cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Synthetic porphyrins. I. Synthesis and spectra of some para-substituted meso - Tetraphenylporphines

A series of derivatives of meso-tetraphenylporphine, with neutral, acidic and basic functional groups, has been prepared. Several of these compounds were synthesized directly via the Rothemund reaction, under a variety of conditions to obtain optimal yields; others were prepared by interconversions of various functional groups. Drastic reaction conditions employed for hydrolysis, alcoholysis, or lithium aluminum hydride reduction did not affect the porphine ring system. The two amino derivatives showed anomalous spectra in the visible range.
Tail pinch-induced eating, gnawing and licking behavior in rats: dependence on the nigrostriatal dopamine system.

Summary Mild tail-pinch induces a syndrome of eating, gnawing and licking behavior in rats in the presence of food. Detailed behavioral, pharmacological and biochemical analyses of this phenomenon resulted in the following conclusions. (1) This is an unusually reliable phenomenon, demonstrable in each of more than 200 animals tested. (2) Eating is by far the predominant response to tail-pinch. (3) Tail-pinch behavior is critically dependent on the nigrostriatal dopamine system. (4) There are striking pharmacological parallels between tail-pinch behavior and schizophrenia.
DUI OFFENDERS, DRUG USERS, AND CRIMINALS: A COMPARISON

ABSTRACT Although research in the area of illicit drug use suggests that often those who use drugs do so in combination with alcohol, there has been little attention paid to the drug use patterns of DUI offenders, particularly as it related to the offenders alcohol consumption and criminality. It is to this end that this research is directed. Specifically, this study explores the alcohol and drug use patterns of incarcerated DUI offenders and their involvement with the criminal justice system, both as DUI offenders and as individuals involved in other types of criminal behavior.
Provision of Cardiovascular Genetic Counseling Services: Current Practice and Future Directions

Cardiovascular genetic counseling has emerged as a specialty critical to the care of patients with heritable cardiovascular disease. Current strategies to meet the growing demand are not clear. We sought to characterize practice patterns of cardiac genetic counseling by developing a novel survey distributed to the National Society of Genetic Counselors (NSGC) Listserv to assess clinical practice, cardiovascular training, and education. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize clinical practice; Fisher’s exact test and the Cochran-Armitage trend test were used to compare the practice of cardiovascular genetic counselors (CVGCs) to those who did not identify cardiology as a specialty (non-CVGCs). A total of 153 individuals completed the survey. Of the 105 participants who reported seeing a cardiac genetics patient, 42 (40 %) identified themselves as a CVGC. The most common conditions for which genetic counseling was provided were hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) (71 % of participants), dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (61 %), long QT syndrome (LQTS) (56 %), and genetic syndromes with cardiovascular disease (55 %). CVGCs were significantly more confident than non-CVGCs in providing genetic counseling for seven cardiovascular diseases (2.3 × 10−6 ≤ p ≤ 0.021). Eighty-six percent of genetic counselors sought additional education related to cardiovascular genetics and listed online courses as the most desirable method of learning. These data suggest a growing interest in cardiovascular genetic counseling and need for additional training resources among the NSGC membership.
Isolation of transfer RNA isoacceptors by chromatography on dihydroxyboryl-substituted cellulose, polyacrylamide, and glass.

Abstract Polyacrylamide and porous-glass supports containing the dihydroxyborylphenyl group can be prepared by a method similar to that used in the synthesis of N -[ N′ -( m -dihydroxyborylphenyl)succinamyl]aminoethylcellulose. The reaction of aminoethylpolyacrylamide or amino-substituted glass with N -( m -dihydroxyborylphenyl)succinamic acid in the presence of N -cyclohexyl- N′ -β-(4-methyl-morpholinium) ethylcarbodiimide yields products which, together with the cellulose derivative, are all capable of binding tRNA dissolved in buffers at pH 8.7. The demonstration that bound tRNA can be released with sorbitol solutions or with low pH buffers, together with studies on the binding of tRNA species that contain chemically modified 3′-terminals, indicate that the predominant binding mechanism consists of cyclic complex formation between the immobilized dihydroxyboryl groups and the 3′-terminal cis-diol groups of the tRNA molecules. Aminoacylated tRNA does not bind under the conditions necessary to bind tRNA and this permits the isolation of specific tRNA isoacceptors. The purification of tRNA Phe and the partial purification of tRNA Glu and tRNA Trp are described.
Applying for supplemental security income (SSI) for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities: family and service coordinator experiences.

