cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Portrait of a Nineteenth-Century School Music Program.

This article describes the development of Louisville public school music from its establishment in 1844 to its suspension in 1879. Rationales for music's introduction, debates over teaching methods, and choices of music curricula are examined within the context of Louisville society. Primary sources are used, including minutes and annual reports of the Louisville school board and accounts of mid-nineteenth-century historians. Although Louisville's early school music program had unique aspects, its development for the most part paralleled that of school music programs in other American cities. School board arguments in favor of music instruction focused on music's intellectual, physical, moral, and social benefits to students. Both “rote” and “note” teaching methods were used with success. Music curricula included books and series containing folk songs, songs by the authors of the books, and adaptations of songs by European composers. The music was simple in rhythm, melody, harmony, and form, and song text...
Wear Control in Polymer Processing

Abstract The service life of a machine component is determined by three factors-breakage, obsolescence, and wear. Most engineers have traditionally directed their attention to avoiding breakage since, once broken, the machine component ceases to function. The breakage usually has an immediate, and sometimes embarrassing, effect. Obsolescence occurs over a period of time and is usually accepted as a fait-accompli. With it comes an opportunity to buy
Jackson on incorrigibility

(1974). Jackson on incorrigibility. Australasian Journal of Philosophy: Vol. 52, No. 3, pp. 243-250.
Insulin receptor binding kinetics: modeling and simulation studies.

Biological actions of insulin regulate glucose metabolism and other essential physiological functions. Binding of insulin to its cell surface receptor initiates signal transduction pathways that mediate cellular responses. Thus, it is of great interest to understand the mechanisms underlying insulin receptor binding kinetics. Interestingly, negative cooperative interactions are observed at high insulin concentrations while positive cooperativity may be present at low insulin concentrations. Clearly, insulin receptor binding kinetics cannot be simply explained by a classical bimolecular reaction. Mature insulin receptors have a dimeric structure capable of binding two molecules of insulin. The binding affinity of the receptor for the second insulin molecule is significantly lower than for the first bound insulin molecule. In addition, insulin receptor aggregation occurs in response to ligand binding and aggregation may also influence binding kinetics. In this study, we develop a mathematical model for insulin receptor binding kinetics that explicitly represents the divalent nature of the insulin receptor and incorporates receptor aggregation into the kinetic model. Model parameters are based upon published data where available. Computer simulations with our model are capable of reproducing both negative and positive cooperativity at the appropriate insulin concentrations. This model may be a useful tool for helping to understand the mechanisms underlying insulin receptor binding and the coupling of receptor binding to downstream signaling events.
RoMR: robust multicast routing in mobile wireless networks

Support for multicast services is crucial for content distribution in mobile wireless networks (MWNs). Efficient multicasting in MWNs faces challenges not encountered in other types of networks such as the mobility of nodes, the tenuous status of communication links, limited resources, and indefinite knowledge of the network topology. This paper addresses these challenges by providing a framework and architecture with proactive and reactive components to support multicasting in MWNs emphasizing reliability and efficiency of end-to-end packet delivery. The architecture includes the Robust Multicast Routing protocol (RoMR) to provide efficient multicast services for content distritbution MWNs. RoMR's architecture includes a proactive and reactive component. The proactive component calculates multiple multicast trees based on the prediction of future availability of the links and the assumption that the trees will become disconnected over time. The reactive components respond to changes in the network topology due to the mobility of the nodes and to changes in the multicast group's membership. The novelty of the proposed protocol stems from integrating techniques that have not previously been combined into a multicasting protocol and a unique method to calculate the relative weights of the links. In addition to the specifications of the protocol, a simulation framework was developed to test different implementations of the various components of RoMR. Simulations compared the performance of the basic version of RoMR to a version that ignored link weights, and to the Multicast Optimized Link State Routing (MOLSR) protocol, a source tree-based, topology-aware multicast protocol. A statistical analysis of the results showed that RoMR performed better, overall, than the other two protocols. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Being-in-Reality

In Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man,the boy here, we are told, turned to the flyleaf of the geography and read what he had written there: himself, his name and where he was.
Simulating present-day and future air quality as climate changes: Model evaluation

