cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mortgage Choice, House Price Externalities, and The Default Rate

We study the pathways by which borrowers and lenders influence house prices and default rates via their choices and offerings of fixed-rate and adjustable-rate mortgage products (FRMs and ARMs) in a two-period setting. We extend previous literature on mortgage choice as a tool for borrower risk screening under asymmetric information by incorporating house price externalities. The novelty in our setup is that house prices in the second period are negatively affected by the first-period default rate. We show that when these negative externalities are large, lenders may benefit by offering a lower ARM rate. This outcome, in turn, influences the likelihood of a separating equilibrium in which high-risk (low-risk) borrowers choose ARMs (FRMs) relative to a pooling equilibrium in which both high-risk and low-risk borrowers receive the same contract. When the impact of the negative house price externalities is small, it is more likely that lenders will offer pooling contracts; however, when the impact of the house price externalities is large, it is more likely that lenders will offer separating contracts. We also compare the equilibrium default rates across different contract offerings and find that when the negative house price externalities are large, the pooling FRM contract or the separating contract tends to offer the lowest default rate; however, when the negative house price externalities are small, the pooling ARM contract may result in the lowest default rate.
The study of Earth‐tides from the variation in latitude

Various experiments have been made at various times and places for detecting the theoretical tide in the Earth's crust caused by the gravitation-action of the moon. The most successful of these, perhaps, has been the Michelson-Gale experiment at the Yerkes Observatory, Williams Bay, Wisconsin. Here the tilt-method was employed, and the water tides observed in a pipe 500 feet long gave substantially the results predicted on the presumption of a solid Earth of coefficient of rigidity 0.6.
Implementing and assessing a blended CS1 course (abstract only)

Whether we like it or not, college administrations and students are increasingly looking for online courses. K-12 schools are increasingly using online content and blending it with standard content. One of the bridges for us between traditional course delivery and online delivery is the blended course. This approach seems well suited to computer science, which often requires work in labs or with specialized equipment or software. It takes the approach of reversing that which is traditionally lecture and assignments, making classes more interactive and students less passive. This poster seeks input on a blended implementation of CS1 and a subsequent SoTL project to test the effectiveness of offering this course in a blended format.
PURIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF AMINOPEPTIDASE FRACTIONS FROM SQUID (ILLEX ILLECEBROSUS) HEPATOPANCREAS

Atlantic short finned squid hepatopancreas (HP) aminopeptidases (APs) were partially separated from endoproteinases to determine their usefulness in accelerating Cheddar cheese ripening. Squid HP endoproteinases were predominantly cysteine proteases. The main peptidases identified in squid HP were APs. Several of the APs identified were metalloproteases and were activated by Ca 2+ , Mn 2+ , Zn 2+ or Mg 2+ salts. Squid HP homogenate was held at pH 7 at 0C for 20 h, incubated with 5 mM ZnSO 4 , fractionated by ammonium sulfate (20-80%) and dialyzed against 25 mM ZnSO 4 . The procedure resulted in a 3-186 fold increase in the ratio of exopeptidase to endoproteinase activity with different AP substrates. Recovery of specific APs ranged between 14-47%. The partially purified squid HP peptidases had a higher ratio ofexopeptidase to endoproteinase activity than two commercial products with AP activity, Flavozyme and Neutrase.
Primary Lymphoma of the Spinal Cord

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas arising in the spinal cord are extremely rare. Only eight single case reports have been well confirmed in the literature. Herein we describe a 59-year-old woman with symptoms attributable to a spinal cord lesion. Physical examination revealed neurologic deficits but no evidence of tumor elsewhere. Although several imaging studies were performed, only magnetic resonance imaging with use of gadolinium revealed the exact site and extent of the lesion. Laminectomy and direct examination of the spinal cord disclosed a discolored region at the level of the 11th thoracic vertebra. A biopsy specimen was obtained, and pathologic examination revealed an intermediate grade, mixed cell lymphoma of T-cell origin. Radiotherapy was administered to the lesion and adjacent region of the spinal cord with use of 6-MV photons and an anteroposterior-posteroanterior technique; the total dose was 45 Gy in 23 fractions. No chemotherapy was given. After 3 years of follow-up, the neurologic signs and symptoms were stable, and repeated magnetic resonance imaging with use of gadolinium showed no residual tumor. In addition to the case report, we review the literature on primary lymphomas of the central nervous system and discuss treatment recommendations.
Harrison’s Manual of Medicine, 15th edition. Eugene Braunwald, Anthony S. Fauci, Dennis L. Kasper, Stephen L. Hauser, Dan L. Longo, and J. Larry Jameson. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003, 1038 pp., $85.00, paperback with PDA software. ISBN 007-143124-1.

