cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Speaking Islamic: self-actualisation and justice in Malaysia and India

ABSTRACTThis paper highlights the contingency and epistemological heterogeneity of bottom-up calls for Islamisation in Malaysia and India. Using Shahab Ahmad’s conceptualisation of Islam as a langu...
An efficient synthesis of LY544344·HCl: a prodrug of mGluR2 agonist LY354740

Abstract LY544344·HCl was efficiently prepared in two steps from LY354740. The key step highlighted the in situ masking of the carboxylic acid groups as trimethylsilyl esters to facilitate an effective acylation reaction.
Assessing Effectiveness of Various Wear-Resistant Materials Used as Hard Facings in Mining Applications

Characterizing the abrasiveness of soil/rock and the allowable wear of hard-facing products in various conditions is a critical factor in selection of the best material for certain applications related to drilling and excavation in mining and construction industries. The Soil Abrasion Index test machine at Colorado School of Mines (CSM) is one of the recently developed unique systems capable of testing soil/crushed rock abrasion under various conditions, such as dry, wet, and saturated settings. It is also capable of testing the performance of various types of hard-facing materials in a given geo-material. This paper studies the wear properties of different hard-facing materials in various crushed rocks from a surface mining operation in the iron range region of the USA. The hard-facing materials include regular and hardened steels and six different specialized hard facings, based on chromium carbide. The soil/rock include a standard sand and two rock samples from the surface mine. Fourteen abrasion tests were conducted, where the weight loss of each hard-facing material was measured over timespans up to 1 h of testing. The results show the distinct performance differences between the steels with 17 HRC and 43 HRC hardness and the hard-facing products for this application. The results show the possibility to evaluate the abrasiveness of different rocks at a mine or construction site and the performance of various hard facings in similar working conditions. This is a practical solution for selection of the cutting tool or reinforcement of bucket lips and truck beds for comparison of relative wear life between different wear-resistant materials.
Medical Student Video Use and Summative Exam Performance during the First-Year Pre-Clinical Coursework and Implications in Distance Education

ABSTRACTMedical student use of lecture video (live-streaming and/or recorded) at a regional medical school campus that utilized distance educational technology to deliver first-year pre-clinical le...
Optocardiography and Electrophysiology Studies of Ex Vivo Langendorff-perfused Hearts

Small animal models are most commonly used in cardiovascular research due to the availability of genetically modified species and lower cost compared to larger animals. Yet, larger mammals are better suited for translational research questions related to normal cardiac physiology, pathophysiology, and preclinical testing of therapeutic agents. To overcome the technical barriers associated with employing a larger animal model in cardiac research, we describe an approach to measure physiological parameters in an isolated, Langendorff-perfused piglet heart. This approach combines two powerful experimental tools to evaluate the state of the heart: electrophysiology (EP) study and simultaneous optical mapping of transmembrane voltage and intracellular calcium using parameter sensitive dyes (RH237, Rhod2-AM). The described methodologies are well suited for translational studies investigating the cardiac conduction system, alterations in action potential morphology, calcium handling, excitation-contraction coupling and the incidence of cardiac alternans or arrhythmias.
Student assumptions and mental models encountered in IR spectroscopy instruction

The mental models students have after engaging in an activity designed to teach infrared (IR) spectroscopy without reliance on IR absorption tables, were characterized. Qualitative analysis of semi-structured interviews, through open coding, allowed the classification of the mental models as Molecules as Dynamic (MAD), Bonds as Dynamic (BAD), Molecules as Static (MAS), External Energy (EE), and Internal Energy (IE). Assumptions students have about structure, dynamics, and spectra when solving IR spectra were identified and grouped as intuitive, valid, and spurious. A connection was found between participants with more sophisticated mental models and those who used multi-variate reasoning. Participants were also more likely to be successful when they compared spectra. The results of the analysis suggest IR spectroscopy should be taught through a conceptual lens to guide learning about the interaction of energy and matter.
Homoclinic Tubes in Discrete Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation under Hamiltonian Perturbations

In this paper, we study the discrete cubic nonlinear Schrodinger lattice under Hamiltonian perturbations. First we develop a complete isospectral theory relevant to the hyperbolic structures of the lattice without perturbations. In particular, Backlund–Darboux transformations are utilized to generate heteroclinic orbits and Melnikov vectors. Then we give coordinate-expressions for persistent invariant manifolds and Fenichel fibers for the perturbed lattice. Finally based upon the above machinery, existence of codimension 2 transversal homoclinic tubes is established through a Melnikov type calculation and an implicit function argument. We also discuss symbolic dynamics of invariant tubes each of which consists of a doubly infinite sequence of curve segments when the lattice is four dimensional. Structures inside the asymptotic manifolds of the transversal homoclinic tubes are studied, special orbits, in particular homoclinic orbits and heteroclinic orbits when the lattice is four dimensional, are studied.
RFID Based Non-Contact Human Activity Detection Exploiting Cross Polarization

