cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
In search of the elusive perfect textbook

During my 24-year teaching career so far, besides teaching undergraduate service courses from standard textbooks, I have also taught a variety of advanced courses in acoustics, both at undergraduate and graduate levels. Some courses were well suited to a single textbook, especially when a well-written textbook existed matching course topics. Other times, it was difficult to find a single book covering all course topics at an appropriate level. Sometimes, the “best fit” book was no longer in print, and available alternatives were unsatisfactory for various reasons. For a few courses, I changed books every semester several times before finally finding something that worked. In this talk, I will discuss my experiences selecting, evaluating, and adopting textbooks for courses which I either developed myself (physics of waves, noise control engineering, acoustics of musical instruments) or for which I inherited an established syllabus from another faculty member (fundamentals of acoustics, theoretical acoustics, classical mechanics). I will discuss selection criteria I used to evaluate textbooks, including topical coverage, difficulty level, readability, homework problems, reviews, reputation, and price. I will also discuss what I did when I could not find a satisfactory textbook.
Customers’ reactions to other customer caused service failures: the effects of tie strength on customer loyalty

This research examines the reactions of customers who witness other customer caused service failures through two experimental design studies with a sample of 391 and 265 respectively. Study 1 exami...
Addressing the global burden of hepatitis B virus while developing long-acting injectables for the prevention and treatment of HIV

The first long-acting formulations of HIV drugs are undergoing regulatory review for use in maintenance of viral suppression in people with HIV. Although these novel drug formulations could contribute greatly to HIV treatment and prevention efforts, their lack of activity against hepatitis B virus (HBV) could limit their global impact, particularly in populations with high burdens of both HIV and HBV. An urgent need for greater investment in research and development of long-acting drugs with dual activity against HIV and HBV exists. Access to long-acting HIV drug formulations with dual activity against HBV would be transformative and have a great impact on efforts to prevent, treat, and eradicate both of these important global epidemics.
Places Created and Peopled: “Black Women: Where They Be . . . Suffering?”:

This essay is based on remarks given as part of “The Legacy and Impact of Arnold Hirsch” session at the Urban History Association conference in Columbia, South Carolina, in October 2018. My confere...
Undeliverable: Suspended Driver's Licenses and the Problem of Notice

In North Carolina, one in seven adult drivers currently has a suspended license, for non-driving related reasons. The government can suspend a person’s driver’s license for reasons unrelated to traffic violations, including failure to appear in court and failure to pay fines. To better understand what effects these driver’s license suspensions have on people, and whether they are even aware of the suspensions, we sought to survey a randomly selected 300 people in Wake County, North Carolina, who had their license suspended between 2017-2018. We sent these surveys by mail and found something unexpected and unrelated to many of the survey questions themselves: that the addresses on file for these people were extremely inaccurate. Over one-third had these mail surveys returned, for reasons that we detail. Only eight responded to the survey, suggesting that many others failed to receive the mail. As in many other states, in North Carolina, driver’s licenses are commonly suspended for failure to appear in court in response to notice of a traffic court date. Notices of such court dates are sent by mail, typically to the address on record at the Department of Motor Vehicles, as are subsequent notices notifying people that the consequence will be a driver’s license suspension. These undeliverable mailings suggest that large numbers of people, numbering perhaps in the hundreds of thousands in North Carolina, never receive actual notice of either their court date or the drastic consequence for non-appearance. They may have no idea that the state has suspended their license, and as a result, may suffer severe consequences if later stopped for driving with a revoked license. We conclude by discussing the due process and policy problems implied by these findings.
Experimental Evidence for Sex Differences in Sexual Variety Preferences: Support for the Coolidge Effect in Humans

We examined sex differences in preferences for sexual variety and novelty to determine whether the Coolidge effect plays a role in human sexuality. In two experimental studies that employed different manipulations, we found converging evidence that men showed a greater preference for variety in potential short-term mates than did women. In the first study, men (n = 281) were more likely than women (n = 353) to select a variety of mates when given the opportunity to distribute chances to have sex with different individuals in hypothetical situations. This sex difference was evident regardless of the targets’ attractiveness and age. Further, men found it more appealing if their committed romantic/sexual partners frequently changed their physical appearance, while women reported that they modified their physical appearance more frequently than did men, potentially appealing to male desires for novelty. In the second study, when participants were given a hypothetical dating task using photographs of potential short-term mates, men (n = 40) were more likely than women (n = 56) to select a novel person to date. Collectively, these findings lend support to the idea that sex differences in preferences for sexual variety and novelty are a salient sex-specific evolved component of the repertoire of human mating strategies.
Limited window for donation of convalescent plasma with high live-virus neutralizing antibodies for COVID-19 immunotherapy

