cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Process and Data Logic Integration: Logical Links between UML Use Case Narratives and ER Diagrams

We propose a methodology for providing clear and consistent integration of the process and data logic in the analysis stage of information systems’ development lifecycle. While our proposed approach is applicable across a variety of data and process modeling schemas, in this paper we discuss it in the context of UML use cases for process modeling and ER diagrams for data modeling. We illustrate our approach through an example of modeling an execution of a retail transaction. In our example we integrate a step-by-step processmodel and the corresponding data model at the attribute level detail. We discuss the potential benefits of this approach by illustrating how this methodology, by providing a critical link between process and data models, can result in better conceptual testing early in the analysis process, ensuring better semantic quality of both process and data models.
A model of blood interaction with optical-fluid guide for laser angioplasty

A mathematical model is developed to describe the flow and mixing of blood and optical fluid used in liquid-guided light for laser angioplasty. The model is based on a two-fluid formulation in which separate transport equations are solved for the blood and the optical fluid. Empirical relations, established in prior work, are used to represent interfluid transport of momentum. Both steady and phasic inflow conditions are considered. Parametric calculations are performed showing effect of relative flow rates of blood and optical fluid, on the mixing phenomena. The relative velocity considered (based on average blood velocity) ranged from 0.08 to 0.28 m/sec. No allowance has been made for ablation of the plaque. The predicted results include spatial distribution of the velocity field and the existence probabilities (volume fractions) that provide a measure of the extent of mixing between the fluids. It is found that the degree of mixing is adversely affected by the relative inflow velocity between blood and optical fluid and the pulsatility of blood inflow. Deep penetration of the optical fluid is predicted at high relative velocity and at the end of diastolic and early systolic stages of the cardiac cycle.
Serological Changes Associated with Gill-Net Capture and Restraint in Three Species of Sharks

Abstract To investigate the biochemical effects of capture and restraint on sharks, 17 serum constituents were measured in three species (bonnethead shark Sphyrna tiburo, blacktip shark Carcharhinus limbatus, and bull shark C. leucas) after gill-net capture. The relative degree of capture effects on each animal was judged using an index of behavioral response devised for use in tag−recapture studies. Serum from each shark was assayed for glucose, creatinine, uric acid, sodium, chloride, potassium, inorganic phosphate, total and ionized calcium, total protein, albumin, globulin, alkaline phosphatase, lactate, lactate dehydrogenase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total iron. In addition, hematocrit was measured from whole blood for each shark. When correlated with the relative degree of capture effects, there were significant intraspecific changes in the concentration of potassium, lactate, inorganic phosphate, uric acid, alkaline phosphatase, aspartate aminotransferase, total and ionized calcium, and gluc...
Question answering in the context of scientific mechanisms

Abstract This study tested a model of question answering, called QUEST, which accounts for answers to open-class questions. QUEST specifies the information sources that furnish answers to a question, the pragmatic aspects of the communicative exchange, and the convergence mechanisms that select good answers within an information source. This study tested predictions of the convergence mechanisms. In study 1, college students read event chains on biological, technological, and physical processes. Subjects generated answers to five types of questions about the events: why, how, when, what enabled, and what are the consequences. In study 2, subjects judged the quality of answers to particular questions about the events. The results of the two studies supported two of QUEST's convergence components: (1) an arc search procedure, which specifies legal paths of nodes connecting a queried event with an answer event and (2) structural distance.
British data on coal miners' pneumoconiosis and relevance to US conditions.

OBJECTIVES. The current primary federal dust standard for US underground coal miners of 2 mg/m3 respirable dust is based on British epidemiological information on exposure-response derived in 1969. Since then, much new information has become available. This paper reviews and compares the available information as it relates to the US mining situation. METHODS. Recent exposure-response information on pneumoconiosis and dust exposure derived by British researchers was employed to estimate working-life risks of pneumoconiosis for miners exposed to 2 mg/m3. RESULTS. It is estimated that close to 9% of underground coal miners who work for 40 years in a 2 mg/m3 environment would develop pneumoconiosis (category 1 or greater). Progressive massive fibrosis would develop in 0.7%. CONCLUSIONS. There are unresolved questions relating to the validity of extrapolating findings on British mines and miners to the US and also in predicting disease levels at the low end of the dust exposure spectrum. Given the data availab...
Query optimization in xml-based information integration