This paper explores antenna's polarization for Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) based non-contact human activity detection. For the first time, a cross circular polarization configuration between reader antenna and tag antenna is proposed to increase the sensing range and spatial sensitivity. Compared to conventional RFID configurations - linearly polarized (LP) tag and circularly polarized (CP) reader, a cross CP configuration can improve the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) which leads to 230% increase in the detection area over traditional approach in our experiment. As the result of the improvement of spatial sensitivity, the proposed approach can detect subtle and small body movements at almost 4.5m from the reader, such as head movements or even respiration, which enables a low-cost, easy-to-use, non-contact and non-intrusive monitoring of the elderly and disabled peoples in places like hospitals and assisted living homes.
Abstract 066: Regulation of Nephron Afferent Arteriole Resistance in Obesity: Role of Insulin and Connecting Tubule Glomerular Feedback

Introduction: In obesity, increased glomerular capillary pressure (PGC) may participate in renal damage.PGC is controlled in part by afferent arteriolar (Af-Art) resistance that in turn is regulate...
Taxonomic revision of Rinorea ilicifolia (Violaceae) from Africa and Madagascar

The uncertain taxonomic circumscription between Rinorea ilicifolia (Welw. ex Oliv.) Kuntze and R. spinosa (Boivin ex Tul.) Baill. has led to considerable confusion when attempting to identify the two species. The plants from mainland Africa have typically been determined as R. ilicifolia while the plants in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands have been variously assigned to R. spinosa, R. ilicifolia, or R. ilicifolia subsp. spinosa (Boivin ex Tul.) Grey-Wilson. A third taxon from east Africa, R. ilicifolia var. amplexicaulis Grey-Wilson, has auriculate leaf bases and a mostly discrete distribution from R. ilicifolia, suggesting a greater degree of divergence than is indicated by its taxonomic rank of variety. To better understand the circumscription among these three taxa, we performed multivariate and discriminant analyses of six quantitative variables measured from herbarium specimens. Based on results from these analyses, we deemed there was insufficient morphological divergence to maintain R. ilicifolia and R. spinosa as separate species. Instead, we recognise a single species, R. ilicifolia, composed of three subspecies: R. ilicifolia subsp. ilicifolia in mainland Africa, R. ilicifolia subsp. spinosa in Madagascar and the Comoro Islands, and R. ilicifolia subsp. amplexicaulis (Grey-Wilson) Wahlert, comb. et stat. nov. from Tanzania and Burundi. Here we provide a taxonomic revision of R. ilicifolia, a distribution map and preliminary risk of extinction assessment using IUCN Red List categories and criteria for the three subspecies. We also propose a change of status for Rinorea [unranked] Ilicifoliae Engl. to the rank of section, an action supported by phylogenetic and morphological evidence. The new section includes R. ilicifolia and 13 other taxa from mainland Africa. Lectotypes are designated for the section and for Alsodeia spinosa Boivin ex Tul., and a second-step lectotype is selected for Alsodeia ilicifolia Welw. ex Oliv.
How hot are single cells

Large changes in energy metabolism are associated with minimal alterations in surface temperature of isolated mammalian cells.
Can Long-term Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea With CPAP Improve Glycemia and Prevent Type 2 Diabetes?

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a prevalent sleep disorder caused by intermittent partial or complete collapse of the upper airway during sleep resulting in intermittent hypoxemia and hypercapnia, sleep fragmentation, increased oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation. The prevalence of moderate-to-severe OSA in the general population, estimated at 23.4% in women and 49.7% in men, has increased over the past few decades (1,2), due in part to the obesity epidemic (3). Multiple observational studies have reported an association between OSA, insulin resistance, and increased risk of incident type 2 diabetes (4,5). In a meta-analysis, the presence of OSA was independently associated with a 1.35-fold increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (4). In addition to being a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes, OSA is highly prevalent in adults with type 2 diabetes, with prevalence estimates between 58% and 86%, with moderate-to-severe OSA being present in 25–59% of individuals (4). Although increasing severity of OSA has been associated with worsened glycemic control (6), continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), the gold standard treatment of OSA, has not been consistently shown to improve glycemic control or reduce insulin resistance in clinical trials in which CPAP was used for 1–6 months (4,7–10). Multiple factors may contribute to the heterogeneity of the results, including different levels of CPAP adherence, various durations of CPAP therapy, background glycemic control, and the use of antihyperglycemic agents, the number of which has been ever increasing. In well-controlled laboratory experiments, however, there is evidence that short-term CPAP use with ensured compliance of 8 h nightly for 1–2 weeks results in improved …
Lightweight and Trust-Aware Routing in NoC-Based SoCs