Harrison’s Principles of Internal Medicine (McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001) has been a standard textbook in internal medicine for more than four decades. The current edition is a hefty 8.5-pound book with authoritative descriptions on the diagnosis and management of diseases and is an excellent reference for anyone in laboratory medicine. Harrison’s Manual of Medicine , at 1.25 pounds, condenses Principles into a more convenient form. This book and the Washington Manual of Medical Therapeutics (Lippincott, Philadelphia, 2001) are both used by interns to help them through daily activities. Harrison’s focuses on diseases, whereas the Washington Manual focuses on …
Measuring Aggregate Supply Response under Instability

In spite of the strong interests that agricultural economists have had in measuring aggregate supply response in the past, there are only a few studies that explicitly introduce the risk element into the models (e.g., Behrman, Just, Traill). Behrman quantifies both yield and price variabilities by using three-year moving average standard deviations about a simple moving average of yield and price. Just formulates a risk response model by assuming that decision makers would form their risk expectations by geometrically weighting past observations of risk similar to the way in which price and yield expectations are formed. The risk variable was taken to be the square of the difference between the actual explanatory variable (such as gross return) and the expected values. Each lag variable was then divided into observable and unobservable parts similar to the approach suggested by Klein. Assuming the disturbance term follows a normal distribution, an iterative procedure was undertaken to derive the maximum likelihood estimates of the regression coefficients, given values of the lag parameters and the internally generated risk observations. Results obtained from Just's multivariate adaptive expectations model often indicated risk to be significant in acreage response. Traill uses a polynomial lag to measure onion acreage response at the national level. He utilizes an iterative procedure to first estimate the distributed lag effects of the past price variables, then formulates the risk observations by quantifying the absolute deviations of the actual and expected prices. Expected risk is then specified as a distributed lag function of past observations of risk. He found that a simple two-year moving average standard deviation of past actual prices performs at least equally as well as the iterative procedure.
The integration of Iraqis in two European cities: Emotions and identity work

Abstract In this study of Iraqi refugees in Helsinki and Rome, we explore the verbal construction of identity as evidence of the process of integration into a new society. We make use of Snow and Anderson's idea of “identity work” and link it to McCall's idea of “not-me.” The data for this paper derive from a larger comparative study conducted by the second author. They are based on the findings from forty-eight open-ended, semi-structured interviews, half conducted in each city. We argue that despite differences between the two locales regarding such things as the respective welfare regimes and relations with natives, the identity work required for refugees to reinscribe and reconstruct their sense of self was remarkably similar.
CRMA, A POXVIRUS-ENCODED SERPIN, INHIBITS CYTOTOXIC T-LYMPHOCYTE-MEDIATED APOPTOSIS

Cytotoxic T-lymphocytes (CTLs), by virtue of their ability to recognize and induce apoptotic death of virus-infected cells, comprise a major antiviral defense mechanism. The induction of apoptosis by CTLs can be completely accounted for by two mechanisms: (i) a Ca2+-dependent component that involves the exocytotic release of serine proteases known as granzymes from CTL granules and their subsequent insertion into the target cell to induce apoptosis and (ii) a Ca2+-independent component that involves the activation of Fas, a receptor on the target cell membrane that triggers apoptosis. Although viruses have evolved several indirect mechanisms for evading the CTL response, direct inhibition of the apoptotic cascade has never been described. We now show for the first time that the cowpox virus protein CrmA, a protease inhibitor of the serpin family, is capable of inhibiting CTL-mediated cytolysis. The inhibitory effect is largely the result of blockade of the Ca2+-independent (i.e. Fas-mediated) component of CTL killing. CrmA thus represents the first example of a viral gene product capable of directly blocking CTL-mediated cell death.
Pseudouptriangular decomposition method for constrained multibody systems using Kane's equations

A pseudouptriang ular decomposition method used to obtain an orthogonal complement array to automatically reduce the equations of motion is presented. The method is based on a successive multiplication of Householder transformations to develop an uptriangular matrix whose column vectors are orthogonal to the rows of the corresponding constraint matrix. The columns of the transformation matrix represent the directions for which the system is unrestrained in ^-dimensional space. The automatic generation of the transformation matrix makes the analysis of constrained multibody systems more tractable. The method developed is found to be useful when the equations of motion are developed using Kane's equations with undetermined multipliers. A discussion of the advantages of the method presented vs previous methods is presented together with illustrative examples.
Isolation and charactrization of a morphologic variant of chinese hamster (CHO) cells

An epithelioid clone of Chinese hamster (CHO) cells which is spontaneously transformed was exposed to the mutagen N-methyl-N-Nitro-N-Nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), and a fibroblastic variant, clone CHO-F2, was isolated. This clone is partially reverted in several of the in vitro properties characteristic of transformed cells. When compared to wild type CHO, CHO-F2 has a longer doubling time, a lower saturation density and less piling up at high cell density, and a higher serum requirement. CHO-F2 also elaborates less plasminogen activator and has more abundant microtubules and actin cables. On the other hand, both CHO and CHO-F2 grow in agar suspension (although CHO-F2 grows with a lower efficiency), both lack detectable LETS protein, and both are tumorigenic in nude mice. Thus, expression of the individual properties frequently associated with transformation and tumorigenicity can be dissociated. The most critical biochemical change in CHO-F2 appears to be an increase in the intracellular level of cyclic AMP, when compared to CHO, and several growth and morphological properties of CHO-F2 resemble those induced in wild type CHO exposed to exogenous dibutyryl cyclic AMP. The role of cyclic AMP in expression of the transformed phenotype and the significance of individual in vitro parameters of transformation with respect to tumorigenicity are discussed.
Effects of Acute and Chronic Denervation on Release of Acetylcholinesterase and Its Molecular Forms in Rat Diaphragms

