cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying global N 2 O emissions from natural ecosystem soils using trait-based biogeochemistry models

Abstract. A group of soil microbes plays an important role in nitrogen cycling and N2O emissions from natural ecosystem soils. We developed a trait-based biogeochemical model based on an extant process-based biogeochemistry model, the Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (TEM), by incorporating the detailed microbial physiological processes of nitrification. The effect of ammonia-oxidizing Archaea (AOA), ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB) was considered in modeling nitrification. Microbial traits, including microbial biomass and density, were explicitly considered. In addition, nitrogen cycling was coupled with carbon dynamics based on stoichiometry theory between carbon and nitrogen. The model was parameterized using observational data and then applied to quantifying global N2O emissions from global terrestrial ecosystem soils from 1990 to 2000. Our estimates of 8.7±1.6 Tg N yr −1 generally agreed with previous estimates during the study period. Tropical forests are a major emitter, accounting for 42 % of the global emissions. The model was more sensitive to temperature and precipitation and less sensitive to soil organic carbon and nitrogen contents. Compared to the model without considering the detailed microbial activities, the new model shows more variations in response to seasonal changes in climate. Our study suggests that further information on microbial diversity and ecophysiology features is needed. The more specific guilds and their traits shall be considered in future soil N2O emission quantifications.
Assessing non-uniform stiffening of the achilles tendon noninvasively using surface wave

Currently, noninvasive cost-effective techniques capable of quantifying non-uniform degradation of tendon's mechanical and structural properties associated with localized tendon injuries are not readily available. This study demonstrates the applicability of a simple surface-wave elastography (SURF-E) method for assessing the stiffness of the Achilles Tendon by measuring the propagation velocity of surface waves along the tendon in a much broader range of values than currently available Ultrasound-based or MRI-based elastography methods do. Results from this study confirm the non-uniform stiffening of the AT during passive ankle dorsiflexions.
Association of Combined Naltrexone and Ketamine With Depressive Symptoms in a Case series of Patients With Depression and Alcohol Use Disorder.

This study examines whether naltrexone pretreatment interferes with the antidepressant effects of ketamine.
Evaluating Chromatographic Approaches for the Quantitative Analysis of a Human Proteome on Orbitrap-Based Mass Spectrometry Systems

The Orbitrap is now a core component of several different instruments. However, evaluating the capabilities of each system is lacking in the field. Here, we compared the performance of multidimensional protein identification (MudPIT) on Velos Pro Orbitrap and Velos Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometers to reversed phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) on a Q-Exactive Plus and an Orbitrap Fusion Lumos. Using HeLa cell protein digests, we carried out triplicate analyses of 16 different chromatography conditions on four different instrumentation platforms. We first optimized RPLC conditions by varying column lengths, inner diameters, and particle sizes. We found that smaller particle sizes improve results but only with smaller inner diameter microcapillary columns. We then selected one chromatography condition on each system and varied gradient lengths. We used distributed normalized spectral abundance factor (dNSAF) values to determine quantitative reproducibility. With Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient r values routinely above 0.96, single RPLC on both the QE+ and Orbitrap Lumos outperformed MudPIT on the Orbitrap Elite mass spectrometer. In addition, when comparing dNSAF values measured for the same proteins across the different platforms, RPLC on the Orbitrap Lumos had greater sensitivity than MudPIT, as demonstrated by the detection and quantification of histone deacetylase complex components. Data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier 10.6019/PXD009875.
When Things Go Viral: Youth’s Discrimination Exposure in the World of Social Media

Youth receive a myriad of messages pertaining to their ethnicity and race daily. Youth today are overtly exposed to both interpersonal and institutional discrimination through dominating social media platforms, informed by the 24-hour news cycle. The world of social media serves as a critical platform for exposure, discourse, and engagment, underscoring the viral impact of ethnic-racial discrimination. Social media outlets, intended to foster rapid communication and community response, quickly become additional sources of marginalization and racial trauma, particularly for youth of color. The constant barrage of discriminatory content on social media, in which people of color are often dehumanized, not only distorts attitudes toward communities of color, but also shapes how youth perceive themselves and their communities. This chapter will discuss developmental implications for youth when discrimination “goes viral”. Applying a bioecological framework, this chapter unpacks the consequences of ethnic-racial discrimination in the digital social media environment and need for school, family, and policy related intervention. We conclude by identifying sources of adaptive coping and resilience to help educators, parents, and youth navigate and transform experiences with online ethnic-racial discrimination. Directions for future research, including the utility of algorithmic tools, are discussed.
Differential glycogen utilization in shark acid- and base-regulatory gill cells.

