cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Genome-Wide Association Studies of Sleep Disorders

Sleep disorders tend to be complex diseases, with multiple genes and environmental factors interacting to contribute to phenotypes. Our understanding of the genetic underpinnings of sleep disorders has benefited from recent genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We review principles underlying GWAS and discuss recent GWAS for restless legs syndrome and narcolepsy. These studies have identified four gene variants associated with restless legs syndrome (BTBD9, MEIS1, MAP2K5/LBXCOR1, and PTPRD) and two variants associated with narcolepsy (one in the T-cell receptor α locus and another between CPT1B and CHKB). These discoveries have opened new lines of research to understand the pathophysiology of these disorders. In addition to GWAS, we expect that new technologies, such as next-generation sequencing, and continued use of animal models will provide important contributions to our understanding of the genetic basis of sleep disorders.
If college students are appointment television viewers

Whether television viewers are selective or passive has generally drawn its findings from two non-overlapping research traditions. Research showing little audience selectivity in aggregite audiences may stem from how the aggregate is defined-an idea pursued here with an examination ofcollege student viewing. Results from a week of viewing show evidence of both structural and individual determination of selection. These results suggest additional qualifications on use of student samples for communication research.
Social media's emerging importance in market research

Purpose – The purpose of the study is to investigate the use of social media as a new investigative tool in marketing research.Design/methodology/approach – The paper's approach is an analysis of the existing social marketing literature and industry practice in marketing analysis.Findings – The market research profession has been affected by developments in social media. First, some of the traditional research methods suffer from changes in consumer communication patterns. As social media supplant communication methods such as telephony and even email, researchers have diminished capacity to reach consumer subjects. As a result, the social media have spawned a number of research techniques that overcome the problems that have started to affect the old techniques.Research limitations/implications – The article reviews the state of market research and its efforts to remain effective. The major new social media based market research techniques are described as well as their strengths and weaknesses. One limi...
Does a fast mixer really exist

In this paper, we are concerned about the limit behavior of the decay rate of variance of a passive and diffusive scalar in a flow field as the diffusivity of the scalar goes to zero. Motivated by the concept of the fast dynamo in the dynamo theory, we term a flow as fast mixer if the decay rate remains away from zero as the diffusivity goes to zero. We first repeat numerical simulations with flow maps and velocity fields used in the existing literature, including the lattice map, the 1D baker’s map, and the sinusoidal shear flow. Our simulations shows that, in all cases, the decay rate tends to zero as the diffusivity goes to zero. For the closed flows in a bounded domain, we then theoretically proved this result under certain plausible conditions on the flows. For the open flows in the whole space, we show that the effective diffusivity matrix tends to zero in the limit without the conditions for the closed flow. In conclusion, although a fast mixer might exist, it could be very difficult to find one.
Transesophageal echocardiography-guided approach to cardioversion of atrial fibrillation

In patients with atrial fibrillation, electrical cardioversion is often performed to relieve symptoms, to improve left ventricular function, and to decrease thromboembolic risks. However, cardioversion of atrial tachyarrhythmias is associated with an increased embolic risk, with an event rate of up to 5.6%. The American College of Chest Physicians recommend 3 weeks of systemic anticoagulation before elective cardioversion and 4 weeks of systemic anticoagulation afterwards. Expulsion of preexisting left atrial (LA) thrombi with resumption of sinus rhythm has traditionally been considered the mechanism for this increased embolic risk associated with cardioversion. The advent of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) has allowed accurate detection of LA thrombus. Moreover, recent studies using TEE have identified a state of atrial "stunning" immediately after cardioversion, which is considered a thrombogenic milieu in which new thrombus formation and increased or de novo appearance of LA spontaneous echocardiographic contrast have been observed. Furthermore, embolic events have been reported after cardioversion despite exclusion of preexisting LA thrombus by TEE. These studies strongly suggest an alternative mechanism for embolism after cardioversion, ie, atrial stunning with worsened atrial appendage function and enhanced thrombogenesis. Recent studies have shown the safety of a TEE-guided anticoagulation approach in which exclusion of preexisting LA thrombus by TEE enables early cardioversion without the need for the standard 3 weeks of systemic anticoagulation. The importance of maintaining therapeutic anticoagulation has been further emphasized. Although preliminary observational studies of TEE-guided cardioversion are encouraging, there has been no prospective, randomized trial comparing the two strategies of anticoagulation management. The Assessement of Cardioversion Utilizing Transesophageal Echocardiography (ACUTE) pilot study randomized 126 patients from 10 sites and showed the feasibility and safety of the larger scale study. A larger multicenter, prospective randomized trial is now underway and is expected to randomize a total of 3,000 patients. The results of the ACUTE study will definitively establish the safest and the most cost-effective way to manage anticoagulation for elective cardioversion.
The Environmental Consequences of Subsidized Risk Management and Disaster Assistance Programs