Abstract In the United States, the Social Security Administration (SSA) provides financial benefits through Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to many individuals with intellectual and developmenta...
Impact of Pilot Delay and Non-Responsiveness on the Safety Performance of Airborne Separation

Assessing the safety effects of prediction errors and uncertainty on automationsupported functions in the Next Generation Air Transportation System concept of operations is of foremost importance, particularly safety critical functions such as separation that involve human decision-making. Both ground-based and airborne, the automation of separation functions must be designed to account for, and mitigate the impact of, information uncertainty and varying human response. This paper describes an experiment that addresses the potential impact of operator delay when interacting with separation support systems. In this study, we evaluated an airborne separation capability operated by a simulated pilot. The experimental runs are part of the Safety Performance of Airborne Separation (SPAS) experiment suite that examines the safety implications of prediction errors and system uncertainties on airborne separation assistance systems. Pilot actions required by the airborne separation automation to resolve traffic conflicts were delayed within a wide range, varying from five to 240 seconds while a percentage of randomly selected pilots were programmed to completely miss the conflict alerts and therefore take no action. Results indicate that the strategicAirborne Separation Assistance System (ASAS) functions exercised in the experiment can sustain pilot response delays of up to 90 seconds and more, depending on the traffic density. However, when pilots or operators fail to respond to conflict alerts the safety effects are substantial, particularly at higher traffic densities.
Estimating the duration of an earthquake: Some shaky field observations

Data were collected from 246 people on their retrospective recall of the duration of a moderate earthquake in New York state, along with estimates of arousal, alertness, and attention to media. Duration of the quake was pervasively overestimated, with significantly higher overestimates from people in the area where the most intense quake occurred. Correlation of duration estimate with reported arousal was not significant. Responses were interpreted as the result of a desire of respondents to appear as credible observers of a complex episode.
Fully Coupled Micro/Macro Deformation, Damage, and Failure Prediction for SiC/Ti-15-3 Laminates

The deformation, failure, and low-cycle fatigue life of SCS-6/Ti-15-3 composites are predicted using a coupled deformation and damage approach in the context of the analytical generalized method of cells (GMC) micromechanics model. The local effects of inelastic deformation, fiber breakage, fiber-matrix interfacial debonding, and fatigue damage are included as submodels that operate on the microscale for the individual composite phases. For the laminate analysis, lamination theory is employed as the global or structural scale model, while GMC is embedded to operate on the mesoscale to simulate the behavior of the composite material within each laminate layer. While the analysis approach is quite complex and multifaceted, it is shown through comparison with experimental data to be quite accurate and realistic, while remaining extremely efficient.
Synthesis of heavy nuclei using radioactive nuclear beams

A calculation of the expected production rates of the nuclei with 100 ⩽ Z ⩽ 120 using radioactive nuclear beams has been performed. Starting with the expected beam intensities for the proposed RIA accelerator, all possible projectile-target combinations were considered. A semi-empirical formalism was used to predict the best cases for further study, which was done with a detailed model, HIVAP. The formalism was tested with known reactions, where production cross sections were predicted to within an order of magnitude (over a range of 107). The calculations show several exciting new opportunities for atomic physics, chemistry and nuclear spectroscopy of the most n-rich heavy nuclei. Stable beams are still the preferred path for new element synthesis.
Analysis of numerical integration in p-version finite element eigenvalue approximation

We study the effect of numerical integration when the p-version of the finite element method is used to approximate the eigenpairs of elliptic partial differential operators. We obtain optimal orders of convergence for approximate eigenvalues and eigenvectors under a certain set of requirements on the quadrature rules employed. This is the same set of conditions that has been shown (in an earlier work) to be sufficient for the optimal approximation of the solutions of the corresponding source problems.
Studies in the System MgUO3—MgUO4

Magnesium uranate was prepared by standard solid-state synthetic techniques. Decomposition pressures were measured between 1000° and 137OOC. At oxygen contents less than MgUO3.5 a solid solution of fluorite structure was found. Above MgUO3.75 the orthorhombic magnesium uranate phase was observed. The two phases were in equilibrium in air at 126OOC. The heat of solution of O2 in the fluorite phase was 45 kcal mole−1 and the heat of the reaction MgUO3.5+ 0.12O2→ MgUO3.75 was 83.3 kcal mole−1 (O2).
The Radiative Properties of Hydrometeors at Microwave Frequencies.

Abstract Radiative parameters of ensembles of ice and water hydrometeors at 19.35, 37.0, 50.3, 100, 130 and 183 GHz were computed by means of Mie theory. Extinction and absorption coefficients as well as the coefficients of Legendre polynomials in a series representation of phase functions are presented as functions of the hydrometeor density. Results are computed for ensembles of particle sizes characterized by Marshall-Palmer and Best distribution functions.
Theoretical conformation of proline oligomers