Na+/K+-ATPase (NKA)- and vacuolar H+-ATPase (VHA)-rich cells in shark gills secrete excess acid and base, respectively, to seawater to maintain blood acid-base homeostasis. Both cell types are rich in mitochondria, indicating high ATP demand; however, their metabolic fuel is unknown. Here, we report that NKA- and VHA-rich cells have large glycogen stores. Glycogen abundance in NKA-rich cells was lower in starved sharks compared with 24 h post-fed sharks, reflecting higher energy demand for acid secretion during normal activity and glycogen replenishment during the post-feeding period. Conversely, glycogen abundance in VHA-rich cells was high in starved sharks and it became depleted post-feeding. Furthermore, inactive cells with cytoplasmic VHA had large glycogen stores and active cells with basolateral VHA had depleted glycogen stores. These results indicate that glycogen is a main energy source in both NKA- and VHA-rich cells, and point to differential energy use associated with net acid and net base secretion, respectively.
Bi-Duality in Dynamic Systems

From static equilibria to dynamical problems, this chapter presents the subject of duality theory for convex Hamiltonian systems. The framework for dynamics is the same as that for static systems, but, the duality theorems are more interesting.
Airbnb 2.0: is it a sharing economy platform or a lodging corporation?

Abstract Research on Airbnb has provided significant evidence that it has an adverse impact on hotel performance. However, the impact of a more recent Airbnb-related phenomenon that remains under-explored is the increasing professionalization of Airbnb and the prevalence of multi-unit hosts who offer more than one listing on the platform and are typically more dynamic in terms of issues like managing inventory and providing more standardized experiences. This professionalization begs the question of whether Airbnb should be considered a sharing economy platform or a lodging corporation (Airbnb 2.0). To answer this question, the present study identifies which types of Airbnb properties (entire homes, private rooms, or shared rooms) and host structures (single- or multi-unit hosts) are the biggest threats to traditional lodging companies in the U.S., and which states are most affected by the presence of Airbnb. The findings have significant implications for researchers and many practitioners associated with the phenomenon.
La construcción del discurso nacional español en la obra literaria de Modesto Lafuente

espanolEste trabajo examina de que manera Modesto Lafuente, conocido principalmente por ser el autor de la monumental Historia General de Espana en el siglo XIX, construye el concepto de identidad colectiva espanola en sus obras precedentes de caracter literario y periodistico como el periodico satirico y de costumbres Fray Gerundio (1837-1842), El Teatro social del siglo XIX (1846) y Viages de Fr. Gerundio por Francia, Belgica, Holanda y orillas del Rhin. Analiza los mecanismos que utiliza para generalizar el sentimiento de pertenencia nacional a traves de la creacion de imaginarios y la destruccion de mitos extranjeros sobre la nacion espanola EnglishThis works examines how Modesto Lafuente, mostly known for being the author of the colossal 19th century Historia General de Espana constructs the concept of collective Spanish identity in his earlier literary and journalistic works. For instance, in the satirical journal Fray Gerundio (1837-1842), El Teatro social del siglo XIX (1846), and Viages de Fr. Gerundio por Francia, Belgica, Holanda y orillas del Rhin. It analyzes the mechanisms he uses to generate the feeling of national belonging thru the creation of imaginaries and the destruction of foreign myths about the Spanish nation. This work examines how the study of contemporary Spanish and European customs in his early works contributes to the development of the contents later reviewed in the Historia General de Espana
What is affordance theory and how can it be used in communication research

Affordance theory proposes that the use of an object is intrinsically determined by its physical shape. However, when translated to digital objects, affordance theory loses explanatory power, as the same physical affordances, for example, screens, can have many socially constructed meanings and can be used in many ways. Furthermore, the affordance theory core idea that physical affordances have intrinsic, pre-cognitive meaning cannot be sustained for the highly symbolic nature of digital affordances, which gain meaning through social learning and use. A possible way to solve this issue is to think about on-screen affordances as symbols and affordance research as a semiotic and linguistic enterprise.
Attitudes about medications for alcohol use disorder among individuals with serious mental illness: a health belief model analysis

Abstract Background Medications for alcohol use disorder (MAUD) are underutilized in mental health settings. Increasing use of MAUD requires increasing both the availability of these medications and the demand by individuals who could benefit. Few studies have explored the views of individuals with severe mental illness and alcohol use disorder about MAUD. We sought to examine, among individuals treated in publicly funded community mental health clinics, perceived need for and attitudes toward MAUD. Methods We conducted 8 focus groups with 87 participants treated in public mental health clinics in Los Angeles County. We aimed to include individuals with a current or past AUD diagnosis and individuals helping others (e.g., a family member) who drink. We examined responses using domains associated with the Health Belief Model to identify factors that shape acceptance of MAUD. Results Participants were 53% female; most were minorities. Average age was 47 years (SD = 11). Twenty-four reported never drinking, 13 of whom had a current or past diagnosis of AUD. Twenty-two reported drinking 4 or more times per week. Three-quarters had not heard of naltrexone. Participants understood that alcohol use has severe adverse consequences and perceived themselves to be highly susceptible to these consequences. Regarding attitudes toward MAUD, participants described an internal locus of control (e.g., their own desires, actions, and effort) as central to addressing problem drinking; this shaped their views that MAUD would have only modest benefits and potentially high burden. Those individuals who had tried MAUD expressed the most optimism about its effectiveness. Conclusions Participants worried MAUD would impede the development of self-control over drinking by fostering dependence on medication and undermining self-discipline. Client education and counseling that emphasizes MAUD as a tool to build clients' self-control may increase demand for these medications in mental health settings.
Writing Toward Justice: Youth Speculative Civic Literacies in Online Policy Discourse:

This article explores how speculative civic literacies can support youth engagement in policy discourse in digital and analog contexts. We broaden the scope of civic literacies by emphasizing core ...
Heat tolerance and thermal preference of the copepod Tigriopus californicus are insensitive to ecologically relevant dissolved oxygen levels

Shifting climate patterns may impose novel combinations of abiotic conditions on animals, yet understanding of the present-day interactive effects of multiple stressors remains under-developed. We tested the oxygen and capacity limited thermal tolerance (OCLTT) hypothesis and quantified environmental preference of the copepod Tigriopus californicus, which inhabits rocky-shore splashpools where diel fluctuations of temperature and dissolved oxygen (DO) are substantial. Egg-mass bearing females were exposed to a 5 h heat ramp to peak temperatures of 34.1–38.0 °C crossed with each of four oxygen levels: 22, 30, 100 and 250% saturation (4.7–5.3, 5.3–6.4, 21.2–21.3, and 50.7–53.3 kPa). Survival decreased at higher temperatures but was independent of DO. The behavioral preference of females was quantified in seven combinations of gradients of both temperature (11–37 °C) and oxygen saturation (17–206% or 3.6–43.6 kPa). Females avoided high temperatures regardless of DO levels. This pattern was more pronounced when low DO coincided with high temperature. In uniform temperature treatments, the distribution shifted toward high DO levels, especially in uniform high temperature, confirming that Tigriopus can sense environmental pO2. These results question the ecological relevance of OCLTT for Tigriopus and raise the possibility of microhabitat selection being used within splashpool environments to avoid physiologically stressful combinations of conditions.
Heme protects Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus from calprotectin-induced iron starvation.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus are opportunistic bacterial pathogens that cause severe infections in immunocompromised individuals and patients with cystic fibrosis. Both P. aeruginosa and S. aureus require iron to infect the mammalian host. To obtain iron, these pathogens may rely on siderophore-mediated ferric iron uptake, ferrous iron uptake, or heme uptake at different points during infection. The preferred iron source depends on environmental conditions, including the presence of iron-sequestering host-defense proteins. Here, we investigate how the presence of heme, a highly relevant iron source during infection, affects bacterial responses to iron withholding by the innate immune protein calprotectin (CP). Prior work has shown that P. aeruginosa is starved of iron in the presence of CP. We report that P. aeruginosa upregulates expression of heme uptake machinery in response to CP. Furthermore, we show that heme protects P. aeruginosa from CP-mediated inhibition of iron uptake and iron-starvation responses. We extend our study to a second bacterial pathogen, S. aureus, and demonstrate that CP also inhibits iron uptake and induces iron-starvation responses by this pathogen. Similarly to P. aeruginosa, we show that heme protects S. aureus from CP-mediated inhibition of iron uptake and iron-starvation responses. These findings expand our understanding of microbial responses to iron sequestration by CP and highlight the importance of heme utilization for bacterial adaptation to host iron-withholding strategies.
Race is an Adiaphoron: The Place of Race in Bonhoeffer's 1933 Writings

This paper argues that Dietrich Bonhoeffer, in his 1933 writings, treats race as an adiaphoron or indifferent matter. On this basis, his thinking about race is then shown to be in tension with what the scholarship on Bonhoeffer and race generally attributes to him. Specifically, while that scholarship portrays Bonhoeffer, especially after his Harlem experience, as moving race to the center of theological reflection, his own argumentation, by treating race as an adiaphoron, resists such a move as the improper racialization of theology.
Geometrically weighted modal decomposition techniques

Modal decomposition techniques have become important mathematical methodologies in analysing complex flow physics. The data-driven methods, such as proper orthogonal decomposition and dynamic mode decomposition are used to extract coherent structures in the form of spatial modes. These methods can be applied to both numerical and experimental data to identify the characteristic dynamics of the system. However, the classical data-driven modal decomposition methods are only applicable to problems with a fixed shape and are not suitable for systems with fluid–structure interaction or systems with shape-changing geometries. In this paper we propose a novel method utilizing a conformal mapping technique to solve this issue. Through different examples with deforming geometry, the capability of the method to accurately capture the flow features is demonstrated. The proposed method is found to be suitable for a wide range of applications and a possible candidate for reduced-order flow modelling of complex shape-changing systems.
Variational Structures in Cochain Projection Based Variational Discretizations of Lagrangian PDEs.