The problem of decentralized data sharing is relevant for a wide range of applications and is still a source of major theoretical and practical challenges, in spite of many years of sustained research in information integration. We focus on the challenge of efficiency of query evaluation in information-integration systems, with the objective of developing query-processing strategies that are widely applicable and easy to implement in real-life applications. In our algorithms we take into account important features of today's data-sharing applications, namely: XML as likely interface to or representation for data sources; potential for information overlap across data sources; and the need for inter-source processing (i.e., joins of data across data sources) in many applications.To the best of our knowledge, our methods are the first to account for the practical issues of information overlap across data sources and of inter-source processing. While most of our algorithms are platform- and implementation-independent, we also propose XML-specific optimization techniques that allow for system-level tuning of query processing performance. Finally, using real-life datasets and our implementation of an information-integration system shell, we provide experimental results that demonstrate that our algorithms are efficient and competitive in the information-integration setting. For all the details, please see [1].
WJU’s Challenger Learning Center: using technology to impact on education world‐wide

Looks at the Challenger Learning Center in West Virginia, USA, and its e‐Mission: Operation Monserrat Island, a distance learning program designed to meet state and national standards in the areas of maths and science in grades 6 through 12. States that this is done via the Internet with the use of computers and a small camera. Concludes that this is a unique hands‐on learning experience with the potential to reach a great number of students.
Spectroscopic, calibration and RET issues for linear laser-induced fluorescence measurements of nitric oxide in high-pressure diffusion flames

Two different strategies are compared for linear laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) measurements of nitric oxide concentration ([NO]) in counter-flow diffusion flames at high pressures via the A-X(0,0) system. Excitation of NO via a rovibronic transition at 226.03 nm is found to be slightly better compared to a previously utilized excitation wavelength of 225.58 nm. An indirect approach based on the computed spectral overlap fraction is verified and applied to calibrate [NO] measurements in counter-flow diffusion flames at high pressures. A five-level model for NO molecular dynamics is presented and utilized to investigate the effects of rotational energy transfer (RET) on linear LIF measurements of [NO] at pressures up to 15 atm. The results indicate that rotational relaxation effects are essentially negligible under high-pressure conditions at low laser fluences, and thus they need not be accounted for when measuring [NO] using linear LIF. The calibration technique is validated by direct comparisons to [NO] measurements made at pressures up to 5 atm via another calibration method, based on doping NO in counter-flow premixed flames at the same pressure. Using this calibration technique, LIF measurements of [NO] are obtained in a series of counter-flow diffusion flames at pressures up to 15 atm. These measurements are found to be in excellent agreement with previously reported measurements of [NO] in similar flames.
Activity knowledge transfer in smart environments

Current activity recognition approaches usually ignore knowledge learned in previous smart environments when training the recognition algorithms for a new smart environment. In this paper, we propose a method of transferring the knowledge of learned activities in multiple physical spaces, e.g. homes A and B, to a new target space, e.g. home C. Transferring the knowledge of learned activities to a target space results in reducing the data collection and annotation period, achieving an accelerated learning pace and exploiting the insights from previous settings. We validate our algorithms using data collected from several smart apartments.
Influence of Fabrication Technique on the Fiber Pushout Behavior in a Sapphire-Reinforced Nial Matrix Composite

Directional solidification (DS) of “powder-cloth” (PC) processed sapphire-NiAl composites was carried out to examine the influence of fabrication technique on the fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength, measured using a fiber-pushout technique. The DS process replaced the fine, equiaxed NiAl grain structure of the PC composites with an oriented grain structure comprised of large columnar NiAl grains aligned parallel to the fiber axis, with fibers either completely engulfed within the NiAl grains or anchored at one to three grain boundaries. The load-displacement behavior during the pushout test exhibited an initial “pseudoelastic” response, followed by an “inelastic” response, and finally a “frictional” sliding response. The fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength and the fracture behavior during fiber pushout were investigated using an interrupted pushout test and fractography, as functions of specimen thickness (240 to 730 μm) and fabrication technique. The composites fabricated using the PC and the DS techniques had different matrix and interface structures and appreciably different interfacial shear strengths. In the DS composites, where the fiber-matrix interfaces were identical for all the fibers, the interfacial debond shear stresses were larger for the fibers embedded completely within the NiAl grains and smaller for the fibers anchored at a few grain boundaries. The matrix grain boundaries coincident on sapphire fibers were observed to be the preferred sites for crack formation and propagation. While the frictional sliding stress appeared to be independent of the fabrication technique, the interfacial debond shear stresses were larger for the DS composites compared to the PC composites. The study highlights the potential of the DS technique to grow single-crystal NiAl matrix composites reinforced with sapphire fibers, with fiber-matrix interfacial shear strength appreciably greater than that attainable by the current solid-state fabrication techniques.
Alternative Chelator for 89Zr Radiopharmaceuticals: Radiolabeling and Evaluation of 3,4,3-(LI-1,2-HOPO)

