cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ADAM8 substrate specificity: Influence of pH on pre-processing and proteoglycan degradation

A disintegrin and metalloprotease-8 (ADAM8) is thought to play a role in cancer and inflammatory diseases such as allergy, arthritis, and asthma. Despite the implication of ADAM8 in these diseases, the functional role of ADAM8 catalytic activity remains unclear. In this report, we demonstrate that an early critical autolytic event, we have termed pre-processing, is accelerated at acidic pH (pH 5.5) while autolytic activation is abrogated under the same conditions. Likewise, we found that pre-processing is hindered and autolytic activation is facilitated in neutral pH conditions, and thus demonstrates a pH-dependent shift in substrate selectivity. This finding is further supported by two peptide substrates corresponding to the pre-processing and C-terminal scissile bonds that were preferentially cleaved at acidic and neutral pH, respectively. Lastly, we found fibronectin cleavage to be attenuated at pH 5.5, while two novel substrates, brevican, and vitronectin, were readily cleaved in neutral or acidic conditions.
Mechanism and Site Requirements for Activation and Chemical Conversion of Methane on Supported Pt Clusters and Turnover Rate Comparisons among Noble Metals

Isotopic tracer and kinetic studies are used to probe the identity and reversibility of elementary steps required for H2O and CO2 reforming of CH4 on supported Pt clusters and to demonstrate a rigorous kinetic and mechanistic equivalence for CO2 and H2O reforming, CH4 decomposition, and water-gas shift reactions. Reforming rates are exclusively limited by C−H bond activation on essentially uncovered Pt crystallite surfaces and unaffected by the concentration or reactivity of co-reactants (H2O, CO2). Kinetic isotopic effects are consistent with the sole kinetic relevance of C−H bond activation (kH/kD = 1.58−1.77 at 873 K); these isotope effects and measured activation energies are similar for H2O reforming, CO2 reforming, and CH4 decomposition reactions. CH4/CD4 cross exchange rates are much smaller than the rate of methane chemical conversion in CO2 and H2O reforming reactions; thus, C−H bond activation steps are irreversible, except as required by the approach to equilibrium for the overall reforming rea...
Blow-up of solutions of nonlinear heat equations

On considere des solutions de u t −u xx =f(u) pour −a 0, u(±a,t)=0 pour t>0, u(x,0)=φ(x) pour −a<x<a ou f(u) est une fonction superlineaire continument differentiable
chools, Technology, and ducational Leadership: Framework for Change

Computers and related information technologies are forging funda mental changes in the way we communicate on personal, national, and globat levels, yet the U.S. education system seems to be making little progress toward incorporating technology into school classrooms.
A spectroscopic and conductivity comparison study of linear poly(N-methylethylenimine) with lithium triflate and sodium triflate

Abstract Linear poly(ethylenimine) (LPEI) is an NH-containing analog of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO). Various groups (e.g. CH3) can be attached to the nitrogen atoms in order to decrease the crystallinity and eliminate hydrogen bonding of the host polymer. This paper focuses on linear poly(N-methylethylenimine), LPMEI, with dissolved lithium triflate (LiTf) and sodium triflate (NaTf). These electrolytes were investigated using infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and impedance measurements of the conductivity. A spectroscopic comparison of LPMEI containing LiTf and NaTf over a composition range of 5:1 to 20:1 (nitrogen:cation) shows that contact ion pairs are the predominant species in both systems except for the 5:1 NaTf sample, where the “free” triflate ions are the predominant species. Furthermore, there is an increase in the degree of ionic association with increasing salt concentration in the LiTf systems. The effect of salt concentration on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymer host was examined using DSC. In LPMEI, Tg occurs at −91 °C and increases to 3 °C at a 5:1 (N:Li) composition. Conductivity measurements of the LPMEI:LiTf system over a composition range of 5:1 to 20:1 are compared with the LPEI:LiTf systems for temperatures between 25 and 60 °C. In addition, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) show a significant presence of crystalline domains in the LPMEI:NaTf samples.
Ideological crests versus empirical troughs: John Herschel's and William Radcliffe Birt's research on atmospheric waves, 1843–50

The year was 1843, and the theme of English meteorology was measurement. Sir ‘Thunder-and-lightning’ William Snow Harris was given his last British Association for the Advancement of Science grant to complete the Plymouth series of over 120,000 thermometric observations, publication of which proved a costly venture, not least because the series implied no meteorological theory whatsoever.In July of that year, however, John Herschel wrote to William Radcliffe Birt that the atmosphere might be considered ‘a vehicle for wave like movement which may embrace in their single swell & fall a whole quadrant of a globe’. The idea of ‘atmospheric wave’, thought Herschel, might well make sense of the odd series of London barometric readings made in September 1836, but, more significantly, it might also lead towards solving the notorious ‘storm controversy’ of the 1830s between the American meteorologists William Redfield and James Pollard Espy. If Birt would accept, Herschel would propose him to the British Association as the director of the new project to discover laws of weather behaviour.
Improvements in the accuracy and statistical variance of the Monte Carlo simulation of light distribution in tissue