Abstract The global-regional climate-air pollution modeling system (GRE-CAPS) has been developed, coupling an existing general circulation model/chemical transport model (GCM/CTM), a regional meteorological model, and a regional chemical transport model. This system is intended to enable studies of the effects of changes in climate, intercontinental transport, and emissions on regional and urban air quality. The GRE-CAPS system consists of the GISS II′ GCM/CTM, the MM5 regional meteorological model, and the PMCAMx regional CTM. The modeling system is evaluated for the present day, with comparisons between model-predicted, measured ozone, and speciated PM 2.5 concentrations. The ability of the model to predict present-day concentrations of ozone and PM 2.5 is compared to that of PMCAMx when used for retrospective modeling. Comparisons between model-predicted temperatures and precipitation are also made. The model was used to simulate five present-day Januaries and six present-day Julys. The biases and errors in GRE-CAPS-predicted ozone concentrations were similar to those of PMCAMx when used for standard retrospective modeling. The fractional biases in mean daily peak ozone concentration and mean daily maximum 8-h average ozone concentration are both 70 or 80 ppb, though this is also the case with standard PMCAMx modeling. The predictions of PM 2.5 concentrations by GRE-CAPS were also of similar quality to those of PMCAMx driven by historical meteorology. The fractional biases in the predictions of total PM 2.5 , sulfate, ammonium, and nitrate were all 2.5 measurements from the IMPROVE network, though there is less agreement with measurements from the STN network. The GRE-CAPS system is shown to reproduce ozone and PM 2.5 concentrations for the present day rather well, with model performance similar to that of PMCAMx for standard retrospective episode modeling with historical meteorology. GRE-CAPS will be used in future studies to examine the effects of changes in climate, global emissions, and intercontinental transport on regional air quality.
Synthesis of the tetrasaccharide side chain of the major glycoprotein of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium.

Abstract An α-glycoside of the tetrasaccharide sequence β-Ant-(1 → 3)-α- l -Rhap-(1 → 3)-α- l -Rhap-(1 → 2)-α- l -Rhap whose aglycon allows conjugation to suitable carriers was synthesized. The NMR characteristics of the compound are virtually identical with those of the α-anomer of the tetrasaccharide isolated from the major glycoprotein of the Bacillus anthracis exosporium. Thus, the correct structure of the natural product has been proven by chemical synthesis.
Non-aqueous synthesis of silver nanoparticles using tin acetate as a reducing agent for the conductive ink formulation in printed electronics

We have developed a process for the synthesis of silver nanoparticles protected with a passivating shell of dodecylamine in toluene media using tin(II) acetate as a reducing agent. Based on the electrochemical series, during the reduction process Sn(II) oxidizes into Sn(IV) which reduces Ag(I) into Ag(0). The nucleation and growth processes result in particles with diameters in the range 5–20 nm. This simple non-aqueous one pot synthesis can be easily scaled up to produce grams of nanoparticles in a matter of hours. The particles can also be dispersed in many non-aqueous solvents which make them a suitable candidate for many applications. Characterization of the end product using TEM, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and powder X-ray diffraction verified the presence of a silver metallic core whereas TGA confirmed the presence of a dodecylamine shell. The resulting particles were used in non-aqueous conductive ink formulation. The ink was used to print conductive tracks on flexible substrates like Epson photo paper and polyimide (Kapton) using an Aerosol Jet based printing technique.
VANISHING OF PROPER VERTEX FUNCTIONS AS A CONDITION FOR REGGEIZATION OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES

The connection between Regge poles and elementary-particle poles was explored in a previous paper, where we made use of the approximation of elastic unitarity and of the assumption of no Castillejo-Dalitz-Dyson (CDD) ambiguity. In this paper we include the CDD ambiguity, and show without recourse to any approximation that the vanishing of $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(s)$ (the renormalized pion-nucleon proper vertex function with one nucleon off the mass shell) is a necessary and sufficient condition for the elementary nucleon to lie on the Regge trajectory. From the condition $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(s)\ensuremath{\equiv}0$ it also follows that ${Z}_{1}={Z}_{2}={Z}_{2}\ensuremath{\delta}M=0$, where ${Z}_{1}$ is the vertex-renormalization constant, ${Z}_{2}$ is the nucleon wave-function renormalization constant, and $\ensuremath{\delta}M$ is the nucleon self-mass. But the vanishing of $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(s)$ does not always follow from ${Z}_{1}={Z}_{2}={Z}_{2}\ensuremath{\delta}M=0$. Therefore, the so far widely recognized compositeness condition, ${Z}_{1}={Z}_{2}=0$, or ${Z}_{2}=0$ with finite self-mass, is not sufficient to Reggeize the elementary nucleon. Finally, Kaus and Zachariasen's criterion for Reggeization is discussed. Their criterion is not necessary to Reggeize the elementary nucleon; it should be modified to $\ensuremath{\Gamma}(s)K(s)\ensuremath{\equiv}0$ and ${{g}_{B}}^{2}=0$, where ${{g}_{B}}^{2}$ is the residue of the extra pole in the pion-nucleon scattering amplitude and $K(s)$ is the pion-nucleon form factor with one nucleon off the mass shell.
DNA topoisomerases as targets for the anticancer drug TAS-103: primary cellular target and DNA cleavage enhancement.

