cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Free energy dependence of albite dissolution kinetics at 80°C and pH 8.8

Steady-state dissolution rates of albite were measured in aqueous solutions at 80°C and pH 8.8 as a function of solution saturation state (or the Gibbs free energy of reaction, ΔGr) using a continuously-stirred flow-through reactor. Congruent dissolution rates increase from 0.7·10−12 to 33.2·10−12 mol m−2 s−1 with increasing undersaturation from −0.4 to −10.5 kcal mol−1. The dissolution rate exhibits a highly nonlinear dependence on solution saturation state over this range in ΔGr that can be expressed by the sum of the rates of two parallel reactions: RDISS=−k1[1−exp(−ngm1)]−k2[1−exp(1−g)]m2 where g≡ΔGr|RT is a dimensionless parameter; k1 = (30.46 ± 0.42) · 10−12; k2 = (2.73 ± 0.26) · 10−12 (k1, k2 in mol m−2 s−1; n = (8.4 ± 0.8) · 10−17; m1 = 15.0 ± 0.1; and m2 = 1.45 ± 0.50. Far from equilibrium, the dissolution rate attains a constant maximum value independent of ΔGr for undersaturations ≤ −9 kcal mol−1. Between −6 and −9 kcal mol−1, the dissolution rate increases sharply with decreasing ΔGr. Between −0.4 and −6 kcal mol−1 the dissolution rate increases with decreasing ΔGr, but to a much lesser extent. Near equilibrium, −0.9 kcal mol−1≤ΔGr≤0 or |ΔGr|≲RT, the dependence of dissolution rate on solution saturation state is approximately linear and can be expressed by: Rdiss=(−1.53±0.07)×10−12g A rate law with a functional dependence on solution saturation state derived from transition state theory cannot account for this complex dependence of rate on ΔGr. The sharp increase in dissolution rate between −6 and −9 kcal mol−1 can be correlated with theoretical calculations for the critical solution undersaturation required to etch dislocations in albite. SEM observations of albite surfaces confirm that pitting was more extensive at the highest solution undersaturations, relative to solutions closer to equilibrium. The one to two order of magnitude discrepancy between previous laboratory determinations of feldspar dissolution rates (in highly undersaturated solutions) and field-based estimates (presumably in solutions closer to equilibrium) may be explained by the variation of the dissolution rate with ΔGr. However, hydrology and surface characteristics of naturally-weathered vs. experimentally-dissolved feldspars are also important when comparing field and laboratory dissolution rates.
Characterization and regulation of lens-specific calpain Lp82.

Eye tissues contain splice variants of muscle-preferred p94 (calpain 3), such as lens-specific Lp82 and Lp85, retina-specific Rt88, and cornea-specific Cn94. The purpose of the present experiment was to analyze the activation and regulation of the best characterized p94 splice variant, Lp82. Recombinant rat Lp82 (rLp82) was expressed using the baculovirus system, purified with Ni-NTA affinity and DEAE-ion exchange chromatographies, and characterized by SDS-PAGE, casein zymography, and immunoblotting. After incubation with calcium, rLp82 autolyzed into two major fragments at ∼60 and 22 kDa. Sequencing of the autolytic fragments showed loss of three amino acids from the N terminus and cleavage near the IS2 region. Also, Lp82 and calpain 2 were found to hydrolyze each other. Calpastatin inhibited calpain 2 activity, but not Lp82. Homology modeling suggested that the lack of inhibition of Lp82 by calpastatin was due to molecular clashes at the unique AX1 region of Lp82. Lp82 also hydrolyzed calpastatin. These results suggested that Lp82 might regulate other calpain activities and cause hydrolysis of substrates such as crystallins during lens cataract formation.
Age and growth estimates for the smooth skate, Malacoraja senta, in the Gulf of Maine

Age and growth estimates for the smooth skate, Malacoraja senta, were derived from 306 vertebral centra from skates caught in the North Atlantic off the coast of New Hampshire and Massachusetts, USA. Males and females were aged to 15 and 14 years, respectively. Male and female growth diverged at both ends of the data range and the sexes required different growth functions to describe them. Males followed a traditional growth scenario and were best described by a von Bertalanffy curve with a set L o (11 cm TL) where L inf = 75.4 cm TL, K = 0.12. Females required the use of back-calculated values to account for a lack of small individuals, using these data they were best described by a von Bertalanffy curve where growth parameters derived from vertebral length-at-age data are L inf = 69.6 cm TL, K = 0.12, and L o = 10.
Metal-On-Metal Articulation for Artificial Hip Joints: Laboratory Study and Clinical Results:

As wear is inevitable with artificial joint replacement, it has to be minimized to avoid possible aseptic loosening following osteolysis due to particle-initiated foreign body reaction. Co-Cr-Mo-C alloys have a long history with only minimum wear when articulating with themselves. This investigation shows that the choice of the alloy has an effect on the wear rate of this articulation couple. Tribological studies in a screening device, a pendulum apparatus and a hip joint simulator showed a marked influence of the environment as well as the diameter of the implants with metal-on-metal articulation. A wear-resistant combination with low friction characteristics has been developed by using a wrought Co-Cr-Mo-C alloy and reducing the implant diameter to 28 mm. Clinical wear rates are comparable with laboratory data and demonstrate the potential of the metal-on-metal articulation to solve the problem of wear-induced osteolysis of hip joint endoprostheses.
γ-α Transition in Ce from the large N Anderson model