Monte Carlo simulations provide accurate descriptions of light distribution in complex geometry, multiple layer tissues at the expense of long computation times. In addition, the accuracy of the light distribution quantity calculated is influenced by the resolution of the simulation if spatial convolution is used. A method of increasing the accuracy of the calculated fluence rate without increasing computation time is to consider the Beer-Lambert law source attenuation in the tissue analytically, separate from the Monte Carlo numeric calculation of the remaining multiple scattering process. A method of reducing the time of computation needed for a desired maximum statistical variance is to use a non-linear grid that provides high resolution in areas of interest and lower resolution far away from the source and boundaries. The theory of the source attenuation function is discussed. Results demonstrating the validity of the analytic function and the use of non-linear grids are provided and compared to standard Monte Carlo techniques.
Can There Be Validity Without Reliability

Reliability has traditionally been taken for granted as a necessary but insufficient condition for validity in assessment use. My purpose in this article is to illuminate and challenge this presumption by exploring a dialectic between psychometric and hermeneutic approaches to drawing and warranting interpretations of human products or performances. Reliability, as it is typically defined and operationalized in the measurement literature (e.g., American Educational Research Association [AERA], American Psychological Association, & National Council on Measurement in Education, 1985; Feldt & Brennan, 1989), privileges standardized forms of assessment. By considering hermeneutic alternatives for serving the important epistemological and ethical purposes that reliability serves, we expand the range of viable high-stakes assessment practices to include those that honor the purposes that students bring to their work and the contextualized judgments of teachers.
Fast approximate Fourier transform via wavelets transform

We propose an algorithm that uses the discrete wavelet transform as a tool to compute the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). The Cooley-Tukey FFT is shown to be a special case of the proposed algorithm when the wavelets in use are trivial. If no intermediate coefficients are dropped and no approximations are made, the proposed algorithm computes the exact results, and its computational complexity is on the same order of the FFT. The main advantage of the proposed algorithm is that the good time and frequency localization of wavelets can be exploited to approximate the Fourier transform for many classes of signals resulting in much less computation. Thus the new algorithm provides an efficient complexity vs accuracy tradeoff. When approximations are allowed, under certain sparsity conditions, the algorithm can achieve linear complexity. It has been shown that the thresholding of the wavelet coefficients has near optimal noise reduction property for many classes of signals. We show that for the same reason, the proposed algorithm also reduces the noise while doing the approximation. If we need to compute the DFT of noisy signals, the proposed algorithm not only can reduce the numerical complexity, but also can produce cleaner results. In summary, we propose a novel fast approximate Fourier transform algorithm using the wavelet transform. Since wavelets are the conditional basis of many classes of signals, the algorithm is very efficient and has built-in de-noising capacity.
Formal semantics of the unified modeling language L U

Abstract A formal semantics is an essential element of language design because it supports comparison of language designs, provides implementation guidelines, and enables properties about a language to be proved. However, in the field of model management, there has been a lack of attention to the formal semantics of modeling languages. In this paper, the philosophy and formal semantics of the Unified Modeling Language ( L U ) are presented. The L U supports integrated modeling environments with a large number of models from diverse domains and management science paradigms. We discuss the philosophy of the L U in which logical deduction about empirical worlds is combined with efficient computations about mathematical worlds. We argue that measurement theory stressing homomorphic mappings from empirical to mathematical worlds is an ideal foundation for integrated modeling environments. A denotational semantics is given for the L U including the semantic domain, meta functions, and semantic equations. The L U is unique because measurement theory plays a salient role in its underlying denotational semantics. In particular, the semantic domain of the L U includes explicit homomorphic mappings from empirical to mathematical worlds and semantic equations define conditions, based on homomorphisms, that must be satisfied by valid models.
Shifting Paradigms and the Politics of AIDS in Zambia

This article explores how international discourses on AIDS prevention have been incorporated into national-level programs that promote particular lifestyle and livelihood strategies in Zambia, particularly within the realms of wife inheritance, widowhood, and marriage. In response, Zambian communities have recast these narratives to inform local political economies, identities, and struggles for power. Often community and national-level efforts work at odds with each other, as each seeks to legitimize various moralities and codes of behavior. At the local level actors choose the strategies that most effectively mitigate the impact of HIV/AIDS and also enhance their overall well-being.
TU-E-144-02: Dependence of Ultrasound Echo Decorrelation On Tissue Temperature During Radiofrequency Ablation of Ex Vivo Bovine Liver

