cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SEQUENCE SPACES AND INFINITE SERIES

This chapter describes the sequence of functions and their extension to sequences and series in general normed linear spaces. The words number, point, and element are to be considered interchangeable unless the context implies some limitation. If a proposition involves the absolute value of a number, this can be interpreted as the norm of an element. Thus, if x is a real number, one may encounter | x |; and if x in the same proposition is to be interpreted as an element of a general linear space, it must be understood that | x | becomes ∥ x ∥. An infinite sequence is an ordered set of elements that can be put into a one-to-one correspondence with the positive integers. In many ways a convergent sequence behaves like a finite n -tuple. If a power series converges for | x | r and diverges for | x | > r , the interval (− r , + r ) is called the interval of convergence, and r is the radius of convergence without regard to convergence or divergence at x =± r .
Effect of premarin on survival in men with myocardial infarction.

ConclusionThe incidence of deaths due to arteriosclerotic heart disease is being compared in men recovered from myocardial infarction and treated 75 days or more with either Premarin or no estrogen (control), allocation of treatments being randomized. Survival rate in those receiving Premarin is significantly higher than in controls.
Using Twitter to Reinforce Teaching Concepts

With 86% of Millennials using social media, it is a method by which to reach out to students. By implementing the use of Twitter in a core course, test grades significantly improved. A hashtag using the course number and department acronym was created. Information, in question form, was tweeted related to general class concepts such as the fundamental beliefs and theories related sustainability and social class. The goal was for the student to be better prepared to be able to either give an example(s) or recognize the application of the concept in a question or be able to take the concept and be able to apply it in an essay format while being able to discuss application. A statistical difference was seen between classes where a traditional review sheet was posted on Canvas versus the instructor tweets conceptual questions and hints where the students must search and synthesize probable answers.
Are Data Caps Reasonable

We discuss how data caps may be evaluated under the FCC's 2015 Open Internet Order. We find that heavy-users caps on mobile broadband service are likely to satisfy the Order's rules, that profit-maximizing caps on mobile broadband service may or may not satisfy the rules, and that caps on fixed broadband service are unlikely to satisfy the rules.
Blockchain for Cities—A Systematic Literature Review

Blockchain is considered one of the most disruptive technologies of our time. Numerous cities around the world are launching blockchain initiatives as part of the overall efforts toward shaping the urban future. However, the infancy stage of the blockchain industry leads to a severe gap between the knowledge we have and the actions urban policy makers are taking. This paper is an effort to narrow this rift. We provide a systematic literature review on concrete blockchain use cases proposed by the research community. At the macro-level, we discuss and organize use cases from 159 selected papers into nine sectors recognized as crucial for sustainable and smart urban future. At the micro-level, we identify a component-based framework and analyze the design and prototypes of blockchain systems studied in a subset of 71 papers. The high-level use case review allows us to illustrate the relationship between them and the four pillars of urban sustainability: social, economic, environmental, and governmental. The system level analysis helps us highlight interesting inconsistencies between well-known blockchain applicability decision rules and the approaches taken by the literature. We also offer two classification methodologies for blockchain use cases and elaborate on how they can be applied to stimulate cross-sector insights in the blockchain knowledge domain.
The High Dam at Aswan: History Building on the Precipice

This paper seeks to show the historical roots of the narrativization of the High Dam at Aswan as a clash between tradition and modernity. It investigates rhetorical tactics employed in official publications of the United Arab Republic (U.A.R.) which enshrined the construction of the High Dam within a triumphalist historicist teleology. UNESCO was the mediating force in Aswan that was entrusted with a “salvage mission,” which was unprecedented in scale and scope: documenting and protecting the Ancient Egyptian artifacts and monuments in the region, endangered by the construction of the High Dam. A parallel scrutiny of UNESCO’s rhetoric and actions during the time period from its first appeals for financial support to the international community in 1960, to the official end of the salvage mission in 1980, reveals striking similarities in the ways in which UNESCO rationalized the construction of the High Dam and the U.A.R.’s rationale of national modernization. The government and UNESCO facilitated institutional amnesia of the human costs incurred by the Nubian communities that lived in the homes submerged under Lake Nasser in the pursuit of aggrandizing political agendas. The paper makes use of primary sources such as the U.A.R.’s Yearbooks, official speeches made by President Gamal Abdel Nasser, and writings and speeches of crucial officiating members of UNESCO.
Lagenar potentials of the vocal plainfin midshipman fish, Porichthys notatus.

The plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) is a species of marine teleost that produces acoustic signals that are important for mediating social behavior. The auditory sensitivity of the saccule is well established in this species, but the sensitivity and function of the midshipman’s putative auditory lagena are unknown. Here, we characterize the auditory-evoked potentials from hair cells in the lagena of reproductive type I males to determine the frequency response and auditory sensitivity of the lagena to behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli. Lagenar potentials were recorded from the caudal and medial region of the lagena, while acoustic stimuli were presented by an underwater speaker. Our results indicate that the midshipman lagena has a similar low-frequency sensitivity to that of the midshipman saccule based on sound pressure and acceleration (re: 1 µPa and 1 ms−2, respectively), but the thresholds of the lagena were higher across all frequencies tested. The relatively high auditory thresholds of the lagena may be important for encoding high levels of behaviorally relevant acoustic stimuli when close to a sound source.
Singlet oxygen reactions of 3-methoxy-2-pyrrole carboxylic acid tert-butyl esters. A route to 5-substituted pyrrole precursors of prodigiosin and analogs

Abstract Reaction of the tert -butyl ester of 3-methoxy-2-pyrrole carboxylic acid with singlet oxygen yields a peroxidic intermediate which undergoes coupling with a range of nucleophiles to yield 5-substituted pyrroles. Among these products are α,α′-bipyrroles which serve as precursors of prodigiosin, including A-ring substituted analogues.
Universal suicide screening in college primary care.

Objective: Implementation of a universal primary care (PC) suicide-screening program in a college student health center to heighten awareness, provide support and enhance education of staff and stu...
Advanced communication: A critical component of high quality gynecologic cancer care: A Society of Gynecologic Oncology evidence based review and guide

Effective communication between gynecologic oncology providers and patients is vital to patient-centered care. Skilled communication improves the patient's knowledge retention, builds trust in providers, enhances shared decision-making, and alleviates anxiety of both patients and caregivers. Effective communication is also associated with reduced provider burnout due to improved comfort from possessing the skills to handle emotionally charged situations. Therefore, training in serious illness communication skills is critically important to gynecologic oncology practice and benefits patients, providers, and the healthcare system. Like surgical skills, communication skills can be learned and improved upon, particularly by making use of communication skills courses and other resources. While the purpose of each conversation will vary based on the medical setting, most communication roadmaps incorporate four basic components: 1) Assess patient knowledge and understanding, 2) inform patient in accordance with her communication preferences, 3) recognize and respond to emotion 4) elicit patient values, and create a plan that aligns with those values. Improved patient outcomes associated with addressing patient emotions underscore a critical need to recognize and address emotional cues during difficult conversations. We present strategies for delivering serious news, and for discussing prognosis and goals of care. In each strategy, we highlight skills for recognizing and responding to patient and family emotional cues.
Breaking into Tech: Job Placement Experience and Perceptions of Alumni from a Three-year Computer Science Program

The offering of three-year academic programs has increased in the last five years, mainly due to their potential to decrease cost of college education; however, their overall effectiveness is still under debate. We report on an in-depth alumni survey of 50 college graduates from a 3-year cohort-based program (CSin3), one year post-graduation. Respondents are 91% Hispanic and 9% Caucasian. 36% are female and 82% are first-generation college students. At the time of survey completion, 84% were employed in a technical role, 4% were in a computing education role, and 11% were unemployed. While most students found a full-time position within the first two months after graduation, a few of them are still struggling to find a job in the field, citing challenges in passing coding interviews and finding employment near family. The most common reason alumni gave for accepting their first full-time position was having an internship with the company. The most common pressures and challenges that alumni reported facing professionally are: work-life balance, cost of living, lack of diversity, and stress in current position. Alumni who stayed local had significantly lower salaries and job satisfaction than alumni who moved out of the region for work. Outlook of alumni towards computer science is largely positive, with 86% very or extremely satisfied with their choice of pursuing a computing career, and 87% confident that they will continue in the computer science field.
Simulation: A strategy for mindreading similar but not dissimilar others?

Abstract One proposed solution to the challenge of mentalizing is to use one's own mind as a model in a process known as simulation. Studies have demonstrated that people more strongly engage in simulation for individuals to whom they feel more similar, such that people assume that the self is like more similar others (and unlike more dissimilar others) even in attitudes that are irrelevant to reasons for perceiving similarity (e.g., group membership). The present 3 studies (total N = 193) evaluate this strategy using three kinds of groups, both real and novel, that participants may feel differentially similar about. These studies conceptually replicate past work, finding that people simulate when reasoning about more similar others, despite the attitudes in question being irrelevant to group membership. Additionally, these studies find that the more similar people feel to a target, the more correct people are about the attitudes of individuals in a target's group. These findings suggest that although people may simulate more strongly for more similar others even when attitudes are irrelevant to group membership, it may be wrong to think that the self is unlike more dissimilar others. Finally, the present studies provide preliminary evidence that when perceivers' attitudes are unlike most others' attitudes, such that simulation could be inappropriate, perceivers do not appropriately correct the extent to which they simulate for more similar others. These results suggest that there are limitations to the strategy of selectively simulating for more similar others in order to understand others' minds.
Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma With Leptomeningeal Disease Using Intrathecal Immunotherapy

Author(s): Huppert, Laura A; Melisko, Michelle E; Glastonbury, Christine M; Khanafshar, Elham; Daud, Adil I
Adverse events of after-loading high dose rate brachytherapy reported to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

