cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
From connect-exchange to ConnectX: the (iterative) story of a mobile app

Students and faculty studying abroad do not have one multipurpose tool they can use to document and reflect upon their experiences, as well as navigate and understand unfamiliar cultures. To address this, we designed a mobile application that supports and fosters intercultural competence through content sharing. Users tag their media with relevant terms and post it to a stream, allowing peers to interact with others' cross-cultural experiences. We conducted interviews that challenged preconceived proto-personas and allowed us to follow iterative methods to develop a mobile environment that fulfills the need for reflecting upon intercultural situations before, during, and after study abroad.
The Plane Facts of PCP in the CNS

Planar cell polarity (PCP) pathways have been defined by their ability to direct the development of obviously polarized cellular architectures. Recent studies indicate that PCP pathways also regulate aspects of cell morphology that are not restricted to the plane of the epithelium. In the developing nervous system, PCP-mediated changes in the cytoskeleton are fundamental to neuronal migration, neuronal polarity, axon guidance, and dendritic arborization, highlighting the importance of "planar polarity" genes for defining the shape of a neuron in all dimensions.
Risk of Upper Gastrointestinal Cancers in Patients With Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease After a Negative Screening Endoscopy

Background & Aims Practice guidelines recommend a 1-time screening endoscopy for patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) who are at high risk for Barrett's esophagus or malignancy. However, little is known about the risk of cancer in patients with negative findings from screening endoscopies. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study using data from 121 Veterans Health Administration facilities nationwide to determine the incidence rate of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) separately, as well as any upper gastrointestinal cancers, in patients with an initial negative screening endoscopy (esophagogastroduodenoscopy [EGD]). We included veteran patients with GERD diagnosed between 2004 and 2009 who had a negative screening EGD within 1 year of diagnosis. We estimated the incidence rate of EA, and any upper gastrointestinal cancer, in patients with GERD who had a negative screening EGD. We examined differences in demographic, clinical, and facility factors among patients with and without cancer. Results We identified 68,610 patients with GERD and a negative screening EGD (mean age, 55.5 y; 90% men; 67.5% white). During a mean follow-up period of 3.2 years, 10 patients developed EA and 29 patients developed any upper gastrointestinal malignancies, including EA. The incidence of subsequent EA in this group was 4.6/100,000 patient-years of follow-up evaluation, whereas the incidence of any upper gastrointestinal cancers was 13.2/100,000 patient-years of follow-up evaluation. Patients with a subsequent cancer were significantly older and had higher comorbidity scores than patients without cancer. Other clinical and facility factors did not differ significantly between these 2 groups. Conclusions The risk of cancer is low, over a mean 3-year period, for patients with GERD who had a negative screening endoscopy. These findings justify recommendations for a 1-time screening endoscopy for patients with GERD.
Controlled Electrostatic Gating of Carbon Nanotube FET Devices

Carbon nanotube transistors are a promising platform for the next generation of nonoptical biosensors. However, the exact nature of the biomolecule interactions with nanotubes in these devices remains unknown, creating one of the major obstacles to their practical use. We assembled alternating layers of oppositely charged polyelectrolytes on the carbon nanotube transistors to mimic gating of these devices by charged molecules. The devices showed reproducible oscillations of the transistor threshold voltage depending on the polarity of the outer polymer layer in the multilayer film. This behavior shows excellent agreement with the predictions of a simple electrostatic model. Finally, we demonstrate that complex interactions of adsorbed species with the device substrate and the surrounding electrolyte can produce significant and sometimes unexpected effects on the device characteristics.
The electronic book-a user's wishlist

The author takes a far-reaching look at the types of facility he believes should be accommodated by future electronic book delivery platforms and the publications that run on them. He suggests that the delivery platforms should be highly portable, light-weight, pocket-sized, self-powered and have a storage capacity of at least two gigabytes. They should be capable of using both ambient and self-illumination facilities and should be able to run for at least ten hours before a re-charge is necessary. In addition to displaying information visually, the author suggests that future book platforms should be capable of converting text to high quality speech output. As well as considering the basic properties of future delivery platforms he also considers important issues associated with piracy, and copyright. He discusses the lending of copyright material to other users without infringing either the copyright owner's rights or the traditional right of the owner of the book to lend it to a friend.
On Valuing The Arts

(2007). On Valuing The Arts. The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society: Vol. 37, No. 2, pp. 170-172.
Deconstructing the “Mommy Wars”: The Battle Over the Best Mom

