cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rottlerin induces autophagy which leads to apoptotic cell death through inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway in human pancreatic cancer stem cells

Multiple lines of evidence support the idea that autophagy plays an essential role in the development of drug resistance, self-renewal, differentiation, and tumorigenic potentials of cancer stem cells (CSCs). Rottlerin (ROT) is widely used as a protein kinase C-delta (PKC-δ) inhibitor. Recent studies revealed that ROT induces apoptosis through engagement of mitochondria. However, it is not known whether ROT-induced apoptosis is associated with other mechanisms such as autophagy. Here we found that ROT induced autophagy followed by induction of apoptosis via inhibition of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway and activation of caspase cascade in human pancreatic CSCs. ROT induced a dose- and time-dependent inhibition of cell survival and induction of cytoplasmic vacuolations. The conversion of microtubule-associated protein LC3-I to LC3-II, and increased accumulations of Atg7 and Beclin-1 were also observed in CSCs treated with ROT. Prolonged exposure of CSCs to ROT eventually caused apoptosis which was associated with the suppression of phosphorylated Akt (Ser473) and mTOR (Ser2448), downregulation of XIAP, cIAP-1, Bcl-2 and Bcl-X(L), induction of Bax, activation of caspase-3 and -9, and concomitant degradation of PARP. ROT-induced apoptosis was enhanced by dominant negative AKT, Akt1/2 inhibitor, and rapamycin. Our study also demonstrates that gene silencing of Atg7 and Beclin1, or cotreatment of the autophagosome inhibitor, 3-methyladenine, inhibited ROT-induced autophagy and accelerated ROT-induced apoptosis. The knockdown of PKC-δ did not block ROT-induced autophagy and cell death, suggesting these effects of ROT were exerted through PKC-δ-independent pathway. In summary, our data demonstrate that ROT can induce autophagy which leads to cell death in pancreatic CSCs.
Efficient techniques for forced response involving linear modal components interconnected by discrete nonlinear connection elements

Abstract Generally, response analysis of systems containing discrete nonlinear connection elements such as typical mounting connections require the physical finite element system matrices to be used in a direct integration algorithm to compute the nonlinear response analysis solution. Due to the large size of these physical matrices, forced nonlinear response analysis requires significant computational resources. Usually, the individual components of the system are analyzed and tested as separate components and their individual behavior may essentially be linear when compared to the total assembled system. However, the joining of these linear subsystems using highly nonlinear connection elements causes the entire system to become nonlinear. It would be advantageous if these linear modal subsystems could be utilized in the forced nonlinear response analysis since much effort has usually been expended in fine tuning and adjusting the analytical models to reflect the tested subsystem configuration. Several more efficient techniques have been developed to address this class of problem. Three of these techniques given as: equivalent reduced model technique (ERMT); modal modification response technique (MMRT); and component element method (CEM); are presented in this paper and are compared to traditional methods.
Evaluating Journal Quality: Is the H-Index a Better Measure Than Impact Factors?

Objectives: This study evaluates the utility of a new measure—the h-index—that may provide a more valid approach to evaluating journal quality in the social work profession. Method: H-index values ...
Hypothalamic regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms

A series of findings over the past decade has begun to identify the brain circuitry and neurotransmitters that regulate our daily cycles of sleep and wakefulness. The latter depends on a network of cell groups that activate the thalamus and the cerebral cortex. A key switch in the hypothalamus shuts off this arousal system during sleep. Other hypothalamic neurons stabilize the switch, and their absence results in inappropriate switching of behavioural states, such as occurs in narcolepsy. These findings explain how various drugs affect sleep and wakefulness, and provide the basis for a wide range of environmental influences to shape wake-sleep cycles into the optimal pattern for survival.
Colonial growth in agar of cells derived from neoplastic and non-neoplastic tissues of children.

Colonial Growth in Agar ofcells Derived from Neoplastic and Non-Neoplastic Tissues of Children
Scaling of Transient Particle-Fluid Heat Transfer in Brownian Motion

NANOFLUIDS, or fluids with nanoscale particles, offer enhanced heat transfer compared with other fluids [1–3]. The effective thermal conductivity appears to increase with temperature and particle concentration, and decrease with particle size. There is considerable controversy over the mechanisms involved, with enhanced particle-fluid heat transfer [4,5], Brownian motion [6–10], and particle interactions at the boundary [11] held up as potential explanations. The present work models the transient heat transfer between nanoparticles and the surrounding fluid, providing an estimate of the time scale required to reach equilibrium. II. Mathematical Formulation
The adsorption of argon on anatase at low relative pressures