Increasing System-on-Chip (SoC) design complexity coupled with time-to-market constraints have motivated manufacturers to integrate several third-party Intellectual Property (IP) cores in their SoC designs. IPs acquired from potentially untrusted vendors can be a serious threat to the trusted IPs when they are connected using the same Network-on-Chip (NoC). For example, the malicious IPs can tamper packets as well as degrade SoC performance by launching DoS attacks. While existing authentication schemes can check the data integrity of packets, it can introduce unacceptable overhead on resource-constrained SoCs. In this paper, we propose a lightweight and trust-aware routing mechanism to bypass malicious IPs during packet transfers. This reduces the number of re-transmissions due to tampered data, minimizes DoS attack risk, and as a result, improves SoC performance even in the presence of malicious IPs. Experimental results demonstrate significant improvement in both performance and energy efficiency with minor impact on area overhead.
Admittance-Based Bio-Inspired Cognitive PID Control to Optimize Human-Robot Interaction in Power-Assisted Object Manipulation

A novel approach to PID control for optimizing human-robot interaction (HRI) in manipulating objects with a power assist robotic system (PARS) was presented. The PID control was developed in the form of the admittance control. To take bio-inspiration and fit the control with human cognition, a novel method of inclusion of weight perception in the dynamics and control of the system was proposed. Then, a comprehensive evaluation and optimization scheme was proposed to determine the optimum HRI and co-manipulation performance. A 1-DOF testbed PARS was developed to experimentally verify the proposed control in a pilot study. During the experiments, human subjects lifted objects with the system and the HRI and system characteristics were investigated and analyzed. The results showed that the proposed PID control aligned with human cognition through inclusion of weight perception in the dynamics and control was effective to optimize the HRI and co-manipulation performance. The results can be used to design human-centered control methods for PARSs to assist humans manipulating heavy objects in industries and at homes that can provide optimum HRI and manipulation performance.
Alcohol Use Disorder and Its Comorbidity With HIV Infection Disrupts Anterior Cingulate Cortex Functional Connectivity

Abstract Background Individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD) have a heightened risk of contracting HIV infection. The effects of these two diseases and their comorbidity on brain structure have been well described, but their effects on brain function have never been investigated at the scale of whole-brain connectomes. Methods In contrast with prior studies that restricted analyses to specific brain networks or examined relatively small groups of participants, our analyses are based on whole-brain functional connectomes of 292 participants. Results Relative to participants without AUD, the functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal cortex was lower for participants with AUD. Compared with participants without AUD+HIV comorbidity, the functional connectivity between the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus was lower for the AUD+HIV participants. Compromised connectivity between these pairs was significantly correlated with greater total lifetime alcohol consumption; the effects of total lifetime alcohol consumption on executive functioning were significantly mediated by the functional connectivity between the pairs. Conclusions Taken together, our results suggest that the functional connectivity of the anterior cingulate cortex is disrupted in individuals with AUD alone and AUD with HIV infection comorbidity. Moreover, the affected connections are associated with deficits in executive functioning, including heightened impulsiveness.
Index-like Theorem for Massless Fermions in Spherically Symmetric Monopole Backgrounds

In this paper we study massless fermions coupled to spherically symmetric $SU(N)$ monopoles that have no Higgs coupling. The corresponding Dirac operator is not Fredholm and the associated eigenfunctions are not $L^2$-normalizable. Here we derive a formula for the dimension of the plane-wave normalizable kernel of the Dirac operator for fermions of any representation of $SU(N)$ in the presence of any spherically symmetric monopole background. Notably, our results also apply to fermions coupled to monopoles that preserve non-abelian gauge symmetry.
225 Moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is associated with increased mineral bone density in children with inflammatory bowel disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in children is associated with malnutrition and growth failure. Body composition alternations, such as bone mass deficits, decreased bone mineral density (BMD) and reductions in lean body mass (LBM) have been described. Physical activity (PA) plays an important role in normal growth and development. Moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) has beneficial effects on muscle mass accrual and bone health. Data regarding PA amongst children and adolescents with IBD are scarce. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between PA and body composition in children with IBD in remission. A total of 33 paediatric IBD patients in remission (20 boys) aged 15.6 ± 1.9 years were included in the study (disease type: Crohn’s disease (CD), n=16, ulcerative colitis (UC), n=15, inflammatory bowel disease-unclassified (IBD-U, n=2). Total body less head (TLBH) dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was used to measure BMD, expressed as age- and sex-based Z-scores, and to assess fat mass (FM) and LBM, expressed in grams and as age-, sex- and height-based Z-scores. Patients wore a triaxial accelerometer for five consecutive days for objective PA quantification. Daily caloric intake was assessed using a three day food intake record. Mean BMD Z-score was -0.41±0.88; a third of patients had reduced BMD. Mean FM was 15718±6367.2 g; fat mass index (FMI) Z-score -0.40±0.96; LBM 37031.2±8596.4 g; mean lean body mass index (LBMI) Z-score -1.83±1.27. On average, patients spent 38 minutes per day in MVPA. BMD Z-score positively correlated with body height (coef. 0.502, p=0.003), body weight-for-age Z-score (coef. 0.742, p Positive correlation was found between BMD and lean body mass, as well as between BMD and minutes spent in MVPA. Intervention studies investigating a causal relationship between PA and favourable body composition in paediatric patients with IBD are warranted.
IL-10 producing B cells partially restore E2-mediated protection against EAE in PD-L1 deficient mice