Compatible discretizations, such as finite element exterior calculus, provide a discretization framework that respect the cohomological structure of the de Rham complex, which can be used to systematically construct stable mixed finite element methods. Multisymplectic variational integrators are a class of geometric numerical integrators for Lagrangian and Hamiltonian field theories, and they yield methods that preserve the multisymplectic structure and momentum-conservation properties of the continuous system. In this paper, we investigate the synthesis of these two approaches, by constructing discretization of the variational principle for Lagrangian field theories utilizing structure-preserving finite element projections. In our investigation, compatible discretization by cochain projections plays a pivotal role in the preservation of the variational structure at the discrete level, allowing the discrete variational structure to essentially be the restriction of the continuum variational structure to a finite-dimensional subspace. The preservation of the variational structure at the discrete level will allow us to construct a discrete Cartan form, which encodes the variational structure of the discrete theory, and subsequently, we utilize the discrete Cartan form to naturally state discrete analogues of Noether's theorem and multisymplecticity, which generalize those introduced in the discrete Lagrangian variational framework by Marsden et al. [29]. We will study both covariant spacetime discretization and canonical spatial semi-discretization, and subsequently relate the two in the case of spacetime tensor product finite element spaces.
Does a Completion Goal Impede Auditors’ Identification of Fraud Risk? The Benefit of a Refuse to Accept Goal and Influence of Professional Identity

Auditors’ fraud detection is critical – undetected frauds impose costs on users and auditors. We propose auditors’ fraud risk identification during end-of-audit analytical procedures is affected by working under a completion (“just get it done”) goal versus a “refuse to accept” goal (with a desired conclusion that fraud risks remain). In an experiment, a refuse to accept goal positively affects auditors’ belief task performance is important, prompting integrative processing, then a higher likelihood of identifying a fraud risk. While the refuse to accept goal increases this belief for low professional identity auditors, it does not lead to identifying the specific risk, only raising concerns with their superior. High identity auditors are more likely to identify the specific risk under the goal, but, consistent with experiencing a self-concept threat, do not show increased belief performance is important and are less inclined to raise concerns. Findings have implications for research and practice.
Virtual app development for adolescents during COVID-19

Minority students are not entering computing fields due to inadequate exposure in K-12 curricula. Online computing environments are effective at exposing more minority students to computing concepts before college. An HBCU hosted a virtual camp during COVID-19 to teach minority adolescent students the fundamentals of app development using MIT App Inventor, an app-development platform that allows its users to build fully functional apps for smartphones and tablets. The camp aimed to foster youth innovation and creativity through empowering students to create rather than simply use technology in their lives. Participants in the program showed an increase in wanting to pursue ongoing computing education.
CFD Simulation of Helium Flow Loop Test Section

A helium flow loop is being assembled at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to analyze heat transfer enhancement for systems such as blanket and divertor components. To efficiently identify optimum geom...
Electrocorticography reveals thalamic control of cortical dynamics following traumatic brain injury.

The return of consciousness after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is associated with restoring complex cortical dynamics; however, it is unclear what interactions govern these complex dynamics. Here, we set out to uncover the mechanism underlying the return of consciousness by measuring local field potentials (LFP) using invasive electrophysiological recordings in patients recovering from TBI. We found that injury to the thalamus, and its efferent projections, on MRI were associated with repetitive and low complexity LFP signals from a highly structured phase space, resembling a low-dimensional ring attractor. But why do thalamic injuries in TBI patients result in a cortical attractor? We built a simplified thalamocortical model, which connotes that thalamic input facilitates the formation of cortical ensembles required for the return of cognitive function and the content of consciousness. These observations collectively support the view that thalamic input to the cortex enables rich cortical dynamics associated with consciousness. To begin to uncover the mechanisms underlying the return of consciousness following traumatic brain injury, Mofakham et al. recorded local field potentials from depth cortical regions in these patients. They found that thalamic input to the cortex plays a role in mediating the cortical dynamics associated with recovery of consciousness.
A compilation of amino acid analyses of proteins : XVII. Residues per thousand residues-4.

The amino acid analyses of 183 proteins, as residues per 1000 residues, are given. In addition the carbohydrate content and the content of any noncommon amino acids are also given. The sources of all proteins are presented.
Parents and coaches as transformational leaders: Motivating high school athletes' intentions to report concussion symptoms across socioeconomic statuses.