ABSTRACT The optimal timeframe for donating convalescent plasma to be used for COVID-19 immunotherapy is unknown. To address this important knowledge deficit, we determined in vitro live-virus neutralizing capacity and persistence of IgM and IgG antibody responses against the receptor-binding domain and S1 ectodomain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein in 540 convalescent plasma samples obtained from 175 COVID-19 plasma donors for up to 142 days post-symptom onset. Robust IgM, IgG, and viral neutralization responses to SARS-CoV-2 persist, in the aggregate, for at least 100 days post-symptom onset. However, a notable acceleration in decline in virus neutralization titers ≥160, a value suitable for convalescent plasma therapy, was observed starting 60 days after first symptom onset. Together, these findings better define the optimal window for donating convalescent plasma useful for immunotherapy of COVID-19 patients and reveal important predictors of an ideal plasma donor, including age and COVID-19 disease severity score. One Sentence Summary Evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 anti-spike protein IgM, IgG, and live-virus neutralizing titer profiles reveals that the optimal window for donating convalescent plasma for use in immunotherapy is within the first 60 days of symptom onset.
Intraoperative aerosol box use: does an educational visual aid reduce contamination?

Background: The aerosol box was rapidly developed and disseminated to minimize viral exposure during aerosolising procedures during the COVID-19 pandemic, yet users may not understand how to use and clean the device. This could potentially lead to increased viral exposure to subsequent patients and practitioners. We evaluated intraoperative contamination and aerosol box decontamination and the impact of a preoperative educational visual aid. Methods: Using a double-blinded randomized design, forty-four anesthesiology trainees and faculty completed a simulated anesthetic case using an aerosol box contaminated with a fluorescent marker; half of the subjects received a visual aid prior to the simulation. Intraoperative contamination was evaluated at 10 standardized locations using an ultraviolet light. Next, subjects were instructed to clean the aerosol box for use on the next patient. Following cleaning, the box was evaluated for decontamination using an ultraviolet light. Results: Median total contamination score was significantly reduced in the experimental group (5.0 vs 10.0, p<0.001). The aerosol box was completely cleaned by 36.4% of subjects in the experimental group compared to 4.5% in the control group (p = .009). Conclusions: The use of a visual aid significantly decreased intraoperative contamination and improved box cleaning. Despite these findings, a potentially clinically significant amount of viral exposure may exist. Thorough evaluation of the risks and benefits of the aerosol box should be completed prior to use. If an aerosol box is used, a visual aid should be considered to remind practitioners how to best use and clean the box.
Universal Pediatric Suicide Risk Screening in a Health Care System: 90,000 Patient Encounters.

Background Suicidal behavior is increasing among US youths. Contact with the health care system is common in the months before suicide. Objective: To assess the characteristics of suicide risk among youths presenting for health care, universal screening results from a large hospital system were analyzed. Methods A retrospective analysis of the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions tool administered to patients aged 10–17 years in a hospital system including an emergency department, inpatient medical units, and primary care clinics was conducted. Demographic and clinical data from 3 years of encounters were analyzed. Results The sample consisted of 91,580 pediatric encounters, predominantly white Hispanic and women, with one third speaking Spanish. Across health care settings, 2.9% of encounters produced positive suicide risk screens, with the highest rate in the emergency department (8.5%). Acute positive screens, indicating imminent risk for suicidal behavior, accounted for 0.3% of all encounters. Approximately one-fourth (27.6%) of encounters for psychiatric presenting problems screened positive compared with 2.3% for nonpsychiatric encounters. Higher rates of positive screens were present among encounters for psychiatric presenting problems across all settings. Positive screens were less common among preteen (1.8%) than adolescent (3.1%) encounters (χ2 = 65.50, P Conclusions Universal screening detected suicide risk in approximately 3% of pediatric health care encounters. Screening identified risk in encounters among preteen and adolescent patients, with a higher prevalence of positive screens in encounters for youths presenting with psychiatric problems and for emergency department visits. Acute positive screens were rare, occurring in less than half of 1 percent of encounters.
Z-Fuzzer: device-agnostic fuzzing of Zigbee protocol implementation

With the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) devices, Zigbee is widely adopted as a resource-efficient wireless protocol. Recently, severe vulnerabilities in Zigbee protocol implementations have compromised IoT devices from different manufacturers. It becomes imperative to perform security testing on Zigbee protocol implementations. However, it is not a trivial task to apply the existing vulnerability detection techniques such as fuzzing to Zigbee protocol implementations. In particular, it remains a significant obstacle to deal with low-level hardware events. Many existing protocol fuzzing tools lack a proper execution environment for the Zigbee protocol, which communicates via a radio channel instead of the Internet. To bridge the above gap, we develop a device-agnostic fuzzing platform named Z-Fuzzer to detect security vulnerabilities in Zigbee protocol implementations. Z-Fuzzer provides a software simulation environment with pre-defined peripherals and hardware interrupts configurations to simulate Zigbee protocol execution on real IoT devices. We first extend the existing protocol fuzzing framework's capabilities with a proxy server to bridge communication with the Zigbee protocol execution. Second, we generate more high-quality test cases with code-coverage heuristics. We compare Z-Fuzzer with advanced protocol fuzzing tools, BooFuzz and Peach fuzzer, on top of Z-Fuzzer's simulation platform. Our results show that Z-Fuzzer can achieve higher code coverage in a mainstream Zigbee protocol implementation called Z-Stack. Z-Fuzzer has detected more vulnerabilities using fewer test cases than BooFuzz and Peach. Three of them have been assigned CVE IDs with high CVSS scores (7.5~8.2).
On the problem of grain damage in the form of dark spots in field conditions when cultivating rice in Krasnodar region