Women with multiple sclerosis (MS) often experience clinical improvement during pregnancy, indicating that sex hormones might have therapeutic effects in MS. Our previous studies have demonstrated that B cells and PD-L1 are crucial for E2 (17β-estradiol)-mediated protection against experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). We here demonstrate that the transfer of IL-10(+) B cells into E2-treated PD-L1(-/-) mice after EAE induction could partially restore E2-mediated protection and decrease the frequency of pro-inflammatory cells in the CNS compared to E2/saline treated PD-L1(-/-) mice. Hence, co-administration of IL-10(+) B cells and E2 might have a powerful therapeutic potential for treatment of EAE.
Biological and Bioenvironmental Heat and Mass Transfer

Contents ENERGY TRANSFER Equilibrium, Energy Conservation, and Temperature Modes of Heat Transfer Governing Equation and Boundary Conditions of Heat Transfer Conduction Heat Transfer: Steady-State Conduction Heat Transfer: Unsteady-State Convection Heat Transfer Heat Transfer with Change of Phase Radiative Energy Transfer MASS TRANSFER Equilibrium, Mass Conservation, and Kinetics Modes of Mass Transfer Governing Equations and Boundary Conditions of Mass Transfer Diffusion Mass Transfer: Steady-State Diffusion Mass Transfer: Unsteady-State Convection-Dispersion and Convection-Diffusion Mass Transfer APPENDIX Summary of Processes and Equations Physical Constants, Unit Conversions, and Mathematical Functions Heat Transfer and Related Properties Mass Transfer Properties Miscellaneous Environmental Data Equations of Motion in Various Coordinate Systems Some Useful Mathematical Background Index
Using simulation to evaluate global software development task allocation strategies: Research Sections

We describe a hybrid computer simulation model of the software development process that is specifically architected to study alternative ways to configure global software development (GSD) projects, including phase-based, module-based, and follow-the-sun allocation strategies. The model is a hybrid system dynamics and discrete-event model. In this paper, test cases have been developed for each allocation strategy, and project duration is computed for each configuration under a range of plausible assumptions for key parameters. The primary finding is that although under ideal assumptions follow-the-sun is able to produce impressive reductions in time-to-market, under more realistic assumptions the reverse is true, thus corroborating findings by other researchers. We also conducted a factorial design to examine the impact of GSD factors including distance, culture, language, trust, and time zone on project duration under different task allocation strategies. The analysis reveals that different factors affected the performance of the selected allocation strategies in unique ways. These findings show how the unique ability of our GSD model to represent detailed development processes and work artifact transfer allows researchers to address challenging questions that are critical to GSD project success. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Cold-induced brain edema in mice. Involvement of extracellular superoxide dismutase and nitric oxide.

Abstract The role of extracellular superoxide in the pathogenesis of vasogenic edema was studied using transgenic mice expressing a 5-fold increase in extracellular superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) activity in their brains. Increased EC-SOD expression offered significant protection against edema development after cold-induced injury (44% less edema than nontransgenic littermates, p < 0.05). Since iron may contribute to vasogenic edema by catalyzing the production of hydroxyl radical from superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, the effects of the chelator deferoxamine were studied. Deferoxamine reduced edema formation after cold-induced injury (43% less edema than controls, p < 0.05); however, treatment with iron-saturated deferoxamine also reduced edema development in mice (32-48% less edema, p < 0.05). This suggested that the protection offered by deferoxamine was independent of its ability to chelate iron. An iron-independent mechanism by which superoxide can contribute to vasogenic edema is via reaction with nitric oxide to produce the potentially toxic peroxynitrite anion, which is also scavenged by deferoxamine. Mice treated with an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase were protected against cold-induced edema (37% less edema, p < 0.05). EC-SOD transgenic mice received no additional protection by inhibition of nitric oxide synthesis, supporting this novel alternative mechanism of edema formation.
An improved vector quantisation algorithm for speech transmission over noisy channels

Vector quantisation (VQ) is a method widely used in low bit-rate coding and transmission of speech signals. Unfortunately, a single bit error in the transmitted index, due to noise in the transmission channel, could degrade perceived speech quality at the receiver quite dramatically as the reference vector retrieved by the corrupted index may differ greatly from the vector corresponding to the intended index. The index assignment (IA) process (an NP-complete combinatorial optimisation problem) attempts to reorder the code book to minimise the effects of single-bit errors, but generally only at considerable computational expense. The paper presents an improved vector quantisation algorithm, based on Kohonen's self-organising feature map (K-SOFM), that jointly optimises the quantization error and resistance to noise in the transmission channel. This is achieved using a neighbourhood function based on the Hamming distance between code book indices, rather than the normal Euclidean distance across a two dimensional feature map. As a result, similar reference vectors are recalled by indices with similar binary patterns, minimising the effect of errors in the transmitted index introduced by noise in the transmission channel.
Tissue Distribution of the Tobacco-specific Carcinogen 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone and Its Metabolites in F344 Rats