Abstract Minimum energy (vacuum) conformations of proline oligomers and poly-L-proline have been calculated. The left-hand helix of trans-polyproline II becomes stable at the tetramer, whereas the right-hand helix of cis-polyproline I is not established until at least the pentamer. The potential minima include values of ψ (ψ = 163° trans, ψ = 56° cis) which yield forms of the polymer that are virtually identical with polyproline I and II in the solid state. Calculated repeat distances and residues per turn for the two forms are 1.90 A and 3.18 (pp I) and 3.11 A and 3.00 (pp II), compared with experimental values of 1.90 A and 3.33 (pp I) and 3.12 A and 3.00 (pp II). A third form, not previously described, is found to be almost equally energetically favorable with the trans form of polyproline II. This form, herein called polyproline III, is a trans left-hand helix with alternating rotation angles of 325° and 170°, and 3.35 residues per turn, which forms a right-hand superhelix. Using collagen II proline c...
Further validation of an in vitro predictive animal model for human erythrocyte G‐6‐PD deficient responses to hemolytic agents

Abstract This study assessed the ability of Dorset sheep erythrocytes, a model with a G‐6‐PD deficiency, to predict potential hemolytic responses of human G‐6‐PD deficient erythrocytes to five pharmaceutical agents (i.e. alpha‐naphthol, menadione, primaguine, phenacetin, and quinidine HCl). The sheep erythrocyte responses showed a high concordance with the human responses. The only lack of predictive accuracy was a false negative prediction for the bioactivated metabolites of phenacetin which were positive in the human metabolization system. When these results are combined with earlier published findings with seven additional drugs with a collective total of 22 direct intermodel comparisons, the sheep accurately predicted 11 of 11 non‐hemolytic responses in the human system and 8 of 11 potential hemolytic responses. These results suggest that the sheep model has considerable predictive utility with a tendency toward false negatives but not false positive predictions.
Assumption adequacy averaging as a concept for developing more robust methods for differential gene expression analysis

The concept of assumption adequacy averaging is introduced as a technique for developing more robust methods that incorporate assessments of assumption adequacy into the analysis. The concept is illustrated by using it to develop a method that averages results from the t-test and nonparametric rank-sum test with weights obtained from using the Shapiro-Wilk test to test the assumption of normality. Through this averaging process, the proposed method is able to rely more heavily on the statistical test that the data suggests is superior for each individual gene. Subsequently, this method developed by assumption adequacy averaging outperforms its two component methods (the t-test and rank-sum test) in a series of traditional and bootstrap-based simulation studies. The proposed method showed greater concordance in gene selection across two studies of gene expression in acute myeloid leukemia than did the t-test or rank-sum test. An R routine for implementing the method is available from www.stjuderesearch.org/depts/biostats.
2006 Special issue: A probabilistic model of gaze imitation and shared attention

An important component of language acquisition and cognitive learning is gaze imitation. Infants as young as one year of age can follow the gaze of an adult to determine the object the adult is focusing on. The ability to follow gaze is a precursor to shared attention, wherein two or more agents simultaneously focus their attention on a single object in the environment. Shared attention is a necessary skill for many complex, natural forms of learning, including learning based on imitation. This paper presents a probabilistic model of gaze imitation and shared attention that is inspired by Meltzoff and Moore's AIM model for imitation in infants. Our model combines a probabilistic algorithm for estimating gaze vectors with bottom-up saliency maps of visual scenes to produce maximum a posteriori (MAP) estimates of objects being looked at by an observed instructor. We test our model using a robotic system involving a pan-tilt camera head and show that combining saliency maps with gaze estimates leads to greater accuracy than using gaze alone. We additionally show that the system can learn instructor-specific probability distributions over objects, leading to increasing gaze accuracy over successive interactions with the instructor. Our results provide further support for probabilistic models of imitation and suggest new ways of implementing robotic systems that can interact with humans over an extended period of time.
Binding properties of acetylcholine receptors extracted from normal and from denervated rat diaphragm.

When a muscle is denervated, acetylcholine sensitivity, normally restricted to the endplate region of the muscle fiber, spreads over the entire surface [ 1,2] . This change in acetylcholine sensitivity is not based on a redistribution or modification of existing receptor molecules, but on the appearance of new ones [3-51. Denervation thus appears to be a simple procedure to induce the synthesis of acetylcholine receptors (AcChR) and to make them available in quantities sufficient for detailed biochemical and even protein-chemical investigations. The utilization of the denervation-induced receptor for the study of the nature and dynamics of the acetylcholine receptor ordinarily occurring in the postsynaptic membrane however is predicated on the identity of these two types of molecule. At present it is not known whether they are the same. In this communication we wish to report on experiments designed to compare the drug binding properties of detergent-solubilized receptors from normal as well as from denervated muscle. In contrast to earlier reports, drug affinities of the two types of receptor were found to be indistinguishable.
Lonely hearts: Psychological perspectives on loneliness