The analysis of grain damage in the form of dark spots of Russian rice varieties grown in Krasnodar region in 2011-2020 has been carried out. Rice grain was damaged during the filling period, mainly in full ripeness. The high degree of damage was the reason for the deterioration of grain quality. The degree of damage varied over the years. 2011 and 2012 were characterized by a high content of damaged grains (up to 3-20%). The degree of damage to rice grain was different in different agar-landscape zones of Krasnodar region: in the Krasnoarmeysky district it was higher than in the Abinsky. On panicles of variety Rapan without stinkbugs, one caryopsis with damage was found, while on panicles with stinkbugs, their number increased to 12.4-20.3%. In variety Kurazh, damage to caryopses in the form of dark spots on panicles with stinkbugs reached 10.1-19.1%. A significant increase in the degree of damage to rice grain stored in storage began in 2011. In 2011, the content of damaged grains increased by more than 1%, in 2012 it reached 8.3% in the Slavyansky district. Since 2013, the degree of damage to rice grain in the field began to decrease. It is concluded that the damage is associated with the pathogenic effect on the plant and the caryopsis of bug insects with a piercing-sucking mouth apparatus. Damage to caryopses was insignificant in 2015-2020.
Analyzing Cyber Influence Campaigns on YouTube Using YouTubeTracker

YouTube is the second most popular website in the world. Over 500 hours of videos are uploaded every minute and 5 billion videos are watched every day – almost one video per person worldwide. Because videos can deliver a complex message in a way that captures the audience’s attention more effectively than text-based platforms, it has become one of the most relevant platforms in the age of digital mass communication. This makes the analysis of YouTube content and user behavior invaluable not only to information scientists but also communication researchers, journalists, sociologists, and many more. There exists a number of YouTube analysis tools but none of them provide an in-depth qualitative and quantitative insights into user behavior or networks. Towards that direction, we introduce YouTubeTracker – a tool designed to gather YouTube data and gain insights on content and users. This tool can help identify leading actors, networks and spheres of influence, emerging popular trends, as well as user opinion. This analysis can also be used to understand user engagement and social networks. This can help reveal suspicious and inorganic behaviors (e.g., trolling, botting, commenter mobs) that may cause algorithmic manipulations. Utility of the YouTubeTracker application is demonstrated via case studies on NATO’s 2018 Trident Juncture Exercise and the 2019 Canadian elections.
Impact of fetal expression quantitative trait loci on transcriptome-wide association study of childhood leukemia.

Transcriptome-wide association studies increase the yield of loci associated with disease phenotypes by focusing on expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL). The major source of eQTL data for is the Gene and Tissue Expression (GTEx) project, which is comprised entirely of adults, mainly those > 50 years of age at death. Since gene expression levels differ by developmental stage, it is not clear whether eQTLs derived from adult data sources are best suited for use in young-onset diseases such as pediatric cancers. To fill in this knowledge gap, we performed a large-scale eQTL mapping analysis in the GenCord study with newborn samples and compared it with GTEx. Under matched conditions, we found around 80% of the eQTLs in one study can be replicated in the other. However, among all eQTLs identified in GenCord (GTEx), 584 (1045) showed statistically significant differences in effect sizes in GTEx (GenCord). We further investigated how using fetal eQTL data can facilitate the genetic association study of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. GenCord and GTEx identified the same genetic loci with statistical significance; however, the overall association pattern was only weakly correlated. Our paper demonstrates age-differential eQTLs and shows their potential influence on childhood leukemia research.
Diversification or specialization: The role of risk

Abstract The purpose of this article is to analyse the use of diversification and market specialization as corporate strategies by non-ferrous metal company managements as responses to adverse financial conditions. The analytical framework is provided by the financial theory of risk. Managements must deal with both company specific risk and market risk as they attempt to improve the profitability of their companies. Companies from the US copper industry are used as empirical examples. Deversification is a flexible but risky strategy. Specialization is a more restrictive strategy but it is less risky. The appropriate strategy to use depends on the particular situation of a company.
PHOTOLYSIS OF SUBSTITUTED NAPHTHALENES ON SiO2 AND Al2O3