Zirconium-89 is an effective radionuclide for antibody-based positron emission tomography (PET) imaging because its physical half-life (78.41 h) matches the biological half-life of IgG antibodies. Desferrioxamine (DFO) is currently the preferred chelator for 89Zr4+; however, accumulation of 89Zr in the bones of mice suggests that 89Zr4+ is released from DFO in vivo. An improved chelator for 89Zr4+ could eliminate the release of osteophilic 89Zr4+ and lead to a safer PET tracer with reduced background radiation dose. Herein, we present an octadentate chelator 3,4,3-(LI-1,2-HOPO) (or HOPO) as a potentially superior alternative to DFO. The HOPO ligand formed a 1:1 Zr-HOPO complex that was evaluated experimentally and theoretically. The stability of 89Zr-HOPO matched or surpassed that of 89Zr-DFO in every experiment. In healthy mice, 89Zr-HOPO cleared the body rapidly with no signs of demetalation. Ultimately, HOPO has the potential to replace DFO as the chelator of choice for 89Zr-based PET imaging agents.
Glutamate release and free radical production following brain injury: effects of posttraumatic hypothermia.

Abstract: Posttraumatic hypothermia reduces the extent of neuronal damage in remote cortical and subcortical structures following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We evaluated whether excessive extracellular release of glutamate and generation of hydroxyl radicals are associated with remote traumatic injury, and whether posttraumatic hypothermia modulates these processes. Lateral fluid percussion was used to induce TBI in rats. The salicylate-trapping method was used in conjunction with microdialysis and HPLC to detect hydroxyl radicals by measurement of the stable adducts 2,3- and 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid (DHBA). Extracellular glutamate was measured from the same samples. Following trauma, brain temperature was maintained for 3 h at either 37 or 30°C. Sham-trauma animals were treated in an identical manner. In the normothermic group, TBI induced significant elevations in 2,3-DHBA (3.3-fold, p < 0.01), 2,5-DHBA (2.5-fold, p < 0.01), and glutamate (2.8-fold, p < 0.01) compared with controls. The levels of 2,3-DHBA and glutamate remained high for approximately 1 h after trauma, whereas levels of 2,5-DHBA remained high for the entire sampling period (4 h). Linear regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between integrated 2,3-DHBA and glutamate concentrations (p < 0.05). Posttraumatic hypothermia resulted in suppression of both 2,3- and 2,5-DHBA elevations and glutamate release. The present data indicate that TBI is followed by prompt increases in both glutamate release and hydroxyl radical production from cortical regions adjacent to the impact site. The magnitude of glutamate release is correlated with the extent of the hydroxyl radical adduct, raising the possibility that the two responses are associated. Posttraumatic hypothermia blunts both responses, suggesting a mechanism by which hypothermia confers protection following TBI.
Electrophysiological evidence using focal flash photolysis of caged glutamate that CA1 pyramidal cells receive excitatory synaptic input from the subiculum.

The hippocampus sends efferent fibers to the subiculum, which projects to the entorinal cortex. Previous studies suggest that the hippocampal CA1 area may receive a projection back from the subicul...
Thermophysical Property Measurement of Nitrate Salt Heat Transfer Fluids

Nitrate salts have been used for decades in the concentrating solar power industry as heat transfer fluids and thermal storage media. For most of this time these inorganic fluids have been restricted to use in central receiver platforms due to the useful working temperature range of the most widely researched formulation, a near eutectic mixture of sodium and potassium nitrate, which melts at 220°C and is stable in air to nearly 580°C. Recent research efforts have led to the development of nitrate salt mixtures that melt at lower temperatures and are suitable for use in parabolic trough systems. These mixtures include three or more components and generally have melting points in the range of 100°C, with stability in air up to 500°C. The design of parabolic trough systems that utilize molten salt heat transfer fluids is complicated by the fact that the properties of these fluids are considerably different from the organic heat transfer fluids that they may replace. In this paper we present measured thermophysical property data for several commercial and non-commercial molten salt mixtures that can be used in the system level design of parabolic trough and central receiver power plants. The data presented include heat capacity, density, thermal conductivity, viscosity, all as a function of temperature, along with melting point and thermal stability limits. Some properties, such as density, can be predicted by simple mixing rules. The dependence of viscosity was strongly influenced by the composition of the molten salts and, particularly, the proportion of calcium nitrate.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
Failure of Nicotinic and Yeast Nucleic Acids in “Filtrate Factor” Deficiency in Rats.∗

SummaryFemale rats received a diet in which all the known factors of the vitamin B2 complex were supplied except that found in a multiply adsorbed liver filtrate. They failed to show a growth response on the addition of nicotinic acid, yeast nucleic acid, or a combination of the two to their ration. Liver filtrate, on the other hand, produced an immediate and marked stimulus to growth.
Chromatin associated Sin3A is essential for male germ cell lineage in the mouse