Abstract Purpose Studies demonstrate that parents and coaches play a role in an athlete's concussion reporting decision primarily through their influence on the decision environment. Little work, however, has explored how a given parenting/coaching style operates to promote intentions and much less work has examined whether the impact of parenting/coaching on concussion reporting differs by socioeconomic status. Transformational parenting/coaching (i.e., a focus on building autonomy and self-efficacy in athletes) represents one promising approach given its effects on other outcomes (e.g., health, burnout, aggression). We hypothesize that athlete perceptions of transformational parenting/coaching will be associated with their reporting intentions directly and through the athlete's motivation for playing their sport regardless of household income. Methods A national survey of 1023 high-school athletes measured athlete perceptions of transformational parenting/coaching, sport motivation, and reporting intentions. Structural Equation Modeling was used to examine hypotheses. Results Transformational parenting was directly associated with reporting intentions (β: Reporting Intentions = .265; Scenario 1 = 0.206; Scenario 2 = 0.260) and indirectly through increased autonomous/decreased controlled motivation. Transformational coaching was not directly associated with Reporting Intentions (β = 0.008, p = .816) or Scenario 2 (β = 0.046, p = .198) but was for Scenario 1 (β = 0.077, p = .003). Transformational coaching was also associated with reporting intention indirectly through increased autonomous, but not controlled motivation. Athletes with household income of $50,000+ were more likely to report transformational parenting/coaching; however, the effects of transformational parenting/coaching did not differ for athletes from higher versus lower-income households. Conclusions Transformational parenting/coaching may encourage greater concussion reporting intentions primarily through increased autonomous (i.e., self-directed) sport motivation regardless of socioeconomic status. Cultivating transformational leadership in parents/coaches can have a positive impact on the athlete's intention to report concussion-like symptoms.
The “Other” Woman in Contemporary Television Drama: Analyzing Intersectional Representation on Bones

This essay theorizes intersectional representation as a strategic device used in twenty-first century television narrative by examining the generically “Other” woman in television drama. This character is often racially, ethnically, economically and sexually “othered”. She appears on numerous broadcast television programs, and yet remains relatively invisible in cultural discourses of television. I offer a critical reading of the intersectional representation used on FOX’s series Bones as a means of exposing how intersectional imagery functions to re-center identity politics on White, heteronormative, middle-class values. That these images remain largely invisible in academic discussions of race, ethnicity, sexuality and class on television while appearing frequently in the most economically successful television narratives speaks to the complexity of intersectional identity politics in contemporary media studies.
Minimum Generalization Via Reflection: A Fast Linear Threshold Learner

The number of adjustments required to learn the average LTU function of d features, each of which can take on n equally spaced values, grows as approximately n^2d when the standard perceptron training algorithm is used on the complete input space of n points and perfect classification is required. We demonstrate a simple modification that reduces the observed growth rate in the number of adjustments to approximately d^2(log (d) + log(n)) with most, but not all input presentation orders. A similar speed-up is also produced by applying the simple but computationally expensive heuristic “don‘t overgeneralize” to the standard training algorithm. This performance is very close to the theoretical optimum for learning LTU functions by any method, and is evidence that perceptron-like learning algorithms can learn arbitrary LTU functions in polynomial, rather than exponential time under normal training conditions. Similar modifications can be applied to the Winnow algorithm, achieving similar performance improvements and demonstrating the generality of the approach.
Transient microstructural thermomechanical fatigue and deformation characteristics under superimposed mechanical and thermal loading, in AlSi based automotive diesel pistons

Presently AISi based alloys, consisting up to 12 element systems, are used in the manufacture of automotive pistons for light vehicle (LVD) and heavy (HD) duty diesel engines. The pistons combustion wall is subject to complex superimposed transient mechanical and thermal loading with peak operating temperature representing a homologous temperature range of 0.8–0.9 Thom.
Soft printing of droplets digitized by electrowetting

This paper describes a new way of printing, enabled by electric control and geometric utilization of surface tension. The printing is performed by contact between liquid droplets and a solid printing surface (e.g. a glass plate), with neither solid-solid contact nor droplet ejection. The droplets are formed prior to the printing by electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD) so that the droplet volume is not affected by the printing surface or environment. Micromachining processes have been developed to accommodate active liquid digitization and passive droplet transfer in the testing device. Successful printings of water and diluted DNA solution droplets (/spl sim/100 nl) were demonstrated. Incorporated with EWOD, this printing mechanism is capable of programming the sizes and positions of printed spots using multiple nozzles and various droplet volumes.
Mutagenesis of the NS3 Protease of Dengue Virus Type 2