ABSTRACT Popular press, family policies, and celebrity therapists are a few of the outlets that portray working mothers in a negative light. In this public dialogue, working mothers are blamed for a multitude of social problems, while many of the real social issues related to working families are ignored. In the popular discourse known as the “Mommy Wars,” working mothers and stay-at-home mothers are pitted against each other by asking, “Who is the better mommy?” However, this media driven war effectively diverts our attention away from real problems and solutions for working parents. As family therapists we have many opportunities to assist our clients in achieving equality and increased balance in their lives, as well as provide education about what factors lead to overall family well-being. We can place client problems in social context in order to increase awareness and educated decision making about family arrangements that work best for their unique circumstances, that are not based on media generat...
Thalamic and brainstem contributions to large-scale plasticity of primate somatosensory cortex

After long-term denervation of an upper limb in macaque monkeys, the representation of the face in somatosensory cortex expands over many millimeters into the silenced representation of the hand. Various brainstem and cortical mechanisms have been proposed to explain this phenomenon. Reorganization in the thalamus has been largely ignored. In monkeys with deafferented upper limbs for 12 to 20 years, it was found that the brainstem cuneate and the thalamic ventral posterior nuclei had undergone severe transneuronal atrophy, and physiological mapping in the thalamus revealed that the face and trunk representations were adjoined while the normally small representation of the lower face had expanded comparable to the expansion in cortex. Reorganization of brainstem and thalamic nuclei associated with slow transneuronal atrophy is likely to be a progressive process. When coupled with divergence of ascending connections, it is likely to make a substantial contribution to representational changes in cortex.
Economic consequences of a rise in defense spending after September 11, 2001

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the effects of a rise in defense spending on key macroeconomic variables since September 11, 2001. For examining the effects of the rise in defense spending, empirical models were developed for GDP, employment, trade deficit, and budget deficit. In addition to estimation results, simulations were made to assess the effect of defense spending employing the empirical models. Findings reveal that the rise in defense spending had a favorable impact on GDP and employment but led to larger trade and budget deficits.
Nucleation in analytical chemistry—II: Nucleation and precipitation of silver chloride from homogeneous solution

Abstract The nucleation and precipitation of silver chloride from homogeneous solution have been examined. Critical supersaturations of silver chloride were determined ; however, they were observed to be qualitatively different from the critical supersaturation of classical nucleation theory, and were interpreted as being dependent on the rates of both nucleation and crystal growth. The precipitation rate is not constant throughout a precipitation from homogeneous solution, but varies considerably during the early portion of the precipitation. Both this early variation in precipitation rate and the number of particles and their size distribution can be controlled to some extent by varying the concentrations of the reactants.
Effect of a high dose of gemfibrozil in patients with hypertriglyceridemia and decreased high-density lipoprotein cholesterol

Abstract After 8 weeks of dietary stabilization, 25 hypertriglyceridemic (plasma triglyceride [TG] >250 mg/dL) patients with below-average high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were randomized to receive gemfibrozil for 12 weeks in dosages of 600 mg twice daily or 600 mg in the morning and 1200 mg at night. Of the 25 patients who completed the study, 13 received the recommended dose of 1200 mg/d and 12 received 1800 mg/d. Patients receiving 1800 mg/d had significantly reduced plasma total cholesterol (TC) levels compared with the 1200-mg/d group (19% vs 12%, P = 0.05). No significant differences in the changes in TG, HDL cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, apolipoprotein A-I (apo A-I), lipoprotein (a) (Lp[a]), or lipoprotein A-I particles (LpA-I) were found between the two treatment groups. Among all patients, gemfibrozil treatment significantly reduced plasma TC and TG levels and raised HDL cholesterol. Gemfibrozil also decreased plasma LpA-I and coenzyme Q concentrations. High-dose (1800 mg/d) gemfibrozil treatment offers little advantage over the recommended dose (1200 mg/d) in the treatment of patients with hypertriglyceridemia and low HDL cholesterol.
Problem-Action Responses and Emotions in Thematic Apperception Test Stories Recounted By Alcoholic Patients

(1953). Problem-Action Responses and Emotions in Thematic Apperception Test Stories Recounted By Alcoholic Patients. The Journal of Psychology: Vol. 35, No. 2, pp. 201-226.
X-ray diffraction by a one-dimensional paracrystal of limited size