Federal subsidized crop insurance has been a major fixture of US agricultural policies for the past several decades. In recent years, the program has expanded rapidly and now constitutes the largest and most expensive agricultural subsidy initiative in the United States. Similar programs have been introduced around the world. All these programs have one common denominator: Absent generous subsidies, participation is minimal. Such subsidies introduce the potential for a wide range of distortions. Intensive margin distortions may result from moral hazard as insured growers alter their production practices. Distortions at the extensive margin may arise as acreage decisions reflect the presence of subsidized risk management, resulting in lands with alternative uses being planted to crops. A range of environmental effects may arise as a result of these distortions. Not all those effects are negative, because subsidized insurance may result in less intensive use of chemical and fertilizer inputs. We review the ...
Racial experiments in psychiatry’s provinces: Richard S Lyman and his colleagues in China and the American South, 1932–51

The worldwide expansion of psychiatry as a science at times followed pathways already laid by Christian medical missions to cultures seen as disadvantaged by sponsors. Interracial contacts were one outcome, and racial issues gained visibility in psychiatric inquiry and treatment. Richard S. Lyman gathered socially diverse psychiatric teams at Peking Union Medical College in the 1930s and Duke University in the 1940s, both programs funded by the Rockefeller Foundation. Bingham Dai, a Chinese-born theorist and therapist, and Leo Alexander, Holocaust refugee and later medical investigator for the Nuremberg prosecutors, worked with Lyman at both sites. These itinerant professionals repeatedly struggled to comprehend and influence localities. Lyman’s liberal aim to integrate psychiatry succeeded better in China than in segregated North Carolina.
Women's Motivations For Participation In Arts/Design Programs: Differences and Effects

Adult learners' motivations for participating in continuing education programs vary from job-related reasons to social and general learning goals (Houle 1961; Scheffield 1964; Boshier 1971, 1977, 1978). Knowledge about how motivational orientations differ with specific user groups and content areas and how motiva tions might affect learning outcomes is essential for those interested in planning educational programs. This study adapted and tested a participation inventory instrument in six art and design programs for women (N = 85). Ratings were used to construct individual factor scores providing a weighted profile and dis tribution of women's motivations. Pre- and postmeasures of creative attitude and problem-solving were used to compare learning among the motivational orientations. Results exhibit continuity with existing motivational theory and give empirical support to a motivational continuum construct. Women's reasons for participating in art and design programs were content-specific, social, personal- need activity, general learning-curiosity, and a composite of the four. A signif icant difference was found among the five orientations when measured for change in creative attitude. Condescriptive analysis showed women with general learning-curiosity and composite orientations scored highest. No significant dif ference was observed when compared on problem-solving measures.
Normal somatomedin and somatomedin receptors in achondroplastic dwarfism.

It has been proposed that the basic abnormality in achondroplasia may be a quantitative defect in endochondral new bone formation secondary to decreased synthesis of somatomedin (SM) or abnormal binding of SM to specific receptors. To test this hypothesis, we have measured plasma SM levels and SM receptors on circulating mononuclear cells obtained from 5 achondroplastic dwarfs and 5 age-matched controls. Plasma SM levels were 0.82 +/- 0.14 U/ml (mean +/- S.E.M.) for the achondroplastic dwarfs and 0.90 +/- 0.12 U/ml for the controls. The specific binding of 125I-SM to 50 x 10(6) mononuclear cells was 7.66 +/- 1.11% for the dwarf group and 7.66 +/- 1.16% for the controls. Achondroplastic and control cells possessed equal numbers of receptor sites and identical receptor affinity for SM. The data indicate that plasma SM levels and SM binding to circulating mononuclear cells are normal in achondroplastic dwarfs and suggest a primary intrace-lular defect.
Tracking personal exposure to particulate diesel exhaust in a diesel freight terminal using organic tracer analysis

Personal exposure to particle-phase molecular markers was measured at a trucking terminal in St Louis, MO, as part of a larger epidemiologic project aimed at assessing carbonaceous fine particulate matter (PM) exposure in this occupational setting. The integration of parallel personal exposure, ambient worksite area and ambient urban background (St Louis Supersite) measurements provided a unique opportunity to track the work-related exposure to carbonaceous fine PM in a freight terminal. The data were used to test the proposed personal exposure model in this occupational setting: To accurately assess the impact of PM emission sources, particularly motor vehicle exhaust, and organic elemental carbon (OCEC) analysis and nonpolar organic molecular marker analysis by thermal desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (TD-GCMS) were conducted on all of the PM samples. EC has been used as a tracer for diesel exhaust in urban areas, however, the emission profile for diesel exhaust is dependent upon the operating conditions of the vehicle and can vary considerably within a fleet. Hopanes, steranes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and alkanes were measured by TD-GCMS. Hopanes are source-specific organic molecular markers for lubricating oil present in motor vehicle exhaust. The concentrations of OC, EC and the organic tracers were averaged to obtain average profiles to assess differences in the personal, worksite area and urban background samples, and were also correlated individually by sample time to evaluate the exposure model presented above. Finally, a chemical mass balance model was used to apportion the motor vehicle and cigarette-smoke components of the measured OC and EC for the average personal exposure, worksite area and urban background samples.
Amyloid β-peptide directly induces spontaneous calcium transients, delayed intercellular calcium waves and gliosis in rat cortical astrocytes