Abstract Loneliness is a complex set of feelings encompassing reactions to the absence of intimate and social needs. Although transient for some individuals, loneliness can be a chronic state for others. We review the developmental, social, personality, clinical, and counseling psychology literatures on loneliness with an emphasis on recent empirical findings. Chronic feelings of loneliness appear to have roots in childhood and early attachment processes. Chronically lonely individuals are more likely to be high in negative affectivity, act in a socially withdrawn fashion, lack trust in self and others, feel little control over success or failure, and generally be dissatisfied with their relationships compared to nonlonely individuals. Loneliness has also been associated with a variety of individual differences including depression, hostility, pessimism, social withdrawal, alienation, shyness, and low positive affect; loneliness is also a concomitant of more severe disorders, such as clinical depression, borderline personality, and schizophrenia. Although loneliness affects a large number of individuals and is associated with numerous negative outcomes, relatively few investigations have examined the efficacy of treatments aimed at alleviating or preventing loneliness. Several investigations raise the possibility of treating loneliness, but the absence of appropriate comparison groups casts doubt on the efficacy of many of these treatments. Correlational studies also suggest that one close friend or romantic partner may be sufficient to buffer those at risk for loneliness. Research on causal processes is sparse, however, and more research is needed to delineate which factors are antecedents and which are consequences of loneliness.
Book reviews as a tool for assessing publisher reputation

This article reports on the authors’ efforts to develop a method of using book reviews to establish the reputations of publishers. The authors examined the quality of books published by de Gruyter, Greenwood, Doubleday, University of Georgia Press, and Louisiana State University Press as it is expressed in abstracts of book reviews published in the online version of Book Review Digest . The authors extracted a sample for each publisher from Book Review Digest , examined the sample, and compared each publisher sample against a control sample. Although it is true that most book reviews are positive, there are discernible variations in how reviewers express themselves about books. The study also looks at Choice as a source of book reviews, and briefly examines the relationship between price and quality. This study adds to the literature of the use of book reviews as a selection tool.
Controlling light propagation and mode coupling in optical waveguides using one dimensional phased antenna arrays

Phased antenna arrays patterned on optical waveguides can strongly affect mode coupling and propagation in the waveguides. The unidirectional effective wavevector provided by the phased antenna array can facilitate phase matching between different waveguide modes; the effective wavevector can also breaks the symmetry of optical power flow in waveguides. These effects can be used to realize novel integrated photonic circuits. We used full-wave simulations to demonstrate broadband, small-footprint optical waveguide mode converters, polarization converters, and optical power diodes in the telecom and mid-infrared spectral ranges. The designed optical devices have small footprints (i.e., length of antenna arrays ranges from a few to ten times of the free-space wavelength). The efficiency of mode conversion (defined as the percentage of optical power coupled from one waveguide mode to the other) ranges from 10% to 60%, and the purity of converted modes approaches unity. The on-off ratio of optical power diodes (defined as the ratio between optical power transmission in two opposite directions) can be larger than 20dB over a broad wavelength range. We developed a coupled mode theory to model the asymmetric coupling between different waveguide modes and between waveguide modes and surface waves propagating along antenna arrays. The results calculated using the coupled mode theory can successfully explain mode evolution in our waveguide structures observed in simulations. We believe the platform of optical waveguides integrated with phased antenna arrays offers great opportunity to study novel physics originating from interaction between guided waves and designer structures. The platform also has great implication for integrated photonics device applications.
Comparison of transmitted- and stored-reference systems for ultra-wideband communications

Performance of a transmitted-reference system (TR) with a cross-correlation receiver is compared with that of a stored-reference system (SR) with a Rake receiver for ultra-wideband (UWB) communications. The effect of channel estimation error that appears in SR systems is taken into account, eliminating some unfair advantage in comparisons with TR systems. Some insight on system design for multipath channels is drawn from the comparison.
Sentence matching: a re-examination

This article examines sentence matching, a methodology frequently used in the second language (L2) literature to determine notions of grammaticality of nonnative speakers (NNS). Native speakers (NS) of French and L2 learners of French performed a sentence-matching task focusing on three areas of French grammar: adverb placement, subject-verb agreement and clitic-pronoun placement. In sentence-matching tasks participants respond to two sentences on a computer screen indicating whether the two sentences are identical or not. In general, grammatical sentences are responded to faster than ungrammatical sentences and have been used in the L2 literature as a way of determining grammatical knowledge. The results from the NSs of French show that when there is a high degree of difficulty in interpretation of ungrammatical sentences, sentence matching is a useful tool for determining grammaticality. For NNSs there is little evidence that sentence matching predicts grammaticality. A traditional acceptability judgeme...
Inertial effects in Büttiker-Landauer motor and refrigerator at the overdamped limit.