TAS-103 is a novel antineoplastic agent that is active against in vivo tumor models [Utsugi, T., et al. (1997) Jpn. J. Cancer Res. 88, 992-1002]. This drug is believed to be a dual topoisomerase I/II-targeted agent, because it enhances both topoisomerase I- and topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage in treated cells. However, the relative importance of these two enzymes for the cytotoxic actions of TAS-103 is not known. Therefore, the primary cellular target of the drug and its mode of action were determined. TAS-103 stimulated DNA cleavage mediated by mammalian topoisomerase I and human topoisomerase IIalpha and beta in vitro. The drug was less active than camptothecin against the type I enzyme but was equipotent to etoposide against topoisomerase IIalpha. A yeast genetic system that allowed manipulation of topoisomerase activity and drug sensitivity was used to determine the contributions of topoisomerase I and II to drug cytotoxicity. Results indicate that topoisomerase II is the primary cellular target of TAS-103. In addition, TAS-103 binds to human topoisomerase IIalpha in the absence of DNA, suggesting that enzyme-drug interactions play a role in formation of the ternary topoisomerase II.drug.DNA complex. TAS-103 induced topoisomerase II-mediated DNA cleavage at sites similar to those observed in the presence of etoposide. Like etoposide, it enhanced cleavage primarily by inhibiting the religation reaction of the enzyme. Based on these findings, it is suggested that TAS-103 be classified as a topoisomerase II-targeted drug.
Chemokine regulation of macrophage recruitment into the olfactory epithelium following target ablation: Involvement of macrophage inflammatory protein‐1α and monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1

Target ablation by olfactory bulbectomy synchronizes the degenerative cell death of olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs), infiltration of macrophages, and proliferation of progenitor cells, leading to neurogenesis, ORN replacement, and regeneration of the sensory epithelium. Although macrophages participate in the degenerative and regenerative events, little is known of the molecular and cellular mechanisms associated with their recruitment during the earliest period following target ablation. Macrophage inflammatory protein-1alpha (MIP-1alpha) and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), which are members of the CC or beta-chemokine subfamily, are chemoattractants for monocytes/macrophages. Shortly after target ablation, the protein and mRNA levels for MIP-1alpha and MCP-1 were up-regulated, showing peak expression levels from 16 hr to 3 days post-OBX; this coincided with the pattern of infiltration of activated F4/80(+) macrophages. The mRNAs for MIP-1alpha and MCP-1, as well as their cognate receptors CCR1 and CCR2, respectively, were localized in resident and infiltrating macrophages in numbers commensurate with those of F4/80-immunopositive macrophages in adjacent tissue sections. The mRNA(+) macrophages were localized within olfactory epithelial compartments that corresponded with their proposed functions associated with phagocytosis, proliferation, and infiltration. Our data support the hypothesis that MIP-1alpha and MCP-1 are chemoattractant chemokines associated with the recruitment of macrophages into the olfactory epithelium shortly after target ablation.
Chronic activity wheel running reduces the severity of kainic acid-induced seizures in the rat: possible role of galanin.

Abstract Studies in both humans and rodents suggest that exercise can be neuroprotective, but the mechanisms by which this occurs are still poorly understood. Three weeks of voluntary, physical activity in rats upregulates prepro-galanin messenger RNA levels in the locus coeruleus. Galanin is a neuropeptide extensively coexisting with norepinephrine that decreases neuronal hyperexcitability both in vivo and in vitro . Thus, exercise may diminish neural hyperexcitability through a galaninergic mechanism. The current experiments tested whether voluntary activity wheel running would protect against kainic acid-evoked seizures and whether galaninergic signaling is a necessary factor in this protection. In experiment 1, rats were given access to running wheels or remained sedentary for three weeks. After this period, rats received an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 0, 7, 10 or 14 mg/kg kainic acid. Exercise decreased the severity of or eliminated seizure behaviors and hippocampal c-fos expression induced by kainic acid. In experiment 2, exercising or sedentary rats were injected intracerebroventriculary (ICV) with 0.2 or 0.4 μg of kainic acid following either an injection of M-40 (a galanin receptor antagonist) or saline. Exercise decreased kainic acid-induced seizures at the 0.2 μg dose, and M-40 (6 nmol) decreased this effect. In contrast, there were no detectable differences between exercising and sedentary rats in behavior at the 0.4 μg dose. The results suggest that the protective effects of exercise against seizures are at least partially mediated by regulation of neural excitability through a process involving galanin.
Más allá de la caridad: De los derechos negativos a los deberes positivos generales

En este articulo se analizan los argumentos que, de manera mas concluyente, permiten la fundamentacion moral y defensa de los derechos economicos, sociales y culturales, asi como de aquellos razonamientos que revelan la arbitrariedad y aneja distincion que se ha querido mantener entre ellos y los derechos civiles y politicos. Junto con la revision de la polemica en torno a los llamados "Deberes Positivos Generales", se concluye que la satisfaccion de las necesidades basicas de los individuos, por medio del reconocimiento de la exigibilidad de los derechos economicos, sociales y culturales y de la extension de la obligacion de su satisfaccion a todas las personas, es fundamental para la construccion de sociedades democraticas formadas por individuos capaces de dignidad y autonomia moral.
Rat Peritoneal Mast Cells Present Antigen to a PPD-Specific T Cell Line