The flavivirus protease is composed of two viral proteins, NS2B and NS3. The amino-terminal portion of NS3 contains sequence and structural motifs characteristic of bacterial and cellular trypsin-like proteases. We have undertaken a mutational analysis of the region of NS3 which contains the catalytic serine, five putative substrate binding residues, and several residues that are highly conserved among flavivirus proteases and among all serine proteases. In all, 46 single-amino-acid substitutions were created in a cloned NS2B-NS3 cDNA fragment of dengue virus type 2, and the effect of each mutation on the extent of self-cleavage of the NS2B-NS3 precursor at the NS2B-NS3 junction was assayed in vivo. Twelve mutations almost completely or completely inhibited protease activity, 9 significantly reduced it, 14 decreased cleavage, and 11 yielded wild-type levels of activity. Substitution of alanine at ultraconserved residues abolished NS3 protease activity. Cleavage was also inhibited by substituting some residues that are conserved among flavivirus NS3 proteins. Two (Y150 and G153) of the five putative substrate binding residues could not be replaced by alanine, and only Y150 and N152 could be replaced by a conservative change. The two other putative substrate binding residues, D129 and F130, were more freely substitutable. By analogy with the trypsin model, it was proposed that D129 is located at the bottom of the substrate binding pocket so as to directly interact with the basic amino acid at the substrate cleavage site. Interestingly, we found that significant cleavage activity was displayed by mutants in which D129 was replaced by E, S, or A and that low but detectable protease activity was exhibited by mutants in which D129 was replaced by K, R, or L. Contrary to the proposed model, these results indicate that D129 is not a major determinant of substrate binding and that its interaction with the substrate, if it occurs at all, is not essential. This mutagenesis study provided us with an array of mutations that alter the cleavage efficiency of the dengue virus protease. Mutations that decrease protease activity without abolishing it are candidates for introduction into the dengue virus infectious full-length cDNA clone with the aim of creating potentially attenuated virus stocks.
THE VARIATIONAL METHOD APPLIED TO THE MONOENERGETIC BOLTZMANN EQUATION. PART II

The monoenergetic integro-differential Boltzmann equation with an arbitrary scattering kernel is transformed to a self-adjoint form and the corresponding Lagrangian written. It is shown that this transformation results in a loss of the continuity (neutron conservation) information contained by the Boltzmann equation. This information is recovered by writing the directionai flux as the sum of an even and odd function (in angie) and considering a self- adjoint Lagrangian for only one portion (even or odd) of the directional flux. This procedure is shown to be equivalent to separating the nonself-adjointness from the Boltzmann operator. Further, it is shown that this self-adjoint principle is an extremum principle if the mean number of secondaries per collision is less than one. This self-adjoint formalism is appiied to the angular expansion of the directionai flux which results in an improved diffusion theory. Numerical results for the linear extrapolation distance and diffusion coefficient are compared with the ciassical (P -- 1) diffusion theory. (auth)
WHEN YOU JUST CANNOT GET AWAY: Exploring the use of information and communication technologies in facilitating negative work/home spillover

The continuing evolution of information and communication technologies (ICTs), such as Internet-connected computers and cellular phones, provides a means for increased work/home permeability and for current work/home boundaries to be redefined as workers can potentially be accessible by employers and family/friends at all times. This transformation of work/home boundaries can open the individual to increased levels of negative spillover, wherein aspects of one role negatively impact or impede upon another. This investigation uses data from the Work-Life and Technology Use Survey to determine if ICT use plays a role in defining work/home boundaries and serves as a significant predictor of negative spillover in both the work-to-home and home-to-work directions. Results show that frequency of engaging in ICT-related activities (e.g. checking email and using Facebook) is associated with negative spillover in both directions, suggesting that ICTs may play a significant role in facilitating negative work/home s...
Energetics of locomotion by the Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster): a comparison of swimming and running in a semi-aquatic mammal.

Semi-aquatic mammals occupy a precarious evolutionary position, having to function in both aquatic and terrestrial environments without specializing in locomotor performance in either environment. To examine possible energetic constraints on semi-aquatic mammals, we compared rates of oxygen consumption for the Australian water rat (Hydromys chrysogaster) using different locomotor behaviors: swimming and running. Aquatic locomotion was investigated as animals swam in a water flume at several speeds, whereas water rats were run on a treadmill to measure metabolic effort during terrestrial locomotion. Water rats swam at the surface using alternate pelvic paddling and locomoted on the treadmill using gaits that included walk, trot and half-bound. Water rats were able to run at twice their maximum swimming velocity. Swimming metabolic rate increased with velocity in a pattern similar to the ‘humps’ and ‘hollows’ for wave drag experienced by bodies moving at the water surface. Metabolic rate increased linearly during running. Over equivalent velocities, the metabolic rate for running was 13–40 % greater than for swimming. The minimum cost of transport for swimming (2.61 J N-1 m-1) was equivalent to values for other semi-aquatic mammals. The lowest cost for running (2.08 J N-1 m-1) was 20 % lower than for swimming. When compared with specialists at the extremes of the terrestrial-aquatic continuum, the energetic costs of locomoting either in water or on land were high for the semi-aquatic Hydromys chrysogaster. However, the relative costs for H. chrysogaster were lower than when an aquatic specialist attempts to move on land or a terrestrial specialist attempts to swim.
Canonical realization of Chua's circuit family