The equation of state and 4f occupation of Ce are calculated from the degenerate Anderson model with volume-dependent interactions, using the 1/N expansion to first order and the exact entropy for the N = 6 Kondo model. Maximum instability occurs at nf ∼ 0.95, within the Kondo regime, and the α phase saturates at nf ∼ 2/3.
Curing Coupled-Bunch Instabilities with Uneven Fills

A new, unified theoretical description of coupled-bunch instabilities in unevenly filled storage rings is presented. Uneven-fill longitudinal dynamics are explained in terms of two physical phenomena: fill-induced tune-spread damping and modulation coupling of strong even-fill eigenmodes. The latter is also present in the transverse plane. The analysis yields simple criteria for optimizing fill shapes to reduce the growth rates of the most unstable modes. Experimental results from the ALS and PEP-II are shown to be in good agreement with the theory.
An Oncofetal Haptoglobin: A Fetal Haemoglobin Binding Protein in Malignancy

We have previously described a protein in human neonatal cord sera having functional characteristics of adult haptoglobin. This protein has electrophoretic and immunological properties which distinguish it from adult serum haptoglobins, 2 1. 2–2 and 1–1. In this report we discuss the characteristics of this ‘fetal protein’ isolated from a malignant pleural fluid of a patient with lung cancer. Data are presented to indicate the identity of this protein to the fetal haemoglobin binding protein of human neonatal cord sera.
Multimode machine tools―a concept that improves operations of flexible manufacturing systems

Modern flexible manufacturing systems offer certain benefits when compared to conventional stand-alone systems, but have problems associated with high capital outlays, system integration difficulties and lower than expected utilization because of characteristics of their component machine tools. These problems are addressed in this paper, which introduces a conceptual computer controlled multimode machine tool that can be programmed to execute conventional machining operations. Characteristics of hypothetical manufacturing systems built with these machines, are compared to those of conventional flexible manufacturing systems using established criteria, where it it is shown that these multimode machine tools enhance the operation of flexible manufacturing systems.
Joint reranking of parsing and word recognition with automatic segmentation

Abstract: Evaluation and optimization of automatic speech recognition (ASR) and parsing systems are often done separately. In the context of spoken language processing, however, these problems may be explored jointly via a reranking architecture. In this work, the effects of reranking for word error rate (WER) or reranking for the Sparseval parse-quality measure are examined in conversational speech recognition, while considering the impact of automatic segmentation. Under a WER criterion, the results indicate that the parse language model alone provides little benefit over a large n-gram model, but adding non-local syntactic features leads to improved performance. Under a Sparseval criterion, it is shown that including alternative word-sequence hypotheses has a much greater impact on parse accuracy than including alternate parse hypotheses. In both cases, the biggest performance improvements are obtained with high quality sentence segmentations. Qualitative analyses show that parse features help recover pronouns and improve recognition of main verbs.
The use of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in differentiating liver from bone isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase

Sixty-one patients with elevated alkaline phosphatase activity due to liver or bone diseases were studied. An attempt was made to identify the origin of the increased alkaline phosphatase by chemical inhibition, by inactivation by heat and urea, and by electrophoretic separation. The results obtained from these procedures were correlated with the gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase activities performed on each patient. We concluded from this study that gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase determination, together with alkaline phosphatase electrophoretic separations, are useful laboratory procedures for accurately identifying the origin of elevated alkaline phosphatase activity.
A richer conceptualization of "exposure" for epidemiological studies of the "EMF mixture".

Controversial laboratory results and the now discredited “wire code paradox” suggest that epidemiologists might miss something if they measured only 60 Hz fields and summarize time series of exposure with only a time integral. This has led to the question of how else the exposure issue could be addressed. This paper proposes a potential answer to this question by borrowing concepts from pharmacology. The paper briefly explores how the limitations of current analysis can lead to poor public policy decisions. The paper then uses a pharmacological analogy to highlight such concepts as “mixture,” “ingredient,” “dose duration,” “dosing schedule,” and “windows of biological vulnerability” to guide an epidemiologist in choosing what to measure. The authors point out that any candidate “ingredient” or exposure metric must be associated with wire code or spot measurements if it is to explain previous epidemiological associations. This helps eliminate many “ingredients” and exposure metrics from consideration. The authors then describe how they applied these concepts in the design of a prospective study of miscarriage and EMF exposure. Bioelectromagnetics Supplement 5:S48–S57, 2001. © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
High resolution infrared matrix isolation spectroscopy of SF6 and BCl3