We investigate the energetics of a Brownian motor driven by position-dependent temperature, commonly known as the B\"uttiker-Landauer motor. Overdamped models $(M=0)$ predict that the motor can attain Carnot efficiency. However, the overdamped limit $(M\ensuremath{\rightarrow}0)$ contradicts the previous prediction due to the kinetic energy contribution to the heat transfer. Using molecular dynamics simulation and numerical solution of the inertial Langevin equation, we confirm that the motor can never achieve Carnot efficiency and verify that the heat flow via kinetic energy diverges as ${M}^{\ensuremath{-}1/2}$ in the overdamped limit. The reciprocal process of the motor, namely, the B\"uttiker-Landauer refrigerator, is also examined. In this case, the overdamped approach succeeds in predicting the heat transfer only when there is no temperature gradient. Its found that the Onsager symmetry between the motor and refrigerator does not suffer from the singular behavior of the kinetic energy contribution.
Two-dimensional simulation of a shock-accelerated gas cylinder

The Richtmyer-Meshkov Instability (RMI) arises when a density gradient in a fluid (gas) is subjected to an impulsive acceleration (e.g., due to a shock wave passage). The evolution of RMI is non-linear and hydrodynamically complex and hence is a very good test problem to validate numerical codes. In this paper, we present a two-dimensional numerical simulation of RMI-driven evolution of the flow produced by shock acceleration of a diffuse heavy gaseous cylinder embedded in lighter gas. The initial conditions employed in the simulation are a very close match to the initial conditions realised in a well-characterised experiment, facilitating a detailed quantitative comparison with experimental measurements, as well as with other simulations of the same experiment. Comparison of the late-time flow statistics between experiment and numerics elucidates the limitations inherently present in a two-dimensional simulation of a spatially three-dimensional flow, even if the large-scale flow structure is nominally two-dimensional.
Food security in older adults.

We have long understood that the maintenance of good nutritional health is essential to the prevention, delay, and management of chronic disease, physical and cognitive function, and quality of lif...
The master cell cycle regulator APC-Cdc20 regulates ciliary length and disassembly of the primary cilium

The primary cilium has an important role in signaling; defects in structure are associated with a variety of human diseases. Much of the most basic biology of this organelle is poorly understood, even basic mechanisms, such as control of growth and resorption. We show that the activity of the anaphase-promoting complex (APC), an E3 that regulates the onset of anaphase, destabilizes axonemal microtubules in the primary cilium. Furthermore, the metaphase APC co-activator, Cdc20, is specifically recruited to the basal body of primary cilia. Inhibition of APC-Cdc20 activity increases the ciliary length, while overexpression of Cdc20 suppresses cilium formation. APC-Cdc20 activity is required for the timely resorption of the cilium after serum stimulation. In addition, APC regulates the stability of axonemal microtubules through targeting Nek1, the ciliary kinase, for proteolysis. These data demonstrate a novel function of APC beyond cell cycle control and implicate critical role of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis in ciliary disassembly. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.03083.001
Impact of fermentation, drying, roasting and Dutch processing on flavan-3-ol stereochemistry in cacao beans and cocoa ingredients

This paper reports a systematic study of the level of flavan-3-ol monomers during typical processing steps as cacao beans are dried, fermented and roasted and the results of Dutch-processing. Methods have been used that resolve the stereoisomers of epicatechin and catechin. In beans harvested from unripe and ripe cacao pods, we find only (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin with (-)-epicatechin being by far the predominant isomer. When beans are fermented there is a large loss of both (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin, but also the formation of (-)-catechin. We hypothesize that the heat of fermentation may, in part, be responsible for the formation of this enantiomer. When beans are progressively roasted at conditions described as low, medium and high roast conditions, there is a progressive loss of (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin and an increase in (-)-catechin with the higher roast levels. When natural and Dutch-processed cacao powders are analyzed, there is progressive loss of both (-)-epicatechin and (+)-catechin with lesser losses of (-)-catechin. We thus observe that in even lightly Dutch-processed powder, the level of (-)-catechin exceeds the level of (-)-epicatechin. The results indicate that much of the increase in the level of (-)-catechin observed during various processing steps may be the result of heat-related epimerization from (-)-epicatechin. These results are discussed with reference to the reported preferred order of absorption of (-)-epicatechin > (+)-catechin > (-)-catechin. These results are also discussed with respect to the balance that must be struck between the beneficial impact of fermentation and roasting on chocolate flavor and the healthful benefits of chocolate and cocoa powder that result in part from the flavan-3-ol monomers.
Relationship between the flagellates and the ciliates.

The flagellates and the ciliates have long been considered to be closely related because of their unicellular nature and the similarity in the structures of the axoneme of the flagella and cilia in both groups. Most protozoologists believe that the ciliates arose from a flagellate. The flagellates that are most similar in structure to the ciliates are the dinoflagellates and two genera of uncertain taxonomic position, Colponema and Katablepharis. Structurally, dinoflagellates have a number of similarities with ciliates. These include the similarity of the cortical alveoli in the ciliates to the thecal vesicles in the dinoflagellates, the possession of tubular cristae, the similarity of the parasomal sac of the ciliates to the pusule of the dinoflagellates, the possession of similar trichocysts and mucocysts, and some similarity in the feeding apparatus. Colponema spp. are probably related to the dinoflagellates and have many of the same similarities with the ciliates. Katablepharis spp. are very similar in structure to the swarmer (embryo) of the suctorian ciliates. Indeed, reduction in the number of cilia to two in the suctorian swarmer and elimination of the macronucleus would result in a cell that is very similar to the Katablepharis cell. The feeding apparatus of Katablepharis spp. and the rest of the ciliates consists of two concentric microtubular arrays associated with vesicles. Information available from nucleotide sequencing of rRNA places the dinoflagellates in an ancestral position to the ciliates. The rRNA of Colponema and Katablepharis spp. has not yet been investigated. The use of stop codons in mRNA is discussed in relation to phylogeny. Images
Strategies for end-user computing: an integrative framework

