cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cognitive limitations and affirmative action: The effects of aggregate versus sequential data in the perception of discrimination

The present experiment examined whether or not relatively simple cognitive and information-processing limitations may prevent us from recognizing instances of organizational discrimination. It was hypothesized that the perception of discrimination would be more difficult when the relevant information had been presented in a case-by-case basis rather than in aggregate format. The obtained results provided strong support for the original hypothesis. Subjects who had been presented with company data in aggregate format provided significantly higher ratings of discrimination than those subjects for whom the information had been presented in sequential form. The implications of these findings to the policy of affirmative action are also discussed.
Traumatic pancreatic duct injury in children: minimally invasive approach to management

Abstract Background The management of children with main pancreatic duct injuries is controversial. We report a series of patients with pancreatic trauma who were treated using minimally invasive techniques. Methods Retrospective review of children with pancreatic trauma treated at a UK tertiary referral institution between 1999 and 2004. Results Fifteen children (11 boys) were admitted with pancreatic trauma. Twelve (80%) were less than 50th centile for body weight. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) scans were used to define organ injury, supplemented by magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) in 7. Twelve (80%) underwent diagnostic endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with a median time after injury of 11 (range, 6-29) days. The degree of pancreatic injury was defined by ERCP and CT/MRCP as grade II (n = 2), grade III (n = 4), grade IV (n = 9) (American Association for the Surgery of Trauma grades). Nine children had a transductal pancreatic stent inserted endoscopically. Computed tomography/ultrasound-guided drainage was performed in 4 children for acute fluid collections. Two children later underwent endoscopic cyst-gastrostomy, one of whom later required conversion to an open cyst-gastrostomy. Conclusion Body habitus may predispose to pancreatic duct trauma. Contrast-enhanced CT scan (and MRCP) should dictate the need for ERCP. Transductal pancreatic stenting allows internal drainage of peripancreatic collections and may reestablish duct continuity, although a proportion still requires percutaneous or endoscopic cyst-gastrostomy drainage. Open surgery for pancreatic trauma should now be an exception.
Activation of NR1a/NR2B receptors by soluble factors from APP-stimulated monocyte-derived macrophages: Implications for the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease

Amyloid-beta peptide (Abeta), the major component of amyloid plaques, can activate brain mononuclear phagocytes (MP; macrophages and microglia), leading to their secretion of neurotoxins. Recent studies strongly suggest that MP-mediated neurotoxicity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). To further explore this notion, human monocyte-derived macrophages (MDM) were stimulated with naturally secreted alpha-processing soluble amyloid precursor protein/p3 (alphaAPPs/p3) or beta-processing APP/Abeta (betaAPPs/Abeta). MDM conditioned media (MCM) was recovered and tested for its ability to activate recombinant N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subtype NR1a/NR2B expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Pressure ejection of alphaAPPs/p3- and betaAPPs/Abeta-stimulated MCM produced inward currents of 59.5 +/- 8.9 nA (mean +/- S.E.M., n = 31) and 111.1 +/- 21.0 nA (n = 42) in NR1a/NR2B-expressing oocytes, respectively. The MCM-induced currents were concentration dependent and blocked by 50 microM of the NMDA receptor antagonist 2-amino-5-phosphnovalerate, but not by a non-NMDA receptor antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (20 microM). The alphaAPPs/p3- and betaAPPs/Abeta-stimulated MCM placed in non-injected oocytes failed to generate inward current. These results demonstrate that APPs/Abeta-stimulated MCM directly activate NMDA receptor subtypes relevant in the pathogenesis of AD.
Kinetic Analysis of His-Tagged Protein Binding to Nickel-Chelating Nanolipoprotein Particles

Nanolipoprotein particles (NLPs) are discoidal self-assembling membrane mimetics that have been primarily used as a platform for the solubilization and stabilization of membrane proteins. Nickel-chelating nanolipoprotein particles (NiNLPs) containing nickel-chelating lipids (Ni-lipid) for the targeted immobilization of His-tagged proteins hold promise as carriers of hydrophilic biological molecules for a range of applications. The effect of protein loading (i.e., the number of proteins bound per NiNLP) and Ni-lipid content on the time scales and kinetics of binding are important to various applications such as vaccine development, diagnostic imaging, and drug delivery. We have immobilized hexa-His-tagged LsrB, a Yersinia pestis transport protein, onto NiNLPs to examine the effect of protein binding stoichiometry and Ni-lipid content on the time scales and kinetics of protein binding by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). Data indicate that the dissociation half-time increases with Ni-lipid content up to a molar concentration of 35% and decreases as the number of bound protein per NiNLP increases. These findings indicate that the kinetics of protein binding are highly dependent on both the number of bound protein per NiNLP and Ni-lipid content.
Crafting New Communicative Models in the Televisual Sphere: Political Interviews on The Daily Show