Abstract This note reports infrared spectra of SF 6 and BCl 3 in argon matrices at 10 K and 0.04 cm −1 resolution. At this resolution we observe a wealth of structure not observed at the commonly used resolution of 0.5 cm −1 or poorer. Analyses of such spectra will yield important information on the structure and dynamics of low temperature matrices.
Knee Flexor Strength and Endurance Profiles After Ipsilateral Hamstring Tendons Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Abstract Objectives To profile knee flexor strength and endurance responses to ipsilateral hamstring tendon autograft anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction in patients, and to describe knee flexor strength and endurance as predictors of subjective outcomes. The hypothesis was that the involved leg would demonstrate deficits compared with uninvolved and matched legs. Design Retrospective cohort. Setting Controlled laboratory. Participants Women (n=15; mean age, 20.47±1.96y; height, 1.69±.08m; weight, 68.51±12.64kg), who were a mean ± SD of 25.93±11.25 months postsurgery, were matched to 15 sex-matched controls (mean age, 20.93±1.22y; height, 1.65±.06m; weight, 66.52±10.69kg). Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Concentric peak flexor moment over the entire isokinetic joint range of motion, peak flexor moment at 105° of joint flexion, and knee flexor total work, normalized to body mass, and subjective questionnaire scores for the involved leg. Results Significantly lesser peak flexor moment over the entire isokinetic joint range of motion ( P =.034) and total work ( P =.048) existed for the involved leg (.959±.186Nm/kg; 21.933±5.881J/kg) compared with the matched leg (1.108±.134Nm/kg; 27.431±6.499J/kg). Significantly lesser peak flexor moment at 105° of joint flexion ( P =.002) existed between the involved (.221±.116Nm/kg) and uninvolved (.40±.234Nm/kg) and matched (.475±.183Nm/kg) legs. Significantly greater strength deficits ( P ≤.001) existed at peak flexor moment at 105° of joint flexion compared with peak flexor moment over the entire isokinetic joint range of motion for side (53.83%±38.8%; 9.87%±10.77%) and group (77.61%±44.14%; 18.09%±11.73%) differences. Peak flexor moment at 105° of joint flexion was a significant predictor of subjective pain ( P =.007), symptoms ( P =.006), function ( P =.011), and sports ( P =.022) outcomes. Conclusions Knee flexor strength and endurance deficits suggest susceptibility to reinjury, and strength in a deep joint angle predicts subjective outcomes.
Spectral cloud-filtering of AIRS data: nonpolar ocean

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) is a grating array spectrometer on the EOS Aqua satellite. AIRS covers the thermal infrared spectral range between 640 and 2700 cm -1 . In order to retain the maximum radiometric accuracy of the AIRS data, the effects of cloud contamination have to be minimized. We discuss cloud filtering which uses the high spectral resolution of AIRS to identify about 100,000 of 500,000 non-polar ocean spectra per day as relatively free of clouds. The comparison of AIRS surface sensitive channels with the NCEP provided global real time sst (rtg.sst) shows a cold bias of the order of 0.5K in daily global averages, which is traceable to cloud contamination. During the day the cloud contamination is due to a 2-3% broken cloud cover at 1-2 km altitude, characteristic of low stratus clouds. Cloud contamination can be reduced to 0.2K, but not eliminated, by combining the spectral filter with a spatial coherence threshold, but the yield drops to 16,000 spectra per day. AIRS was launched in May 2002 on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite. Since September 2002 it has returned 4 million spectra of the globe each day.
Effect of removal of co-occurring species on distribution and abundance of Erythronium americanum (Liliaceae), a spring ephemeral

Growth of spring ephemerals in northern forests is limited to early spring when competition for resources from other species is at a minimum. The abundance of resources during this vernal period suggests that spring ephemerals might grow continuously over a wide range of sites, but distributions tend to be patchy. I hypothesized that co-occurring plants that grow later in the season compete for resources to a limited extent, but that competition from these other species is sufficient to restrict the spread of spring ephemerals into unoccupied sites. Population dynamics of Erythronium americanum were compared on sites at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire subjected to varying removals of cooccurring plants. During the 3-year period after removal of only overstory trees the density and frequency of occurrence of Erythronium increased by 225% and 180%, respectively, and removal of all co-occurring vegetation after 1 year's regrowth had an even more pronounced eifect (400% and 195% increases, respectively). The abundance of Erythronium in the undisturbed forest did not change over the 3-year period. Elevational distribution of Erythronium also was directly related to the extent of removal of summer plants. Recruitment was mostly vegetative, but flower production on the tree removal site increased by a factor of six, and some distant sites apparently were colonized by seedlings. For several years following large-scale disturbances that eliminate co-occurring vegetation, the vernal growing season is lengthened and resources are more available, and spring ephemerals such as Erythronium americanum exploit these resource-rich opportunities to expand populations and colonize new sites. It appears that, as forest succession proceeds, the size and survival of newly established colonies are gradually constrained by competition from co-occurring species that grow later in the season.
Alienation: Marx's Conception of Man in a Capitalist Society

