cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Influence of Carbon Source on the Products of Dissimilatory Iron Reduction

We have examined the influence of carbon source on both the rate of iron reduction and the mineralogy of the reduction products with Shewanella putrefaciens strain W3-18-1. When pyruvate was the carbon source, the secondary products were spherules composed of siderite. When uridine was used as the carbon source, the products were hexagonal plate-like structures identified as iron carbonate hydroxide hydrate, also known as carbonate green rust, a precursor to fougerite. When lactate was used as the carbon source, products were a mixture of iron carbonate hydroxide and magnetite. In terms of reaction stoichiometry, there were differences in the amount of acetate produced depending on the starting organic carbon source. Incubation with pyruvate produced a relatively large amount of acetate compared to incubation with uridine and lactate. There were also differences in the final pH of the cultures. While the pH for incubations with lactate started at 8.6 and ended between 8.0–8.3, the pH of cultures incubated...
Gender-Differences in Computer Experience and its Influence on Computer Attitudes:

This study of 902 boys and 828 girls in secondary school shows that gender-differences in computer experience has a direct relationship to computer attitudes. The data analysis supports the hypothesis that male students have more computer experience than female students. This experience is measured by the number of computer classes attended, the amount of computer usage, and having access to a home computer. Boys showed more positive attitudes toward computers than girls. The number of classes students attended, and the amount of computer usage was positively related to computer interest, computer confidence (for boys), and perceived computer utility. Home computer ownership was not related to computer attitudes. The association between computer attitudes and computer experience was stronger for males than females.
Microtubule Disassembly: When a Sleeper Is Activated

Tubulin modifications are emerging as interesting mechanisms to regulate microtubule dynamics. A new study shows that phosphorylation of α-tubulin by the atypical kinase PHS1 leads to rapid disassembly of cortical microtubules in plant cells that are under hyperosmotic stresses.
Synthesis and Control of Single Layer and Polar 2-D Layered Architectures in a Series of Organic Layered Solids

The syntheses and single crystal X-ray structures of five new lamellar solids based on the reaction of 3,5-pyrazole dicarboxylic acid (H2PzDCA) with five amines are described here. This reaction was studied to ascertain how the dimensions of an organic substituent influence the architecture of the layered solid. As expected, all of the structures display identical hydrogen bonded sheets akin to those found in previous work. However, increasing the width of the organic substituent influences the type of architecture observed, and here we report the first examples of single layers found in a series of heretofore exclusively bilayered ammonium HPzDCA salts. Most importantly, a very unusual polar layered solid was obtained in an intermediate size regime. This work identifies the influence of the size of substituents in engineering bilayer vs. polar vs. single layer architectures of ammonium HPzDCA salts.
Experimental co-infections of domestic ducks with a virulent Newcastle disease virus and low or highly pathogenic avian influenza viruses.

Infections with avian influenza viruses (AIV) of low and high pathogenicity (LP and HP) and Newcastle disease virus (NDV) are commonly reported in domestic ducks in many parts of the world. However, it’s not clear if co-infections with these viruses affect the severity of the diseases they produce, the amount of virus shed, and transmission of the viruses. In this study we infected domestic ducks with a virulent NDV virus (vNDV) and either a LPAIV or a HPAIV by giving the viruses individually, simultaneously, or sequentially two days apart. No clinical signs were observed in ducks infected or co-infected with vNDV and LPAIV, but co-infection decreased the number of ducks shedding vNDV and the amount of virus shed (P <0.01) at 4 days post inoculation (dpi). Co-infection didn’t affect the number of birds shedding LPAIV, but more LPAIV was shed at 2 dpi (P <0.0001) from ducks inoculated with only LPAIV compared to ducks co-infected with vNDV. Ducks that received the HPAIV with the vNDV simultaneously survived fewer days (P <0.05) compared to the ducks that received the vNDV two days before the HPAIV. Co-infection also reduced transmission of vNDV to naive contact ducks housed with the inoculated ducks. In conclusion, domestic ducks can become co-infected with vNDV and LPAIV with no effect on clinical signs but with reduction of virus shedding and transmission. These findings indicate that infection with one virus can interfere with replication of another, modifying the pathogenesis and transmission of the viruses.
Kinematics and Pose Estimation for Cable Actuated Parallel Manipulators

Parallel manipulators have many attractive features, such as a high strength to weight ratio, with great potential for applications in manufacturing and construction industry. Cable actuated parallel manipulators are a special case of parallel robots, where the limbs are replaced by cables, offering increased scalability of the structure. However, cable actuated manipulators have larger errors in positioning because of cable extensions and changes in the effective spool diameter. Also, the direct kinematics solution is no longer meaningful once the robot crosses the workspace boundary. Finally, it is necessary to start from a pre-calibrated home position where the cable lengths are known. In this work we address the pose estimation and control for a cable robot using visual and inertial measurements as well as information from the direct kinematics. We demonstrate the algorithm on a prototype with a working volume of 2m × 4.6m × 6m.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
The decomposition equilibrium of LiTe3