Rat peritoneal mast cells were examined to determine whether mast cells can stimulate T cell proliferation through antigen presentation. Mast cells were obtained by peritoneal lavage and purified to 98% using density gradient centrifugation. Purified peritoneal mast cells expressed MHC class II molecules as determined by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibody OX6 specific for common determinants of rat class II. The intensity of class II expression by mast cells was not significantly increased upon incubation with recombinant rat IFN-gamma. Peritoneal mast cells also were found to express the accessory molecules ICAM-1 (CD54) and LFA-1 beta (CD18) but not LFA-1 alpha (CD11a). In the presence of antigen, purified mast cells stimulated proliferation of an autologous CD4+, PPD-specific T cell line. This stimulation was blocked by OX6 antibody, confirming that the proliferation was class II dependent. T cell proliferation was similarly induced by purified mast cell populations that were completely monocyte and macrophages depleted. These results demonstrate that mast cells, through their expression of MHC class II and accessory molecules, are capable of antigen presentation.
Temperature Dependence of Long-Wavelength Optic Phonons of NaF Single Crystals

Infrared reflection spectra of NaF single crystal from 160 to 660 ${\mathrm{cm}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ as functions of temperature up to about 1000 \ifmmode^\circ\else\textdegree\fi{}K are presented. A Kramers-Kronig (KK) dispersion analysis is applied to these spectra. The optical constants, long-wavelength optic-phonon frequencies (both TO and LO), and their half-widths are obtained as functions of temperature. The room-temperature KK results are in aggreement with thin-film transmission, oblique incident reflection measurements, and earlier reported data. The general behavior of anharmonic effects in NaF is discussed and compared with data of other ionic crystals as well as some theoretical predictions.
Abstract: Higher Order Invariance and Age Comparisons in Depression, Neuroticism, and Anxiety

Higher-order invariance is an alternative conception of factorial invariance which uses factor loadings as filters for idiosyncracy while constraining the intercorrelations among the latent variabl...
DETERMINING THE OPTIMAL RANGES OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE SENSORY ACCEPTABILITY OF A MINCED MULLET SAUSAGE

Four factors (liquid smoke flavoring, textured soy flour, sodium tri-polyphosphate, and water) were studied to establish approximate ranges for maximum acceptability of a minced mullet product. The optimum level of liquid smoke flavoring was found at 0.5% and the optimum level of sodium tripolyphosphate was 0.3%. The optimum range for soy was approximately 15% while the best water levels occurred between 10 and 15%. An acceptable product could be produced providing the extreme ranges of each factor were avoided.
Chemical contaminants in human milk: an overview.

This review contains a succinct overview of the nature and extent of the problem of contamination of human milk with environmental and occupational chemicals, excluding drugs. Factors influencing t...
Immunologic response in an elderly population with a mean age of 85

Abstract Previous studies of changes in immune responses in the elderly have been limited in both number and age of elderly subjects and have produced conflicting results. Using 260 subjects, mean age 84.6, the present study conclusively demonstrates that T cell response is decreased in the elderly. Decreases in response to phytohemagglutinin and concanavalin A were demonstrated in groups aged 70 to 79, 80 to 84, and 85 to 89, although a group 90 to 106 years old showed a decreased response only to phytohemagglutinin. None of the groups had a decreased response to pokeweed mitogen. No response to all three mitogens was observed in 13 percent of the group aged 70 to 89, but in none of the group aged 90 to 106 or in the young groups. No differences in natural killer cell cytotoxicity were observed among the elderly groups. In contrast to previous studies, these results suggest that: (1) the decreased immune response of the elderly is not directly related to age, over age 70; and (2) there may be a selection process in which subjects who live to the age of 90 are those in whom the least decrease in immune response is demonstrated.
Tourists’ and retailers’ perceptions of souvenirs:

The nature of humans is to return from travelling with a souvenir of the experience. The purchase of a souvenir by a tourist serves as a tangible way of capturing or suspending in time an otherwise...
Ecological consequences of a group fission event in the Tana River mangabey (Cercocebus galeritus)

A group of Tana River mangabeys Cercocebus galeritus studied in 2000–2001 fissioned into two daughter groups in 2004, the first reported case of fission in Cercocebus. Data were collected on each daughter group in 2005– 2006 to investigate how the groups divided the parent group’s range, the quality of habitat used by each group, and if fruit abundance was correlated with the spatial relationships between the groups. Six days of ranging data were collected each month and input into ArcView GIS 3.3 to measure home ranges and core areas. Phenological data were collected from nine important food species. Habitat quality was measured by counting all reproductive-sized individuals of those nine food species in the ranges. The daughter groups shared the parent group’s home range and core area, although the larger group used more of those areas than the smaller group. The two groups got equal quality home ranges and core areas as measured by per capita food trees, but the larger group had access to a larger and richer exclusive area. Proximity of the groups to each other was not correlated with fruit abundance. This study contributes to the small body of literature that addresses ecological consequences of primate group fission.
Second-generation three-dimensional reconstruction for rotational three-dimensional angiography