: Hemidiaphragms were removed from rats at various times after intrathoracic transection of the left phrenic nerve and were incubated in organ baths containing 1.5 ml of oxygenated, buffered physiologic saline solution, with added glucose and bovine serum albumin. After incubation, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE; EC 3.1.1.7) activities of the bath fluid and of the muscle were determined. Innervated left hemidiaphragms were found to release 107 units of AChE over a 3-h period, corresponding to 1.9% of their total AChE activity. Denervation led to a rapid loss of AChE from the muscle coincident with a transient increase in the outpouring of enzyme activity into the bath fluid. Thus, 1 day after nerve transection the left hemidiaphragm contained only 68% of the control amount of AChE activity, but released 140% as much as control. After 3 or 4 days of denervation, the AChE activity of the diaphragm stabilized at 35% of the control value. Release also fell below control by this time, but not as far. One week after denervation the release, 69 units per 3 hr, corresponded to 3.3% of the reduced content of AChE activity in the muscle, indicating that denervation caused an increase in the proportion of AChE released. Sucrose density gradient ultracentrifugation showed that 10S AChE accounted for more than 80% of the released enzyme activity at all times. The results did not rule out the possibility, however, that the released enzyme originally stemmed from 4S or 16S AChE in the diaphragm.
Hispanic Immigrant Poverty: Does Ethnic Origin Matter?

Hispanic immigrant poverty is nearly double that of other immigrants. Furthermore, poverty rates among Hispanic families differ substantially by ethnicity. This paper analyzes poverty rates for Hispanic and non-Hispanic immigrants, and also for individual Hispanic ethnic groups, to determine the relative importance of different covariates of poverty. The general conclusion is that low levels of education and fluency in English contribute to high Hispanic poverty rates and are also contributing factors to differences in poverty among Hispanic ethnic groups. In particular, the high poverty rate of Mexican immigrant households is associated with the low educational attainments of household heads, along with a relatively large number of children, relatively low English fluency and a relatively short tenure in the U.S. Immigrants from Guatemala and El Salvador have substantially lower poverty rates than Mexican immigrants despite a similar constellation of observable traits. Immigrants from South America have low poverty rates, largely due to strong family work effort and high educational attainments. The relatively low family work effort and high incidence of single parent families among Puerto Ricans overpowers the beneficial effects of higher rates of citizenship and English fluency.
Eye in the Sky: The Privacy Implications of Using Drones for Surveillance

An examination of what might happen if a domestic drone surveillance case reached the Supreme Court. How does the existing Fourth Amendment Search & Seizure jurisprudence apply?
Deletion of a Tandem Gene Family in Arabidopsis: Increased MEKK2 Abundance Triggers Autoimmunity when the MEKK1-MKK1/2-MPK4 Signaling Cascade Is Disrupted

An Arabidopsis thaliana mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase cascade composed of MEKK1, MKK1/MKK2, and MPK4 was previously described as a negative regulator of defense response. MEKK1 encodes a MAP kinase kinase kinase and is a member of a tandemly duplicated gene family with MEKK2 and MEKK3. Using T-DNA insertion lines, we isolated a novel deletion mutant disrupting this gene family and found it to be phenotypically wild-type, in contrast with the mekk1 dwarf phenotype. Follow-up genetic analyses indicated that MEKK2 is required for the mekk1, mkk1 mkk2, and mpk4 autoimmune phenotypes. We next analyzed a T-DNA insertion in the MEKK2 promoter region and found that although it does not reduce the basal expression of MEKK2, it does prevent the upregulation of MEKK2 that is observed in mpk4 plants. This mekk2 allele can rescue the mpk4 autoimmune phenotype in a dosage-dependent manner. We also found that expression of constitutively active MPK4 restored MEKK2 abundance to wild-type levels in mekk1 mutant plants. Finally, using mass spectrometry, we showed that MEKK2 protein levels mirror MEKK2 mRNA levels. Taken together, our results indicate that activated MPK4 is responsible for regulating MEKK2 RNA abundance. In turn, the abundance of MEKK2 appears to be under cellular surveillance such that a modest increase can trigger defense response activation.
Ichneumia alhicauda and the Evolution of Viverrid Gregariousness