Purpose: Echo decorrelation imaging is a ultrasound imaging method that has been shown effective for mapping of thermal ablation effects on liver and tumor tissue, both ex vivo and in vivo. Quantification of tissue temperature during thermal ablation treatments would benefit treatment guidance and control. Here, the effect of tissue temperature on the mapped echo decorrelation parameter is assessed for ex vivo radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Methods: RFA treatments were performed on freshly acquired ex vivo bovine liver using a needle antenna with 500 kHz excitation for treatment voltages 30–40 V rms and durations 10–15 min. Throughout each treatment, beamformed ultrasound echo signals were recorded by a 7 MHz linear array and temperature was recorded by two thermocouples within the ultrasound image plane. Temperature maps were simulated by a finite element method, with tissue parameters determined using an unscented Kalman filter to best match measured ablation results. Echo decorrelation images were constructed from recorded echo data and correlated spatially with corresponding simulated temperature maps. Prediction of tissue temperatures over 60 °C, corresponding to local thermal ablation, was tested using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: Strong correspondence was observed between time‐dependent echo decorrelation maps and corresponding temperature maps. Temperatures above 60 °C consistently corresponded to locally elevated echo decorrelation. Correlation coefficients between local temperature and echo decorrelation were weak but statistically significant. ROC curve analysis showed successful prediction of ablative tissue temperatures. Conclusion: Observed correspondence between local tissue temperature and echo decorrelation indicates that elevated tissue temperatures consistently cause elevated echo decorrelation. Although weak overall correlation between local echo decorrelation and tissue temperature suggests that temperature is not accurately predicted by echo decorrelation, ROC curve analysis indicates successful prediction of tissue ablation, suggesting the utility of echo decorrelation imaging as a tool for real‐time guidance and control of thermal ablation. This research was supported by NIH grants R01 CA158439 and R21 EB008483.
The functions of silence: A plea for communication research

(1974). The functions of silence: A plea for communication research. Western Speech: Vol. 38, No. 1, pp. 25-35.
Discovery and characterization of a novel lachrymatory factor synthase in Petiveria alliacea and its influence on alliinase-mediated formation of biologically active organosulfur compounds.

A novel lachrymatory factor synthase (LFS) was isolated and purified from the roots of the Amazonian medicinal plant Petiveria alliacea. The enzyme is a heterotetrameric glycoprotein comprised of two α-subunits (68.8 kD each), one γ-subunit (22.5 kD), and one δ-subunit (11.9 kD). The two α-subunits are glycosylated and connected by a disulfide bridge. The LFS has an isoelectric point of 5.2. It catalyzes the formation of a sulfine lachrymator, (Z)-phenylmethanethial S-oxide, only in the presence of P. alliacea alliinase and its natural substrate, S-benzyl-l-cysteine sulfoxide (petiveriin). Depending on its concentration relative to that of P. alliacea alliinase, the LFS sequesters, to varying degrees, the sulfenic acid intermediate formed by alliinase-mediated breakdown of petiveriin. At LFS:alliinase of 5:1, LFS sequesters all of the sulfenic acid formed by alliinase action on petiveriin, and converts it entirely to (Z)-phenylmethanethial S-oxide. However, starting at LFS:alliinase of 5:2, the LFS is unable to sequester all of the sulfenic acid produced by the alliinase, with the result that sulfenic acid that escapes the action of the LFS condenses with loss of water to form S-benzyl phenylmethanethiosulfinate (petivericin). The results show that the LFS and alliinase function in tandem, with the alliinase furnishing the sulfenic acid substrate on which the LFS acts. The results also show that the LFS modulates the formation of biologically active thiosulfinates that are downstream of the alliinase in a manner dependent upon the relative concentrations of the LFS and the alliinase. These observations suggest that manipulation of LFS-to-alliinase ratios in plants displaying this system may provide a means by which to rationally modify organosulfur small molecule profiles to obtain desired flavor and/or odor signatures, or increase the presence of desirable biologically active small molecules.
Eicosanoic fatty acid reduction in the tibiotarsus of biotin-deficient chicks.

Day-old male broiler chicks (Hubbard x Hubbard) were fed a purified diet containing biotin at 0 μg/kg of diet (biotin-deficient) or 500 μg/kg of diet (biotin-adequate). Biotin-deficient (BD) chicks had decreased growth and feed efficiency and greater twisted leg and dermatitis symptoms than biotin-adequate (BA) chicks. Lipids in cortical bone of the tibiotarsi in BD chicks contained higher levels of linoleate, γ-linolenate, and α-linolenate. Prostaglandin precursors, dihomo-γ-linolenate (20∶3ω6), arachidonate (20∶4ω6), and eicosapentaenoate (20∶5ω3) were all lower in BD chicks compared with BA chicks. Periosteal bone appositional and bone formation rates, and percent new bone formation were reduced in the tibiotarsi of BD chicks. Anatomically there were two different bone modeling patters at the mid-diaphysis. The cortex was thickest laterally in chicks fed the BA diet and thickest medially in chicks fed the BD diet. The quantitative differences in bone growth and the distinct bone modeling patterns, coupled with corresponding decreases in PG precursors, suggest that biotin deficiency may alter bone growth and modeling via a PG-dependent mechanism.
Assuring quality of care: nursing home resident councils.