ABSTRACT PURPOSE To provide an assessment of safety regarding high-dose-rate after-loading brachytherapy (HDR-BT) based on adverse events reported to the OpenFDA, an open access database maintained by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). METHODS OpenFDA was queried for HDR-BT events between 1993 and 2019. A brachytherapist categorized adverse events (AEs) based on disease site, applicator, manufacturer, event type, dosimetry impact, and outcomes. Important findings are summarized. RESULTS 372 AEs were reported between 1993 and 2019, with a downwards trend after 2014. Nearly half of AEs (48.9%) were caused by a device malfunction, and 27.4% resulted in patient injury. Breast (49.2%) and Gyn (23.7%) were the most common disease sites of AEs. Applicator breaks cause the majority of AEs (64.2%) and breast balloon implants were the most common applicator to malfunction (38.7%). User error contributed to only 16.7% of events. 11.0% of events required repair of the afterloader. There were no reported staff injuries or patient deaths from an AE, however 24.7% of patients received resultant incorrect radiation dose, 16.4% required additional procedures to rectify the AE, and 3.0% resulted in unintended radiation to staff. CONCLUSION The OpenFDA database has shown a decreasing trend in AEs since 2014 for HDR-BT. Most AEs are not caused by user error and do not cause patient injury or incorrect radiation dose. Investigation into methods to prevent failures and improve applicators such as the breast balloon could improve safety. These results support the continued use of HDR-BT as a safe treatment modality for cancer.
The effect of local discourses adapted by teachers on Syrian child refugees’ schooling experiences in Turkey

This critical ethnography explains how and why refugee children experience schooling in specific ways by examining teachers’ use and interpretation of local refugee accommodation policies. It argue...
Prognostic value of intratumoral lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio and M0 macrophage enrichment in tumor immune microenvironment of melanoma.

Skin cutaneous melanoma is characterized by significant heterogeneity in its molecular, genomic and immunologic features. Whole transcriptome RNA sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas of skin cutaneous melanoma (n = 328) was utilized. CIBERSORT was used to identify immune cell type composition, on which unsupervised hierarchical clustering was performed. Analysis of overall survival was performed using Kaplan-Meier estimates and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Membership in the lymphocyte:monocytelow, monocytehi gh and M0high cluster was an independently poor prognostic factor for survival (HR: 3.03; 95% CI: 1.12-8.20; p = 0.029) and correlated with decreased predicted response to immune checkpoint blockade. In conclusion, an M0-macrophage-enriched, lymphocyte-to-monocyte-ratio-low phenotype in the primary melanoma tumor site independently characterizes an aggressive phenotype that may differentially respond to treatment.
Different Paths to Universal Access: The Impact of Policy and Regulation on Broadband Diffusion in the Developed and Developing Worlds

We examine the broadband digital divide by analyzing the impact of policy and regulation on broadband Internet diffusion. Our multiple regression analysis shows that factors that determine broadband diffusion in technologically developed countries do not necessarily have the same impact in less developed countries. We show that in technological developed countries, there is greater broadband diffusion in countries that make a higher financial investment in information and communication technologies and have effective governing practices at the national level. In technologically developing nations, however, a competitive telecommunications sector also lead to greater broadband diffusion and higher investment in ICTs has even a larger impact than in the developed world, but the presence of a national telecommunications regulatory authority has a negative impact. In addition, stronger democratic political institutions increases diffusion in the developed world, but more effective governance has no effect. These results suggest that the path to widespread availability and use of broadband requires different strategies depending on a nation’s level of technological development.
Snowflake morays, Echidna nebulosa, exhibit similar feeding kinematics in terrestrial and aquatic treatments.

Some species of durophagous moray eels (Muraenidae) have been documented emerging from the marine environment to capture intertidal crabs but how they consume prey out of water is unknown. Here we trained snowflake morays, Echidna nebulosa, to undulate out of the aquatic environment to feed on land. On land, snowflake morays remove prey from the substrate by biting and swallow prey using pharyngeal jaw enabled transport. Although snowflake morays exhibit smaller jaw rotation angles on land when apprehending their prey, transport kinematics involving dorso-ventral flexion of the head to protract the pharyngeal jaws and overall feeding times did not differ between terrestrial and aquatic treatments. We suggest that their elongate body plan, ability to rotate their heads in the dorsoventral and lateral directions, and extreme pharyngeal movements, all contribute to the ability of durophagous morays to feed in the terrestrial environment.
Influence of Secondary Flow on Drag Force