The contribution of astrocytes to the pathophysiology of AD (Alzheimer's disease) and the molecular and signalling mechanisms that potentially underlie them are still very poorly understood. However, there is mounting evidence that calcium dysregulation in astrocytes may be playing a key role. Intercellular calcium waves in astrocyte networks in vitro can be mechanically induced after Aβ (amyloid β-peptide) treatment, and spontaneously forming intercellular calcium waves have recently been shown in vivo in an APP (amyloid precursor protein)/PS1 (presenilin 1) Alzheimer's transgenic mouse model. However, spontaneous intercellular calcium transients and waves have not been observed in vitro in isolated astrocyte cultures in response to direct Aβ stimulation in the absence of potentially confounding signalling from other cell types. Here, we show that Aβ alone at relatively low concentrations is directly able to induce intracellular calcium transients and spontaneous intercellular calcium waves in isolated astrocytes in purified cultures, raising the possibility of a potential direct effect of Aβ exposure on astrocytes in vivo in the Alzheimer's brain. Waves did not occur immediately after Aβ treatment, but were delayed by many minutes before spontaneously forming, suggesting that intracellular signalling mechanisms required sufficient time to activate before intercellular effects at the network level become evident. Furthermore, the dynamics of intercellular calcium waves were heterogeneous, with distinct radial or longitudinal propagation orientations. Lastly, we also show that changes in the expression levels of the intermediate filament proteins GFAP (glial fibrillary acidic protein) and S100B are affected by Aβ-induced calcium changes differently, with GFAP being more dependent on calcium levels than S100B.
E1A: Tumor Suppressor or Oncogene? Preclinical and Clinical Investigations of E1A Gene Therapy

In the late 1980s, we have shown that theE1A gene can downregulate HER-2/neu overexpression, thus reversing the tumorigenic and metastatic phenotype. Further,E1A can function as a tumor suppressor gene by inducing apoptosis and inhibiting metastasis. At The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, we have been investigating the adenovirus type 5E1A gene as a potential therapeutic gene in breast and ovarian cancer since 1995 by using cationic liposome as gene delivery system. In this chapter, we recount our development ofE1A as a therapeutic gene.
A Novel Conus Snail Polypeptide Causes Excitotoxicity by Blocking Desensitization of AMPA Receptors

Summary Background Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are glutamate-gated ion channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. Based on both molecular and pharmacological criteria, iGluRs have been divided into two major classes, the non-NMDA class, which includes both AMPA and kainate subtypes of receptors, and the NMDA class. One evolutionarily conserved feature of iGluRs is their desensitization in the continued presence of glutamate. Thus, when in a desensitized state, iGluRs can be bound to glutamate, yet the channel remains closed. However, the relevance of desensitization to nervous system function has remained enigmatic. Results Here, we report the identification and characterization of a novel polypeptide (con-ikot-ikot) from the venom of a predatory marine snail Conus striatus that specifically disrupts the desensitization of AMPA receptors (AMPARs). The stoichiometry of con-ikot-ikot appears reminiscent of the proposed subunit organization of AMPARs, i.e., a dimer of dimers, suggesting that it acts as a molecular four-legged clamp that holds the AMPAR channel open. Application of con-ikot-ikot to hippocampal slices caused a large and rapid increase in resting AMPAR-mediated current leading to neuronal death. Conclusions Our findings provide insight into the mechanisms that regulate receptor desensitization and demonstrate that in the arms race between prey and predators, evolution has selected for a toxin that blocks AMPAR desensitization, thus revealing the fundamental importance of desensitization for regulating neural function.
Analysis of current-mirror MOSFETs for use in total-dose radiation environments

The suitability of current-mirror MOSFETs (CMFETs) for use in total-dose radiation environments was examined. These devices allow low-loss load-current sensing and have significant potential for use in power integrated circuits. Experiments demonstrated that the ratio of the load current to the sense current was virtually unaffected by ionizing radiation for many operating conditions. In all cases examined, changes in current ratio were largest when the sense resistance was largest, and smallest when the sense voltage was approximately equal to the load-section source voltage. A demonstration circuit was used to verify the feasibility of using feedback to extend the useful life of CMFETs in total-ionizing-dose environments. >
Spatially adaptive multiscale image restoration using the wavelet transform