In this book, the most thorough account of Marx's theory of alienation yet to have appeared in English, Professor Ollman reconstructs the theory from its constituent parts and offers it as a vantage point from which to view the rest of Marxism. The book further contains a detailed examination of Marx's philosophy of internal relations, the much neglected logical foudation of his method, and provides a systematic account of Marx's conception of human nature. Because of its almost unique concern with helping readers understand Marx's unusual use of language, Alienation has proven very popular in university courses on Marxism on both undergraduate and graduate levels. The first edition was widely reviewed, and in this new edition Professor Ollman replies to his critics in 'More on internal relations,' published here as Appendix II. In addition to this new appendix the author now provides a more systematic discussion of Marx's theory of ideology, elements of which were formerly dispersed throughout the book. He also attempts to set the treatment of political alienation within the broader framework of Marx's theory of the state as a model of how an approach based on internal relations can be used to integrate various apparently contradictory interpretations of Marx's views.
Investigation of Physicochemical Changes to l‐Asparaginase During Freeze‐thaw Cycling

l-Asparaginase derived from Erwinia chrysanthemi which is being investigated as an alternative to E. coli for the treatment of lymphoblastic leukaemia has been found in our laboratory to lose activity upon exposure to consecutive freeze-thaw cycles. An investigation was undertaken using several techniques to characterize fully the physicochemical changes l-Asparaginase is undergoing during freeze–thaw cycling leading to the loss of its activity. A total protein assay suggested that the loss of some enzyme activity was a result of protein precipitation. Circular dichroism (CD) studies showed a decrease of α-helical structure with a concomitant increase in β sheet and random coil content, suggesting alterations in the secondary structure leading to unfolding, the first step of denaturation processes. The elution profiles obtained from size-exclusion chromatography (SEC) studies indicated the formation of several species during the process of freezing and thawing. Sodium dodecylsulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) studies showed bands corresponding to 1–3 kDa and 32 kDa, suggesting that some of the species are fragments and shortened monomers resulting from cleavage of monomers. The molecular weight distribution obtained using SEC-linked light scattering indicated a substantial fraction of polydispersed fragments ranging from 900 Da to 3 kDa and a small fraction of aggregates corresponding to 300 kDa. A scheme was proposed to explain the cascade of events leading to the loss of soluble protein and accompanying loss of enzyme activity. Tetramers of the enzyme dissociate into monomers some of which are cleaved into small fragments. The shortened monomers then aggregate and precipitate.
Cryogenic technology for CMBPol

Future space telescopes such as CMBPol, SAFIR, DARWIN, SPICA and XEUS will require cooling to very low temperatures. Staged cooling is the most efficient means of achieving low temperature in an observatory or instrument with the least cost and mass. The first stage is usually passive radiators taking advantage of views to deep space. In the past stored cryogen systems provided the next lower stagesof cooling. Mechanical cryocoolers represent a significant enabling technology, especially at the lower temperatures where the passive coolers' effectiveness is limited. These coolers are in general lighter, have more cooling capability, and more operationally flexible than stored cryogens. Sub Kelvin cooling is required for many of the most sensitive detectors. For fundamental reasons, microcalorimeters and bolometers must be cooled to extremely low temperature to achieve their ultimate resolution and, eventually, background-limited detection. The state of the art for these cryogenic cooling technologies are presented along with plans to advance the technology readiness level to enable these future missions.
Selective, sensitive, and rapid phosphopeptide identification in enzymatic digests using ESI-FTICR-MS with infrared multiphoton dissociation.

Rapid screening for phosphopeptides within complex proteolytic digests involving electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI-FTICR-MS) in the negative ion mode with infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) accompanied by improved phosphopeptide sensitivity and selectivity is demonstrated with the tryptic digests of the naturally phosphorylated proteins bovine α- and β-casein. All peptides in a complex proteolytic digest can be examined simultaneously for phosphorylation with a 4-s IR laser pulse at 7−11 W where phosphopeptide signature ions form upon irradiation, as the low energy of activation phosphate moiety cleavage transpires without the dissociation of the unphsophorylated peptide population. The tyrosine phosphorylated peptide HGLDN-pY-R, its nonphosphorylated analogue HGLDNYR, the kinase domain of insulin receptor unphosphorylated TRDIYETDYYRK, monophosphorylated TRDIYED-pY-YRK, and triphosphorylated TRDI-pY-ETD-pY-pY-RK were also used as model peptide...
A leucine repeat motif in AbiA is required for resistance of Lactococcus lactis to phages representing three species

