results of a systematic comparative study of the two most frequently used dynamic models of earth dams: the plane-strain and the shear-beam models. Five different earth dam cross-sections are considered, all having the same height (90 m) and the same average S -wave velocity (324 m/s); two uniform dams having up- and down-stream slopes 2.5 : 1 and 2.0 : 1, with and without water seepage, respectively; two dams with slopes also 2.5 : 1 and 2.0 : 1 having a central core characterized by two different stiffnesses and one uniform dam with both slopes equal to 1.5 : 1. In all dams soil moduli are distributed in proportion to the square-root of the (local) effective confining pressure and a finite-element formulation is utilized for the plane-strain analyses. The implemented shear-beam model is based on a variation of modulus with depth-from-the-crest compatible with the above distribution of moduli. By comparing the natural periods and the modal displacement shapes of the five dams considerable insight is gained into the nature of the free vibration characteristics of earthfill dams and conclusions are drawn regarding the applicability of the ‘generalized’ shear beam model to assess their dynamic behavior.
Adsorption of atomic oxygen on cubic PbTiO3 and LaMnO3 (001) surfaces: A density functional theory study

Abstract We present and discuss density functional theory calculations addressing the electronic structure and energetics of isolated oxygen ad-atoms at the (001) surfaces of PbTiO 3 (PTO) and LaMnO 3 (LMO) cubic perovskites. Both AO- and BO 2 -type of surface terminations are considered for each perovskite. Difference electron density analysis has been carried out for each surface to probe local electronic charge redistribution upon oxygen adsorption. Our results show that the (001) surfaces of the two perovskites behave quite differently towards oxygen adsorption. In the case of the PTO (001) surfaces, the adsorbate oxygen atom was found to form a peroxide-type molecular species along with a surface lattice oxygen atom on both PbO- and TiO 2 -terminated surface facets. On the other hand, the most stable oxygen adsorption site for the LMO (001) surfaces corresponds to the one expected from a natural continuation of the perovskite lattice. Moreover, the dissociative adsorption of molecular oxygen varies from being only slightly exothermic on the PTO (001) facets to being highly exothermic on the LMO (001) facets. The AO-terminated facets, in general, showed a stronger binding to the adsorbed oxygen.
Hormonal correlates of environmentally induced metamorphosis in the Western spadefoot toad, Scaphiopus hammondii

Tadpoles of several amphibian species have been shown to accelerate metamorphosis when their ponds dry. To understand the proximate mechanisms that mediate the developmental response to pond drying, I analyzed changes in endocrine activity in tadpoles of the Western spadefoot toad (Scaphiopus hammondii) exposed to experimental water volume reduction in the laboratory. Tadpoles exposed to a declining water level accelerated metamorphosis compared with tadpoles raised in a constant high water environment. The acceleration of development was associated with the precocious elevation of whole-body contents of the hormones that control metamorphosis, the thyroid hormones thyroxine (T4) and triidothyronine (T3), and the interrenal steroid corticosterone (CORT). The precocious activation of the thyroid system preceded external morphological change (i.e., increase in hind limb length, developmental stage) by 3 days. To test if tadpoles are capable of responding rapidly to water volume reduction, mid-prometamorphic tadpoles (Gosner Stage 37-38) were raised in a constant high water environment (10 L) and then transferred to either 1 or 10 L. Tadpoles transferred to 1 L exhibited significant metamorphic changes by 48 h after transfer. In addition, dramatic elevations in whole-body T4, T3, and CORT contents were evident at this time point. Thus, the metamorphic response to pond drying is likely driven by the activation of the thyroid and interrenal axes, the hormones of which control metamorphosis. Furthermore, this response is rapid, occurring within 48 h after exposure to the desiccating environment.
Transport interaction of sugars and amino acids in mammalian kidney

Abstract Mutual inhibition of transport between the non-metabolized amino acid, α-aminoisobutyric acid, as well as other amino acids, and the non-metabolized hexose, α-methyl- d -glucoside, was observed in rat kidney cortex slices. The inhibition occurs at the influx stage of the transport process, since the effect could be demonstrated after short incubation periods and was not accompanied by accelerated efflux. Analysis of the interaction showed a non-competitive inhibitory pattern that did not appear completely linear in respect to inhibitor concentration. Accelerated efflux of the sugar could not be induced by external glycine at a concentration (20 mM) which markedly diminishes the steady-state distribution ratio. In respect to mechanism, these findings can be interpreted as competition for a common energy supply or as allosteric inhibition by related, yet separate “carrier” systems.
Developing an Engineering Data Bank Service for the Precision Machinery Industry Cluster Using the Living Lab Concept

In Taiwan the precision machinery industry has always played an important role in promoting important industrial upgrades. Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) account for the vast majority of participants in this industry. Because of their size and number they face a number of problems. These include difficulty in responding quickly to market demand, a low level of collaboration, and insufficient interaction between designers in central factories and the subcontractors who manufacture components for them. Taiwan’s i236 initiative applied a Living Lab Concept, along with information and communication technology (ICT), to develop a cloud-based ‘Engineering Data Bank Service’ to act as a hub for gathering data together from a local precision machinery industry ecosystem. The Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park was selected as the test site. After deploying the service to more than 400 SMEs, it is found that this service has a low deployment cost, and can indeed effectively enhance the working efficiency of R&D personnel and increase the interaction between central factories and subcontractors, thereby enhancing the international competitiveness of the precision machinery industry in Taiwan.
Shader-based visual simulation of ocean wave