Abstract:This paper develops a framework consisting of five core strategies or organizational postures vis-a-vis end-user computing (euc). Following a description of each of the strategies, the authors employed a two-step process to represent (1) how to effectively implement a particular euc strategy, and (2) when to adopt a particular euc strategy. The first step, based on some field observations, resulted in a descriptive profiling of the euc strategies via the management attributes of policy setting and planning, support, and control. The second step produced a prescriptive timing with respect to the phases of euc strategy evolution. The integrative framework that resulted from this two-step process was based on the premise that euc technology adoption follows a learning curve phenomenon. In essence, such a framework should serve as a tool, useful to the practitioner in coping with the dynamic environment surrounding the management of end-user computing.
Application of real-time RT-PCR for the quantitation and competitive replication study of H5 and H7 subtype avian influenza virus.

Abstract Avian influenza (AI) viruses are endemic in wild birds and if transmitted to poultry can cause serious economic losses. In the study of AI, the quantitation of virus shed from infected birds is valuable in pathogenesis studies and to determine the effectiveness of vaccines, and is performed routinely by cultivation of virus containing samples using embryonating chicken eggs (ECE) and expressed by 50% egg infectious dose (EID50). Although, this assay is accurate and is the standard test for infectious virus titration, the method is laborious, requires a large number of ECE, and takes at least 7 days to determine results. In this study, a one-tube hydrolysis fluorescent probe based real-time RT-PCR (RRT-PCR) was applied for the quantitation of AI virus and compared with conventional virus titration method. A strong positive correlation was observed between the amount of RNA determined by quantitative RRT-PCR and the EID50s determined by conventional methods. This RRT-PCR test was further applied in the study of competitive replication of co-infected H5 and H7 subtype viruses in chickens. Using hemagglutinin subtype specific probes, we were able to determine the amount of individual subtype virus, which could not have easily been done with conventional methods. This RRT-PCR based quantitation of AI virus, which is specific, sensitive, easy to perform, and rapid, will be useful for virological, pathogenesis, and protection studies.
Inflammation and Cancer IV. Colorectal cancer in inflammatory bowel disease: the role of inflammation

Patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are at increased risk for developing colorectal cancer. To date, no known genetic basis has been identified to explain colorectal cancer predisp...
Non-Adiabatic Curve Crossings in Dissociative Electron Attachment of Condensed O2

Previously published data on electron stimulated desorption (ESD) from condensed O2 or O2 in solid matrices have been analyzed. Dissociative electron attachment (DEA) via the 2Σg + resonant state can result in two different dissociation products (i.e. by proceeding to the dissociation limits O(3P) + O−(2P) and O*(1]D) + O−(2p)). The O*(1D) product requires dissociation via a non-adiabatic curve crossing. O* (1D) is the dominant DEA product in gaseous O2. Upon condensation, O(3P) becomes the dominant product; however, the branching ratio depends strongly on the kinetic energy of the dissociating atoms.
Haptic modeling of contact formations and compliant motion

This paper models the effects of different contact formations and compliant motion on haptic rendering, taking into account friction and gravity. When a held rigid object interacts with another rigid object (in a task such as assembly), the force and moment felt by the operator at any instant depend not only on the contact region but also on the type of the contact state and the type of motion of the held object prior to reaching the current contact configuration, especially in the presence of friction and gravity. We address the modeling of such haptic effects by extending our study for the case of two interacting convex polyhedral rigid bodies to the more general case of interacting non-convex polyhedral objects involving more complex contact formations and compliant motion.
Optical parametric oscillators without phase matching

We show that optical parametric oscillators (OPO's) based on intersubband transitions in quantum wells operate in a new and interesting regime where the gain, loss, and momentum mismatch are all of the same order of magnitude. We find that such OPO's can oscillate without phase matching. The threshold gain does not increase monotonically with idler loss, as one would expect intuitively, but experiences a minimum. This minimum comes about because of a relaxation of the momentum selection rule or phase-matching condition. We derive these results by analyzing an OPO without making any of the usual assumptions on the relative magnitudes of the gain, loss, and momentum mismatch. We also consider in detail the design of a particular quantum-well structure, the asymmetric double quantum well, for realizing such an OPO experimentally.
Dyadic Goal Setting Within Organizations: Role-Making And Motivational Considerations