— Photolysis of naphthalene on the surface of SiO2 under an atmosphere of air produces phthalic acid as the only major photoproduct, accounting for 49%o of the consumed naphthalene. Photolysis on Al2O3 also produces phthalic acid, in 31% yield. Photolysis of 1 -methylnaphthalene on SiO2 proceeds under similar conditions to produce 2-acetylbenzoic acid (35%) as the major photoproduct with the production of a small amount of I-naphthaldchyde (6%). 1-Cyanonaphthalene does not photooxidize under similar conditions. The presence of oxygen is necessary for the photodecomposition of naphthalene and 1-methylnaphthalene to proceed. Superoxide formed from the photolysis of naphthalene at the SiO2/air interface is readily observed by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. In the absence of naphthalene no superoxide is observed. A mechanism involving electron transfer from the S1 state of the naphthalene to O2 is proposed on the basis of these observations and related literature precedent.
A Neural Classifier with Fraud Density Map for Effective Credit Card Fraud Detection

In this paper, we propose a way of effective fraud detection to improve the detection efficiency. We focus on the bias of the training dataset, which is typically caused by the skewed distribution and highly overlapped classes of credit card transaction data and leads to lots of mis-detections. To reduce mis-detections, we take the fraud density of real transaction data as a confidence value and generate the weighted fraud score in the proposed scheme. The effectiveness of our proposed scheme is examined with experimental results on real data.
Writing to the Common Core: teachers’ responses to changes in standards and assessments for writing in elementary schools

This multiple case study investigated how the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for writing and teacher evaluation system based in part on CCSS assessments might be influencing writing instruction in elementary schools. The sample included nine schools: Six achieved above-predicted performance on English Language Arts (ELA) as well as prior ELA assessments (called “odds-beating”), and three demographically similar schools that achieved predicted outcomes on the same assessments (called “typically performing”). Interview and focus group transcripts (N = 30), classroom observations (N = 24), and documentary data were collected and analyzed. Findings from this study revealed that teachers in the majority of schools were using evidence based practices such as peer collaboration, prewriting/planning/drafting, using rubrics, and writing to learn. They focused on comparison/contrast and writing based on research tasks. Teachers shared a generally positive view of the CCSS for writing. However, typically performing school teachers expressed a more negative view regarding the paucity of emphasis on creative writing in the CCSS. The study offers considerations regarding aligning CCSS instruction to evidence based practice highlighted in the research and providing teachers with guidance on scaffolding writing in an effort to develop engaged, motivated, and independent young writers.
Dynamic modeling for two coordinating flexible robots grasping an object

The authors discuss the dynamic modeling of two coordinating robots having flexible links. The formulation of the dynamics is conducted analytically using Hamilton's extended principle. The resultant equations consist of inertial, cariolis, centrifugal, gravitational, and exerted force terms. They are expressed by independent generalized coordinates. The complete model of two coordinating flexible robots grasping an object in terms of a coupled system of ordinary and partial differential equations is established. A finite dimensional model is also developed from this model which decouples the rigid joint motion from the flexible motion. >
The influences of faculty-in-residence programs on the role of the professoriate: A case study

In a time when faculty face criticism for possible disengagement from undergraduate student learning, faculty-in- residence programs bring students and faculty together in a living-learning community. The benefits of such student-faculty interaction are known, but lesser known is how to develop those interactions. This case study provides an account of how Baylor University - a private, research university in the Southwest - underwent a paradigm shift from a Sleep-and-Eat Model of residential education to a Learning Model. The change in culture not only benefited students, but also led to the reconceptualization of professorial work for faculty in higher education.
Na ponta do verso: poesia de improviso no Brasil (2008) Edited by Alexandre Pimentel and Joana Corrêa

Na ponta do verso: poesia de improviso no Brasil (literally, “on the tip of the verse, improvised poetry in Brazil”) is a volume of nine well-crafted essays that concern some of the principal forms of improvised, popular poetry from different regions of Brazil. Each contribution is linked to corresponding sound recordings on the companion CD, which contains both live and studio examples. The results are unique and valuable, telling of the encounters and evolution of improvisative poetic traditions and adaptations in the first decade of the new century and millennium.
Effect of prolonged treatment with adrenergic neuron blocking drugs on sympathoadrenal reactivity in rats.

Abstract The effects of repeated high doses of the adrenergic neuron blocking drug guanethidine or a hexahydropyrazinoindole compound (2-guanyl-1,2,3,10,10,10a, hexahydro-1,2,a-pyrazinoindole, EMD 21192) (30 mg/kg i.p., 21.5 mg/kg i.p. respectively, equimolar doses) on sympathoadrenal activity were investigated in normotensive adult rats. During treatment for 5 weeks with either guanethidine or EMD 21192 the systemic blood pressure fell steadily. Noradrenaline content in the heart and vas deferens were decreased markedly by guanethidine and to a much less degree by EMD 21192. EMD 21192 markedly lowers the catecholamine content of the adrenal medulla, presumably as a result of inhibition of dopamine-β-hydrolase. The plasma catecholamine concentrations reflected the different sites of action of the drugs in the sympathoadrenal system, i.e. guanethidine mainly reduced circulating norepinephrine and dopamine-β-hydroxylase by more than 50%, whereas EMD 21192 decreased considerably by the total catecholamines (mainly epinephrine) without altering significantly in the plasma norepinephrine. Disappearance or reduction of fluorescent nerve endings in the iris and the heart and a decrease of the intensity of fluorescence in chromaffin cells of the adrenal gland caused by the drugs were consistent with the biochemical alteration. Whereas the repeated doses of guanethidine caused degeneration of sympathetic nerves, destruction of adrenergic neurons was not found after prolonged treatment with EMD 21192.
Preparing Card Sort Data for Multidimensional Scaling Analysis in Social Psychological Research: A Methodological Approach