Abstract and Summary Ichneumia are nocturnal, insectivorous, solitary, but in high-density populations live in clans within which several females and their offspring forage independently in common home ranges. It is likely, though as yet unproven, that clans are matrilines and are formed when some female offspring fail to disperse from the natal home range. The social structure of Ichneumia suggests that social groups in other viverrids arose when selection simultaneously favored two independent behavioral tendencies: (1) natal philopatry (failure of some young to disperse), and (2) gregariousness. Prey characteristics are likely to have favored the former, safety from predators the latter. In this view, only the former process has been operative in Ichneumia. Lamprecht (1981, p. 178), summarizing data bearing on the advantages of group hunting in canids, felids, and hyaenids, has recently concluded that even among larger carnivores groups are sometimes “adapted to problems quite unconnected with hunting and feeding, such as protection from predators, or competing for territories or mates”. Evidently, his generalization fits group-living viverrids as well. Ichneumia social structure suggests a route by which selection might have produced more complex viverrid societies. Zusammenfassung Weisschwanzmangusten sind nachtaktive Insektenfresser und leben solitar. Bei hoher Populationsdichte jedoch schliesen sich mehrere Weibchen mit Nachkommen zu Clans zusammen und gehen zwar getrenntaber im gleichen Streifgebiet auf Nahrungssuche. Vermutlich sind diese Clans matrilinear verwandt und entstehen, wenn einige Tochter nicht aus dem mutterlichen Gebiet abwandern. Die Sozialstruktur der Weisschwanzmanguste last vermuten, das die festen Sozietaten anderer Viverriden entstanden, wenn die Selektion Gruppen pramiierte und das Abwandern der Nachkommen erschwerte; Feindvermeidung scheint fur das erstere, Nahrungserwerb fur das letztere verantwortlich. Bei der Weisschwanzmanguste wirkt nur der Nahrungsfaktor. Wie weit Viverriden in ein allgemeines Gruppenbildungs-Schema der Carnivoren passen, wird erortert.
Robust redesign of adaptive control

Effects of unmodeled high frequency dynamics on stability and performance of adaptive control schemes are analyzed. In the regulation problem global stability properties are no longer guaranteed, but a region of attraction exists for exact adaptive regulation. The dependence of the region of attraction on unmodeled parasitics is examined first. Then the general case of model reference adaptive control is considered in which parasitics can destroy stability and boundedness properties. A modified adaptive law is proposed guaranteeing the existence of a region of attraction from which all signals converge to a residual set which contains the equilibrium for exact tracking. The size of this set depends on design parameters, the frequency range of parasitics, and the reference input signal characteristics.
Filter Bank Spectrum Sensing for Cognitive Radios

The primary task in any cognitive radio (CR) network is to dynamically explore the radio spectrum and reliably determine portion(s) of the frequency band that may be used for the communication link(s). Accordingly, each CR node in the network has to be equipped with a spectrum analyzer. In this paper, we propose filter banks as a tool for spectrum sensing in CR systems. Various choices of filter banks are suggested and their performance are evaluated theoretically and through numerical examples. Moreover, the proposed spectrum analyzer is contrasted with the Thomson's multitaper (MT) method - a method that in the recent literature has been recognized as the best choice for spectrum sensing in CR systems. A novel derivation of the MT method that facilitates our comparisons as well as reveals an important aspect of the MT method that has been less emphasized in the recent literature is also presented.
Grtp1, A Novel Gene Regulated by Growth Hormone

An in vitro model of GH-responsive cells was subjected to microarray analysis to identify a novel gene regulated by GH. This 258 amino acid protein, we term GH Regulated TBC Protein-1 (GRTP1), contains the TBC signature motif of GTPase activator proteins of Rab-like small GTPases. Northern blot analysis revealed a 1.3 kb major mRNA species, most abundant in testes. TaqMan assay confirmed that in the mouse, Grtp1 is expressed at highest levels in testes, with lesser abundance in intestine, kidney, lung, and liver. In the testis, expression of Grtp1 significantly increases post-pubertally. Administration of GH to mice increased levels of GRTP1 mRNA in testes (140%), but decreased GRTP1 mRNA abundance in kidney (50%) and liver (25%). Grtp1 was localized to mouse proximal chromosome 8. Orthologs of this protein are present in human, mouse, rat, and drosophila suggesting that GRTP1 has an important biological role(s).
Interleukin-18 induces angiogenic factors in rheumatoid arthritis synovial tissue fibroblasts via distinct signaling pathways.

Objective. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine implicated in the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study was undertaken to examine the role of IL-18 in up-regulating secretion of the angiogenic factors stromal cell–derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1)/CCL2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in RA synovial tissue (ST) fibroblasts, and the underlying signaling mechanisms involved. Methods. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, Western blotting, and chemical inhibitors/ antisense oligodeoxynucleotides to signaling intermediates to assess the role of IL-18. Results. IL-18 significantly enhanced the production of SDF-1/CXCL12, MCP-1/CCL2, and VEGF in RA ST fibroblasts, in a time- and concentrationdependent manner. IL-18–induced SDF-1/CXCL12 up-regulation was dependent on JNK, p38 MAPK, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), and NFB. While IL18–induced production of SDF-1/CXCL12 was also dependent on protein kinase C (PKC), production of MCP-1/CCL2 was dependent on PKC, not PKC. Additionally, RA ST fibroblast IL-18–induced MCP-1/ CCL2 production was mediated by JNK, PI3K, and NFB. In contrast, IL-18 did not induce secretion of RA ST fibroblast MCP-1/CCL2 or VEGF via p38 MAPK. IL-18–induced RA ST fibroblast production of VEGF was mediated mainly by JNK-2, PKC, and NFB. IL-18 induced phosphorylation of JNK, PKC, p38 MAPK, and activating transcription factor 2 (ATF-2) in RA ST fibroblasts in a time-dependent manner, with JNK-2 being upstream of PKC, ATF-2, and NFB. Conclusion. These data support the notion that IL-18 has a unique role in inducing the secretion of angiogenic SDF-1/CXCL12, MCP-1/CCL2, and VEGF in RA ST fibroblasts, via distinct signaling intermediates. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine, structurally related to IL-1 and originally de
Application of automated MRI volumetric measurement techniques to the ventricular system in schizophrenics and normal controls.