In this paper, we present a new adaptive approach to the restoration of noisy blurred images which is particularly effective at producing sharp deconvolution while suppressing the noise in the flat regions of an image. This is accomplished through a multiscale Kalman smoothing filter applied to a prefiltered observed image in the discrete, separable, 2D wavelet domain. The prefiltering step involves a constrained least squares filter based on a very small choice for the regularization parameter, producing an under-regularized restored image. This leads to a reduction in the support of the required state vectors in the wavelet domain, and an improvement in the computational efficiency of the multiscale filter. The proposed method has the benefit that the majority of the regularization, or noise suppression, of the restoration is accomplished by the efficient multiscale filtering of wavelet detail coefficients ordered on quadtrees. Not only does this permit adaptivity to the local edge information in the image, but it leads to potential parallel implementation schemes. In particular, this method changes filter parameters depending on scale, local signal-to-noise ratio, and orientation. Because the wavelet detail coefficients are a manifestation of the multiscale edge information in an image, this algorithm may be viewed as an `edge-adaptive' multiscale restoration approach.© (1994) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Working hard or hardly working: A study of individuals engaging in personal business on the job

This exploratory study examined how the relationships and meshed boundaries among work, home and leisure life realms are enacted in human behavior. Specifically, it assessed the types of leisure-and home-oriented activities that people engage in at work and examined why such personal activities are performed during the workday. Semi-structured interviews with individuals from a variety of occupations provided qualitative data that were coded to identify the types of personal activities that take place on company time (e.g. personal phone calls, e-mails to friends, office betting pools) and the underlying factors behind engaging in personal business on the job (i.e. the balance between work and personal life realms, the various rationale or meanings people construct to rationalize this behavior, and the meaning or importance that people place upon home, work, and leisure). These findings have implications for (i) future researchers by increasing understanding of the behavioral manifestations of the overlap...
The Long Side of the Market and the Short End of the Stick: Bargaining Power and Price Formation in Buyers', Sellers', and Balanced Markets

The determinants of bargaining power and price formation in a dynamic exchange market where new traders enter randomly over time are studied. When agents on the long side of the market possess the option to wait for the arrival of future partners, the terms of trade in the spot market must honor the value of this option. The equilibrium terms of trade are expressed in intuitive closed-form equations that highlight the distinct influences of short-run spot-market conditions and long-run market demographics. I. INTRODUCTION Few concepts in economics are as intuitive as the idea that traders on the long side of a market wind up holding the short end of the stick. That is, they receive little or none of the gains from trade. Consider, for instance, the classic setting in which b identical buyers each with unit demands for an indivisible homogeneous good face s identical sellers each with one unit of the good for sale. It is well-known that in a broad class of one-shot trading games, all of the surplus in this setting goes to the short side of the market; in equilibrium. That is, if b s, buyers bid the price up to their reservation value. Often, it is only when b = s that market institutions (the rules of the game) have any bearing on the equilibrium division of surplus. This classic result is somewhat brittle because of the discontinuity in the terms of trade when moving from positive to negative levels of excess demand. Its logic is familiar, however, from Bertrand competition, and it is very compelling. The option value to an agent frozen out of a trade in a one-shot market game is his reservation payoff of zero. Any outcome that confers nonzero surplus to a long-side agent cannot be sustained in equilibrium, because all of the long-side agents who would otherwise be frozen out possess a strict incentive to undercut.
Hazards of unplanned power outages: Implementing appropriate safeguards

Accident root cause investigations often identifyunplanned power outages as the cause of a cata-strophic accident. Unplanned power outages can bean initiating event that leads to an emergency shut-down of a process unit. If the emergency shutdown ismanaged incorrectly, it can result in an uncontrolledrelease of hazardous chemicals.To prevent a catastrophic accident, it is neces-sary to employ one or more safeguards to interruptthe chain of accident events. A process hazardsanalysis is the most effective tool for identifyingthese safeguards and evaluating their effectivenessprior to an incident. Examples of such safeguardsare emergency shutdown procedures with operatortraining, emergency shutdown systems (includingsafety instrumented systems), and backup powersupplies.This article explores the ways in which hazardanalysis and emergency planning can be utilized toensure a safe transition to a secondary powersource during an interruption of primary power. Acase study of an accidental release of hydrochloricacid vapor is presented in which a safeguard failedto function during a power outage. An interestingfeature of this incident was the excessive testing ofthe emergency power system that led to its prema-ture and undetected failure. Thus, when com-manded to operate during a power outage, thebackup system failed. We illustrate how a layer ofprotection analysis, coupled with the development ofbest practices from industrial safety standards,would have suggested a better inspection and testprotocol for the emergency power system. 2011American Institute of Chemical Engineers ProcessSaf Prog 30: 99–103, 2011Keywords: process hazard analysis, layer of protec-tion analysis, power outage, emergency power systems
Noise reduction in multiple-echo data sets using singular value decomposition