Card sorting is a popular data-gathering technique. Although multidimensional scaling (MDS) is a statistical analogue of the technique, researchers rarely apply it to this type of data. The authors' contention is that a barrier to applying MDS to card sorting data is the lack of guidance in the literature about how to organize and prepare the data for analysis. The authors describe a method that gives guidance to researchers in the field of social psychology who want to analyze card sort data using MDS, which can be used to confirm or validate hypotheses about specific social psychological structures hidden in data.
Red blood cell lipids and the plasma membrane.

The red-blood cell occupies a unique position both in the historical development of membrane theory and current experimentation on membrane properties. The cell is readily accessible and has been studied in many animal species and disease conditions. Differences in composition, structure, and properties have been described, and a num-ber of highly specific cell types are now available for investigation.
The effect of a meal on measures of impedance and percent body fat estimated using contact-electrode bioelectrical impedance technology.

To determine the effect of a meal on impedance and percent body fat (%BF) determined using contact-electrode bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) technology. Forty-three adults (23 women and 20 men) volunteered to participate in this study (age=20.5±1.1 years; body mass index=24.1±3.8 kg/m2). Body composition was assessed using three BIA analyzers: leg-to-leg (LBIA), segmental (SBIA) and multi-frequency (MFBIA), on two separate occasions. After a baseline measurement, subjects consumed a meal or received nothing, which served as the control (CON). Subjects were reassessed 20, 40 and 60 min following (POST) the baseline measure in each condition. Twenty minutes after eating (3847±900 kJ), body mass (LBIA=0.8 kg, SBIA=0.8 kg, MFBIA=0.7 kg, P<0.05), impedance (LBIA=6.0 Ω, SBIA=17.9 Ω, MFBIA=27.1 Ω, P<0.05) and %BF (LBIA=0.9%, SBIA=1.7%, MFBIA=0.8%, P<0.05) increased significantly and remained elevated at 60 min POST. During the CON trial, a consistent body mass reduction (60–80 g) and impedance increase (4–9 Ω) was observed over time resulting in a small increase in %BF (0.3–0.7%) 60 min POST (P<0.05). Twenty minutes after eating, %BF increased due to elevations in impedance and body mass. As such, when precision is critical, we recommend adhering to the pretest fasting guidelines to avoid meal-induced alterations in %BF estimates. In addition, use of a consistent testing schedule may minimize normal %BF variation over time.
FDFD: a 3D finite-difference frequency-domain code for electromagnetic induction tomography

Abstract A new 3D code for electromagnetic induction tomography with intended applications to environmental imaging problems has been developed. The approach consists of calculating the fields within a volume using an implicit finite-difference frequency-domain formulation. The volume is terminated by an anisotropic perfectly matched layer region that simulates an infinite domain by absorbing outgoing waves. Extensive validation of this code has been done using analytical and semianalytical results from other codes, and some of those results are presented in this paper. The new code is written in Fortran 90 and is designed to be easily parallelized. Finally, an adjoint field method of data inversion, developed in parallel for solving the fully nonlinear inverse problem for electrical conductivity imaging (e.g., for mapping underground conducting plumes), uses this code to provide solvers for both forward and adjoint fields. Results obtained from this inversion method for high-contrast media are encouraging and provide a significant improvement over those obtained from linearized inversion methods.
Transforming Growth Factor-β Inhibits Pulmonary Surfactant Protein B Gene Transcription through SMAD3 Interactions with NKX2.1 and HNF-3 Transcription Factors *