As an initial approach to computer-automated segmentation of cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) vs. brain parenchyma in MR scans, and the transformation of these data sets into volumetric information and 3D display, we examined the ventricular system in a sample of ten chronic schizophrenics with primarily positive symptoms and 12 normal subjects. While no significant differences were noted between groups on volumetric measures of ventricular brain ratio or lateral ventricle size, normals showed a pattern of left > right lateral ventricular volume asymmetry not present in the schizophrenics. Within the schizophrenic group, departure from the normal left > right pattern was highly correlated with thought disorder.
Athletic Training Student Socialization Part I: Socializing Students in Undergraduate Athletic Training Programs

Context: Professional socialization is a key process in the professional development of athletic training students. The published athletic training education research has focused on many perspectiv...
Factors Related to Recidivism Among Juvenile Sexual Offenders

This recidivism study retrospectively examined the juvenile court case records of 170 first-time juvenile sexual offenders in a 5-year observation period. Cox regression, a model of event history analysis, was used to test hypotheses and to build multivariate competing risk models predictive of criminal recidivism. The multivariate analyses found that nonsexual offense recidivism was significantly (p < .01) associated with (a) prior nonsexual offenses and (b) failure to complete treatment. Sexual offense recidivism was significantly associated with larger numbers of female victims, but results were inconclusive due to the small size (n = 13) of the sexual reoffending sample.
Device monitoring strategies in acute heart failure syndromes

Acute heart failure syndromes (AHFS) represent the most common discharge diagnoses in adults over age 65 and translate into dramatically increased heart failure–associated morbidity and mortality. Conventional approaches to the early detection of pulmonary and systemic congestion have been shown to be of limited sensitivity. Despite their proven efficacy, disease management and structured telephone support programs have failed to achieve widespread use in part due to their resource intensiveness and reliance upon motivated patients. While once thought to hold great promise, results from recent prospective studies on telemonitoring strategies have proven disappointing. Implantable devices with their capacity to monitor electrophysiologic and hemodynamic parameters over long periods of time and with minimal reliance on patient participation may provide solutions to some of these problems. Conventional electrophysiologic parameters and intrathoracic impedance data are currently available in the growing population of heart failure patients with equipped devices. A variety of implantable hemodynamic monitors are currently under investigation. How best to integrate these devices into a systematic approach to the management of patients before, during, and after AHFS is yet to be established.
A map of the day–night contrast of the extrasolar planet HD 189733b

'Hot Jupiter' extrasolar planets are expected to be tidally locked because they are close (<0.05 astronomical units, where 1 au is the average Sun–Earth distance) to their parent stars, resulting in permanent daysides and nightsides. By observing systems where the planet and star periodically eclipse each other, several groups have been able to estimate the temperatures of the daysides of these planets. A key question is whether the atmosphere is able to transport the energy incident upon the dayside to the nightside, which will determine the temperature at different points on the planet's surface. Here we report observations of HD 189733, the closest of these eclipsing planetary systems, over half an orbital period, from which we can construct a 'map' of the distribution of temperatures. We detected the increase in brightness as the dayside of the planet rotated into view. We estimate a minimum brightness temperature of 973 ± 33 K and a maximum brightness temperature of 1,212 ± 11 K at a wavelength of 8 mum, indicating that energy from the irradiated dayside is efficiently redistributed throughout the atmosphere, in contrast to a recent claim for another hot Jupiter. Our data indicate that the peak hemisphere-integrated brightness occurs 16 ± 6° before opposition, corresponding to a hotspot shifted east of the substellar point. The secondary eclipse (when the planet moves behind the star) occurs 120 ± 24 s later than predicted, which may indicate a slightly eccentric orbit.
The effect of doping on gold diffusion in germanium

Abstract The diffusion coefficient of gold in intrinsic, heavily doped n-type and p-type germanium was measured at 800°C. The diffusion coefficient of gold in germanium is relatively insensitive to doping and is about 8 × 10 + 10 cm 2 sec . The conclusion is reached that neither a vacancy mechanism as proposed for Groups III, IV, and V elements, nor the Frank-Turnbull dissociation mechanism proposed for copper is responsible for the diffusion behavior of gold in germanium. It is suggested that gold diffuses via an interstitial gold-vancancy complex.
Energy-Based Design of Dowel Connections in Wood-Plastic Composites Hollow Sections