Jon Stewart's interviews on The Daily Show (TDS) surprisingly have become an important node in the national political conversation. Often providing a series of insightful conversations with politicians, journalists, authors, and intellectuals, they represent a hybrid mode of political discourse enabled by the new media environment. This study explores the ways in which they rework the rules of news and celebrity interviewing to produce a novel form of televisual interaction that blends postmodern stylistics with a modernist ethos of rational-critical dialogue.
The State of Sustainability Best Practices in Construction: A Benchmark Study

Abstract During the last decade, sustainability-related technologies and practices have become increasingly common among construction companies, both in the home office and on the job site. Multiple drivers are fueling this trend, including government policies for sustainability in capital projects and increased recognition of the benefits of sustainable practices in the private sector. However, the extent to which sustainability-related technologies and practices have been adopted by companies in the field has not been systematically documented. This study used semi-structured interviews and field observations to document the sustainability-related practices of 28 construction firms in the eastern United States. The purpose of the study was to benchmark current industry use of construction sustainability best practices. Findings of the study show that most firms have tried sustainability practices in the field on at least some of their projects, sometimes without being aware that those practices were rel...
p-version least-squares finite element formulation of extendedk-? model of turbulence for fully developed flow

This paper presents a p-version least-squares finite element formulation for an extended k-e turbulence model. The dimensionless form of the describing partial differential equations are cast into a system of first-order partial differential equations by utilizing auxiliary variables. Primary, and auxiliary variables are interpolated over an element using equal order C° equal order p-version hierarchical interpolation functions. The least-squares error functional is constructed by taking the integrated sum of squares of the errors resulting from the system of first-order equations for the entire discretization. The minimization of this least-squares error functional results in finding a solution vector {δ} for which the partial derivative of the error functional, with respect to nodal degrees of freedom {δ}, becomes zero. This is accomplished by using Newton's method with line search. Numerical examples are presented for fully developed one-dimensional turbulent channel flow utilizing the k-e model of Launder and Sharma for various Reynolds numbers to demonstrate the convergence characteristics and accuracy of the proposed formulation. Our converged numerical solutions are in very good agreement with the computed results reported by other researchers. The formulation presented here enjoys all of the benefits of least-squares approach for highly non-linear and non-elliptic partial differential equations over Galerkin methods.
Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Cyclic and Linear DPDPE: Influence of the Disulfide Bond on Peptide Flexibility

Three 1 ns simulations of the solvated DPDPE peptide have been performed, one for the cyclic and two for the linear forms. The trajectories allow us to describe the conformations explored by DPDPE and DPDPE(SH)2 in aqueous solution on the 1 ns time scale, to quantify the conformational constraints imposed by the presence of the disulfide bond by comparing the conformational flexibility of the cyclic and acyclic peptides, evaluate several physical properties (NMR vicinal coupling constants, diffusion coefficients, and dipole moments of the peptides), and to suggest relations between the calculated properties and biological function. The cyclic peptide, while retaining the general structural features found previouslythe presence of a hydrophobic and a hydrophilic face and a parallel arrangement of peptide dipoles, explores four major conformers during the 1 ns simulation. In two independent simulations, started from an extended and a cycliclike structure, the linear peptide is found to be about twice as str...
Rescue of the acetylcholinesterase knockout mouse by feeding a liquid diet; phenotype of the adult acetylcholinesterase deficient mouse.

Abstract Acetylcholinesterase (AChE, EC3.1.1.7) functions in nerve impulse transmission, and possibly as a cell adhesion factor during neurite outgrowth. These functions predicted that a mouse with zero AChE activity would be unable to live. It was a surprise to find that AChE −/− mice were born alive and survived an average of 14 days. The emaciated appearance of AChE −/− mice suggested an inability to obtain sufficient nutrition and experiments were undertaken to increase caloric intake. Pregnant and lactating dams (+/−) were fed 11% high fat chow supplemented with liquid Ensure®. AChE −/− pups were weaned early, on day 15, and fed liquid Ensure. Although nullizygous animals showed slow but steady weight gain with survival over 1 year (average 100 days), they remained small at all ages compared to littermates. They demonstrated delays in temperature regulation (day 22 vs. 15), eye opening (day 13 vs. 12), righting reflex (day 18 vs. 12), descent of testes (week 7–8 vs. 4), and estrous (week 15–16 vs. 6–7). Significant physical findings in adult AChE −/− mice included body tremors, abnormal gait and posture, absent grip strength, inability to eat solid food, pinpoint pupils, decreased pain response, vocalization, and early death caused by seizures or gastrointestinal tract ileus. Behavioral deficits included urination and defecation in the nest, lack of aggression, reduced pain perception, and sexual dysfunction. These findings support the classical role for AChE in nerve impulse conduction and further suggest that AChE is essential for timely physical development and higher brain function.
Adaptive Transgenerational Plasticity in Plants: Case Studies, Mechanisms, and Implications for Natural Populations