Rationale and Objectives. The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility and accuracy of three-dimensional (3D) reconstruction techniques for digital subtraction angiography (DSA) in planning and evaluation of minimally invasive image-controlled therapy. Materials and Methods. Using a standard, commercially available system, the authors acquired DSA image and corrected them for inherent distortions. They designed and implemented parallel and multiresolution versions of cone-beam reconstruction techniques to reconstruct high resolution targeted volumes in a short period of time. Testing was performed on anatomically correct, calibrated in vitro models of a cerebral aneurysm. These models were used with a pulsatile circulation circuit to allow for blood flow simulation during DSA, computed tomographic (CT) angiography, and magnetic resonance (MR) angiography image acquisitions. Results. The multiresolution DSA-based reconstruction protocol and its implementation allowed the authors to achieve reconstruction times and levels of accuracy for the volume measurement of the aneurysmal cavities that were considered compatible with actual clinical practice. Comparison with data obtained from other imaging modalities shows that, besides vascular tree-depiction, the DSA-based true 3D technique provides volume estimates at least as good as those obtained from CT and MR angiography. Conclusion. The authors demonstrated the feasibility and potential of true 3D reconstruction for angiographic imaging with DSA. On the basis of the model testing, this work addresses both the timing and quantification required to support minimally invasive image controlled therapy.
How Often and How Consistently do Symptoms Directly Precede Criminal Behavior Among Offenders With Mental Illness

Although offenders with mental illness are overrepresented in the criminal justice system, psychiatric symptoms relate weakly to criminal behavior at the group level. In this study of 143 offenders with mental illness, we use data from intensive interviews and record reviews to examine how often and how consistently symptoms lead directly to criminal behavior. First, crimes rarely were directly motivated by symptoms, particularly when the definition of symptoms excluded externalizing features that are not unique to Axis I illness. Specifically, of the 429 crimes coded, 4% related directly to psychosis, 3% related directly to depression, and 10% related directly to bipolar disorder (including impulsivity). Second, within offenders, crimes varied in the degree to which they were directly motivated by symptoms. These findings suggest that programs will be most effective in reducing recidivism if they expand beyond psychiatric symptoms to address strong variable risk factors for crime like antisocial traits.
Characterization of the Mononickel Metallocenter in H134A Mutant Urease

A mutant form of Klebsiella aerogenes urease possessing Ala instead of His at position 134 (H134A) is inactive and binds approximately half the normal complement of nickel (Park, I.-S., and Hausinger, R. P. (1993) Protein Sci. 2, 1034-1041). The crystal structure of the H134A protein was obtained at 2.0-A resolution, and it confirms that only Ni-1 of the two nickel ions found in the native enzyme is present. In contrast to the pseudotetrahedral geometry observed for Ni-1 in native urease (where it is liganded by His-246, His-272, one oxygen atom of carbamylated Lys-217, and a water molecule at partial occupancy), the mononickel metallocenter in the H134A protein was found to possess octahedral geometry and was coordinated by the above protein ligands plus three water molecules. The nickel site of H134A urease was probed by UV-visible, variable temperature magnetic circular dichroism, and x-ray absorption spectroscopies. The spectroscopic data are consistent with the presence of Ni(II) in octahedral geometry coordinated by two histidylimidazoles and additional oxygen and/or nitrogen donors. These data underscore the requirement of Ni-2 for formation of active urease and demonstrate the important role of Ni-2 in establishing the proper Ni-1 coordination geometry.
A fast image reconstruction algorithm for compressed sensing-based atomic force microscopy

The idea of compressed sensing (CS) can be applied to atomic force microscopy (AFM) to reduce the amount of data that needs to be sampled for accurate image reconstruction. The data sampling strategy and measurement matrix design in AFM have been discussed in previous work. However, standard CS image recovery needs to solve a large size convex optimization problem, which requires a lot of computational resources in terms of both time and memory. In this paper, we propose a new variant of the Matching Pursuit (MP) algorithm for image reconstruction based on CS in AFM. With this algorithm, the computational time and memory space for image reconstruction can be reduced significantly with only a small loss in image quality. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated through MATLAB simulation.
Limitations Of Subtraction Techniques Applied To Incoherent Optical Image Restoration

Incoherent optical information processing is known to be far less sensitive to noise than coherent processing. However, if positive and negative quantities have to be implemented, as is normally the case in image restoration, incoherent convolution can be used only in a three-step process involving two convolutions and one subtraction. This communication describes the difficulties which appear in that case and which in part offset the noise advantage of incoherent illumination; alignment and normalization of the two images to be subtracted are critical issues. If the subtraction is performed optically, the dynamic range of this operation is an additional problem which is discussed here on a specific example.© (1980) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Familiar Concepts, Unfamiliar Territory

The value of a comparative study of the early video game console industry and the development of the PC industry is demonstrated, for example, by an analysis of the differing roles of software in both industries. The function of software in the videogame industry differed greatly from its PC counterpart. Where the IBM PC was designed as an open platform for software development, the programmable videogame console was anything but. Where the unchecked freedom to produce software bolstered the success of the PC, it sounded the death knell for the American console industry.
Women's healthcare: initiatives and challenges