Spermatogenesis is a complex process that requires coordinated proliferation and differentiation of male germ cells. The molecular events that dictate this process are largely unknown, but are likely to involve highly regulated transcriptional control. In this study, we investigate the contribution of chromatin associated Sin3A in mouse germ cell lineage development. Genetic inactivation of Sin3A in the male germline leads to sterility that results from the early and penetrant apoptotic death observed in Sin3A-deleted germ cells, coincident with the reentry in mitosis. Sin3A-deleted testes exhibit a Sertoli-cell only phenotype, consistent with the absolute requirement for Sin3A in germ cells' development and/or viability. Interestingly, transcripts analysis revealed that the expression program of Sertoli cells is altered upon inactivation of Sin3A in germ cells. These studies identified a central role for the mammalian Sin3-HDAC complex in the germ cell lineage, and point to an exquisite transcriptional crosstalk between germ cells and their niche to support fertility in mammals.
A Mean-Gradient Model of the Dry Convective Boundary Layer

Abstract A mean-gradient model of the dry convective boundary layer is developed using a convective mass flux representation of the turbulent fluxes. A top-hat model of thermals is used to represent the average characteristics of updrafts and downdrafts in the buoyantly driven circulation. The convective mass flux is related to the convective velocity scale. Although the model is computationally simple, it describes the basic structure of the CBL. In this parameterization the vertical gradients of conserved variables are controlled by internal mixing through vertical mass transports inside the convective boundary layer, bottom mixing due to the surface processes, top mixing due to the entrainment, and lateral mixing between updrafts and downdrafts.
HEAD TRAUMA IN CHILDREN WITH HEMOPHILIA

Central nervous system bleeding is the main cause of death in hemophilia accounting for 34% of all deaths. Between January 1981 and December 1983, 26 children with hemophilia ranging in age from 1 to 17 years (mean of 7.5 ± 4.5) had 67 hospital admissions for head trauma. Eighteen had Factor VIII, seven Factor IX deficiency and one Von Willebrand's Disease. Of the 26 children, 17 had severe hemophilia and 2 had Factor VIII inhibitors. All patients had scalp hematoma; 3 had lacerations at the site of the hematoma; 1 had severe cerebral concussion; 3 had a history of possible loss of consciousness; 12 had headache; 1 had vomiting and 4 had dizziness on admission. All patients received factor replacement therapy within 12 hours of trauma and factor levels were maintained over 50% for 2 to 9 days (mean 2.7 ± 1.1) and all recovered without sequelae. Eightteen patients had skull x-rays on 38 occasions, all of which were negative. Six patients had EEGs, all of which were normal. Of 20 patients who had CT scans on 25 occasions, all were negative. Hemophilia patients treated with adequate factor replacement following head trauma have an excellent prognosis and in the absence of persistent neurological signs or symptoms probably do not require CT examination.
Depassivation Time of Steel Reinforcement in a Chloride Environment — A One-Dimensional Solution

Abstract A one-dimensional analysis was developed to study reinforcement corrosion based on the physical model outlined by Bazant. Four mass conservation equations corresponding to the diffusion of...
Stable Nickel-Containing Catalysts for the Oxidative Coupling of Methane

A new catalyst based on the K/Ca/Ni oxide system has been developed for the oxidative coupling of methane at <700°C. It is capable of up to 70% selectivity to C2+ hydrocarbons at complete O2 conversion (CH4/O2 RATIO = 2.5) if 35% water is present in the feed. Unlike previous materials of this type, the present catalyst is stable at the conditions of its maximum yield to C2+ products and is not poisoned by CO2. On the contrary, it appears as if CO2 promotes formation of a selective hydroxycarbonate phase which develops under reaction conditions.
Electronic structure and binding energies of aluminum clusters

Ces amas Al 13 , Al 43 , Al 55 ont des symetries I h et cfc (O n ). Leur structure est calculee par la theorie de la fonctionnelle de densite. La structure I h est beaucoup plus stable que la structure cfc pour Al 13 . Pour Al 55 , l'energie de liaison totale de l'octahedre cfc est inferieure d'environ 0,5 eV a celle de la symetrie I h . L'etude est etendue aux energies d'ionisation, aux affinites electroniques, aux spectres d'energie et aux densites d'etats. Estimation de la decomposition du champ cristallin
Comparison of Enzymatic Properties of Microbial Transglutaminase from Streptomyces sp.

The microbial transglutaminase (TGase) from Streptomyces libani was purified from its culture broth and its enzymatic properties were compared with those of TGase from Streptoverticillium mobaraense var. TGase was purified by ion-exchange chromatography and size-exclusion chromatography. The specific activity of the main component was 10.7 unit/mg protein, lower than that of Streptoverticillium mobaraense var. (25 unit/mg). Several differences of enzymatic properties were found between the two enzymes. Optimum temperature, stability and gelation activity of TGase from Streptomyces libani were lower than those of TGase from Streptoverticillium mobaraense var, while, deamidation activity was higher. In addition, the existence of some TGases with different pI were suggested.
Helix sense of poly-γ-p-chlorobenzyl L-glutamate

Poly(γ-p-chlorobenzyl L-glulamate), for which theoretical calculations have shown only a small difference in energy between the left- and right-handed α-helices, has been synthesized and its screw sense determined by ORD in various solvents. In all solvents studied, a right-handed α-helix has been observed.
Nile delta erosion.