Plants respond to environmental conditions not only by plastic changes to their own development and physiology, but also by altering the phenotypes expressed by their offspring. This transgenerational plasticity was initially considered to entail only negative effects of stressful parental environments, such as production of smaller seeds by resource- or temperature-stressed parent plants, and was therefore viewed as environmental noise. Recent evolutionary ecology studies have shown that in some cases, these inherited environmental effects can include specific growth adjustments that are functionally adaptive to the parental conditions that induced them, which can range from contrasting states of controlled laboratory environments to the complex habitat variation encountered by natural plant populations. Preliminary findings suggest that adaptive transgenerational effects can be transmitted by means of diverse mechanisms including changes to seed provisioning and biochemistry, and epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation that can persist across multiple generations. These non-genetically inherited adaptations can influence the ecological breadth and evolutionary dynamics of plant taxa and promote the spread of invasive plants. Interdisciplinary studies that join mechanistic and evolutionary ecology approaches will be an important source of future insights.
Second malignancies after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation.

Abstract Allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) may prolong life and cure patients suffering from otherwise fatal diseases. However, the growing population of long-term survivors has led to the realization of multiple long-term complications, including the risk of second malignancies. Compared to the autologous setting, allo-HCT carries a much higher risk of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD), which usually occurs within the first year after allo-HCT and is strongly associated with the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Treatment-related myelodysplastic syndromes (tMDS) and second leukemias are extremely rare. Both autologous and allo-HCT carry increased risks for second solid malignancies (SSM). The cumulative incidence of SSM continues to increase in each of the largest studies with as much as 20 years of follow-up, likely related to the long latency of radiation-related SSM. Systematic, prospective monitoring, vigilant screening processes, and well-maintained survivorship clinics and databases are absolute necessities, and should be included in the infrastructure of individual transplant centers and networks, with mandatory periodic reporting of second malignancy incidences. Primary care and transplant physicians alike must be aware of the risk of second malignancies after allo-HCT. Most importantly, guidelines should be developed in regard to screening and prevention of second malignancies, so that physicians can provide state-of-the-art counsel and care for the benefit of our patients.
Placing a Finite Size Facility with a Center Objective on a Rectangular Plane with Barriers

Abstract This paper addresses the finite size 1-center placement problem on a rectangular plane in the presence of barriers. Barriers are regions in which both facility location and travel through are prohibited. The feasible region for facility placement is subdivided into cells along the lines of Larson and Sadiq [R.C. Larson, G. Sadiq, Facility locations with the Manhattan metric in the presence of barriers to travel, Operations Research 31 (4) (1983) 652–669]. To overcome complications induced by the center (minimax) objective, we analyze the resultant cells based on the cell corners. We study the problem when the facility orientation is known a priori. We obtain domination results when the facility is fully contained inside 1, 2 and 3-cornered cells. For full containment in a 4-cornered cell, we formulate the problem as a linear program. However, when the facility intersects gridlines, analytical representation of the distance functions becomes challenging. We study the difficulties of this case and formulate our problem as a linear or nonlinear program, depending on whether the feasible region is convex or nonconvex. An analysis of the solution complexity is presented along with an illustrative numerical example.
Glycine as a d-amino acid surrogate in the K+-selectivity filter

The K+ channel-selectivity filter consists of two absolutely conserved glycine residues. Crystal structures show that the first glycine in the selectivity filter, Gly-77 in KcsA, is in a left-handed helical conformation. Although the left-handed helical conformation is not favorable for the naturally occurring l-amino acids, it is favorable for the chirally opposite d-amino acids. Here, we demonstrate that Gly-77 can be replaced by d-Ala with almost complete retention of function. In contrast, substitution with an l-amino acid results in a nonfunctional channel. This finding suggests that glycine is used as a surrogate d-amino acid in the selectivity filter. The absolute conservation of glycine in the K+-selectivity filter can be explained as a result of glycine being the only natural amino acid that can play this role.
Phosphorylation destabilizes α-helices

Phosphorylation of threonine destabilizes the leucine zipper of a bZIP protein by 4.6 kcal mol-1 dimer-1, which reduces DNA binding 100-fold. This decrease in stability reflects the low alpha-helix forming propensity of a phosphorylated threonine.
Immiserizing growth in centrally planned economies

Abstract This paper proposes a theoretical model explaining the discrepancy between the reported growth rate and the improvement in living standards in centrally planned economies (CPEs ). It investigates the institutional arrangement in CPEs and suggests that distorted growth generally takes place as the CPEs' planners attempt to achieve rapid economic growth while prices are kept constant. This leads to an overestimation of the growth rate in terms of the actual economic welfare improvements in CPEs. It can result in immiserizing growth, wherein a rapid growth is accompanied by a deterioration in economic welfare.
Outcomes of furosemide-mannitol infusion in hospitalized patients with heart failure: An observational single-center cohort study of 122 patients