The tissue distribution of the tobacco-specific N-nitrosamine, 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), in the F344 rat was studied by whole-body autoradiography and high-performance liquid chromatography. The results of the wholebody autoradiography experiments indicate that the substance is able to freely cross biological membranes and reach all tissues of the body. A high level of tissue-bound metabolites occurred in the mucosa of the ethmoturbinates, in the lung, and the liver, which are the targets for the carcinogenicity of NNK in F344 rats. However, tissue-bound radioactivity was also present in non-target tissues such as the lateral nasal gland(Steno's gland), the tracheal mucosa, and the mucosa of the nasopharyngeal duct. A high level of unbound radioactivity occurred in the preputial gland, submaxillary and adrenal glands, and the urinary and gastrointestinal systems. High localization of unbound radioactivity was observed in the stomach lumen not only after p.o. but also after i.v. administration of NNK. Analysis of extracts of the stomach contents by high-performance liquid chromatography indicated that, due to their basicity, NNK and its metabolites were trapped in the gastric juice and later reabsorbed from the intestinal tract. Analysis of unbound metabolites in various tissues and in the urine after i.v. or p.o. administration of [carbonyl-14C]NNK indicated metabolism and excretion of products resulting from alpha-carbon hydroxylation, carbonyl reduction, and pyridine N-oxidation of NNK. After p.o. administration of [14CH3]NNK, 47% of the dose was recovered as 14CO2. [carbonyl-14C]NNK, however, was not metabolized to 14CO2. Levels of in vitro metabolism of [14CH3]-NNK to 14CO2 or incorporation of radioactivity into the acid-insoluble material after incubation with [carbonyl-14C]NNK were the highest in the nasal mucosa. Thus, the high activity of NNK-activating enzymes present in the nasal cavity is apparently an important factor in the etiology of NNK-induced neuroepitheliomas. In vitro autoradiography experiments showed that NNK is metabolized in the mucosa of the ethmoturbinates, the lung, and the liver, suggesting that the tumors are induced by metabolites formed locally in the target tissues. In the lung, the labeling was higher in the bronchial tree than in the lung parenchyma.
Dynamical Constants and Reference Parameters for Mars

Dynamical constants and other fundamental reference parameters for Mars have been derived from analyses of Viking lander ranging and Doppler tracking data covering a time span of nearly four years. Precise values have been obtained for the coordinates of the spin axis and for the rotation rate, suggesting that these Viking-derived values are definitive and are suitable for adoption by the IAU. Preliminary results have been obtained for a small seasonal variation in the rotation rate, and progress has been made toward a direct determination of the precession constant.
WE‐F‐BRB‐03: Inclusion of Data‐Driven Risk Predictions in Radiation Treatment Planning in the Context of a Local Level Learning Health System

Advancements in informatics in radiotherapy are opening up opportunities to improve our ability to assess treatment plans. Models on individualizing patient dose constraints from prior patient data and shape relationships have been extensively researched and are now making their way into commercial products. New developments in knowledge based treatment planning involve understanding the impact of the radiation dosimetry on the patient. Akin to radiobiology models that have driven intensity modulated radiotherapy optimization, toxicity and outcome predictions based on treatment plans and prior patient experiences may be the next step in knowledge based planning. In order to realize these predictions, it is necessary to understand how the clinical information can be captured, structured and organized with ontologies and databases designed for recall. Large databases containing radiation dosimetry and outcomes present the opportunity to evaluate treatment plans against predictions of toxicity and disease response. Such evaluations can be based on dose volume histogram or even the full 3-dimensional dose distribution and its relation to the critical anatomy. This session will provide an understanding of ontologies and standard terminologies used to capture clinical knowledge into structured databases; How data can be organized and accessed to utilize the knowledge in planning; and examples of research and clinical efforts to incorporate that clinical knowledge into planning for improved care for our patients. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the role of standard terminologies, ontologies and data organization in oncology 2. Understand methods to capture clinical toxicity and outcomes in a clinical setting 3. Understand opportunities to learn from clinical data and its application to treatment planning Todd McNutt receives funding from Philips, Elekta and Toshiba for some of the work presented
An evaluation of ultrasonic fetal cephalometry.