Abstract Adsorption isotherms of argon on anatase have been measured volumetrically at 76.91°K. and 89.39°K. and at equilibrium relative pressures ranging down into the 10 −7 range. At adsorption potentials greater than 2.2 × 10 3 the data at both temperatures fit the Dubinin-Radushkevich equation. The decrease φ in surface free energy due to adsorption was calculated with the aid of the Dubinin-Radushkevich expression in the very low relative pressure region; the values so obtained are considered more precise than those obtained by empirical extrapolation. The differential and integral thermodynamic adsorption functions have been calculated. At a surface coverage corresponding to about 12% of the BET monolayer a “pseudo-monolayer effect” is observed. There is a maximum in both enthalpy functions and a minimum in the entropy functions. The surface is considered as a composite with patches of high-energy sites.
Comparison of IKDC and SANE Outcome Measures Following Knee Injury in Active Female Patients

Background:Knee injury among young, active female patients remains a public health issue. Clinicians are called upon to pay greater attention to patient-oriented outcomes to evaluate the impact of these injuries. Little agreement exists on which outcome measures are best, and clinicians cite several barriers to their use. Single Assessment Numerical Evaluation (SANE) may provide meaningful outcome information while lessening the time burden associated with other patient-oriented measures.Hypothesis:The SANE and International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) scores would be strongly correlated in a cohort of young active female patients with knee injuries from preinjury through 1-year follow-up and that a minimal clinically important difference (MCID) could be calculated for the SANE score.Study Design:Observational prospective cohort.Methods:Two hundred sixty-three subjects completed SANE and IKDC at preinjury by recall, time of injury, and 3, 6, and 12 months postinjury. Pearson correlation coefficien...
Central series in wreath products

In this paper we study the structure of the α-central series of the nilpotent wreath product of two Abelian groups, the α-central series being the intersection of the upper central series with the base group. Let C = A wr B, the standard restricted wreath product of A and B. Then Baumslag(1) showed that C is nilpotent if and only if A is a nilpotent p-group of finite exponent and B is a finite p-group for the same prime p. In (5) Liebeck calculated the nilpotency class of the nilpotent wreath product of two Abelian groups. We obtain an expression for an element of the base group to belong to a given term of the upper central series.
Piecewise isoplanatic modeling of space-variant linear systems

A piecewise isoplanatic approximation (PIA) applicable to the classification of linear systems and the representation of space-variant linear systems is described. A new measure of the degree of invariance is developed and used as a tool to classify linear systems and determine optimal PIA patch sizes and critical points. Also, the relationship of the variation bandwidth to the new measure of invariance is utilized to support the validity of the new measure.
A limited solution carried to excess

In writing of the Presidency, Marshall Dimock declared that the personal staff idea was a limited solution carried to excess. This paper undertakes to examine the Dimock assertion in the wider arena of the Executive Branch. It first considers the idea of staff, exploring its earlier applications. It relies on the work of Douglas McGregor in suggesting that the personal staff orientation, as exhibited in the White House, tends to perpetuate profoundly hierarchical assumptions in respect to organizing and managing. The increasing politicization of the top echelons of the Federal bureaucracy further accentuates tendencies toward a system that is characterized by loyalty to an individual rather than to a system. The emergence of the role of Chief of Staff throughout the bureaucracy in recent years has provided further structure and influence to the personal staff movement. A case study of the role of the Chief of Staff in the administration of Anne Burford in the Environmental Protection Agency, 1981-83, prov...
The Radiology Job Market: Analysis of the ACR Jobs Board

Purpose The aim of this study was to assess the status of the radiology job market as represented by the ACR Jobs Board from October 2010 to June 2013. Methods With the assistance of the ACR, data from the ACR Jobs Board from October 2010 through June 2013, including the numbers of monthly new job seekers, new job postings, and job posting clicks, were gathered and used to calculate a monthly competitive index, defined as the ratio of new job seekers to new job postings. Results During the study period, the mean number of new job seekers was 168 per month, which was significantly greater than the 84 average new job postings for any given month ( P = .0002). There was no significant difference between 2011 and 2012 with regard to the number of new job seekers or job postings. Over the time period assessed, more new job seekers registered in October and November 2010, August to November 2011, and October and November 2012. These periods were also associated with the highest competitive index values. There were less job seekers in the winter and spring of 2011, 2012, and 2013, periods associated with lower competitive index values. ACR Jobs Board activity, measured by job posting clicks, was significantly higher in 2012 than in 2011 ( P Conclusions On the basis of the ACR Jobs Board, there were consistently more new job seekers than job postings throughout the study period, and fall is the period in the year most associated with the highest competitive index for radiologist employment.
Impact of reversed phase column pairs in comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography

Abstract A major issue in optimizing the resolving power of two-dimensional chromatographic separations is the choice of the two phases so as to maximize the distribution of the analytes over the separation space. In this work, we studied the choice of appropriate reversed phases to use in on-line comprehensive two-dimensional liquid chromatography (LC × LC). A set of four chemically different conventional bonded reversed phases was used in the first dimension. The second dimension column was either a conventional bonded C18 phase or a carbon-clad phase (CCP). The LC × LC chromatograms and contour plots were all rather similar indicating that the selectivities of the two phases were also similar regardless of the reverse phase column used in the first dimension. Further, the spatial coverage seen with all four first dimension stationary phases when paired with a second dimension C18 phase were low and the retention times were strongly correlated. However, when the C18 column was replaced with the CCP column much improved separations were observed with higher spatial coverages, greater orthogonalities and significant increases in the number of observed peaks.
Characterization of aromatic polymers (benzenoid and heterocyclic) by cross‐polarization, magic‐angle 13C‐NMR spectroscopy

The cross-polarization, magic-angle 13C-NMR spectra of solid samples of poly(p-phenylene), its nitro derivative, polymerized biphenyl, poly(p-phenylene sulfide), poly(1-methyl-2,5-pyrrolylene), poly(1-phenyl-2,5-pyrrolylene), poly(2,5-thienylene), and poly(2,5-selenienylene) and the high-resolution 13C-NMR spectrum of poly(m-phenylene) in solution are presented and assigned. In all cases the chemical shifts are similar to those of model compounds in solution. In most instances the resonances of the nonprotonated carbon atoms in the solid polymers are more intense than those of the protonated carbons and appear to depend on the charge distribution in the molecular orbitals.
Measurement of reflectance factors under daily and intermittent irradiance variations.

A technique for measuring reflectance factors in diurnal and intermittent cloud insolation conditions using hand-held radiometers has been developed. Simultaneously collected reference panel and total insolation measurements were obtained during the South Texas summer growing season (April and May 1980) at Weslaco, Tex., using the GSFC MARK2 three-band hand-held radiometer. The estimated reflectance factors of four reference panels using the hand-held radiometer agreed closely with the expected reflectance as measured with a laboratory spectrophotometer over a wide range of insolation readings (from 20 to 91 mW/cm 2). These results indicate that this technique could prove useful for achieving uniform reflectance factor measurements for remote sensing studies.
Development of greenhouse screening for resistance to Aspergillus parasiticus infection and preharvest aflatoxin contamination in peanut.

Aspergillus flavus Link ex Fries and A. parasiticus Speare can invade peanut kernels and under certain environmental conditions produce unacceptable levels of the mycotoxin aflatoxin. A concerted effort is underway to reduce aflatoxin contamination in peanut and peanut products. A potentially effective method of control in peanut is the discovery and use of genes for resistance to either fungal invasion or aflatoxin formation. The objective of the present experimental study was to develop an effective and efficient procedure for screening individual plants or pods of single plants for resistance to invasion by the aflatoxigenic fungi and subsequent aflatoxin production. Methods of obtaining adequate drought-stress and fungal infection were developed through this series of experiments. By completely isolating the pods from the root zone and imposing drought-stress only on pegs and pods, high levels of fungal infection were observed. High amounts of preharvest aflatoxin accumulation were also produced by completely isolating the pods from the root zone. Mid-bloom inoculation with A. parasiticus-contaminated cracked corn and drought-stress periods of 40 to 60 days were the most effective procedures. This technique was used to assess peanut genotypes previously identified as being partially resistant to A. parasiticus infection or aflatoxin contamination, and segregating populations from four crosses. Variability in aflatoxin contamination was found among the 11 genotypes evaluated, however, none were significantly lower than the standard cultivars. Broad-sense heritability of four crosses was estimated through evaluation of seed from individual plants in the F2 generation. The heritability estimates of crosses GFA-2 × NC-V11 and Tifton-8 × NC-V11 were 0.46 and 0.29, respectively, but mean aflatoxin contamination levels were high (73,295 and 27,305 ppb). This greenhouse screening method could be an effective tool when genes for superior aflatoxin resistance are identified.
Data mining the cross-cultural communication gap

This paper describes an exploratory method for examining cross-cultural communication gaps within a team of IT professionals (working from US and India). An automated tool to analyze structured and unstructured text data, Business Insights Workbench (BIW), was applied to their (transcribed) weekly status meeting dataset. The analysis indicates that cohesiveness (the use of similar terms in the conversation) of the group is stronger within a location than between locations. It also illustrates the difference in speaker turns (the US is six times as much as India). Though this work is exploratory, these differences are potential indicators for communication gaps.
The kinetics of hydrogen-deuterium exchange of methylisothiazoles

The rates of hydrogen-deuterium exchange of 3-methyl, 4-methyl, 5-methyI and 3,5-dimethyl-isothiazole were determined and compared with the rate of exchange of 2-methylpyridine. The rates were measured in dimethylsulfoxide-d6 -deuterium oxide (90:10), using sodium deuteroxide as catalyst. The relative rates for exchange of both ring protons and methyl protons were 5 > 3 > 4. For exchange of methyl hydrogens, the approximate ratio of rate constants is 100:1:< 10−4 for positions 5,3, and 4, respectively. Activation parameters are reported for 5-methylisothiazole.
Sulfonated Ordered Mesoporous Carbon as a Stable and Highly Active Protonic Acid Catalyst