Increasing concern over the quality of care in nursing homes has prompted the National Institute of Medicine to recommend that residents have regular input into nursing home administration, primarily through the development of resident councils. Yet little is known of the effectiveness of resident councils. The literature is divided in its assessment of the potential of the institution alized to represent themselves. Rather than suggesting either that resident councils are impotent or that they are a cure-all, these data, which examine the activities and effectiveness of existing resident councils, suggest that resident councils are successful in accomplishing some but not all of their objectives, that their success is maximized when professional organizers are available to help residents overcome the many barriers they face, and that there are many institutional factors that resident councils are seldom in any position to control.
MIST, The Mathematical Image Synthesis Toolkit

MIST, the Mathematical Image Synthesis Toolkit, is an open-source, Web-based graphics application in which students develop skills in computational thinking and deepen their understanding of mathematical functions through creative play in making images. Using a drag-and-drop interface, students build functions that describe animated abstract images. These functions combine a few basic images (e.g., a horizontal blend, a vertical blend, and a time-based blend) using mathematical operators whose semantics are based on corresponding points in each image (e.g., MIST includes models for adding and multiplying colors). Students develop a variety of skills in computational thinking by using the small set of images and operations to develop complex images, not only images that the system challenges them to make but also images that they find themselves inspired to create and even images that their peers challenge them to build. MIST also incorporates a community of artists/learners. Images created in MIST are available to other MIST users to comment on and remix (provided the designer permits reuse). MIST community members may also create challenges for other community members and can curate "galleries" of images they find particularly engaging, interesting, or even useful as challenges for others. Users can also share their images via Facebook or "tweet" their recent creations. We find that this additional community further encourages students to develop new and interesting images.
Stability of discrete solitons in the presence of parametric driving

In this Brief Report, we consider parametrically driven bright solitons in the vicinity of the anticontinuum limit. We illustrate the mechanism through which these solitons become unstable due to the collision of the phase mode with the continuous spectrum, or eigenvalues bifurcating thereof. We show how this mechanism typically leads to complete destruction of the bright solitary wave.
High level expression of full-length estrogen receptor in Escherichia coli is facilitated by the uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, CCCP

The expression of high levels of full-length human estrogen receptor alpha (hERalpha) in Escherichia coli has proven difficult. We found that expression of the ER DNA binding domain is highly toxic to E. coli, resulting in rapid loss of the expression plasmid. Using a tightly regulated arabinose expression system and the antibiotic Timentin, we were able to overcome ER toxicity and express substantial levels of ER. The expressed ER exhibited protease cleavage at a single site near the N-terminus of the hinge region. Of the many measures we tested to eliminate ER cleavage, only addition of carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenyl-hydrazone (CCCP), an uncoupler of oxidative phosphorylation, completely blocked intracellular proteolysis of the ER. Using CCCP and our expression methods, full-length FLAG epitope-tagged hERalpha (fER) was expressed in E. coli at approximately 1 mg/l. The fER was purified to homogeneity in a single step by immunoaffinity chromatography with anti-FLAG monoclonal antibody. Purified full-length bacterial fER binds 17beta-estradiol with the same affinity as hER expressed in human cells (K(D) approximately 0.5 nM). At high concentrations of fER (20 nM), a bell-shaped estrogen binding curve with a Hill coefficient of 1.7 was seen. Bacterially-expressed fER exhibits a reduced affinity for the estrogen response element (ERE). Anti-FLAG antibody restores high affinity binding of the fER to the ERE, suggesting that impaired dimerization may be responsible for the reduced affinity of bacterially-expressed fER for the ERE. The use of Timentin and CCCP may provide a general method for high level bacterial expression of steroid/nuclear receptors and other proteins important in hormone action.
Phase II trial of triple tyrosine kinase receptor inhibitor nintedanib in recurrent high-grade gliomas

Bevacizumab is FDA-approved for patients with recurrent GBM. However, the median duration of response is only 4 months. Potential mechanisms of resistance include upregulated FGF signaling and increased PDGF-mediated pericyte coverage. Nintedanib is an oral, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitor of PDGFR α/β, FGFR 1-3, and VEGFR 1-3 that may overcome resistance to anti-VEGF therapy. This was a two-stage phase II trial in adults with first or second recurrence of GBM, stratified by prior bevacizumab therapy (ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01380782; 1199.94). The primary endpoint was PFS6 in the bevacizumab-naive arm (Arm A) and PFS3 in the post-bevacizumab arm (Arm B). Up to 10 anaplastic glioma (AG) patients were accrued to each arm in exploratory cohorts. Twenty-two patients enrolled in Arm A and 14 in Arm B. Arm A included 12 GBMs (55 %), 13 patients with one prior regimen (59 %), and median age 54 years (range 28-75). Arm B included 10 GBMs (71 %), one patient with one prior regimen (7 %), and median age 52 years (range 32-70). Median KPS overall was 90 (range 60-100). There were no responses. In Arm A (GBM only), PFS6 was 0 %, median PFS 28 days (95 % CI 27-83), and median OS 6.9 months (3.7-8.1). In Arm B (GBM only), PFS3 was 0 %, median PFS 28 days (22-28), and median OS 2.6 months (1.0-6.9). Among AG patients in each arm, PFS6 was 0 %. Treatment was well tolerated. In conclusion, nintedanib is not active against recurrent high-grade glioma, regardless of prior bevacizumab therapy.
Association of CHRN genes with “dizziness” to tobacco