The goal of this research was to develop a rational method of designing dowel-type connections for hollow wood-plastic composite sections. Models consisting of six controlling yield modes were developed to predict the hollow section connection behavior. The models were validated with double-shear unconstrained bolted connection tests using two wood-plastic composite formulations, three wall thicknesses, and three dowel diameters. The hollow section yield model performed well with an average difference between the theoretical maximum load and tested maximum load of 5.7%. The maximum connection loads were compared to the theoretical load calculated by entering the dowel bearing strength based on maximum load and a bending yield strength based on the stress in the dowel at the displacement of maximum connection load. Proposed design equations for WPC hollow section connection maximum loads were based on maximum dowel bearing strength and the codified 5% diameter offset dowel bending yield strength.
Public School Administration Employing Thompson’s Structural Contingency Theory to Explain Public School Administrative Expenditures in Washington State

The purpose of this article is to explore the open systems characteristics of public schools by applying James D. Thompson’s contingency theory to the study of school district central administration expenditures in Washington State. In this analysis, contingency theory appears to offer a fairly good explanation for central administrative expenditures. The model indicates that administrative expenditures are a function of the organizational environment and the stability of resource providers. Stable organizational environments and consistent resource providers are associated with smaller school administration, due to the more limited need for substantial organizational buffering.
Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme is necessary for development of depression-like behavior following intracerebroventricular administration of lipopolysaccharide to mice

Background Interleukin-1 beta converting enzyme (ICE, caspase 1) is a cysteine protease that processes immature pro-IL-1β into active mature IL-1β. IL-1β is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that mediates many of the physiological and behavioral responses to inflammation. Genetic deletion of ICE has previously been shown to prevent some negative physiologic responses to lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation.
Prescribed fire affects female white-tailed deer habitat use during summer lactation

Prescribed fire commonly is used to manage habitat for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Although the effects of fire on forage availability for deer have been studied, how female deer use burned areas is not well known, particularly as it relates to fire season and the years-since-fire. We used GPS tracking data from 16 adult female white-tailed deer to assess the effects of fire season and yearssince-fire on habitat use during summer lactation. Females selected unburned drainages and older (>1 yr-since-fire) burned areas, and avoided recently burned areas. Individuals with a greater percentage of their summer core area burned expanded the size of their summer home range but did not change summer core area size. Furthermore, summer core area site fidelity (i.e., % overlap between 2011 and 2012 core areas) decreased as the percentage of the 2011 summer core area burned in 2012 increased. Female deer increased selection of burned areas as years-since-fire increased, likely because there was a temporary loss of cover immediately following fire with plants slowly regenerating the subsequent growing seasons. Likewise, to avoid areas depleted of cover, females shifted their core areas away from recent burns when possible but increased their core area size when burned areas were unavoidable (i.e., a large portion of their home range was burned). Burning large contiguous areas may initially have a negative effect on female deer during lactation because of the depletion of cover.
Stem cell bioengineering at the interface of systems‐based models and high‐throughput platforms

Stem cell functions are regulated by a combination of molecular signals that are provided both intrinsically and from the local microenvironment. The complexity of these mechanisms has encouraged the use of interdisciplinary experimental strategies, such as bioengineering methods, to address fundamental questions in stem cell biology. These approaches have primarily aimed to (1) develop tools for the improved control of microenvironmental cues and genetic perturbations, (2) integrate high-throughput technologies to broaden the experimental state space and facilitate systematic examination of combinatorial signals,and(3) constructsystems-basedmodelstobetterdefinestemcellprocesses through an understanding of the interdependence of the individual signaling components. Cooperative advancements in these areas will continue to contribute to the evolution of stem cell-based therapeutics. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Research opportunities in optimizing storage of red blood cell products.

Whether “older” red cells (RBCs) are as efficacious as “younger” RBCs is currently unresolved and awaiting the outcome of several large prospective clinical trials in the US and Canada. In an effort to proactively advance our understanding of the RBC storage lesion prior to the completion of these trials, NHLBI established a targeted research program in 2009 entitled, “Immunomodulatory, Inflammatory and Vasoregulatory Properties of Transfused RBC Units as a Function of Preparation and Storage.” The investigative teams funded by this initiative and their research topics have been previously reported.1 These teams, as well as principle investigators from two of the large prospective clinical RBC storage trials, and other Transfusion Medicine experts gathered on August 28th and 29th, 2012 in Bethesda, MD for an NHLBI sponsored Working Group exploring “Strategies to Optimize Red Blood Cell (RBC) Products.” The first day consisted of progress reports from the eight investigative teams, a presentation about a canine sepsis model to investigate the effect of older blood on survival, and updates from two of the ongoing prospective RBC storage clinical trials. On the second day, researchers provided presentations on a planned study to identify genetic determinants that affect RBC storage, the influence of manufacturing method and irradiation on RBC in vitro quality during storage, development of a new additive solution, the effects of storage containers composition on RBC quality, post collection manipulations, and the possible impact of a reduced RBC shelf life on inventory. This article provides a summary of many of the presentations given during the two-day workshop.
Disposition and Toxicokinetics