[1] Endo M, Tomizawa Y, Nishida H, et al. Angiographic findings and surgical treatments of coronary artery involvement in Takayasu arteritis. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2003;125:570–7. [2] Rav-Acha M, Plot L, Peled N, Amital H. Coronary involvement in Takayasu's arteritis. Autoimmun Rev 2007;6:566–71. [3] Lee K, Kang WC, Ahn T, et al. Long-term outcome of drug-eluting stent for coronary artery stenosis in Takayasu's arteritis. Int J Cardiol 2010;145:532–5. [4] Abad C. Coronary artery bypass surgery for patients with left main coronary lesions due to Takayasu's arteritis. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg 1995;9:661–3. [5] Ando M, Sasako Y, Okita Y, Tagusari O, Kitamura S, Matsuo H. Surgical considerations of occlusive lesions associated with Takayasu's arteritis. Jpn J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2000;48:173–9.
Grading of coronary atherosclerosis Comparison of a modified IAP visual grading method and a new quantitative angiographic technique

Abstract We submit a quantitative method for measuring atherosclerosis from angiograms of autopsied hearts. Casts were made of the coronary vessels of human excised hearts by filling coronary arteries with rapid polymerizing radiopaque silicone rubber. Angiograms of the casts resembled clinical arteriograms. Corresponding segments were marked off on angiograms, and the arterial intimal surface and the arteries graded visually by four graders four times. Vessel edges on the angiograms were located by a film digitizer coupled to a computer. Estimates of atherosclerosis were derived from deviations in the smoothness of the edge. Correlation with pooled visual grades was 0.56, P Computer grading was significantly more reproducible. The standard deviation among graders was 19.5 (coefficient of variation 45 %); between computer runs 0.10 (coefficient of variation 1.17%).
Determination of toxic carbonyl compounds in cigarette smoke

Toxic carbonyl compounds, including formaldehyde, malonaldehyde, and glyoxal, formed in mainstream cigarette smoke were quantified by derivatization-solid phase extraction-gas chromatography methods. Cigarette smoke from 14 commercial brands and one reference (2R1F) was drawn into a separatory funnel containing aqueous phosphate-buffered saline. Reactive carbonyl compounds trapped in the buffer solution were derivatized into stable nitrogen containing compounds (pyrazoles for beta-dicarbonyl and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehyde; quinoxalines for alpha-dicarbonyls; and thiazolidines for alkanals). After derivatives were recovered using C(18) solid phase extraction cartridges, they were analyzed quantitatively by a gas chromatograph with a nitrogen phosphorus detector. The total carbonyl compounds recovered from regular size cigarettes ranged from 1.92 mg/cigarette(-1) to 3.14 mg/cigarette(-1). The total carbonyl compounds recovered from a reference cigarette and a king size cigarette were 3.23 mg/cigarette(-1) and 3.39 mg/cigarette(-1), respectively. The general decreasing order of the carbonyl compounds yielded was acetaldehyde (1110-2101 microg/cigarette(-1)) > diacetyl (301-433 microg/cigarette(-1)), acrolein (238-468 microg/cigarette(-1)) > formaldehyde (87.0-243 microg/cigarette(-1)), propanal (87.0-176 microg/cigarette(-1)) > malonaldehyde (18.9-36.0 microg/cigarette(-1)), methylglyoxal (13.4-59.6 microg/cigarette(-1)) > glyoxal (1.93-6.98 microg/cigarette(-1)).
Examining the effects of hegemonic depictions of female bodies on television: a call for theory and programmatic research * This article was accepted by the previous CSMC editor, Dr. James W. Chesebro

Although the media effects literature was precocious in its development, appearing almost as soon as the object of its study, researchers have focused on a relatively narrow array of effects. Examples include the effects of violent, pornographic, and sexual content in the media and minority stereotyping. This review demonstrates the need for researchers to construct stronger theories and conduct more programmatic research on another important, yet often ignored, media effect–the effect of ideal televised images on females' perceptions of, and satisfaction with, their own bodies. To accomplish its purposes, the paper begins with a review of the body image literature, including a discussion of current televised representations of female bodies and their effects on body satisfaction. Next, the paper argues that researchers should refer to two prominent media effects theories (cultivation theory and social cognitive theory) to better understand the process by which television influences body image. This latte...
The lactose operon‐controlling elements: a complex paradigm

The lactose-controlling elements have been considered to be the simple paradigm of a cis-acting genetic regulatory system, containing a promoter whose activity is modulated by an operator and a catabolite gene activator protein (CAP)-binding site. The reality is considerably more complex. We now know that transcription is negatively regulated as a result of the repressor binding to three binding sites: the operator, a secondary repressor-binding site within the lacZ gene and a tertiary repressor-binding site upstream near lacI. In addition to the promoter, the lac-controlling elements contain five promoter-like elements. The physiological role, if any, of these promoter-like elements is not clear, although three of them can be activated by single base pair changes to give high levels of in vivo expression. Finally, the positive activator protein CAP has been found to bind to a secondary site which is coincident with the operator. No role has been identified for this secondary CAP-DNA complex.
A regulated transitive reduction (RTR) for longer memory race recording