Abstract By the use of pulsed untrasound the biparietal diameter of the fetal head was measured in utero during the last 10 weeks of pregnancy. The last ultrasonic reading was compared with the neonatal caliper measurement of the biparietal diameter and each of these was compared with the birth weight. The limitation of the method and the difficulties in the present techniques are discussed. The sources of echoes in the fetal and neonatal head were investigated. A double midline echo and ventricular echoes can be demonstrated. It is hoped that these may provide further reference points for the accurate identification of the biparietal diameter in fetal cephalometry.
Psychopathy and machiavellianism predict differences in racially motivated attitudes and their affiliations

Different forms of racism and racist groups should be differentially attractive to politically motivated members of the Dark Triad. Study 1 showed that high levels of both Machiavellianism and right-wing authoritarianism (RWA) predicted modern racism, whereas high levels of psychopathy and RWA predicted old-fashioned racism. In Study 2, those high in Machiavellianism and RWA wanted to join a traditional Ku Klux Klan (KKK) group, emphasizing nonviolence and political strategies. However, those high in psychopathy and RWA wanted to join a violent, Neo-Nazi militia group. The studies highlight differences between Machiavellianism and psychopathy in expression of antisocial tendencies and dispositions. In addition, when combined with RWA endorsement, these traits can lead to the support of destructive organizations.
CoCo: a hardware/software platform for rapid prototyping of code compression technologies

In recent years, instruction code compression/decompression technologies have emerged as an efficient way to: a) reduce the memory usage of an embedded system, b) to improve performance through effective higher bandwidths and/or to c) reduce the overall power consumption of a system processing compressed code. We have presented efficient code compression/decompression techniques and architectures in the past. For the commercialization phase, we designed a novel hardware/software code compression/decompression platform (CoCo). It consists of a software platform that prepares, optimizes, compresses and compiles instruction code and a generic, parameterizable FPGA-based hardware architecture in form of a hardware platform that allows to rapidly evaluate prototypes of diverse compression/decompression technologies. We show the flexibility of CoCo, its ability to achieve code compression ratios (parameterizable) of up to 50% with a slight system performance gain and its ability to apply compression in a real-world compiled code without any limitations where others have made implicit software-restrictive assumptions.
Online Banking and Beyond: Internet-Related Offerings from U.S. Banks

When banks first had access to the Internet in the mid-1990s, they treated it as simply another channel to distribute bank-related information to their customers. Over the last few years, the Internet has rapidly become a viable channel for banks to serve their various customer groups. Today, many banks are offering online banking services to their customers, via the banks' Web sites, enabling customers to conduct a variety of banking activities and transactions on the Internet simply with browsers. Most banks are also transforming their Web sites into gatewayss to a variety of information resources (both financial and nonfinancial) and products and services (both banking and nonbanking) for their customer. The Internet has also afforded banks the opportunity to offer a number of new products and services, such as ones that cater to online e-commerce markets. Keywords: automated clearing house (ACH) network; banking activities; electronic data interchange (EDI); e-procurement; online banking products; online banking services
Combination of 1-Methylcyclopropene and Ethoxyquin to Control Superficial Scald of ‘Anjou’ Pears

Superficial scald of ‘Anjou’ pears (Pyrus communis) usually develops after cold storage of ‡3 months. Ethoxyquin has been used to control scald commercially. However, only a small amount of fruit can be treated within 7 days after harvest as recommended, and sometimes ethoxyquin causes phytotoxicity. Application of 1methylcyclopropene (1-MCP) showed excellent scald control potential, with rapid and mass treatment feasible. However, fruit may lose normal ripening ability at a dosage of 1-MCP as low as 30 nL L, whereas a dosage of £20 nL L is not enough to control scald. In this investigation, ‘Anjou’ pears treated with 25 nL L 1-MCP immediately after harvest were stored at –1 C for up to 5 months. After 1, 7, 30, or 60 days of cold storage, part of the fruit were treated with 1000 mL L ethoxyquin and the remainder was left untreated as nonethoxyquin controls. The incidence of superficial scald, the concentrations of a-farnesene and its conjugated triene (CT) oxidation products, and the ripening ability of fruit were measured after 3-, 4-, and 5-month storages. All fruit ripened properly within 7 days of shelf life at 20 C regardless of treatment. 1-MCP treatment at harvest or ethoxyquin alone applied within 7 days adequately controlled scald for only 3 months. By contrast, 1-MCP + ethoxyquin controlled scald for 5 months, regardless of when ethoxyquin was applied from 1 to 60 days after the start of cold storage. Thus, a combination of 25 nL L 1-MCP, which is easily applied and does not influence ripening ability, and a delayed application (up to 60 days) of 1000 mL L ethoxyquin, which is a low dosage that does not cause phytotoxicity on fruit, controlled scald sufficiently. Scald is linked with accumulation of CT oxidation products of a-farnesene. 1-MCP and ethoxyquin inhibited accumulation of CT in fruit peel by different mechanisms. 1MCP inhibited the production by reducing a-farnesene synthesis and the oxidation to CT, whereas ethoxyquin worked by inhibiting the latter.
The Dynamics of Emergence: Cognition and Cohesion in Work Teams

Emergence as a multilevel process has received limited research attention in the micro–meso disciplines of organizational science. Our intent is to explain the conceptual underpinnings of emergence and to advance a more dynamic, process-oriented conceptualization. We discuss emergence as a bottom-up, multilevel process and focus attention on three neglected issues: (a) emergence is dynamic, (b) manifests in different idealized forms, and (c) can vary in form over time. We consider two core phenomena in work teams—cognition and cohesion—to illustrate how this dynamic and multifaceted perspective on emergence can advance theory development and new research directions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Virustat, a device for continuous production of viruses.