A method is described for denoising multiple-echo data sets using singular value decomposition (SVD). Images are acquired using a multiple gradient- or spin-echo sequence, and the variation of the signal with echo time (TE) in all pixels is subjected to SVD analysis to determine the components of the signal variation. The least significant components are associated with small singular values and tend to characterize the noise variation. Applying a "minimum variance" filter to the singular values suppresses the noise components in a way that optimally approximates the underlying noise-free images. The result is a reduction in noise in the individual TE images with minimal degradation of the spatial resolution and contrast. Phantom and in vivo results are presented.
Practice Guidelines for Childhood Lead Screening in Primary Care

The primary focus of this article is to review guidelines for lead screening in children from the Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention (ACCLPP), which were published in January 2012 (ACCLPP, 2012). Sections that will be reviewed include epidemiology, history, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms of lead poisoning, screening for lead, when and how to follow up with abnormal results, and anticipatory guidance and management. This article will not include a lengthy discussion of different treatment op-
Library Collaboration Index: Documenting the Reach in Outreach

As outlined in the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) report Value of Academic Libraries: A Comprehensive Research Review and Report ( http://www.acrl.ala.org/value/ ), Helmke Library is documenting surrogate measures to demonstrate its value to students, faculty and staff on an academic campus and to the community in general. We are documenting and leveraging opportunities and partnerships to enhance awareness and use of library resources and services and most importantly, enhance and publicize the varied skills and contributions of the library’s staff and librarians. Using a simple spreadsheet, we are documenting these outreach and collaborative activities as well as librarians’ involvement in campus committees and projects in a Library Collaboration Index . This document, which lists the Activity, Audience, Contact Hours and other information, describes and quantifies the library’s impact, value and integration with campus and community activities.
Pedantic speaking style differentiates asperger syndrome from high-functioning autism

Asperger syndrome (AS) is a pervasive developmental disorder recently introduced as a new diagnostic category in the ICD-10 and the DSM-IV. Along with motor clumsiness, pedantic speech has been proposed as a clinical feature of AS. However, few attempts have been made to define and measure this symptom. We studied 17 patients with AS (ICD-10; 14 male, 3 female; mean age 16.4 years, mean full-scale IQ 97) and compared them with a control group of 13 patients with normal-intelligence autism or high-functioning autism (HFA) (ICD-10/DSM-III-R; 12 male, 1 female; mean age 15.5 years, mean full-scale IQ 81.2). An operational definition of pedantic speech was formulated and a rating scale devised. 13 (76%) of the AS patients were rated as pedantic compared to 4 (31%) of the HFA group (χ 2=6.3;p=.01). Results suggest that pedantic speech is common in AS and may help differentiate AS from high-functioning autism.
Microfluidic printed circuit boards

Recent advancement in the printed circuit board (PCB) industry has enabled the production of highly sophisticated electronic substrates at high-resolution and low production cost. These boards make an ideal platform for producing microfluidic devices for lab-on-a-chip and point-of-care applications, since such devices require a high degree of integration, something that is critically lacking in current technology. We propose an alternative approach for fabricating microfluidic devices by using PCB as a substrate to produce high precision, highly integrated microfluidic systems. We report the development of new materials (polyurethane and 1002F polymer) and techniques for successful integration of microfluidics with PCBs. Prototypes of PCB-based 1002F and polyurethane microfluidics were fabricated with electronic components embedded for integration (resistors, LEDs, temperature sensors), enabling on-board thermal control and detection, and optical imaging. In this paper, optical imaging was presented as a demonstration for such on-board functional control. Electroosmotic flow was measured in microchannels made from both materials, demonstrating the suitability of these materials for biochemical and electrochemical applications.
Development of a Test to Measure Spatial Abilities Associated with Apparel Design and Product Development

The purpose of this study was to develop a test that measures spatial skills relative to product development and apparel design. To provide some support for content validity, the test included components of spatial products, spatial storage, and spatial thought. As evidence of the type of spatial ability measured by the test, an established test that measures spatial relations (Differential Aptitude Test-Space Relations) (DATSR) was correlated with the newly developed test. To provide preliminary statistical data regarding the test, a between-subjects design study was conducted with clothing construction/patternmaking training (none, some) as the independent variable. Dependent variables were the Apparel Spatial Visualization Test (ASVT) and the DATSR. To evidence content validity of the test, scores on the ASVT should reflect improvement in spatial abilities as a function of training. Students with some training scored higher on the ASVT but did not differ in their scores on the DATSR compared to those w...
Spatial patterns in recruitment and growth of the mussel Mytilus californianus (Conrad) in southern and northern California, USA, two regions with differing oceanographic conditions