Covalent attachment of sulfonic acid-containing aryl radicals on the surface of ordered mesoporous carbon (CMK-5), leads to a solid acid catalyst with a high acid density. The material exhibits high surface area, uniform pore size distribution, high activity and good stability for acid-catalyzed reactions, such as esterification and condensation.
EMBEDDING THE COLOR LINE: The Accumulation of Racial Advantage and the Disaccumulation of Opportunity in Post-Civil Rights America

This article investigates why deeply entrenched racial inequality persists into the post-civil rights era in the United States. It challenges individual-level explanations that assume persistent racial inequality is the result of either White bigotry, which is diminishing, or the failure of Blacks to take advantage of the opportunities opened up by the civil rights legislation of the 1960s. We propose an alternative explanation for durable racial inequality. Contemporary color lines, we argue, result from the cumulative effect of racial discrimination and exclusion, a process in which Whites accumulate racial advantages to the detriment of African Americans and Latinos. These cumulative inequalities are produced and sustained by competition between racial groups to acquire and control jobs and other resources, and by institutional practices and public policies. Individual choice in the form of intentional racism has little to do with the persistence of racial inequality. Our analysis suggests that Americans' current understanding of the concept of equality of opportunity is out of sync with the realities of durable racial inequality, and needs to be revised.
Quantitative fluorescence labeling of aldehyde-tagged proteins for single-molecule imaging

A major hurdle for molecular mechanistic studies of many proteins is the lack of a general method for fluorescence labeling with high efficiency, specificity and speed. By incorporating an aldehyde motif genetically into a protein and improving the labeling kinetics substantially under mild conditions, we achieved fast, site-specific labeling of a protein with ∼100% efficiency while maintaining the biological function. We show that an aldehyde-tagged protein can be specifically labeled in cell extracts without protein purification and then can be used in single-molecule pull-down analysis. We also show the unique power of our method in single-molecule studies on the transient interactions and switching between two quantitatively labeled DNA polymerases on their processivity factor.
GPS: A Turn by Turn Case-in-Point

This case examines GPS navigation as a case-in-point of what technology, sold on the promise of what it can do for society, is also doing to society. Conventional wisdom insists that there are better things to do than find directions from here to there without turn by turn directions. While it may be true that losing the ability to find one's own way may be no great loss, as a tributary feeding into the river of what's going on across the board of human skill erosion, it's a symptom of far more serious summing going on.
A Social Composition View of Team Creativity: The Role of Member Nationality-Heterogeneous Ties Outside of the Team

We sought to understand team member informal social network ties outside of the team as a way to achieve cognitive variation within the team, thereby facilitating creativity. Specifically, we take a configural perspective, which emphasizes individual team members and the heterogeneity and strength of their outside ties. We theorize that these characteristics of outside ties are important because they amend members' schemas and the team's cognitive architecture. Results of a study of 82 long-term MBA project teams suggest that both outside ties with nationality-heterogeneous individuals and weak outside ties independently facilitate team creativity. In addition, nationality-heterogeneous outside ties that are weak rather than strong are associated with higher team creative performance.
Rapid evaluation of the inverse of the normal distribution function

Abstract Here is a method for very fast evaluation of the inverse of the normal distribution—in two versions. The first, given u , rapidly produces the solution x to 2 ∫ x ∞ φ(t) dt = u , to within the accuracy available in single precision arithmetic. The second is faster. Using one less term in an expansion, it provides accuracy to within 0.000002—suitable for generating a normal random variable by direct inversion of its distribution function.
An ideal point density plot method for determining an optimal sensory profile for Muscadine grape juice

Abstract The objective of this study was to compare the use of the Euclidian distance ideal point mapping (EDIPM), a newly developed method, to the external response surface approach to optimize the formulation of muscadine grape juices. EDIPM is a method which allows the identification of individual consumer’s ideal point in product maps and yields group maps identifying product placement opportunities. It is based on identifying for individuals the point in the map (i.e., the ideal point) minimizing the correlation between distances to the test products and hedonic scores given by the individual. This method was compared to the external preference mapping extension proposed by Danzart [Danzart, M. (1998). Quadratic model in preference mapping. In Proceedings of the fourth sensometrics meeting .].
Zebrafish Models of Cerebrovascular Disease