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) represses surfactant protein B (Sp-B) gene transcription through a mechanism that remains unknown. A homeodomain and a forkhead transcription factor, NKX2.1 and HNF-3, respectively, are known activators of Sp-B transcription. Because SMADs are the effectors of TGF-β−induced gene activation, we examined the possibility that gene repression by TGF-β may also occur through interactions of SMADs with NKX2.1 and HNF-3. We found that lung epithelial carcinoma H441 cells contain SMAD2/3 and -4, which localize to the nucleus in response to TGF-β treatment. The activity of a transfected Sp-B promoter/reporter construct was reduced in a dose-dependent manner by TGF-β. Cotransfection with a mutant, constitutively activated form of the Tgf-β type I receptor repressed Sp-B promoter activity in the absence of TGF-β ligand. Dominant negative mutants of Smads blocked the repressor activity of TGF-β. SMAD3, but not SMAD2, mediated the repressor activity of TGF-β on the Sp-B promoter. Mutations within a 70-base pair domain that includes binding sites for NKX2.1, hepatocyte nuclear factor 3 (HNF-3), or cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB) eliminated SMAD3-dependent repression of Sp-B transcription. Electrophoretic mobility shift analysis showed no evidence for direct binding of SMAD3 to theSp-B promoter, and a DNA binding mutant of SMAD3 also repressed Sp-B, suggesting that direct DNA binding of SMAD3 may not be required. Using a mammalian two hybrid assay, we found physical and functional interactions between SMAD3 and both NKX2.1 and HNF-3. Also, a glutathione S-transferase-fused SMAD3 directly binds to in vitro synthesized NKX2.1 or HNF-3, demonstrating protein-protein interactions between SMAD3 and the two transcriptional factors. The DNA binding of NKX2.1 to Sp-Bpromoter was reduced in response to TGF-β treatment, although expression of Nkx2.1 was not affected. We conclude that SMAD3 interactions with the positive regulators NKX2.1 and HNF-3 underlie the molecular basis for TGF-β-induced repression ofSp-B gene transcription.
Factors That Effect Motivation and Performance on Innovative Design Projects

For engineering companies striving to be competitive in today’s economy, it is essential that innovation is the crux of their strategy and decision making process. Engineering designers are constantly pushed to develop new and innovative solutions to design problems yet there has been little research on what actually motivates these designers, both intrinsically and extrinsically, to be innovative. Similarly, engineering students working on their capstone design project are pushed to develop solutions to innovative design problems. The purpose of this paper is to present the initial findings of an innovation survey of Mechanical Engineering students at Clemson University.This paper will discuss the importance of innovation, the current state of innovation, the surveys that were created, the results of said survey, and how this information will be used going forward to improve performance and motivation in capstone design classes. The purpose of this survey is to determine which motivational factors engineering students perceive to be the most effective when working on innovative design projects. The initial results showed that (1) making an “A” grade in the class, (2) developing an “elegant” solution, and (3) making professional contacts with the industry sponsors were the three factors that most effectively promoted innovative design. Conversely, (1) impressing peers, (2) making professional contacts with the fellow students, and (3) winning cash prizes were the three factors that least effectively promoted innovative design.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
Fanconi anemia pathway–deficient tumor cells are hypersensitive to inhibition of ataxia telangiectasia mutated

The Fanconi anemia (FA) pathway maintains genomic stability in replicating cells. Some sporadic breast, ovarian, pancreatic, and hematological tumors are deficient in FA pathway function, resulting in sensitivity to DNA-damaging agents. FA pathway dysfunction in these tumors may result in hyperdependence on alternative DNA repair pathways that could be targeted as a treatment strategy. We used a high-throughput siRNA screening approach that identified ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) as a critical kinase for FA pathway–deficient human fibroblasts. Human fibroblasts and murine embryonic fibroblasts deficient for the FA pathway were observed to have constitutive ATM activation and Fancg–/–Atm–/– mice were found to be nonviable. Abrogation of ATM function in FA pathway–deficient cells resulted in DNA breakage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic cell death. Moreover, Fanconi anemia complementation group G– (FANCG-) and FANCC-deficient pancreatic tumor lines were more sensitive to the ATM inhibitor KU-55933 than isogenic corrected lines. These data suggest that ATM and FA genes function in parallel and compensatory roles to maintain genomic integrity and cell viability. Pharmaceutical inhibition of ATM may have a role in the treatment of FA pathway–deficient human cancers.
Do spatial models of growth rate potential reflect fish growth in a heterogeneous environment? A comparison of model results

– Spatial models of fish growth rate potential have been used to characterize a variety of environments including estuaries, the North American Great Lakes, small lakes and rivers. Growth rate potential models capture a snapshot of the environment but do not include the effects of habitat selection or competition for food in their measures of environment quality. Here, we test the ability of spatial models of fish growth rate potential to describe the quality of an environment for a fish population in which individual fish may select habitats and local competition may affect per capita intake. We compare growth rate potential measurements to simulated fish growth and distributions of model fish from a spatially explicit individual-based model of fish foraging in the same model environment. We base the model environment on data from Lake Ontario and base the model fish population on alewife in the lake. The results from a simulation experiment show that changes in the model environment that caused changes in the average growth rate potential correlated extremely highly (r2≥0.97) with changes in simulated fish growth. Unfortunately, growth rate potential was not a reliable quantitative predictor of simulated fish growth nor of the fish spatial distribution. The inability of the growth rate potential model to quantitatively predict simulated fish growth and fish distributions results from the fact that growth rate potential does not consider the effects of habitat selection or of competition on fish growth or distribution, processes that operate in our individual-based model and presumably also operate in nature. The results, however, do support the use of growth rate potential models to describe the relative quality of habitats and environments for fish populations.
Determining how uncertainties in optical properties affect light dose calculations for PDT