This article identifies two extensions of the task performance model developed by Locke (36) for examining goal-setting activities in organizations. The first identifies and develops the role-making function of goal-setting activities, introducing the concepts of superior-subordinate consensus and role congruence. The validity of this approach is based on previous research. The second extension considers the contextual variables that may influence the motivational and role-making functions of goal-setting activities. A framework is proposed which considers three categories of contextual variables, the dimensions of goal setting, and the variables that moderate the performance and role stress outcomes.
Assessing the Value of Corporate Blogs: A Social Capital Perspective

This three-phased study examines corporate blog use, specifically the impact and value of blogs on organizational social capital and knowledge sharing at Dell Inc., a global computer manufacturer. The impact of social-mediated Web 2.0 technologies on organizational social capital has received limited attention in scholarship, possibly because of the inevident connection to measurable economic value and newness of the technology. Our findings indicate the corporate blog can be used as a sustainable forum leading to a shared understanding of organizational roles, increased sense of group cohesiveness, improved work processes, and improved professional and personal ties among employees in the organization.
ENSO Indices Based on Patterns of Satellite-Derived Precipitation

Abstract In this study, gridded observed precipitation datasets are used to construct rainfall-based ENSO indices. The monthly El Nino and La Nina indices (EI and LI) measure the steepest zonal gradient of precipitation anomalies between the equatorial Pacific and the Maritime Continent. This is accomplished by spatially averaging precipitation anomalies using a spatial boxcar filter, finding the maximum and minimum averages within a Pacific and Maritime Continent domain for each month, and taking differences. The EI and LI can be examined separately or combined to produce one El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) precipitation index (ESPI). ESPI is well correlated with traditional sea surface temperature (e.g., Nino-3.4) and pressure indices [e.g., Southern Oscillation index (SOI)], leading Nino-3.4 by a month. ESPI has a tendency to produce stronger La Ninas than does Nino-3.4 and SOI. One advantage satellite-derived precipitation indices have over more conventional indices is describing the strength and ...
Heterochromatin components in germline stem cell maintenance

Stem cell maintenance requires expression of genes essential for stemness and repression of differentiation genes. How this is achieved remains incompletely understood. Here we investigate the requirement for central components of heterochromatin, Heterochromatin Protein 1 (HP1) and the histone H3 lys9 methyltransferase Su(var)3-9, in the Drosophila male germline stem cell (GSC) self-renewal, a paradigm for studying adult stem cell behavior. We found that mutations or RNAi knock down of HP1 or Su(var)3-9 cause loss of GSCs, accompanied by defects in cell division or survival and premature expression of the differentiation gene bag of marbles (bam). Conversely, over-expressing HP1 increases GSC number in wildtype flies and, strikingly, restores fertility to the sterile hopscotch (hop) mutant flies that lack niche signals. These results suggest that the central components of heterochromatin play roles including repressing differentiation genes in Drosophila male GSC maintenance.
The Effects of Changes in Kindergarten Entry Age Policies on Educational Achievement.

This study explores the effects of state kindergarten-entry-age policies on students’ outcomes by exploiting variation in the kindergarten entry cutoff dates enacted by states in the United States over the last 40 years. Using the state average and standard deviation in NAEP test scores in 4th, 8th and 12th grades, we estimate the impacts of state entry-age policies on educational achievement and test score dispersion in the state. The estimation results from the baseline state and time fixed effects model show that a one month earlier cutoff increases average state reading and math scores of 4th graders by 21.7 and 13.6 percent of a standard deviation, respectively. Eighth graders’ average score increases in math and science are 12.4 and 24.3 percent of a standard deviation, respectively, while the effect on reading score significantly decreases. We find no effect of kindergarten entry date on educational outcomes in 12th grade. We also find that an earlier kindergarten entry date generally reduces the standard deviation of state test scores. Robustness checks support these findings and suggest no evidence of endogeneity of the policy changes. Our findings provide novel evidence that early school start cutoffs have improved state-level achievement measures over the past 40 years.
Considering child effortful control in the context of teacher effortful control: Implications for kindergarten success

Abstract Children's effortful control (EC) has been consistently predicts academic and social adjustment; however, researchers have not yet examined children's EC in conjunction with the EC of their teachers. Using membership to EC similarity/dissimilarity pairings, we examined whether the alignment of kindergarten children's EC levels and their teachers' EC levels (e.g., high child EC/high teacher EC, low child EC/high teacher EC) was associated with math and reading performance, school liking, and closeness and conflict in student-teacher relationships. Results from multilevel regression models indicated that high-EC children who had high-EC teachers tended to have better basic math and reading scores and enjoy school more than their peers in other pairings. Low-EC children who had high-EC teachers had the least close and most conflictual relationships with their teachers. Findings have implications for professional development aimed to help teachers better understand and respond to students temperamentally similar or dissimilar to themselves.
Centrosome-intrinsic mechanisms modulate centrosome integrity during fever