An experimental investigation was made to determine the axial variation of drag on a finite length circular cylinder with end plates and immersed in a linear velocity gradient flow. The drag coefficient for an incremental length of cylinder was found to vary from a minimum where the velocity was greatest to a maximum where the velocity was least. The force acting over the full cylinder length was found to be greater than that calculated for a uniform flow at the average velocity over the cylinder length. The pressure coefficient was found to differ when measured at the same velocity both in a uniform flow and a linear velocity gradient flow, a difference explained by secondary flow generated by the stagnation pressure gradient on the leading edge of the cylinder. A drag coefficient parameter was defined and found to increase uniformly as the length-to-diameter ratio, L/d , increased to a value of about seven; past this value the drag coefficient parameter was found to decrease.
The Role of the Lysyl Residue at the Active Site of Creatine Kinase: NUCLEAR OVERHAUSER EFFECT STUDIES

Considerable evidence from previous work supports the concept that formate is one of several planar anions which may occupy the binding site of the transferable phosphoryl group on creatine kinase, thus transforming the enzyme-Mg-(II)-ADP-creatine complex into an analog of the transition state of the active complex. Two NMR double resonance techniques, internuclear double resonance (INDOR) spectroscopy and intermolecular nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) measurements of the formate proton, were employed to identify the binding site of formate on creatine kinase. The formate INDOR spectrum has a single peak at 2.6 ppm downfield from 2,2-dimethyl-2-silapentane-5-sulfonate due to dipole-dipole interaction of the formate proton with specific protons on the enzyme. The interacting protons are in close proximity to the formate proton and are characterized by a chemical shift of 2.6 ppm. Application of a strong radiofrequency field at 2.6 ppm results in a decrease in the intensity of the observed formate proton NMR peak, i.e. a negative NOE, for the transition state analog complex. The magnitude of the formate NOE depends on the formate to creatine kinase ratio, indicative of rapid exchange of formate between bound and free sites. Formate and nitrate compete for binding at the active site as shown by titration of the formate NOE with nitrate in the formate transition state analog complex. The large negative NOE for formate is obtained only in the case of the complex with creatine, Mg(II), and ADP. Omission of either of the substrates, creatine or ADP, or of the activator Mg(II) results in a large decrease in the observed effect. Such observations support the concept of a unique active site conformation for the transition state complex which requires the binding of all the components of the reaction. To assign the INDOR peak at 2.6 ppm, creatine kinase which had been selectively dansylated at the essential lysyl residues was investigated. It was established by water proton relaxation rate measurements of Mn(II) complexes that the dissociation constants for ADP and creatine binding to the enzyme are not significantly altered by dansylation, although there were changes in the enhancement factors of the Mn(II) complexes. Formate peak intensity measurements indicated little, if any, NOE for complexes with the dansylated enzyme. On the basis of the chemical shift of the formate INDOR peak, lack of an NOE for the quaternary complex of dansylated creatine kinase, and previous data showing loss of enzymatic activity upon dansylation of a single lysyl residue per active site, it is proposed that the e-CH2 protons of the lysyl residue at the active site are responsible for the formate NOE. Consequently, it is inferred that the role of the lysyl residue is to bind the transferable phosphoryl group. The interaction serves to provide the proper orientation for the transfer, and the electron-withdrawing properties of the lysyl e-NH3+ group facilitate nucleophilic attack at the phosphorus by the creatine guanidino group.
Insect Flight Muscle Chemomechanics

The biochemical and mechanical basis of insect flight has captivated the interest of biologists for decades. This chapter presents a brief review of the approaches used and results obtained by investigators intent on understanding the chemomechanical basis of contraction in insect muscle. We are much closer now than we have ever been to understanding the details of the contractile mechanism. This has been in large measure due to the great expansion of tools available to us, and the increasing number of investigators interested in the problem. We start with an overview of the physical methods used to investigate the mechanical properties of insect flight muscle (the biochemical and single molecule methods are covered in the chapter by Sparrow/Geeves, this volume). The physical methods are largely based on analyzing the response in muscle force to perturbations in muscle length. Next, we present a contemporary view of the contractile mechanism, based on these methods. We discuss the role of myosin in relation to its interaction with actin and other proteins of the myofilament lattice, focusing on those factors that determine muscle kinetics. One of the distinguishing characteristics of insect musculature is the extremely wide range of contractile speeds displayed by a diverse set of muscle fiber types. The chemomechanics of Lethocerus and Drosophila flight muscle are discussed and compared, highlighting recent experiments designed to elucidate the role of specific structural regions of the Drosophila myosin heavy chain in setting muscle fiber kinetics. We conclude the chapter with a brief discussion of the highly specialized structural proteins ancillary to myosin and actin that enable the high power output required for flight.
Net Neutrality Regulation in the UK: More Transparency and Switching

Within Distributed Morphology, it has been proposed that the lexical vocabulary consists of Roots: category-less primitives. The motivation for Roots is connected with a line of argument reaching b...
Economic Returns to Entrepreneurial Behavior

Highly turbulent environments require firms to act entrepreneurially. The returns to entrepreneurial activities are known as entrepreneurial rents. Following the payments perspective, these rents are allocated to the entrepreneurial resources of the firm as factor payments. However, unlike other factor payments, little is known about how to value these types of rents. An analysis of the economics and management literature reveals that entrepreneurial rents are a return to alertness, subjective judgment, asset control, and uncertainty bearing. Furthermore, entrepreneurial rents are noncontractible and temporary. This paper introduces two complementary valuation models that capture these characteristics and that explicitly impute value to various entrepreneurial activities.
A thermal test of the post‐subduction tectonic evolution along the California transform margin