The effectiveness of photodynamic treatment depends on several factors including an accurate knowledge of optical properties of the tissue to be treated. In order to correctly determine the needed light dose, the values of tissue optical properties must be well known. In this study we consider how the uncertainties in the measured values of optical properties affect the uncertainty in light dosimetry. By using phantoms with known optical properties we determine the uncertainties for several algorithms currently in the literature. We calculate the light fluence uncertainties using a finite element model solution to the diffusion equation in a cavity geometry. Using these uncertainties we conduct a statistical analysis, building a three dimensional space of uncertainties in μa, μs', and light dose. By characterizing this space we gain an understanding of the trend in uncertainties and determine which algorithms provide the most accurate light dose.
Design of a flutter mode controller using positive real feedback

The use of positive real feedback for the design of a flutter mode control system is examined. Results indicate that this technique is a meaningful synthesis procedure for the design of low-order controllers. The synthesis is achieved through the design of a positive real observer using a low-order approximation to the governing system equations. Results obtained for a realistic aeroelastic model show that flutter dynamic pressure can be increased by more than 50%. The effect of unmpdeled phase shift caused by aerodynamic and actuation lags can be avoided in the positive real design by suitable choice of control bandwidth. This technique thus appears as a viable design technique for flutter and aeroelastic modal control.
Effect of di-ethyl ether anesthesia on thyroid function of rats.

The mechanism of the action of ether anesthesia on thyroid function was studied. Ether anesthesia did not significantly influence the following: (1) radio-active iodine (I131) absorption from the peritoneal cavity, (2) gastrointestinal tract or urinary excretion of I131, (3) serum concentration of I131, or (4) T/S ratio. The uptake and secretion of radioiodine by rat thyroid was significantly inhibited by administration of ether anesthesia. Thiopental, however, if any-thing, increased the release of radioiodine from the thyroid. Pcntobarbital (Nembutal) had no effect. Radioactive protein-bound iodine (PBI131) of the rat thyroid was signifi-cantly less in the ether anesthetized groups than in the control animals. Paper chromatographic study of the thyroid showed that in the ether anesthetized groups, in contrast with the control rats, the content of thja-oxine plus tri-iodothyronine was markedly reduced compared to the reduction in the content of moniodotyrosine plus diiodotyrosine.
Myositis associated with a Baerveldt glaucoma implant.

Abstract PURPOSE: To describe a case of myositis in the presence of a Baerveldt glaucoma implant. METHOD: Case report. RESULTS: A 41-year-old black woman developed myositis after placement of a Baerveldt glaucoma implant. Echography demonstrated migration of the seton plate against the medial rectus muscle insertion. Myositis resolved after removal of the Baerveldt glaucoma implant. CONCLUSION: The Baerveldt glaucoma implant may have precipitated myositis in this patient.
Neural and behavioral substrates of mood and mood regulation.

Abstract A review of behavioral and neurobiological data on mood and mood regulation as they pertain to an understanding of mood disorders is presented. Four approaches are considered: 1) behavioral and cognitive; 2) neurobiological; 3) computational; and 4) developmental. Within each of these four sections, we summarize the current status of the field and present our vision for the future, including particular challenges and opportunities. We conclude with a series of specific recommendations for National Institute of Mental Health priorities. Recommendations are presented for the behavioral domain, the neural domain, the domain of behavioral–neural interaction, for training, and for dissemination. It is in the domain of behavioral–neural interaction, in particular, that new research is required that brings together traditions that have developed relatively independently. Training interdisciplinary clinical scientists who meaningfully draw upon both behavioral and neuroscientific literatures and methods is critically required for the realization of these goals.
Abstract 1341: Insulin directly induces endometrial cell proliferation and carcinogenesis

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL Introduction: Diabetes and insulin resistance are strong risk factors for type 1 endometrial cancer. The mitogenic actions of insulin are well described, but less is known about the role insulin may play in carcinogenesis. It is unknown if insulin plays direct role in the carcinogensis of endometrial cells or if insulin promotes carcinogenesis through its overall physiological effects. Key pathways within the insulin signaling cascade, such as Ras-MAPK and PI3-K-mTOR, are also involved in the formation and progression of many cancers. The goal of this study was to determine if insulin exerted direct effects on normal endometrial cell proliferation and carcinogenesis. Methods: The effects of varying doses of insulin on endometrial cells collected from human menstrual blood from healthy volunteers were measured using a standard MTS cytotoxicity assay. These cells were also grown in 3-D organotypic culture for 2 weeks and exposed to a known carcinogen, 7, 12-dimethylbenz[α]anthracene (DMBA), insulin, and the combination of both agents. Effects of insulin were evaluated by histological evaluation and quantified with anchorage independent growth assays. Results: Insulin increased proliferation of endometrial cells in a dose dependent fashion. In the organotypic model, insulin caused the development of malignant features such as nuclear pleomorphism, hyperchromasia, and mitosis as a single agent and enhanced these malignant features in the DMBA treated cultures. Consistent with these findings, soft agar colony forming assays demonstrated significantly greater numbers of anchorage-independent colonies in cultures treated with insulin plus DMBA in comparison to cultures treated with DMBA alone. Conclusions: Insulin exerts direct effects on endometrial cells by increasing their proliferation and enhancing their susceptibility to carcinogenesis. Western immunoblotting is now being performed to characterize the effects of insulin on the AKT and MAPK signaling pathways. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1341. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1341
Paul and the Eschatological Woman