Abstract The abiA gene encodes an abortive bacteriophage infection mechanism that can protect Lactococcus species from infection by a variety of bacteriophages including three unrelated phage species. Five heptad leucine repeats suggestive of a leucine zipper motif were identified between residues 232 and 266 in the predicted amino acid sequence of the AbiA protein. The biological role of residues in the repeats was investigated by incorporating amino acid substitutions via site-directed mutagenesis. Each mutant was tested for phage resistance against three phages, φ31, sk1, and c2, belonging to species P335, 936, and c2, respectively. The five residues that comprise the heptad repeats were designated L234, L242, A249, L256, and L263. Three single conservative mutations of leucine to valine in positions L235, L242, and L263 and a double mutation of two leucines (L235 and L242) to valines did not affect AbiA activity on any phages tested. Non-conservative single substitutions of charged amino acids for three of the leucines (L235, L242, and L256) virtually eliminated AbiA activity on all phages tested. Substitution of the alanine residue in the third repeat (A249) with a charged residue did not affect AbiA activity. Replacement of L242 with an alanine elimination phage resistance against φ31, but partial resistance to sk1 and c2 remained. Two single proline substitutions for leucines L242 and L263 virtually eliminated AbiA activity against all phages, indicating that the predicted alpha-helical structure of this region is important. Mutations in an adjacent region of basic amino acids had various effects on phage resistance, suggesting that these basic residues are also important for AbiA activity. This directed mutagenesis analysis of AbiA indicated that the leucine repeat structure is essential for conferring phage resistance against three species of lactococcal bacteriophages.
Dewey’s liberalisms: Depression-era insights for the Great Recession

This article explores John Dewey’s Depression-era analysis of ‘liberalism’ in an effort to clarify our own neoliberal moment. As Dewey argues, liberalism is a term used in the 1930s to signify diverse and often contradictory meanings. It variously refers to a minimalist state aimed at unbinding markets (laissez-faire liberalism) or an activist state charged with providing social welfare (what Dewey described as ‘humane liberalism’). Finding limitations in these visions of liberalism, Dewey calls for a ‘radical’ liberalism that would socialise the economy, challenge the corrupting power of privileged elites, and embrace experimentalism and mass participation in social planning and decision-making. The article draws on Dewey’s analysis of different liberalisms to make sense of contemporary political and educational debates that have been profoundly shaped by the growing prominence of neoliberalism in recent decades. It sheds light on why particular educational issues have emerged as central sites of contest...
Detailed spatial modeling of carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure deployment in the southwestern United States

Abstract The implementation of large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) in the power and industrial sectors will require substantial financial investment. Consequently, research is needed to identify cost effective CCS deployment strategies. This project combines a CO 2 pipeline optimization tool, technoeconomic models for CCS components, and regional spatial data to examine how CCS infrastructure might develop in the southwestern United States under the American Power Act (APA).
The relationship between dominance and leadership in a flock of ewes

We examined the nature of the relationship between dominance and leadership in a flock of ewes, identifying the pattern of social structure within the group and the frequencies of leadership behavior. We found that the pattern of social structure in the flock was a multilevel arrangement, with several levels of dominance apparent. A chi-square test of goodness of fit performed on the leadership frequencies indicated that leading behavior was not a purely random process. In addition, our results clearly suggest a distinct relationship between dominance and leadership in these animals, with the most dominant member of the group also displaying the most leading behavior.
Effects of temperature and shear force on infectivity of the baculovirus Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus.

Abstract Virus stability and infectivity during stressful conditions was assessed to establish guidelines for future virus filtration experiments and to contribute to the body of knowledge on a widely used virus. A recombinant baculovirus of Autographa californica M nucleopolyhedrovirus (AcMNPV), vHSGFP, was incubated at 15–65 °C. A 2-log decrease in virus infectivity occurred after virus incubation above 45 °C. The activation energy of virus deactivation was circa 108 kJ/mol. Dynamic light scattering revealed an increase in apparent virus particle size from 150 ± 19 to 249 ± 13 nm at 55 °C. Protein and DNA concentrations in solution correlated well with virus aggregation as temperature was increased. Infectivity of vHSGFP stored for 5 months at 4 °C or exposed to shear stress from stirring (100 rpm, 1.02 × 10−5 psi) and pumping (50–250 ml/min, 1.45 × 10−5 to 7.25 × 10−5 psi) did not change with time. Unlike temperature variations, cold storage and shear stress appeared to have little impact on infectivity.
Modeling of a Hydraulic Hybrid Pump Motor for Evaluation of Vibration Characteristics

This paper presents a simulation model of a hybrid hydraulic circuit including a swash plate pump motor (PM) applicable for mid-sized passenger vehicles. The model is developed using AMESim with a co-simulation of MATLAB/Simulink®. The AMESim model is used to extract the forces and moments induced by the hydraulic circuit that are transmitted to the chassis of the vehicle. Various mounts modeled as simple spring-dashpot systems in MATLAB/Simulink® are employed to dynamically link the hydraulic circuit to the vehicle chassis. The focus of this research is to study and evaluate the levels of vibration associated with the hybrid hydraulic circuit. This information will be used to provide a means of evaluating different isolation techniques to attenuate the forces caused by the hydraulic system. Preliminary results of the model are presented and will be validated in a developing research effort.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Social Computing: Fundamentals and applications

From ancient abacuses to modern computers, our desire for more power in computing and drive for its deep application seem endless. First we saw the emergence of scientific computing after ENIAC, and then the tide of bio- and medical informatics in 1980s. Today, the wave of virtual worlds and the real force inside the Web have pushed us beyond the physical space to a new direction in computing: social computing.
Implications for e-commerce: the influence of math and computer confidence on computer self-efficacy