[1] The heat flow pattern along the transform margin of western North America reflects the nature of the tectonic evolution following the cessation of subduction. Whereas the high heat flow in the California Coast Ranges shows post-subduction heating, the low heat flow in the Great Valley and Sierra Nevada still reflects the Cenozoic subduction thermal regime. We analyzed a combined heat flow dataset from these regions and compared the thermal implications of the proposed two end member tectonic models, namely the slab window and the stalled slab models. The results show that persistence of low heat flow in a wide region agrees better with the stalled slab model. The Coast Range thermal anomaly could be due to combined effects of thermal relaxation of the stalled slab; viscous heating in the ductile zone; and/or an apparent high surface heat flow due to rapid erosion.
An efficient new method for the desulfonylation of β-keto phenylsulfones

Abstract β-Keto phenylsulfones can be readily desulfonylated with excess tri- n -butylstannane and AIBN, when heated at reflux in toluene, to provide the corresponding ketones in good-to-excellent yields. The reaction proceeds under neutral conditions and is compatible with a wide variety of functionalities.
Quantification of Dexterity Through a Novel Electronic Device

Cerebral palsy affects movement, muscle tone, and coordination as a result of an injury to, or lesion of, the immature brain. One of the most common manifestations of cerebral palsy is spastic hemiplegia, which limits arm and hand use on the involved side of the body [1]. Many treatment options are available but a major clinical problem is how to evaluate the success of these treatment plans. Currently, video analysis is the standard used for evaluating dexterity of cerebral palsy patients. This requires trained clinicians to spend hours watching video of patients performing specified tasks in order to evaluate baseline dexterity and improvements throughout treatment. VICON is the current state of the art device for motion capture. It captures motion using multiple video cameras around the room and outputs the position data of many points through time. VICON machines must be carefully calibrated and are too bulky to be used throughout a clinic. VICON can also not show the upper extremity dexterity necessary for tracking many cerebral palsy patients’ progress. As can be seen, no portable, efficient, and quantitative dexterity test for cerebral palsy patients currently exists.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
The band gap and electrical resistivity of FeS 2 -pyrite at high pressures

Abstract The indirect energy gap and electrical resistivity of FeS 2 -pyrite have been measured at high pressures and 300 K using optical absorption spectroscopy and electrical conductivity measurements. Absorption spectra extend to ∼28 GPa, while resistivity is determined to ∼34 GPa. The band gap of FeS 2 is indirect throughout this pressure range and decreases linearly with pressure at a rate of −1.13(9)×10 −2 eV/GPa. If this linear trend continues, FeS 2 is expected to metallize at a pressure of 80(±8) GPa. The logarithm of resistivity also linearly decreases with pressure to 14 GPa with a slope of −0.101(±0.001)/GPa. However, between 14 and 34 GPa, the logarithm of resistivity is nearly constant, with a slope of −0.011(±0.003)/GPa. The measured resistivity of pyrite may be generated predominantly by extrinsic effects.
Cognitive Function in Breast Cancer Survivors Compared to Healthy Age- and Education-Matched Women

The cognitive function of breast cancer survivors (BC, n = 52) and individually matched healthy controls (n = 52) was compared on a battery of sensitive neuropsychological tests. The BC group endorsed significantly higher levels of subjective memory loss and scored significantly worse than controls on learning and delayed recall indices from the Rey Auditory Verbal Learning Test (AVLT). Defining clinically significant impairment as scores at or below the 7th percentile of the control group, the rate of cognitive impairment in the BC sample was 17% for total learning on the AVLT, 17% for delayed recall on the AVLT, and 25% for either measure. Findings indicate that a sizeable percentage of breast cancer survivors have clinically significant cognitive impairment.
It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office

It Takes a Candidate: Why Women Don't Run for Office . By Jennifer L. Lawless and Richard L. Fox. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. 2005. 203 pp. $65.00 cloth, $22.99 paper. Why do so few women occupy elected offices in the United States? One reason, perhaps the most important one, is that fewer women than men are politically ambitious. That is the major conclusion to emerge from the innovative research conducted by Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox. This finding alone is bound to make It Takes a Candidate a must-read, must-cite book for all scholars studying gender and politics.
High-throughput real-time PCR for early detection and quantitation of arenavirus Tacaribe