Abstract Mussels, Mytilus californianus , and other benthic invertebrate populations on the wave-exposed intertidal coast of the eastern North Pacific are impacted by a suite of biotic and abiotic factors on both local and larger geographic scales. Previous surveys of mussel abundances along the California coast have revealed that mussels, in general, are very abundant in northern California while low in southern California. Nevertheless, mussel abundances in southern California are highly variability with a small number of sites that are characterized as having moderately high to high abundances. To elucidate driving factors of mussel abundances in these regions, we investigated recruitment and growth rates of mussels in 1) northern and southern California, two regions separated by ca. 900 km and exposed to vastly different oceanographic processes and 2) within southern California at sites with moderately high mussel abundances and at sites with low abundances. We found that recruitment and, to a degree, growth may be important factors driving variable abundances of mussels within southern California but could not explain patterns along the entire California coast. Recruitment and growth rates were low in northern California even though mussels were highly abundant. Conversely, recruitment and growth in southern California were significantly higher than northern California and, within the region, were higher in sites characterized by moderately high abundances. Among regions, differences in recruitment and growth are likely driven by large scale oceanographic patterns such as upwelling affecting larval transport and temperature affecting growth. Within southern California, local oceanographic processes likely enhanced or inhibited recruitment or growth leading to differences in measures between closely located sites.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR) Effect in Nanoscale Nichrome Alloy Films

We have performed surface plasmon resonance (SPR) experiments at 633 nm in the Kretchmann configuration on prisms coated with single metal and Nichrome alloy thin films of ~ 500 Aring. The thin films used in this study are grown by magnetron sputtering, and are binary alloy films (Nickel/Chrome with 80/20 concentration). In addition, for comparison we will also present results for pure metal films (Nickel and Chromium). We have observed a pronounced SPR signal at 633 nm for the Nichrome film while neither of the metal thin films (Ni or Cr) yields an SPR effect. We have grown companion layers of Nichrome, Nickel, and Chromium and investigated their dielectric function in the wavelength range 400 -900 nm. The resulting value of the dielectric function is used to model the reflectance from the prism/metal interface.
High-performance carrier interferometry OFDM WLANs: RF testing

In the author's earlier work, we demonstrated how performance degradation and PAPR concerns in OFDM can be overcome by application of carrier interferometry (CI) spreading codes. In this work, the authors employ RF test equipment and analyze the practical performance of OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) based IEEE 802.11a WLAN vs. their proposed carrier interferometry (CI) OFDM based WLAN. Specifically, RF test results (in a typical indoor office environment) are used to analyze the proposed CI/OFDM and CI/COFDM technologies. It is shown that in a typical office environment, at a bit error rate of 10/sup -3/, the CI technology gains 5-7 dB over current OFDM.
Emotional Facial Expressions in Infancy

In this article, we review empirical evidence regarding the relationship between facial expression and emotion during infancy. We focus on differential emotions theory’s view of this relationship because of its theoretical and methodological prominence. We conclude that current evidence fails to support its proposal regarding a set of pre-specified facial expressions that invariably reflect a corresponding set of discrete emotions in infants. Instead, the relationship between facial expression and emotion appears to be more complex. Some facial expressions may have different meanings in infants than in children and adults. In addition, nonemotion factors may sometimes lead to the production of “emotional” facial expressions. We consider alternative perspectives on the nature of emotion and emotional expression in infancy with particular focus on differentiation and dynamical systems approaches.
The prevalence and identity of Chlamydia-specific IgE in children with asthma and other chronic respiratory symptoms

Recent studies have confirmed the presence of viable Chlamydia in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of pediatric patients with airway hyperresponsiveness. While specific IgG and IgM responses to C. pneumoniae are well described, the response and potential contribution of Ag-specific IgE are not known. The current study sought to determine if infection with Chlamydia triggers the production of pathogen-specific IgE in children with chronic respiratory diseases which might contribute to inflammation and pathology. We obtained BAL fluid and serum from pediatric respiratory disease patients who were generally unresponsive to corticosteroid treatment as well as sera from age-matched control patients who saw their doctor for wellness checkups. Chlamydia-specific IgE was isolated from BAL and serum samples and their specificity determined by Western blot techniques. The presence of Chlamydia was confirmed by species-specific PCR and BAL culture assays. Chlamydial DNA was detected in the BAL fluid of 134/197 (68%) patients. Total IgE increased with age until 15 years old and then decreased. Chlamydia-specific IgE was detected in the serum and/or BAL of 107/197 (54%) patients suffering from chronic respiratory disease, but in none of the 35 healthy control sera (p < 0.0001). Of the 74 BAL culture-positive patients, 68 (91.9%, p = 0.0001) tested positive for Chlamydia-specific IgE. Asthmatic patients had significantly higher IgE levels compared to non-asthmatics (p = 0.0001). Patients who were positive for Chlamydia DNA or culture had significantly higher levels of serum IgE compared to negative patients (p = 0.0071 and p = 0.0001 respectively). Only 6 chlamydial antigens induced Chlamydia-specific IgE and patients with C. pneumoniae-specific IgE had significantly greater levels of total IgE compared to C. pneumoniae-specific IgE negative ones (p = 0.0001). IgE antibodies play a central role in allergic inflammation; therefore production of Chlamydia-specific IgE may prove significant in the exacerbation of chronic, allergic airway diseases, thus highlighting a direct role for Chlamydia in asthma pathogenesis.
Standardization of Patient-centered Outcomes: Less Is More