S PAUL really one of the great all-time male chauvinists, as women's lib would have it? When heads nod vigorously in the affirmative and passages in Ephesians or I Timothy are cited in support of the accusation, the scholarly world winces, but ultimately scholars themselves must shoulder some of the responsibility for allowing such statements to be made. Supporters of women's lib have certainly not themselves gone to the New Testament, armed with the scholar's tools, to evaluate the Apostle's words; they have rather accepted the portrait painted of Paul by the popular establishment church, in both its liberal and conservative dress. This portrait, however, almost always has been false to the Apostle, for he has usually proven too radical for the church to accept in unadulterated form. The earliest drive toward accommodation, in fact, was the attempt by the deutero-Pauline authors to soften his views, to bring him more in line with the emerging consensus. The fact that the establishment continues to use the pseudo-Paul, although it should know better, shows that the twentieth century church is no more able to come to terms with Paul than was the first. Scholars are to blame because they have not rescued Paul from the distortions of this establishment.
The Seismic Attenuation Structure of a Fast-Spreading Mid-Ocean Ridge

The two-dimensional P-wave attenuation structure of the axial crust of the East Pacific Rise was obtained from an inversion of waveform spectra collected during an active-source seismic tomography experiment. The structure shows that attenuation near the surface is high everywhere but decreases markedly within 1 to 3 kilometers of the rise axis. The near-axis variation is attributed to the thickening of the surface basalt layer and possibly to in situ changes in porosity related to hydrothermal circulation. High attenuation is also observed beneath the rise axis at depths ranging from about 2 kilometers (less than 1 kilometer beneath the axial magma lens) to the base of the crust. The levels of attenuation in this deeper region require at most only a small fraction of partial melt.
Laser Doppler velocimetry by modulating a CO2 laser with backscattered light.

A portion of the Doppler shifted light backscattered from a moving diffuse target is allowed to reenter the CO2 source laser. The laser power, monitored by a photodiode through a partially transmitting mirror on the rear of the laser, is modulated at the Doppler frequency. Two regimes of operation are observed. For the laser operating well above threshold, the Doppler signal level is relatively insensitive to the laser operating point. A narrow region of enhanced sensitivity is observed, however, for laser operation at a point near threshold.
Work in progress — Refining a technical communication rubric for first-year engineering instructors

At Michigan Technological University, we offer approximately 23 sections of first-year engineering courses (ENG1001, ENG1101, and ENG1102) every fall semester. For course assessment and accreditation reporting, it is important to have a reliable metric of student performance. Perhaps even more important is for this metric to produce comparable results when used by different instructors. The authors began by reviewing the reliability of a rubric developed by Washington State University. For our courses, this rubric was not applicable for all assignments and not reliable between instructors teaching different sections of the same course. Therefore, the rubric was modified to reduce inconsistencies in grading between different instructors and standardize it so that the same rubric could be used for first-year engineering technical communication assignments. This paper focuses on the process of adapting and evaluating a technical communication rubric for use with multiple instructors and assignments. Our process for developing, refining and using a common rubric will be discussed as well as the challenges encountered and the modifications required making it an effective tool for course assessment.
Genetic variation in the α1A-adrenergic receptor and phenylephrine-mediated venoconstriction.

Genetic variation in the α 1A -adrenergic receptor and phenylephrine-mediated venoconstriction
Observing Lysozyme’s Closing and Opening Motions by High-Resolution Single-Molecule Enzymology

Single-molecule techniques can monitor the kinetics of transitions between enzyme open and closed conformations, but such methods usually lack the resolution to observe the underlying transition pathway or intermediate conformational dynamics. We have used a 1 MHz bandwidth carbon nanotube transistor to electronically monitor single molecules of the enzyme T4 lysozyme as it processes substrate. An experimental resolution of 2 μs allowed the direct recording of lysozyme’s opening and closing transitions. Unexpectedly, both motions required 37 μs, on average. The distribution of transition durations was also independent of the enzyme’s state: either catalytic or nonproductive. The observation of smooth, continuous transitions suggests a concerted mechanism for glycoside hydrolysis with lysozyme’s two domains closing upon the polysaccharide substrate in its active site. We distinguish these smooth motions from a nonconcerted mechanism, observed in approximately 10% of lysozyme openings and closings, in which...