Arenaviruses merit significant attention both as causative agents of endemic hemorrhagic fevers and as model systems to study the immune response to acute and persistent viral infections. Development of highly sensitive quantitative screening methods to detect arenavirus is critical for early diagnosis of patients, to screen the rodent population in endemic areas, and as a research tool to confirm effective tissue clearance during the development of anti-viral strategies. This study describes a novel sensitive and reproducible method to quantify prototypic new world arenavirus Tacaribe RNA in cell cultures and tissues using a real-time TaqMan PCR-based detection system. The method has a sensitivity of 100 RNA copies per 200ng of total RNA, making it 2 logs more sensitive than the currently utilized TCID(50) method, and a linear range from 10(2) to 10(9) copies/reaction. The qRT-PCR method is high-throughput and screening can be achieved in <2h allowing for diagnosis of infected patients before the onset of symptoms. This new method is a powerful tool to screen populations for infection and monitor the clearance achieved by available therapies, and serves as a model diagnostic tool for other arenaviruses.
Hydrodynamics of icosahedral quasicrystals

The equations governing long-wavelength, low-frequency excitations in icosahedral quasicrystals are derived. It is found that while the speeds of the propagating modes are isotropic, the attenuations are not, implying that purely macroscopic experiments can in principle distinguish quasicrystals from crystals, glasses, or conventional incommensurate systems. The coefficient of the anisotropy is, regrettably, quite small. The complete spectrum consists of three diffusive phasons, two pairs of transverse and one pair of longitudinal sound modes, a vacancy diffusion mode, a heat diffusion mode, and, in a material with n atomic species, n-1 additional particle diffusion modes. The diffusion times of the vacancy and phason modes are expected to be comparable and very long. It is shown that propagating phasons, even at short wavelength, are an unlikely prospect. The static, equilibrium elastic properties are also anisotropic, but are approached very slowly, and in many situations, the elastic response is isotropic on experimentally accessible time scales. Our results also imply that nonlinear fluctuation corrections to the linearized hydrodynamics presented here are finite as q and \ensuremath{\omega}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0, i.e., there is no breakdown of conventional hydrodynamics in icosahedral quasicrystals.
Optimal Adaptive Policies for Sequential Allocation Problems

Consider the problem of sequential sampling frommstatistical populations to maximize the expected sum of outcomes in the long run. Under suitable assumptions on the unknown parametersformula, it is shown that there exists a classCRof adaptive policies with the following properties: (i) The expectednhorizon rewardformulaunder any policy Â?0inCRis equal toformula, asnÂ?∞, whereformulais the largest population mean andformulais a constant. (ii) Policies inCRare asymptotically optimal within a larger classCUFof “uniformly fast convergent” policies in the sense thatformula, for any Â?Â?CUFand anyformulasuch thatformula. Policies inCRare specified via easily computable indices, defined as unique solutions to dual problems that arise naturally from the functional form offormula. In addition, the assumptions are verified for populations specified by nonparametric discrete univariate distributions with finite support. In the case of normal populations with unknown means and variances, we leave as an open problem the verification of one assumption.
Study of the effect of early lead exposure on postural balance by advanced signal processing methods

Measured trajectories of the Centre Of Pressure (COP) on the feet have been used to study postural balance problems. Two new signal analysis methods, the Wavelet based Multiple Fractal Formalism (WMFF) and frequency spectrum envelop characterisation method, are developed to characterise the COP data in a set of two parameters with unique physical significances. The methods are applied to re-dissect the data obtained during the Cincinnati Lead Study (CLS) to gain additional insights into the effect of early lead-exposure on children's postural balance. It is found that the frequency spectrum envelope characterisation method is especially attractive and easy to implement.
Preparation and reactions of alkylcobalt complexes containing schiff base ligands

Abstract A series of Co II (sal 2 Bg) and RCo(sal 2 Bg) complexes have been prepared from the tetradentate H 2 (sal 2 Bg) diimino ligands formed by the condensation of salicyclaldehyde and various diamines. The RCo(sal 2 Bg) complexes (R = methyl, ethyl, n-propyl, and i-propyl) are synthesized by the reactions of alkyl halides with Co I (sal 2 Bg) - . The complexes are characterized by UV-visible, IR, and PMR spectra. The cleavage of the cobaltcarbon bond by light, I 2 , CN - , HS - , R'S - , and R'SH was studied. The organic products were identified by GLPC, and the cobalt complexes by isolation and analysis. A rich variety of mechanisms is discussed.
Quasithermodynamic treatment of nonuniform systems. II. Adsorption in ultra small pores

Abstract Using a quasithermodynamic treatment, the adsorption on the internal surface of two parallel plates immersed in a bulk fluid is investigated as a function of the gap-width between the plates. The chemical equilibrium condition provides a second-order nonlinear differential equation for the local density as a function of position. The equation is solved numerically both above and below the critical temperature of the bulk uniform fluid. A lower limit is found for the outside pressure which allows penetration of the fluid in the pore. This limit increases as the gap-width decreases and is caused by the repulsive forces.
An experimental study of energy loss mechanisms and efficiency considerations in the low power dc arcjet