The main reason for the erosion of the coast of the Nile delta is even more simple than that presented in the Random Samples item “Irrigation speeds Nile delta erosion” (8 Mar., p. 1369) and is known in Egypt. In 1983, I was on a United Nations advisory panel that looked into the shore erosion of the Nile delta. Our activities included a site visit, the review of many studies, and discussions with Egyptian engineers and scientists. It was known at that time that the causes were not directly related to the Aswan high dam. Many years ago, a low dam was built a few miles upstream from the Nile's Damietta mouth, and another one was built a few miles upstream from its other mouth (Rosetta). We were told that no water flows into the Mediterranean Sea through either of the two mouths, except for a week or so each year when water is discharged to flush wastes from the river in this region. Thus, very little sediment can be transported to the littoral. It was our understanding that all of the water in the Nile River is either used or lost as a result of evaporation or leakage through the bottom and sides of the irrigation systems ([1][1]). 1. 1.[↵][2] 1. R. L. Wiegel , Civ. Engineer. 62, 30 (January 1992). [OpenUrl][3] [1]: #ref-1 [2]: #xref-ref-1-1 "View reference 1. in text" [3]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DCiv.%2BEngineer.%26rft.volume%253D62%26rft.spage%253D30%26rft.atitle%253DCIV%2BENGINEER%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx
Promising Antipoverty Strategies for Families

A large percentage of poor children live with just one parent, usually their mother, and single-parent families are more vulnerable to economic downturns than are two-parent families. Living arrangements also affect the optimal design of policies related to income support and child support. In this paper we briefly review changes in family structure and the relationship between family structure and employment, and then focus on policies that are essential to reducing poverty in the context of the current work-based safety net, in which low-income families with children rely increasingly on mothers' earnings. We argue that economically vulnerable families will benefit the most from policies that support resident parents' efforts to balance work and caretaking, and that support and enforce nonresident parents' contributions. We highlight key policies that help resident parents balance responsibilities, including support for access to child care and preschool, family-friendly workplace policies, and earnings supplements (e.g., the EITC). We also outline a set of policies designed to support and require nonresident parents' contributions, including reforms aimed at creating a child support enforcement system clearly focused on improving child well-being, rather than government cost recovery, and policies supporting nonresident parents' ability to work and pay support.
Characterization of Poly(l-lysine)-graft-Poly(ethylene glycol) Assembled Monolayers on Niobium Pentoxide Substrates Using Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Multivariate Analysis

Control of protein adsorption onto solid surfaces is a critical area of biomaterials and biosensors research. Application of high performance surface analysis techniques to these problems can improve the rational design and understanding of coatings that control protein adsorption. We have used static time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS) to investigate several poly(L-lysine)-graft-poly(ethylene glycol) (PLL-g-PEG) adlayers adsorbed electrostatically onto negatively charged niobium pentoxide (Nb(2)O(5)) substrates. By varying the PEG graft ratio (i.e., the number of lysine monomers per grafted PEG chain) and the molecular weights of the PLL and PEG polymers, the amount of protein adsorption can be tailored between 1 and 300 ng/cm(2). Detailed multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) of the positive and negative ion TOF-SIMS spectra showed changes in the outermost surface of the polymer films that were related to the density and molecular weight of the PEG chains on the surface. However, no significant differences were noted due to PLL molecular weight, despite observed differences in the serum adsorption characteristics for adlayers of PLL-g-PEG polymers with different PLL molecular weights. From the PCA results, multivariate peak intensity ratios were developed that correlated with the thickness of the adlayer and the enrichment of the PEG chains and the methoxy terminus of the PEG chains at the outermost surface of the adlayer. Furthermore, partial least squares regression was used to correlate the TOF-SIMS spectra with the amount of protein adsorption, resulting in a predictive model for determining the amount of protein adsorption on the basis of the TOF-SIMS spectra. The accuracy of the prediction of the amount of serum adsorption depended on the molecular weight of the PLL and PEG polymers and the PEG graft ratio. The combination of multivariate analysis and static TOF-SIMS provides detailed information on the surface chemistry and insight into the mechanism for protein resistance of the coatings.
Spectroscopic analysis of polymerization and exonuclease proofreading by a high-fidelity DNA polymerase during translesion DNA synthesis.