The shader in the GPU increases flexibility and enables customizations of vertex and fragment processing, and it also provides the programmer with various special effects essential in development of realistic 3D virtual scene. Compared to a CPU based simulation of the ocean water, the shader-based simulation in this paper reduces the complexity of the model by eliminating most fixed function parameters while giving access to the latest functionalities of graphics cards. Our water simulation is divided into four stages: wave generation, surface tessellation, optical simulation, and water surface rendering. We are satisfied with the result from implementing the respective stages's shader.
Comparison Between Ice Age and Present General Circulations

Small reductions of tropical sea surface temperatures during ice ages are associated with substantial reductions in latent heat release and in the temperature of the upper tropical troposphere. Numerical simulations confirm that this reduced the mean baroclinicity during ice age winters and presumably the atmospheric heat transport from low to high latitudes. The computed wind driven ocean circulation was also weaker. Local heat balance considerations suggest that ice age cloud cover over the tropical oceans was more extensive inl spite of reduced evaporation and precipitation. The same deduction is suggested by analytical arguments about atmospheric convection.
Linking species concepts to natural product discovery in the post-genomic era

A widely accepted species concept for bacteria has yet to be established. As a result, species designations are inconsistently applied and tied to what can be considered arbitrary metrics. Increasing access to DNA sequence data and clear evidence that bacterial genomes are dynamic entities that include large numbers of horizontally acquired genes have added a new level of insight to the ongoing species concept debate. Despite uncertainties over how to apply species concepts to bacteria, there is clear evidence that sequence-based approaches can be used to resolve cohesive groups that maintain the properties of species. This cohesion is clearly evidenced in the genus Salinispora, where three species have been discerned despite very close relationships based on 16S rRNA sequence analysis. The major phenotypic differences among the three species are associated with secondary metabolite production, which occurs in species-specific patterns. These patterns are maintained on a global basis and provide evidence that secondary metabolites have important ecological functions. These patterns also suggest that an effective strategy for natural product discovery is to target the cultivation of new Salinispora taxa. Alternatively, bioinformatic analyses of biosynthetic genes provide opportunities to predict secondary metabolite novelty and reduce the redundant isolation of well-known metabolites. Although much remains to be learned about the evolutionary relationships among bacteria and how fundamental units of diversity can be resolved, genus and species descriptions remain the most effective method of scientific communication.
Introduction to the 8th international workshop on economics-driven software engineering research

This paper presents the 8th International Workshop on Economics-Driven Software Engineering Research (EDSER-8).
The Therapeutic Potential of Ethyl Pyruvate for the Management of Ischemia/Reperfusion Syndromes, Sepsis and Sepsis‐Related Organ Dysfunction, and Other Conditions Associated With Excessive Inflammation

SUMMARY Pyruvate, the final product of glycolysis and the starting substrate for the tricarboxylic acid cycle, plays a central role in intermediary metabolism. It is also an effective scavenger of reactive oxygen species. In order to take advantage of the beneficial effects of pyruvate while circumventing the problem of its poor stability in solution, our laboratory formulated the ester derived from pyruvic acid and ethanol, namely ethyl pyruvate, in a Ringer's-type calcium- and potassium-containing balanced salt solution. Ringer's ethyl pyruvate solution (REPS) has been evaluated in preclinical studies using animal models of mesenteric ischemia/reperfusion injury, hemorrhagic shock, acute endotoxemia, sepsis, and severe acute alcoholic hepatitis. Treatment with REPS, when compared with treatment with Ringer's lactate solution, has been shown to be able to improve survival and decrease expression of proinflammatory mediators. REPS warrants further evaluation for the resuscitation of patients with hemorrhagic shock and a variety of acute inflammatory conditions.
AFPAK Drone Strikes Are Only Game in Town

President Barack Obama has extended the hand of engagement to the Muslim and Arab world, while warning Israel against new settlements in occupied Palestine and hedging his bets with remote drone strikes against Al-Qaida and the Taliban in Pakistan. The new CIA director, a military historian and the Somali-born feminist Ayaan Hirsi Ali assess his strategy.
The COS FUV channel: on-orbit performance trends and early characterization of a new detector lifetime position

The Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) was installed into the Hubble Space Telescope in May 2009, and has been collecting ultraviolet spectra since then. The Far Ultraviolet channel of COS uses an efficient optical design and a two-segment, large-format Cross Delay Line microchannel plate detector to obtain spectra at medium and low resolution in the far ultraviolet. While the overall instrument performance has been excellent, several long-term trends in performance have been noted and are being addressed. These include a slow decrease in overall sensitivity, which is independent of the illumination and may be due to a degradation of the photocathode with time. In addition, the detector microchannel plates are showing severe gain sag in the regions where the most photons have fallen. As a result, we are in the process of moving the spectra to a new, nearly pristine, location on the detector. This will be the first of several additional lifetime positions which will allow us to collect high-quality spectra for many years to come. We will discuss the factors that led to our decision on where to move next and our progress in moving there, including details of the enabling and calibration activities which are being performed at the new location, and the anticipated performance. We will also address strategies that will be implemented in order to prolong the life at this and subsequent positions.