The potential utility of the low power dc arcjet in auxiliary propulsion was investigated. It was indicated that improvements in the areas of stability, energy efficiency, reliability, and electrode erosion are necessary to obtain a useful device. A water-cooled arcjet simulator was tested to investigate both the energy loss mechanisms at the electrodes and the stability of different conventional arcjet configurations in the presence of a vortex flow field. It is shown that in certain configurations only 25 to 30% of the input energy is lost to the electrodes. It is also shown that vortex stabilization is not difficult to obtain in many cases at the flow rates used and that a careful starting procedure is effective in minimizing electrode damage.
THE ROLE OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX IN SOMATOSEXUAL DISTURBANCES IN INFANTS AND CHILDREN: A CLINICO-PATHOLOGIC ANALYSIS

SIGNIFICANT deviations from the relatively normal somatosexual pattern are rare in spite of the pronounced complexity in the processes of differentiation of the embryo. When deviations occur, they usually cause consternation to the parents, perplexity to the physician, and tragedy to the victim. Aberrations from the normal somatosexual make-up may be present at birth, or develop during infancy, childhood or puberty. An erroneous conclusion as to the true sex often leads to irreversible psychosomatic fixation and trauma to the patient, the degree depending on the age when the true sex is finally discovered. Some heteroclites grow up as notorious medical “cases” others become circus curiosities; and still others carry their abnormality locked like a skeleton in their own somatosexual closet, fearful of exposure, embittered in their lot, antisocial and suicidal in their outlook. The basic sex of an individual is apparently predetermined by the genes but definitive differentiation is not accomplished until ab...
Chemoselectivity in chemical biology: acyl transfer reactions with sulfur and selenium.

A critical source of insight into biological function is derived from the chemist’s ability to create new covalent bonds between molecules, whether they are endogenous or exogenous to a biological ...
Franchising effects on the lodging industry: optimal franchising proportion in terms of profitability and intangible value.

Franchising in the hospitality industry, particularly in the lodging business, has been an extensively studied topic. Yet the answers to critical questions have eluded researchers and practitioners: is franchising in the lodging industry profitable and a value-creating strategy? Moreover, what is the optimal proportion of franchising to attain certain financial outcomes? This study evaluates franchising in the lodging industry, and poses two key financial questions. Are franchised lodging firms more profitable and value-generating than non-franchised operations? And what is the optimal proportion of franchised and non-franchised units for a lodging firm to maximize its financial performance and value creation? The results of the two-way, random-effect regression model suggest that franchised lodging firms are more profitable than non-franchised firms. The study also finds that franchised firms create more intangible value than non-franchised firms. In addition, the authors identify optimal proportions of franchised and non-franchised properties that allow lodging firms to maximize profitability and intangible value. The results provide a critical perspective on the discussion of whether or not lodging firms should franchise and, if so, to what extent.
Simulation of protective zones during quatrefoil reentry in cardiac tissue.

Protective Zones During Quatrefoil Reentry.Introduction: An S3 stimulus can exert a protective effect by terminating reentry induced by an S2 stimulus. Our goal was to examine the mechanism by which an S3 pulse terminates reentry and the role that virtual electrodes and break excitation play in this process. Methods and Results: In our simulation, the bidomain model represents the electrical properties of the tissue and the Beeler-Reuter model represents the membrane kinetics. Quatrefoil reentry is initiated by S1-S2 stimulation, and then a third stimulus S3 is applied at different intervals after S2. All stimuli are applied through the same unipolar electrode. For some S2-S3 intervals, the S2 and S3 wavefronts interact destructively, terminating reentry (protective zones). For other S2-S3 intervals, S2 and S3 wavefronts interact constructively, and reentry continues. Protective zones appear recurrently, with approximately the period of the S2 reentrant circuit. The protective zones are wider for anodal stimulation than for cathodal stimulation. Conclusion: Virtual electrodes, break excitation, and S2-S3 timing all play important roles in determining the electrical response of the tissue.
Charybdotoxin blocks both Ca-activated K channels and Ca-independent voltage-gated K channels in rat brain synaptosomes.

Charybdotoxin (ChTX), a 4.3 kDa polypeptide toxin from the venom of the scorpion Leiurus quinquestriatus, blocks both a Ca-activated K channel (IC50 ≈ 15 nM) and a Ca-independent voltage-gated K channel (IC50 ≈ 40 nM) in rat brain synaptosomes. These results indicate that in this preparation ChTX is not specific for the Ca-activated K channel and suggest that there may be structural homology among the toxin-binding sites on various types of K channels.
Contracts and quality in the California winegrape industry

We analyze the relationship between product quality and contractingchoices using the results of a survey of California winegrape growers.Growers who produce high-quality grapes are more likely to use formalwritten contracts than are growers who produce low-quality grapes.Written contracts for high-quality grapes are more likely to includeprovisions regarding the production process, while written contractsfor low-quality grapes are more likely to include explicit financialincentives for sugar content and other product attributes.
Mechanisms of HER2-induced endothelial cell retraction.