John C Jennings is 2014-2015 President of the American College and Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. He is currently Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and has previously served as Regional Dean of the School of Medicine at TTUHSC Permian Basin. He is a passionate medical educator and during his academic career he has served as division chief, residency program director and department chair. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed and other publications and has been the recipient of multiple teaching awards. Prior to entering academic medicine, he was a busy practicing obstetrician/gynecologist in San Angelo, TX, USA.
Totalsynthese von Epothilon E und seitenkettenmodifizierten Epothilon‐Analoga durch Stille‐Kupplung

Ringschlus durch Olefinmetathese (siehe unten, a), Abspaltung der Schutzgruppe (b), Stille-Kupplung (c) und die abschliesende Epoxidierung (d) sind die wesentlichen Schritte der ersten Totalsynthese des naturlich vorkommenden Epothilons E 1. Ausgehend von dem Produkt der Olefinmetathese, einer sehr fortgeschrittenen Zwischenstufe, ist eine Fulle von Epothilon-E-Analoga mit unterschiedlichen aromatischen Resten in der Seitenkette zuganglich. TBS = tBuMe2Si.
Facial port wine stains in childhood: prediction of the rate of improvement as a function of the age of the patient, size and location of the port wine stain and the number of treatments with the pulsed dye (585 nm) laser

In this study we examined the rate of decrease in size of facial port wine stains (PWS) as a function of number of treatments, lesion size, lesion location and patients' age. This study was performed at the University of Colorado Hospital Outpatient Dermatology Center, Denver, U.S.A. A consecutive sample of 91 patients 18 years of age or younger with facial PWS in which the entire lesion was treated at each visit were studied. Included were all patients who had a minimum of five treatments or complete clearance of their lesion in fewer than five treatments. Patients were evaluated following one, five and 10 treatments with the pulsed (450 s) dye (585 nm) laser. Improvement was defined as the percentage decrease in the size of the PWS. For all patients, the first five treatments resulted in a mean decrease in size of 55% while the second five treatments (38 patients) only improved the mean decrease in size by 18%. Grouped by location, the mean decreases in size from the first five and the second five treatments were as follows: central forehead = 100%, 0%; peripheral face = 58%, 28%; central face = 48%, 14%; and mixed (combination of peripheral and central face) = 21%, 9%. All central forehead PWS completely cleared within five treatments while none of the mixed PWS did so even with an average of 14 treatments. Grouped by size, mean decrease in size was highest for small lesions; 40 cm2 = 23%, 29%. Grouped by age, mean decrease in size was highest for young children: < 1-year-old = 63%, 33%; 1 to < 6 years = 48%, 15%; and older than 6 years = 54%, 10%. For all patients studied, maximal improvement was obtained in the first five treatments. Major determinants of treatment response in order of decreasing importance are PWS location, size and patients' age. The most successful responses are seen in young patients (less than 1 year old) with small PWS (under 20 cm2) that are located over bony areas of the face such as the central forehead. These three determinants may be useful tools to guide patient expectations and to predict the rate of improvement of PWS to pulsed dye laser treatment.
The bi-directional translocation of MARCKS between membrane and cytosol regulates integrin-mediated muscle cell spreading

The regulation of the cytoskeleton is critical to normal cell function during tissue morphogenesis. Cell-matrix interactions mediated by integrins regulate cytoskeletal dynamics, but the signaling cascades that control these processes remain largely unknown. Here we show that myristoylated alanine-rich C-kinase substrate (MARCKS) a specific substrate of protein kinase C (PKC), is regulated by α5β1 integrin-mediated activation of PKC and is critical to the regulation of actin stress fiber formation during muscle cell spreading. Using MARCKS mutants that are defective in membrane association or responsiveness to PKC-dependent phosphorylation, we demonstrate that the translocation of MARCKS from the membrane to the cytosol in a PKC-dependent manner permits the initial phases of cell adhesion. The dephosphorylation of MARCKS and its translocation back to the membrane permits the later stages of cell spreading during the polymerization and cross-linking of actin and the maturation of the cytoskeleton. All of these processes are directly dependent on the binding of α5β1 integrin to its extracellular matrix receptor, fibronectin. These results demonstrate a direct biochemical pathway linking α5β1 integrin signaling to cytoskeletal dynamics and involving bi-directional translocation of MARCKS during the dramatic changes in cellular morphology that occur during cell migration and tissue morphogenesis.
Improving journal club: Increasing student discussion and understanding of primary literature in molecular biology through the use of dialectical notes

Reading the primary literature in a journal club format is an excellent practice where undergraduate students can develop their abilities in experimental data analysis and critical thinking, learn about new ideas and methods, and gain a foothold in scientific discourse. However, students are not familiar with the format, writing style, and depth of knowledge assumed when first reading journal articles. This can inhibit class discussion. To alleviate this problem, the author has instituted the use of dialectical notes in journal club, so that students fully engage the article. This novel use of a strategy borrowed from humanities has improved class participation. © 2012 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Newspaper Readers and a New Information Medium: Information Need and Channel Orientation as Predictors of Videotex Adoption