An explicit equation for X-ray diffraction by a finite one-dimensional paracrystal is derived. Based on this equation, the broadenings of reflections due to limited size and disorder are discussed. It depicts the paracrystalline diffraction over the whole reciprocal space, including the small-angle region where it degenerates into the Guinier equation for small-angle X-ray scattering. Positions of diffraction peaks by paracrystals are not periodic. Peaks shift to lower angles compared to those predicted by the average lattice constant. The shifts increase with increasing order of reflections and degree of disorder. If the heights and widths of the paracrystalline diffraction are treated as reduced quantities, they are functions of a single variable, N1/2 g. The width of the first diffraction depends mostly on size broadening for a natural paracrystal, where N1/2 g = 0.1-0.2. A method to measure the paracrystalline disorder and size using a single diffraction profile is proposed based on the equation of paracrystal diffraction. An initial value of size may be obtained using the Scherrer equation, that of the degree of disorder is then estimated by the alpha * law. Final values of the parameters are determined through least-squares refinement against observed profiles. An equation of diffraction by a polydisperse one-dimensional paracrystal system is presented for 'box' distribution of sizes. The width of the diffraction decreases with increasing breadth of the size distribution.
THE TAX LITIGATION DECISION: AN ANALYSIS OF THE SMALL CLAIMS DIVISION OF THE U.S. TAX COURT*

One of the more difficult but intriguing problems in the tax field is the decision of when (and how) to settle tax disputes with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and when (and how) to litigate. Research in this area of decision making is limited and has concentrated on the probability of winning in the judicial system. This paper examines the tax litigation decision for suits in the Small Claims Division of the U.S. Tax Court. Four examples are presented which involve varying degrees of information regarding the likelihood of a settlement and differing risk attitudes. The maximum amount the taxpayer should be willing to spend in pursuing litigation is derived for each case.
Using visual analytics to maintain situation awareness in astrophysics

We present a novel collaborative visual analytics application for cognitively overloaded users in the astrophysics domain. The system was developed for scientists needing to analyze heterogeneous, complex data under time pressure, and then make predictions and time-critical decisions rapidly and correctly under a constant influx of changing data. The Sunfall Data Taking system utilizes several novel visualization and analysis techniques to enable a team of geographically distributed domain specialists to effectively and remotely maneuver a custom-built instrument under challenging operational conditions. Sunfall Data Taking has been in use for over eighteen months by a major international astrophysics collaboration (the largest data volume supernova search currently in operation), and has substantially improved the operational efficiency of its users. We describe the system design process by an interdisciplinary team, the system architecture, and the results of an informal usability evaluation of the production system by domain experts in the context of Endsleypsilas three levels of situation awareness.
Altered coordination patterns in parkinsonian patients during trunk-assisted prehension

We examined whether coordination between movement components during trunk-assisted prehension was compromised in PD patients in response to varying constraints (experiment 1: reach speed, object size, movement amplitude; experiment 2: movement sequence). In general, both PD patients and controls responded similarly to the changes in these three variables. PD patients, however, demonstrated less synchronized movements in terms of timing between onsets and offsets of aperture formation, endpoint motion and trunk motion. In addition, PD patients used a pattern different from that of controls in specifying the relative contribution of trunk and arm to the endpoint motion. A significant group difference was observed in that controls tended to synchronize the involved movement components together, whereas PD patients did not show such a trend. These data suggest that PD patients have intact parameterization capabilities, although they have a reduced capability to coordinate multiple neuromotor synergies as a single unit.
Reduced complexity sphere decoding via a reordered lattice representation

In this letter, we propose a reordering of the channel representation for Sphere Decoding (SD) where the real and imaginary parts of each jointly detected symbol are decoded independently. Making use of the proposed structure along with a scalar quantization technique, we reduce the decoding complexity substantially. We show that this approach achieves 85% reduction in the overall complexity compared to the conventional SD for a 2 times 2 system, and 92% reduction for the 4 times 4 and 6 times 6 cases at low SNR values, and almost 50% at high SNR, thus relaxing the requirements for hardware implementation.
Contrast amplification in global texture orientation discrimination.

We show that adding a low-contrast texture stimulus that is far below its own detection threshold to an ambiguously oriented high-contrast texture can produce an easily perceived global orientation. When such a low-contrast (e.g., 0.1%) test texture and a high-contrast (e.g., 2%) amplifier texture are interleaved, the effective strength for global orientation detection closely approximatestheproductofthetwocontrasts. Therefore,addingtwoambiguoustextures,anamplifiertextureat 5� its threshold contrast for global orientation discrimination and a test texture at 1/5� its threshold contrast, produces threshold global orientation discrimination, that is, 5� amplification of the below-threshold test texture. The observed 5� amplification factors are larger than facilitation effects reported in other pattern tasks. Amplification is 11� when orientation discrimination thresholds are comparedtoabsolutedetectionthresholds.Forsecond-ordertextures,maximumcontrastamplificationisabout2.5� .Acontrast gain control model is presented that accounts for 90% of the variance in observeddVfor texture patterns of differing geometries, exposure durations, and component contrasts. In the model, very low-contrast orientations are represented by power functions of their contrasts, with an exponent greater than two. As the contrast of an amplifier texture increases beyond about 4%, feedforward gain control exerted by the amplifier ultimately nullifies the amplification effect and produces masking.
Paul meier on legal consulting