A new canonical piecewise-linear circuit capable of realizing every member of the Chua's circuit family is presented. It contains only six two-terminal elements: five of them are linear resistors, capacitors, and inductors, and only one element is a three-segment piecewise-linear resistor. It is canonical in the sense that (1) it can exhibit all possible phenomena associated with any three-region symmetric piecewise-linear continuous vector fields and (2) it contains the minimum number of circuit elements needed for such a circuit. This circuit is used to prove a theorem that specifies the constraint on the types of eigenvalue patterns associated with a piecewise-linear continuous vector field having three equilibrium points. This theorem has an explicit physical meaning and unifies the corresponding theorem in the work of L.O. Chua et al. (1986) and C.P. Silva and L.O. Chua et al. (1988). Also presented are some computer simulation results for this circuit, including some new attractors that have not been observed before. >
Single-band model for diluted magnetic semiconductors: Dynamical and transport properties and relevance of clustered states

Dynamical and transport properties of a simple single-band spin-fermion lattice model for (III,Mn)V diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS's) is here discussed using Monte Carlo simulations. This effort is a continuation of previous work [G. Alvarez et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 277202 (2002)] where the static properties of the model were studied. The present results support the view that the relevant regime of $J/t$ (standard notation) is that of intermediate coupling, where carriers are only partially trapped near Mn spins, and locally ordered regions (clusters) are present above the Curie temperature ${T}_{C}.$ This conclusion is based on the calculation of the resistivity vs temperature, that shows a soft metal-to-insulator transition near ${T}_{C},$ as well on the analysis of the density-of-states and optical conductivity. In addition, in the clustered regime a large magnetoresistance is observed in simulations. Formal analogies between DMS's and manganites are also discussed.
Effects of metals Cu, Fe, Ni, V, and Zn on rat lung epithelial cells.

Abstract Inhalation of combustion-derived particulate matter can have a variety of negative impacts on human health. Metals are known to play a substantial role in these effects, however, the interactions between cellular responses caused by multiple metals is not well understood. The impact of metals (Zn, Cu, Ni, V, and Fe) individually and in combination on a rat lung epithelial cell line (RLE-6TN) was evaluated. Quantifications involved measurement of inhibition of cell culture metabolism (mitochondrial succinate dehydrogenase activity), cell death, mechanisms of cell death, and cytokine secretion. The ranking of metal toxicity based on TC50 values is V>Zn>Cu>Ni>Fe. Interactions were observed for exposures containing multiple metals: Zn+V, Zn+Cu, Zn+Fe, and Zn+Ni. Zn appears to diminish the negative impact of V and Cu; has an additive effect with Ni, and has no substantial effect on Fe toxicity.
Longitudinal Effects of Corporate Social Responsibility on Customer Relationships

Despite the emergence of corporate social responsibility, the impact of CSR efforts on customer relationships remains decidedly unclear. Moreover, previous studies have examined CSR in cross-sectional, experimental, and/or artificial settings. Through field survey data collected at both the beginning (n = 750) and conclusion (n = 469) of the 2007–2008 NBA season, the authors investigate linkages between customers’ perceptions of the CSR performance of an NBA team and the strength of their relationship with this same organization. With all respondents of the latter survey participating in both samples, the authors assess how CSR performance impacts customer relationships over time. The findings show how a firm that engages in CSR initiatives may reap rewards by building trusting and committed customer relationships which, in turn, help forge desirable customer behaviors. The results also demonstrate how CSR’s influence strengthens over the course of the tested business cycle, thus yielding revealing insights to academics and practitioners when it comes to understanding the real-world impact of CSR performance for strengthening customer relationships.
Proposed metrics on ecosystem health

Socio-technical ecosystems represent a complex and dynamic system of development distributed over individuals and organizations that act as collaborators, competitors, suppliers and users that mimic the predator-prey relationships in a natural ecosystem. Understanding the health of an ecosystem provides strategic information on the state and trajectory of that ecosystem. This paper instantiates and evaluates one proposed conceptual ecosystem health framework in the context of a research consortium managing the production of network analysis tools. We populated the conceptual ecosystem health framework with specific measures and applied that instantiation of the framework to the network analysis ecosystem surrounding the Cytoscape Consortium. We identified issues in both the ecosystem health framework and the Cytoscape Consortium that will drive our investigation and collection of data in the future. Current means of assessing ecosystem participants lack sophistication necessary to accurately quantify and reason about the impacts of orchestration and strategic planning in ecosystem health analysis, in addition to understanding the impacts of different types of actors participating in ecosystems.
Cognitive processes in architectural design problem solving