Abstract High fidelity DNA polymerases maintain genomic fidelity through a series of kinetic steps that include nucleotide binding, conformational changes, phosphoryl transfer, polymerase translocation, and nucleotide excision. Developing a comprehensive understanding of how these steps are coordinated during correct and pro-mutagenic DNA synthesis has been hindered due to lack of spectroscopic nucleotides that function as efficient polymerase substrates. This report describes the application of a non-natural nucleotide designated 5-naphthyl-indole-2′-deoxyribose triphosphate which behaves as a fluorogenic substrate to monitor nucleotide incorporation and excision during the replication of normal DNA versus two distinct DNA lesions (cyclobutane thymine dimer and an abasic site). Transient fluorescence and rapid-chemical quench experiments demonstrate that the rate constants for nucleotide incorporation vary as a function of DNA lesion. These differences indicate that the non-natural nucleotide can function as a spectroscopic probe to distinguish between normal versus translesion DNA synthesis. Studies using wild-type DNA polymerase reveal the presence of a fluorescence recovery phase that corresponds to the formation of a pre-excision complex that precedes hydrolytic excision of the non-natural nucleotide. Rate constants for the formation of this pre-excision complex are dependent upon the DNA lesion, and this suggests that the mechanism of exonuclease proofreading is regulated by the nature of the formed mispair. Finally, spectroscopic evidence confirms that exonuclease proofreading competes with polymerase translocation. Collectively, this work provides the first demonstration for a non-natural nucleotide that functions as a spectroscopic probe to study the coordinated efforts of polymerization and exonuclease proofreading during correct and translesion DNA synthesis.
Notched Strength of Composite Materials

A macroscopic model for predicting the strength of a composite laminate containing a circular notch is introduced. A property, which quantifies the reduction in strength of a given composite material or laminate due to a circular notch, is proposed. The superposition of notched strength data for several important composite material systems and laminate stacking sequences is achieved through development of a notched strength-radius superposition method and the definition of radius shift parameters, ac and am. The superposition allows prediction of the in fluence of laminate stacking sequence upon notched strength. In addition, data for composite material systems or laminates of common stress concen tration factor is shown to superimpose by use of the developed shift parameters.
Amazing Stories: Acquiring and Avoiding Inaccurate Information From Fiction

Authors of fiction need not provide accurate accounts of the world, which might generate concern about the kinds of information people can acquire from narratives. Research has demonstrated that readers liberally encode and rely upon the information provided in fictional stories. To date, materials used to demonstrate these effects have largely included stories taking place in real-world settings. We tested whether readers might exhibit more conservative use of information from stories with unrealistic settings and characers, as in science fiction and fantasy genres. In two experiments, participants read texts containing accurate, misleading, or neutral information, embedded in realistic or unrealistic stories. They subsequently completed a general knowledge test that included probes for story information. Unrealistic stories, in comparison to realistic stories, led to reductions in the use of misinformation. Source monitoring judgments suggest explanations for these reductions. The findings offer intrigu...
Laparoscopic treatment of liver tumours using a two-needle probe bipolar radiofrequency ablation device

Background Many hepatobiliary centres are increasingly utilizing thermocoagulative devices such as bipolar-radiofrequency ablation (B-RFA). Compared with monopolar-radiofrequency ablation (M-RFA), B-RFA does not require grounding pads, thereby avoiding dermal burn injuries, and does not position probes directly into the tumour but rather on the perimeter. Additionally, B-RFA can precoagulate parenchyma to assist in hepatic resection. Herein, we report our early experience using B-RFA.
Interpreting the ROC curve from the radiologist's point of view: the diagnostician operating choice (DOC) curve

We introduce an interesting interpretation of the ROC Curve that, subsequently, opens a new research paradigm. We define the "Diagnostician Operating Choice" (DOC) Curve to be the set of all (True Positive Probability/True Negative Probability) or ("skill in diseased population"/"skill in non-diseased population" when considered from the diagnostician's perspective) options made available to a particular radiologist when interpreting a particular diagnostic technology. The DOC Curve is, thus, the choice set presented to the diagnostician by their interaction with the technology. This new paradigm calls for tools that can measure the particular choice set of any particular individual radiologist interpreting a particular technology when applied in a particular clinical setting. Fundamental requirements for this paradigm are for the DOC Curve to be unique to individuals and constant across similar experimental conditions. To investigate constancy, we analyzed data from a reading study of 10 radiologists. Each radiologist interpreted the same set of 148 screening mammograms twice using a modified version of BI-RADS. ROC Curves for each radiologist were computed and compared between the two reading occasions with the CORROC2 program. None of the areas were statistically significantly different (p<0.05), providing confirmation (but not proof) of constancy across the two reading conditions. The DOC Curve paradigm suggests new areas of research focusing on the behavior in individuals interacting with technology. A clear need is for more efficient estimation of individual DOC Curves based on limited case sets. Paradoxically, the answer to this last problem might lie in using large population-based ("MRMC") studies to develop highly efficient and externally validated standardized testing tools for assessment of the individual.
Control of a linear system with non-Markovian modal changes