In addition to his contributions to biostatistics and clinical trials, Paul Meier had a long-term interest in the legal applications of statistics. As part of this, he had extensive experience as a statistical consultant. Legal consulting can be a minefield, but as a result of his background, Paul had excellent advice to give to those starting out on how to function successfully in this environment.
Can Stress Radiography of the Knee Help Characterize Posterolateral Corner Injury

Background Conventional MRI is limited for characterizing the posterolateral corner of the knee due to the region’s anatomic variability and complexity; further, MRI is a static study and cannot demonstrate pathologic laxity. Stress radiography may provide additional information about instability.
Intestinal Lesions Associated with Disseminated Candidiasis in an Experimental Animal Model

In human patients, disseminated candidiasis, a life-threatening disease for immunocompromised patients, is often associated with intestinal lesions. In this study, we demonstrate that immunosuppressed gnotobiotic (IGB) piglets orally inoculated with wild-type Candida albicans developed extensive intestinal lesions and disseminated infection. Severe ulceration of the ileal mucosa was observed overlying regions of colonization and necrosis of the gut-associated lymphoid tissue. Despite the high susceptibility of IGB piglets to many microbial pathogens, an avirulent mutant strain of C. albicans failed to produce intestinal lesions and exhibited poor dissemination, demonstrating that these effects required virulent organisms. It is likely that in IGB piglets, as in human patients, intestinal lesions provide the mechanism for escape of C. albicans from the gastrointestinal tract. Multinucleated giant cells containing fungal organisms were observed within lymph nodes and lymphatic vessels, and as with other pathogens, such cells could provide a mechanism for dissemination of C. albicans.
Enhancing the intensities of lysine-terminated tryptic peptide ions in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry.

Tryptic digests of three proteins are reacted with O-methylisourea in order to convert lysine residues to homoarginines. The resulting homoarginine-terminated peptides exhibit more intense MALDI mass spectral peaks than their lysine-terminated predecessors. This simple chemical reaction should therefore facilitate protein sequencing and mass mapping. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of cis-Acting Elements That Mediate the Replication and Maintenance of Human Papillomavirus Type 16 Genomes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Papillomaviruses contain small double-stranded DNA genomes that are maintained in persistently infected mammalian host epithelia as nuclear plasmids and rely upon the host replication machinery for replication. Papillomaviruses encode a DNA helicase, E1, which can specifically bind to the viral genome and support DNA synthesis. Under some conditions in mammalian cells, E1 is not required for viral DNA synthesis, leading to the hypothesis that papillomavirus DNA can be replicated solely by the host replication machinery. This machinery is highly conserved among eukaryotes. We and others found that papillomavirus DNA could replicate in a simple eukaryote, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Specifically, papillomavirus DNA could substitute for the function of the autonomously replicating sequence (ARS) and centromere (CEN) elements that are normally both required for the stable replication of extrachromosomal DNAs in yeast. Furthermore, this form of replication in yeast was E1 independent. In this study, we map the elements in the human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV16) genome that can substitute for yeast ARS and CEN elements. A single element, termed rep, was identified that can substitute for ARS, and multiple elements, termed mtc, could substitute for CEN. The location of one of these mtc elements overlaps the location of rep, and this approximately 1,000-bp region of HPV16 was sufficient to support stable replication of a bacterial-yeast shuttle plasmid deleted of both ARS and CEN elements.
Re-Writing Maastricht: The Politics of the 1999 Inter-Governmental Conference

The Treaty on European Union (1993), otherwise known as the Maastricht Treaty, made provisions for the convening of an intergovernmental conference to be held during 1996 in order to make revisions to that treaty as required. This paper examines the negotiations surrounding the 1996–97 intergovernmental conference and asks why some issues were successfully incorporated into the new Treaty of Amsterdam which emerged, while others were not. Particular attention is paid to the domestic constraints which several EU leaders faced as they approached the bargaining table, and which effectively blocked compromise. This paper argues that the post-Maastricht political environment has produced a more realistic view of what is politically possible, but that this has resulted in a new treaty which is uncertain and weak.
Parkin selectively alters the intrinsic threshold for mitochondrial cytochrome c release