The neuronal nicotinic receptor genes (CHRN) have been implicated in a variety of smoking-related behaviors. Here we tested for association between an early subjective response phenotype, "dizziness," and 226 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CHRN genes. The sample included 789 nicotine-dependent cases and 811 controls, where early "dizziness" reports were significantly associated with case/control status (P < 0.0001). Multiple SNPs in the putative promoter region of the CHRNB3 gene were nominally associated with "dizziness" experience from the first few cigarettes (P < 0.01). Cell culture studies were conducted to examine the ability of different haplotypes in the CHRNB3 promoter to drive luciferase expression. Data from these experiments support the hypothesis that different alleles in the CHRNB3 upstream promoter region may lead to different levels of RNA expression. In addition, a novel finding of association between SNPs in the CHRNA10 gene reached experiment-wide empirical significance (P = 0.048), which implicates another CHRN gene as being involved in early subjective response to tobacco.
The thermomigration of spherical bubbles through a transparent polycrystalline solid

Abstract The velocity of spherical gas bubbles migrating in a thermal gradient through polycrystalline camphor was studied as a function of bubble size and temperature. Above a 10 μ diameter, the bubble velocity was independent of size and had the same temperature dependence as the vapor pressure of camphor. Below this size, the bubble velocity apparently decreased with decreasing bubble diameter. Migrating bubbles were observed to drag grain boundaries when the bubble concentration on the grain boundary was large. When the concentration on a boundary was very high, coalescence of these bubbles occurred and mobile lenticular voids similar to those observed in nuclear reactor fuel elements were generated.
Enhanced chiral separation of dansylated amino acids with cyclodextrin-dextran polymer network by capillary electrophoresis

A method for the chiral separation of dansyl-DL-amino acid mixtures using a dextran (M(r) 2,000,000) polymer network containing beta-cyclodextrin (beta-CD) in HPCE was developed. Mixtures of up to seven amino acids could be baseline resolved by this method under neutral pH conditions. Resolution was dependent on the dextran concentration in the polymer network. Temperature effects on the chiral separation were studied. Optimal efficiency and resolution of DL-enantiomeric pairs of amino acid samples were obtained at 25 degrees C. The resolution of different amino acids used in this work decreased with an increase in temperature.
Chemical pattern formation with equal diffusion coefficients

Abstract We show that time-independent spatial patterns can form in a reaction-diffusion system even when the different chemical species have equal diffusion coefficients. The patterns organize in response to finite amplitude perturbations and are connected to the branch of uniform steady states by a branch of unstable steady states.
Three-dimensional visualization of the liver from computed-tomography data

A method for 3D surface mapping from computer tomography (CT) images of the abdomen is described. The liver can be visualized in 3D from any perspective and can be shown either alone or through the translucent abdominal wall. Artificial-intelligence techniques are used to identify salient anatomic features from which the lobar and segmental anatomy can be determined. These methods are applied to abdominal CTs of potential donors of segmental liver transplants, in which preoperative volumetry and visualization of the left lateral segment are of significant value. >
peerTalk: A Peer-to-Peer Multiparty Voice-over-IP System

Multiparty voice-over-IP (MVolP) services allow a group of people to freely communicate with each other via the Internet, which have many important applications such as online gaming and teleconferencing. In this paper, we present a peer-to-peer MVolP system called peerTalk. Compared to traditional approaches such as server-based mixing, peerTalk achieves better scalability and failure resilience by dynamically distributing the stream processing workload among different peers. Particularly, peerTalk decouples the MVolP service delivery into two phases: mixing phase and distribution phase. The decoupled model allows us to explore the asymmetric property of MVolP services (for example, distinct speaking/listening activities and unequal inbound/outbound bandwidths) so that the system can better adapt to distinct stream mixing and distribution requirements. To overcome arbitrary peer departures/ failures, peerTalk provides lightweight backup schemes to achieve fast failure recovery. We have implemented a prototype of the peerTalk system and evaluated its performance using both a large-scale simulation testbed and a real Internet environment. Our initial implementation demonstrates the feasibility of our approach and shows promising results: peerTalk can outperform existing approaches such as P2P overlay multicast and coupled distributed processing for providing MVolP services.
Origins of Metropolitan Transportation Planning and the Urban Stakes of Interstate Highway Funding, 1956-1962