Businesses are becoming increasingly reliant on computers and technology to support rapidly growing electronic marketing and retailing efforts. In such an environment, the need to understand the factors that affect an individual's ability to use technology effectively continues to be of great concern for both researchers and practitioners. This study examines the influence of two factors, math confidence and computer confidence, on the formation of computer self-efficacy (CSE). Structural equation modelling (SEM) is used to test four hypotheses. The results suggest that both math confidence and computer confidence have a direct effect on CSE, while computer confidence partially mediates the relationship between math confidence and CSE. Implications of these findings are discussed. This study extends prior research on CSE by examining the link between math confidence and CSE, a relationship previously unexplored in the literature.
What good is moral imagination

Johnson, Mark. (1993). Moral Imagination: Implications of Cognitive Science for Ethics. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press (287 pp.). ISBN 0–226–40168–5.
Multiscale data reduction with flexible saliency criterion for biological image analysis

Analysis of biomedical images requires attention to image features that represent a small fraction of the total image size. A rapid method for eliminating unnecessary detail, analogous to pre-attentive processing in biological vision, allows computational resources to be applied where most needed for higher-level analysis. In this report we describe a method for bottom up merging of pixels into larger units based on flexible saliency criteria using a method similar to structured adaptive grid methods used for solving differential equations on physical domains. While creating a multiscale quadtree representation of the image, a saliency test is applied to prune the tree to eliminate unneeded details, resulting in an image with adaptive resolution. This method may be used as a first step for image segmentation and analysis and is inherently parallel, enabling implementation on programmable hardware or distributed memory clusters.
Behavioral effects of fentanyl derivatives in rhesus monkeys

Four fentanyl derivatives (ANQ 3295, ANQ 3296, ANQ 3326 and ANQ 3463), similar in structure to the novel opiod mirfentanil (1,2,3), were examined in rhesus monkeys for their discriminative stimulus, analgesic and positive reforcing effect. Under some conditions all of the fentanyl derivatives had opioid agonist actions whereas under other conditions some of the compounds had opioid agonist actions while others had opioid antagonist actions. Collectively, data from several assays are consistent with the view that these compounds vary with regard to efficacy at mu opioid receptors
Dynamic hemodynamic energy loss in normal and stenosed aortic valves.

Aortic valve (AV) stenosis, if untreated, leads to heart failure. From a mechanics stand-point, heart failure can be interpreted as the failure of the heart to generate sufficient power to overcome energy losses in the circulation. Thus, energy efficiency-based measures for evaluating AV performance and disease severity have the advantage of being a direct measure of the contribution of the AV hydrodynamic characteristics toward heart failure. We present a new method for computing the rate of energy dissipation as a function of systolic time, by modifying the Navier-Stokes momentum equation. This method preserves the dynamic term of the Navier-Stokes momentum equation, and allows the investigation of the trend of the rate of energy dissipation over time. This method is applied to a series of in vitro experiments, where a trimmed porcine valve is exposed to various conditions: varying stroke volumes (50 ml to 90 ml) at the fixed heart rate; varying heart rates (60-80 beats/min) at fixed stroke volume; and varying stenosis levels (normal, mild stenosis, moderate stenosis). The results are: (1) energy dissipation waveform has a distinctive pattern of being skewed toward late systole, due to flow instabilities during deceleration phases; (2) increasing heart rate and stroke volume increases energy dissipation, but the normalized shape of the energy dissipation waveform is preserved across heart rates and stroke volumes; (3) increasing stenosis level increases energy dissipation, and also alters the normalized shape of the energy dissipation waveform. Since stenosis produces a signature energy dissipation waveform shape, dynamic energy dissipation analysis can potentially be extended into a clinical tool for AV evaluation.
Development of Virtual Bait Stations to Control Argentine Ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Environmentally Sensitive Habitats

A novel bait station referred to as a virtual bait station was developed and tested against field populations of the invasive Argentine ant, Linepithema humile (Mayr) (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), at White Beach, Camp Pendleton, in Oceanside, CA. White Beach is a nesting habitat for an endangered seabird, the California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni Mearns). The beach is heavily infested with Argentine ants, one of the threats for the California least tern chicks. Conventional pest control strategies are prohibited because of the existence of the protected bird species and the site's proximity to the ocean. The bait station consisted of a polyvinyl chloride pipe that was treated on the inside with fipronil insecticide at low concentrations to obtain delayed toxicity against ants. The pipe was provisioned with an inverted bottle of 25% sucrose solution, then capped, and buried in the sand. Foraging ants crossed the treated surface to consume the sucrose solution. The delayed toxicity of fipronil deposits allowed the ants to continue foraging on the sucrose solution and to interact with their nestmates, killing them within 3-5 d after exposure. Further modification of the bait station design minimized the accumulation of dead ants in the sucrose solution, significantly improving the longevity and efficacy of the bait station. The virtual bait station exploits the foraging behavior of the ants and provides a low impact approach to control ants in environmentally sensitive habitats. It excluded all insects except ants, required only milligram quantities of toxicant, and eliminated the problem of formulating toxicants into aqueous sugar baits.
Learning and generalization of behavior-grounded tool affordances