Autosomal-recessive mutations in the Parkin gene are the second most common cause of familial Parkinson's disease (PD). Parkin deficiency leads to the premature demise of the catecholaminergic neurons of the ventral midbrain in familial PD. Thus, a better understanding of parkin function may elucidate molecular aspects of their selective vulnerability in idiopathic PD. Numerous lines of evidence suggest a mitochondrial function for parkin and a protective effect of ectopic parkin expression. Since mitochondria play a critical role in cell survival/cell death through regulated cytochrome c release and control of apoptosis, we sought direct evidence of parkin function in this pathway. Mitochondria were isolated from cells expressing either excess levels of human parkin or shRNA directed against endogenous parkin and then treated with peptides corresponding to the active Bcl-2 homology 3 (BH3) domains of pro-apoptotic proteins and the threshold for cytochrome c release was analyzed. Data obtained from both rodent and human neuroblastoma cell lines showed that the expression levels of parkin were inversely correlated with cytochrome c release. Parkin was found associated with isolated mitochondria, but its binding per se was not sufficient to inhibit cytochrome c release. In addition, pathogenic parkin mutants failed to influence cytochrome c release. Furthermore, PINK1 expression had no effect on cytochrome c release, suggesting a divergent function for this autosomal recessive PD-linked gene. In summary, these data demonstrate a specific autonomous effect of parkin on mitochondrial mechanisms governing cytochrome c release and apoptosis, which may be relevant to the selective vulnerability of certain neuronal populations in PD.
The association of physical activity with lung cancer incidence in a cohort of older women: the Iowa Women's Health Study

Background: We examined the potential association between physical activity and lung cancer in women. Methods: In 1986, 36,929 women from Iowa, who were free of prior cancer, completed a questionnaire regarding physical activity, smoking, body mass index, and other life-style factors. Women were followed through 2002 for cancer incidence. Results: After adjusting for potential confounders, women with high physical activity levels were less likely [hazard ratio, 0.77; 95% confidence intervals (CI), 0.64-0.94] to develop lung cancer than women with low activity levels. This hazard ratio was 0.72 (95% CI, 0.55-0.94) in current smokers and 0.63 (95% CI, 0.43-0.92) in former smokers, but was not significant in never smokers. Conclusion: These results suggest that physical activity might reduce the risk of lung cancer in women who are current or former smokers. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2006;15(12):2359–64)
Covalent attachment of oligodeoxyribonucleotides to amine-modified Si (001) surfaces

A recently described reaction for the UV-mediated attachment of alkenes to silicon surfaces is utilized as the basis for the preparation of functionalized silicon surfaces. UV light mediates the reaction of t-butyloxycarbonyl (t-BOC) protected ω-unsaturated aminoalkane (10-aminodec-1-ene) with hydrogen-terminated silicon (001). Removal of the t-BOC protecting group yields an aminodecane-modified silicon surface. The resultant amino groups can be coupled to thiol-modified oligodeoxyribonucleotides using a heterobifunctional crosslinker, permitting the preparation of DNA arrays. Two methods for controlling the surface density of oligodeoxyribonucleotides were explored: in the first, binary mixtures of 10-aminodec-1-ene and dodecene were utilized in the initial UV-mediated coupling reaction; a linear relationship was found between the mole fraction of aminodecene and the density of DNA hybridization sites. In the second, only a portion of the t-BOC protecting groups was removed from the surface by limiting the time allowed for the deprotection reaction. The oligodeoxyribonucleotide-modified surfaces were extremely stable and performed well in DNA hybridization assays. These surfaces provide an alternative to gold or glass for surface immobilization of oligonucleotides in DNA arrays as well as a route for the coupling of nucleic acid biomolecular recognition elements to semiconductor materials.
Sexual behavior and AIDS in sociocultural perspective.

AIDS its cause effect and possible cure has become a complex sociopsychological issue with ramifications extending far beyond the purely medical sphere. Spreading rapidly with a higher incidence rate recorded among young people the disease transcends the biomedical sphere presenting sociocultural and psychological ramifications that go beyond its physical impact. With a higher incidence rate among male homosexuals the epidemic raises morally sensitive questions which further confuse an already clouded picture. Current knowledge on the sexual transmission of AIDS and the role of male homosexuality demonstrates the need for more serious research into the various social and cultural aspects of homosexuality itself. To this end medical anthropology may provide important information to those dealing with educational and preventive programs for the general population as well as those in high risk groups for acquiring the disease. To identify exactly which homosexual groups are at larger risk for acquiring the disease and to understand the social and cultural components of various sexual practices that apparently put these groups at risk would be a major contribution of the social sciences to the overall research on AIDS epidemiology. TO change life-styles is not an easy task especially when a plethora of social cultural and psychological factors are involved. In the case of AIDS understanding the cultural and social situations in which the disease is being sexually transmitted may prove to be as important as isolating and identifying the infectious agent.
Hiding program slices for software security