Speaking before Congress in April 1962, President John F. Kennedy called for an overhaul of federal transportation programming. Heeding his call, Congress passed the 1962 Federal-Aid Highway Act later that year, the first legislation to make federal highway aid contingent on metropolitan transportation planning. This article traces the roots of the 1962 planning mandate through the development of research and techniques in the emerging field of transportation planning to craft a history of methods in travel demand forecasting or what the 1962 act referred to as the three C's of metropolitan transportation planning: a mandate for continuing, comprehensive, and coordinated planning efforts. Tracing this history sheds new light on the urban stakes of Interstate highway legislation in the 1950s and 1960s, as well as the role of cities in advocating for Interstate highway funding. The National Committee on Urban Transportation was an important catalyst of both methods in transportation planning and highway leg...
ViewSer: a tool for large-scale remote studies of web search result examination

Web search behavior studies, including eye-tracking studies of search result examination, have resulted in numerous insights to improve search result quality and presentation. Yet, these studies have been severely restricted in scale, due to the expense and effort required. We propose a novel methodology for crowdsourcing web search behavior studies - specifically focusing on performing large-scale studies of result examination behavior. We present a viewport-based examination interface (ViewSer), which enables remotely tracking searcher examination behavior, without requiring eye tracking equipment. We show that ViewSer induces similar viewing and clickthrough behavior, compared to in-lab users monitored with eye tracking, in a study with over 100 remote participants. ViewSer is a first step towards large-scale behavioral evaluation of web search, which would help improve web search result presentation, result ranking, and ultimately improve the web search experience overall.
Synthesis and Characterization of Novel Trans-Mixed Diamine Platinum(II) and Platinum(IV) Complexes

A series of novel trans-mixed diamine platinum(II) and platinum(IV) complexes of type trans-[PtII(R-NH2)(R'-NH2)Cl2] and trans -[PtIV(R-NH2)(R'-NH2)Cl4] (where R-NH2 = ethylamine or butylamine and R'-NH2 = methylamine, propylamine, isopropylamine, pentylamine, or hexylamine) was synthesized and characterized using elemental analysis and infrared and 195Pt nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopic techniques.
Impact of familial and hereditary prostate cancer on cancer specific survival after radical retropubic prostatectomy.

Purpose: Men with a family history of prostate cancer are at higher risk for prostate cancer. There are conflicting data regarding the impact of hereditary forms of prostate cancer on long-term outcomes after radical prostatectomy. We examined the impact of familial and hereditary prostate cancer treatment in the prostate specific antigen era.Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent radical prostatectomy for prostate cancer from 1987 to 1997 were surveyed (3,560 responders) to determine the family history of prostate cancer. Patients were categorized as having familial prostate cancer if they had at least 1 first-degree relative with prostate cancer. Hereditary prostate cancer was defined as nuclear families with 3 cases of prostate cancer, families with prostate cancer in each of 3 generations and families with 2 men diagnosed before age 55 years. Sporadic prostate cancer was defined as patients with no family history. Clinical and pathological features, and long-term outcome measures, including bio...
Design and Operating Characteristics of the Developmental H- Ion Source for 30-HZ Injection into the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Booster

A tandem-acceleration extended stationary arc duoplasmatron used for 1-Hz injection into the ANL booster is undergoing further development for 30-Hz operation. A 200-?s, 50-MeV H- beam of at least 4 mA at 30 Hz will be required by the booster in its final development phase. To meet this requirement and to offset losses occurring in the linac and in the 750-keV and 50-MeV beam lines, the source must provide about 10 mA of H-ions. The present source produces negative ion currents of this order but the H-component is typically only 50% of the total beam; the remainder of the beam consists of ions with mass numbers in the neighborhood of 17. Source design will be discussed and data will be presented for typical operating conditions on the test bench and in the 75-keV terminal of the preaccelerator. Physical and chemical properties of materials which affect their suitability for use in pulsed ion sources as load-bearing structural materials, as functional components, and as vacuum walls will also be discussed.
Resident and Fellow Section