Absorption spectrophotometry has been used to measure equilibrium pressures of Te2 vapor over molten LiTe3 from 460 to 757°C and over solid mixtures of LiTe3 and Li2Te from 380 to 449°C. The equilibrium pressure of Te2 over molten LiTe3 is given by log10PTe2[atm]=3.777 − 5367/T, whereas for the equilibrium 45LiTe3(c) = 25Li2Te(c) + Te2(g) it is log10 PTe2[atm] = 5.328 − 6726/T. By using previously reporte data for the vapor pressure of solid tellerium, the change in free energy, ΔG° = 7293-12.65T (cal), was derived for the reaction 12Li2Te(c)+522 Te(c) = LiTe3(c). These data were used to predict the (subsequently verified) decomposition of LiTe3 below 304°C to form Li2Te(c) and Te(c).The activity of tellurium in liquid LiTe3 can be expressed as log10(αTe) = −0.471 + 296.5/T with αTe = 0.86 at the melting point.
Conserved N-terminal sequences in homologous subunits of the multicatalytic proteinase complex (proteasome)

The bovine lens multicatalytic proteinase complex (MPC) (MW 700 kDa) comprises at least twelve subunits in the molecular mass range 22-35 kDa. Three of the subunits, L1 (27 kDa), L2 (24 kDa) and L3 (29 kDa), were purified by reverse phase HPLC. Their amino acid composition and N-terminal sequences indicate that they are not identical. L1 and L2 subunits show very high (greater than 90%) sequence homology with specific subunits of rat liver and human reticulocyte MPC and these are considered to be homologous components of the MPC which are highly conserved in evolution.
The structure of the salivary glands of the human soft palate

The glandular layer constitutes the greatest bulk of the human soft palate and is composed of individual compound tubulo-acinar salivary glands. Connective tissue partitions of the submucosa divide the glandular layer into lobules of irregular shapes and sizes. The glands are interwoven and bound firmly together by a connective tissue stroma rich in elastic fibers. The secretory units consist of elongated, branched, and sometimes convoluted tubules lined by a single layer of pyramidal mucous cells. Mucous secretion by acini is supplemented to some degree by mucous acinar cells, which were found as epithelial components of all ducts except the main excretory ducts, suggesting a diffuse distribution of progenitor cells. Some mucous acini communicate with highly convoluted intercalated ducts which occupy partially isolated positions within inter- and intralobular connective tissue septa. These ducts follow the connective tissue septa and eventually join the main duct system. The significance of this system of intercalated ducts is not known. A supplemental functional role is hypothesized.
Verrucous carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Abstract Since verrucous carcinoma was first identified as a distinct clinicopathologic entity, a great deal of confusion has developed in interpreting the proper criteria for diagnosis. Various authors, therefore, have developed considerably different concepts of the features that make this lesion a unique variant of squamous cell carcinoma. Consequently, there is great confusion in the literature as to the appropriate therapeutic approach, the incidence of recurrence, and the frequency of anaplastic transformation of verrucous carcinoma. The literature was reviewed to identify all cases of verrucous carcinoma of the oral cavity that appear to meet the clinical and histopathologic criteria for this lesion as originally set forth by Ackerman. The problems encountered in arriving at the diagnosis of verrucous carcinoma are discussed. Cases with at least a 1-year reported follow-up were grouped according to the primary modality of therapy employed and were evaluated as to the effectiveness of the initial therapy. The frequency of anaplastic transformation following radiation therapy is also addressed.
The National Social Distance Study: Ten Years Later

The Bogardus social distance scale, which measures the level of acceptance that Americans feel toward members of the most common ethnic and racial groups in the United States, was administered six times nationally between 1920 and 2001. Replicating the most recent study with its revised list of ethnic and racial groups, the authors of this study analyzed a stratified random sample of 3,166 college students, making it the largest national social distance study ever conducted. The findings indicate an increase since 2001 in the mean level of social distance toward all ethnic groups, as well as in the spread between the groups with the highest and lowest levels of social distance. Further, a consistency between studies in group preferences reaffirms the relevance of the similarity-attraction bond in accepting those who are racially and culturally different. Mean comparisons and analysis of variance tests also showed that gender, birthplace of respondents and/or their parents, race, and year in college are all significant indicators of the level of social distance toward groups.
A new approach to optimization of dynamic reactive power sources addressing FIDVR issues

Dynamic reactive power (var) sources, e.g. SVCs and STATCOMs, can effectively mitigate fault-induced delayed voltage recovery (FIDVR) issues or even voltage collapse. However, their optimal allocation in a power grid is a complicated nonlinear optimization problem since the post-fault voltage trajectories have to be solved to check constraints on voltage responses. Thus, solvers of both nonlinear optimization and power system differential and algebraic equations (DAEs) are required. This paper proposes a new approach to optimize the sizes of dynamic var sources at candidate locations by efficiently interfacing a heuristic linear programming based searching algorithm with power system simulation software. Case studies on a 9-bus system and the IEEE 39-bus system have benchmarked the new approach with an existing representative approach and demonstrated that the new approach can quickly converge to an optimal solution.
In the lab with George: 20 years without plumbing or wiring