Given the high cost of producing software, development of technology for prevention of software piracy is important for the software industry. In this paper we present a novel approach for preventing the creation of unauthorized copies of software. Our approach splits software modules into open and hidden components. The open components are installed (executed) on an insecure machine while the hidden components are installed (executed) on a secure machine. We assume that while open components can be stolen, to obtain a fully functioning copy of the software, the hidden components must be recovered. We describe an algorithm that constructs hidden components by slicing the original software components. We argue that recovery of hidden components constructed through slicing, in order to obtain a fully functioning copy of the software, is a complex task. We further develop security analysis to capture the complexity of recovering hidden components. Finally we apply our technique to several large Java programs to study the complexity of recovering constructed hidden components and to measure the runtime overhead introduced by splitting of software into open and hidden components.
Identification of Uncommon Noncrystalline Solids as Glasses

Physical properties of uncommon noncrystalline amorphous silica, alumina, magnesium fluoride and gold-silicon alloy examined for identification as glasses
Improving the penetration of ototopicals through tympanostomy tubes: Role of surfactants

Summary Objective To evaluate the ability of surfactants to increase the penetration of ototopicals through tympanostomy tubes (TT). Methods An in vitro model was used to test the penetration of ototopicals with and without two surfactants (docusate sodium and beractant) through fluoroplastic and titanium TTs. The model was created by placing a TT through a perforation (myringotomy) in a model of the tympanic membrane (silastic sheet) fixed between the ends of two 1 mL syringes. Measurements were recorded of the maximum height various solutions (distilled water, soapy water, ofloxacin otic, ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone otic) achieved before penetrating the TTs (1.27 mm Reuter Bobbin titanium, 1.27 mm fluoroplastic). These same measurements were then performed with the addition of docusate sodium or beractant to the distilled water and each of the ototopical solutions. Results The addition of docusate sodium significantly increased the penetration of water and ofloxacin otic through both types of TTs. It significantly increased penetration of ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone otic through fluoroplastic tubes with a trend towards increased penetration through titanium tubes. Adding beractant showed a modest trend toward increasing the penetration of both ototopicals in fluoroplastic tubes which did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the penetration of ototopicals through TTs can be improved by the addition of surfactants. Increasing the penetration of ototopicals may make them more effective in treating TT otorrhea. However, we strongly discourage clinicians from using these compounds clinically until their safety has been established.
Metabolic engineering through cofactor manipulation and its effects on metabolic flux redistribution in Escherichia coli.

Applications of genetic engineering or metabolic engineering have increased in both academic and industrial institutions. Most current metabolic engineering studies have focused on enzyme levels and on the effect of the amplification, addition, or deletion of a particular pathway. Although it is generally known that cofactors play a major role in the production of different fermentation products, their role has not been thoroughly and systematically studied. It is conceivable that in cofactor-dependent production systems, cofactor availability and the proportion of cofactor in the active form may play an impor- tant role in dictating the overall process yield. Hence, the manipula- tion of these cofactor levels may be crucial in order to further increase production. We have demonstrated that manipulation of cofactors can be achieved by external and genetic means and these manipulations have the potential to be used as an additional tool to achieve desired metabolic goals. We have shown experimentally that the NADH/NAD + ratio can be altered by using carbon sources with different oxidation states. We have shown further that the metabolite distribution can be influenced by a change in the NADH/NAD + ratio as mediated by the oxidation state of the carbon source used. We have also demonstrated that the total NAD(H/ + ) levels can be increased by the overexpression of the pncB gene. The increase in the total NAD(H/ + ) levels can be achieved even in a complex medium, which is commonly used by most industrial processes. Finally, we have shown that manipulation of the CoA pool/flux can be used to increase the productivity of a model product, isoamyl acetate. © 2002 Elsevier Science (USA)
A generic framework for context-dependent fusion with application to landmine detection

We present a novel method for fusing the results of multiple landmine detection algorithms that use different types of features and different classification methods. Our approach, called Context Extraction for Local Fusion (CELF), is motivated by the fact that the relative performance of different detectors can vary significantly depending on the mine type, geographical site, soil and weather conditions, and burial depth. CELF is a local approach that adapts the fusion method to different regions of the feature space. It is based on a novel objective function that combines context identification and multi-algorithm fusion criteria into a joint objective function. This objective function is defined and optimized to produce contexts via unsupervised clustering while simultaneously providing optimal fusion parameters for each context. Results on large and diverse Ground Penetrating Radar data collections show that the proposed method can identify meaningful and coherent contexts and that different expert algorithms can be identified for the different contexts. Typically, the contexts correspond to groups of alarm signatures that share common attributes such as mine type, geographical site, soil and weather conditions. Our initial experiments have also indicated that the proposed context-dependent fusion outperforms all individual detectors and other standard fusion methods.
Microbiological Spoilage of Wine and its Control