This paper describes an approach which a robot can use to learn the effects of its actions with a tool, as well as identify which frames of reference are useful for predicting these effects. The robot learns the tool representation during a behavioral babbling stage in which it randomly explores the space of its actions and perceives their effects. The experimental results show that the robot is able to learn a compact and accurate model of how its tool actions would affect the position of a target object. Furthermore, the model learned by the robot can generalize and perform well even with tools that the robot has never seen before. Experiments were conducted in a dynamics robot simulator. Two different learning algorithms and five different frames of reference were evaluated based on their generalization performance.
Uncertainty analysis of remote sensing of colored dissolved organic matter: Evaluations and comparisons for three rivers in North America

Abstract The uncertainties involved in remote sensing inversion of CDOM (Colored Dissolved Organic Matter) were analyzed in estuarine and coastal regions of three North American rivers: Mississippi, Hudson, and Neponset. Water optical and biogeochemical properties, including CDOM absorption and above-surface spectra, were collected in very high resolution. CDOM’s concentrations (ag(440), absorption coefficient at 440 nm) were inverted from EO-1 Hyperion images, using a quasi-analytical algorithm for CDOM (QAA-CDOM). Uncertainties are classified to five levels, in which the underwater measurement uncertainty (level 1), image preprocessing uncertainty (level 4) and inverse model uncertainty (level 5) were evaluated. Results indicate that at level 1, in situ CDOM measurement is significant with 0.1 in the unit of QSU and 0.01 in the unit of ag(440) (m−1). At level 4, surface wave is a potential uncertainty source for high-resolution images in estuarine and coastal regions. The remote sensing reflectance of wavy water is about 10 times of the truth. At level 5, the overall uncertainty of QAA-CDOM inversion is 0.006 m−1, with accuracy R2 = 0.77, k = 1.1 and RMSElog = 0.33 m−1. The correlations between uncertainties and other water properties indicate that the large uncertainty in some rivers, such as the Neponset and Atchafalaya, might be caused by high-concentration chlorophyll or sediments. The relationships among the three level uncertainties show that the level 1 uncertainty generally does not propagate into level 4 and 5, but the large uncertainty at level 4 usually introduce large uncertainty at level 5.
Diversity of Assimilatory Nitrate Reductase Genes From Plankton and Epiphytes Associated with a Seagrass Bed

Assimilatory nitrate reductase gene fragments were isolated from epiphytes and plankton associated with seagrass blades collected from Tampa Bay, Florida, USA. Nitrate reductase genes from diatoms (NR) and heterotrophic bacteria (nasA) were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using two sets of degenerate primers. A total of 129 NR and 75 nasA clones from four clone libraries, two from each of epiphytic and planktonic components, were sequenced and aligned. In addition, genomic DNA sequences for the NR fragment were obtained from Skeletonema costatum and Thalassiosira weissflogii diatom cultures. Rarefaction analysis with an operational taxonomic unit cut-off of 6% indicated that diversity of the NR and nasA clone libraries were similar, and that sequencing of the clone libraries was not yet saturated. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that 121 of the 129 NR clones sequenced were similar to diatom sequences. Of the eight non-diatom sequences, four were most closely related to the sequence of Chlorella vulgaris. Introns were found in 8% of the Tampa Bay NR sequences; introns were also observed in S. costatum, but not T. weissflogii. Introns from within the same clone library exhibited close similarity in nucleotide sequence, position and length; the corresponding exon sequences were unique. Introns from within the same component were similar in position and length, but not in nucleotide sequence. These findings raise questions about the function of introns, and mechanisms or time evolution of intron formation. A large cluster of 14 of the 75 nasA sequences was similar to sequences from Vibrio species; other sequences were closely related to sequences from Alteromonas, alpha-proteobacteria and Marinomonas-like species. Biogeographically consistent patterns were observed for the nasA Tampa Bay sequences compared with sequences from other locations: for example, Tampa Bay sequences were similar to those from the South Atlantic Bight, but not the Barents Sea. The Tampa Bay NR clone libraries contained sequences that exhibited phylogenetic similarity with sequences from coastal New Jersey and Monterey Bay, USA. For both NR and nasA, the sequences formed phylogenetic clusters containing nitrate reductase gene fragments that were common to both plankton and epiphyte components, and sequences that were unique to just one component. The implication that some organisms may be differentially represented in epiphytic versus planktonic components of the community suggests that local environmental conditions may have ramifications for regulation of nitrate assimilation processes, community composition, and ecosystem function.
In Search of Women Athletes ESPN’s List of the Top 100 Athletes of the Century

In the final year of the 20th century, television’s ESPN network conducted a survey that determined the 100 greatest athletes of the 1900s. Although any list can be critiqued for accuracy and fairn...
Optical receivers optimized for IST and jitter