Methods for continuous production of viruses, and operation of the virustat, an apparatus in which such production was accomplished, were studied. Continuous production requires a separate continuous host growth chamber, such as the chemostat, and a multiunit virus growth chamber into which the virus-inoculated host cells are led. Successful continuous output of MS-2 and {phi}X174 viruses, the latter in lysates, over periods of several days and at titers approximating those of batch lysates, was observed. Design problems include chamber sizes and flow rates, growth of resistant mutants within both virus and host growth chambers, clogging by lysis debris, and the phenomenon of self-inoculation. The latter represents virus growth in the first section of the chamber in excess of the washout rate, leading to lack of need for virus inoculation after an initial period. Use of the virustat for production and research purposes will require some attention to the formation of resistant bacterial colonies at pockets and surface sites of limited washout. With the virustat as a continuous virus production device, continuous purification methods are desirable. Research use of the virustat in continuous mutagenic population studies would require suppression of self-inoculation by use of many sections in the chamber, and improved servo control of host populations at low concentrations.
Nonlinear Models for Relativity Effects in Electromagnetism

Experimental energy measurements tend to be smaller than the predicted values in (i) the absorption of high-energy particles (in cloud chambers) and (ii) the average energy determination of the classical β -ray spectrum of radium E (using magnetic fields). To address these differences in energy measurements, we reconsider relative-velocity-dependent models in electromagnetism proposed initially by Weber before data from cathode-ray-tube (CRT) experiments was available. It is shown that identifying the nonlinear, relative-velocity terms using CRT data results in a model, which (i) captures relativity effects in optics and high-energy particles, and (ii) explains the apparent discrepancies in experimental energy measurements.
The effect of divided attention on emotion-induced memory narrowing

Individuals are more likely to remember emotional than neutral information, but this benefit does not always extend to the surrounding background information. This memory narrowing is theorised to be linked to the availability of attentional resources at encoding. In contrast to the predictions of this theoretical account, altering participants' attentional resources at encoding by dividing attention did not affect emotion-induced memory narrowing. Attention was divided using three separate manipulations: a digit ordering task (Experiment 1), an arithmetic task (Experiment 2) and an auditory discrimination task (Experiment 3). Across all three experiments, divided attention decreased memory across the board but did not affect the degree of memory narrowing. These findings suggest that theories to explain memory narrowing must be expanded to include other potential mechanisms beyond the limitations of attentional resources.
Social capital, social networks, and social power

(2003). Social capital, social networks, and social power. Social Epistemology: Vol. 17, No. 4, pp. 329-342.
On simulating non-normal distributions

Six different algorithms to generate widely different non-normal distributions are reviewed. These algorithms are compared in terms of speed, simplicity and generality of the technique. The advantages and disadvantages of using these algorithms are briefly discussed.
STEM and EELS analysis of multiphase microstructures in oxide and non-oxide glasses

Abstract The techniques of scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS) were used to perform microstructural and semiquantitative microchemical analyses of multiphase microstructures developed in bulk glasses by liquid immiscibility processes. Bulk glass samples were prepared in the systems SiAlO, CdGeSiAs, PbAlTiSiO, and SiNaBON, using synthesis procedures appropriate to each system. Representative compositions which exhibited a multi-phase glass microstructure in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) were selected for the STEM and EELS microchemical analysis. Glasses in all the systems always showed a microstructure of glass droplets (varying in size from ≈5 to ≈40 nm) dispersed in a glass matrix. The microstructure of the PbAlTiSiO glass showed two droplet phases (≈5 nm and ≈25 nm in diameter) embedded in a glass matrix. The results of the microchemical analysis are correlated with available liquid miscibility gap information, particularly in the AlSiO system.
Citation Patterns of the Faculty of the Anthropology Department at the University of Notre Dame

This study sought to determine the extent to which the Hesburgh Libraries of Notre Dame meet the needs of the anthropology faculty. It did that by focusing on how useful the University Libraries’ collections were in their research and publications. This article describes both the methodology employed and the findings of this citation analysis. The study looked at the following questions: What were the faculty of the anthropology department at the University of Notre Dame citing in their published research? Where were they publishing their research? Did the library own these cited items and the publications in which the faculty were publishing? The study found that the anthropology faculty's citations overall were 47 percent and 45 percent book and journal citations, respectively. In addition, the library owned only 41.48 percent of the items anthropology faculty were citing in their research. This study also found that the library owned 72 percent of the publications in which anthropology faculty publishe...
Development of a stent-placed intravascular Doppler flowsensor

This paper describes the development of a flow-measuring system percutaneously placed and held inside an artery with a stent. The particular challenges of this application have led to a configuration and fabrication technique that may be useful in developing other high frequency flexible transducers.
Change in MS-DRG assignment and hospital reimbursement as a result of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid changes in payment for hospital-acquired conditions: is it coding or quality?