George Collier has shown us the importance of non-physiological, economic factors in the control of food intake. Several studies are reviewed demonstrating the effects of cost on rats' diet selection when offered sweet solutions and rat chow. When sucrose solution and chow are both available at no cost, rats take upto 70% of their daily calories from sucrose depending on the concentration. However, when they must pay for sips of sucrose solution, sucrose intake falls as sip price increases. Because in take of free chow increases as costly sucrose intake declines, total daily calorie intake is constant. If the rats must bar press for both chow and sucrose solution, the intake of each commodity depends on its own cost as well as the cost of the alternative commodity. As the intake of one commodity falls with its price, intake of the other commodity increases. However, rats are less willing to give up costly chow than costly sucrose, indicating that sucrose is an incomplete substitute for chow despite its sweet taste. However, if saccharin is available at no cost, rats that must bar press for chow pellets increase their saccharin intake as their chow intake falls with chow cost. This change in saccharin intake is not seen when saccharin is costly. These results suggest that although the postingestive properties and, to a lesser extent, the taste, of a commodity influence its inclusion in a rat's diet, robust changes in intake and diet selection also occur in response to the cost of the foods, a factor that does not affect either taste or postingestive consequences.
Schoolhouse Rock: Pedagogy, Politics, and Pop

For never are the ways of music moved without the greatest political laws being moved—Plato ( The Republic , 424c) Rock stars … is there anything they don't know?—Homer Simpson (Episode 71, “Marge vs the Monorail”). Great thinkers from Plato to Homer suggest that music and musicians can illuminate important issues and inspire us to think about them in different ways. Indeed, I have found music a useful pedagogical tool—or at least an interesting catalyst for discussion—in my 8 a.m. Introduction to International Relations (IR) course. The idea, which I stole from Kate Weaver at the University of Kansas, is to play a song at the beginning of every class that illuminates some element of the lecture for that day. Ten minutes before class starts I put up a slide with the name of the song, the artist, title of the lecture, and a brief outline of the subject that we will cover in class. Then I turn the volume way up and allow the song to repeat until the beginning of class. Plato …
Biochemical analysis of expansin-like proteins from microbes

Abstract Expansins cause plant cell wall loosening and are present primarily in the plant kingdom. Gene sequence analysis suggests that expansins are present in several plant-colonizing or plant-pathogenic bacteria and fungi. However, experimental evidence of microbial expansin activity is largely lacking. Here we provide evidence that expansins from three plant pathogenic bacteria and one fungus cause extension of cell walls in vitro and weaken filter paper networks, without lytic activity. Since expansins were able to weaken cellulose networks, we tested whether they synergistically enhanced the activity of several cellulases in hydrolysis of cellulose. The microbial expansins did not show such synergism beyond the nonspecific effect of bovine serum albumin. Our results show that the expansins present in several pathogenic microbes have weak wall-loosening activity and we infer a role for these expansins in plant pathogenesis. Additionally, the convenient expression of several expansins in Escherichia coli makes a future comparative structure–function analysis among expansins possible in order to understand their activity at the molecular level.
The use of schemata in the acquisition and transfer of knowledge

Abstract A learning model based on “memory schemata” is presented. The model assumes that knowledge substructures in memory are shared by multiple representations of information from diverse contexts. These substructures, or schemata, are collections of concepts and associations that occur together repeatedly and act as unitary, higher-order concepts. When knowledge is represented in terms of a schema, associations from the schema to additional concepts specify the detailed information for that context. This organization of knowledge entails both costs and benefits for the acquisition and retention of new information that utilizes a schema. The use of a familiar encoding structure facilitates memory access at storage and retrieval time. Multiple uses of the shared structure produce interference among concepts from the various contexts. The predictions of the model were tested in two transfer experiments in prose learning. Experiment l demonstrated the simultaneous effects of both facilitation and interference in the learning of diverse information conforming to a single schema. Recall of information from the schema was a non-monotonic function of schema strength. In Experiment 2 facilitation was preserved while interference was eliminated by increasing the discriminability among competing contexts. Results from both experiments confirmed the predictions of the model.
Complement-Fixing Donor-Specific Antibody and Lung Transplant Outcomes

Complement-Fixing Donor-Specific Antibody and Lung Transplant Outcomes L. Chhatwani ,1 J. Mooney,1 R. Balestra,1 R. Lee,2 C. Lou,3 D. Weill,1 D. Tyan,3 G. Dhillon.1 1Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; 2Department of Pharmacy, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA; 3Department of Pathology, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA.
Minor Parties in Realigning Eras