The concept of functional equivalence is combined with individual characteristics—information need and channel orientation—to create a model describing potential differences in newspaper readers' adoption of videotex. Three possible user groups are identified: loyalists, who would remain with newspapers; shifters, who would replace newspapers with videotex; and adders, who would use both. Discriminant analysis of survey data supports the proposed model: adders have a higher information need than the single-medium users, who are in turn distinguished from each other by their channel orientation. Loyalists are "traditional"; shifters are "modern."
The Neuropsychology of Cocaine Addiction: Recent Cocaine Use Masks Impairment

Individuals with current cocaine use disorders (CUD) form a heterogeneous group, making sensitive neuropsychological (NP) comparisons with healthy individuals difficult. The current study examined the effects on NP functioning of four factors that commonly vary among CUD: urine status for cocaine (positive vs negative on study day), cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, and dysphoria. Sixty-four cocaine abusers were matched to healthy comparison subjects on gender and race; the groups also did not differ in measures of general intellectual functioning. All subjects were administered an extensive NP battery measuring attention, executive function, memory, facial and emotion recognition, and motor function. Compared with healthy control subjects, CUD exhibited performance deficits on tasks of attention, executive function, and verbal memory (within one standard deviation of controls). Although CUD with positive urine status, who had higher frequency and more recent cocaine use, reported greater symptoms of dysphoria, these cognitive deficits were most pronounced in the CUD with negative urine status. Cigarette smoking, frequency of alcohol consumption, and dysphoria did not alter these results. The current findings replicate a previously reported statistically significant, but relatively mild NP impairment in CUD as compared with matched healthy control individuals and further suggest that frequent/recent cocaine may mask underlying cognitive (but not mood) disturbances. These results call for development of pharmacological agents targeted to enhance cognition, without negatively impacting mood in individuals addicted to cocaine.
Analysis of the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications using high-resolution aerial imagery

Long-term monitoring efforts often use remote sensing to track trends in habitat or landscape conditions over time. To most appropriately compare observations over time, long-term monitoring efforts strive for consistency in methods. Thus, advances and changes in technology over time can present a challenge. For instance, modern camera technology has led to an increasing availability of very high-resolution imagery (i.e. submetre and metre) and a shift from analogue to digital photography. While numerous studies have shown that image resolution can impact the accuracy of classifications, most of these studies have focused on the impacts of comparing spatial resolution changes greater than 2 m. Thus, a knowledge gap exists on the impacts of minor changes in spatial resolution (i.e. submetre to about 1.5 m) in very high-resolution aerial imagery (i.e. 2 m resolution or less).This study compared the impact of spatial resolution on land/water classifications of an area dominated by coastal marsh vegetation in...
Efficient Si-on-Ge tandem solar cell

We propose and simulate a thin-film crystalline solar photovoltaic cell comprised of two junctions - one in the Si top layer and the other in the Ge bottom layer. Assuming an anti-reflection coating on the front surface, we have shown that optimal solar cells favor a thin Si layer and a thicker Ge layer. For AM1.5G solar irradiance, we predict efficiency of ~20 % for a cell in which the Si film thickness is 7 μm and the Ge film thickness is 91 µm.
The Operator Valued Autoregressive Filter Problem and the Suboptimal Nehari Problem in Two Variables

Necessary and sufficient conditions are given for the solvability of the operator valued two-variable autoregressive filter problem. In addition, in the two variable suboptimal Nehari problem sufficient conditions are given for when a strictly contractive little Hankel has a strictly contractive symbol.
Temporal and storage effects on ultra-low volume droplets of insecticides collected on Teflon-coated slides.

Abstract Use of microscope slides is the most commonly used method to field-assess the droplet spectrum of ultra-low volume (ULV) sprays. Due to absence of analysis facilities during military deployments, slides must be stored and shipped, and the impact of delays in processing and storage conditions on droplets is unknown. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of storage temperatures and duration on droplets on Teflon®-coated slides. Treatments included BVA-13 mineral oil, Kontrol 30-30 (30% permethrin), and Fyfanon® (96.5% malathion), 2 slide wrapping techniques (proper and improper), and 2 storage temperatures (23 and 45°C), replicated 6 times. The same areas of a slide were measured at different times for 56–58 days using the DropVision® droplet measurement system. Regardless of the wrapping technique, droplets of BVA-13, Fyfanon, and Kontrol 30-30 on slides stored at 45°C reduced significantly after 1, 2, and 1 day, respectively, but droplets on slides stored at 23°C were not significantly a...
On the effectiveness of buffer sharing in multimedia server network switches with self-similar traffic

This paper evaluates the gain in throughput achieved by the use of a shared buffer to realize the output queues of switching elements in the presence of self-similar multimedia traffic. Unlike previous studies, we focus on credit-based systems typical of networks used in parallel multimedia servers. It is generally believed that buffer sharing improves performance in the presence of non-uniform traffic. With self-similar traffic exhibiting burstiness over all time-scales, however, we show that buffer sharing is a superior design choice only when the total buffer capacity is more than a certain minimum threshold. We explain the non-trivial reasons for the existence of this threshold through an analysis based on head-of-line blocking probabilities. The results presented here have implications in switch design, especially in systems where the total buffering capacity may be limited.
Additive Isotonic Models