We present a method to optimize the sensitivity of CMOS FSOI receivers that includes the effects of intersymbol interference, clock jitter, and latch set-up times. We also analyze the effects of different photodiode capacitances on receiver sensitivity.
Only income diverges: A neoclassical anomaly

The neoclassical growth model (NGM) is only consistent with the absolute divergence in output levels we observe if some determinants of steady state income are also diverging. In this paper we show that accumulation rates of physical and human capital are actually significantly converging, as are openness to trade and several variables measuring institutional quality. Output divergence in the face of input, policy and institutional convergence is a deep anomaly for the NGM.
Intravenous Dihydroergotamine Therapy for Pediatric Abdominal Migraines

Abdominal migraines present with debilitating symptoms in adolescence. At our institution, the gastroenterology, neurology, and autonomic departments collaborated in treating patients with such presentations. This case series describes 6 patients who were given intravenous dihydroergotamine (DHE) for presumed abdominal migraines. DHE was only used when other agents like amitriptyline, verapamil, topiramate, or depakote had proved ineffective. DHE was started at 0.5 mg dose and on average 7 to 9 mg were given on each hospitalization. Patient ages ranged from 13 to 19 years with the majority being female. One patient did not respond to treatment. One patient was admitted 4 times for symptoms of abdominal migraines resolving with DHE. The average time between symptom relapse was about 5 to 12 months. Five of our 6 patients responded to the infusion without significant side effects. Based on these case series, DHE may be a treatment option in children with intractable abdominal migraine.
Physician Advice, Patient Actions, and Health-Related Quality of Life in Secondary Prevention of Stroke Through Diet and Exercise

Background and Purpose— Healthy diet and exercise are recommended for secondary prevention in stroke patients. We examined the prevalence of persons with stroke who received physician advice for, and engaged in, dietary change and exercise, and we also sought to determine whether engaging in these actions was associated with differences in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Methods— Data are from 51 193 participants in the 1999 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a state-based telephone survey. The participants noted whether they were advised to eat fewer high fat/high cholesterol foods and to exercise more and whether they engaged in these activities. HRQOL measures were the reported number of the preceding 30 days when physical health was not good, mental health was not good, usual activities were limited, and both physical and mental health were good (healthy days). Results— Overall, 2.4% of the participants reported a history of stroke. Sixty-one percent of those who reported a history of...
Linda A. Mercadante, Belief Without Borders: Inside the Minds of the Spiritual But Not Religious

Despite the steady ascent of the religiously unaffiliated segment of the American population, those who identify as ‘‘spiritual but not religious’’ (SBNRs) have largely been misunderstood. Hoping to shed light on this different stripe of believers, Linda A. Mercadante uses a qualitative approach to identify and explain the main articles of their beliefs. As a former SBNR herself, Mercadante, now a professor of historical theology at Methodist Theological School in Ohio, provides a sympathetic and helpful corrective to previous misunderstandings about SBNRs. As the title of her work suggests, Mercadante wants to understand SBNRs on their own terms. With this purpose in mind, Mercadante offers an even-handed perspective useful for those in the SBNR camp, scholars who weigh in on the secularization hypothesis, and anyone generally interested in the future of American religion. Given the murky boundaries between religion and spirituality, Mercadante begins by clarifying important distinctions pertinent to the American context. Though SBNRs lay claim to spirituality while rejecting religious associations, Mercadante argues that religion and spirituality still overlap in many key respects. In fact, the majority of Americans still consider themselves both religious and spiritual, which raises the question: why do SBNRs favor spirituality and reject religion? Situating her discussion of SBNRs within the broader historical movement of religiously unaffiliated ‘‘Nones,’’ Mercadante offers a typology of the SBNRs she interviewed. First, there are those she classifies as Dissenters, or those who claim SBNR status for theological reasons or other problems they have with organized religion. Second, Mercadante identifies SBNR Casuals. For these individuals, spiritual practices offer a functional, therapeutic resource from which they can lean
The Housing of America's Families: Control, Exclusion, and Privilege

Housing restrictions, in the form of restrictive covenants, housing and building codes, and zoning regulations, have subtly helped to define our conception of what constitutes a family. Local ordinances have controlled and curtailed the type of dwellings that qualify as family homes, substituting relationship requirements for requirements of purpose or function. This article argues that moral judgments are the driving force behind some housing restrictions, and that such restrictions actually undermine the notion of family in our neighborhoods.
Sleep Variability Among Older Adults With Insomnia: Associations With Sleep Quality and Cardiometabolic Disease Risk

Sleep variability has been linked to poor subjective sleep quality, but few studies have investigated effects on physical health. In this study, we evaluated cross sectional associations and change over time in objective sleep variability of adults with insomnia and short sleep duration who were participating in a non-pharmacologic intervention study. Results indicated greater variability in objective sleep measures were associated with poorer subjective sleep quality (p < 0.05). Higher sleep duration variability was associated with higher HbA1c (p < 0.01) and sleep onset time variability was associated with higher BMI (p < 0.05). Sleep efficiency and WASO variability decreased with intervention (p < 0.05). These results indicate that objective sleep variability may be an important feature for the assessment of insomnia outcomes.