CONTEXT In October 2008, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services reduced payments to hospitals for a group of hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) not documented as present on admission (POA). It is unknown what proportion of Medicare severity diagnosis related group (MS-DRG) assignments will change when the International Classification of Disease, 9th Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) diagnosis code for the HAC is not taken into account even before considering the POA status. OBJECTIVES The primary objectives were to estimate the proportion of cases that change MS-DRG assignment when HACs are removed from the calculation, the subsequent changes in reimbursement to hospitals, and the attenuation in changes in MS-DRG assignment after factoring in those that may be POA. Last, we explored the effect of the numbers of ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes on MS-DRG assignment. METHODS We obtained 2 years of discharge data from academic medical centers that were members of the University Health System Consortium and identified all cases with 1 of 7 HACs coded through ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes. We calculated the MS-DRG for each case with and without the HAC and, hence, the proportion where MS-DRG assignment changed. Next, we used a bootstrap method to calculate the range in the proportion of cases changing assignment to account for POA status. Changes in reimbursement were estimated by using the 2008 MS-DRG weights payment formula. RESULTS Of 184,932 cases with at least 1 HAC, 27.6% (n = 52,272) would experience a change in MS-DRG assignment without the HAC factored into the assignment. After taking into account those conditions that were potentially POA, 7.5% (n = 14,176) of the original cases would change MS-DRG assignment, with an average loss in reimbursement per case ranging from $1548 with a catheter-associated urinary tract infection to $7310 for a surgical site infection. These reductions would translate into a total reimbursement loss of $50 261,692 (range: $38 330,747-$62 344,360) for the 86 academic medical centers. Those cases, for all conditions, with reductions in payment also have fewer additional ICD-9-CM codes associated. CONCLUSIONS Removing HACs from MS-DRG assignment may result in significant cost savings for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services through reduced payment to hospitals. As more conditions are added, the negative impact on hospital reimbursement may become greater. However, it is possible that variation in coding practice may affect cost savings and not reflect true differences in quality of care.
Intermittent heat as a reinforcer for rats in the cold.

Abstract Intermittent thermal reinforcement does not sustain stable schedule performance of rats in a cold environment when a single reinforcement follows the schedule run. The contribution of the response situation to this problem was examined by providing a one-minute access to radiant heat reinforcement on a continuous reinforcement schedule contingent upon responding on a fixed-ratio schedule on either the same or a different lever. Response output was condsiderably augmented when the subjects were required to work on one lever to gain access to heat on a second lever. Response output was further improved when the subjects worked on a fixed-ratio schedule to gain access to heat on the same lever. These results indicate that a change in the response situation, per se , is not a necessary condition for the improvement of schedule performance with thermal reinforcement. The density of reinforcement appears to be a more important variable.
Dimension reduction, feature extraction and interpretation of data with network computing

The subject matter of this paper is one of long-standing interest to the Pattern Recognition and Artificial Intelligence research communities, namely that of "feature extraction" for facilitating the task of classification or various other tasks. We show that internal representations of neural networks do not yield unique feature values but can provide the basis for facilitating a number of useful information management tasks, such as memorization, categorization, discovery, associative recall and others. These matters are illustrated with three sets of data, one of a benchmark nature, another of the nature of real-world sensor data, and a third set consisting of semiconductor crystal structure parameters.
Oxanine DNA Glycosylase Activity from Mammalian Alkyladenine Glycosylase

Oxanine (Oxa) is a deaminated base lesion derived from guanine in which the N1-nitrogen is substituted by oxygen. This work reports the mutagenicity of oxanine as well as oxanine DNA glycosylase (ODG) activities in mammalian systems. Using human DNA polymerase β, deoxyoxanosine triphosphate is only incorporated opposite cytosine (Cyt). When an oxanine base is in a DNA template, Cyt is efficiently incorporated opposite the template oxanine; however, adenine and thymine are also incorporated opposite Oxa with an efficiency ∼80% of a Cyt/Oxa (C/O) base pair. Guanine is incorporated opposite Oxa with the least efficiency, 16% compared with cytosine. ODG activity was detected in several mammalian cell extracts. Among the known human DNA glycosylases tested, human alkyladenine glycosylase (AAG) shows ODG activity, whereas hOGG1, hNEIL1, or hNEIL2 did not. ODG activity was detected in spleen cell extracts of wild type age-matched mice, but little activity was observed in that of Aag knock-out mice, confirming that the ODG activity is intrinsic to AAG. Human AAG can excise Oxa from all four Oxa-containing double-stranded base pairs, Cyt/Oxa, Thy/Oxa, Ade/Oxa, and Gua/Oxa, with no preference to base pairing. Surprisingly, AAG can remove Oxa from single-stranded Oxa-containing DNA as well. Indeed, AAG can also remove 1,N6-ethenoadenine from single-stranded DNA. This study extends the deaminated base glycosylase activities of AAG to oxanine; thus, AAG is a mammalian enzyme that can act on all three purine deamination bases, hypoxanthine, xanthine, and oxanine.