This article treats the minor party as an independent variable in the realignment process and establishes an association between the strength of the minor party and the sharpness of the realignment. The research correlates the percentage of the Democratic vote in counties throughout the nation over three historical periods, 1884 to 1900, 1916 to 1932, and 1960 to 1976. In the first two eras the data supported the conclusion that the minor parties (the Populist party in the election of 1892 and the Progressive party in the election of 1924) were strongly associated with the sharpness of the realignment process. No realignment was uncovered for the third period, although there was evidence of electoral disaggregation. The relevance of the minor party, the American Independent Party, could not be determined.
Can patients screen themselves? Pilot study of an audio-guided computer-assisted self-interview (ACASI) approach to screening for substance use in primary care

Lack of a brief, validated screening and assessment tool to identify problematic drug use is a significant barrier to integrating screening, brief intervention and referral to treatment (SBIRT) services into primary care settings. Because patient self-administered screening is potentially more efficient than the traditional face-to-face approach, we undertook a pilot study examining the feasibility and acceptability of an audio-guided computer-assisted selfinterview (ACASI) to identify substance use. We adapted the World Health Organization’ sA lcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) to ACASI format and administered it on touch-screen tablet computers. English- and Spanish-speaking patients were recruited from a large urban primary care clinic. Participants completed the ACASI ASSIST in the waiting area and received a $4.50 transit card. Of 47 eligible patients approached, 35 (74%) agreed to participate. Participants were 57% male with a mean age of 49 years (range 28–72 years, SD = 11). The majority (54%) were foreign born, 50% were Hispanic, and 29% were African American. Twenty-five subjects completed the ASSIST in English, and 10 in Spanish. Thirty participants (86%) screened positive for lifetime use of alcohol, and 18 (51%) for other drugs (excluding tobacco). Twenty-two (63%) had used alcohol and/or other drugs in the past three months, and 13 (37%) had moderate- or high-risk use (6 alcohol; 11 other drugs; 4 both). Mean time to complete the ACASI ASSIST was 5.6 minutes (range, 1.5– 17.2 minutes, SD = 3.2). Responses were 100% complete. All but one participant felt comfortable answering these questions on a computer. Most either preferred the computer to an interviewer (50%) or had no preference (38%). These results indicate that computer-assisted substance use screening may be feasible and acceptable among a culturally diverse primary care patient population. Our next step will be to evaluate the validity of the ACASI-administered ASSIST.
Sex and rat strain determine sensitivity to κ opioid-induced antinociception

Rationale: Recent studies indicate that sex and rodent strain are determinants of sensitivity to opioid-induced antinociception. Objectives: The present study examined the influence of sex and rat strain on κ opioid-induced antinociception using a series of κ opioids that vary in their relative effectiveness. Methods: In a warm-water (50, 52 and 55°C) tail-withdrawal procedure, the antinociceptive effects of κ opioids were determined in male and female rats of the F344, Lewis and Sprague-Dawley (SD) strains. Results: In both males and females of each strain, spiradoline produced high levels of antinociception across all nociceptive stimulus intensities, whereas U50,488 produced high levels only at the low and moderate nociceptive stimulus intensities. Sex differences in the potency and effectiveness of these κ opioids were relatively small and not consistently obtained. Enadoline, bremazocine and nalorphine were less effective than spiradoline in producing antinociception, and at low and moderate nociceptive stimulus intensities these opioids were both more potent and effective in F344 and SD males than their female counterparts. In contrast, in Lewis rats, only bremazocine was more potent and effective in males. In combination tests, bremazocine shifted the spiradoline dose-effect curve leftward and/or upward in males and rightward in females (i.e., antagonized spiradoline). In contrast, in both males and females enadoline shifted the spiradoline dose-effect curve leftward and/or upward. Conclusions: These data indicate that κ opioids were generally more potent and effective as antinociceptive agents in males than females. Similar to data obtained with µ opioids, the magnitude of these sex differences was generally larger with the less effective κ opioids and determined, in part, by rat strain and nociceptive stimulus intensity.
Ballot Propositions and Information Costs: Direct Democracy and the Fatigued Voter:

Here b denotes the benefit from having your .candidate win, p the probability of your vote deciding the outcome, and c the costs of voting (Downs 1957). By and large this formulation has considered b and c at the systemic level; ease of registration, competitiveness of the election, literacy requirements and many similar factors have all been used to assess levels of turnout (Rosenstone and Wolfinger 1978; Powell 1980). In terms of this literature, then, c refers to a set of costs imposed on all voters within a given political jurisdiction. Once a voter has arrived at the voting booth the costs of actually marking a ballot would seem to be trivial relative to the costs of actually turning out to vote. This last point, however, is not true for all types of ballot. Many ballots require much more of voters than simply turning out and marking a single preference for one office. Under preferential systems or where a large number of elective offices and/or propositions are on the ballot, the decisions facing voters are quite complex. Between 1974 and 1988, for example, in addition to a wide range of elective offices, Californians faced an average of 13 propositions at each election. As can be seen from Figure 1, California's voters express some dissatisfaction with this process. Nearly one-third of voters gave responses which suggested that propositions made too many demands upon them. Responses which noted that there were too many propositions or that they were too confusing (i.e., that too many demands were being made) far outweighed responses which expressed a lack of faith in the efficacy of the proposition process (e.g. that special interests dominate the process). The question here is whether we can represent such
Light Traps: Effect of Modifications on Catches of Several Species of Noctuidae and Arctiidae