Abstract Commonly used procedures for synthesizing optimal regulators for systems with randomly varying parameters require that the parameters be described by a Markov process. This hypothesis eliminates a large class of systems typified by those in which the failure rate of a system component depends upon the length of time the component has been used. This paper presents a computational algorithm for finding the optimal regulator with respect to a quadratic performance index for a linear system with random, but non-Markovian, modal changes.
Analytic theory of the current at inlaid planar ultramicroelectrodes: Comparison with experiments on elliptic disks

Abstract Accurate analytic expressions are obtained for the chronoamperometric current and the general (quasi-reversible) i – E characteristics of planar inlaid microelectrodes. These expressions involve the area and the perimeter of the electrode and the steady-state diffusion-limited current. The latter can be expressed analytically exactly for circular and elliptic disk electrodes and to an excellent approximation for microelectrodes with any simply connected shape. Our results are tested experimentally for circular disks and for elliptic disks that are produced when a glass-encased carbon fiber is polished at an angle.
Biomedical Cloud Computing With Amazon Web Services

In this overview to biomedical computing in the cloud, we discussed two primary ways to use the cloud (a single instance or cluster), provided a detailed example using NGS mapping, and highlighted the associated costs. While many users new to the cloud may assume that entry is as straightforward as uploading an application and selecting an instance type and storage options, we illustrated that there is substantial up-front effort required before an application can make full use of the cloud's vast resources. Our intention was to provide a set of best practices and to illustrate how those apply to a typical application pipeline for biomedical informatics, but also general enough for extrapolation to other types of computational problems. Our mapping example was intended to illustrate how to develop a scalable project and not to compare and contrast alignment algorithms for read mapping and genome assembly. Indeed, with a newer aligner such as Bowtie, it is possible to map the entire African genome using one m2.2xlarge instance in 48 hours for a total cost of approximately $48 in computation time. In our example, we were not concerned with data transfer rates, which are heavily influenced by the amount of available bandwidth, connection latency, and network availability. When transferring large amounts of data to the cloud, bandwidth limitations can be a major bottleneck, and in some cases it is more efficient to simply mail a storage device containing the data to AWS (http://aws.amazon.com/importexport/). More information about cloud computing, detailed cost analysis, and security can be found in references.
Integrated HCCI Engine Control Based on a Performance Index

Integrated control of HCCI combustion phasing, load, and exhaust aftertreatment system is essential for realizing high efficiency HCCI engines, while maintaining low HC and CO emissions. This paper introduces a new approach for integrated HCCI engine control by defining a novel performance index to characterize different HCCI operating regions. The experimental data from a single cylinder engine at 214 operating conditions is used to determine the performance index for a blended fuel HCCI engine. The new performance index is then used to design an optimum reference trajectory for a multi-input multi-output HCCI controller. The optimum trajectory is designed for control of combustion phasing and IMEP, while meeting catalyst light-off requirements for the exhaust aftertreatment system. The designed controller is tested on a previously validated physical HCCI engine model. The simulation results illustrate the successful application of the new approach for controller design of HCCI engines.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Therapeutic cancer vaccines

The immunological bases of current approaches to therapeutic cancer vaccination (or 'vacci-treatment') have been established for a decade or longer. The new developments lie mostly in the lessons learnt from clinical testing of these approaches. Three lessons are particularly worthy of note. First, recently completed randomized Phase 3 trials suggest that vacci-treatment with autologous dendritic cells expressing prostatic acid phosphatase (for prostate cancer) or with autologous tumor-derived heat shock protein (gp96)-peptide complexes show promise in enhancing survival of cancer patients. These two approaches are undergoing further randomized clinical testing. Second, immunological monitoring of many clinical trials has failed to identify a surrogate marker for clinical outcomes. Finally, an increasing volume of literature suggests that protective immunity to human cancers is elicited by the mutated antigenic repertoire unique to each cancer.
A message-centered Approach to Teaching a College-level Course in Popular Culture

Abstract Popular Culture, including mediated artifacts from film, television, music, and the internet, are prevalent in most people's lives but often eschewed in academic settings. This essay provides insights into studying and teaching a graduate level course in popular culture through the lens of the communication studies discipline. It provides a message-centered approach that critically examines both mediated and non-mediated artifacts, focusing on the verbal and nonverbal, discursive and nondiscursive symbols that comprise the rhetoric of popular culture. Beginning with background and definitions, the essay then summarizes the course structure including objectives, required readings, and course assignments and their weightings. The focus then moves to examine in greater detail two specialized theories/models taught in the course – Deanna Sellnow's Illusion of Life and Andrew Wood's Omnitopia. Following this, a description is provided of an online dialogue assigned to discuss media effects. In the dialogue, students compare and contrast the perspectives found in Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death and Steven Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You . The paper concludes with feedback from students and the author's closing thoughts about the value of the course specifically and in studying popular culture in general.
Toxicokinetics of carbofuran in house fly, Musca domestica L.