Now at VMware. Multithreaded deterministic replay has important applications in cyclic debugging, fault tolerance and intrusion analysis. Memory race recording is a key technology for multithreaded deterministic replay. In this paper, we considerably improve our previous always-on Flight Data Recorder (FDR) in four ways: •Longer recording by reducing the log size growth rate to approximately one byte per thousand dynamic instructions. •Lower hardware cost by reducing the cost to 24 KB per processor core. •Simpler design by modifying only the cache coherence protocol, but not the cache. •Broader applicability by supporting both Sequential Consistency (SC) and Total Store Order (TSO) memory consistency models (existing recorders support only SC).These improvements stem from several ideas: (1) a Regulated Transitive Reduction (RTR) recording algorithm that creates stricter and vectorizable dependencies to reduce the log growth rate; (2) a Set/LRU timestamp approximation method that better approximates timestamps of uncached memory locations to reduce the hardware cost; (3) an order-value-hybrid recording methodthat explicitly logs the value of potential SC-violating load instructions to support multiprocessor systems with TSO.
Future land use and land cover influences on regional biogenic emissions and air quality in the United States

A regional modeling system was applied with inputs from global climate and chemistry models to quantify the effects of global change on future biogenic emissions and their impacts on ozone and biogenic secondary organic aerosols (BSOA) in the US. Biogenic emissions in the future are influenced by projected changes in global and regional climates and by variations in future land use and land cover (LULC). The modeling system was applied for five summer months for the present-day case (1990–1999, Case 1) and three future cases covering 2045–2054. Individual future cases were: present-day LULC (Case 2); projected-future LULC (Case 3); and future LULC with designated regions of tree planting for carbon sequestration (Case 4). Results showed changing future meteorology with present-day LULC (Case 2) increased average isoprene and monoterpene emission rates by 26% and 20% due to higher temperature and solar insolation. However when LULC was changed together with climate (Case 3), predicted isoprene and monoterpene emissions decreased by 52% and 31%, respectively, due primarily to projected cropland expansion. The reduction was less, at 31% and 14% respectively, when future LULC changes were accompanied by regions of tree planting (Case 4). Despite the large decrease in biogenic emission, future average daily maximum 8-h (DM8H) ozone was found to increase between þ8 ppbv and þ10 ppbv due to high future anthropogenic emissions and global chemistry conditions. Among the future cases, changing LULC resulted in spatially varying future ozone differences of � 5 ppbv to þ5 ppbv when compared with present-day case. Future BSOA changed directly with the estimated monoterpene emissions. BSOA increased by 8% with current LULC (Case 2) but decreased by 45%–28% due to future LULC changes. Overall, the results demonstrated that on a regional basis, changes in LULC can offset temperature driven increases in biogenic emissions, and, thus, LULC projection is an important factor to consider in the study of future regional air quality.
Mapping "StrengthsQuest" Themes to Holland's Vocational Personality Types.

A sample of 1,747 students attending undergraduate classes in legal education at an online university completed the StrengthsQuest assessment as part of a larger investigation; of this number, 117 students also completed the Kuder Career Search. Exploratory factor analysis (principal components followed varimax rotation) of 34 StrengthsQuest theme rankings found 11 factors. The results replicate and extend an earlier report of correlations between StrengthsQuest theme subscales and indicators of Holland’s six vocational personality types. Implications are discussed for the use of the StrengthsQuest in career assessment.
In-situ spectroscopic investigations of surfactant adsorption and water structure at the CaF2/aqueous solution interface

We report in-situ spectroscopic measurements of the structure and orientation of molecules in the interfacial region between the semi-soluble ionic solid CaF2 (fluorite) and an aqueous phase. This paper integrates a series of new experiments with earlier results to give a comprehensive understanding of this very dynamic interface. We employ the surface specific technique, vibrational sum-frequency spectroscopy (VSFS), to study the effect that alterations in the aqueous phase composition, such as pH, surfactant ion concentration, and ion composition have on the bonding interactions, ion exchange behavior, and electrical properties in the interfacial region. These studies demonstrate the complex nature of the interactions of semi-soluble solids with an aqueous phase and the complexity of the surfactant adsorption process. Fundamental studies such as these are essential for understanding the mechanisms involved in surfactant adsorption and interfacial charge reversal; information which is important for industrially relevant processes such as mineral ore flotation, waste processing and petroleum recovery.
An alternative pedagogic model for doctoral research in urban design

This essay presents an alternative to the traditional pedagogic model for urban design doctoral education where, as found in the humanities, individual students work solo, advised by a small faculty committee. Derived from the sciences, the alternative model integrates the student into a collaborative, multidisciplinary research laboratory setting, which provides access to the now extensive geospatial data on the built environment and on a range of behaviors. After apprenticing in spatial data analysis, individual students advance selected aspects of on-going lab research projects. The alternative model expands urban design thinking to research on salient issues faced by today’s cities.
Variable end-of-travel Sensor