Catches of several species of Noctuidae and Arctiidae by 2 BL trap designs and their modifications were compared in field tests. BL lamps mounted above a 55-gal oil drum (barrel traps) were more effective than survey traps (BL lamps above a killing chamber) in catching male Trichoplusia ni (Hubner) and Heliothis zea (Boddie); an oil level 6 in. below the rim of the barrel proved to be the most practical. Increasing the number of lamps from 1 to 2 resulted in increased catches of female T. ni and Spodoptera exigua (Hubner), but the catches of T. ni males were not increased significantly. Covering of all but 1 in. of 1 lamp decreased catches of both sexes of T. ni . The use of bait, the synthetic T. ni sex pheromone, increased the catch of T. ni males in all trap types tested and tended to counteract the effect of the reduced light. Catch of T. ni males was not affected by changing the position of the bait from the top of the trap to the bottom of the baffles.
Using explicitly represented biological relationships for database navigation and searching via the World-Wide Web

MOTIVATION The increasing availability of biological databases on the World-Wide Web and hypertext links between them has made a wealth of information easily accessible to biologists. Additional retrieval capabilities can be achieved by storing explicitly specified biological relationships between different entities as discrete database entries. RESULTS We have built CySPID, a prototype database about the cytoskeleton that explores the approach of explicitly representing biological relationships. The stored relationships are displayed along with other retrieved information, can be used to make hyperlinks to related entities, and can be used to search for entities with specified properties. CySPID is extensible in that new types of relationships may be created without altering the database schema. AVAILABILITY CySPID is available for public use (http://ycmi.med.yale.edu/cyspid/). The CGI scripts used by CySPID are available upon request.
A nomogram for predicting 10-year life expectancy in men with prostate cancer after definitive therapy.

A nomogram for predicting 10-year life expectancy in men with prostate cancer after definitive therapy
MRI findings differentiate between late-onset schizophrenia and late-life mood disorder.

Objectives Compare MRI scans of patients with late-onset schizophrenia, late-life depression and late-life bipolar disorder to age- and gender-matched controls. MRI head scans of 14 patients in each diagnostic group and 21 patients in the normal control group were compared. Subjects were recruited from inpatient and outpatient services. Measures The CERAD MRI rating algorithm was used to rate degree of atrophy. Results Patients with bipolar and unipolar disorder had greater left sylvian fissure and left and right temporal sulcal enlargement, and more bilateral cortical atrophy than normals. Patients with late-onset schizophrenia had larger right temporal horns and larger third ventricles. These findings validate the distinctions between late-life affective disorder and late-onset schizophrenia and mirror changes reported in younger individuals. They may reflect underlying structural and functional abnormalities found in neuropathologic and functional imaging studies. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Antimetabolites of acetate in Tetrahymena.

Abstract A series of analogs of acetate, α- p -bipbenylylbutyric acid, α-phenylbutyric acid, γ-phenylbutyric acid, cyclopropanecarboxylic acid, α-phenylacetic acid, and β,β-dimethylacrylic acid, was tested for inhibition of the growth of Tetrahymena pyriformis . The inhibitory effects of all but the last were released by acetate or lower fatty acids, although an exponential relationship to the acetate concentration was observed in some cases. The inhibitory effects of none of the analogs were completely reversed by sterols, but for some, sterols partially restored growth. No reversal was obtained with mevalonic acid. Soybean lecithin and an enzymic hydrolyzate of casein were effective.
Optic Neuritis Complicating Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Vaccination

A 6-year-old boy developed bilateral optic neuritis with decreasing visual acuity 18 days after administration of live attenuated trivalent measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. The patient was treated with oral corticosteroids. The optic neuritis resolved within several weeks and normal vision returned. An afferent pupillary defect persistent in the more severely involved eye for 14 months following vaccination.
Prostacyclin regulates splanchnic blood flow during early hemorrhage/reperfusion injury.

Abstract The effect of oxygen radicals on superior mesenteric artery (SMA) blood flow and splanchnic prostaglandin release was examined during early hemorrhage/reperfusion injury. Sprague-Dawley rats were hemorrhaged to 30 mm Hg for 5, 10, or 15 min without (SK5, SK10, and SK15) or with (SK10+R, and SK15+R) blood reperfusion. The SK15+R group were treated with or without superoxide dismutase (SOD 10 000 units/kg intravenously). In vivo SMA blood flow was measured continuously for 100 min by a transonic flow probe. The in vitro-perfused superior mesenteric artery and end organ intestine (SV+SI) were assayed for release of 6-keto-PGF 1α , thromboxane B 2 (TXB 2 ) and PGE 2 by radioimmunoassay. Acute hemorrhage for 10 and 15 minutes increased SV+SI 6-keto-PGF 1α release 2-fold and 10-fold respectively compared to the sham (p 1α and SMA blood flow to control levels in the SK10+R and SK15+R groups. Oxygen-derived free radicals produced within 15 min of acute hemorrhage/reperfusion injury inhibited splanchnic PGI 2 synthesis, which contributed to decreased splanchnic blood flow.
Vehicle to grid as a household backup generator utilizing a novel backstepping controller with uncertain load for full bridge converter