Perturbations in cerebral blood flow and abnormalities in blood vessel structure are the hallmarks of cerebrovascular disease. While there are many genetic and environmental factors that affect these entities through a heterogeneous group of disease processes, the ultimate final pathologic insult in humans is defined as a stroke, or damage to brain parenchyma. In the case of ischemic stroke, blood fails to reach its target destination whereas in hemorrhagic stroke, extravasation of blood occurs outside of the blood vessel lumen, resulting in direct damage to brain parenchyma. As these acute events can be neurologically devastating, if not fatal, development of novel therapeutics are urgently needed. The zebrafish (Danio rerio) is an attractive model for the study of cerebrovascular disease because of its morphological and physiological similarity to human cerebral vasculature, its ability to be genetically manipulated, and its fecundity allowing for large-scale, phenotype-based screens.
Computationally Tractable Approaches to Modeling the Coverage of Weather Sensor Networks

Computationally tractable methods are required to identify the potential contribution of sensors. This paper presents computationally tractable methods to measure radar coverage. Two measures are introduced. One is covered voxels which measures an upper bound of the number of distinct high quality values that can be returned from the radar system for a weather feature. The other is the high quality feature coverage area percentage that defines what percentage of the weather feature is sensed by covered voxels. Five methods (2 2D and 3 3D algorithms) are presented to help calculate the data required to determine the values for these measures. The algorithms are used on two systems to test drive the framework including run-time performance measures for the algorithms themselves. For both 2D and 3D cases, the approximations helped with respect to computation time. In addition, the feature approximation/3D volume coverage algorithm (using 3D-grid) greatly reduced the computation time.
Hydrodynamic Simulations in 3+1 General Relativity

We solve Einstein's field equations coupled to relativistic hydrodynamics in full $3+1$ general relativity to evolve astrophysical systems characterized by strong gravitational fields. We model rotating, collapsing and binary stars by idealized polytropic equations of state, with neutron stars as the main application. Our scheme is based on the Baumgarte-Shapiro-Shibata-Nakamura formulation of the field equations. We assume adiabatic flow, but allow for the formation of shocks. We determine the appearance of black holes by means of an apparent horizon finder. We introduce several new techniques for integrating the coupled Einstein-hydrodynamics system. For example, we choose our fluid variables so that they can be evolved without employing an artificial atmosphere. We also demonstrate the utility of working in a rotating coordinate system for some problems. We use rotating stars to experiment with several gauge choices for the lapse function and shift vector, and find some choices to be superior to others. We demonstrate the ability of our code to follow a rotating star that collapses from large radius to a black hole. Finally, we exploit rotating coordinates to evolve a corotating binary neutron star system in a quasiequilibrium circular orbit for more than two orbital periods.
Widespread expression of beta-defensin hBD-1 in human secretory glands and epithelial cells

We compared the expression of human α- and β-defensins by various human tissues. mRNA for α-defensins HNP1-3, abundant in bone marrow, was detected in peripheral blood leukocytes, spleen and thymus by RT-PCR, which revealed α-defensins HD5 and HD6 only in the small intestine. In contrast, the pancreas and kidney expressed high levels of hBD-1 and lower levels of this β-defensin were found in many organs by RT-PCR (salivary gland > trachea > prostate and placenta > thymus, testis, small intestine). hBD-1 mRNA was produced constitutively by cultured normal human epithelial cells derived from the trachea, bronchi, small airways and the mammary gland. These largely non-overlapping tissue distributions of human α- and β-defensins suggest that hBD-1 may be positioned to defend epithelial cells and mucosae from infection, whereas expression of HNP1-3 in neutrophils and HD5 and HD6 in Paneth cells allows these α-defensins to participate in systemic and small intestinal host defenses, respectively.
The Aspergillus Genome Database: multispecies curation and incorporation of RNA-Seq data to improve structural gene annotations

The Aspergillus Genome Database (AspGD; http://www.aspgd.org) is a freely available web-based resource that was designed for Aspergillus researchers and is also a valuable source of information for the entire fungal research community. In addition to being a repository and central point of access to genome, transcriptome and polymorphism data, AspGD hosts a comprehensive comparative genomics toolbox that facilitates the exploration of precomputed orthologs among the 20 currently available Aspergillus genomes. AspGD curators perform gene product annotation based on review of the literature for four key Aspergillus species: Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus niger. We have iteratively improved the structural annotation of Aspergillus genomes through the analysis of publicly available transcription data, mostly expressed sequenced tags, as described in a previous NAR Database article (Arnaud et al. 2012). In this update, we report substantive structural annotation improvements for A. nidulans, A. oryzae and A. fumigatus genomes based on recently available RNA-Seq data. Over 26 000 loci were updated across these species; although those primarily comprise the addition and extension of untranslated regions (UTRs), the new analysis also enabled over 1000 modifications affecting the coding sequence of genes in each target genome.
Selection for Drought Tolerance in Dry Bean Derived from the Mesoamerican Gene Pool in Western Nebraska

Dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) is highly susceptible to drought stress, and drought affects 60% of global bean production. We evaluated elite exotic dry bean germplasm derived from the Mesoamerican gene pool for drought tolerance, yield, and adaptation to western Nebraska during 2006 and 2007 at three research sites. Seven tropical lines were evaluated with two great northern cultivars (Matterhorn and Beryl-R) and one pinto cultivar (Bill-Z) serving as checks. Adjacent nonstressed (NS) and drought-stressed (DS) blocks were evaluated. Within each block, the selected lines were assigned to experimental units using a randomized complete block design with four replications at each location. On average, yield was 60% less, 100-seed weight was 19.2% lower, and maturity occurred 4 d earlier under DS than under NS conditions. Beryl-R, SER 22, and Matterhorn had the greatest average yield under both NS (3564, 3347, and 3440 kg ha -1 , respectively) and DS (1701, 1773, and 1584 kg ha -1 ,respectively). These genotypes were also the most drought tolerant based on the drought susceptibility index (0.9, 0.8, and 0.9, respectively) and geometric mean (2462, 2436, and 2335, respectively). Based on these results, Matterhorn, Beryl-R, and SER 22 show the most promise for use in breeding for drought tolerance.
What is the complexity of a distributed computing system

Distributed computing systems are becoming bigger and more complex. Although the complexity of large-scale distributed systems has been acknowledged to be an important challenge, there has not been much work in defining or measuring system complexity. Thus, today, it is difficult to compare the complexities of different systems, or to state that one system is easier to program, to manage, or to use than another. In this article, we try to understand the factors that cause computing systems to appear very complex to people. We define different aspects of system complexity and propose metrics for measuring these aspects. We also show how these aspects affect different kinds of people—viz. developers, administrators, and end-users. On the basis of the aspects and metrics of complexity that we identify, we propose general guidelines that can help reduce the complexity of systems. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 12: 37–45, 2007
Fibrogenic potentials of coal slags used as abrasive blasting substitutes.

This study was designed to examine the fibrogenic potentials of four coal slags that are being used as substitutes for silica sand in abrasive blasting. Six groups of 100 male Sprague‐Dawley rats, including four coal slag groups, a vehicle control, and a positive control for fibrosis (Minusil quartz), were used. Each dust treatment group was given a single 40‐mg dose of test agent via intratracheal instillation. Interim sacrifices of 15 animals per group were performed at 2 d, 3 mo, and 6 mo posltreatment, with the terminal sacrifice conducted at 12 mo. Hematoxylin and eosin stained histologic sections were prepared from designated formalin‐fixed tissues collected at each necropsy and examined microscopically. Pulmonary silicon analyses were performed for each group at the 2‐d and 12‐mo sacrifices. Pulmonary function analyses were conducted for each group at the 3‐, 6‐, and 12‐mo sacrifices. Lung hydroxyproline analyses were conducted for 15 animals in each group at the terminal sacrifice. The pulmonary f...
Time course of priming for associate and inference words in a discourse context.

The construction of word meanings in a discourse context was conceptualized as a process of sense activation, sense selection, and sense elaboration. In three experiments, subjects read texts presented by a rapid serial visual procedure and performed a lexical decision on visually presented targets that followed ambiguous prime words. When the target was a word, it was either an associate of the prime word, a probable inference suggested by the discourse, or an unrelated word. For associates, lexical decisions that related to either the appropriate or the inappropriate sense of the ambiguous word were generally facilitated at short (200-400 msec) prime-target stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs). At longer SOAs, responses were faster to appropriate than to inappropriate associates. For the thematic inferences, there was no difference between these (appropriate) inferences and (inappropriate) control words at short SOAs. At long SOAs (1,000 and 1,500 msec), however, inference words were facilitated. The results are interpreted as consistent with a model of lexical processing in which sense activation functions independently of context. Discourse context effects, whether on sense selection (suppression of inappropriate associates) or on sense elaboration (creation of inferences), are seen as postlexical.
Consideration of physiological response in numerical models of temperature during MRI of the human head.

Purpose To examine the thermal effects of the physiological response to heating during exposure to radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a head-specific volume coil. Materials and Methods Numerical methods were used to calculate the temperature elevation in MRI of the human head within volume coils from 64–400 MHz at different power levels both with and without consideration of temperature-induced changes in rates of metabolism, perspiration, radiation, and perfusion. Results At the highest power levels currently allowed in MRI for head volume coils, there is little effect from the physiological response as predicted with existing methods. This study does not rule out the possibility that at higher power levels or in different types of coils (such as extremity or whole-body coils) the physiological response may have more significant effects. Conclusion In modeling temperature increase during MRI of the human head in a head-sized volume coil at up to 3.0 W/kg head-average specific energy absorption rates, it may not be necessary to consider thermally induced changes in rates of metabolism, perfusion, perspiration, and radiation. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2008;28:1303–1308. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Chromium in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism

Since the discovery in the 1950s that mammals have a nutritional requirement for chromium, the biological function of chromium has been sought. Candidates for the naturally-occurring biologically active form of chromium have been proposed, but, until recently, all have been shown to be artifacts. Recent studies examining the properties of the oligopeptide low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance (LMWCr) suggest that this material may have a role in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism as part of a novel insulin-signaling amplification mechanism and may have implications in the treatment of diabetes and related conditions.
Improvement of STEM Education: Experiential Learning is the Key

Copyright: © 2013 Gilmore MW. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. STEM is a vital area of national interest and concern. STEM education will determine whether the United States will remain a leader among nations and whether we will be able to solve immense challenges in such areas as energy, health, environmental protection, and national security [1]. If the United States of America truly remains focused on broadening the participation of persons in STEM then we will see a generation of scientists, technologists, engineers and mathematicians who will create the new ideas, new products, and entirely new industries in the 21st century [1].
Reply [to “Comment on ‘An atmospheric stochastic trigger for El Niño’”]

With the foregoing commentary, Hunt has added another possible explanation for apparent correlations between East Pacific Rise (EPR) seismicity and El Ninos. Considerations as to whether this particular explanation is more or less probable than other suggestions may be inappropriate at this time. Thus far, none of the suggested mechanisms has been adequately tested, either in theory or in the field. Because of the importance of El Ninos, their irregular periodicity and the fact that intense episodes of EPR seismicity have been correlated with that irregular periodicity, it may be irresponsible to assume that the correlations are coincidental and ignore understandings that might be gained through tests of these speculative suggestions.Therefore, individuals, organizations, and government agencies with the interest and financial resources to do so are encouraged to consider such tests.
Analysis of the 1H NMR spectrum of α‐tetralone

An analysis of both the aromatic and aliphatic portions of the 1H NMR spectrum of α-tetralone has been carried out. Two deuterated derivatives, 2,2-dideuterio- and 4,4-dideuterio-α-tetralone, were prepared to facilitate unambiguous assignment of chemical shifts for the aliphatic protons. The conformation of the 6-membered alicyclic ring of the molecule is defined by the coupling constants among the aliphatic protons. Benzylic coupling was the only detectable long range interaction between the aliphatic and aromatic protons of the molecule. The magnitude and sign of these coupling constants agree with previous calculations of Wasylishen and Schaefer.
Dipole Transitions in the Nuclear Photo-Effect

In this paper we apply sum rules to calculate under certain approximations the integrated cross section and the mean energy for photon absorption by heavy nuclei. In Section II we calculate the summed oscillator strength for dipole transitions as $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{n}^{}{f}_{\mathrm{on}}=(\frac{\mathrm{NZ}}{A})(1+0.8x)$ where $x$ is the fraction of attractive exchange force for the neutron-proton potential. For $N=Z$ this gives the cross section integrated over photon energy $\ensuremath{\int}{0}^{\ensuremath{\infty}}\ensuremath{\sigma}\mathrm{dW}=0.015A(1+0.8x)$ Mev-barns. In Section III we calculate the mean energy $\overline{W}$ for photon absorption. The mean energy is 4/3 the average kinetic energy of a nucleon for pure ordinary forces, or about 19 Mev; and is greatly increased by attractive exchange force. The harmonic mean energy ${W}_{H}=\frac{\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{}{n}{f}_{\mathrm{on}}}{[\frac{\ensuremath{\Sigma}\stackrel{}{n}{f}_{\mathrm{on}}}{({E}_{n}\ensuremath{-}{E}_{o})}]}$ is much too low using the model of uncorrelated nucleons, but is reasonable if we use the alpha-particle model of the nucleus. In Section IV we develop a sum rule for quadrupole transitions, and show that quadrupole transitions can account for only about six percent of the experimentally observed integrated cross section. In Section V we apply the sum rules for dipole transitions to the photo-disintegration of the deuteron, and compare the results from sum rules with those from direct calculations of the cross section. In Section VI we determine the asymptotic behavior of the cross section for dipole transitions at high photon energies. This is determined by the nature of the singularities in the neutron-proton potential. In the last section we discuss the G.E. experiments on the cross section for photo-disintegration, and its energy dependence, and find that our calculations explain the general features of the experiments. It is not necessary to assume the Goldhaber-Teller model of dipole vibrations by the entire nucleus.
Thermal analysis of the large close-packed amplifiers in the National Ignition Facility (NIF)