A 37-year-old male Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom veteran was evaluated for mild traumatic brain injury. He reported several mild head traumas secondary to bomb exposures. He also reported 2 episodes of more significant head trauma. One episode occurred while landing from a parachute and resulted in an injury to the head with a brief loss of consciousness. During another episode in 2003, he was exposed to a blast from a rocket propelled grenade. The grenade explosion resulted in a displacement of approximately 3 feet with a head injury and a loss of consciousness. Initially, he experienced decreased hearing, facial pain, and severe headache. Following this, his headache was constant for several weeks followed by headaches occurring 4-5 times a week. He wore dark sunglasses to avoid sunlight, which triggered headaches. He attributed the headaches to dehydration. He denied a previous history of headache. The headaches generally started in the occiput as a stabbing pain which then radiated to the temporal region bilaterally. The headache had a pressure and throbbing character. They were associated with photophobia, phonophobia, occasional nausea, and rare vomiting. The headaches were preceded by blurry vision, occasional vertigo, and lightheadedness. He also reported occasional lacrimation of the left eye and nasal congestion. There were no visual auras. The headaches were sometimes accompanied by paresthesias in the right arm and leg. This year, the headaches have been occurring 2-3 times a week. They are frequently triggered by stress and generally last up to 3 hours. He reports some disability from his headaches. He treats them with hydrocodone or ibuprofen. Past medical history was significant for hypertension, lower back pain, multiple joint injuries, asthma, rhinosinusitis, posttraumatic stress disorder, and probable bipolar mood disorder. He currently takes fluoxetine, quetiapine, hydroxyzine, divalproex sodium, montelukast, loratadine, levalbuterol, ibuprofen, hydrocodone/acetaminophen, and prazosin. He refused prophylactic medications for headache because of the fear of drug toxicities and harmful drug interactions. There is no significant past family history. Review of symptoms was significant for decreased sleep, multiple joint injuries, chronic low back pain, depression, anxiety, and nightmares. Neurological symptoms included chronic tinnitus and shortand long-term memory lapses. Frequently, memory lapses were associated with traumatic flashbacks. He denied other neurological symptoms such as visual changes, weakness, gait or speech difficulties. Social history was significant for occasional cocaine and alcohol abuse. He is on worker’s compensation because of a shoulder injury. Neurological examination was normal. MRI brain was significant for minimal white matter changes in the right frontal and superior frontal gyrus.
An approximate formula for MFSK symbol error probability in fast Rayleigh fading

The author presents an approximate formula for MFSK (M-ary frequency shift-keying) symbol error probability in nonfrequency selective fast Rayleigh fading. Here, fast fading refers to channel decorrelation times on the order of a symbol duration. At the receiver, fast fading produces attenuation in the output of the filter matched to the transmitted signal and 'crosstalk' in the other filter outputs. These effects are studied quantitatively and lead to approximations which enable a simple formula for symbol error probability to be derived. The accuracy of this formula is determined by computer simulation. >
RNA localization in bacteria

Bacteria localize proteins and DNA regions to specific subcellular sites, and several recent publications show that RNAs are localized within the cell as well. Localization of tmRNA and some mRNAs indicates that RNAs can be sequestered at specific sites by RNA binding proteins, or can be trapped at the location where they are transcribed. Although the functions of RNA localization are not yet completely understood, it appears that one function of RNA localization is to regulate RNA abundance by controlling access to nucleases. New techniques for visualizing RNAs will likely lead to increased examination of spatial control of RNAs and the role this control plays in the regulation of gene expression and bacterial physiology.
Luminosity thresholds: effects of test chromaticity and ambient illumination

Color constancy is often modeled on the assumption that color appearance in natural scenes is a function of the visual system’s estimates of surface reflectance. Some stimuli, however, do not look like illuminated surfaces. Instead, they appear to be self-luminous. We hypothesized that the appearance of luminosity occurs when the visual system estimates a reflectance spectrum that is outside the gamut of physically realizable surfaces. To test this idea, we measured luminosity thresholds as a function of stimulus chromaticity and illuminant spectral power distribution. Observers adjusted the luminance of a test patch until it just appeared self-luminous. The test patch was spot illuminated by a computer-controlled projection colorimeter viewed in an experimental room lit diffusely by computer-controlled theater lamps. Luminosity thresholds were determined for a number of test patch chromaticities under five experimental illuminants. The luminosity thresholds define a surface in color space. The shape of this surface depends on the illuminant. We were able to describe much of the luminosity threshold variation with a simple model whose parameters define an equivalent illuminant. In the context of our model, the equivalent illuminant may be interpreted as the illuminant perceived by the observer. As part of our model calculations we generalized the classic notion of optimal stimuli by incorporating linear-model constraints. Given the equivalent illuminant, the model predicts that a patch will appear self-luminous when it is not consistent with any physically realizable surface seen under that illuminant. In addition, we show that much of the variation of the equivalent illuminant with the physical illuminant can be modeled with a simple linearity principle. The fact that our model provides a good account of our data extends the physics-based approach to judgments of self-luminosity. This in turn might be taken as support for the notion that the visual system has internalized the physics of reflectance.
Help Wanted: Studies of Firearms Injuries Affecting Children

* Abbreviations: CDC — : Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention The continued high incidence of firearms deaths in the United States is a national disgrace. Despite declining rates over the past decade, firearm injuries remain the second leading cause of death for young Americans, trailing only motor vehicle crashes.1 The toll of gun violence extends well beyond those killed or injured. Children growing up in communities with high rates of gun violence grow up without a favorite uncle, classmate, close friend, or relative. These effects are real, as described in the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, which demonstrated the long-term consequences of witnessing violence on physical and mental health.2 The article, by Carter et al in this issue,3 describes patterns of firearm ownership among adolescents and young adults who presented to the emergency department for assault-related injuries. Nearly 1 in 4 of these patients had a firearm; few of them were obtained legally. Many of the patients in the Carter study obtained their guns from friends and family. In … Address correspondence to Robert D. Sege, MD, PhD, Division of Family and Child Advocacy, Boston Medical Center, 850 Harrison Ave, Dowling 3 South, Boston, MA 02118. E-mail: Robert.sege{at}bmc.org
Evaluation of a compound probability model with tower-mounted scatterometer data