Vehicle to Grid (V2G) has become a research area of interest in recent years. This project seeks to design a power electronic interface (PEI) for a niche application in the V2G research space. This system's objective is to allow a household to receive power from a V2G equipped vehicle in much the same way a backup generator would be used. To facilitate this objective, a novel backstepping controller is developed for the full bridge converter stage of the PEI that tracks a desired output voltage in the presence of both an uncertain load and disturbance. A stability analysis and a circuit level simulation are provided to validate our approach. This proposed system is designed and simulated to provide AC power that meets the IEEE 1547 Standard for Interconnecting Distributed Resources with Electric Power Systems.
Evidence for onshore deposition of Pleistocene continental shelf clays

Abstract Clay balls deposited as a washover fan at Stone Harbor, New Jersey, are probably fragments of a bed of Pleistocene continental shelf clay, based on physical characteristics, clay mineralogy, and radiocarbon ages of 20,135–24,630 yr BP. They may not all originate in the same area and are probably undergoing mixing with modern organic material.
The Community Environmental Monitoring Program: A Model for Stakeholder Involvement in Environmental Monitoring

Since 1981, the Community Environmental Monitoring Program (CEMP) has involved stakeholders directly in its daily operation and data collection, as well as in dissemination of information on radiological surveillance in communities surrounding the Nevada Test Site (NTS), the primary location where the United States (US) conducted nuclear testing until 1992. The CEMP is funded by the US Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration, and is administered by the Desert Research Institute (DRI) of the Nevada System of Higher Education. The CEMP provides training workshops for stakeholders involved in the program, and educational outreach to address public concerns about health risk and environmental impacts from past and ongoing NTS activities. The network includes 29 monitoring stations located across an approximately 160,000 km{sup 2} area of Nevada, Utah and California in the southwestern US. The principal radiological instruments are pressurized ion chambers for measuring gamma radiation, and particulate air samplers, primarily for alpha/beta detection. Stations also employ a full suite of meteorological instruments, allowing for improved interpretation of the effects of meteorological events on background radiation levels. Station sensors are wired to state-of-the-art data-loggers that are capable of several weeks of on-site data storage, and that work in tandem with amore » communications system that integrates DSL and wireless internet, land line and cellular phone, and satellite technologies for data transfer. Data are managed through a platform maintained by the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC) that DRI operates for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The WRCC platform allows for near real-time upload and display of current monitoring information in tabular and graphical formats on a public web site. Archival data for each station are also available on-line, providing the ability to perform trending analyses or calculate site-specific exposure rates. This configuration also allows for remote programming and troubleshooting of sensors. Involvement of stakeholders in the monitoring process provides a number of benefits, including increased public confidence in monitoring results, as well as decreasing costs by more than 50 percent from when the program was managed entirely by U.S. federal employees. Additionally, the CEMP provides an ideal platform for testing new environmental sensors. (authors)« less
Inclusion of prey data improves prediction of bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) distribution

We examined the distribution of Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the Gulf of Maine, Northwest Atlantic Ocean, from 17 to 23 August 1995, in relation to physical and biological parameters. Specifically, we fit a binomial GLM to the bluefin tuna presence–absence data and predictor variables that include: sea surface temperature (SST), ocean depth, distance to an SST front, time-lagged density of SST fronts, and an interpolated surface of Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus) density. In addition, we use simple and partial Mantel tests to examine whether bluefin tuna presence–absence data are significantly associated with these predictors, once spatial autocorrelation is accounted for. Results suggest that the distribution of bluefin tuna significantly correlated with herring density (z = 3.525, P = 0.000424), and that inclusion of biological variables results in a more parsimonious model. Mantel tests results indicate that bluefin tuna abundance is significantly correlated with herring density after the effect of spatial structure is removed (Mantel r = 0.043, P < 0.019).
THE STRUCTURE OF Bi26Mo10O69

Abstract The structure of Bi26Mo10O69 was solved using a combination of X-ray and neutron diffraction. The final refinement was completed using high resolution neutron powder diffraction in a monoclinic cell [a = 1.17456(3) nm, b = 0.57988(1) nm, c = 2.47919(5) nm, β = 102.903(1)°, P2 c ], neglecting a very subtle triclinic distortion resolved only with synchrotron X-ray data. This phase exhibits a solid solubility range of approximately 2.6 ≤ Bi/Mo ≤ 2.8, with the ideal ratio at 2.6 and one of the Bi sites disordered. The structure is rationalized by comparison with other bismuth molybdates using valence bond sums and Madelung site potentials. As with several other bismuth molybdates, there is significant charge transfer between Bi-rich channels and surrounding molybdenum tetrahedra in this fluorite-related structure. © 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
Substitutions in the BamA β-Barrel Domain Overcome the Conditional Lethal Phenotype of a ΔbamB ΔbamE Strain of Escherichia coli