In a computer controlled machine, software time delays are used to allow full travel of actuated mechanisms before continuing the sequence. When the end of travel of the actuated member is constant and the time for full travel is predictable, the software time delay is cost effective and throughput efficient. If the time of full actuation is variable the time delay must be long enough to allow for the worst case. This results in throughput inefficiency. This situation can be improved by using a switch or other similar sensor at stroke's end. This eliminates the need for time delays, but adds cost to the apparatus, and possibly reduces reliability. If the end of the travel is variable, however, a switch or position sensor is not viable and a time delay which is long enough to account for the fullest travel may be necessary. The only alternative to the time delay in variable end-of-travel situations is an economical, reliable motion sensor. This paper focuses on the development of an integrated, economical motion sensor for the parts centering arms in the placement head of the 4621A Omniplace Surface Mounted Component Assembly System. The sensor is termed integrated because of it's streamlined incorporation with structures already present in the head and is economical due to this integral nature. In addition to these attributes, it is expected to be reliable and performance enhancing. The variable end-of-travel sensor is based on a 10,000 turn solenoid with a cylindrical magnet which moves in the air gap. The EMF produced by this transducer is amplified and presented to an absolute value comparator circuit. The open collector output of the comparator circuit is compatible with a current sourcing optically isolated computer input. The computer program executes the next sequential event upon determining end-of-centering arm motion in either direction. Thus, whether centering a small part (with greater travel) or a large part (with smaller travel) the next event after centering occurs with no delay. The previous design employed a time delay which allowed for reliable centering of the smallest part. This paper details the transducer and signal conditioning circuit, the improvement to throughput efficiency, and the cost effective integration of these elements into the existing design.
Proteins and Glasses

The study of biomolecules links biology, biochemistry, chemistry, and physics. For physicists, biomolecules offer challenging and exciting problems. On the one hand, physical investigations of biomolecules promise a deeper understanding of biological medical, and pharmacological questions. On the other hand, biomolecules are complex many-body systems that pose unique problems for physicists and can be considered a “state of matter” different from solids or liquids. In the present lectures I will look at biomolecules, particularly proteins, from the second point of view and will try to indicate where biomolecules can serve as testing grounds for physical theories.
Linear vection in virtual environments can be strengthened by discordant inertial input

Visual and gravitoinertial sensory inputs are integrated by the central nervous system to provide a compelling and veridical sense of spatial orientation and motion. Although it's known that visual input alone can drive this perception, questions remain as to how vestibular/ proprioceptive (i.e. inertial) inputs integrate with visual input to affect this process. This was investigated further by combining sinusoidal vertical linear oscillation (5 amplitudes between 0m and ±0.8m) with two different virtual visual inputs. Visual scenes were viewed in a large field-of-view head-mounted display (HMD), which depicted an enriched, hi-res, dynamic image of the actual test chamber from the perspective of a subject seated in the linear motion device. The scene either depicted horizontal (±0.7m) or vertical (±0.8m) linear 0.2Hz sinusoidal translation. Horizontal visual motion with vertical inertial motion represents a 90° spatial shift. Vertical visual motion with vertical inertial motion whereby the highest physical point matches the lowest visual point and vice versa represents a 180° temporal shift, i.e. opposite of what one experiences in reality. Inertial-only stimulation without visual input was identified as vertical linear oscillation with accurate reports of acceleration peaks and troughs, but a slight tendency to underestimate amplitude. Visual-only (stationary) stimulation was less compelling than combined visual+inertial conditions. In visual+inertial conditions, visual input dominated the direction of perceived self-motion, however, increasing the inertial amplitude increased how compelling this non-veridical perception was. That is, perceived vertical self-motion was most compelling when inertial stimulation was maximal, despite perceiving “up” when physically “down” and vice versa. Similarly, perceived horizontal self-motion was most compelling when vertical inertial motion was at maximum amplitude. “Cross-talk” between visual and vestibular channels was suggested by reports of small vertical components of perceived self-motion combined with a dominant horizontal component. In conclusion, direction of perceived self-motion was dominated by visual motion, however, compellingness of this illusion was strengthened by increasing discordant inertial input. Thus, spatial mapping of inertial systems may be completely labile, while amplitude coding of the input intensifies the percept.
Influence of roughage-to-concentrate ratios on ad libitum consumption by lactating cows.

Abstract Ad libitum consumptions of all-hay, 5.5:1, 2.2:1, and 1:1 weight ratios of alfalfa hay and concentrate mixture fed 84 days were compared with consumption of a 7:4 ratio (control) of hay and concentrate fed for 50 days before and 24 days following the experimental period. Eight Holstein cows were used for three treatments and nine for the fourth. Control ratio hay consumption varied from 2.01 to 2.43 kg per 100 kg body weight (P
Spatial and temporal analyses of integrin and Muc-1 expression in porcine uterine epithelium and trophectoderm in vitro.