Abstract The purpose of this research is to explore the cognitive mechanisms involved in architectural design problem solving. Special attention is given to how design constraints operate throughout the whole process. A proposed cognitive model describes the general cognitive procedure. Schema theory applied from cognitive psychology stimulates the representation of domain-specific knowledhe. The application of production system detects the control strategy, and a laboratory experiment of a residential design is conducted for protocol analysis. Evidence collected from the analysis yields two results. First, that design solutions are generated by means of activating the design constraints and associated rules in memory. Second, that the design ability is determined by the ability to select rules in schema as well as the ability to develop new schema to test newly generated design units.
Lattice gas model for the metal-electrolyte interface

Abstract A lattice model is proposed for the physical properties of the metal-electrolyte interface. It is shown that near the electrode where the potential and the electric field are very high, the continuum model of Gouy and others breaks down, but the lattice model gives a physically reasonable description of the properties of the electrolyte in the interface region.
Solvent effects on redox reactions. 2. The Cr(II) reduction of tris(pentane-2,4-dionato)cobalt(lII) in water/acetone solvent mixtures

Abstract The Cr(II) reduction of Co(ptdn)3 (ptdn  pentane- 2,4-dionato) was studied in various acetone/water mixtures. The activation parameters were measured over a temperature range of 25–45 °C and were found to vary in a complex, non-linear fashion. Three pathways for reduction were observed: outer sphere, mono-bridged inner-sphere and di-bridged innersphere. Only the di-bridged pathway showed an acid dependence. The results are discussed in terms of the nature of the solvent mixture and its effect on the reactants and the transition state. The δH‡ and δS‡ tend to change in such a manner that deviations in δG‡ are minimized, although the existence of any isokinetic relationships could not be established. This behavior is compared with that of other redox systems reported to be studied in mixed solvents. Possible reasons for the observation of the di-bridged pathway, which is not observed in water, are presented.
Nontraditional careers for women: A prototypical example

A nationwide survey of a stratified sample of 461 Army ROTC college cadets and 470 of their non-ROTC schoolmates was conducted in order to investigate sex and racial differences in military-related perceptions and attitudes. This article focuses on survey findings dealing with sex differences in respondents' military socialization, knowledge of ROTC and the Army, attitudes toward ROTC and the Army, and behavioral intentions with respect to a military career. Female cadets had (1) fewer military socializing influences, (2) less accurate knowledge about ROTC and the Army, (3) more favorable attitudes toward ROTC and the Army, and (4) less favorable intentions regarding military service than male cadets. Findings 2, 3, and 4 were also obtained in the noncadet schoolmate group; however, in this group, there were no significant sex differences in military socializing influences. A model based on these findings is developed as a starting point for attempts to account for the higher attrition rates of women in the military.
Cholestyramine feeding in weaned rats. Increase in plasma corticosterone levels and bile acid synthesis following adrenalectomy.

Abstract Feeding cholestyramine to weaned rats increased the bile acid pool and activity of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase as expected. Following adrenalectomy, cholestyramine still increased the activity of cholesterol 7α-hydroxylase but the magnitude of increase was lower ( P
Effect of thermal fluctuations on magnetization reversal of L10 FePt nanoparticles

The temperature-dependent switching field, magnetic viscosity and activation volume of L10 FePt nanoparticles with size ranging from 3 to 15 nm have been studied systematically. It is found that the anisotropy constant increases with particle size which is attributed to size-dependent chemical ordering. The temperature dependence of magnetic viscosity and activation volume can be well explained for the 3–8 nm particles by the Stoner–Wohlfarth model incorporating thermal activation, but the model is not suitable for the 15 nm particles. A quantitative analysis of the relation between the switching field and activation volume suggests that the magnetization in the single-crystal 3–8 nm particles reverses via coherent rotation. However, the magnetization reversal in polycrystalline 15 nm particles cannot be well described by coherent rotation although the particle size is much smaller than the single-domain size derived from bulk L10 FePt magnetic material, which may be due to the multiple crystals within each nanoparticle.
Synthesis of Fluorinated Oligomers toward Physical Vapor Deposition Molecular Electronics Candidates

New electron-deficient fluorinated oligo(phenylene ethynylenes) (OPEs) with varied functional groups were synthesized as free thiols, nitriles, and pyridines, ready to be used for surface adhesion. Calculated dipole moments suggest better matching between energy levels of bulk interfaces and molecular frontier orbitals when compared to nonfluorinated OPEs. Differential scanning calorimetry confirmed a higher thermal stability than the nonfluorinated counterparts. Surface analysis by ellipsometry, contact angle goniometry, cyclic voltammetry, and surface infrared and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy verified that the OPEs chemisorb on Au and Pt surfaces. On the basis of the physical properties of the fluorinated OPEs, they might be useful in future physical vapor deposition techniques, methods that are typically used in standard semiconductor fabrication processes.