BamA interacts with the BamBCDE lipoproteins, and together they constitute the essential β-barrel assembly machine (BAM) of Escherichia coli. The simultaneous absence of BamB and BamE confers a conditional lethal phenotype and a severe β-barrel outer membrane protein (OMP) biogenesis defect. Without BamB and BamE, wild-type BamA levels are significantly reduced, and the folding of the BamA β-barrel, as assessed by the heat-modifiability assay, is drastically compromised. Single-amino-acid substitutions in the β-barrel domain of BamA improve both bacterial growth and OMP biogenesis in a bamB bamE mutant and restore BamA levels close to the BamB+ BamE+ level. The substitutions alter BamA β-barrel folding, and folding in the mutants becomes independent of BamB and BamE. Remarkably, BamA β-barrel alterations also improve OMP biogenesis in cells lacking the major periplasmic chaperone, SurA, which, together with BamB, is thought to facilitate the transfer of partially folded OMPs to the soluble POTRA (polypeptide-transport-associated) domain of BamA. Unlike the bamB bamE mutant background, the absence of BamB or SurA does not affect BamA β-barrel folding. Thus, substitutions in the outer membrane-embedded BamA β-barrel domain overcome OMP biogenesis defects that occur at the POTRA domain of BamA in the periplasm. Based on the structure of FhaC, the altered BamA residues are predicted to lie on a highly conserved loop that folds inside the β-barrel and in regions pointing outside the β-barrel, suggesting that they influence BamA function by both direct and indirect mechanisms.
The implementation of equitable teaching strategies by high school biology student teachers

Teachers can perpetuate stereotypic cultural beliefs regarding girls' ability in, aptitude for, and suitability for science by their teaching practices and behaviors. As teachers have a major influence on girls' career choices their equitable teaching practices in the classroom are important to encourage all students, but especially girls, to continue with science. Researchers have studied science classrooms and have defined common strategies and practices that can help create an equitable classroom environment. The purpose of this study was to determine if high school biology student teachers could transfer learned equitable teaching strategies to actual teaching and the support conditions necessary for that transfer. Two support conditions were assessed: cooperating teacher and peer group support. Seven preservice teachers were placed into three groups. One group had both support conditions, the second group had only one condition (peer support), and the third group did not have either support condition. Both qualitative and quantitative data sources were collected. Results showed that preservice teachers could transfer learned equitable teaching into actual teaching practice. However, they were more successful in achieving the transfer if they were supervised by cooperating teachers who are sensitized to the issue of gender equity in education. Being involved in a peer support group was not as crucial to using the strategies as having a supportive cooperative teacher.
The Resurrection of the South Bronx: An Event of Fin de Siecle

Abstract The destruction of the South Bronx in the 1970s has been documented as an urban phenomenon unique in scope. However, the photographs of vacant and burnt-out buildings, rubble and debris have tended to overshadow the continuing presence of people living and surviving in this devastated environment. The South Bronx, as well as all New York City, has been historically and is today the unique setting for American immigrant multi-cultural social life. In a study of 16-years duration, the authors document the decline and examine the resurrection of a South Bronx neighborhood consisting of five census tracts. The research details the exchange of multi-cultural populations and the government, corporate, non-profit and other response to urban devastation. The research employs observation, photographic records, interviews and documents over a 16-year period and census data over a 50-year period. This research identifies the manifestations of community resurrection: social interaction, police presence, reno...
Serial and parallel backpropagation convergence via nonmonotone perturbed minimization

A general convergence theorem is proposed for a family of serial and parallel nonmonotone unconstrained minimization methods with perturbations. A principal application of the theorem is to establish convergence of backpropagation (BP), the classical algorithm for training artificial neural networks. Under certain natural assumptions, such as divergence of the sum of the learning rates and convergence of the sum of their squares, it is shown that every accumulation point of the BP iterates is a stationary point of the error function associated with the given set of training examples. The results presented cover serial and parallel BP, as well as modified BP with a momentum term.
A unique theorem used in showing the equivalency of integral equation and Maxwell equation formulations of electromagnetic integration problems

It is proved that the difference between two solutions of the electromagnetic scattering problem associated with subjecting a scattering body to an ambient field with sources external to identically zero when certain given hypotheses are satisfied, has at most one solution. >
Effect of L-dopa on interleukin-1β-induced suppression of luteinizing hormone secretion in intact female rats