The spatial and temporal expressions of Muc-1, selected integrin subunits, and extracellular matrix components in porcine uterine epithelium from estrous (Days 0, 4, 8, 10-15) and early pregnant (Days 10-15 of pregnancy) gilts and from steroid-treated ovariectomized gilts were analyzed using indirect immunofluorescence analyses on cryosectioned tissues to identify potential components of uterine receptivity. Integrin subunit and extracellular matrix expressions were also examined in Day 11-15 conceptuses. Intense Muc-1 staining was detected on apical uterine epithelium on Day 0 but was absent by Day 10 in both cyclic and pregnant gilts. The result of estrogen treatment (E2; 100 micrograms/day for 10 days) was similar to that of the corn oil vehicle control, while treatment with progesterone (P4; 200 mg/day for 10 days) or E2 + P4 decreased Muc-1 staining in ovariectomized gilts. Immunostaining performed with antibodies directed against integrin subunits (alpha 1, alpha 3, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha v, beta 1, and beta 3) in uterine epithelium revealed low (integrin subunits alpha 1 alpha 3), high (integrin subunits alpha v and beta 3), or modulated (integrin subunits alpha 4, alpha 5, and beta 1) expression, with the lowest expression on Day 0 and maximum expression by Days 10-15. Additionally, no differences due to pregnancy status were detected in staining of uterine epithelium on Days 10-15. Uterine epithelium from steroid-treated ovariectomized gilts had low expression of alpha 4, alpha 5, and beta 1 subunits in the presence of E2 that increased in response to P4 and E2 + P4 treatments. The expression of integrin subunits alpha 3, alpha v and beta 3 was not affected by sex steroids. Trophectoderm also expressed alpha 1, alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha v, beta 1, and beta 3, integrin subunits. Extracellular matrix constituents (fibronectin, vitronectin, laminin, and collagen type IV) were also examined. Fibronectin and vitronectin were present on trophectoderm, but only vitronectin was detected on uterine epithelium. The alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha v, beta 1, and beta 3 integrin subunits, vitronectin, and fibronectin were detected at sites of attachment between uterine epithelial cells and trophectoderm on Days 12-15 of pregnancy. These studies indicate that down-regulation of Muc-1 coincides with the transition of the prereceptive uterus to the receptive uterus. Additionally, the expression of alpha 4, alpha 5, alpha v, beta 1, and beta 3 integrin subunits along with the extracellular matrix components of fibronectin and vitronectin correlates with the time of implantation in swine.
Towards efficient parallelizations of a computer algebra algorithm

The authors summarize the results of a preliminary study that examines the feasibility of implementing computer algebra systems on massively parallel single-instruction multiple-data architectures. On serial computers, these systems rely on B.Buchberger's (1970, 1985) algorithm for computing Grobner bases. A parallelization of this algorithm that addresses the potential growth in the number of polynomials that can be generated during the computation is proposed. The parallel algorithm was implemented on a Connection Machine CM-200 System. The experimental results which were obtained for seven test problems are evaluated. The results of this study provide insights into ongoing research to develop more efficient parallel algorithms for finding Grobner bases. >
VO2 kinetics in the horse during moderate and heavy exercise.

Langsetmo, I., G. E. Weigle, M. R. Fedde, H. H. Erickson, T. J. Barstow, and D. C. Poole.V˙o 2 kinetics in the horse during moderate and heavy exercise. J. Appl. Physiol. 83(4): 1235–1241, 1997.—Th...
Cultural ecology: placing households in human-environment studies - the cases of tropical forest transitions and agrobiodiversity change:

Cultural ecology is today at a place of rapidly expanding interconnections with the growing number of human-environment approaches in geography and other fields. Productive interconnections are evidenced, for example, in the extensive debate and discussion within geography that surround the varied relations (e.g., theory, methods, roles of science and representation, scale and subject matter) of cultural ecology to political ecology, since the latter is regarded as a chief cognate approach. Sufficient similarities evident in that dialogue led to the renaming of the specialty group within the Association of American Geographers as Cultural and Political Ecology (CAPE). This broadly based cultural ecology is currently counted as one of the most active and popular of the specialty groups within the organization, and it is the largest of the groups that are focused on human-environment interaction. Reaching this position has occurred though a process of incremental growth over the course of the period since 1960 in a range of distinct subfields, such as cultural-historical ecology, human ecology, systems ecology and adaptive-dynamics ecology. Cultural ecology thus conveys the sense of an umbrella approach, which continues to serve as the integrator for a considerable variety of subfields. While broad in scope, the approach of cultural ecology is also sharing new interconnections with the expanding suite of other human-environment approaches. For example, the ‘human dimensions of global change’ appears to share a defining emphasis on the interaction of global environmental processes with local actors and institutions that is common to much of cultural ecology. The interconnections of cultural ecology with political ecology and with ‘human dimensions’ is typically dialogic, often to a high degree, in that most studies associated with one field are actively informed by and engaged with the others. This dialogic tendency in cultural ecology is found also in relation to various other distinctly framed approaches toward human-environment interaction (in geography as well as anthropology, sociology and environmental studies). Several intersecting points
Decentralized control subject to communication and propagation delays