The rising costs of health care and measures implemented to curb them are changing the modern practice of medicine. The effects of these changes are being experienced globally. In the United States, advanced imaging studies or laboratory tests for patients ordered by physicians are often being questioned and, in some cases, denied by insurers. The traditional system of fee for service is being challenged by proponents of value-based health care. Instead of paying providers for every service they deliver, the value-based model shifts the focus to bundled reimbursement covering the total care cycle and rewards providers for efficiency in achieving good patient health outcomes while creating accountability for substandard care [1]. This provides challenges for providers (physicians, hospitals, health systems) and insurers. If the health care landscape strives to transition toward a value-based system, then the immediate obstacles are defining what value is, how to measure it, and how to reimburse for it. An essential step to structure value-based payments is to collect data on providers; however, the metrics that measure these factors can differ widely. Moreover, achieving consensus on best practices for physicians is challenging, and standardization of care is not always possible, given the unique health issues some patients present. The Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2009, established the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute to confront these challenges and to support high-integrity, evidencebased research to inform health care decisions and improve patient outcomes. A key trend in US health care has been more focus on patient-reported outcomes (PROs), reflecting those aspects of outcome that are best obtained directly from patients, such as functional, psychosocial, and healthrelated quality of life. Importantly, PROs represent a metric applicable across varying procedures and provider types and, applied with quality-adjusted life-year data, enable comparative, effective research studies that inform valuebased health care models.
Orbit design and optimization based on global telecommunication performance metrics

The orbit selection of telecommunications orbiters is one of the critical design processes and should be guided by mission-specific performance metrics and constraints. In order to aid the orbit selection process, we have coupled the telecom orbit analysis and simulation tool (TOAST) with genetic optimization algorithms. As a demonstration, we have applied the developed tool to find the optimal orbit for Mars orbiters with the constraint of traveling on a frozen orbit and the optimization goal of minimizing the telecommunication gap time. For the measurement of the gap time, several relevant metrics are constructed: 1) area-weighted average gap time, 2) global maximum of local maximum gap time, 3) global maximum of local minimum gap time. Optimal solutions are found for each type of metrics. Common features and differences between the optimal solutions as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each metric are presented. The optimal solutions are compared with several candidate orbits that were considered during the development of the Mars Telecommunications Orbiter mission.
Quantitative analysis of DNA array autoradiographs

DNA arrays and chips are powerful new tools for gene expression profiling. Current arrays contain hundreds or thousands of probes and large scale sequencing and screening projects will likely lead to the creation of global genomic arrays. DNA arrays and chips will be key in understanding how genes respond to specific changes of environment and will also greatly assist in drug discovery and molecular diagnostics. To facilitate widespread realization of the quantitative potential of this approach, we have designed procedures and software which facilitate analysis of autoradiography films with accuracy comparable to phosphorimaging devices. Algorithms designed for analysis of DNA array autoradiographs incorporate 3-D peak fitting of features on films and estimation of local backgrounds. This software has a flexible grid geometry and can be applied to different types of DNA arrays, including custom arrays.
Novel and Reversible Mechanisms of Smoking-Induced Insulin Resistance in Humans

Smoking is the most common cause of preventable morbidity and mortality in the United States, in part because it is an independent risk factor for the development of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. However, mechanisms responsible for smoking-induced insulin resistance are unclear. In this study, we found smokers were less insulin sensitive compared with controls, which increased after either 1 or 2 weeks of smoking cessation. Improvements in insulin sensitivity after smoking cessation occurred with normalization of IRS-1(ser636) phosphorylation. In muscle cell culture, nicotine exposure significantly increased IRS-1(ser636) phosphorylation and decreased insulin sensitivity, recapitulating the phenotype of smoking-induced insulin resistance in humans. The two pathways known to stimulate IRS-1(ser636) phosphorylation (p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase [MAPK] and mammalian target of rapamycin [mTOR]) were both stimulated by nicotine in culture. Inhibition of mTOR, but not p44/42 MAPK, during nicotine exposure prevented IRS-1(ser636) phosphorylation and normalized insulin sensitivity. These data indicate nicotine induces insulin resistance in skeletal muscle by activating mTOR. Therapeutic agents designed to oppose skeletal muscle mTOR activation may prevent insulin resistance in humans who are unable to stop smoking or are chronically exposed to secondhand smoke.
Lognormal and Weibull accelerated life test plans under distribution misspecification