Different rates of metabolism are only one factor in the congener-and species-specific bioaccumulation of PCBs. Various transfer forces are also at work within the organism as within the global ecosystem. These processes can be described by toxicokinetic models.
Serrated Walls for Low Mach Number Supersonic Wind Tunnels

Serrated wall configuration as compromise between open jet and closed supersonic wind tunnel
The Taphonomy and Paleoecology of Korsi Dora Vertebrate Locality 1, Woranso-Mille Study Area, Ethiopia

Korsi Dora Vertebrate Locality 1 (KSD-VP-1), located in the Woranso-Mille paleontological study area in Ethiopia, records one of the least-sampled temporal periods of Australopithecus and is one of the few to sample the earlier period of the known time range of Au. afarensis. It has yielded one of the most complete skeletons of Au. afarensis known thus far. In this paper, the taphonomy and paleoenvironment of KSD-VP-1 are explored through the collected faunal specimens. In addition to descriptive accounts of the surface modifications on the bones, data on several taphonomic factors were also collected and analyzed, the results of which suggest that the KSD-VP-1 faunal assemblage is autochthonous and that there was minimal transport and disturbance of bones. The focus of the paleoenvironmental analysis is the use of the presence and relative abundances of indicator taxa along with other lines of evidence, such as ruminant dietary adaptation and geology. The combined evidence suggests that the paleohabitat at KSD-VP-1 was likely medium to dense woodland with some open areas of grassland or shrubland distal to the locality.
Probabilistic Risk Assessment

Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) has emerged as an increasingly popular analysis tool especially during the last decade. PRA is a systematic and comprehensive methodology to evaluate risks associated with every life-cycle aspect of a complex engineered technological entity (e.g., facility, spacecraft, or power plant) from concept definition, through design, construction, and operation, and up to removal from service [1].
Study and Development of a Radiation Shielding Kit

A critical aspect of space exploration is the probability of exposure to high energy particles from Solar Particle Events (SPE) and Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCR). Radiation shielding will be an enabling feature for exploration architectures that return man to the moon and Mars. A radiation shield that could be attached to different kinds of platforms would ideally serve as a second line of defense for localized protection of astronauts and equipment. It is envisioned that a flexible and lightweight radiation shielding kit would contain elements that could be worn and deployed in various configurations and packed into a manageable volume for flight. LaRC and ILC Dover have undertaken a task to study and develop a flexible radiation shielding kit with state of the art effectiveness in scattering galactic cosmic radiation and solar particle event radiation. Polyethylene, with a high density of hydrogen in its molecular chains, shows the greatest potential for radiation protection. A material ply-up has been developed that provides 1.0 g/cm2 of shielding while maintaining manufacturability and acceptable functionality in terms of stowability, flexibility, and ease of use. Concept generation and system trade studies resulted in selection of vest and blanket architectures that best meet the radiation shield kit requirements developed by LaRC. In addition reconfigurable stowage containers have been developed using a 0.5 – 1.0 g/cm2 ply-up. Prototype components and test sample ply-ups have been fabricated proving the feasibility of flexible, reconfigurable components and providing a key testbed for evaluation and future development. Radiation testing and material analysis show shielding effectiveness and acceptability for use in a vehicle or habitat. This paper will discuss the results of the radiation shielding kit study and offer recommendations for further study.
Design and performance on stability testing of drug substances

Design of stability testing plays important role in drug development. It also provides scientific evidence for successful pharmacology,toxicology and clinical studies. This paper is an interpretation to Guidance on Stability Testing for Drug Substances,which focuses on the stability design and test,and also on the common problems in stability tests. It suggests that the researcher should perform their stability tests in scientific ways.
γδ T-cell development

Gamma delta T cells consist of multiple lineages of cells with distinct antigen receptor repertoires, tissue localization and function. Recent evidence suggests that the ordered appearance of these sublineages during development is a result of programmed rearrangement of V gamma-gene segments. It appears that the T-cell receptor repertoire, at least of the gamma delta T cells with invariant receptors, is the result of site-directed rearrangement and cellular selection does not play a major role.
Performance of hair sheep composite breeds: Resistance of lambs to Haemonchus contortus