This chapter includes the descriptions and origins of various kinds of microbiological spoilage organisms—and the prevention of their presence and the control of their growth if present. It is important for the winemaker to know which spoilage has occurred in any given instance and to understand potential spoilage problems, but obviously it is better to forestall spoilage than to diagnose it. The taxonomic identifications of the yeasts are given in Chapter 4, and the lactic acid bacteria in Chapter 6. For the aerobic bacteria, the taxonomies are given at the end of this chapter.
The Effect of a Holistic Program on Health-Promoting Behaviors in Hospital Registered Nurses:

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to examine the effect of a holistic program, the Collaborative Care Model (CCM) Program, and the development of a self-care plan on health-promoting behaviors in hospital nurses. Design: A quasi-experimental, pretest, posttest, repeated measure, comparison-group design was used. Method: The study was conducted in a large, academic medical center in the northeast. The experimental group included registered nurses (RNs) from units in one institution introduced to the CCM and development of a self-care plan in an 8-hour program. The control group received no intervention. Data were collected using the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II instrument (HPLP II); a 52-question Likert-type scale with six subscales examining health-promoting behaviors. Findings: Using repeated measures analysis of variance there was a significant increase (p = .02) in the overall HPLP II mean, spirituality ( p = .04), interpersonal relations (p = .04), and nutrition scores (p = .04) of the ex...
Cactus Application: Performance Predictions in Grid Environments

The Cactus software is representative for a whole class of scientific applications; typically those that are tightly coupled, have regular space decomposition, and huge memory and processor time requirements. Cactus proved to be a valuable tool for astrophysicists, who first initiated its development. However, today's fastest supercomputers are not powerful enough to perform realistically large astrophysics simulations with Cactus. The emergence of innovative resource environments like Grids satisfies this need for computational power. Our paper addresses issues related to the execution of applications like Cactus in Grid environments. We focus on two types of Grids: a set of geographically distributed supercomputers and a collection of the scale of one million Internet-connected workstations. We study the application performance on traditional systems, validate the theoretical results against experimental data, and predict performance in the two new environments.
Feedback stabilization experiment for MHD control with edge current

Two conceptual designs were investigated for an experimental facility with sufficient versatility to evaluate active mode stabilization of high power tokamak edge plasmas. This paper discusses the experimental required to innovative methods for edge control stabilization.
The UCSC Genome Browser database: extensions and updates 2011

The University of California Santa Cruz Genome Browser (http://genome.ucsc.edu) offers online public access to a growing database of genomic sequence and annotations for a wide variety of organisms. The Browser is an integrated tool set for visualizing, comparing, analyzing and sharing both publicly available and user-generated genomic data sets. In the past year, the local database has been updated with four new species assemblies, and we anticipate another four will be released by the end of 2011. Further, a large number of annotation tracks have been either added, updated by contributors, or remapped to the latest human reference genome. Among these are new phenotype and disease annotations, UCSC genes, and a major dbSNP update, which required new visualization methods. Growing beyond the local database, this year we have introduced ‘track data hubs’, which allow the Genome Browser to provide access to remotely located sets of annotations. This feature is designed to significantly extend the number and variety of annotation tracks that are publicly available for visualization and analysis from within our site. We have also introduced several usability features including track search and a context-sensitive menu of options available with a right-click anywhere on the Browser's image.
A New Off-Axis Laser Beamrider Missile Guidance Algorithm

This paper presents the theory behind and some initial test results for a new laser beamrider spatial encoding/decoding technique for a recently developed ofi-axis beamrider guidance method called Side-Scatter Beamrider (SSBR). While conventional laser beamrider (LBR) guidance systems directly transmit a spatially encoded guidance beam from the launch platform’s flre control system to a rear-looking, missile-borne receiver during ∞ight, the SSBR guidance method uses atmospheric scattering of the laser beam in order to communicate indirectly to side-looking receivers on the missile. This is done primarily to communicate around instead of through the obscuration caused by the rocket motor plume. The new SSBR beam decoding algorithm is based on Maximum Likelihood Estimation Theory in which a set of detections from side-looking optical receivers along with known statistical characteristics are combined to form a maximum likelihood estimate of missile position. The probability density functions for detection as a function of angle and range to a given scatter point are modeled in a mathematically tractable fashion in order to utilize this approach. In addition to the theory behind the algorithm, ∞ight test results from the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile (CKEM) technology demonstration program will be presented which validate the theory.
Biochemistry of methyl-coenzyme M reductase: The nickel metalloenzyme that catalyzes the final step in synthesis and the first step in anaerobic oxidation of the greenhouse gas methane