In this article, we derive expressions for the asymptotic distribution of maximum likelihood estimators of model parameters in accelerated life tests (ALTs) when the model distribution is misspecified. We investigate results for two popular models, namely, the lognormal and Weibull Arrhenius-type ALT models. We propose test plan criteria based on asymptotic bias (ABias) and asymptotic mean squared error (AMSE) to derive ALT test plans. We derive 4:2:1 allocation plans that minimize either ABias/sup 2/ or AMSE. These criteria provide control over estimation bias and variance when the model distribution is misspecified.
Expert code review and mastery learning in a software development course

For students to be successful in upper-division courses and as junior developers, they must master concepts such as code design and concurrency. However, traditional grading and partial credit often allows students to pass courses without demonstrating appropriate mastery. This paper reports on our experience applying mastery learning and expert code review to our software development course. We compare two consecutive semesters of this course---one using a traditional approach and the other using mastery learning and expert code review. We discuss our experience setting student expectations, the differences in grades and code quality between the semesters, and provide recommendations on how to improve and adapt this approach for other courses.
Analyses of Non -premixed Flameholding Behind a Step in Supersonic Flow

Flameholding in supersonic flow depe nds on the local conditions in the recirculation region and the mass transfer into and out of this region. Large gradients in local gas composition and temperature exist in the recirculation region. Hence stability parameter correlations developed for prem ixed flames cannot be used to determine the blowout stability limits for non -premixed flames encountered in practical devices. In the present investi gation, a rearward -facing step wa s used as a generic flameholder for non premixed, supersonic flow . For non -reacting flow conditions, the fuel related parameter s such as fuel type and injection pressure we re varied. The local distribution of fuel mole fraction in the recirculation region and the shea r layer formed behind the step wa s determined using acetone PL IF. These measurements we re compared with fuel mole fraction measurements at selected locations in the recirculation region using a mass spectrometer. The experimental data will contribute to formulation of a stability parameter for non -premixed flames.
Current Perspectives on Long-term Obesity Pharmacotherapy

Approximately 1 in 4 adult Canadians are obese and, thus, are at an elevated risk for developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other conditions. Current treatment guidelines recommend that obese individuals lose 5% to 10% of their starting weights to minimize the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and reduce the risk for developing type 2 diabetes or hypertension. All obesity-management strategies involve lifestyle management, but few patients will lose a significant amount of weight and manage to keep it off over the long term using just this strategy. Bariatric surgery is associated with significant long-term weight loss but is restricted to subjects with very high body mass indices, who often wait many years to undergo the procedure. Recent breakthroughs in understanding the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of elevated body fat have led to the arrival of new obesity pharmacotherapies. These novel antiobesity therapies, which work by reducing energy intake or through increasing satiety, decreasing hunger, or reducing absorption of calories, may be used indefinitely once patients have demonstrated significant responses (usually defined as ≥5% weight loss) over the first 12 weeks of treatment. To date, 2 long-term obesity pharmacotherapies have been approved and are available in Canada: liraglutide and orlistat. Here, I summarize the mechanisms and clinical features of medications for long-term obesity management that are available in Canada, as well as those available in other jurisdictions or are currently in development.
Vibrational spectroscopic imaging of living systems: An emerging platform for biology and medicine

Vibrational spectroscopy has been extensively applied to the study of molecules in gas phase, in condensed phase, and at interfaces. The transition from spectroscopy to spectroscopic imaging of living systems, which allows the spectrum of biomolecules to act as natural contrast, is opening new opportunities to reveal cellular machinery and to enable molecule-based diagnosis. Such a transition, however, involves more than a simple combination of spectrometry and microscopy. We review recent efforts that have pushed the boundary of the vibrational spectroscopic imaging field in terms of spectral acquisition speed, detection sensitivity, spatial resolution, and imaging depth. We further highlight recent applications in functional analysis of single cells and in label-free detection of diseases.
Study on UCAV Autonomous Air Combat Maneuvering Decision-Making

Considering the requirements to UCAV autonomous air combat,a method for autonomous air combat maneuvering decision-making based on risk type decision was proposed by analyzing the maneuvering strategy.Based on game theory,a model for air combat maneuvering decision-making was established.Then the optimal maneuvering strategy was obtained through fuzzy decision analysis.Simulations of maneuvering decision-making under different conditions were carried out.The result showed that the algorithm takes into account of the initiativity and risk in maneuvering decision making,and reflects the antagonism of air combat,which is in accordance with the actual situation.