Abstract The kinetics of accumulation and elimination of lethal doses of [ 14 C]carbofuran in the hemolymph of the house fly suggest a one-compartment open model. Carbofuran in the hemolymph appeared to be in equilibrium with that in the tissues very soon after treatment. Following topical application of carbofuran, the rate of onset of symptoms of poisoning was correlated with the amount of carbofuran in the hemolymph, and the onset of convulsions only occurred after the concentration of carbofuran in the hemolymph reached μ M levels. This value correlated well with neurobioassays of known concentrations of carbofuran perfused in saline onto the isolated thoracic ganglion. Following topical doses, carbofuran concentration in the hemolymph reached a peak within an hour and then gradually declined. At an LD 60 dose, the initial decline in carbofuran concentration in the hemolymph over time was significantly slower than the decline after an LD 10 dose, suggesting saturation kinetics. Hemolymph was collected from house flies for up to 3 hr following topical application of toxic amounts of carbofuran. Thereafter, hemolymph volume decreased and blood samples could not be collected. Curiously, hemolymph samples could be collected for 5 hr from house flies that were injected with toxic doses of carbofuran.
Cervical bronchogenic cysts: a consideration in the differential diagnosis of pediatric cervical cystic masses.

Objective: To discuss the clinical and histopathologic features of cervical bronchogenic cysts. Methods: Retrospective case series. Results: A 22-year pathology database search identified 24 patients 18 years of age and younger with bronchial/bronchogenic cysts, four of which presented in the cervical region. Conclusion: Cervical bronchogenic cysts are rare in the pediatric population but deserve inclusion in the differential diagnosis of cystic neck masses. Such cysts result from abnormal tracheobronchial tree development with characteristic pathology including respiratory-type epithelium, mural cartilage, smooth muscle, and seromucinous glands. Definitive treatment requires surgical excision.
Where Does Business History Go From Here

On October 27–28, 1961, the Harvard Business History Group sponsored a conference devoted to the theme “Business History as a Teaching Challenge.” The purpose was simple enough — get experienced, active practitioners in business history together with newcomers to the field in the expectation that interaction between the two groups would be mutually beneficial. This hope was realized, though the specific results were somewhat different — and perhaps more valuable — than those originally anticipated. The 50 participants found themselves more involved with a discussion of the appropriate subject matter of business history, past accomplishments, and future possibilities, than with current teaching problems and techniques. This development was not totally unanticipated, but the enthusiasm with which it was embraced came as a pleasant surprise. It therefore seems appropriate to precede the papers given at the conference with a brief summary of the present status and future prospects of business history in the light of the discussion and the written comments later submitted by participants.
Materials of the Data Map

Data mapping is the essence of being human. This report follows the process of data mapping; the transmission of a structured utterance from one domain to another. It starts with signals in the world and moves through experience and engagement with the world through those signals. The paper develops descriptions of the materials and mechanisms of data mapping. The descriptions are aids and conveniences in the effort to understand the systemic workings of the process of communication. From a systems perspective one might find points of leverage in their own involvement with the processes of communication and data mapping. Recognizing these leverage points can help in activities of art making, information design and in simply living.
Copper−Zinc Superoxide Dismutase: Why Not pH-Dependent?

Copper−zinc superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD) catalyzes the disproportionation of superoxide to hydrogen peroxide and dioxygen at diffusion controlled rates. Previous mechanistic studies have focused on the dramatic electrostatic guidance mechanism by which superoxide is drawn into the active site of this enzyme. Another striking but less understood feature of this enzyme is its ability to dismutate superoxide over a wide range of pH (5−9.5) without any change in rate-determining step or structural changes at the active site copper. To investigate the explanation for this pH independence, we have redetermined the rate of superoxide disproportionation, kcat, catalyzed by the zinc-deficient form (Cu-apoSOD) of the enzyme as a function of pH and have found that it is pH-dependent, in contrast to the native enzyme, even under conditions in which the copper ion does not leave the native copper-binding site. In addition, we have determined the rate of reduction, k1, of Cu-apoSOD by superoxide and have found that t...
Estimation of parameters in transient stability output swings using autoregressive models

This paper presents a data processing technique for the analysis of output waveforms from transient stability programs. The method is an autoregressive process based on an extension of Prony's method. Using this approach an algorithm is proposed to determine the main parameters that identify a particular waveform. These parameters include the amplitude, frequency, damping constant and phase angle of each mode of oscillation in the swing curve. The algorithm incorporates these variables in the solution and there is no need for further numerical analysis. The effectiveness of the algorithm is verified by tests on both artificial waveforms and actual swing curves from a stability program. In the cases tested, the method has demonstrated satisfactory results with an acceptable degree of accuracy. The computational complexity, necessary precautions, other applications and improvements are also presented.