This study was designed to evaluate breed differences in resistance to Haemonchus contortus in lambs. A total of 181 ewe lambs representing crossbred Dorsets (DO) and Dorpers (DP; out of 1/2-Dorset, 1/4-Rambouillet, 1/4-Finnsheep ewes) and straight-bred Katahdins (KT) were evaluated over 3 yr. An additional 144 DO, DP, KT, and Barbados Blackbelly x St. Croix (HH) wethers were evaluated over 2 yr. Lambs were weaned at 60 to 90 d of age. After deworming at about 4 mo of age, ewe lambs received approximately 10,000 infective larvae and were evaluated for parasite resistance in drylot, whereas wethers were evaluated on pasture under conditions of natural infection. Each sex was analyzed separately. Egg counts per gram of feces (FEC), log-transformed FEC (LFEC), packed cell volumes (%), and body weights (kg) measured at 3, 4, 5, and 6 wk after deworming and reinfection were analyzed. Breed influenced all traits (P < 0.05) except BW in ewe lambs and PCV in wethers. Year and week influenced (P < 0.05) all traits. At most times, DP had the highest FEC, DO had the lowest PCV, and KT and HH had lower FEC and higher PCV than either DO or DP. Clearly, Dorper sheep were not more resistant to parasites than DO, but they were able to cope with infection better by maintaining similar or higher (P < 0.05) PCV and similar BW. Katahdin and HH were more resistant, with lower FEC (P < 0.05) than DO or DP. Breed differences were more apparent when infection levels were higher; DO and DP were less affected when infection levels were low and when animals were on a better plane of nutrition. Caribbean hair sheep originated in hot, humid regions of West Africa. They and the derivative Katahdin breed seem relatively resistant to parasitism. The Dorper, in contrast, was developed in more arid regions and exhibited little parasite resistance.
Wireless actuation of bulk acoustic modes in micromechanical resonators

We report wireless actuation of a Lamb wave micromechanical resonator from a distance of over 1 m with an efficiency of over 15%. Wireless actuation of conventional micromechanical resonators can have broad impact in a number of applications from wireless communication and implantable biomedical devices to distributed sensor networks.
Dissipation of disturbances seen in the knee joint kinematics of children with cerebral palsy.

Purpose Children with cerebral palsy (CP) often use a crouch gait pattern that has disturbances in the knee joint kinematics. Although the length and rate of lengthening of the hamstring musculature have been speculated to be the reason that these disturbances are not adequately dissipated, this relationship has not been adequately explored. The purpose of this exploratory investigation was to use simulations of a musculoskeletal model and Floquet analysis to evaluate how the performance of hamstrings musculature during gait may be related to the knee joint instabilities seen in children with CP. Methods Children with CP and typically developing (TD) children walked on a treadmill as a motion capture system assessed the knee joint kinematics. Floquet analysis was used to quantify the rate that disturbances present at the knee joint were dissipated, and simulations of a musculoskeletal model were used to estimate the in vivo length and velocity of the hamstrings. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine if there was a relationship between the rate that the disturbances were dissipated and the performance of the hamstring musculature. Results The children with CP had hamstrings that lengthened more slowly than TD children, and required more strides to dissipate disturbances in the knee joint kinematics. There was negative correlation between the rate that the hamstrings lengthened and the rate that the knee joint disturbances were dissipated. Conclusions Our results suggest that the ability of children with CP to dissipate the knee joint disturbances may be related to the inability to properly control the hamstring musculature.
Crosstalk: Collaborative Framework for Electro-mechanical Product Design

Design of electronic-mechanical assemblies involves many disciplines, tasks, and a disparate set of CAD/CAE tools. The problem is to facilitate collaboration between them by increasing the interoperability between these tasks and their respective tools while maintaining the integrity of the designs, including constraint management. This paper will present the requirements envisioned for a ME-EE co-design environment called CrossTalk. It is hoped that the knowledge gained from this bottom approach will be used to design a framework for commercial ECAD-MCAD-CAE collaboration and communication that is specific to this cross-domain design but independent of proprietary file formats and software.
Herding packets: Properties needed of metrics for loop-free & best forwarding paths

The distributed, hop-by-hop routing architecture used in the Internet depends on algebraic properties of routing metrics to ensure traffic is forwarded over loop-free and best (LFB) paths. As the Internet evolves to serve as the converged communication infrastructure for the 21st century, the need for new metrics that violate these properties ([5], [9]) has been identified. Until recently, the behavior of routing metrics had not been studied. Recent work ([5], [9]) has presented some results identifying the requirements of metrics to ensure LFB paths, however they have not been fully characterized. Building on this work, this paper presents the necessary and sufficient conditions for routing metrics to ensure LFB paths in an Internet environment. Specifically, a metric must be strictly bounded (a < a+b) and monotonic (a ≤ b ⇒ a+c ≤ b+c) to ensure LFB forwarding paths. This paper presents the first comprehensive statement of the properties required to ensure LFB forwarding paths in the Internet.
Injury severity in crashes reported in proximity of rail crossings: The role of driver inattention

The objective of this article is to quantitatively investigate the impact of motor vehicle driver inattention on severity of driver's injuries sustained in crashes reported at or near highway-rail ...
Tempered Dreams: The Experience of Mexican Immigrants Living in Colorado

This research study explores the experience of first-generation immigrants of Mexican origin living in Denver, CO. Seven Mexican immigrants described their experiences through an in-depth interview...
Characterisation and modelling the strength of EHSS steel grade spot weld for automotive joints and its application for frontal impact load-case

Ever increasing requirements regarding automotive safety have led to major innovations in the field of crash safety. With a greater emphasis placed on weight reduction, the ground vehicle industry ...