Methane, the major component of natural gas, has been in use in human civilization since ancient times as a source of fuel and light. Methanogens are responsible for synthesis of most of the methane found on Earth. The enzyme responsible for catalyzing the chemical step of methanogenesis is methyl-coenzyme M reductase (MCR), a nickel enzyme that contains a tetrapyrrole cofactor called coenzyme F430, which can traverse the Ni(I), (II), and (III) oxidation states. MCR and methanogens are also involved in anaerobic methane oxidation. This review describes structural, kinetic, and computational studies aimed at elucidating the mechanism of MCR. Such studies are expected to impact the many ramifications of methane in our society and environment, including energy production and greenhouse gas warming.
Beyond “publish or perish”

Experts have been debating whether we are training too many Ph.D.s for the jobs that exist for more than 40 years, but is this really the problem? While acknowledging that some reduction in the number of trainees may be necessary, Leonard Cassuto has a different solution to the glut of graduate trainees. He believes that focusing on how and what we teach, as well as training our students to teach will help improve the career prospects for the next generation of Ph.D.s. In The Graduate School Mess, Cassuto traces the challenges facing graduate institutions, including antiquated admissions policies; incoherent course offerings; esoteric, gatekeeping qualifying exams; long times to degrees; and failure to prepare students for diverse career outcomes. Though these have been described elsewhere, reviewer Johanna Gutlerner praises the novelty of his proposed solutions.
Cybersecurity and the ANZUS Treaty: The Issue of US-Australian Retaliation

On August 12, the 29th anniversary of the first annual Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN), the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Julie Bishop, along with Australian Minister for Defense Senator David Johnston met with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel in Sydney. In a joint press release, they reaffirmed the fifty-three year-old ANZUS Alliance’s "important contribution to the peace, security, and prosperity of the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean regions," in addition to "its enduring value in addressing contemporary and evolving challenges in the regions and throughout the world."
Ethics and Hourly Billing

The basic ethics rules regarding fees are simple. The fee must be reasonable. The rules specify process and disclosure requirements to ensure that the client understands the fee. In the process of collecting the fee, the attorney always must be mindful of the general rule which states that a lawyer must not engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation. Occasionally, attorneys who bill by the hour run afoul of these rules. Unfortunately, the result is damage not only to the particular client, but to lawyers in general. This paper discusses some ethical pitfalls regarding billing.
Cocrystals of 1,3,5,7-Tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane (HMX)

Energetic materials (energetics), including explosives, propellants, and pyrotechnics, are an important class of materials for which performance depends critically on solid-state properties such as density and stability. Cocrystallization is emerging as a strategy to enhance materials properties of new and existing energetics; however, few examples exist where the principles to enable the successful engineering of such cocrystals have been delineated. To address this need, the cocrystallization of 1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazacyclooctane (HMX), a powerful and widely used explosive, was investigated. Seven cocrystals of HMX were structurally elucidated using single crystal X-ray diffraction. These cocrystal structures, in addition to three previously reported structures, reveal at least three distinct structural motifs by which HMX cocrystals form, each dictated by the electronic character and size of the cocrystal former. From these structures, general trends emerge having direct implications for coc...
Pathologic responses of lambs to experimental inoculation with Acholeplasma laidlawii

16. Rock DL, Hagemoser WA, Osorio FA, McAllister HA: 1988, with deletions in the latency and early protein O genes: repliTranscription from the pseudorabies virus genome during latent cation, virulence and immunity in neonatal piglets. J Vet Diagn infection. Arch Virol 98:99-106. Invest O:OOO–OOO. 17. Southern EM: 1975, Detection of specific sequences among 19. Zhu X, Chen J, Young CHS, Silverstein S: 1990, Reactivation DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol 98: of latent herpes simplex virus by adenovirus recombinants en503-518. coding mutant IE-O gene products. J Virol 64:4489-4498. 18. Wesley RD, Cheung AK: 1995, A pseudorabies virus mutant
Fatty acid incorporation into cholesteryl ester and phospholipid by arterial subcellular fractions of swine.

SummaryCholesterol esterifying and phospholipid synthesizing activities were measured with 14C-labeled palmitic, oleic, elaidic, and linoleic acid by subcellular fractions from the thoracic, abdominal aorta, and the coronary arteries of swine. Cholesterol esterification was most active in the microsomal fraction and considerable esterification was also found in the mitochondrial fraction. Oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acid were readily utilized for cholesteryl ester synthesis and elaidic acid was least utilized. Incorporation of fatty acids into phospholipid was very active in the aortic tissue. Most of the phospholipid synthesizing activity was found in the microsomal fraction, although considerable activity was present in the mitochondrial fraction. Among the fatty acids tested, linoleic acid was the most preferential substrate for phospholipid synthesis and the relative order of incorporation into phospholipid was linoleate > oleate > elaidate. In subcellular fractions from grossly normal aortic tissue...