In this paper, we prove that a wide class of distributed control problems subject to communication and propagation delays are equivalent to convex optimization problems. The results hold in both continuous and discrete time, for both stable and unstable systems. A specific example is formation flight, where each aircraft has its own controller, and the effects of an aircraft's control actions propagate to neighboring aircraft with a delay inversely proportional to the speed of sound. Here each controller may transmit sensor measurements from its aircraft. to neighboring aircraft with ail associated communication delay, and a consequence of these results is that if the communication delay is less than this propagation delay, then norm-optimal controllers may be found via convex programming.
Longitudinal Pathways between Maternal Mental Health in Infancy and Offspring Romantic Relationships in Adulthood: A 30-year Prospective Study

Longitudinal pathways between maternal mental health in infancy and offspring romantic relationship outcomes in adulthood were examined using a 30-year prospective longitudinal study of 196 mothers and their children. Structural equation modeling revealed that maternal mental health at 30 months was related to offspring relationship status and relationship attachment insecurity at 30 years. The adolescent variables of offspring mental health and parental relationship status mediated the link between maternal mental health and offspring relationship status. In addition, adolescent mental health and family conflict mediated the pathway between maternal mental health and offspring attachment insecurity. These results highlight the importance of individual and parental mental health to romantic relationship outcomes, and emphasize the value of taking a developmental approach to the study of romantic relationships.
Assessing nutrient limitation of Prochlorococcus in the North Pacific subtropical gyre by using an RNA capture method

It has been hypothesized that the planktonic community of the North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG) underwent a ‘‘domain shift’’ in the early 1980s in which phytoplankton of the domain Eukarya were supplanted by phytoplankton of the domain Bacteria, primarily Prochlorococcus. P limitation of eukaryotic phytoplankton was implicated as the causative chemical factor in the domain shift, and we sought to investigate the current nutrient limitation status of Prochlorococcus, now 2 decades since this event. We measured ribonucleic acid (RNA) synthesis rates by NPSG plankton at Station ALOHA in 33PO 3{ 4 tracer incubations and found that RNA synthesis was the single largest biochemical sink for dissolved P, accounting for about half of the total PO 3{ 4 uptake. We also found that NH z stimulated RNA synthesis but that PO 3{ 4 did not, which suggested N limitation of plankton growth. We developed a new RNA capture procedure, termed radioisotope-based tracking of RNA synthesis by hybridization and capture (RIBOTRACE), to measure RNA synthesis rates by Prochlorococcus exclusively. Data from this procedure showed that NH z stimulated RNA synthesis by Prochlorococcus and confirmed that Prochlorococcus was N limited and not P limited. Our RIBOTRACE data do not necessarily refute the domain shift hypothesis, but suggest that any critical period of P limitation required for the domain shift must have subsided and given way to the N-limiting conditions that existed previously.
Racial Difference in the Determinants of Smoking Onset

The large differences in youth smoking behavior across ethnic and racial groups are often overlooked in debates about prevention. This study examines how the determinants of the onset of smoking vary by race and ethnicity. Academic success is strongly associated with lower smoking rates among white youth, but this is not as true for Hispanics and African-Americans. Cultural assimilation may be an important determinant of smoking for Hispanics. Price increases do not appear to reduce smoking onset among white youth, but the results provide some support that higher prices will reduce smoking among Hispanic and African-American youth.
Model-based adaptation for self-healing systems

Traditional mechanisms that allow a system to detect and recover from errors are typically wired into applications at the level of code where they are hard to change, reuse, or analyze. An alternative approach is to use externalized adaptation: one or more models of a system are maintained at run time and external to the application as a basis for identifying problems and resolving them. In this paper we provide an overview of recent research in which we use architectural models as the basis for such problem diagnosis and repair. These models can be specialized to the particular style of the system, the quality of interest, and the dimensions of run time adaptation that are permitted by the running system.
Robust channel estimation and detection for multicarrier CDMA

Multiuser detection (MUD) for code-division multiple-access (CDMA) systems usually relies on some prior estimates of the channel, obtained either blindly or by using training. However, channel estimates are always subject to estimation errors. In this paper, we present robust channel estimation and MUD techniques for multicarrier (MC) CDMA by explicitly taking into account prior channel estimation errors. Specifically, robust channel estimates and MUD receivers are obtained by optimizing the worst-case performance over a bounded uncertainty set. We show that although the prior channel estimation error is generally not bounded, it is beneficial to optimize the worst performance over a properly chosen bounded uncertainty set of the channel centered on the prior channel estimate. Numerical results show that our robust schemes yield improved performance over those that ignore the prior channel estimation error.