Flashlamp pumping of the large aperture multi-segment NIF amplifiers will result in large amounts of energy being deposited as heat in the amplifier components. The magnitude of the heating and the nonuniform distribution result in a delay time between shots due to wavefront distortion and steering error. A NIF requirement is that the thermal wavefront recovery must occur in less than six hours. The principal cause of long-term wavefront distortion is the thermal gradient produced in the slab as heat diffuses from the edge cladding into the pumped volume. Thermal equilibrium is established through conduction, convection, and exchange of thermal radiation. Radiative exchange between glass components, such as flashlamps, blast shields, and laser slabs is especially effective because of the large surface areas of these components and the high emissivity of the glass. Free convection within the amplifier enclosure is also important but is on the order of a 10 to 20% effect compared to radiation for the major surfaces. To evaluate the NIF design, the amplifier was modeled to calculate the thermal response of a single laser element. The amplifier is cooled by flowing room- temperature air or nitrogen through the flashlamp cassettes. Active cooling of the flashlamps and blast shields serves two purposes; the energy deposited in these components can be removed before it is transferred to the amplifier optical components, and the cooled blast shield provides a large area heat sink for removal of the residual heat from the laser slabs. Approximately 50 to 60% of the flashlamp energy is deposited in the flashlamps and blast shields. Thus, cooling the flashlamp cassette is a very effective method for removing a substantial fraction of the energy without disturbing the optical elements of the system. Preliminary thermal analysis indicates that active cooling with flow rates of 10 CFM per flashlamp is sufficient to meet the six hour thermal equilibrium requirement. An experiment was run with a scaled down version of the NIF laser slab to measure the thermal recovery time. This experiment was also modeled and the results from the model are compared with the thermal recovery experiment data.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Technology-motivated teaching of topics in number theory through a tool kit approach

This paper shows how the computational and graphical capabilities of spreadsheets allow for interactive analytic and geometric constructions from numerical modelling of homogeneous Diophantine equations of the second order. Suggested activities, designed for prospective teachers of mathematics and made possible by what is referred to in the paper as the tool kit approach, enable one to revisit classic mathematics concepts within the framework of computerized mathematical experiment.
HIV seroconversion among high-risk women in New York City.

To the Editor. —Incidence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections in men and women may predict the magnitude of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, to evaluate the efficacy of prevention programs and to design vaccine trials. Surveys of HIV-1 seroincidence in small samples of high-risk women in the United States outside New York City (NYC) have reported annual rates of 3% to 5%. 1,2 Six-month seroincidence among 377 women attending a NYC public clinic for sexually transmitted diseases was 1.7%. 3 We have estimated the HIV seroconversion rate among high-risk, HIV-negative women in NYC as part of the NYC Perinatal HIV Transmission Collaborative Study. Pregnant women at risk for HIV infection (having a history of injection drug use [IDU], crack cocaine use, or sexual exposure to a man with history of IDU) were enrolled at six NYC hospitals between 1986 and 1992 as controls in a prospective study of
Computers and spatial analysis: Extensions of geographic research

Abstract The recent intellectual revolution in Geography rests upon men and machines. The latter have extended the scope and size of geographic investigations with a speed unthinkable only a decade ago. Statistical exploration is possible on a large scale, and taxonomic procedures have advanced greatly. Peculiarly geographic questions of spatial autocorrelation and pattern measurement can only be investigated with the aid of large and very fast machines. Optical computers are used for fast, parallel computation to obtain the spectra of spatial series. Cartography at advanced levels is increasingly automated, and advances in remote sensing require further extensions of automatic data processing and display. Optimization and simulation models are used routinely today for instructional purposes.
The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: The Failure of the Self-Regulatory Model of Corporate Governance in the Global Business Environment

The American regulatory model of corporate governance rests on the theory of self-regulation as␣the most effective and efficient means to achieve corporate self-restraint in the marketplace. However, that model fails to achieve regular compliance with baseline ethical and legal behaviors as evidenced by a century of repeated corporate debacles, the most recent being Enron, WorldCom, and Refco. Seemingly impervious to its domestic failure, Congress imprinted the same self-regulation paradigm on legislation restraining global business behavior, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. This anti-bribery initiative prohibits unethical and illegal payments made to foreign public officials in an effort to eradicate bribery as a rational-choice global market entry strategy. However, this paper illustrates, using newly complied statistics from 1977 to 2008, that the FCPA has not had a dramatic impact on U.S. global corporate behavior despite its recent high profile coverage and the tough regulatory rhetoric about corporate compliance. The paper also extends the prior Cragg and Woof FCPA efficiency study and provides current empirical evidence to resolve several unanswered questions raised by that earlier study.
Energy profile for environmental monitoring wireless sensor networks

Energy efficiency is a critical factor in wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Understanding how energy is being consumed by sensor nodes allows researchers and practitioners to more effectively evaluate and optimize the development of real-world WSN applications. In WSN deployments for environmental monitoring, the external environment affects the performance of the application, influencing the energy consumed by sensor nodes. In this work, we present the energy consumption profile for an environmental monitoring WSN application deployed in an outdoor testbed. Our results reveal that significant differences exist in energy consumption between nodes with attached external sensors and ones without them, as well as the effect of network dynamics on the energy profile.