Abstract Additive isotonic models generalize linear models by replacing lines with isotonic (nondecreasing) transformations. Fitted transformations of several explanatory variables are added together and then transformed by a known function to yield fitted values of the response variable. The isotonic transformations are chosen to minimize an explicit criterion, such as the negative log-likelihood, by an algorithm that optimizes one transformation at a time while adjusting for the current fitted values of the others, cycling until the criterion converges. This approach can be used in various situations, notably for generalizing ordinary linear regression and linear logistic regression. At each step of the algorithm, the needed optimal isotonic transformation is found using a simple generalization of the standard pool-adjacent-violators algorithm (Ayer, Brunk, Ewing, Reid, and Silverman 1955). The fitted transformations are always made up of flat steps, so the technique is useful for finding optimal strati...
A new approach to LPV gain-scheduling design and implementation

A new approach for design and implementation of stabilizing gain-scheduled controllers is proposed. The scheduling variable is used to parameterize the frozen-time linearized dynamics with respect to all system trajectories. This formulation removes the restriction in traditional gain-scheduling that the initial conditions remain close to an equilibrium manifold. A new approach for LPV controller design which results in practically valid controllers is suggested. Next, a novel gain-scheduled controller implementation is proposed for a general LPV controller structure and is shown to satisfy a local linear equivalence condition at the equilibrium manifold. In addition, the novel controller implementation offers extra degrees of freedom that can be employed to maximize the parameter rate bounds. Stability analysis shows that with a bound on parameter variation rates the nonlinear closed-loop system trajectories remain bounded for initial conditions not restricted to be close to equilibrium.
Cross-national study of employees' work goals

The literature in the area of organizational behaviour has lately reflected the increasing rate of information exchange concerning the quality of worklife among various Western societies. However, a prerequisite for comparison of work milieu is the determination of whether employees from different national settings share similar needs and motivational systems. The question is whether cultural norms significantly influence employees' expectations, values, and motives. To the extent this is so, generalization from studies within a single country is restricted. The purpose of this research is to compare the structure of employees' work goal systems among five Western countries, and to examine the applicability of two popular motivational models.
Influence of Layer Structure on Antiferromagnetic Exchange Coupling of Iron Films through Chromium Interlayers

The effect of layer structure perturbations on antiferromagnetic coupling in Fe-Cr-Fe trilayer systems is investigated. By varying the sputtering pressure, the layer structure of Fe-Cr-Fe trilayers is systematically altered, as indicated by changes in the low angle superlattice spectra of multilayers fabricated under identical conditions. The effect of topographic roughness is investigated by fabricating identical trilayers on Cr buffer layers of different thickness. Scanning tunneling microscopy is used to measure surface roughness. In each case the saturation field is measured as a function of Cr interlayer thickness by means of tapered Cr interlayer structures in which the thickness of the spacer varies linearly from 0 to 28 A upon a single substrate. Antiferromagnetic coupling is measured locally by means of the magneto-optic Kerr effect. Results show that although the coupling is diminished by structural perturbations, it is a remarkably robust effect which persists even in instances of poor layer structure.
Effects of dairy wastewater on mosquitoes in southern California.

The effect of dairy pond water quality on mosquito biology was studied under laboratory conditions during 2004. Due to high turbidity and larval toxicity of raw water samples from dairy ponds with no mosquito breeding, water samples from both mosquito breeding and non-breeding ponds were filtered and diluted 5X with distilled water prior to being tested for sublethal effects on mosquito development. The diluted pond waters showed no significant deleterious effects on the overall development of Culex quiquefasciatus Say at 23.9 o and 26.6 o C. However, the 3 rd and 4 th instar larvae were significantly shorter and lighter in weight when reared in diluted water samples from mosquito non-breeding ponds. Similar effects were found on the developmental stages of Cx. tarsalis Coquillette. Data on water quality parameters of filtered pond waters showed higher levels of hexavalent chromium (4X), nitrites (10X), nitrates (2X), sulfates (5X), and salinity (2X) in water samples from non-breeding ponds. Based on these data, the presence of high levels of hexavalent chromium and sulfate appear to be responsible for the absence of mosquito breeding in some dairy ponds. Journal of Vector Ecology 31 (2): 305-310. 2006.
Measuring a Category-Based Blogosphere

Blogs form an essential part of the Web and they are one of the main sources of information to millions of people around the world. Blogs such as Gizmodo, Slashdot, and many others, receive a very large number of daily visitors and consequently are a main force on driving what information becomes known to the public. Furthermore, information in blogs have become crucial to established news agencies such as CNN and NBC, which have dedicated programs and reporters to discuss information in the Blogosphere. This paper looks at the structure the blogosphere using Blogspot–Google’s blog hosting service–as a case study.We created networks for 12 different blog categories and a combined network. We show that these networks are very similar to the structure of the whole WWW and that the blogosphere is highly connected regardless of category divisions.