Background HER2 overexpression imparts a metastatic advantage in breast cancer. We have shown that HER2 signaling in breast cancer cells induces adjacent endothelial cell (EC) retraction, disrupting endothelial integrity. Because endothelial integrity is dependent on the adherens junctions, we postulated that the mechanism of tumor cell-induced EC retraction involves dissociation of catenin proteins from vascular endothelial (VE) cadherin. In this study, we report a loss of VE-cadherin in tumor-associated EC. We also tested for a change of catenin dissociation from VE-cadherin by manipulating HER2 signaling in tumor cells.
Striving to Diversify the Geosciences Workforce

The geosciences continue to lag far behind other sciences in recruiting and retaining diverse populations [Czujko and Henley, 2003; Huntoon and Lane, 2007]. As a result, the U.S. capacity for preparedness in natural geohazards mitigation, natural resource management and development, national security, and geosciences education is being undermined and is losing its competitive edge in the global market.
Requirement of the TRPC1 cation channel in the generation of transient Ca2+ oscillations by the calcium-sensing receptor.

The calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) is an allosteric protein that responds to extracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]o) and aromatic amino acids with the production of different patterns of oscillations in intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i). An increase in [Ca2+]o stimulates phospholipase C-mediated production of inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate and causes sinusoidal oscillations in [Ca2+]i. Conversely, aromatic amino acid-induced CaR activation does not stimulate phospholipase C but engages an unidentified signaling mechanism that promotes transient oscillations in [Ca2+]i. We show here that the [Ca2+]i oscillations stimulated by aromatic amino acids were selectively abolished by TRPC1 down-regulation using either a pool of small inhibitory RNAs (siRNAs) or two different individual siRNAs that targeted different coding regions of TRPC1. Furthermore, [Ca2+]i oscillations stimulated by aromatic amino acids were also abolished by inhibition of TRPC1 function with an antibody that binds the pore region of the channel. We also show that aromatic amino acid-stimulated [Ca2+]i oscillations can be prevented by protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitors or siRNA-mediated PKCα down-regulation and impaired by either calmodulin antagonists or by the expression of a dominant-negative calmodulin mutant. We propose a model for the generation of CaR-mediated transient [Ca2+]i oscillations that integrates its stimulation by aromatic amino acids with TRPC1 regulation by PKC and calmodulin.
Gas exchange properties of strawberry species and their hybrids

Clones of Fragaria chiloensis had significantly higher rates of net CO2 assimilation (A), leaf conductance to water vapor (g1), residual conductance to CO2 (gr) and water use efficiency (WUE) than F. × ananassa. There was a significant correlation (P < 0.05) between A and percentage of recently derived F. chiloensis genes among several breeding populations.
Beyond effective teaching

For more than the last 50 years, the method of conducting research on teaching involved an attempt to systematize it into discrete categories such as teacher styles, behaviors, characteristics, competencies, methods, and so forth, and to measure it with teacher observations, rating scales, questionnaires, checklists, and/or personality inventories. About 20 years ago the method was slightly modified: the categories were converted into processes, and correlated with student performance or outcomes on standardized tests, and referred to as products (Ornstein, 1990, 1991). Thus evolved the notion of "process-product" research. Although teaching was described as a complex act, influenced by subtle human conditions and swift teacher-student interactions, it was assumed that the skilled researcher could capture and analyze the teaching act, and deal with numerous variables and variations through selected sampling, large numbers of subjects, tests of statistical significance, and the power of data replication. What emerged was a professional literature that had meaning to those who had been enculturated into the community of researchers with their own discourse and methods of translating and evaluating the information. Practitioners were basically shut out of the discussion, since they lacked the specialized research skills and esotreic knowledge needed to participate in the discussion. The results of the studies, and the discussions that followed, often focused on isolated teacher behaviors, methods, and so forth, sometimes written in the form of recommendations or rules for teachers to follow, with little regard to what the behaviors or methods meant in relation to the realities of the classroom or to what had transpired in the classroom prior to the observation(s) of the teacher's behaviors (processes) or to the
The association between neighborhood residential rehabilitation and injection drug use in Baltimore, Maryland, 2000–2011

This study utilized multilevel cross-classified models to longitudinally assess the association between neighborhood residential rehabilitation and injection drug use. We also assessed whether relocating between neighborhoods of varying levels of residential rehabilitation was associated with injection drug use. Residential rehabilitation was categorized into three groups (e.g. low, moderate, high), and lagged one visit to ensure temporality. After adjusting for neighborhood and individual-level factors, residence in a neighborhood with moderate residential rehabilitation was associated with a 23% reduction in injection drug use [AOR=0.77; 95% CI (0.67,0.87)]; residence in a neighborhood with high residential rehabilitation was associated with a 26% reduction in injection drug use [AOR=0.74; 95% CI (0.61,0.91)]. Continuous residence within neighborhoods with moderate/high rehabilitation, and relocating to neighborhoods with moderate/high rehabilitation, were associated with a lower likelihood of injection drug use. Additional studies are needed to understand the mechanisms behind these relationships.