Background The cytokine, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), increases during immune stress and is known to suppress the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge in female rats by decreasing hypothalamic norepinephrine (NE). We hypothesized that IL-1 beta could produce this effect by decreasing NE biosynthesis. Methods Female Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with a push-pull cannula in the medial preoptic area (MPA) of the hypothalamus and a catheter in the jugular vein. They were treated i.p. with the vehicle or 5 microg of IL-1 beta, the NE precursor, L-dopa, or a combination of L-dopa and IL-1 beta at 1300 hours on the day of proestrus. They were subjected to push-pull perfusion and serial blood sampling. Perfusates were analyzed for NE levels and serum samples for LH. Results IL-1 beta treatment blocked the increase in NE levels in the MPA and the LH surge. Treatment with L-dopa was able to partially restore both NE and LH levels during the afternoon of proestrus. IL-1 beta treatment caused failure of ovulation and this effect was also reversed by L-dopa. Conclusions These results suggest that IL-1 beta could decrease NE levels in the MPA to suppress reproductive functions and L-dopa can be used to counter this effect.
Optimum Locations of Switching Centers and the Absolute Centers and Medians of a Graph

The concepts of the "center" and the "median vertex" of a graph are generalized to the "absolute center" and the "absolute median" of a weighted graph a graph with weights attached to its vertices as well as to its branches. These results are used to find the optimum location of a "switching center" in a communication network and to locate the best place to build a "police station" in a highway system. It is shown that the optimum location of a switching center is always at a vertex of the communication network while the best location for the police station is not necessarily at an intersection. Procedures for finding these locations are given.
FET noise sources and their effects on amplifier performance at low frequencies

In this brief review paper analytical results concerning the low-frequency (LF) amplifier noise performance of FET's are presented. The effects of interaction between the device basic noise sources, the small-signal model parameters, and the signal source admittance parameters are clearly indicated. The noise performance is found to be essentially determined by the effective surface-state density and the gate insulator thickness product ( N_{ss}t_{ox} ) in the case of MOSFET's, whereas in the case of JFET's, this is determined by the bulk density of impurity and/or defect generation-recombination (g-r) centers within the depletion region and the half-channel height squared product ( N_{TT}a^{2} ). Although an increase in the gate electrode area can reduce the equivalent gate noise resistance, this does not improve the noise performance of the device. Quantitative results based on typical device parameters are graphically presented with proper indications as to the upper limit of the LF range, the excess minimum noise figure, and the frequency range within which the noise figure remains below 3 dB level for specified source resistance values. The effects of gate leakage current on the noise performance of JFET's are included in these results.
Measurement of the decay Upsilon (2S)--> pi pi Upsilon (1S).

We have investigated the hadronic transitions UPSILON(2S) ..-->.. ..pi../sup 0/..pi../sup 0/UPSILON(1S) ..-->.. ..gamma gamma gamma gamma..l +l/sup -/ (l = ..mu.. or e) and UPSILON(2S) ..-->.. ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/UPSILON(1S) ..-->.. ..pi../sup +/..pi.. /sup -/e/sup +/e/sup -/ using the Crystal Ball detector at the DESY e/sup +/e/sup -/ storage ring DORIS II. Using the present world-average value of B/sub l/l(UPSILON(1S)) = 2.9 +- 0.3)% we derive branching ratios B(UPSILON(2S) ..-->.. ..pi../sup 0/..pi../sup 0/UPSILON(1S)) = (8.0 +- 1.5)% and B(UPSILON(2S) ..-->.. ..pi../sup +/..pi../sup -/UPSILON(1S)) = (16.9 +- 4.0)%. We also present results on the invariant-mass spectra and the angular distributions of the dipion system.
‘As a Mentor, Your Expectation Should Be that Your Mentees in Their Career Will Accomplish More than You Have’

Dr. Peter Banks has made an outstanding contribution to the understanding of pancreatic diseases. His exceptional achievements in the field of pancreatitis were seminal for the characterization of the
Scalable distributed Kalman filtering through consensus

Kalman filtering is a classical technique with a number of potential distributed applications in sensor networks. In this paper we consider a specific algorithm for distributed Kalman filtering proposed recently by Olfati-Saber [Olfati-Saber, 2005 ]. We design a communication access protocol for wireless sensor networks that is tailored to converge rapidly to the desired estimate and provides scalable error performance as number of sensors increases. By exploiting the structure of the distributed filtering computations, we derive an optimal communication resource allocation policy for minimizing the component-wise state estimation error. We provide simulation results demonstrating the performance of our architecture.
Video feedforward in the support of a man with intellectual disability and inappropriate sexual behaviour

Inappropriate sexual behaviour, paedophilia in particular, is a socially significant issue. When this matter is complicated by issues related to intellectual disability, rights to the least restric...
GIRT and the use of subject metadata for retrieval

The use of domain-specific metadata (subject keywords) is tested for monolingual and bilingual retrieval on the GIRT social science collection. A new technique, Entry Vocabulary Modules, which adds subject keywords selected from the controlled vocabulary to the query, has been tested. As in previous years, we compare our techniques of thesaurus matching and Entry Vocabulary Modules to simple machine translation techniques in bilingual retrieval. A combination of machine translation and thesaurus matching achieves better results, whereas the introduction of Entry Vocabulary Modules has negligent impact on the retrieval results. Retrieval results for the German and English GIRT collection for monolingual as well as bilingual retrieval (with English and German as query languages) will be represented.