Six months of data from the YSCAT94 experiment conducted at the CCIW WAVES research platform on Lake Ontario, Canada, are analyzed to evaluate a compound probability model. YSCAT was an ultrawideband small footprint (/spl ap/1 m) microwave scatterometer that operated at frequencies of 2-18 GHz, incidence angles from 0/spl deg/ to 60/spl deg/, both h-pol and v-pol, and which tracked the wind using simultaneous weather measurements. The probability distribution function of the measured instantaneous backscattered amplitude (p(a)) is compared to theoretical distributions developed from-the composite model and a simple wave spectrum. Model parameters of the resulting Rayleigh/generalized lognormal distribution probability density function (pdf) (C, a/sub 1/, and a/sub 2/) are derived directly from the data and are found to demonstrate relationships with wind speed, incidence angle, and radar frequency.
An immunologist's perspective on nutrition, immunity, and infectious diseases: Introduction and overview

SUMMARY The immune system is a multifaceted arrangement of membranes (skin, epithelial, and mucus), cells, and molecules whose function is to eradicate invading pathogens or cancer cells from a host. Working together, the various components of the immune system perform a balancing act of being lethal enough to kill pathogens or cancer cells yet specific so as not to cause extensive damage to “self” tissues of the host. A functional immune system is a requirement of a healthy life in modern animal production. yet infectious diseases still represent a serious drain on the economics (reduced production, cost of therapeutics, and vaccines) and welfare of animal agriculture. The interaction involving nutrition and immunity and how the host deals with infectious agents is a strategic determinant in animal health. Almost all nutrients in the diet play a fundamental role in sustaining an optimal immune response, such that deficient and excessive intakes can have negative consequences on immune status and susceptibility to a variety of pathogens. Dietary components can regulate physiological functions of the body; interacting with the immune response is one of the most important functions of nutrients. The pertinent question to be asked and answered in the current era of poultry production is whether the level of nutrients that maximizes production in commercial diets is sufficient to maintain competence of immune status and disease resistance. This question, and how to answer it, is the basis of this overview. Clearly, a better understanding of the interactions between the immune signaling pathways and productivity signaling could provide the basis for the formulation of diets that optimize disease resistance. By understanding the mechanisms of nutritional effects on the immune system, we can study the specific interactions that occur between diet and infections. This mechanism-based framework allows for experiments to be interpreted based on immune function during an infection. Thus, these experiments would provide a “real world” assessment of nutritional modulation of immune protection separating immune changes that have little impact on resistance from those that are truly important. Therefore, a coordinated account of the temporal changes in metabolism and associated gene expression and production of downstream immune molecules during an immune response and how nutrition changes these responses should be the focus of future studies. These studies could be answered using new “-eomics” technologies to describe both the local immune environments and the host-pathogen interface.
The persistent use of negative affect by anxious individuals to estimate risk

Three experiments investigated how trait anxiety would influence individuals' assumptions about the relevance of their experiences of state anxiety for judgments of risk. Experiment 1 found that attributions of state anxiety to a judgment-irrelevant source reduced the risk estimates of low, but not of high, trait-anxious individuals. The results of Experiment 2 suggest that attribution manipulations reduce the influence of state affect on judgment only when the state affect is inconsistent with participants' trait affect. Experiment 3 revealed that these effects can be controlled by explicitly manipulating participants' assumptions about the relevance of their feelings. Regardless of the level of trait anxiety, attributions were effective at reducing mood effects when facts, but not feelings, were assumed to be the relevant basis for judgment. Overall, the results suggest that trait-consistent affect is more readily assumed to be informative and hence is more likely to be relied on than trait-inconsistent affect.
Radiocarbon Content of PM2.5 Ambient Aerosol in Tampa, FL

Radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements showed substantial levels of biogenic carbon, 52 to 89%, in PM2.5 samples collected near Tampa, Florida, during May 3–22, 2002. Nighttime biogenic percentages tended to be higher than daytime percentages. The average PM2.5 biogenic carbon concentration was 2.4 μ g m − 3 . The 14 C (and carbon mass concentration) results were highly reproducible, based on duplicate analyses of samples from collocated samplers. The work includes a first-time treatment of the potential for distortion of the 14C results by organic artifact during sampling, and a re-consideration of the impact on present-day 14 C results of the mid-twentieth century “bomb” effect. Neither was found to have a significant impact on the 14 C results. Concurrent organic and elemental carbon measurements were used to provide estimates of secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in the samples. The results of this study closely resemble those found in other summertime studies near Nashville, Tennesse (1999) and near Houston, ...