The centrosome is critical for cell division. Heat stress (HS) causes degradation of all centrosome substructures by centrosome-bound proteasomes. HS-activated degradation is centrosome specific an...
The crystal structures of tetra­kis­(μ-n-butyrato-κ2O:O′)bis[bromidorhenium(III)] and tetra­kis­(μ-n-butyrato-κ2O:O′)bis[chlorido­rhenium(III)] aceto­nitrile disolvate

The title complexes, [Re2Br2(O2CC3H7)4], (1), and [Re2(O2CC3H7)4Cl2]·2CH3CN, (2), both exhibit paddlewheel structures with four carboxyl­ate ligands bridging two ReIII atoms. The Re—Re distances are 2.2325 (2) and 2.2299 (3) A, indicating quadruple bonds between the ReIII atoms in each complex. Both complexes contain an inversion center at the mid-point of the Re—Re bond. The Re—Br bond [2.6712 (3) A] in (1) is 0.1656 (6) A longer than the Re—Cl distance [2.5056 (5) A] of (2). In (2), the N atom of each co-crystallized aceto­nitrile solvent mol­ecule is nearly equidistant between and in close contact with two carboxyl­ate C atoms.
Enhanced data analysis for an imaging neutron/gamma-ray spectrometer

The ability to detect the presence of radioactive sources and Special Nuclear Materials (SNM) is of extreme importance for homeland security efforts. Today, we face terrorist threats in the form of explosive nuclear devices and Radiation Dispersal Devices (RDDs). The ability to remotely locate and identify the materials used to create these devices is imperative in the interdiction of terrorist threats. The Neutron SPECTrometer (NSPECT) developed by Michigan Aerospace Corporation and the University of New Hampshire is a dual-species instrument that detects both neutrons and gamma rays emitted from SNM, and gamma rays emitted from radioactive material. NSPECT provides spectroscopic information on the radioactive and fissile sources present while simultaneously imaging the sources within the instrumental field of view for enhanced detection capabilities. Creation and application of a detailed instrument response function through numerical simulations, analytical descriptions, and real NSPECT data provides the most detailed information on the detected neutrons and gamma rays, thereby allowing for the most sensitive and reliable detection of nuclear and radioactive threats.
Klebsiella Paralytica: A New Pathogenic Bacterium from “Moose Disease”

During the summer of 1927 one of us, while traveling through the wilderness of southern Ontario, heard repeated reports and rumors of a "mysterious" disease which was afflicting the moose of the CanadianMinnesota country, especially that region to the south of the international boundary, the Superior National Forest. This disease, reported by trappers, wardens, rangers and natives generally, was rumored to attack moose and to result in death in some cases. Since this time, reports of the disease have greatly increased, and the number of moose reported dead of it has also greatly increased, culminating in the really astonishing number of thirty-two well authenticated deaths reported by wardens working out of the Winton, Minn., headquarters alone?this for the early spring of 1932. This writer, engaged in an ecological study of the moose and a study of its life history, became seriously interested in the disease in 1930, but as nothing definite was in evidence at that time, it was not until 1931 that the attack on the problem of the disease was undertaken.
Content Determination of Ethylendiamine in Aminophylline Tablets by Potentiometric Titration

OBJECTIVE: To improve the determination method of ethylenedeiamine in amimophylline tablets.METHODS: Potentiometic titration method was used to determine the contents of ethylenediamine.E-201-C type pH composite electrode was adopted using phthalate buffer solution and mixed phosphate buffer solution to correct pH meter.0.1 mol·L-1 sodium hydroxide solution was used for titration and end-point titration was calculated by second-order derivative.RESULTS: The content of ethylenedeiamine was 13.88% (RSD=0.28%,n=3) with an average recovery of 99.37%(RSD=0.18%,n=6).CONCLUSION: The method is accurate and precise,and it is not interfered by the excipients of aminophylline tablets.
Management of the Neurogenic Bladder in 413 Children

During the last 10 years the management of the neurogenic bladder in children has changed from indwelling urethral catheterization or urinary diversion to intermittent catheterization or artificial sphincter implantation. Neurogenic bladder dysfunction in 413 children was caused by myelomeningocele in 323, traumatic paraplegia in 47, spastic quadriplegia in 11, sacral agenesis in 18 and spinal cord disease in 14. Management included indwelling urethral catheterization in 27 children, urinary diversion in 193, intermittent catheterization in 84, an artificial sphincter in 11 and undiversion in 6. No single treatment was completely effective or without significant complications.
Similarity on a Euclidean Plane (SIM)

This chapter defines a similarity mapping on a Euclidean plane as a dilation, an isometry, or a composition of a dilation and an isometry. Such mappings are used to define the similarity of two sets. Similarity is shown to be an equivalence relation, and criteria are developed for similarity of triangles. The chapter concludes with a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, and a proof that the product of the base and altitude of a triangle is constant.